Why would players want to join The Arsenal?

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I recently watched a clip of Jamie O’Hara claiming that Jesse Lingard should not join Arsenal.

His reasoning was that “Arsenal would not be pulling up any trees in the next season” and would “not be spending big money”. He then went on to say “he should join Tottenham” as they were miles above Arsenal.

It was click bait at is finest, designed to get Arsenal fans calling in to abuse the journeyman former footballer.

Laura Woods held him to account pointing out that Spurs were only a handful of points above Arsenal. That they could be losing their best player and have a manager who players do not want to play for.

Click bait aside. There is a serious conversation to be had

When Arsenal are linked with players from those clubs above us, you often see fans of those clubs and rival clubs saying “why would he want to take a step down”.

Why would Wilfred Ndidi leave 3rd place Leicester City for 9th placed Arsenal? Or Lingard pick Arsenal over 4th placed West Ham? And so on.

The reality is Arsenal could sign any player they wanted from these clubs. And are still more attractive then any side in the Premier League outside of Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.

The saying goes “form is temporary, class is permanent” and that is exactly why Arsenal will still be the destination of choice for many players.

Form is Temporary

Last season West Ham finished 16th, They have finished top 10 3 times in 20 years and not finished higher than 7th since 1999.

No player in their right mind would pick West Ham over an Arsenal based on the Hammers having one decent season.

There form this season is likely a temporary peak before their return to the lower-mid table positions they have spent the last decade in.

Next season they are just as likely to get relegated as finish top 4.

Whereas the opposite is different for Arsenal. We are more likely to finish top 4 than get relegated.

Leicester City are a different proposition.

They finished 5th last season and are looking to back that up with a top 4 finish this. 6 seasons ago they finished champions.

But in 3 of the last 4 seasons they finished no higher than 9th – their lowest is 12th.

Arsenal finished above Leicester 3 out of 4 times, with a lowest position of 8th.

No player is going to pick (or not leave) Leicester based on them finishing above Arsenal a couple of times.

Players are driven by 4 things:

1) Playing for the club they love

2) Winning trophies

3) Earning big money

4) Playing for a “big club”

The more of those factors you can offer, the higher up a food chain you are.

Trophies

Regardless of current league position, a player is more likely to win a trophy at Arsenal than Leicester, Everton, West Ham or Tottenham.

It might be “only the FA Cup” but a player joining Arsenal in 2013 would have 4 FA Cup winners medals hanging on their wall.

Only Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United have won more in that time than Arsenal.

2013 was the year Harry Kane made his breakthrough into the Tottenham team. Over 200 goals and 300 appearances later, he is still waiting to win his first trophy.

If you are driven to win trophies, you join Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea or Arsenal.

They are the 5 teams that are constantly their at the business end of competitions. Making semi-finals, finals, winning trophies.

In the 4 years Arsenal have finished outside the top 4, we have won 2 FA Cups. I the 2 seasons we finished trophyless we made the League Cup and Europa League finals.

In the last 8 seasons we have won 4 trophies and finished runners up 4 times. That is top 2 in a competition every single season.

We might be 9th in the league, but we still have more of a chance to win a trophy than most of those teams above us.

Big Money

Like it or not, how much a team can pay a player still has a huge impact when they decide who ti sign for.

Take Manchester City.

Back in the late 00s and early 10s, they could only offer players one of those things. Big money. So the money they had to pay players to join them was astronomical.

They can now offer almost guaranteed success which has led to them no longer having to “overpay” to attract players.

O’Hara has said “Arsenal will not spend big money”. Yet we will spend big money and will continue to do so on players wages.

In 2019/20, Arsenal had the 5th highest wage bill in the Premier League.

We pay nearly 100% more on salaries than West Ham and close to 50% more than Leicester City.

Despite Covid19 and finishing mid-table again, those figures will not change soon.

Arsenal’s wage bill is unlikely to dramatically drop, and West Ham’s will unlikely shoot up.

Whatever Leicester, West Ham, Everton or Tottenham can offer, Arsenal can offer more.

You throw in that we are more likely to win trophies and you start to see why we are still a ore attractive proposition than those clubs that will finish above us.

History

“You’re living in the past” is what many say when talking about a clubs history. But it has a huge factor and pull for clubs.

The fact is, players want to play for the biggest clubs.

No matter where they are in the league, the big clubs will always be able to attract the best players.

Whether that be Arsenal or Liverpool. Juventus or Inter Milan. Manchester United or AC Milan.

Look at Liverpool in the late 00s / mid 10s.

They finished top 5 once in 7 seasons, finishing 6th-8th in the other 6 seasons.

Yet they were still able to attract the likes of Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho, Raul Meireles, Mamadou Sakho, Mario Balotelli, Emre Can and Roberto Firmino from abroad.

And despite their poor finishes, they were able to poach the likes of Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing, José Enrique, Joe Allen, Simon Mignolet, Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Danny Ings and Nathaniel Clyne from domestic rivals.

They could still knock on the door of those smaller clubs and sign their best players regardless of where they finished in the league.

It is the same for Manchester United, and Arsenal.

The historic big 3 clubs in England will always be a bigger draw for players at home and abroad then those lesser clubs.

Unless a Manchester City or Chelsea turns up firing millions of pounds at players from the tank parked on a rivals lawn; Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal will always have the biggest draw for players.

So when someone says “why would a player join Arsenal”, the answer is simple.

Arsenal are one of Europe’s biggest clubs

Arsenal are one of England most successful clubs

And Arsenal can still pay more than 75% of the Premier League

PS: I would not want us to sign Jesse Lingard. Is he West Hams level.

Keenos

Book Review: Gunners and Gooners

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Gunners and Gooners by Eddie Symes

Book Review by John Williamson

During the first lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic, keep himself occupied, old time Arsenal supporter Eddie Symes decided to write a series of blogs named ‘Old Gunners and Gooners’.

The blog captured the essence of supporting the Club for over 60 years. They proved such a success that Eddie decided to write a book in the same vein.

The book captures the highs and lows of following one of the world’s greatest footballs clubs, not only on the pitch, but also off it. 

‘Gunners and Gooners’ is a book of the personal experiences of Eddie and his friends following The Arsenal.

Starting out as an 8-year-old schoolboy in 1957 through to 2018, when Eddie last went to the Emirates Stadium.

It is written with humour and honesty by a fanatic who not only went to home matches but, also away matches in England as well as Europe. The Book is the storybehind the stories which not only Arsenal fans will relate to, but all football fans, including those who support “the Team from the Lane”.

‘Gunners and Gooners’ is written in chronological order, starting with the early days going to matches with the family, away matches by Supporters Club coach and then going by the infamous Football Specials; a tried and tested route that most football fans would have taken in a by-gone age when transportation of football fans was limited.

Included are some great stories, for example, how the ‘Laundry End’ became the ‘Northbank’ as well as the story of how Eddie’s ‘Northbank’ banner was made famous in picture form outside Bristol’s Temple Meads station with a certain Charlie George who missed a Reserve match to go to the FA Cup tie against Bristol Rovers!

The book is over 300 pages long and my testament is that I could not put the book down, taking just over 7 hours to read from cover to cover. 

The only criticism I would have is that the match facts within the book have not been researched and has several mistakes. If you look beyond the match detail and read the stories and experiences behind the matches, I would recommend this to anyone who loves their football and would like to understand what it means to those that go.

JW

Should Calum Chambers play right back for the rest of the season?

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Hector Bellerin has been in and out of the team in recent week, with Mikel Arteta rotating between he Spaniard, Cedric Soares and Calum Chambers.

Chambers had a very good game against Sheffield United and Arteta seems to like to play him when we face a side who are big and strong – his extra height at corners a key asset.

Three of his 4 starts in recent weeks have come against Burnley, West Ham and Sheffield United.

His performances in those games has given Arteta a headache for games ahead where teams are not so good in the air.

Whilst not blessed with electric pace, Chambers has shown he has the engine to get up and down the pitch and support the attack. His delivery from wide areas is also good.

It is a common myth in football that full backs need to be pacey. They do not.

The likes of Branislav Ivanovic and César Azpilicueta have been stalwarts for Chelsea over the last decade. Neither blessed with pace.

And Chambers showed Sunday when Oliver Burke looked to get the run on him that he does have enough pace to get back.

People will always point to that game against Swansea when Chambers was destroyed by Jefferson Montero as to why he should not play at right back. But that was 7 years ago.

Jefferson Montero is in the same ball park as Adama Traore, Allan Saint-Maximin.

Blessed with blistering pace, on their day they can destroy the best full backs in the world. But their best days happen once or twice a season.

Chambers was unlucky to be facing Jefferson Montero when he had one of those games. And has since been unfairly labelled as “not a right back”.

We must remember that Chambers career began with Southampton at right back; and Arsenal bought him based on his break through season where he played exclusively there.

Throughout his career, he has played full back, centre back and central midfield.

He has been labelled too slow to play full back, not physical enough to play centre back and not good enough on the ball to play in midfield. But he is a good player.

Should Arteta take the risk and keep with Chambers at right back for the rest of the season?

Keenos