Who makes Mikel Arteta’s 23 man squad?

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Yesterday we touched a little bit on Mikel Arteta’s desire to have a core squad of 20 outfield players, plus goal keepers.

A few have raised their eyebrows considering you can register up to 25 players. I am not surprised by Arteta’s position.

Last season, just 16 players played more than 1000 minutes of Premier League football for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. It is clear Pep favours quality over quantity and backs he can keep his players fit.

Likewise, Liverpool competed with City for so long by having a smaller squad of higher quality.

A smaller squad means you can pay players more, and have a better quality of players. You only need to look at the “players used” table from last year to see that usually, the better you do the less players you use.

In a few days, I will publish my annual blog on the state of our squad, highlighting who is home grown, non-home grown and U21. This blog has become a key resource for many to help understand the sort of players we can go for.

For now we will do a shortened down exercise, and answer the question “who makes Mikel Arteta’s 23 man squad. This is my view:

In the squad

David Raya
Aaron Ramsdale / Replacement
Karl Hein / Replacement

Ben White
Takehiro Tomiyasu
William Saliba
New central defender
Gabriel Magalhães
Jakub Kiwior
Juirrien Timber
Oleksandr Zinchenko

Declan Rice
New central midfielder
Jorginho
Martin Odegaard
Fabio Vieira

Bukayo Saka
New striker
Kai Havertz
Gabriel Jesus
Gabriel Martinelli
Leandro Trossard

That is your list of 22 out of the 23 players. And if we get the recruitment right it looks like a high quality, strong squad.

The midfield does look a little lightweight, just 5 players for 3 positions. But then Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard can both play in that 8. I also would not be surprised to see Oleksandr Zinchenko utilised there next season.

So who does that mean misses out (beyond Ramsdale) from our first team squad last season?

Cedric Soares
Thomas Partey
Mohamed Elneny
Emile Smith Rowe
Reiss Nelson
Eddie Nketiah

Cedric and Elneny hardly played last season, so do not need replacing. Meanwhile Partey will be replaced for a new recruit.

As for the Halen End boys, they played very little between them, and in my eyes they are replaced by a single player – Benjamin Sesko.

Sesko replaces Nketiah, and that frees up for Jesus to be used on the wings, replacing Smith Rowe and Nelson (the pair played just 604 Premier League minutes combined last season).

I also expect none of those senior players on-loan last season to be with us next term: Marquinho, Runarsson, Tierney, Lokonga, Tavares.

When I lay it out as above, suddenly the 20 outfield players does not look as crazy as some will claim.

And by starting the season with just 23 registered players (if all require registering), it leaves us with space to make a January acquisition or two if needed!

Enjoy your Saturday.

Keenos

https://twitter.com/KOMerchants/status/1791106335754641806

Arteta new contract, Sesko “the one for Arsenal” and More…

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Mikel Arteta new contract

Not sure why people are debating whether Mikel Arteta should get a new contract.

If you can not recognise the strives forward the club has taken under Arteta’s stewardship, then you are clearly the issue and probably blinkered by hatred.

The club is in its best position off the pitch since we moved to the Emirates. Fans and players are one and we are moving forward. Arteta is the reason for all of this.

Granted, Arteta needs to begin turning these good seasons into silverware, but there is no argument that he is not the right man for the job.

Barcelona and Bayern Munich both had vacancies this. Both enquired about Arteta. And if Pep ever leaves City, Super Mik would be top of their list to replace him.

People will list “Allegri, Tuchel, Conte” and others to attempt to show that there are “winners” available who could come straight in and win us a cup. But that ignores the long term picture and that these have proved themselves to be short-term options. As for the loon that said he wants Arteta sacked and for us to bring in the Girona manager, have some standards!

Players across Europe now want to play for The Arsenal again, and Arteta is a huge reason for that.

Arteta deserves his deal. He deserves to be one of the best paid players in the Premier League. Get the contract signed.

Benjamin Sesko “the one for Arsenal”

Only last week I wrote why I believe Benjamin Sesko was the one for Arsenal, so I am more the interested that the links are intensifying.

Sasko looks perfect for Arsenal. He is very similar to Kai Havertz in the way he plays, but a bit more clinical and instinctive in front of goal. At just 20, he will continue to improve.

Some doubters have questioned his acquisition saying they want a proven goal scorer. I have to disagree.

For a start, Sesko will not be coming in to play week in week out. We will still have Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus. Let’s not forget that Havertz scored 8 goals and and grabbed himself 7 assists in the last 13 games of the season. Adding Sesko (at the detriment of Nketiah) will add quality and depth.

And if not Sesko, then who?

Ivan Toney has fallen off since his return to football. He is also now 28-years-old. His England team mate Ollie Watkins thrives on space in behind. He would not suitable to a possession based team who often face a low block.

As for those in Europe, I have never really been interest in Viktor Gyokeres. Whilst he has had a good season, he is playing in Portugal and the fee being floated around for a 26-year-old with one season of top flight football under him is ludicrous.

Victor Osimhen is another constantly mentioned, and whilst he would be a high quality recruit, his transfer fee and wages would be astronomical. It would leave very little left in the kitty to buy others. I would also be concerned about his ongoing injury issues. Whoever signs him is going to take a big risk and it feels like his career could implode at any moment.

Sesko is the one. I hope we get it done.

20 man squad

A few have raised their eyebrows about Arteta wanting a just 20 outfield players (plus the keepers), considering you can register up to 25 players. I am not surprised by Arteta’s position.

Last season, just 16 players played more than 1000 minutes of Premier League football for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. It is clear Pep favour quality over quantity and backs he can keep his players fit.

Likewise, Liverpool competed with City for so long by having a smaller squad of higher quality.

A smaller squad means you can pay players more, and have a better quality of players. You only need to look at the “players used” table from last year to see that usually, the better you do the less players you use.

What I expect to happen is for us to have a core group of 20 outfield players. And they are then topped up by fringe players and other youngsters.

Arteta knows what he is doing.

Have a good Friday.

Keenos

Tedious “banter” about parade attendance and bottling is not what supporting your team is about

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Morning from a sunny Essex!

There is a lot of talk about how “few” people were at Manchester City’s parade. This has raised the question as to why so many fans care.

We see similar comments made about sides attendances, or if they struggle to sell out Wembley. The “banter” usually comes from the same sources – “troll” and “funny” Twitter accounts and opposing fans. I do not see the fascination with this sort of stuff.

To start with, why does it matter? I do not care how many other Arsenal are in Wembley, or at at a parade, or anything really. As long as I am there, with my mates that I go home and away with. Nothing else matters.

The comments thrown at clubs are always from fans of opposing teams. And very often from fans who themselves do not go to watch their own side in the ground and would have to get a flight to go to a victory parade

The current era, driving by social media, has led fans to spend more energy “bantering” and “mocking” opponents rather than supporting your own team and celebrating your own achievements.

Take Monday when Manchester City had their parade. Anyone that posted pictures of the event had loads of replies from Manchester United fans taking the piss. This was two days after Man U won’t the FA Cup.

Instead of being out with their mates celebrating a cup win over a bank holiday weekend, Man U fans were online trying to score points over Man City about something that does not matter.

From Premier League to non-League, there are hundreds of clubs in this country all different sizes. How many others support your club is not important. You supporting your club is what is important.

Football is an escape for many of us from a hard working week. It is a chance to turn the brain off over a weekend. Pickle it with alcohol. Meet friends and unwind. I can only conclude that if you spend copious amounts on social media mocking a rival, than you don’t really have mates to celebrate the good times with.

And I not talking about those of us that do the occasional piss taking. We all do it. I am talking about those who spend more time talking about a rival in comparison to backing their own team

As for the above mentioned troll and banter accounts, I always find them cringey, just like I do TalkSport and PaddyPower.

They have created this new breed of fan that are driven by hits, likes and impressions. Taking the piss out of Manchester City or Arsenal gets more attention than posting something supportive.

I hate when someone posts something from one of those sources in our WhatasApp group. It is usually combined with 😂😂😂.

Their content is not funny, and you know in 24 hours these accounts will be posting similar stuff disparaging the club you support. Why support an account that will happily also mock your team for money?

For Manchester City specifically, I always laugh at the irony.

On one hand you see a fan saying “where were you when you were shit” then on the other the same fans are mocking them for empty seats, or millions not being at a parade.

Do you think anyone who was going to Maine Road in the 3rd tier of English football really cares that they don’t have a huge fanbase whilst they celebrate 4 league titles in a row?

They will know Manchester City have never been a huge team. That they are Manchester’s 2nd team. Just like Everton in Liverpool. Celtic in Glasgow. And United in Sheffield.

Domestic fan bases do not really grow dramatically, even with success. Yes, you end up with a few more hangers on and two club merchants, but most English fans support the club of their father and that does not change.

City will have the same core group of families that were there in the 3rd tier as they do now. Just like we would have the same core group of fans if we got relegated.

The majority of clubs “growth” when successful is from abroad. And it is these fans that often jump on the banter bandwagon.

The proof of all of this is Chelsea. Despite all their success you still feel Stamford Bridge is the right size to accommodate their English based fans

At our last parade, me and my mates were accused of being Spurs fans.

None of us were in colours, and we were all fairly quiet. This is because we were hungover having been to the game a day before, got no sleep, drank straight through and only been home for a change of underwear. Those making the accusation looked like they had only just gone to the club shop.

I ended up missing the bus going past as I was grabbing a round of beers. I did not care. As what mattered is I was with my mates, who I was with the day before, enjoying the sunshine.

I would rather be surrounded by 40,000 lads and lasses who will stick with us through thick and thin rather than 40,000 of fans like me, and then 20,000 hangers on.

Yes, I get that this could read like “old man shouts at clouds”, but I really don’t care. All I care about is going to games with my mates. Having a beer with my mates. I will still be there if we get relegated to the conference and are playing in front of 1500 people. Those that love the banter content will probably find another team to support.

Keenos