Tag Archives: Arsenal

Arsenal do not need to splash the cash

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A few years ago, the message from The Arsenal crowd was loud clear;

“Spend some f*king money”

It was on the terraces, throughout social media, in the pubs around the ground. Arsenal needed to spend, and spend big.

And then this season happened which proved many of the naysayers wrong.

For a long time, I have been of the opinion that it is not how much you spend, but who you spend it on. There have been many an example over the years of players who cost very little out performing players who cost a lot. It is about spending right.

This season has created 2 scenarios which prove that being successful is not about spending money.

Firstly we have the champions, Leicester City. The stats are for all to see. They have taken a bunch of journeymen, a load of at the time seemed average players, a few cheap imports, and won the league.

Two of their key players, N’Golo Kante & Riyad Mahrez cost them a packet of chocolate buttons and an A3 poster of One Direction’s Harry Styles.

Earlier this season, they put out a side that cost £200m less than their opponents. The result was Leicester winning 2-1. The opponents were oil rich Chelsea.

What Leicester have done, either by luck or judgement, or probably a bit of both, is buy the correct players for the game plan. And fit the tactics to the strengths of the players they have.

In N’Golo Kante, they got a player who takes Harry Redknapp’s run around a little bit comment to the extreme. A player who covers so much ground defensively and offensively. The stats were their for every club. But Leicester took the plunge.

Christian Fuchs cost them nothing. But here was a player who had played over 220 games in Germany and had 74 caps for Austria. A full back who knew his main job was to defend. He was a free transfer, yet the right player for Leicester.

Then we have Shinji Okazaki. He might not have had the impact on the pitch as the likes of Mahrez and Jamie Vardy have had, but an international with 48 goals in 100 games would have provided an inexperienced squad a wealth of international experience.

Leicester signed the right players, and were successful.

The second scenario is the other side of the coin. Manchester City.

This is a side who have outspent every time in the Premier League in both salaries and transfers fees over the last 5/6 years. And yet here they are, in 2016, at risk of finishing 5th.

Two of the positions people have wanted Arsenal to spend money on are centre back and defensive midfield.

Since signing Vincent Kompany in 2008, they have spent nearly £150,000,000 on a partner. When I look at their defence at the weekend, Nicolas Otamendi & Eliaquim Mangala were no better than Gabriel and Laurent Koscielny.

You look around the Premier League and the stand out defender this season has been Toby Alderweireld. He cost Spurs just £11.5m. Had City (or Arsenal) have signed him last summer, they would have won the league. Yet City have spunked a big chunk of cash on average players.

It is the same story in central midfield. Arsenal have not had a top defensive midfielder for a decade. Since Gilberto was at the peak of his powers. Gilberto left Arsenal in 2008. Since that time, City have spent well over £120,000,000 on defensive midfielders. Where are the likes of Jack Rodwell and Javi Garcia now?

And it is a similar story upfront. Sergio Aguero is a world class talent. But how much money have they spanked on finding back up for his dodgy hamstrings. Negrado, Jovetic, Bony. £100m spent, yet it is a freebie(ish) from their youth system in Kelechi Iheanacho that looks to be set to provide the best competition.

And this does not take into account the dross they got through before securing Aguero. Santa Cruz, Adebayor, Dzeko, Bellamy, Balotelli & Robinho.

Only Carlos Tevez has ever got near to being a consistent goal scorer for them.

We come back to Leicester to compare and contrast.

Are any of the central midfielders bought by City better than N’Gole Kante? Bar Yaya Toure, it is a no. Upfront, the none of the dross they have bought has scored more goals in a single campaign than Jamie Vardy.

Out wide, Riyad Mahrez has outperformed the likes of Raheem Sterling & Jesus Navas.

Even within City’s squad itself, the key players did not cost a ridiculous amount. Hart, Kompany, Toure, Silva & Aguero, their spine for so long, cost less than Pantilimon, Mangala, Fernandinho, Sterling and Bony.

Bringing it back round to Arsenal. We messed up by not buying in the summer. To fail to buy a single outfield player has cost us the league. We needed to spend some money. We needed to strengthen the squad. We needed to buy better players than what we have. But we did not need to go out and splash A LOT of money.

With the right scouting system, and playing the right tactics to fight the players, you can compete, you can win, within spending silly money.

Just chucking a lot of money at a player does not automatically make him a top player. Likewise spending big, then not playing a system that suits will never work.

Our only recent outfield signing is Mohamed Elneny. And he has slotted in perfectly. The right kind of player as to what was needed with the right skills and attributes. Yet he cost less than £10million.

I would rather Arsenal this summer spent £50m on the right 4 players, than £100m on the wrong 4. It is not about the price tag, it is about right player.

It is not what you spend but it is how your spend it.

Keenos

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How do you solve a problem like Petr?

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UntitledWhen Petr Cech joined Arsenal in the summer, it was declared by many he could be the man to launch a title challenge.

A world class performer, an experienced winner, a leader.

The first of what was hoped to be 3 or 4 signings in key positions that had been missing for so long. There was excitement abound.

Role on a little over 10 months, and the fairytale seems to be unravelling.

Arsenal failed to sign any other players, failed in the title bid, and now Pter Cech seems to be failing in goal.

At the time of signing Cech, Chelsea captain John Terry was quoted as saying he was worth 12 – 15 points this season.

He had a shaky start to his Arsenal career. In his first game he conceded from a free kick floated into the box that he got no where near. And for the second he was wrong footed, allowing a tame effort to roll into the back of the net.

But he redeemed himself as Arsenal launched a title challenge towards the end of the year. So much so that people started to talk about him being Arsenal captain for the next season.

At the back of 2015, Arsenal were in the title race, and Cech was looking like a solid foundation that the team was built on.

5 months later and the story is different.

It all seemed to go wrong in the home defeat against Swansea City. Cech, already playing with a slight groin strain, started to go forward for a corner, but pulled up short. Out for 4 weeks was the prognosis.

In came David Ospina, who kept 3 clean sheets in 7 games. Cech was fit for the West Ham game, but Arsene Wenger decided to stick with the Columbian. A gamble which failed to pay off.

Ospina failed to come and gather any of the crosses which lead to Andy Carroll’s goal. It led many to call for an immediate return of Petr Cech. Many questioning why he could be fit for the bench but not fit to start. His height and ability to come for crosses surely would have stopped the ball reaching Carroll?

Petr Cech returned from the Crystal Palace game, and it is at that point things continued to go downhill for the stopper.

He conceded a tame shot for Palace’s equaliser. Done to his right at his near post. A shot from the age of the area. Rolling back to that first game of the season, it was very similar. It was a shot that I would be disappointed to concede in 5 a side on a Thursday night.

3 back to back clean sheets in games where he had nothing to do but scratch his arse and things looked rosy once more. At the point after the Norwich victory, Cech actually led the way for the race for the Golden Gloves, alongside Kasper Kasper Schmeichel and Joe Hart.

And then we have Manchester City.

When Sergio Aguero scored, I felt Cech should have saved it.

When Kevin De Bruyne scored, that was no debate, he should have saved it. Once again, Petr Cech had been beaten from distance down towards his right hand side from a pea roller of a shot. For someone of his ability, it should not happen. Let alone happen the numerous times it has this season.

The statistics make interesting reading:

https://twitter.com/GoonerManN5/status/729561377812168704

It is perhaps that last one that I think is most interesting.

Had it been David Ospina or Wojciech Szczesny who made the errors, the knives would be out for them. As it is Cech, there is merely a few rumblings.

Now I do not want to jump on a bandwagon, or start one, about a player who is a class act. Often here we have been criticised for giving players a bit of a rough time. I always feel it is an honest judgment, and we have praised players when doing well (Aaron Ramsey) and criticised when doing poorly (Jack Wilshere). And over times, opinions change. For a long time we have backed Theo Walcott. Recently that backing has gone.

You do have to wonder what is currently going on with Petr Cech. He is 34 in a month, and whilst this is not old for a goal keeper, he has been a regular since 2000. This is his 16th season as a professional. Add in the head injury he suffered in 2006 (can not believe that was 10 years ago!). His body has taken a lot of wear and tear.

Last season, he played just 16 games for Chelsea as Thibaut Courtois became Chelsea’s number 1. Maybe part of the problem is Cech himself adjusting to playing week in week out again?

And maybe Chelsea noticed something in his statistics which showed that Cech was losing his powers? At the time of Courtois replacing Cech as number 1, many assumed it was because Chelsea did not want to lose a talented young keeper, 10 year’s Cech, who could be number 1 for the next decade. They were equals, but Courtois was the future.

But in hindsight, maybe it was because Cech was the way down.

Every player is tested rigorously. Reactions. Strength. Jumping. Kicking. They would know what Cech’s results are. And what they were previously. Had their been a gradual decline. Reactions slowing. Jumping not as high. Being able to bench not as much. Pace over 10 years reduced. All of these would have indicated to Chelsea he was on the way out. Arsenal would not have had this data.

I am personally of the opinion that Petr Cech is still a class act. Jens Lehmann was an invincible at 34 years old, and played for the club until he was 39. David Seaman won the double with us at 39. Left us at 40. Age ain’t nothing but a number.

What we could perhaps do with doing is getting the team around Cech that he wants.

Christophe Lollichon has been with Petr Cech since his Rennes days. He is still at Chelsea. Recently it has been reported that he and Courtois do not see eye to eye. This summer Arsenal should pounce on the unrest at Chelsea and recruit the man who made Petr Cech a world class player.

At the end of the day, Cech is still one of the leagues top keepers. 15 clean sheets in 33 games in the league this season is not to be sniffed at. He has made errors, but he has also won us games with exceptional saves.

We seem to be in a world where everything has to be perfect. A striker should never miss a one on one. A defender never lose a foot race. A goal keeper never let in a soft goal. Everyone demands perfection. But in football perfection is an unrealistic bar to hold players too.

Players will make mistakes. They will lose form.

Form is temporary. Class is permanent.

Keenos

PS: Shout out to all the moaners who will reply “another player Wenger has ruined”. you really do live bitter lives.

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How Arsenal’s Stadium would look with safe standing

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What began as me messing about on paint to see how Arsenal should shift around the seating has turned into a little afternoon read for those commuting back. This might especially be needed if, like me, you have to go through Vauxhall on that journey. Good luck.

Recently Celtic have announced they will go ahead with plans for Safe Standing next season. The natural thought of this was “If it happens in Scotland it is only time until it happens in England.” Especially as the removal of standing in football ground was based on the Taylor Report, which came out of the Hillsborough disaster. The recent inquest announced fans were not to blame. Therefore making the Taylor reports direction on standing in grounds invalid.

So I created a Safe Standing area at Arsenal’s Stadium.

Blocks 6 – 11.

Block 6 is where RedAction attempted to get a lot of like minded fans to pick their season ticket in when the move first happened. The idea being it would create a bit of a singing section (cringe) at the new stadium.

To some part it worked. Most of the noise starts either from block 6, or block 11. In block 6 they already rarely sit down.

In fact, behind the goals from block 6 – 11 fans rarely sit down these days. A safe standing section seems to already be nearly in place. I sit block 11 and have certainly noticed over the last 2 seasons that stewards are a little less Nazi-like when it comes to standing in block 11. Stand in block 12 though and they are on you.

So in my idea of a perfect stadium setting, blocks 6 through to 11 become safe standing. Easily implementing the rail seat technology used in Germany. These area’s would remain season ticket only – unless bought on the ticket exchange. The amount of people in these area’s would not increase. Although I am sure a few would sneak there way in to stand with their pal, like they already often do in block 6.

That way, we have safe standing, with enough space to be comfortable, and the seating in place for European games, where standing is still frowned upon by UEFA.

But what if you do not want to stand? I hear you ask? Well it will be a simple procedure.

When the season ticket renewals come out, those in that area are explained that from the next season, there seat will be standing. If they wish to renew, they need to do nothing. If they do not wish to stand, they need to note that in the renewal, and they will be re-seated, alongside any corresponding seat numbers they indicate in the renewal. IE so they recent people who already sit next to each other.

Whilst this is happening, in the other renewals for those outside of the safe standing area, they also have an option. There option is that if a place comes available, do they want to move their seat to safe standing.

Answer yes, they get added to a waiting list for the safe standing area. Now in the first season, there will be plenty in the safe standing area who wish to be reseated, and plenty in the lower tier who wish to be in the safe standing, It should not be that had to reseat those who do not wish to stand into other parts of the lower tier, alongside who they currently sit with.

Everyone’s happy.

As the discussion went further in my head, other issues arose.

  • Reclaim the Clockend
  • Family Enclosure
  • Young Guns Enclosure
  • Cannon Club

Firstly let me address blocks 12-19. these are currently season ticker holders seats, and will remain so. The only change being if people from those seats indicate a wish to move to the safe standing. There places replaced by people who wish to not be in the safe standing zone.

20 – 23 are away fans. With 23 becoming general sale if we play a rubbish club like WBA who bring barely 1,000 and return more than half their tickets.

Reclaim the Clock Endhas been a movement for a while now. People who previously sat in the Clock End Highbury wishing to return to the Clock End Ashburton. Currently taken up by general sale and the Young Guns Enclosure.

This will never happen for 3 reasons.

  1. A lot of stadiums now seat kids next to the away end to reduce tensions. The idea being that a bunch of kids is easier to steward than 500 pissed up men goading each other. And it is true. At Cardiff, once a volatile atmosphere at Ninian Park, you now have kids next to both ends of the away fans in the new stadium. It takes the bite out of the area. I do not disagree with it, but can also can not see it changing
  2. At Highbury, when we played a cup game, the away team had the whole Clock End. All season ticket holders than had to be relocated throughout the stadium. This was much to the annoyance to the rank and file regulars. When we moved, high on the agenda was not having to move season ticket holders. So a decision was made that 24 & 25 would be general admission. That way for an FA Cup game, no one gets moved. I agree with this.
  3. With safe standing, those who want a return to the Clock End surely get their wish in the North Bank

So block 24 remains as is, general sale, and block 25 also remains as the Young Guns Enclosure / General Sale, with the club pushing the Young Guns Enclosure more and instructing the stewards in the area that they are their to ensure safety, not police. No need for lines of them kettling and restricting the Young Guns.

Skipping blocks 26 – 30 for now, we come to 31. 32 & 1. These remain the same. For the weirdos who want to sit behind the dug out, wearing fluorescent green clothing. As you were lads.

Blocks 2, 3 and 4 becomes the new family enclosure. Why move the family enclosure?

When I was a kid, I loved watching the team warm up. All kids do. The family enclosure should be on the side of the pitch the team warm up on. Also, in front of those blocks the subs warm up. Youngsters will love it. We need to think of all fans. I would also have these 3 blocks as no single cannon club tickets. IE if you are not going with a JG but are Cannon Club, you do not sit here.

I remember back at Highbury. The family enclosure was in the East Stand. When you became a Cannon Club member, unless you were buying a ticket with a Junior Gunner, you got your tickets in the West Stand, next to the away fans. It felt like a kind of promotion.

In the same thinking, block 5 would then become a Cannon Club block. With Cannon Club members who are not with a Junior Gunner. It is a step closer to the safe standing section, a step closer to adulthood.

But now we have blocks 2 – 5 where fans have been displaced. These basically go to where the family enclosure currently is. Blocks 26 – 30. Within these blocks, you take those who were in blocks 2 – 5 (it is an identical view) as well as the over fill from those who do not want to be in the safe standing and require relocating.

Club level remains wankers.

Upper Tier remains as is, unless more safe standing places arise and they wish to move down.

So my view of how the stadium should look (using paint):

Arsenal stadium

Thoughts?

Keenos

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