Tag Archives: Declan Rice

Arsenal look to “raise the ceiling and floor” this summer

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Morning!

FA Cup final weekend and I do not think I have ever been so disinterested in one.

Usually, I would be buzzing for the biggest day in the English footballing calendar. Today I will not even watch it. Instead I will be in a garden centre in Harlow.

A bit of Arsenal chatter today about ceilings and floors.

Players that raise the ceiling are those that make the top end of the team better, and therefore raise the ceiling of the team. Think Declan Rice.

Meanwhile, players that raise the floor are those that come in at the bottom end of the squad, improving on those firing players. You can also raise the floor by signing “raise the ceiling” players, demoting a current starter to a back-up dancer and letting go the current squad player.

An example of this was seen last season when we signed Declan Rice. That one player raised both the ceiling and floor.

Rice was better than anything we had in midfield. But his recruitment also meant that Thomas Partey became 2nd choice, Jorginho 3rd choice and Mohamed Elneny a fringe player.

Jorginho as 3rd choice is a huge upgrade on Elneny who was previously 3rd choice. We also saw Albert Sambi Lokonga depart on loan.

If you raise the floor and ceiling at the same time, you are both improving the starting XI and improving the squad depth.

Talk is that Arsenal are looking to recruit one “ceiling” player. My bet is it will be that striker. The club will then look for 2-3 players that will raise the floor. I would imagine that will be a central midfielder and maybe another centre back.

This really shows how clear Arsenal, Edu and Mikel Arteta are thinking right now.

No longer does it feel like we are working without a plan, waiting to see who becomes available or is offered to us. We are determining our targets and going out and getting them.

Of course, it could be all for nothing as once against Manchester City will be outspending everyone.

There is already talk that they are looking to dump Matheus Nunes this summer. The former-Wolves midfielder was signed for £53m when they failed to secure Declan Rice. The fact the can discard £50m+ players like they are Uno cards highlights their financial doping.

We do not beat Manchester City by outspending them. We beat them through smarter recruitment.

Raising the ceiling and floor is good recruitment.

In other news, I see Lucas Paqueta could be in deep trouble having been charged with getting booked deliberately for “the improper purpose of affecting the betting market”. Could not happen to a nicer player at a nicer club.

West Ham got a little too big for their boots after a couple of seasons of finishing top 7, and then winning the Intertwobob Conference League thing. They then celebrated last year as they “did Arsenal out of £100m” whilst ceiling the only player that made them relevant.

Having pushed David Moyes out, they have recruited a Wolves reject. Their star midfielder is looking at a long, long ban and, with no Europe, the likes of Jarod Bowen and Mohamed Kudos might not be around much longer. I would take both at Arsenal as cover for Bukayo Saka. Their ceiling players are our raise the floor ones.

I would not be surprised if in 12-months time we are sitting here and West Ham and their god awful stadium have been relegated to the Championship.

But hey, you will always have that day you sold your star to Mikel Arteta.

Enjoy your Bank Holiday weekend.

Keenos

Arsenal forever – Declan Rice and the ironic dream

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As a die-hard Arsenal fan, the thought of my beloved team winning the Premier League
sends shivers down my spine, I still hold the memories of past years winning the league.

The passion, the emotions, the sheer excitement of watching the Gunners lift the trophy is a dream that every Arsenal supporter cherishes at this moment in time. But is this dream really possible? Can Arsenal overcome the odds and emerge victorious in
the highly competitive world of English football?

The Irony of Fate could possibly come true?

Picture this: it’s the last day of the season, and Arsenal find themselves still in a
neck-to-neck race with Manchester City for the title.

The Gunners need to win their last game and hope Man City come un stuck, that’s if both teams keep winning till the last day, hoping, praying they do and our Arsenal clinch the premiership on the last day, and that’s where fate steps in….

West Ham, a team often overshadowed by the big guns of English football, is set to face off against City at their home ground. The irony lies in the fact that West Ham, a team with a loyal following but not known for its consistent performance, could be the unlikely heroes in Arsenal’s quest for glory.

A Gift to Remember

If West Ham manages to pull off a stunning victory or draw against City, it would be
nothing short of a gift to Arsenal. The scenes of jubilation at the Emirates Stadium would be unparalleled as fans celebrate the long-awaited triumph. But the irony doesn’t end there.

Declan Rice, a former West Ham player turned Arsenal star, and his former club would be the one delivering the final blow to City.

A gift from West ham or fate that it would end like this?

West Ham getting the result for our Arsenal and Declan Rice scoring the winner against
Everton?

The same team that had once sold Declan Rice to Arsenal and helped no end in performances week in week out had now unintentionally propelled them towards
Premiership glory.

Could it be a beautiful display of irony in the world of football, where allegiances and
outcomes can change in the blink of an eye.

Where a team’s victory against all odds turned out to be a blessing in disguise for their
former player’s current club. And amidst the chaos of the final day of the season to unfold, the true magic of the beautiful game may just shine through in all its ironic glory.

It would be a poetic end to a season filled with drama and suspense.

It’s also ironic that after the game with Spurs and The failed attempt in derailing our season their fans are hoping for their own team to lose against Man City, oblivious to the fact that our Arsenal will also have to play Man Utd.

And with Man U out of the Champions League spots, do their fans really want Man City to win the league? Can you see them doing a favour for their rivals, I highly doubt it! So that’s ironic within itself.

Typical Spurs fans, living in their own bubble of delusion and pity.

The Power of Belief

For Arsenal to win the Premier League, belief is essential. The players, the manager, the
fans – everyone must believe that the impossible is possible. It requires sheer determination, unwavering commitment, and a never-say-die attitude. The journey to the top is never easy, but with the right mindset and a bit of luck, Arsenal can rewrite history and claim their rightful place as champions.


In the world of football, anything can happen. The underdogs can emerge victorious, dreams can turn into reality, and heroes can be born. As an Arsenal fan, the thought of my team winning the Premier League again fills me with hope and excitement.

The irony of fate, the gift of victory, and the power of belief – these are the ingredients
needed for Arsenal to lift the trophy and etch their name in footballing folklore. So, is Arsenal winning the Premier League a dream to come true?

Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure – as long as there’s hope, there’s a chance for
glory.

No matter the result – whether we win the premiership or come in second place – one thing remains true: our team has instilled in us belief, passion, love, and a sense of winning and loyalty that we truly cherish. So, from the depths of my heart, I want to express my gratitude to Arsenal for the incredible journey you have taken us on this season. Thank you for everything.

North London forever, forever RED

Oh yeah .what do you think of Tottenham!

PcB

Declan Rice to captain England on 50th cap as Ashley Cole inducted into Premier League Hall of Fame

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Morning!

Declan Rice will captain England tonight on the day of his 50th cap. Having played the full 90 minutes on Saturday, you would have thought Gareth Southgate would have given him the match off. Win his 50th cap another day.

Southgate has seen Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, Harry Maguire, Kyle Walker and Sam Johnstone all withdraw through “injury”. You would have thought by now he would realise that if he wants his best players to be available, he should do deals with clubs and manage their playing time.

Jordan Pickford, John Stones, Rice, Phil Foden and Ollie Watkins all played the full 90 on Saturday. I wonder how many Southgate will pick tonight.

In terms of other Arsenal news, Ashley Cole was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame yesterday.

I actually have no issue with Cole and what happened with Chelsea.

Yes, at the time I was fuming. He joined a direct rival and the stories about he nearly crashed his car after only being offered £55,000 a week felt crass. But as I grew up and matured, I realised Arsenal, and David Dein, were in the wrong.

Cole had agreed a £60,000 a week contract with the Arsenal hierarchy. He was happy to sign on the dotted line. Then when the offer came through it was for £55k a week. It was an underhand move by Dein, alienating a boyhood fan, academy graduate and future captain.

Whenever I see people saying “Arsenal would be in a much better position if Dein had remained involved in the club”, I think about the Cole situation and how his decision forced a potential Arsenal legend out of the club.

It was also Dein, remember, who encouraged other board members to sell their shares to Stan Kroenke, before he sold his own to Alisher Usmanov which created the ownership split and led to our decade long stagnation. It is not a surprise how far Arsenal have moved forward on and off the pitch since Kroenke became 100% owner.

I might never consider Ashley Cole an Arsenal legend, but he is our best ever left-back.

The big transfer rumour is that we are looking to “match Chelsea'” and bid £60m for Ousmane Diomande.

Whilst Diomande is clearly a bright young talent, I can not see us spending £60m on a central defender unless either Gabriel or William Saliba leave. This very much feels like a story inserted by an agent to generate interest in his client.

Likewise, I also can not see us triggering the £103m release clause for Diomande’s teammate Viktor Gyokeres.

£103m is a huge fee for someone who turns 26 soon, and has only had a decent 18 months in the Championship and 1 good season in Portugal.

I have issue paying top dollar for top players (as the Declan Rice deal proves). But this would be a huge chunk of our summer spending on someone who would not be guaranteed a start.

I expect us to spend around £160m this summer, depending on sales.

£27m is already committed to David Raya, and another £10-ish million will need to be spent on an Aaron Ramsdale replacement. That wil lleave us with around £130m left to make additional improvemnts.

We need a central midfielder and a striker. That is not up for debate. We also potentially need another winger.

Our first option is to buy a truly top striker that will be guaranteed to start ahead of Gabriel Jesus, and then Jesus is the back up striker and the cover to Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. I do not feel Gyokeres is that man.

The alternative is to buy someone who can compete with Jesus, and potentially grow into a superstar in the future. To further add to the squad, we then go out and buy another winger so that Jesus can continue to be utilised primarily up top.

Whilst Gyokeres could be this “alternative option to Jesus”, his proposed transfer fee would mean we would then not have enough in the pot to buy another winger.

If we are spending around £130m, I would rather Arsenal trigger the release clauses of Benjamin Sesko, Nico Williams and Martin Zubimendi (total – £138m), then spend £103m on Gyokeres and only have £30m left to try and recruit a midfielder.

Remember to grab your Bayern Munich tickets if you have not already done so!

Keenos