Tag Archives: She Wore

Lucas Torreira, Mo Elneny & Grant Xhaka

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Lucas Torreira

Saw a few fans during yesterday’s game between Egypt and Uruguay question how good Lucas Torreira must be if he “can’t even get into his national team”.

As the majority of us at England fans, is this view not a little arrogant? And extremely ignorant.

Uruguay are ranked 14th in the world. That is just one place below England – a side which Jack Wilshere can’t even get into the squad for.

They are ranked above the likes of Holland, Italy, Columbia and Croatia.

Ahead of him in the Starting XI is Rodrigo Bentancur. The 20 year old had a break through season for Juventus last season, who secured first option to sign him when he was just 17.

Also ahead of him is 26 year old Matías Vecino, who Inter Milan paid €24m for last summer.

Let’s not pretend this Uruguay is a poor team. They have an array of talented young midfielders, including Nahitan Nández (22) and Giorgian De Arrascaeta (24).

It is no shame that Torreira did not start.

Uruguay are not exactly Scotland or Republic of Ireland. They are a good outfit.

Mohamed Elneny

One player who did start the game was Egypt’s Mo Elneny.

He put in the solid if unexceptional performance that he has become known for.

If Arsenal do go ahead next year and play 3 in the middle of the park, Elneny has to be in with a shout if being the deepest of those 3.

He covers a lot of ground, is disciplined and defensive aware.

You do not win the league with 11 Lionel Messi’s. You need a Sergio Busquet’s or Fernandinho.

Elneny can do that job (although it would be good to also secure Torreira so that we have competition in the area.

Granit Xhaka

Not everyone’s cup of tea but Granit Xhaka signing a new contract is great news for the club.

With Jack Wilshere looking like he is off and Aaron Ramsey still yet to sign a contract, Xhaka is a man who the modified can be built around.

Still just 25, Unai Emery needs to get the balance of the midfield right to get the best out of the Swiss international.

Signs Lucas Torreira could be just what is needed to allow Xhaka to excel.

A midfield 3 of:

Xhaka Torreira Ramsey

Has a lot of balance to it.

Since joint Arsenal two years ago, he has had to deal with a lot of criticism from fans and the media.

Xhaka gets a lot of blame for the team being set up unbalanced. He has never really played as the deepest central midfielder.

He needs to be allowed to press and be aggressive. Sitting deep never suited him.

By having someone behind him will allow him to get further forward, to be more aggressive in the middle of the park, and know he has a safety net behind him.

I am predicting that Xhaka playing the ball from deep over the top to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be a route for a lot of goals next season.

Keenos

Why are Arsenal overpaying for Lucas Torreira?

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The last time we were in for a Uruguayan, we offered £1 above his release clause.

That time, Liverpool stood their ground and basically said to Luis Suarez “take us to court for breach of contract”. Suárez didn’t. Signed a new deal, joined Barcelona a year later and Arsenal were made to look very stupid.

What those in the press ignored, however, was that this is who release clauses work. You must bid above that release clause to activate it.

Arsenal did exactly what every other club does when activating a release clause and bid a minuscule amount above it. Enough to activate it.

Liverpool made the deal public – in the hope of shaming Arsenal into paying more. Arsenal moved on to Yaya Sanogo and the rest is history.

Instead of bashing Arsenal for doing everything correct and legal, the press should have actually questioned Liverpool’s actions. Their breach of contract. But we know the press will never upset Liverpool fans.

Role on 5 years and Arsenal have reportedly agreed a £26.5m deal for Sampdoria’s Lucas Torreira. Yet Torriera’s release clause is just £22m.

So why are Arsenal overpaying for the defensive midfielder? The reasoning is simple.

The release clause is a single upfront payment. Torreira can leave for £22m if Arsenal pay 100% straight away.

Arsenal do not want to do that. They want to pay in instalments, to help out with cash flow when things might be a little tight due to two years without Champions League football.

As soon as you pay in instalments, the release clause is not activated, so you have to negotiate like any other transfer.

Eventually both clubs agreed on a deal that will see Arsenal pay £4.5m above the release clause, with the fee spread over a few years.

Arsenal free up cash for more transfers this summer, Sampdoria can still spend the full fee knowing that they have the guaranteed cash coming in over the next few years to cover the amortisation of whoever comes in.

It is a bit like buying a car.

You go and get yourself a new white Audi A1 (you are a hair dresser). It is £22,000. But you do not want to pay upfront. You want to spread your payments over 4 years. Finance deal.

Instead of the car costing you £22,000 in one hit, it is now going to cost £6,500 a year – totalling £26,000 over the 4 years.

You could have got the car for cheaper, but you wanted the finance deal to ease up your personal cash flow; so you have had to pay an extra 20% for the privilege.

The deal for Torreira is similar. A finance deal. Some money now. Some more over the next few years.

Sampdoria benefit by getting 20% more than his release clause. Arsenal benefit by not having to spend as much upfront.

Good deal all round

Keenos

Great time to play Man City – PL fixtures announced

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Manchester City at home

Chelsea away

Welcome to the Premier League Unai Emery.

Whilst a lot of people have winced at Arsenal’s tough start to the Premier League season, I prefer to look at it another way.

The beginning of the season is a great time to play both sides due to the World Cup.

Arsenal have just 8 players at the World Cup – Granit Xhaka, Mesut Özil, David Ospina, Nacho Monreal, Mohamed Elneny, Alex Iwobi, Danny Welbeck & new boy Stephan Lichtsteiner.

Only really Ozil, Monreal and Xhaka start in our strongest XI.

This means for the opening day of the season, we could line up the following line up:

Cech

Bellerin Mustafi Sokratis Kolasinac

Wilshere* AMN Ramsey

Mkhitaryan

Aubameyang Lacazette

*If he signs

The only place we are looking lightweight is in midfield, as both Xhaka and Elneny are in Russia, and likely new signing Lucas Torreira will also be out there.

Manchester City, meanwhile, have 16 players at the World Cup.

The likes of Kyle Walker, Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus, Nicolas Otamendi, Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne strut their stuff around Russia

John Stones, Vincent Kompany, Ederson, Danilo, Fernandinho, Fabian Delph, Benjamin Mendy, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and David Silva will also be out there.

Looking at their squad, you struggle to make a competitive XI out of those players who have not gone.

If they rush some players who will be knocked it early – the likes of Stones and Walker – they might be able to put out a decent XI; but an XI who would not have had much of a pre season.

Chelsea also have a lot of players at the World Cup. 14 in total.

Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois and loan man Michy Batshuayi. Gary Cahill and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Olivier Giroud N’Golo Kante, Antonio Rudiger, Willian, Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen and Willy Caballero.

Kenneth Omeruo and Victor Moses will be playing for Nigeria.

Going into the first few games of the season, they will be without a senior goal keeper and have just senior CB – David Luiz – to choose from.

Emery has a chance of starting the season off with a bang. Two wins against two top 6 sides.

Other fixtures to look out for are:

Spurs (a): March 2nd

Spurs (h): December 1st

Boxing Day: Brighton (a)

New Years Eve: Liverpool (a)

New Years Day: Fulham (h)

Last game: Burnley (h)

The post-Europa league games are also friendly. They will all get moved to Sunday and for away supporters, we have avoided any long trips:

Everton (h)

Fulham (a)

Crystal Palace (a)

Wolves (h)

Tottenham (h)

Southampton (a)

Two of the post Europa League away days in London and the furthest to travel is Southampton. Not bad.

With the transfer window closing on the eve of the Premier Leaghe starting, clubs have to get a move on with any business they have to do.

Arsenal have fairly nice fixtures in the last 8 games of the season. If we start well, we could be in with a shout towards the end.

Up the Arsenal

Keenos