Category: Uncategorized

The opening fixtures

Well, well, well, thank you to the Premier League Super Fixture computer, you haven’t given us the Friday under the lights game on Sky, memories of Neville and Carragher dancing with supporters comes to mind. But, it’s Old Trafford at 4:30pm on Sunday 17th August.

Now, we don’t know what Man United we’ll be facing by then but whatever team we face up there, it always does seem a challenging fixture. They won’t happy to be facing Arsenal as much as it could of been a kinder start for us. But, looking at those early games, it’s then Leeds at home, Liverpool away, back to back games at home against Forest and City followed by Newcastle away.

Challenging, certainly. But isn’t that the majority of the league now? The fine margins across the division have narrowed considerably in the modern game. Great tactical coaches across the league, data analysts at every club and even throwing coaches are the norm. I like to call it the NFL-cation of football.

Albeit, the gap to The Championship is growing with the bottom three teams over the last season struggling as they come up to The Premier League, that’s a worry and something the authorities need to bridge over the next few years. It will be interesting to see how a team like Leeds gets on with some of that sweet Red Bull money invested.

But back to Arsenal. Last season those early fixtures once again were not the nicest but were navigated very well all in all, including away wins at Villa and Spurs followed by that controversial draw away at the Etihad.

A similar return of points would be nice next season. It does look good to get three Northern away games at some tough places out of the way early on, hopefully an advantage in the latter stages of the season. It did make me laugh seeing a pundit on one of the clickbait radio shows already predicting results and managers who may be struggling this week. It’s June.

But over to the club now to prepare for the new season, make the signings necessary and hopefully hit the ground running come kick off in August.

Zubimendi getting closer

So Friday morning this week, reports emerged that Martin Zubimendi was in London to finalise his move from Sociedad. With it looking like its purely the medical for Zubimendi to wrap that one up and when comes to the striker situation, well that’s anybody’s guess right now! Perhaps it will be clearer over the next week or two, with the players due to report back in July.

Some positive news this week with Myles Lewis Skelly is expected to be putting pen to paper on a new deal, and with that, that’s the left hand side of the defence sorted for a while with Gabriel also signing on the dotted line as well, committing himself to the club for a few more years yet.

Skelly and Hale End

It’s been absolutely fantastic to see a young player like this once again coming through the ranks from Hale End, along with Nwaneri’s emergence last season. The way he uses a low centre of gravity and strength to win and keep the ball, I do see some similarities to the way Wilshere used to operate when coming through, at the time playing with no fear.

Also, plus the way he is being used at left back seems to be putting him in good stead, earning him senior England call ups by Thomas Tuchel. If you take your minds back to 2020, Saka got his grounding from that position as well and at times he the best player on the park from that role. I do see a future in midfield for Skelly but time will tell, right now he is the number one choice at left back.

And finally, I’ve been a distant observer of the Club World Cup this week as the tournament has kicked off. I suppose with no dog in the fight, my investment in it is not so high and maybe the best of the tournament is to come after the group stages.

Club world cup

The makeup of the best v the best is a bit of stretch in my opinion the way it’s been marketed. I will say this though, the appetite and hunger for this tournament from South American teams and America must be higher than European counterparts, just based on where this tournament is sitting in the footballing calendar, those teams around three to four months into their seasons.

I do also believe we will see this tournament played in a climate that requires a winter edition for the European sides at some point, the money will be too big and Infantino would ‘love to grow the game’ once again somewhere meaning disruption to the European calendar, so I expect that disruption in the not so distant future.

Back to my point before my mini rant, the European Teams having just come off 38 game seasons, nearly over 50-60 when you factor in cups and European competitions, there must be some sense of exhaustion and difficulty to be motivated for the tournament, that’s just the players, I wonder what the fans think?

If Arsenal were in it, I’d be intrigued but it’s feeling more like a glamour pre season/end of season friendly tournament right now. I suppose my question is when do we say there’s just too much football on?

We’re probably past that point now and while cash is king, these competitions will keep cropping up. Then they wonder why so many players are picking up hamstring injuries or long term lay offs?

Anyway, until the next one, hopefully less rants from me and maybe a signing or two to discuss for the Arsenal. Have a great week.