Mikel Arteta has made it clear that with the age profiles of the summer signings, the club are attempting to build something with a group of players who can grow and develop at the club.
22 year old Martin Odegaard signed this morning on a permanent deal from Real Madrid; both Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga are 21; Ben White is 23; and later today, another 23 year old, Aaron Ramsdale, will officially become an Arsenal player when his move from Sheffield United is completed.
The £129m outlay makes the Gunners the biggest spenders so far in the Premier League, and with that comes increased pressure to improve on last season’s 8th place.
It’s something Arteta acknowledges, as Arsenal build for the future. Speaking at his pre-Chelsea press conference today, he said, “We will see where we finish with the money that we have spent and what we have done in the last few year.
“We’re going to have seven players that have left the club* and five that are coming in, so we are not bringing in more players than we already have.
“It’s already a big turnaround again and we’re going to try and do it in the right way, so this club is stable. It is a clear indicator, the business that we are doing.
“The ages are between 21 and 23-years-old and it tells you the project that we are building”
With a big game on Sunday, and the first home fixture of the season, the manager was asked if he had a message for the supporters, keen to see better from the boys than we saw on the opening day against Brentford.
“In moments when there are people and there is certain negativity around the place, you need your fans and your supporters more than ever,” said Arteta.
“They’ve always been with the team and I have no doubt that on Sunday they’re going to be right behind the team.
“If there is one thing that the team needs, it’s exactly that. If they really want to help the team, there’s not going to be a better medicine for them than to feel the fans very close with the right energy and supporting them and being behind them and the team is going to try their best.”
Let’s hope we can put that defeat behind us, and take three points against a very strong Chelsea side.
* David Luiz, Joe Willock, Mat Ryan, Dani Ceballos, Matteo Guendouzi, William Saliba, Dinos Mavropanos (we think)
I have no problem with building for the future if the club came out and said “we are building for the future”. That way we know it’s going to have a knock on effect to our results as team members gel and tactics are worked on.
However, you can’t build and challenge for Europe/Champions League so stop telling us that’s where we need to be if we’re having a squad overhaul at the same time. We know we he expectations of a team that’s building for the team.
Damned if he do Damned if he don’t… Smith Rowe, saka.. Tierney.. These are guys who can compete for champions league now and in the future. y so negative?
You can’t base us getting champions league football on 3 players. It’s not negative, it’s being realistic.
It’s hard to attract Champion’s league quality players when you’re not in the champions league so building is great so the younger players get better, I get it. But if you think we’re making too 4 this year you’re massively optimistic. Stranger things have happened but you’ve gotta wake up and smell the coffee.
So you get that we need to build a younger, more balanced squad… IN ORDER to get into Europe (which you also get). So also agree that this will take some time… so what on earth is your point??!!!
To be fair to Arteta, he has to show the type of ambition to these young players that he expects of them – Arsenal are a Champions league club in stature and that needs to be the aim for these recruits on the pitch now. The profile of some of the players that have been bought, are those of leaders- Lokonga was a 21 year old captain, Odegaard a national team captain, White has a wise head on young shoulders so there is a clear recruiting strategy. So while these players are all young, they’re all able to hit the… Read more »
Queue Souness, Merson, Keene, Neville etc say Arsenal “lack characters and leadership” the next time we lose.
That sort of stuff didn’t use to bother me as it was pretty fair a lot of the time, but the shit we take right now is beyond infuriating.
I can’t remember exactly what was said, but Carragher losing his stupid little mind when Brentford scored their (admittedly shocking) second, and squealed something like “just what you’d expect from Arsenal- weak, uncommitted…”.
Our defensive record from last year says very much otherwise. It’s just lazy beyond anything.
I’m not suggesting we don’t warrant criticism by the way, but at least direct it in the right places.
Absolutely, though I’d like to add that my emotional response is the opposite of yours — I used to care what these guys thought, but it’s so predictable and boring that I can only laugh. They no longer carry any authority.
Ian Wright is a different story.
Sadly, many of the so-called current crop of ‘pundits’ are as susceptible to ‘click-bait’ comments as the tabloids they no doubt read.
He’s just came out and said that.
Really happy with Odegaard.
Saka, ESR, Odegaard, Pepe, Martinelli is a very exciting set of complementary options behind the striker that is good enough to compete now and improve for years.
With a bit of luck and 20 goals from Auba challenging Liverpool for 4th shouldn’t be seen as impossible.
Season’s a game old and some people would have you think we’d already been relegated.
I’m pretty sure the Club have said they’re building for the future…maybe you weren’t paying attention?
The Willian signing made the club now take the youth approach
blessing in disguise. Willian is our god.
Easily the most encouraging sign of the summer is the. Team needed to get younger desperately. The need of older experience for the sake of having older experience has been proven a failure. We have leadership on our youth. tierney, Saka, ESR, and I would add ramsdale and lokonga who also bring leadership qualities. I really hope we see lokonga starting in midfield all season long (hopefully with a fully recovered and fit partey). The kid looks quality. Marty O adds technical quality we needed to support Saka and ESR and balance the more direct options of auba and pepe.… Read more »
If Ode and Pepe can click into a groove on the right flank, watch the fireworks!
I’ve long felt that all Pepe needs is a really good provider to understand his runs, his feet and the way he likes to drift wide and cut in from the right.
You gotta believe Ode’s passing skill should be able to provide that?
now onto Conte
Conte would probably want us to make several signings of a similar profile to Willian, but then would somehow get it all to work
Looking forward to see the young players rise. Think we are going the right way…sure it will take time but I am willing to wait
If it will be with mikel or someone else, I don’t know but I think the plan goes further than mikel…
We will see
Waiting for the downwotes
COYG
This should have been done last season. Personally I don’t think Arteta deserves any more time because the penny has only just dropped this season. Having said that, here’s hoping we do better than languishing in 8th or thereabouts again and our quality of play improves.
Disagree with that, but what’s sure is that he got the backing he asked for this summer, so it will be on him if it doesn’t work this season.
What do you disagree with? My suggestion that we should have gone for younger players last season? Or do you think he needs another season after this because of the profile of players bought? It has to be Europe or he’s moved on.
The overall tone of your comment – we’ve finally got what we’ve been clamouring for:
decent investment in the team
younger players who will future-proof the squad against management changes
smart buying that’s attracted a quality of player pretty much as good as we could expect (perhaps better!) given no Europe.
And yet you’re dredging up last season’s mistakes… again!
Let’s just look forward and give it all positivity. If, in a 2-3 months, nothing has changed, I’ll be the first in the new manager queue, I promise.
Yeah, let’s sweep Brentford under the carpet too.
That didn’t really happen, the same as last season.
🙄
C’mon Hank! You’re like the kid who gets a brand new BMX bike for Xmas and then moans that if he’d only gotten it last Xmas, he’d already be a champion!
They are taking our spending value out of context.
£129m spent on 5 players is alot more frugal than other clubs that have spent £100m on ONE player.
I don’t know if I would say it was frugal, but I think I agree with what you’re saying. Whilst Arsenal have spent the most money, it feels like their spending is far more considered than other clubs who have gone big on a single player. Financially speaking, there should be a decent return on investment, if the club ever choose to sell. City will never sell Grealish for more than they paid. It gets murkier when you try to put a monetary value on what players do on the pitch and what that means for a club, but yes,… Read more »
here here. imagine the backlash and negativity from our fans if we’d sold a player for £30 mil and resigned them for £100 million. I am happy with our strategy this summer, and would rather cheer on some young hungry players than players looking for their last big contract.
Me personally, I’m really excited at the prospect of having Odeggard set roots in north London, the tempo he plays at is different to any of the other players that we have. It exudes an energy that is infectious to those around him and it’s great to watch and mark my words, he’ll only get better as the season goes on. The only doubt I would have, is now that he’s not fighting for his future with Real Madrid, will some of that intensity be lost? Me personally, I don’t think so. I think we’ve got someone who knows his… Read more »
very well put, infectious energy indeed! I know it wasn’t our most successful team but i feel like he’s a mould of the rosicky/hleb/nasri era, which was very good going forward.
I’d be happy if we get back into the champions league this year and then his friendship leads to Haaland staying put and being enticed to join him the Emirates next year…
Haha, extremely wishful thinking but stranger things have happened…
Agreed – I feel Ode has been itching to settle at a club where he feels he truly has a future, where he is rightly seen as a lynchpin around which to build an attack, and where he can make his mark for years to come.
All of that awaits him with us – the only final ‘cherry’ will be for us fans to adopt him with the same fervour we gave Santi… then, he will most certainly reward us.
We can only judge by the results. The young age of players cannot be an excuse this season.
It can and should of the context is right. If we play a team of: Ramsdale Chambers White Gabriel tierney Lokonga partey Saka Odegaard esr Pepe (yes pepe up top) With support from martinelli, balogun, holding, AMN, Nelson, then the team may take a little time to gel. If that team plays some attractive football then a top half finish would be acceptable and we’d be in a strong position to move forward into next season and push back into Europe (Maybe even champs league). This team needs change and of we genuinely see a young team given a chance… Read more »
Dave’s, How dare you set such realistic standards an expectations, this is Arsenal!
Daveo
I think Pepe might work best as a CF, but would rather see Auba given a run there, pepe to come on as sub?
Can I ask..are you the real Baichung Bhutia?
In order to show progress and that they are building something it’s not just buying and selling players or how much money you spend. To me this Arteta team has no flow, no identity. It does not look like a cohesive well coached and positionally aware unit. We have individuals on the team who can be seen as real positive and someone to be excited about but overall it’s a bit all over the place. It’s a case where more often than not players are made to play in posotions that favour the system vs playing positions that favour their… Read more »
Seems sure enough that Willian,Cedric,Pablo Mari etc were down to Raul.Glad to see Edu and Arteta re-dressing the balance.It’s good to see a young,talented squad that will be around for years, whoever is in charge.
Hope the Emirates is rocking on Sunday and the vibe is buzzing.The team will be really pleased to have the ground full again.Support them if you’re there.They’ll need it.COYG.
Actually I think Arteta was in on Willisn, but that last season made him change his mind about recruiting 30+ players. Fair play to him if he learns the lesson, he’s still a young manager after all.
I’m more worried about Edu, but this window has bought him some time too, as the Ødegaard and Ramsdale strategies ended successfully, so credit where it’s due.
Having a young squad is nothing in itself if the manager and coaching staff aren’t teaching them a specific style of play that can both win and entertain.
I know it’s a big ask but Arsenal have got it wrong twice after Arsene already. I like Mikel as a person (and Emery was nice enough too) but I just don’t think he is good enough for this huge job.
Exactly… I don’t think Arteta is good enough. Spain had a relatively young squad during the euros but they had the connection and tactical know how. I love the way they played not just because of their young squad but a coach who knows what to do.
Spain had a quality of your young players during the euros and they played well. Not because they were young but because they had a coach with a good tactics. Get us a Coach who will harness this boys and see.
reminds me of when the we had the British core that this club was suppose to be built around, i really hope this time we get the building right
The OX and Co
So do we think that means we are not looking for a RB? Bellerin not going? Not sure about a season with Cedric/ Chambers at RB. I wonder if we are waiting someone to come available in January or next summer.
Spending so much, recycle half the team and getting that result like a new Sprs
So you are unhappy that we are spending to improve the squad?
I don’t know what’s right. But I think we had some very good player, like Willock, Martinez and we let them go. And on the fringe there is for example AMN. We are vasting talents instead replacing Arteta with a more competent manager.
Correct… you don’t know what’s right.
PEA, ESR, MØ, saka, el-neny, partey, holding, gabriel, tierney, mari, leno. This was the lineup against chelsea last season after we had signed MØ. Apart from white coming in 4 the injured gabi and partey being out, I don’t see much difference
Need Arteta to settle down on his first 11 and play them week in week out unless they get injured. No matter what style/ tactic he goes with unless the team plays that week in week out we are not going to progress. I would say this was one of Wenger’s strength. He was willing to get thrashed in one off games so that his team was always better than the bottom 14 teams.
Martinelli, Gabriel, Ramsdale, White, Tavares, Lokonga, Odegaard, Balogun, Nketiah, Nelson, AMN, Okonkwo, and of course Saka and ESR. 14 1st team players between 19yo and 23yo. exactly half of them from Hale End All total, the group cost us roughly 170m Two of the youngest, Saka and ESR, already worth half that 9 are English and will garner ‘English tax’ if sold within England all but maybe two (Nelson/Okonkwo) are clearly of Premier League quality, and so they have re-sale value Then behind them: Azeez, Patino, Taylor-Hart, Hutchinson, Cottrell, Cirjan, Norton-Cuffy. and Rekik. I’m not trying to be Pollyanna here–I… Read more »
Superb analysis. At least a long-term strategy based on the correct age profile with home-gown. Arteta knows what he if people are patient