Arsenal 20-21: Artetenal and/or Kia Joorabchian Futebol Clube

[lars10]

I think the first one is an obvious downside and the second is definitely arguable, in that we may not have the personnel for Arteta's preferred tactic (this has been a recurring theme with him IMO), but I'm not convinced about the last. The alternative to playing out from the back is just booting the ball upfield and losing possession more often than not. So I don't think that actually is going to get Auba more involved (beyond repetitively losing headers to bigger, more physical center backs).

I can see your point... I guess the general idea for me is that if you’re passing it back and forth in the back the only pass available to Auba is over the top or a very long through ball.. or he has to come back for the ball which I don’t think he’s great at. Arsenal need mids that can handle the ball and pass.. but especially make dangerous through balls. At least if you’re passing back and forth in mid there’s a chance of a dangerous pass that will have a better chance of working

 

[mikeford]

Feels good to beat that lot

Cap this good vibes week off with another win in Europa and we're through probably our hardest remaining test.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

What a great win! I thought we were fully good for it, despite losing our heads a bit in the last 15 minutes. Our pressing and play in defensive transitions was excellent and we were really sharp in possession for the first 75 minutes.

The one area we struggled a bit was at the pointy end. Laca was pretty crap, not just flubbing chances but on several occasions failing to get on the end of what should have been great chances. Saka has looked jaded for the last few games and that continued. And Pepe didn’t do much beyond his great pass to Laca to set up the penalty. A little more sharpness from Saka and quality at the 9 and we really spank them in this match.

The five youngest players in the match were all Arsenal players and they were excellent, with Saka the partial exception. It was particularly great to see ESR with his legs back. I thought he was the best player on the pitch.

 

[lars10]

I know I’m biased, but it feels like announcers are required to say ‘Harry Kane’ 1000x a broadcast.. even in a game where he was virtually invisible. Also Tottenham are a bunch of hacks.. Lamella and Kane were constantly putting in an extra kick or shove after the ball left all game.

Felt to me like Arsenal dominated for the majority of the match.. if they had got a little bit lucky the game could easily have been 4-1.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

I know I’m biased, but it feels like announcers are required to say ‘Harry Kane’ 1000x a broadcast.. even in a game where he was virtually invisible. Also Tottenham are a bunch of hacks.. Lamella and Kane were constantly putting in an extra kick or shove after the ball left all game.

Felt to me like Arsenal dominated for the majority of the match.. if they had got a little bit lucky the game could easily have been 4-1.

He is quietly one of the dirtier players in the league and is held to a different standard.

This is 100% intentional and much more dangerous than sticking up a high foot, but not even a yellow card.

View: https://twitter.com/EddieLongbridge/status/1371186168788832265

 

[mikeford]

If Harry Kane wasn't English he'd have the reputation of Diego Costa.

He's an absolute [redacted]

 

[the1andonly3003]

I know I’m biased, but it feels like announcers are required to say ‘Harry Kane’ 1000x a broadcast.. even in a game where he was virtually invisible. Also Tottenham are a bunch of hacks.. Lamella and Kane were constantly putting in an extra kick or shove after the ball left all game.

Felt to me like Arsenal dominated for the majority of the match.. if they had got a little bit lucky the game could easily have been 4-1.

there are some names that don't work solo. Like Peter Crouch, You can't just say Kane or Crouch or Kane and Son....sounds like someone is getting a beating

 

[swiftaw]

there are some names that don't work solo. Like Peter Crouch, You can't just say Kane or Crouch or Kane and Son....sounds like someone is getting a beating

Dele Ali is the one that I notice the announcer using the full name on.

 

[lars10]

He is quietly one of the dirtier players in the league and is held to a different standard.

This is 100% intentional and much more dangerous than sticking up a high foot, but not even a yellow card.

View: https://twitter.com/EddieLongbridge/status/1371186168788832265

That’s exactly what I’m talking about.. but in that case he didn’t even pretend to make a play on the ball like he usually does.. him and son are both ridiculously dirty

 

[shaggydog2000]

It was a very dominant performance, until Spurs got a red card and decided to actually attack. Maybe it was Smith-Rowe coming off, or maybe it was a big change in tactics, but Arsenal didn't clamp down the way they needed to. I'm sure they'll go over that. Overall I'm very happy with how they performed, Smith-Rowe and Odegaard in particular. A bit concerned with Saka coming off at the half, hope he's ok. At least they should be able to rest him for the second leg against Olympiacos.

There are definitely things Arteta still has to iron out, like the stupid mistakes and closing games out, but the team looks headed in the right direction.

 

[the1andonly3003]

Wenger proposes World Cups every two years, radical calendar overhaul (espn.com)
this Wenger guy has some good ideas. why can't we get a coach like this

 

[SocrManiac]

If Harry Kane wasn't English he'd have the reputation of Diego Costa.

He's an absolute [redacted]

They’re both [redacted]s.

Diego Costa plays more head games, makes more small chippy fouls, and works harder to get opponents to retaliate. Kane’s approach seems more likely to have an opponent leave on a litter.

Both dive without shame and neither speaks intelligible English.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

I watched the first half of the Spurs match again yesterday and I have to say that we were fucking awesome. Maybe our best half of the season.

Arteta shares with Pep this very structured approach to the game and I think the challenge is not only to get players with the right skill set but also to get them to the point where they are comfortable playing freely and instinctively within structure. We struggled with this mightily earlier in the year, with everything looking so slow and mechanical, but I think it is really coming along. Our patterns of play were just great in this match - passing triangles all over the pitch, quick movement of the ball from side to side, overloads on weak spots and concerted attempts to force certain defenders to commit to one space or another. We still lacked a bit of sharpness and decisiveness up front due to Laca being kind of shit and Saka clearly being off the boil and needing a rest. In addition to the shots we had, there were probably 4-5 other situations in their box that should have led to excellent chances but didn't even end with shot attempts. But we were really good in every other way. The half ended 1-1 but they couldn't hang with us at all.

 

[mikeford]

and they just crashed out of Europe

what a nice week.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

Not the prettiest way to advance but I'll take it. Losing two years straight at home to Olympiacos isn't going in Arteta's book of accomplishments.

We looked sluggish all match, especially compared to the NLD, but that's what you're going to get with a Xhaka-Elneny-Ceballos midfield. Even so, we could easily have scored 3-4 goals but Auba and Pepe were really poor.

Olympiacos had a lot of work to do for the goal, and got a very lucky deflection in the end, but the sequence started from another Ceballos turnover. Kind of becoming a trend.

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

Pretty much a perfect Europa League draw for Arsenal, I think - Slavia Prague in the quarterfinals (home leg first), and then the winner of Villareal or Dinamo Zagreb in the semifinals (away leg first). Slavia, their win in Glasgow last night notwithstanding, might be the weakest of the last eight teams remaining, and if they win they either get to face Unai Emery in a rematch of Arsenal's happiest Champions League semifinal, or they get to show Spurs how to put away Dinamo Zagreb. And no Man Utd, Ajax or Roma until the final.

 

[Tuff Ghost]

After what Slavia Praha did to Leicester City in the round of 32, I am not getting too far ahead of myself, but yeah, it's tough to complain about how things line-up for them. I do confess I fully expect Unai Emery, king of Europa, to dramatically knock them out in the semis.


(Twitter source of pic)

 

[Tuff Ghost]

Also, I missed the match yesterday (just highlights), but seeing some of the numbers this morning made me feel a bit better about the result:

2.6 – Shot-based expected goals for Arsenal
0.7 – Shot-based expected goals for Olympiakos

12 – Shots by Arsenal
9 – Shots by Arsenal inside the 18 yard box
5 – Big chances by Arsenal (xG > 0.15)

83 – Percent chance Arsenal would win this match based on shots taken

https://arseblog.news/2021/03/arsenal-0-1-olympiakos-by-the-numbers/

 

[mikeford]

Not too fussed about it. Survive and advance. Theres no fans so its not like you need to put on a pleasing product for the crowd in the home leg.

I hope given our teams racial makeup they will be spared the same kind of abuse Rangers faced when playing the away leg but I suspect no one is going to do anything about this shit and thus it will continue.

 

[mikeford]

No more David Luiz. That is my one request after today. Please put him away forever. Playing Holding and Gabriel as the two CBs and stop this madness.

 

[Tuff Ghost]

At this point, every Arsenal game is the equivalent of a Jackie Bradley Jr. season at the plate. They look hopeless, like relegation fodder (i.e. JBJ going through a .400 OPS month) for stretches. During those times, it's easy as a supporter to just give up and stop caring so much about the outcomes. But just when I am ready to mentally check-out completely, they go on a wonderful stretch of play and look like they've turned it all around, like they've finally figured it out (i.e. JBJ in May 2016) and seem unbeatable. You start believing again, calculating the ways that things could go right and they could achieve that 1% outcome of reaching top-4 again (or being an MVP CF); all they have to do is keep playing like they did in those excellent 20 minutes or that excellent half.

Of course, when you average it all out, at the end of the season you're left with a team stuck mid-table, putting up 50-something points and a batter with a career .730 OPS, and all of the dreams were too good to be true, while all of the lows were, also, not representative of the true level. The sad truth is that mediocrity sometimes looks beautiful, sometimes looks dreadful, but always ends up right in the middle when you average it all out.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

At this point, every Arsenal game is the equivalent of a Jackie Bradley Jr. season at the plate. They look hopeless, like relegation fodder (i.e. JBJ going through a .400 OPS month) for stretches. During those times, it's easy as a supporter to just give up and stop caring so much about the outcomes. But just when I am ready to mentally check-out completely, they go on a wonderful stretch of play and look like they've turned it all around, like they've finally figured it out (i.e. JBJ in May 2016) and seem unbeatable. You start believing again, calculating the ways that things could go right and they could achieve that 1% outcome of reaching top-4 again (or being an MVP CF); all they have to do is keep playing like they did in those excellent 20 minutes or that excellent half.

Of course, when you average it all out, at the end of the season you're left with a team stuck mid-table, putting up 50-something points and a batter with a career .730 OPS, and all of the dreams were too good to be true, while all of the lows were, also, not representative of the true level. The sad truth is that mediocrity sometimes looks beautiful, sometimes looks dreadful, but always ends up right in the middle when you average it all out.

I think a lot of this is a product of having so much churn in personnel and tactics in a transitional period for the club. We absolutely need more consistency both from game to game and within games but the foundation of consistency is usually having a core group of players that has played together for many years, gone through the wars, and knows how to adapt to different game situations together.

One of the big differences between us and a club like United is simply that their core has been largely the same now for several seasons. They've been playing the same back four for two years, the same CMs have been rotating through for many years, Rashford and Martial have been mainstays in the front four for a long time, etc.

Chelsea is another good example. They've had a lot of turnover in attacking positions, but one of the key's to Tuchel success is that for his spine in CM and with his three favored CBs that consists exclusively of guys who have played 3+ years together - Kovacic, Kante, Jorginho, Christensen, Rudiger, Azpilicueta.

Compare that to us. This is really Tierney's first full year after missing out a lot from injury last year. Our two left sided CBs arrived in the last year and have played 16 and 9 league matches for us respectively. We've played four different RBs this year, only one of whom has really played extensively at this position for us prior to the year. In front of them, we've got a mainstay in Xhaka but his heralded new partner Partey hasn't been able to string together a run of games all year. And in front of them you've got players like Saka playing regularly upfront for the first time all year, Odegaard who just joined the team two months ago, ESR who started playing regularly in the league only a month before that, and Willian who has likewise been with us for less than a year. Its just a tremendous amount of roster turnover.

 

[mikeford]

One of the big problems is our senior players don't turn up to games that are "beneath" them.

David Luiz can play a fuckin blinder in a Cup final and look like our best guy on the entire roster. He has the ability to be world class. You don't play for the all the high quality clubs he's been at for no reason.

But he thinks a game in march against West Ham is beneath him. So he doesn't try. He strolls around. He won't stick a foot in.

Our senior players have attitude problems and are entitled. Aubameyang has played like absolute dead dogshit in the 2 matches since he got benched. He completed FOUR sprints in the entire first half against West Ham. He isn't TRYING.

If your senior players aren't going to put in a shift every time out, it's pretty goddamn hard to get that Jackie Bradley May 2016 performance out of the team.

 

[Tuff Ghost]

Saka has a hamstring injury. I am hoping it is nothing serious and would prefer he does not end up playing at all over this inter-lull. His health is near the top of the list of most important outcomes for Arsenal this season.

Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka will miss England’s opening World Cup qualifier against San Marino on Thursday as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.

Saka, 19, will remain part of Gareth Southgate’s England squad, however, and it is hoped he will play some part in the upcoming fixtures against Albania and Poland.

https://theathletic.com/news/england-bukayo-saka-injury-arsenal/ErCIUHZG7W76

Tierney is the other one who I fear is going to get worn out during international play again. Scotland plays 3/25, 3/28, and 3/31 and I am sure he'll get a solid 270 minutes over the course of the week.

 

[Tuff Ghost]

Odegaard left his Norway match after twisting his ankle in the first half. He played on for a bit, but left at half time, so hopefully it was just precautionary.

Arsenal have been dealt a sizable new injury concern after Martin Odegaard was hurt on international duty with Norway.

The Real Madrid loanee - captaining his country for the first time on Wednesday night - appeared to twist his ankle during the first half of the 2022 World Cup qualifier against Gibraltar.
Odegaard initially played on, but was then substituted at half-time by coach Stale Solbakken, with Norway leading 2-0.

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/martin-odegaard-injury-latest-arsenal-fc-norway-b926114.html

 

[the1andonly3003]

question about taking free kicks quickly. It definitely seemed to me that Jon Moss was reaching for his spray bottle and it didn't appear that Lingard was asking for permission to take it quickly (compared to Lewis Dunk's situation vs West Brom last month). Are players allowed to take them quickly like Lingard or seeking permission from the ref like Dunk?

 

[Tuff Ghost]

After the death of his mother from Covid-19, Lucas Torreira is pushing for a move to Boca Juniors. He wants to be closer to his home in Uruguay. It's an unfortunate situation for the player (personal loss and he sounds generally unhappy in Europe) and Arsenal because his value is considerably lower than I would have thought about 18 months ago. Now with him angling for a specific move, the value plummets further. I hope it turns out well for Lucas as a person first and foremost, but, as an Arsenal supporter, his downward-sliding career trajectory has been a disappointing development.

Lucas Torreira wants to move back to South America to be closer to his family following the death of his mother this week from Covid-19.

The midfielder, currently on loan at Atletico Madrid, has returned to Uruguay after bring given time off by the La Liga club, but is clearly feeling the distance as he says he wants to play for Boca Juniors.

Speaking to ESPN Argentina, he said, “I want to be close to my home, my family. I have a contract at Arsenal and I am on loan at Atletico but I want to go to Boca. I hope the clubs can agree.

“It’s been two years since I was enjoying myself personally, I haven’t had continuity. I don’t play like I want.

“Hopefully the teams will agree a loan for a year. Because I don’t know how many millions I’m worth, but for Boca it’s a lot of money.”

https://arseblog.news/2021/04/lucas-torreira-wants-to-be-closer-to-home-after-family-tragedy/

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

That was Arteta’s worst managed match of the season, which is saying something.

We had numerous key players out but he simply went away from everything we’d been doing since Christmas - our patterns of build up play, playing out from the back, even our defensive shape.

Manager who thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room completely outsmarting himself.

 

[mikeford]

If Arsenal don't win Europa, Arteta is gone

 

[fletcherpost]

Gutted about Tienrey getting injured. But towards the end of the international break i was hearing concerns from Arsenal fans about Tierney playing three games for Scotland, after playing a lot of games for Arsenal. He does seem to have some physical fragilities, and needs to be rested from time to time. Big loss for Arsenal if he's out for long. I hope it's not too bad.

 

[fletcherpost]

If Arsenal don't win Europa, Arteta is gone

If there is a process to trust, what parts are going well and what parts are not?

D'you really think they'll can arteta if they don't win the Europa and don't qualify for Europe via league position? I know they should...but will they?

 

[mikeford]

If there is a process to trust, what parts are going well and what parts are not?

D'you really think they'll can arteta if they don't win the Europa and don't qualify for Europe via league position? I know they should...but will they?

Don't think they have much of a choice and qualifying via the league is over. They're effectively in 10th place. The domestic season is finished.

 

[The Gray Eagle]

No Aubameyang or Odegaard even on the bench today in Prague. Tierney still out; Saka and Smith Rowe playing, though likely banged up.

Aubameyang has, get this, malaria:
https://arseblog.news/2021/04/aubameyang-hospitalised-by-malaria/

Interesting that Bellerin is on the bench and Chambers is starting at RB. Gabriel on the bench, Mari at center back.

This whole season has been a total nightmare, and it could get worse today.

 

[Time to Mo Vaughn]

If you're on FiOS, the game is on TUDN (Channel 1524) in Spanish, but at least it's HD. The SAP button on your remote will not switch it to English unfortunately.

 

[Time to Mo Vaughn]

Arsenal scores. VAR overturned with not a single replay shown. Arsenal scores again a minute later upheld. Arsenal awarded a penalty a minute after that. Laca converts.

 

[Time to Mo Vaughn]

Up 3-1 on aggregate and have clinched away goals. Would need to give up 3 unanswered not to advance now.

 

[Time to Mo Vaughn]

And Another from Saka. 4 balls in the back of the net in about five minutes. Though only 3 counting.

 

[The Gray Eagle]

Saka makes it 3-0, 1-4 now. 3 goals in 10 minutes since the first one was disallowed.

 

[Tuff Ghost]

With Arsenal up 4-1 on aggregate and Villareal up 3-0 on aggregate, it looks like a semi-final battle against Unai Emery is all but booked. That should be fun.

They've got a long way to go yet, so I do not want to get ahead of myself, but I am absolutely dreaming of the chaotic fun of two non-top 4 Premier League teams winning Champions League and Europa League to make up for the humdrum mid-table mediocrity they've put us through in recent time.

The devious dream scenario of this bored Arsenal supporter:

• Premier League Champions League Slot #1:
  • Arsenal finish outside top-4 (obviously) and win Europa League
• Premier League Champions League Slot #2:
  • Chelsea finish outside top-4 (possible, currently 5th) and win Champions League (I know, that's not where I'd put my money, but let me dream here)
• Premier League Champions League Slots #3 and #4:
  • Man City & Man United should be locks for top-2, so they are in
• Premier League Champions League Slot #5:
  • West Ham or Leicester City finish strong (I'd like to see West Ham) and claim the third spot in the Premier League table, and get the final Champions League spot at the expense of whoever finishes fourth

(Now I'll show myself out as Slavia Prague probably goes and scores 4 consecutive goals in the second half after some classic Arsenal nonsense and red-card earning antics.)

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

With Arsenal up 4-1 on aggregate and Villareal up 3-0 on aggregate, it looks like a semi-final battle against Unai Emery is all but booked. That should be fun.

They've got a long way to go yet, so I do not want to get ahead of myself, but I am absolutely dreaming of the chaotic fun of two non-top 4 Premier League teams winning Champions League and Europa League to make up for the humdrum mid-table mediocrity they've put us through in recent time.

The devious dream scenario of this bored Arsenal supporter:

• Premier League Champions League Slot #1:
  • Arsenal finish outside top-4 (obviously) and win Europa League
• Premier League Champions League Slot #2:
  • Chelsea finish outside top-4 (possible, currently 5th) and win Champions League (I know, that's not where I'd put my money, but let me dream here)
• Premier League Champions League Slots #3 and #4:
  • Man City & Man United should be locks for top-2, so they are in
• Premier League Champions League Slot #5:
  • West Ham or Leicester City finish strong (I'd like to see West Ham) and claim the third spot in the Premier League table, and get the final Champions League spot at the expense of whoever finishes fourth

(Now I'll show myself out as Slavia Prague probably goes and scores 4 consecutive goals in the second half after some classic Arsenal nonsense and red-card earning antics.)

The problem with this dream is that it involves Chelsea winning the CL.

Arsenal winning the EL is an obvious centerpiece of any dream. But why not just dream of Chelsea limping to 4th place in the league? Or getting beaten out by both West Ham and Leicester and not qualifying for the CL altogether?

 

[Tuff Ghost]

The problem with this dream is that it involves Chelsea winning the CL.

Arsenal winning the EL is an obvious centerpiece of any dream. But why not just dream of Chelsea limping to 4th place in the league? Or getting beaten out by both West Ham and Leicester and not qualifying for the CL altogether?

True, I know it is wrong, but I love the dramatics of the situation so much. This is what a few bland seasons have done to me, but to be honest, I could especially handle it if Giroud was involved with the win somehow- I still like him.

 

[Tuff Ghost]

I love Lacazette and the team’s response to the racist incident with Slavia Prague. They could not have blown out a more deserving team. From the Athletic:

It did not escape attention at Arsenal that Slavia Prague defender Ondrej Kudela had been found guilty of racially abusing former Gunner Glen Kamara. Slavia’s strenuous denials through the UEFA disciplinary process would also have been noted.

Before kick-off, the Slavia Prague team stood, arms linked, on the edge of the centre circle. The Arsenal team chose to take a knee. Their captain on the night, Lacazette, broke away from his team-mates to kneel just a few feet away from Arsenal’s opponents.

It was a statement of intent, a demonstration of Arsenal’s stance against racism.

“They asked me and the club to take that initiative,” said Arteta. “They had the right reasons for that, the club was supportive. I think it was a great gesture.”

That Arsenal’s three goalscorers were black symbolised their message of equality and opportunity. It was notable too that Lacazette celebrated his excellent second goal with a raised fist.

Link:
https://theathletic.com/2522687/?redirected=1

(Photo: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

 

[mikeford]

I love that the goal scorers against Racism FC were all black.


Obviously glad to have advanced in the competition but it feels extra nice to knock a truly repugnant group of people out on top of it.

 

[mikeford]

 

[Tuff Ghost]

Some nice imagery from The Athletic today:

If you walked the empty stadium concourse at half-time, you could hear fans hollering just outside the walls, banging on closed turnstiles, as if desperate to break in and breathe life into their team. On the outside, it sounded like a party. Within the Emirates, the concrete hall echoing to the chants of an invisible crowd, it felt like a haunting.

This could be printed after most Arsenal matches:

Arsenal did not deserve to lose but it would be difficult to make a convincing argument that they deserved to win. It is often the way with this side: they are one of a pack of teams jostling for position in what ultimately constitutes mid-table. If matches seem to hinge on individual errors or refereeing decisions, it is because Arsenal are rarely sufficiently superior to mitigate against those moments.

https://theathletic.com/2540070/2021/04/24/love-not-greed-arsenal-fans-make-themselves-heard/?source=user_shared_article

Hey, maybe the Spotify founder can save this club from mediocrity and the Kroenkes (never going to happen):
View: https://twitter.com/eldsjal/status/1385667437929062403?s=21

As a kid growing up, I’ve cheered for @Arsenal as long as I can remember. If KSE would like to sell Arsenal I'd be happy to throw my hat in the ring.

 

[The Gray Eagle]

If the Spotify guy buys Arsenal, the players would be paid 0.002 cents per minute played and the fans would all get free tickets.

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

If the Spotify guy buys Arsenal, the players would be paid 0.002 cents per minute played and the fans would all get free tickets.

 

[Tuff Ghost]

It appears the Spotify talk is going to continue a bit longer now with three Invincibles involved (Henry, Bergkamp, Viera) for the purpose of pulling at the heartstrings of nostalgic Arsenal supporters. The Kroenkes won't sell, so it probably will just make for some theater for a few days and breathless commentary from the media.

[Rick Pitino] Thierry Henry isn't walking through that door. Dennis Bergkamp isn't walking through that door, and Patrick Viera is not walking through that door. And if you expect them to walk through that door, they’re going to be gray and old. [/Rick Pitino]

Spotify founder Daniel Ek has reportedly recruited three of Arsenal’s legendary Invincibles team as he prepares to buy the club from beleaguered owner Stan Kroenke.

It’s now believed that Thierry Henry, Patrick Viera and Dennis Bergkamp are all keen to work with Ek on his bid to take control of the club, and could be handed key roles if the move proves successful.

While they are expected to table a formal offer, Arsenal director Josh Kroenke is said to have made it clear to shareholders that Kroenke Sports & Entertainment have no plans to sell up.

https://www.nme.com/news/music/spotify-founder-daniel-ek-to-launch-arsenal-takeover-bid-with-invincibles-legends-2927906

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

View: https://twitter.com/ltarsenal/status/1386718924708843523


This takeover bid may have legs, at least as a real attempt. I’m still skeptical about Kroenke selling but I’d be excited about Ek taking over for a few reasons:

He is actually a fan of Arsenal and football rather than an absentee owner who thinks of the club like an expensive sports car to keep in the garage and brag about to his friends every once in a while.

I have zero doubt that Ek could easily raise the money to buy the club. He must know so many people in the tech and venture capital worlds.

I think somebody with his background would be so much better at running the business side of the club, which has quietly been a bit of a disaster for the last decade. Kroenke is a shopping mall magnate and knows the professional sports business only in a very specific kind of league setting in the US where the league itself handles so much of the commercial side. Ek would probably have much better ideas about how to expand Arsenal’s footprint and brand worldwide, digital marketing, etc.

 

[the1andonly3003]

why let Kroenke walk away with a profit...should be forced to accept the offer (same with the other ESL owners)

Sky Sports got a good quote from a fan from Friday's protest: Kroenke laid off 50 staff so he could go make more money at the ESL