Arsenal ‘gem’ has ‘perfect profile’ that Arteta has ‘forbidden’ the club from selling | OneFootball

Leandro Trossard has one Liverpool fan thinking wistfully of Diogo Jota, while there is plenty of chatter about the latest episode of Emiliano Martinez.

Send your thoughts to theeditor@football365.com.

But that is why Aston Villa are not in the title conversation… Andy

So this is what it feels like to lose.

Take it on the chin and move on. UTV, Paul

Flowers for Trossard

I don’t know if Arsenal will now storm to the title or choke within reach of it, but what I do know is that Leandro Trossard is a gem of a squad player.  I’ve always thought so, I’ve always rated him amongst the top, top character guys in the league, and I remember noticing at Brighton thinking he was special.  Once upon a time we had such perfect profile of player in our squad too in the form of the late Diogo Jota.  Yeah, sigh.  The death of our marksman.  It’ll never properly heal.

But hats off to the footballers who are signed with little fanfare or fuss and aren’t nailed on to start, but can do.  And those who consistently come on late with nary a whinge to deliver match-winning contributions.  Keep their heads down, let their play do all the talking.  These are the true professionals and I’ve been sad all year we’ve lost one of ours, one of the best we’ve ever had.  Players like Trossard remind me of our Portuguese legend. Eric, Los Angeles  CA

Boo-urns

I’m writing this live during the Arsenal-Villa match in the 44th minute, I am taking my eyes away from this match (I only have two and unfortunately it’s hard to move them in separate directions to perceive images). If you read the mailbox and you’re an Arsenal season ticket holder at the Emirates right now – this message is for you.

I understand booing players. We’re all sports fanatics. Especially when someone has left your team / club. But in instances such as Emi Martinez – he stayed at the club from a teenager to an adult because Wenger always told him that one day he would be the 1st choice keeper…while buying players to block his pathway.

But when he got his chance – he was immense and is directly responsible for (rival fans will love this) our only trophy in the Arteta era. He spent every single day of his life revolving around waiting for that chance and when it came – he took it to the point that he is now a World Cup winner and now considered one of the best keepers in the world.

He left because Arteta told him he was reinstating Leno as our our first choice keeper. If he didn’t leave – he never becomes a World Cup winner. Yeah, people have their own lives that exist outside of the infinitesimal allegiance of your club. MAW, LA Gooner

P.S. – oh, we did score apparently. Wasn’t watching. Set piece FC for the win

Emi award

Decided to watch Arsenal and Villa since my little daughter only sleeps on top of other humans meaning I had to lie still in silence for 2-4 hours anyway.

In my mind goalkeepers get judged on three things; shot stopping, distribution and “presence”. That last one is a bit weird because you can be tall and lack presence (De Gea) or shorter but have bags of it. For me Emi Martinez has a lot of all three. He seems to love being a shit house which annoys me a bit when Liverpool play him but I think he’s the kind of scoundrel you’d love to have on your side.

As a counter point Richarlison strikes me as a player who you might be glad when he scores for your team but you’d still acknowledge he’s basically a prick.

There was one moment where Martinez delivered a delicious goal kick that turned defence into a corner and another where he very strongly claimed a scary ball into the box. He’s been the only busy keeper this half but has looked great. I think he’s often very hyped up to go to the big stadiums but sometimes that hype boils over into something less positive.

In the first half I saw Arsenal doing their niggly fouls very high up the pitch but interestingly I think Villa have played into it and I think on purpose. They’re going down regularly, easily and often and I wonder if Emery senses he can frustrate the crowd here (from his own tenure frustrating the crowd regularly, no doubt). Maybe he’s thinking the crowd gets anxious given Arsenal’s record against the top 4 this season. Maybe he’s thinking the players get anxious. Maybe he’s thinking they get annoyed but a heavy stop start game. Maybe it’s just a clever way to minimise the time the ball is in play which maximises his chances of a result.

Best chance of the half was basically Sancho receiving the ball offside at 45mins. So no really telling moments for either side so far.

Merino’s challenge on Onana that got him a yellow is not far off what people have seen red for this season; a late step on the ankle after the ball was played. Maybe lucky to still be on the pitch.

It’s well set up for the second half. I could see McGinn making a difference off the bench for Villa. Trossard has been very lively on the wing for Arsenal. Surely Havertz gets 15 minutes at least if he’s fit.

Sending this now (half time) in case the 6kg monster awakens and I don’t get to watch the second half! Hope it doesn’t make me look stupid in 45 plus a few. Minty, LFC

…or Villa will collapse in 8 minutes.

What a stinker they’ve had here. Minty, LFC

Emery and Arteta

Seen a lot of content generation and  “bantz” online and on SpeakRubbish radio in last week about Emery being a better manager than Arteta. Referencing trophies etc.

it misses the point.  (Of course it does).

Anyone seen that movie “rush “ about James Hunt versus Niki Lauda for the F1 title in 1976 ?  (Superb film btw). Well, Hunt is without a ride after his team has folded. Lauda has changed Ferrari and F1 by being a robot and a brilliant technician- not a death-wish playboy. He is miles ahead of everyone in every way. Totally unbeatable.

Maclaren are looking at drivers. They have options.Jacky  Iycx and others. Safe. Reliable. Known.  But Hunt (never considered a top driver – but a talented maniacal man that was desperate to prove he could Win) was available. Should they ? Fearing his reckless reputation, Maclaren call Hunts ex colleagues. Their summary ?

“ you’ll never win the championship with Iycx. You just might with Hunt”.

And that’s why Arsenal sacked Emery and hired Arteta. Unai is a perfectly decent manager. Highly successful at “second level clubs.”  I think he will win the Europa League again this season and good luck to him and Villa.  It would be a great story.  But quite rightly Arsenal – and particularly stan Kroenke to give him his  flowers (he had just bought the club Completely-  not coincidentally ) wanted more than that. They wanted to win. To beat the unbeatable Lauda – ie Pep and Klopp.

Emery never would. Arteta just might. Maybe. And that’s why they made the change.  Both clubs are miles better off and the top of the league is more interesting for it.  We could just celebrate that – but that wouldn’t boil anyone’s blood would it ? Johnno.

Arteta-stic/Arteta-ster

2 things can be true at the same time.

Jimmy White was one of the most gifted players in snooker history. Jimmy White was never a world Champion.

The Dutch “ Total Football “ side from the 70’s was outstanding and still talked about to this day. That Dutch side never won a trophy.

Equally, it’s possible that Mikel Arteta has done a brilliant job at Arsenal – and he should have done better.

Arsenal supporters can point to injuries and bad luck at crucial times ( losing Saliba, Gabriel, Mosquera & White all at the same time this season for example )

Rival supporters can talk about poor decision making ( playing Timber and White in the same back 4 recently while Lewis-Skelly was on the bench has led to a situation where Rice is playing RB  )

But really, don’t we all know that both those things are true?

Mikel Arteta has only been a manager for 6 years, he’s revitalised a club that was a shambles and he’s made them one of the best teams in Europe, consistently around the top of the league, all while bringing some great young players through and while having some very bad injury luck. But he’s won some trophies ( we absolutely count the Community Shield ) and he’s learning on the job – he spent a lot of money to ensure decent squad depth for this season for example, when previously he’s been reluctant to lean into the depth in his squad.

Equally, Mikel Arteta has been there for 6 years, he’s consistently failed to win the title despite being thereabouts in the last three years. He’s spent a fortune with only 1 trophy to show for it ( we absolutely don’t count the Community Shield ) and he really should have done better with the players he has at his disposable. Being one of the best means nothing if you don’t have the silverware.

There’s nuance folks. Arteta is not beyond questioning, he makes quite a few mistakes, but he’s also done a genuinely great job.

There’s always room for improvement but the praise he receives isn’t for nothing.

Also, I’ll reiterate ,11 Declan Rices finishes comfortably top 10 in the PL. Doug, AFC, Belfast

Ru the day

Can’t wait to hear how this wasn’t the manager’s fault again. Badwolf

The Blackburn Xavi

Surely Pep must prioritise adding the Blackburn “Xavi” (someone must have coined this name for Adam Wharton by now) to pair with his Stockport “Iniesta” before hoovering up every remaining winger in the Premier League just to deny them to everyone else?

On a related note, why on earth would Semenyo opt for that notorious wingers’ graveyard when Liverpool have glaring voids on both flanks that are practically crying out for a player of his exact profile? Matthew (ITFC)

Meanwhile, in the basement

I know this site is basically PremierLeagueAndOccasionallyChampionship365, but can I just sneak in a mention of the ridiculous fact that Bromley (who?) end the year top of League 2?

Probably one of the smallest clubs to ever be part of the 92, having never even played in the National League until 2015. A club that almost folded due to lack of interest less than 25 years ago, when barely 150 punters were coming in to watch league games against the likes of the Met Police and the Ford factory team. And that was *before* being booted down to the eighth tier when non-league was re-organised.

Generally thought to have a bottom-4 budget in the division, and predicted by most people to end up in pretty much the same position in the table.

Nothing’s won in December, but it’s a pretty staggering achievement for all involved to even get to this point! Wade

Consistency and other assorted thoughts

Would Chelsea or West Ham fans welcome Frankie Lamps as their next manager?  Has he done enough at Coventry to stake a claim?

VAR.  I guarantee you that, if it were completely scrapped tomorrow morning, pundits, fans, and managers (and especially managers!) would be screaming blue murder at Officials decisions within the day.  “It was a pen/There’s no way it was pen!”  “It was clearly offside/No way it was offside!” Ad infinitum.  The ‘outrage’ after forensically dissecting the inevitable 360-degree slo-mo wouldn’t lessen one jot.

Which brings me to ‘consistency.’  When your star players screw up in a game, they simply don’t get the amount of abuse that refs get.  Because of course, refs MUST get every single decision correct, in every game they officiate, for the whole season, and in all four professional leagues.  Every time.  No room for human error.  Oh no, it’s either deliberate bias, conspiracy, or staggering levels of scandalous incompetence.  Spoiler alert.  ‘Google’ Occam’s Razor for your answer.

And then go back and consider when your striker skies one over an empty net or your defender makes a sloppy pass back to the ‘keeper leading to a goal, or any other player getting themselves needlessly sent off costing you the game.  What’s that you say?  THEY can’t be perfect in every single game THEY play in?  Oh, I see.

I quite like Stewie G’s mails.  If you don’t, then don’t read ‘em.

Comments section.  Normally very boring juvenile pish between the usual ‘red cartel’ suspects but there are also entries worth reading.  I make no apologies for singling out ‘Kryten’ as probably the best example.  His entries are both insightful and balanced.

Xg. Oh, don’t get me started.

Man City.  Far more optimistic than the last time I mailed in, especially with Cherki making his mark.  Still frail at the back mind.  Let’s see what happens if we can get Rodri, Stones, and Ake back and firing.  Still Arsenal’s to lose though I think. Mark (Oh dear.  I’m going to be Sarah’s ‘teacher’s pet’ now aren’t I?  Oh well, there’s worse things to be I suppose!).  MCFC.

Are the conspiracy theorists pricks?

F365 has long hated any suggestion that referees are biased, or that there may be a ‘conspiracy’ to favour particular teams. Nevermind that there have been actual refereeing conspiracies in Serie A and the ongoing Negreira case in La Liga; an evidence-less F365 compels us to have faith that our refs are houlier-than-thou and would simply never, never be biased in any way whatsoever.

May I suggest that the FA, the PGMOL and the sport as a whole have basically invited conspiracies with their actions?

Firstly, money talks and the Premier League is a lucrative product. All that you really need for a conspiracy theory is a money chain. Would it be profitable for the league to lean on the PGMOL to encourage an exciting title race? Probably. Does the sport have a history of back handers? Absolutely. Could people theoretically make a lot of money through influencing referee decisions? Undoubtedly. That’s it, that is all you need to create a conspiracy theory, so you might think it would be wise not to do anything to fuel conspiracy talk.

State and corporate ownership of clubs adds to this. Can a group of investment bankers like FSG lobby the government for something? Can UAE pull diplomatic levers with the government? More fuel.

So for the likes of the PGMOL to allow side hustles in UAE for example is a ridiculous decision that invites, nay, practically begs for conspiracy takes. If you have referees moonlighting abroad, their paymaster becomes de facto the same paymaster as a large PL club. No one is suggesting that there are instructions to make favourable decisions, but it is wholly possible, even probably that subconsciously it may alter the way someone who wants to keep their sweet side gig and suntan makes decisions.

Then there’s the VAR decisions. I can’t really be arsed to verify this because you see it everywhere but ESPN for example states last season Newcastle had a net VAR score of +9 compared to Bournemouth’s -7. That’s a 16 decision swing. You see similarly large swings playing out over longer periods. When you couple this with VAR *still* making errors, you’re feeding the flames.

Then there’s the infallible boys club of the refs. Leg breaking scissor tackle? No card. Talk back to the ref? Instant yellow. Terrible decision? Weekend off, maybe a PGMOL apology and then it’s all forgotten about. Their competence has a huge impact on the outcome of titles decided sometimes by solitary points, but the level of accountability is not equal to their influence on games. It takes something like the leaked footage of Coote to inspire any actual action. Mike Dean will pop-up and support any decision made by any ref, ever, even when we can all clearly see it’s wrong. Because it’s a boys club. We need women refs, we need international refs, and we need more transparency (I appreciate some steps have been taken towards the latter).

We have to acknowledge referees are human. Humans are naturally, inherently biased about things. So how is a group of mostly white, British men appropriate to be in charge of decisioning matches with an international smorgasbord of players in 2025?

And lastly rule changes. Every season has rule changes which often aren’t understood by the fans or seemingly the refs until midway through. We’ve seen official alterations *during* seasons about how a rule will be interpreted. So teams are literally ref’d to different standards in some instances, because some new rule was implemented that it took everyone months to get their head round. It creates an uneven playing field, and fans who remain unaware of changes will compare decisions from previous seasons to the new ones and claim bias. Do we need so many changes? I’d argue we never did, but this is a big product we’re talking about.

Again, refs, the people who work at the FA, they’re all human. They are open to bias, but they also make mistakes. I don’t think there’s an overarching conspiracy on behalf of PGMOL but I do think various parties will try to influence refs decisions. I think there are plenty of bad decisions made due to subconscious bias, perhaps as a result of this. But mostly I think that the powers that be have created a fertile ground for conspiracy theorists, so maybe F365 should address this rather than finger wag at fans who are spending money to go the game only to lose out because of some clusterf*ck of a decision.

Soz this ended up being longer than my dissertation. Seamus

Changing teams

Thought I’d throw a challenge to the mailbox and hope this evenings games are dull enough that this squeaks in….

I’m a happy Huddersfield fan who accepts the 90% dross of watching my team for the 10% genuine thrill and excitement.

My missus is a Wolves fan who has genuinely fallen out of love with her club. It’s not just the car crash of this season, it’s been the gradual neglect and downfall for the last 5 years which has worn her down.

She is actually considering abandoning the club and supporting another team. She’s sort of a default Huddersfield fan now through me but is thinking of calling herself a full time fan and not a Wolves fan.

My question is is this acceptable? I don’t think it is – your club to me is your identity and formed through years and years, not something you can switch in and out of. But then I also don’t support a club who treat their fans as an inconvenience (at best).