Morning all.
There wasn’t an enormous quantity price speaking about within the reside part of Mikel Arteta’s press convention yesterday. As you’d count on, he gave nothing away with regards accidents, refusing to substantiate the story that it’s season-over for William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
I swear, we might reside footage of an Arsenal participant being pushed out of a hospital in a wheelchair having had all his limbs amputated due to a horrendous snake chew incident, and he’d say ‘We’ll assess him tomorrow’. That stated, I did suppose the query about Brighton’s spectacular recruitment was fascinating. They’ve introduced via wonderful gamers who thrive in an outlined system, and Arteta was requested if this was one thing Arsenal may replicate. He stated:
I feel the mannequin that Brighton has is nice for them, we can’t have the identical mannequin, we have now to have a distinct mannequin. I’m positive there are issues we will apply to our mannequin that they do extraordinarily nicely, nevertheless it’s a distinct mannequin, they’ve completely different calls for, they’ve a distinct dimension of membership, and doubtless a distinct strategy as nicely, so it might be a mistake in my view to strive to do this.
Which is apparent actually, however when individuals see one thing that works for one membership, they marvel why others don’t do it. There are some obscure parallels in that we have now have tried to usher in some youthful gamers who aren’t family names. Assume Takehiro Tomiyasu, and even not too long ago Jakub Kiwior, however the expectation ranges at Brighton let you signal a participant like Moises Caicedo or Karou Mitoma, mortgage them out to get expertise, then give them the enjoying time they should develop. They do it brilliantly and a part of that actuality can be promoting these gamers for giant earnings. See one Ben White as a great instance.
Talking of barely ‘off piste’ switch targets, we’re being linked with 23 centre-half Mohamed Simakan.
Perceive that Arsenal are exhibiting robust curiosity in RB Leipzig’s Mohamed Simakan. The 23-year-old defender signed a brand new contract till 2027 in December
— Ed Aarons (@ed_aarons) Might 12, 2023
He’s bought an fascinating profile in that he has performed at proper again, proper centre-half and even proper midfield for RB Leipzig this season. That versatility rings a bell, eh? And people first two positions are areas the place you positively really feel we might strengthen subsequent season. He has performed as many video games at proper again as centre-half this season, and generally on the surface of the again three (thanks Lewis!). One to regulate because the switch tittle-tattle will increase as we head nearer and nearer to the low season.
There have been some additional quotes from Arteta within the embargoed part of his presser, through which he talked in regards to the work he feels nonetheless must be executed. After a really spectacular season, his response to a query about whether or not or not he feels this group is at its pinnacle needs to be music to all our ears:
“We’re nonetheless very, very far. We could be a lot, a lot, a lot better at a variety of issues nonetheless. Big margins. We could be a lot better in our buildup, attacking man-to-man conditions, attacking open areas, defending deep, set items.
“We’ve got large margins to do when it comes to recreation administration, a variety of issues we will nonetheless do a lot better.”
Maybe it’s the best way of the soccer fan in that we are likely to reside within the second, or the short-term, that it’s simple to suppose that this season is likely to be nearly as good as we will get. Our greatest shot at successful a title. Within the quick disappointment of current dropped factors, I perceive why frustration can cloud some extra longer-term considering. However as I’ve written right here and spoken about on the podcast, a coping mechanism for me has been the very fact I genuinely suppose we will enhance additional.
Arteta’s constant discuss of elevating the extent, elevating requirements, demanding extra from everybody – gamers, his teaching employees, the membership, and himself – offers me a confidence that what we’re constructing right here is predicated on the sort of stable foundations it’s essential to go additional and get higher. Which isn’t to say it will likely be simple, however within the not too distant previous the phrase ‘course of’ was usually cloaked in derision, and I feel solely these decided to view in a pejorative sense actually really feel like that now. The proof of it has been earlier than our eyes all season, and whenever you take a look at the Premier League desk. Earlier than the season started, when you’d requested individuals would that be an honest end, I’m positive most would have stated ‘sure’. That we’re sitting right here annoyed about it’s all it’s essential to learn about our progress.
Proper, that’s it for this morning. We’ve got a Brighton preview podcast for you over on Patreon, for now, have a terrific Saturday.
