We like to take the temperature among Holics at key points in the season and often reveal quite a division of opinion. But perhaps, not surprisingly, the consensus among Arsenal fans about the campaign so far is almost universally positive, although it is still interesting to get insights from some of our finest. Not all Holics accept my invitation to participate in these round robin discussions which is a pity. It is good to canvass opinion and we have gained perspectives from varied vantage points on what has transpired so far. My thanks go to the ubiquitous C100, the Antipodean view from Noosa, the polymath that is Ned, the keen follower that is Sancho Panza and the seasoned observer that is Uplympian. Gentlemen, we thank you for your excellent insights and appreciate your participation.
We began with the obvious question
What are your feelings about the season so far?
C100: How can you not be thrilled and delighted? We look the real deal and I am enjoying every single minute.
Noosa: Got to be happy with the current position. Of the non-wins, Liverpool should have been a draw (or a win if we had taken the initiative earlier), City parked the bus but we kept going for a draw which was gutsy and Sunderland played better than I thought but our defending let us down for once. Well, twice actually.
Ned: It is going as it must if we are to win the league, but it still needs to continue like this for a long, long time. In recent seasons, the champions have usually lost only three or four games, which suggests we can only afford to lose a couple of our remaining 28 matches. It’s a tall order that will test our (fans’) patience and nerves. Like all champions, we will need the Gods of good fortune to smile on us at crucial moments. On the bright side, Arteta has more quality and squad depth than ever before, probably more than any Arsenal manager has had, and this should be one of the greatest Arsenal teams ever. At the same time, the Premier League and the Champions League have never been more competitive. This Arsenal team could end up winning the quadruple — or with nothing, and the margins, as Arteta constantly reminds us, are small. Like rowing the Atlantic, it is the scale of the achievement that is to be admired, not the flair with which it is carried out. Yet, if not now, then when?
Uply: I have found the season so far very satisfactory. The past 3 years we have been very close to collecting trophies but not close enough (for reasons well known). I see a steely mindset emanating in the players that enough is enough and this year trophies will be won – no ifs, no buts!
SP: Everything is above and beyond where I had hoped for after 10 games played plus the cup games. Only letting in three paltry goals is amazing and a tight fisted defence is, as we know the bedrock to any campaign. If we had had a leaky goals against column our points total would probably be 5 or 6 less than it actually is. The defensive play from all over the pitch is allowing us to win games by a single goal and lessening the impact of the injuries to the front line. We have 4 more points off the teams we played last year, and we have 7 more points after 10 games than we did last year. Injuries are mounting though and it would be a shame to lose momentum because of them.
TTG note: If we had uncovered a well of disgruntled feelings it would suggest Arsenal fans are never satisfied. Holics are known for their balanced views and these were very much to the fore in these comments. As we entered the season there was the usual uncertainty about whether we could reproduce another title challenge, would the new players gel and perform and we faced a very difficult early programme. So far we have come through well.
Who have been the outstanding players as far as you are concerned?
Ned: The strength of this team lies in it being much more than the sum of its parts. It would be unfair to single out individuals, but three goals conceded so far indicates that the defensive unit has been exceptional.
Uply: The whole squad have been outstanding so it’s difficult to choose who has impressed most but I will go with:
Jurrien Timber – he has evolved into a world class fullback. No one gets the better of him week in week out and his attacking prowess has come on leaps and bounds.
Big Gabby – what an absolute monster at both ends of the pitch, he is our set piece king.
Martin Zubimendi – he has settled into the EPL without a hitch (not an easy task). He is master of the midfield and is as accomplished as we hoped he might be.
SP: Timber, Gabriel, Rice and Zubi have been immense. Others are not far behind. Everyone is putting in brilliant performances.
Noosa: From a team perspective, every individual picked has been outstanding in their own way.
Notably individually, Rice has been exceptional, Zubimendi has slotted in and improved the team, Gyökeres has worked extremely hard and will get better, Madueke looked really good before his injury. Gabriel has been a monster in both defence and attack.
C100: So many to choose from! Very honourable mentions to Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori. Honourable mentions to Martin Zubimendi and Leo Trossard. But the two outstanding players so far this season have been Gabriel and Declan Rice. I find it impossible to separate them. They are the heartbeat of the team.
TTG: Teams who have only conceded three goals and are leading the league by six points tend to throw up a number of outstanding performers but it is clear that so far a majority of our players are shooting the lights out.
Of our eight signings in the close season who has been the standout performer?
Ned: In terms of raising the team’s level, it has been Martin Zubimendi so far. At the end of the season, I suspect we will be saying that it was signing Victor Gyökeres that made the difference in winning silverware, but Eberechi Eze will have provided the magical memories. Cristhian Mosquera will turn out to be an inspired long-term signing.
C100: I have been very pleased with the progress of Gyökeres. But the player who has fitted in seamlessly is Zubimendi. He is world class, a Swiss watch of a player.
SP: Zubi obviously but no one has stunk the place out. Mosquera, what a player! Eze will start to click soon. Viktor also. I expect Nørgaard to play more and be very effective. I loved the Noni signing and can’t wait to see more of him. Kepa looks a solid keepa. Hincapié looks far from hincapiéble.
Uply: Whoever determined our 8 summer signings deserves the utmost praise – there’s not one that disappoints. Again the choice of who is the standout performer is selecting from a box of riches. My choice may be left field but I am going for Christhian Mosquera – most of us probably thought “who?” when he was announced but he has stepped in and deputised for both Big Willy & Big Gabby without any noticeable drop off in our defensive capability – that is some accolade for a 21yr old with no EPL experience.
Noosa: I haven’t yet mentioned Eze who is yet to really show his best and may prove to be the standout. I have no doubt that he will.
TTG: Andrea Berta can take a bow thus far because his diligence and industry in the summer built on the two previous summer windows which brought top players to the club. Personally, I think Zubimendi has been superb and Mosquera a nice surprise but all of our additions have been extremely welcome additions.
How do you feel about a temporary move while the stadium is expanded? Would you prefer to move to
Wembley?
The London Stadium?
The Toilet Bowl?
Twickenham?
Any other suggestion?
C100: I look on this scenario with absolute horror. Wembley and Twickenham would be very difficult for me, given that I attend every home game. Playing at the Spurs ground is unthinkable. The easiest journey by far is the London Stadium. But it’s an absolute disaster of a stadium for atmosphere, the stewards are Nazis (I suppose we could use Arsenal stewards) and I hate it. How about we don’t do this?
Uply: The thought of having to temporarily move away from N5 is highly undesirable but may be unavoidable .
Wembley Stadium: too many bad memories (champions league matches). Travelling logistics awful.
The London Stadium: an awful soulless stadium. Travelling logistics barely acceptable.
The Toilet Bowl: just no, never, ever – they are the old enemy.
Twickenham: a good stadium (I have enjoyed many rugby internationals there), travelling logistics passable but may not be feasible as the London Borough of Richmond have strict limits on events there due to local resident pressure. I expect the RFU could be very supportive though as their finances are in deep manure.
Noosa: I don’t think we should need one. Leaving Highbury, perhaps for understandable reasons, adversely affected the club and team performance for a very long time. If additional revenue is the only driving force, then every avenue to raise it at the Emirates must be explored and a way must be found.
If we did have to move, none of the names mentioned would work for me for a variety of reasons, most of which have been already noted in previous drinks.
SP: Wembley is the only serious contender out of that list. I doubt whether the expansion will amount to much and require any temporary move away. Not in my lifetime anyway.
Ned: None of the above, if at all possible. Twist my arm, and I will say move up the Seven Sisters Road for the duration, even if it means a peg on the nose. Using Wembley or sharing the London Stadium would be like playing in a mausoleum. Logistics disfavour Twickenham or any other west London ground, such as Stamford Bridge. Limited capacity would put the kybosh on Craven Cottage, the G-tech stadium and Loftus Road. I wonder if Lord’s or the Oval could accommodate football matches. The Oval did stage the first FA Cup Final.
TTG: I share C100’s reluctance to consider this. It is a big logistical challenge but as a man whose trains run through Stratford I have a clear favourite!
Should Arteta ever be tempted away who would you envisage ought to be our next manager?
SP: I guess most people would look no further than the chaps at Bournemouth and Palace. I’m always slightly dubious of favouring this type of manager who has no experience of managing a team that dominates possession. They need to move on from their comfort zones. Frank Thomas is going to be a better manager for being at Tottenham as will Amorim at United, but not a lot. I think we should go for a Billy Big Bollocks type like Alonso or Enrique or even Kompany. Being the biggest club in the World after Arteta’s reign, who would say no to the Arsenal?
Ned: I expect Arteta to leave around the 10-year mark, recognising the risk of late-stage Wenger syndrome if he stays longer. Thus, one more contract extension after the current one that expires in summer 2027. I also have a hunch that it won’t be for another coaching role; he seems to be a person who can succeed at anything he sets his mind to. If he leaves the club in as good a state as I hope and expect he will, then we should have our pick of the game’s elite coaches, depending on who is contractually available. The other succession issue will be finding a replacement that can adapt to and evolve the strong culture that Arteta has imposed on the club. The Klopp/Slott transition shows the dangers. We could well look internally to someone Arteta grooms as a successor. If that turns out to be Gabriel Heinze, remember you heard it here first. If not, forget I ever mentioned it.
Noosa: Arteta has some way to go yet before his project is finished. Nobody managing in PL currently comes even close so perhaps a foreign manager? Nobody comes to mind right now and I hope it doesn’t need to for some time.
Uply: Should Mikel leave the club (perish the thought) the most suitable replacement would be his fellow Basque, Andoni Iraola (currently manager at Bournemouth). He is tactically astute, continually develops new players as the stars are sold on and has a persona that fits perfectly in representing the culture of our club.
C100: I don’t want to see Arteta go. Ever! But if he were tempted away, after 6 Premier League Titles and 6 Champions League Cups, I would like Xabi Alonso.
TTG: This is a question none of us want to consider although other blogs seem keen to push anti-Arteta agendas . My choice would be Iraiola based on what I have seen since he took over at Bournemouth.
Do you sense an anti-Arsenal agenda in the media that you read or are we paranoid about pundits not liking us?
SP: I don’t really know as I don’t give any pundits or football journalists the time of day. Pundits will always favour their own clubs I suppose and they will have a willing audience to criticise other teams who they see as a threat. Most, if not all of them are, in the words of the great football philosopher Danny Dyer, complete melts.
C100: For sure. But t’was ever thus. I don’t let it bother me. As the Millwall fans used to say, “Nobody likes us. We don’t care!”
Uply: Over the years there has been a certain negativity towards our club by sectors of the media ranging from jibes such as “The Bank of England club”, the temerity to employ a foreign manager using new foreign ideas such as diet, training methods etc (Arsene Wenger), “they don’t like it up ‘em, soft southerners” with no calling out of the thuggery endured by our players at the time. The nature of journalism / punditry has changed these past few years with click baits being the main driver. This requires sensationalism and there is an unlimited supply of low intelligence ex-players who excel in this as they try to remain relevant in their post playing careers. There is no club immune from this nowadays but some receive much more negative coverage than others (The Arsenal on one hand and the Scousers on the other).
Ned: All fans believe the media is biased against their club. Some research indicates that all Premier League clubs receive net negative press, and this is more pronounced for smaller clubs compared to the Big Six. However, I haven’t found scientifically credible studies of bias against individual clubs. Thus, we have to fall back on anecdotal evidence. I would argue that the bias has become stronger against London clubs since the national broadcaster, the BBC, moved its sports department from London to Manchester. This could reinforce both implicit and cognitive biases, such as confirmation bias, especially against Arsenal because of the BBC and Sky employing pundits like Neville, Carragher and Keane, for whom Arsenal was a major rival during their playing days. Add in social media, which promotes divisive punditry, and the bias is exacerbated. The tribal nature of fandom further intensifies perceptions of bias. That said, just because you are paranoid, it doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.
Noosa: Media want customers and click bait is now the default option for most of them so not worth bothering with. Bloggers are sometimes better but the only one I read as a matter of course is, of course, Goonerholics.
We don’t see many of the English pundits in Australian coverage but those I know of aren’t usually worth listening to, particularly any ex-Liverpool player who still hate Arsenal for Anfield 89 – yes, that’s you Stevie Nichol!
If there is an anti Arse agenda – win the league and/or big ears and shut them all up for a least a short time!
TTG: Much wisdom distilled here. Early in my Arsenal supporting career my Dad sat me down and explained ‘Son, you either love Arsenal or you hate them‘ That was in the nineteen fifties and little has changed. If we win the league we will be the most unpopular side in history. Do we look bovvered?
Finally, the estimable Sancho Panza added a bonus question
SP Bonus question: Would you call yourself knowledgeable about Arsenal or football in general?
No. Sorry to have wasted your time. I know nothing and am rightfully bottom of the predictathon.
TTG: Sancho has been too hard on himself but the Predictathon is proving a fascinating competition again! Many thanks Ned for your super work in running it.
Share your thoughts in the Drinks.
Heads up, Holics.
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