The kid looks GOOD

Quite interesting to continue reading people furious about the Matteo stories that are doing the rounds.

The biggest critique of Arsenal over the past 10 years has been the lack of a winning culture. We let players do as they please, we haven’t held them to a standard, and we’ve suffered as a result.

Matteo is a problem. Has been for all his managers, whether it’s Freddie or Emery, or the crew over at Lorient. There is a discernable pattern there and you can’t argue it. He is now under new leadership and the same pattern has continued. We saw the blow-up in Dubai, we now have the bad behaviour with Edu and Arteta after the Brighton game, we also know that Luiz couldn’t talk him around, and I’ve been told from multiple places that the way he conducts himself around the club is not impressive (which obviously adds meat to the reason the club is going hard at him).

What else is there left to do? You drop him. You hold him to the same standard you hold everyone else. When he comes round to the idea that he’s not special, he’ll be forgiven.

That is standards people.

Things to remember:

He was brought in from the cold after Dubai

Pepe was dropped then brought back in when he started to deliver

Ceballos was benched after he begged to go him, now he’s pushing for a move

AMN was dropped for turning up late, last time he was seen, he had Traore in his pocket

Forgiveness is part of the culture, you just have to play the game.

You think other clubs have different ways of looking at it? Spurs biggest signing of last summer was NDombele. He’s a £60m midfielder, a total powerhouse in France last year, he was the future of Spurs midfield. How has Jose dealt with it? He’s savaged his fitness, he’s questioned his commitment, and the club has leaked hard against him in the press. Oh, he’s also not played a lot of games.

It was hardly any different when Poch was dealing with the player. The leaks were there, the player didn’t get games, and the manager said it was hard to assess him.

That’s a £60m player we’re talking about. Not a 20-year old that’s achieved nothing in the game so far. Is Jose bad at dealing with ‘characters’? Do we think he’s naive? Are the leaks a disgrace?

Arsene Wenger didn’t hold players to standards towards the end. Emery flip-flopped and lost respect in the squad because of it. Arteta said he’s going to hold players to account and he has. I do not get the fuss unless you think rules should be unequally distributed based on perceived talent.

As for the debate about the press around him, well, he’s not exactly a popular character. You have over 100 people that are at the training ground. You have the agents of the players who talk. You have a club that wants to get ahead of the story so they’re not hammered in the media for inexplicably dropping a ‘kid that just wants to win really bad.’

Annnnyway, some of the football sites in France are reporting that Lille (remember what I wrote about them) have agreed in principle to let Oshimen go to Napoli for 80m Euros.

Errrr…?

A player with 2 seasons of production in Belgium and France? Going for a fee bigger than United are willing to pay for Jadon Sancho? To a club as small-time as Napoli? DURING A PANDEMIC?

If I speak, I am in trouble.

Emile Smith-Rowe Vs Readingpic.twitter.com/sWG5HoEy8u

— BNS Comps (@BnsComps) July 8, 2020

Look at that sexy comp of ESR at Huddersfield. A lower division, but still fast and absolutely brutal for a young Arsenal player. Great to watch him boss games. He’s technical, he’s creative and he is explosive over 5 metres.

Injury permitting, he’ll be one to watch next season. Also interesting to read that Miguel Azeez has been asked to get educated on playing the 6 role. The player models his game on Busquets, clearly another product with a lot of potential, hopefully he lands a loan move next year to get some game time in him.

Right, that’s all I have time for today. ENJOY YOUR DAY BIG LOVE SEE YOU SOON. xx