By Dr Billy “the Dog” McGraw
It is always rather encouraging when one hears managers of other clubs moaning, whinging and whining. Of course much of the time, the moaning is all made up to cover what is happening, but even so, there seems to be a certain level of uncertainty in one or two clubs.
Take for example Mr Pochettino of Tottenham Hotspur, and Mr J Mourinho of Manchester United.
To give a flavour of current doings, The Guardian has the headline “Pochettino critical of early deadline and unsure over signings” while the Telegraph has “How seeds of Jose Mourinho petulance were sewn 12 months ago over Man Utd’s reluctance to spend extra £5m”.
Now of course, believing what the newspapers say is about the last thing Untold does, but it is worth asking how these two footballing gentlemen became so isolated from the current situation?
The window, it was agreed last September, will shut at on the Thursday before the first game of the season, with the change affecting only purchases. The rest of Europe will be able to buy players until 31 August, give or take a few days, so the PL clubs will be able to keep on selling – something that should help Arsenal as it needs to bring its first team squad aged over 21 down to 25.
The five that voted “No!” were Manchester City, Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Watford and Swansea City.
But here’s a funny thing – it wasn’t Manchester United’s manager who wanted to have the window open until the normal date, because José Mourinho, during the run up to the decision, said he would “prefer the window to close as soon as possible”.
The reason for bringing this idea in, was that in the previous window some players did a fair bit of larking about, saying they were or were not moving, and the clubs felt that they didn’t want the old scenario of a player playing for a club one week and against them the next – if that is how the fixtures panned out. When that happened the selling club would often be forced to drop the player – to their own disadvantage. There was for example, discussion about Oxlade-Chamberlain playing in Arsenal’s 4-0 defeat to Liverpool, and then trotting up north to join Liverpool, before finally getting himself injured for the whole of next season.
In the course of these discussions it was suggested the PL would lead the way and others follow. Now I might have got this wrong but I rather think the rest of Europe and the Football League have all said “to hell with that” and carried on with the old system.
During the discussions Arsène Wenger suggested the January’s window could be scrapped entirely, on the grounds that it unsettled players, but that did not come on the agenda. And actually we did rather well last January, so I am not too sure of that.
Anyway Mr Pochettino’s club voted for the window to close early, but now he is speaking out against what his board of directors agreed.
Indeed he has now said Tottenham might not make any signings, to some extent because the window is closing early. Tottenham are the only team in the top six last year not to have signed a major player, and they only have about eight days to go. Still maybe they feel they don’t need anyone.
Mr Pochettino also complained about the starting the Premier League so early after the World Cup. The Guardian quoted him as saying, “I don’t know if we are going to sign or not. We’re working on that… If you compare with Europe I think you are at a complete disadvantage and sure it does not help the clubs in the Premier League.” I wonder if he put this opinion to the directors last summer and was overruled.
The Guardian running that story are not clear whether this is a Pochettino change of mind or whether he is annoyed with his directors. And the Telegraph in dealing with Manchester United, simply wonder what Mourinho is up to, saying
“Mourinho used to be a master at waging war against perceived enemies for the benefit of his own club – be they referees, opposition managers, rival teams, even Unicef in one instance. But these days his squabbles are predominantly taking place in-house and it threatens to have a corrosive effect at a club whose season is at risk of being undermined before it has even begun.”
As they add, “The trouble with Mourinho’s frequent moans and rebukes, which have been building and building since January to the point where few would be surprised if his third season at Old Trafford implodes in a familiar state of acrimony and chaos, is that an end-game is hard to discern. What is he trying to achieve?…
“Mourinho believes United should be acting more swiftly and decisively in the market and he has a point – at times it feels as though they are making up transfer policy as they go. But, on the flip side, there is a belief among the hierarchy that United cannot continue to stockpile players, just as there is a feeling Mourinho could be getting more out of those he has signed.”
Of course at Arsenal we were used to year after year of criticism about the purchases or lack of purchases, and Mr Wenger maintained his balance and equanimity throughout. Season after season we were told he bought the wrong players and simultaneously let the wrong ones leave while meanwhile winning more FA Cups than anyone else in history, and giving Arsenal more FA Cups than any other team.
This year at Arsenal there is only one problem: how to get rid of something like seven players aged over 21, in order to get the number down to 25. But then again, the selling window continues until the end of August, giving us 31 days to sort that out.
If the selling window continues till August 31st which should give Arsenal enough time to sort out what to do with 7 of their players now aged above 21 in other to get the number of their first team squad down to 25, but which club or clubs will Arsenal sell or loan them out to? Outside of the Premier League clubs whose summer transfer window closes in one week time? I don’t understand this post World Cup PL summer transfer window that closes on the 6th of August for signings by the PL clubs but remain open till 31st of the same month for selling.
Anyway Arsenal are looking to be making progress in offloading their over 21 year of age players by loaning Matt Macey out to Plymouth to thus bring the number down to 6 of their over above 21 year old players the club have to sell or loan out. I believe Arsenal will successfully sort out this issue before or on the 31st August deadline.
I don’t think Pochettino, the Spurs manager has any legitimate ground to complain on this summer window that closes early than the previous ones. Being a party to the decision by 14 PL club sides who voted for this summer transfer window to close early, Pochettino should just keep quiet and keeps his moaning to himself.
However, Jose Mourinho may have a legitimate ground for complain on the early closure of this summer window by 14 PL clubs who voted in support of the early closure. As Man Utd voted NO to not support the early closing of the window, Mr Mourinho has the right to moan over the early closing of the window decision. More so, as he has now realised he could be negatively affected in the transfer market by the early closing of the window. But where will his complains get him to now since the PL clubs will not reconvene to reverse the decision to close the window early by extending it say, by 2 weeks.
I think in the pursuit of their anti Arsenal’s Wenger campaign to stop him and Arsenal from winning the PL Title again, those 14 PL club sides who voted unanimously to have this summer transfer window closed early and deferred the implementation of the VAR in the Premier League games next season till God knows when are reaping the evil seeds they have sowed and will continue to reap more of it when the PL games kickoff next season without the use of the VAR. For, to those 14 PL club sides dismay and dusbelieves, Arsenal will win next season’s PL Title with a PGMO Arsenal PL games rigging antidote.
Macey
Ospina
Monreal
Welbeck
Campbell
all have suitors, and Cech and Mustarfi can joine that list along with Ramsey. I don’t think Ramset will go, I was wrong abou the gaffer and Jack, so ets hope not. Perez has offers, but we are now looking at solid alternatives to suppliment the suqad at LB and WF, pissibly DM/CM/AM. On what I have seen, Nelson, and Nketiah look ready to join first team training permanenetly and feature in the group stages of te EL and LC if not lesser FA Cup fixtures, along with Maitland-Niles and Martinez.
What is certain is that we have two engine rooms, and 2 CF, what is needed is a bit more in defence and a bit more in offensive wide positions. Thankfully we aren;t trying to offload 60-70 million pounds worht at a time. £12m for Danny is key, with Jenkinson and Ospina able to generate £10m I’m sure. Macey on a loan would work nicely, and Campbell or Perez can stay r go, but no less than £15m for the two, leaving Monreal who certainly is worth £5m, and I’m ripping off my own arm with those figures. Thanks the media and Arsenal fans for making the sales less lucrative. We will want to hash out as many of those deals as possible, get a budget, and make a purchase or two. then we can return to sales, with it likely that only Danny need be purchased by a national side. With the rest available until the 31st Aug, to the benefit of the foriegn clubs.
Arsenal, not out of the woods yet, they still need to reduce the books and make an offensive and defnesive purchase, to add stability and quality to a firmly founded squad, as important as it is for the season, it will also allow greater flexibility next term, with few players needing replacement. The next draft being, Auba, Ozil, Mikhi, and Koscielny. hopefully 2-3 years from now.
It is almost done.
FTQWB
IWIT
I wonder how teams are going to deal with the necessity of getting rid of players as the selling deadline nears? Surely the European clubs will understand our league requirements and try to low ball us when buying players.
As for Tottenham…hey, they did well last year and they have a young squad. I don’t believe you have to buy for buying’s sake so maybe they are showing confidence in the lads they have and are going to sit tight – at least until Christmas and then re-evaluate.
You know who, why would we sell one of our best players last season? monreal is going to stay! and Mustafi will also be staying, the LB position doesn’t need touching, Niles can also play at left back and Lopez will take over from Monreal in a couple of years, why are people so keen to get rid of Monreal and Mustafi? both very good players. and defensive players? why do you think Torreira signed? we have Elneny, Xhaka, Torreira, Willock, Niles. if we need anything its 1 wideman and that is pushing it
Early in the news day, there were articles about referees being able to card (yellow or red) managers during a game. The description sounded like this was EFL, not EPL. But tonight, I see DailyMail saying this will apply to EPL managers.
I can just see it; Emery will get within 6 inches of his boundary, and be red carded. And Moaninho will have a choke hold on a player to stop them putting the ball into play, and won’t even be carded.
And the medja will not say a thing, and they won’t show it on TV or have pictures on the websites.
With respect to the buying deadline being much earlier than the selling deadline, my thinking is that on the selling deadline (or the day after), the teams have to submit their lists of 25 players. Last season, Cazorla was not on the 25 list, but some websites continued to call him injured and on our injury list.
So my guess, is that there is nothing wrong {\it per se} to have more than 25 players, it is just that you are only allowed to submit 25 names. So some of the players you have on contract, would not be able to play even if fit. And the team presumably still has to pay them.
This is hardly an ideal situation, most of the time. But it has been the situation for some Arsenal players in the past: Cazorla and Diaby come to mind.
A team like Man$ity with infinitely deep pockets, could presumably have 50 players on payroll and only 25 names on the list.
OT THe Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas was congratulated by Arsene Wenger via a phone call. It just happens to be that Geraint is also a passionate Gooner.
Well done Gooner Geraint Thomas you have done us proud/