Arsenal get their keeper and pundits behave like 10 year olds

Posted on by Tony Attwood

By Tony Attwood

The general consensus is that Arsenal have signed Bernd Leno for an initial €22m, from Bayer Leverkusen.

As we have noted before he is not in the current Germany squad although was in the squad for the Confederations Cup last year.   It is reported that he will sign a five-year contract with Arsenal.

Here was their table at the end of last season…

2017/2018 P W D L F A GD Pts
Bayern Munich 34 27 3 4 92 28 +64 84
Schalke 04 34 18 9 7 53 37 +16 63
TSG Hoffenheim 34 15 10 9 66 48 +18 55
Borussia Dortmund 34 15 10 9 64 47 +17 55
Bayer Leverkusen 34 15 10 9 58 44 +14 55
RB Leipzig 34 15 8 11 57 53 +4 53

Arsenal let in 51 goals in 38 games (1.34 per game) while Leverkusen let in 44 in 34 (1.29 per game), a slightly better level of goals conceded

Here are Bernd Leno’s figures in the league and elsewhere over the time he has spent at the club…

Lge Cup Europe Total
2011–12 33 0 8 41
2012–13 32 2 6 40
2013–14 34 4 8 46
2014–15 34 4 10 48
2015–16 33 4 12 49
2016–17 34 1 7 42
2017–18 33 5 – 38
Total 233 20 51 304

This will now be an opportunity for Arsenal to rearrange their whole goalkeeping squad.  Cech and Ospina have been the top two, on loan we have  Martinez, while in reserve there is Macey, Huddart, Virginia, Keto, Crean and Iliev.   His impending arrival casts doubt over the future of Cech, who has only one year remaining on his contract.

Still outstanding in the transfer stakes is Uruguay midfielder Lucas Torreira who is said to be coming from Sampdoria for £25m plus the defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Borussia Dortmund .   With Lichtsteiner who is already there that would make four new players.

Meanwhile on TV Alan Shearer showed his famous inability to accept any comment from anyone which in his imagination suggests he is anything less than an all knowing god, reacted and  against Simon Schama after the Professor suggested there might be a need for patience during an England game.

Shearer’s notion that only footballers can truly comment on football is sadly the way things are going these days.  Just because players have become tense before matches in the past does not mean that one should not talk about the need to overcome such a situation.  Of course if England had won the World Cup at any time when not playing every match at Wembley, or indeed come close a lot of times, there would be no debate about whether they were delivering, but given England’s record vis a vis its number of players and top clubs I would have thought everything was open for debate.

I did like the Professor’s comment on the two great badges on the pitch – the cross and the crescent.   Having done that by turning one match into a Crusade, maybe with Iceland playing they could have longships and axes.  We are also waiting to hear from Mr Shearer about any period in history he would care to comment upon.  Even yesterday, if he can remember that far back.

Lineker got involved in the childishness by asking who had won the most Golden Boots, him or P Morgan.   Which is all a bit dumb.  Being good at playing a game does not mean you are good at commenting on it.  Or indeed understanding it.  If either of those ex-players earning a fortune in the studio at the taxpayer’s expense were that clever would they not be out there managing an incredibly successful team.

The fact that this is what football commentary on TV is now all about shows just how dire the situation has become.  Am I the only one reminded of little boys at primary school?

 

 

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18 Replies to “Arsenal get their keeper and pundits behave like 10 year olds”

  1. I believe we (decided to) dropped 3 youth players that are goalkeepers. I guess this doesn’t take effect until the end of June. I think Crean and Huddart are two of those three.

  2. In the post match comments a few days ago Gary Neville stated, “you’d have to go a long way to find a team as disorganised as Egypt”. How about Valencia a couple of years ago then Gary?!!!

    How the man has the audacity to sit there and criticise the management of another when he was such an unmitigated disaster himself just beggars belief. What is even more unfathomable is why the BBC think it is a good use of Licence payers money to employ the abject failure as an “expert summariser”. I think it just goes to show the level of contempt that TV stations have for the average football supporter when they roll out a complete catastrophe such as Neville (amongst many others) as good enough to tell us viewers how it should be done when he was so bloody abysmal that he couldn’t even last more than four months in the job.

    I would give him credit above the others on the basis that at least he gave it a go but I think that was only because of his blind arrogance and mistaken belief that because he’d played for a certain club that the media unceasingly dribbled over, he had to be a fantastic manager.

  5. You have never seen a man more angry about retirement than Shearer. Yes, I’m not massively impressed by Leno, but it’s just not about blunders, someone consistent, preferably a sht stopper, with good quick distribution. Mobil, Cech has t leave, with Ospina.

    On that note, get in JApan, getting a red in 3 mins, oh nobody in columbia like you mate.

  6. If Arsenal sign Leno, Papastathopoulos and Torreira in addition to Lichtsteiner whom they’ve already signed to bring the number of their signings this summer window to 4 so far, this will be a departure from the lack of proper team revamping us the Gooners have accustomed to see at Arsenal when the obvious has pointed to a proper revamping of the first team squad who has not lived up to a successful PL Title win challenge in the previous season be made for a better campaign in the next season if revamped properly.

    To this end, I believe Arsenal are on the correct Premier League Title win war path. And I am confident they’ll succeed to lift the holy grail of the Premier League next season’s campaign if they continue to match on in this correct PL Title win war path.

    Having look to instill defensive discipline in the Gunners back line with the signing of Lichtsteiner and to be signed Papastathopoulos, I think Arsenal can still further instill more defensive discipline by doing another experienced defender signing like David Luiz for proper option and cover during next season’s. Having 11 senior.team squad defenders in: Bellerin, Chambers, Holding, Lichtsteiner, Papastathopoulos, Mustafi, Kolasinac, Mavropanos, Luiz Monreal and Niles will not be a sin committed by Arsenal when naming their 25 first team man list for the first half of next season’s campaign. For, out of these 11 defefenders, 2 in Bellerim and Kolasinac are specialist wing backs the team will need.Thus, leaving the remaining 9 as specialist fullbacks and centrebacks. But AMT can be played as a left wing back to cover for Kolasinac. But who covers for Bellerin at right wing back? Hmmm.

    If Arsenal signed 2 more experienced defenders this summer to bring the number of senior team defenders in their first team squad to 11, Arsenal could become more efficient in defending at away next season to cancel out the inefficiency in defending which they suffered at away games last season more especially in the Premier League. The competitions to compete for honours are 4 and the season will be long as the Gunners will have to play over 50 matches and win them to win the quadruple. Stupid comment by me to suggest Arsenal will win the quadruple next season? We’ll see.

    Anyway, after all Arsenal can’t keep 11 defenders next season but they keep 9 specialist wing backs, fullbacks and centrebacks for option and cover in all competitions. Which means the Gunners like Holding and Mavropalistwill sadly be sent out on loan to Premier League clubs to acquire valuable first team experience so that 2 senior and one understudy goalkeepers can accommodated 2 senior in the 25 man list. I think the remaining 13 places that will be left in the squad for grabs by the mid fielders and strikers can be shared among these 2 departments in 9 mid fielders of: Wilshere, Ozil, Ramsey, Mkhitaryan, Xhaka, Elneny, Iwobi, Torreira and Reiss Nelson if ypromoted or alternatively signed Fellaini. And the remaining 4 positions left will be picked up by the strikers of: Aubameyang, Lacazette, Welbeck and the new striker signing. Govolin?

  7. Pls let allow me to edit my comment and repost it.

    If Arsenal sign Leno, Papastathopoulos and Torreira in addition to Lichtsteiner whom they’ve already signed that will bring the number of players signed by the club this summer window to 4 so far, this will be a departure from the lack of proper team revamping us the Gooners have become accustomed to see at Arsenal when the obvious has pointed to a proper revamping of the first team squad that had not lived up to a successful PL Title win challenge in the previous season be made for a better campaign in the next season if revamped properly.

    To this end, I believe Arsenal are on the correct Premier League Title win war path. And I am confident they’ll succeed to lift the holy grail of the Premier League next season’s campaign if they continue to match on in this correct PL Title win war path.

    Having look to be instilling defensive discipline in the Gunners back line with the signing of Lichtsteiner and to be signed Papastathopoulos, I think Arsenal can still further instill more defensive discipline in their back line by doing another experienced defender signing like David Luiz for proper option and cover during next season’s campaign. By having 11 senior.team squad defenders in: Bellerin, Chambers, Holding, Lichtsteiner, Papastathopoulos, Mustafi, Kolasinac, Mavropanos, Luiz, Monreal and Niles will not be a sin committed by Arsenal when naming their 25 first team man list for the first half of next season’s campaign. For, out of these 11 defefenders, 2 in Bellerim and Kolasinac are specialist wing backs the team will need.Thus, leaving the remaining 9 as specialist fullbacks and centrebacks. But AMN can be played as a left wing back to cover for Kolasinac. But who covers for Bellerin at right wing back? Hmmm.

    If Arsenal signed 2 more experienced defenders this summer to bring the number of senior team defenders in their first team squad to 11, Arsenal could become more efficient in defending at away games next season to cancel out the inefficiency in defending which they suffered at away games last season more especially in the Premier League. The competitions to compete for honours are 4 in numbers and the season will be long as the Gunners will have to play over 50 matches and win most of them to win the quadruple. Stupid comment by me to suggest Arsenal will win the quadruple next season? We’ll see.

    Anyway Arsenal can’t keep 11 defenders next season after all. But they can keep 9 specialist defenders of: wing backs, fullbacks and centrebacks for option and cover in all competitions. Which means the Gunners like Holding and Mavropanos could sadly be sent out on loan to Premier League clubs to acquire valuable first team experience so that 2 senior and one understudy goalkeepers can be accommodated in the 25 man list. I think the remaining 13 places that will be left in the squad for grabs by the mid fielders and strikers can be shared among themselves in 9 mid fielders of: Wilshere, Ozil, Ramsey, Mkhitaryan, Xhaka, Elneny, Iwobi, Torreira and Reiss Nelson if promoted or alternatively, sign Fellaini. And the remaining 4 positions left will be picked up by the strikers of: Aubameyang, Lacazette, Welbeck and the new striker signing. Govolin?

  9. I am sorry to see that Jack is going.

    I think it is a mistake by us and him.

    What a shame as I do not think we have another player who can do what he does.

  11. A bunch of coaching changes are also listed at Arsenal.com. Some are new people UE is bringing in, and some were here before. A bunch of staff are also leaving.

  12. Sam what’s do you take in the way of prescription medicine?

    We signed a RB as support/challenge/coach for Bellerin.

    AMN can play both defensive flanks and is more accustomed to playing RB, LB was through necessity. He’s a DM or holding midfielder by trade.

    David Luiz is your answer to defensive discipline, so you missed Brazil letting in 7 twice, largely down to Luiz even though you gave 22 satellite dishes.

    He can’t get into Chelsea team and you want him!

    Are you AAA friend?

    We got £50m and a thin midfield, Gareth Southgate FA left out Jack and Zaha and we can’t break down Tunisia. Both goals being a combination of luck and excellent predatory movement from Kane.

    He’s been involved in every classic team goal scoring a weighty number of them and stayed fit, so we offered him a wage reduction as an insult, insulted by Vieria and overlooked Thierry, but considered Arteta, whilst causing Jens to be affronted after just 1 year. With Szczesny in line to replace Buffon, who rates him highly.

    Sold our talisman to a direct rival, after failing to offer him a competitive contract.

    Andrea outsted a manager who is the legend but of legends, causing him to liken the situation to a romantics tragedy, you know how Romeo and Juliet ends, right.

    But he wasn’t pushed, but made that comparison.

    We made a brilliant free transfer, but then signed a keeper who let in half a century, for £19.3m when Butland was little more, even at an inflated cost. He’s not even third choice for tue nation. Yes the quality nis high but really.

    Our midfield is Elneny, Xhaka, AMN, And Ramsey if he extends, but we play Thursday’s again. We play a 2 man midfield EPL and EL, we have 2 subs, we play 3 and we have a 20yo sub, defensive.

    Koscielny is out till Jan earliest, and what will we do to repay the fact he never left for Bayern.

    Our defensive CB options are Holding, Chambers, Mavrapanos and the often hapless Mustarfi.

    At LB we have Monreal, great in possession, nowhere near the league pace going the other way, with Kolasinac providing a similar contribution both ways. Probably mum preferred option either way.

    Up front we have Aubameyang who has produced exactly what I expected, whilst nobody is stumping up £53m for Lacazette on current form, nobody has that who isn’t looking for an in form player of assured quality.

    If we play both we have Welbeck for back up cutrently or Eddie, who’s not ready physically, it’s just a risk that would end up Mbappe or worse Osumane.

    And we have 3 AM’s namely Aaron, Mikhi and Mesut. All starters

    So wait let me do the maths..

    Our best 11 stands at and is forced into either.

    3-1-4-2

    So we play both CF presumably Xhaka partnering Ramsey ahead of Elneny with two WB pushed on, with a combination of our 4 CB’s in a 3, leaving out Mikhi Andy Mesut, who are new or extended.

    Or maybe 4-3-3 false 9 and Ozil or Mikhi centrally with Aubameyang and Lacazette playing wide when both want to play centrally. leaving out either a new signing or extended highest earner. With one midfielder and one key forward benched, either the guy who left to get off the bench or the highest earner, who’s one of any too league soccer creative players over last few season.

    Or we play 4-1-2-2-1

    Ok so we play one CF, leaving an impact player. We get all three midfielders in, leaving Niles on the bench. Mikhi starts ok, where doesn’t our highest earner play, chasing up and down the left flank, when he’s a 10.

    Or we stay 4-2-3-1

    Ok so we extend Xhaka, he said one of the best paid, so well starts surely. Ok so we still have that defensive fragility, unless you play Elneny beside him, with both similar, when Mo makes more telling contributions going forward and backwards. Meaning you push Ramsey wide (out of position) so you can accomodate Ozil and Mikhi.

    OMG.

    We have such an imbalance, which is exacerbated by Jacks announcement.

    Unless you are intending to sell Aaron, why not add icing

    They keep Bellerin, because he’ll appreciate, that’s myself stance on this 5 untouchables ****!!! You don’t say that.

    Because what you are saying plus what you’ve already done says this must be 3/5

    1. Xhaka (extended at high wages for 5 years)

    2. Ozil (extended till death at highest wages)

    3. Bellerin (verbally given backing by the manager)

    Ok so wait, who are the other two?

    Ramsey, player of the season?

    Aubameyang, clearly up to the task £63m

    Lacazette, misfiring badly, but cost £53m

    Or Mikhi, shorn of his confidence, acquipped himself well every game deployed.

    No must be Mo Elneny who just signed an extension.

    Or maybe he mean AMB who for ke is certainly untouchable, not an football wrong.

    Or maybe he wants to oust Nelson who clearly has much to offer, or is it Iwobi who he gace supprted to early on, nearly first of all in fact.

    The only upside is Ospina and Cech are clearly off, but everyone now knows that so we reduced their value. Unless we have agreements in principle???? Or will he bench Cech who publicly stated he expects to start, or Ospina who deserves to start, it’s a Fabianski all over again, how much has he improved???

    What I do know is 1 we better get Meyer, we now need a free player in midfield.

    Golovin at €20m is a very good buy, and about all we can afford. What system incorporates Ramsey and Torreira, with Xhaka and Elneny? Because I see two CM neither holding, a ball winning midfielder and a versatile mobile player of the year, who’s best suited as the late runner 5th and last attacker, must starter.

    We needed a RB, ok so far so good. Next a CB, err…..

    A GK yes, but we should have sold simultaneously, fingers crossed then.

    We need a starter for the opposite flank to Mikhi, unless we are going even narrower, with a 4-3-1-2, with Ozil and Mikhi sharing 10, no benches CF.

    All three senior midfielders being used. And a underage central defence, and potentially aged FB’s.

    We need a LB and CB. Do you see my thinking with Diallo.

    We needs AM’s who can play wide, can you see why Golovin and Meyer especially with a reduced budget.

    We need a Defensive mdifleder, I mean, with that highlighted, along without CB, we got nothing. We need pace a team LB, you all keep saying Cohen can’t, let’s pray you are wrong.

    We basically need all the payers I said. And a CB pairing. If he starts selling, Holding, Chambers or Ramsey, I’ll actually stay true to Bly next word over this club.

    Because what I see is a dijointed team, which would see us sell, Lacazette, Aubameyang, Ozil, Mikhi, Ramsey, Mustarfi, all by next year. About when Brexit should have collapsed, and pound inflated, which means you don’t probably be able to sell at 55% – 75% value and make a profit in dollars.

    Hmmm….. we are depleted, and new essentially sold 2 players and lost a third for free.

    He better sell Monreal, Welbeck and both GK’s sharpish.

    Jack go to Juventus, its right, quit EPL and the country.

    Palace, State aid UTD or CL???

    #horrified

    Wenger OUT! You gotta laugh, worlds gone crazy.

    Let’s see what brainwave they have next.

    He was HG, leaving Callum, Rob, Hector, Aaron, sorry but what. Alex needs to step up, are we prmoting Reiss and Eddie with Ainsley? That’s just seven 8 with Danny who isn’t up to Par, unless new move a GK up a tier.

    Patience, before I become a straight boy Fulham fan, cheaper and closer, may even finish higher but the table at this rate.

  13. Point taken about the comments of ex-players, however…I don’t think much of P. Morgan’s comments either.

  14. Re: Jack’s departure…good luck, Jack! You’ve done your best and represented us like a true Gunner…we wish you well, wherever that may be (except the other end of Seven Sisters)!

  15. @Dwain Kaye

    Zaha is as much eligible for England as Messi is. He plays for Ivory Coast.

    Meyer has chosen his new club – Hoffenheim.

    Arsenal FA Cup Final 2014 XI: Fabianski (West Ham)-Sagna (Benevento), Mertesacker (retired), Koscielny (Arsenal), Gibbs (West Brom)-Arteta (retired), Ramsey (Arsenal)-Cazorla (Villarreal), Özil (Arsenal), Podolski (Vissel Kobe)-Giroud (Chelsea). Rosicky (retired), Wilshere (released) and Sanogo (Toulouse) were introduced from the bench. 11 out of 14 players that played for Arsenal only four years ago have left the club.

    Arsenal FA Cup Final 2015 XI (also, probably the best Arsenal team since The Invincibles): Szczesny (Juventus)-Bellerin (Arsenal), Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal (Arsenal)-Coquelin (Valencia), Cazorla-Ramsey, Özil, Alexis (Manchester United)-Walcott (Everton). Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool) and Giroud were introduced from the bench. Again, only five out of 14 players who featured in a game played just three years ago are still at Arsenal.

    16 out of 21 different players that featured in either or both FA Cup Finals for us have left the squad. Ramsey, Özil and Koscielny are the only ones that both played in both finals and are still members of our squad. Bellerin and Monreal complete the list of five players that are still members of our squad.

    Now, let’s add Vermaelen, Flamini, Debuchy and Gabriel to that list (Vermaelen, Flamini and Gabriel were unused substitutions in the respective finals). That’s 20 first team/squad players who have left the club since 2014, including three club captains (Vermaelen, Arteta, Mertesacker). I may have missed someone though.

    It would be interesting to make a comparison with other Top 6 clubs in the same period.

    The English core, sadly, took another blow with Jack’s departure. Jack, Ox, Theo, Gibbs are all gone for various reasons. Mind you, all four players have missed too many games due to injuries during their stay at Arsenal. Jenkinson, Chambers, Holding and Welbeck are still in the club though as well as the not-English-but-British Ramsey with Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah making huge steps to get their place in the Arsenal squad (especially AMN). Joe Willock is, I reckon, just a bit behind.

    I guess that’s how things go – some players go, some players come. A manager go, a manager comes. It’s not easy to accept it or deal with it but the most important thing is that Arsenal FC remain.

  17. Dwain Kaye
    However, what if (as i tend to think) that better coaching and fitness will considerably improve many of the players who were in and out of the first team.
    If you look at George Grahams back line apart from Tony Adams they were all well coached in defence. Wing backs are fine but the first task of a fullback is to defend particularly preventing crosses.
    But this is why this is in many ways the best part of the season as none of actually has a clue on what will happen.

  18. It is a sad indictment that Alan Shearer is paid double what the Dr Who actor is paid. I don’t even like Dr Who but that pay disparity is ridiculous in comparison to a ‘wooden’ dullard of a pundit.
    The idea that only footballers are valid speakers on the game falls flat with examples like Paul Merson. An ex player with an eternal chip on his shoulder because he was replaced by the brilliant Overmars who didn’t abuse drink & drugs.
    He is so ineloquent & failed to ever master the Chelsea player’s name Malouda by always calling him ‘Mooda’!!

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