By Tony Attwood
So we’ve signed Martin Odegaard as widely predicted, and the story is still that we are also going to sign Aaron Ramsdale as a back-up goalkeeper.
The initial fee for Martin is reported as being around £30million with a further £4million in add-ons. He won’t be available to play against Chelsea having not got his international clearance.
Prior to Brexit there would have been no delay, for although Norway was not in the EU it was in the EEA EFTA group which effectively meant that on most issues, including freedom of movement and employment, the country was considered in the same way as EU countries.
Now the club has to wait for the FA to agree that he can play in England as one of the 17 foreign grown players in the club’s squad list and for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the government to give their permission. Given that they are currently seemingly a little unsure as to how they should handle issues in Afghanistan’s main airport, that may take a few days.
Martin has declared himself to be a Liverpool supporter, which is a trifle unfortunate, and has in the past stated that his religion is an important element in his life.
He went to Real Madrid in January 2015 and from the start trained with the first team before being loaned to SC Heerenveen, Vitesse and Real Sociedad for a season each. However his expected move into the Real Madrid first team was hindered by a knee injury, and eventually he came our way.
He holds the record for being the youngest debutante in the senior Spanish team (15 years 253 days) and as being the youngest player who has played in the Champions League.
Reporters have called him a “modern playmaker” combining dribbling and passing, and of course he comes back to us with a knowledge of how refereeing works in the Premier League, which means that his adjustment period should be a lot less than might otherwise be the case. All of which makes him seem rather like a young Mesut Özil.
But it is interesting that Mr Arteta has singled out Ødegaard’s work rate, which I have always suspected was a major part of his fall-out with Özil. Although David Nielsen, his manager at Strømsgodset, compared Ødegaard to Lionel Messi. His father once said, “We have worked a lot on bringing the ball closely to his feet, so he can change direction quickly, so even if he’s physically weaker than the others he doesn’t get caught because he’s able to get away.”
Here are his numbers…
| Club | Season | Games | Goals | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | 2014/21 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| SC Heerenveen (loan) | 2016/18 | 43 | 4 | 4 |
| Vitesse (loan) | 2018/19 | 39 | 11 | 11 |
| Real Sociedad (loan) | 2019/20 | 36 | 7 | 7 |
| Arsenal (loan) | 2020/21 | 20 | 2 | 2 |
As a result our net spend is now £86,000,000, give or take. The list is:
- Nuno Tavares: Defender — from Benfica, £6.8m
- Albert Sambi Lokonga: Midfielder — from Anderlecht, £17.2m
- Ben White: Defender — from Brighton: £50m
- Martin Ødegaard, Midfielder — from Real Madrid: £34m
Back to the league situation, we do now at least know what the Friday selection was all about. Arsenal were without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Willian and Alex Rúnarsson – all of whom had tested positive for Covid.
Mr Arteta has stated that he was surprised that the game was not called off. “But the regulators decided that the best thing to do was to to play the game.” It does seem a rather curious decision, but then Arsenal are quite used to curious decisions, so, no point in making a fuss.
But he also did say in relation to the squad that, “Most of them are double vaccinated. Others have one vaccine. We are trying to encourage them to get vaccinated because they are going to protect themselves, their families and the environment around the club, but it is a really personal matter.”
He also seemingly spoke of the media, although he did not use that word, saying “I know the people who have intentions to bury us, to try to criticise us. We are not interested in that. We have a lot of positives, a lot of new energy that is coming up. My full focus is on that and finding a way to beat Chelsea.”
If it wasn’t the media that he spoke about, it is difficult to know who he meant. If it was the media, then obviously that included all the people whose negative comments about Arsenal we have been noting over the summer and into this new season.
Personally, I’m delighted he’s aware of that, for that means the club probably has a unit working with the players to explain what the media and many bloggers are doing and the way in which gaslighting techniques (originally a form of personal abuse but now well known to propagandists the world over) are being used against Arsenal.
So by and large, good news all round.
The proof that something is seriously wrong with football refereeing and reporting
- The curious case of how the media treats Man C and how it treats Arsenal
- Arsenal in mega crisis
- How one journalist decided to turn the truth about Arsenal upside down.
- Arsenal’s results are on track for top four finishes – from next season.
- This is Arsenal’s worst position for over a quarter of a century
- If the media lie and bully about the news, what do you think they do about football?
- Arsenal’s financial woes and the media’s call for more spending.
That’s a very exact description from Mr Arteta.
”“I want people that are constructive around me,” said the Spaniard. “I know the people who have intentions to bury us, to try to criticise us. We are not interested in that. We have a lot of positives, a lot of new energy that is coming up. My full focus is on that and finding a way to beat Chelsea.”
”Bury us.”
Carragher and company trying to ”bury” the Invincibles and then when the club stands for nothing, bury it in the ground.
Tony
“Personally, I’m delighted he’s aware of that, for that means the club probably has a unit working with the players to explain what the media and many bloggers are doing and the way in which gaslighting techniques (originally a form of personal abuse but now well known to propagandists the world over) are being used against Arsenal”.
That is all well and good, but personally I have always felt that the media negativity towards the club and the players doesn’t actually affect them too much directly. It’s more about how it affects others (as I will explain later). For example, reading that player X has fallen out with player Y may get fans all a tizz but the players wont give a damn. If it did happen, so what, it happens. They will be laughing in the changing room the next minute. We’ve all been there. If it didn’t happen they’ll just laugh and say “have you read this nonsense” As I say, they wont really care that much. Our gullible fans on the other hand !!
But, and it’s a big but, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter, or indeed it doesn’t have an effect in the long term, because I do believe it affects the club and the players indirectly, very much, and have said so on many occasions.
The 2 most significant ways are regarding how we are refereed and how our fans have become so discontent, and therefore endlessly whinging.
I have never held the view that referees are inherently cheats or even biased. What I do believe is they are only human and as such a) Care about their jobs and their prospects within it. b) Are influenced, as are many people, by external influences.
That means they have to please who they believe has an impact on their career and their prospects within it. And that is where the media come in, because I believe it is how they are judged within the media, IE on TS, SKY, BTS The Sun, etc. etc. that determines how they are rated as a referee. It has nothing to do with how they apply the laws of the game and everything to do with how Gary Neville and Co. judge him/her to have performed.
As a consequence of this the referees perform in a way that will get them praise from those quarters. In other words they perform to please the media because they know it is the media who are their judge jury and executioner, and as Arsenal fans we all know how the media want us to be refereed.
If you were a referee and had a fifty fifty call to give Arsenal a last minute penalty at Brentford or not, given the stick you know you will get from ‘The Panel’ after the match, what would you do ??
If you were the referee and Brentford had a last minute fifty fifty shout for a penalty against Arsenal, what would you do ??
And of course we’ve all witness the abuse our own fans have given our own players. I believe much of that is as a result of the endless barrage of media criticism aimed at so many of our players, which unforetuneately far too many of our fans fall far hook line and sinker.
That abuse that often sweeps down from the terraces can obviously have a real impact on players, but I believe it is largely as a result of this media negativity.
Whether Arsenal as a Club can actually address this media attitude is yet to be seen. Personally I have my doubts.
Nitram
“And of course we’ve all witness the abuse our own fans have given our own players.”
Never a truer word!
Our new goalkeeper Ramsdale is apparently already receiving the most terrible abuse on social media from so called Arsenal supporters who presumably do not consider him a good signing.
Utterly disgraceful behaviour, what must the poor bloke be thinking, and all before he has even played a single game for us.
I wish I could be made dictator of England for a couple of days, I know what I would do with these cretins.
Good point, can’t argue with that…
nobody tries to tear down anyone they deem inferior to themselves. much better to attack “that other lot who think they are our betters”. So Arsenal becomes the designated target of the classless media and blog bottom feeders. they have become haters of what they themselves know they will never attain – a classy elegantly run institution (Raul’s brief spell notwithstanding). The refs are from the same drainpipe of society so the media don’t see them as aa target.
There is no ending in sight; we just have to realize that and move on, all the while supporting our players. Hurl insults at your television or to a close friend if we lose a match. just don’t join the type with the lean and hungry look by doing it in public discourse.
@Mick Shelly – please don’t get upset with those you cannot control. I have learned the hard way to only look at the positives in all media and look at the actuals on the football field. I saw the officiating was bent long before I came across Untold and then I realised there were others that see what I see.
I now have an attitude of not caring what others think because I still feed myself and pay for the joys of watching my team (chosen by Arteta) playing Wenger ball or a form of it. I will at some stage if covid permits leave for warmer climes and still follow Arsenal at unearthly hours with the same vocal gusto that I have at the Ems.
I just know that our club is destined for great things despite the PGMOL and media.
COYG
Untold Arsenal,
Your in depth research and well reasoned approach to matters concerning our great club the mighty Arsenal is a beacon of light.
All the best
LeMmy the Gunner