Rio Ferdinand has called Arsenal’s decision to sell Joe Willock baffling after the midfielder joined Newcastle United.
Willock had spent the second half of last season out on loan at Saint James Park and he was in stunning form for the Magpies.
He scored 8 goals for them, including 7 in a solid 7 consecutive games before he returned to Arsenal.
He had been expected to finally break into Mikel Arteta’s squad, especially because Arsenal doesn’t have many goal-scoring midfielders.
However, he has now rejoined Steve Bruce’s side on a permanent transfer and that decision baffled Ferdinand.
The former Manchester United defender expected Arsenal to have kept him on considering the amount of goals he could potentially score for them.
But they let him go and the former England international wonders what the reason for such a decision is.
“The big one for me is Willock,” Ferdinand said on his Vibe with Five YouTube show. “How many goals did he score last season, eight or nine goals?
“Arsenal are letting goals like that leave the squad. I don’t know. I was baffled by that one.”
Willock will look to make a name for himself at Newcastle and hopefully show Arsenal why they should never have let him leave.
Somebody gets it. Wish more of our fans, as well as our manager got it…IJS
This is ridiculous. Exactly what Ferdinand said we don’t have goal scoring midfielders and he broke into terrific form last season and when called apon in the pre season against Chelsea off the bench he even scored against them with limited minutes surely that was enough for Mikel to keep him. Even if it wasn’t for a started spot he would be the first man off the bench when we needed something different.
He scores goals but he’s not creative.
@Mouser
Who in the team is creative, or scoring goals? I’ll wait…
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Not creative?eight goals!
Arteta doesn’t know what he wants or doing for the team. So is Edu.
He might be the first coach to be sacked this season
I really think arteta has overstayed his time in ARSENAL time for him to go
In the case of Joe Willock, Arsenal had a great young goal scoring midfield prospect right in their lap and decided to cash in rather than play him. Lesser players are retained. Arsenal wouldn’t know a good footballer if they fell over one!
We have had a goal keeper crisis since Martinez was sold and we all know it was a wrong decision.
Arsenal is just driving her fans crazy with wrong decisions yet not making headway in the world of football anymore, please Arsenal don’t kill your fans whole over the world with your poor performance
I am not suprised , our management does not have the capacity to motivate or use adequately good players. Last year Martinez in the goal was the true hero and the main reason Arsenal worn FA cup against Chelsea and carbao cap against Man City. Without Martinez in Arsenal goal the two trophies would not be in our cupboard but only Arsenal failed to recognize his capability and sold him to Aston Villa to win the copa America and remain one of the best keepers in PL. If Willock was not an Arsenal player last year and still did score the same amount of goals , we would be paying him 50 millions to come to Arsenal this year to address the issue of lack of lack of goals from midfield. I was happy happy that Willock had gone only to Newcastle on loan and Arsenal would have wondered whether there is no issue with the management considering the case of Willock and Martinez but instead the management escaped uneventfully. I am afraid that all the players we have now are under performing not because of lack of quality but due to a confusion playing style, lack of trust in the management…. Players like Auba, Lacazette might be victim of poor management , one was left out of the team against Totenham for being a few minutes late and that was poor decision for someone you expect to be winning all the games to come , Lacazette has never been given full confidence and possibly not sure whether a good game would give him to play in the next game ,example goes to many other players and decisions . I will not be suprised if all the new signings become poor after joing us due to similar challenges. The best soldiers would all look bad if the comander is not ready. I decided not to judge any Arsenal player under our current management.
I am not suprised , our management does not seem ready to motivate or use adequately good players. Last year Martinez in the goal was the true hero and the main reason Arsenal worn FA cup against Chelsea and carbao cap against Man City. Without Martinez in Arsenal goal the two trophies would not be in our cupboard today but to the suprise of anyone who has football analysis ,some decisions led to the selling of possibly our best player after Auba at the time to another London club to win the copa America and remain one of the best keepers in PL in a year later. If Willock was not an Arsenal player last year and still did score the same amount of goals , we would be paying Newcastle 50 millions to get him come to our club this year and address the issue of lack of goals from midfield. I was happy that Willock had gone only to Newcastle on loan to give arsenal opportunity to open the eyes and recognize that instead of getting rid of players like Martinez , Saliba , Goundezi , now possibly Auba and Laca, we need to relook at the way players are motivated and trust they have in the system as possibly reason of polr performances … but instead the management escaped uneventfully. I am afraid that all the players we have now are under performing not because of lack of quality but due to a confusing playing style and lack of trust in the management…. Players like Auba, Lacazette are victim of poor management , Auba was left out of the team against Totenham for being a few minutes late and that was a poor decision with a negative psychological impact on future performance under the same management. Similarly Lacazette has never been given full confidence ,never sure whether a good game would give him the opportunity to play in the next game ,example goes to many other players ( Cedrick , Saliba ,Mertinelli ….). I will not be suprised if all the new exciting signings in other teams became poor after joing us due to similar challenges. The best soldiers would all look bad if the comander is not ready. I decided not to judge any Arsenal player under our current management. Hope our management change the philosophy or be replaced sooner before any other players is sold or bought .