In another example of how some Gooners are losing patience with how our club is being run, many are angry with Arsenal constantly pointing out that Bukayo Saka has travelled to Dubai for “warm weather training.”
Of course, no one is disappointed that our Star Boy is now taking part in light duties (mostly gym work), but some are accusing the Gunners of PR manipulation. Images and headlines are designed to make you think Saka is close to being fit when, in fact, if you read further, he’s not close to being allowed to practise involving any physical contact.
It’s known as clickbait, and it’s a method not exclusive to sport. Marketing teams have trained professionals who will intentionally time when to use certain buzzwords. They do consumer research to know what their customers want to hear.
As a business, the priority is to make money. Listening to the likes of me question our transfer policy doesn’t help sell T-shirts and tickets. Yet changing the narrative that one of our best players might be available for the run-in does.
Suddenly, the spin that can be used is: why buy an attacker if Saka is back, instead of accusing the Kroenke family of lacking ambition?
These strategies happen every day in society. Conspiracy theorists will tell you that the majority of what the news reports, podcasts debates, and we campaign for are all designed to distract us from questioning the things we should be worried about. Thousands will sign a petition to save Mr Potato Head while not wondering how, in 2025, so many in the UK are homeless.
Football is no different in that what you’re not being told is what should make you think.
Is it a coincidence that Saka is suddenly being portrayed as healthier than reality days after deadline day, the same week we are not playing in the FA Cup? It’s accentuating the positives after a negative month.
Our fanbase understands the reasons why and that we are not unique. Yet sometimes certain departments could be more transparent because it’s cringe when they are not. Sometimes, read the room and know your audience.
I don’t want to hear, for example, after a League Cup final loss to Birmingham, the next day how much profit our owners have made. I am offended to be told to “be excited” by the same family who dared to try and move us out of England to play in the Super League without consultation—and would have done so if the government hadn’t stepped in.
Advertisements for merchandise are world-class, but I can’t help but notice how every ounce of precision is put into making money but not when our squad needs help.
I’m sure some of you have heard of the reported funds available this summer. Those leaks are not by accident. Renew your membership, and purchase the new jersey, because this time Arsenal means business. We’ve been told that for years.
Our players were wearing Adidas’s latest range while boarding the plane—our human billboards.
Of course, our traditional trip abroad (our reward for being rubbish in the Cup) is just as much a team bonding exercise as it is a workout. Mikel Arteta is not going to leave Saka at home based on what others think, and nor should he.
Like our photographer. His/her job is to get the best pictures possible to upload. If they know a certain individual gets more views than others, the camera is coming out.
Only Arsenal know if they are being deliberately vague with this story and if that has been ordered from the top. No one has written anywhere that a return date is imminent, but they have also not clarified the situation. They are happy for some to believe that Saka has had a change in diagnosis when, in fact, the stance remains not to rush the player back.
While that might be the temptation in March or April if we are in contention to lift any silverware, the player’s long-term welfare has to be the priority.
Tearing the hamstring in your right leg is the kind of injury that can impact your career. Some athletes have never been the same after that kind of surgery.
Many feel it’s more realistic that Saka won’t be able to complete 90 minutes until next campaign. Some even claim they have sources who have stressed that to be their medical opinion.
I’m not qualified to know either way. I want to believe it’s weeks and not months before he’s back. That’s what’s being reported.
Is this genuine, or are Arsenal up to their old tricks?
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
Some of the injuries are bad luck but basically it’s just down to bad squad management.
We began the season with 22 senior players, 22! MLS and Nwaneri joined later as youth products.
Of those 22, we had loaned 2 from other PL clubs. That’s right, a club of Arsenals stature had to LOAN 2 squad players from other clubs.
Out of those 20 (excluding loans), we had at least 5 players with an EXTENSIVE injury record in the past which spans not just one season but several.
Those players are Jesus, Tierney, Partey, Tomiyasu and Zinchenko. Unsurprising is that 4 of those perennially injured players, have got injured several times this season.
So that leaves us with 15 trustworthy senior players that we own. These 15 players include just 1 striker (who is not a natural striker), 3 wingers, 1 attacking midfielder.
One can argue that Saka’s longterm injury was forthcoming. He’s had multiple mild hamstring pulls in the past seasons and he has been rested very little.
Another case of argument is that this is Kai Havertz’s most serious injury of his career. Is it just coincedence that we basically have 1 fit striker all season who has to play almost all the matches and poof, he gets an injury?
In conclusion, injuries happen but they can be avoided and MA’s squad management has been hilariously ABYSMAL.
At the moment we need at least 2 new players and there are at least 5 players we need to get rid of or who are already leaving in the summer so actually need at least 7 new players coming in. What are the chances for that?
Superb post Dajuhi. Couldn’t agree more.
Whilst it can be argued that there could have been some tweaks to reduce the risk of injuries the conclusion that the squad management has been “abysmal” is not credible or sensible.
If you look across Europe and in the PL you will find that many teams have injuries and struggle to cope with the demands of challenging across multiple fronts.
If, as you say, these could all have been avoided it would be interesting to know if you can give examples of teams that have got it right. Otherwise present some reasonable alternative approaches.
Many of us (and Arteta too) have indicated that the squad is relatively thin. The obvious question is what should have been done differently that would guarantee top level performances without the attendant injury issues?
Most of our better players are not easily replaceable or readily rotated. We have seen significant drop offs in performances when players are rotated. The maintenance of PL results during the last couple of seasons was related to the consistency of selections.
The squad is not thin Mr sensible guy. We have more than 20 first team players. It appears thin because of mediocre signings and severe injuries caused by mismanagement.
You show your blatant hypocrisy again regarding your hero Arteta by saying all teams suffer from injuries but when we lose you are the first one to cite injuries as an excuse. It shouldn’t be an excuse if all teams suffer them!
You really should learn the definition of “sensibility’ you are always accusing everyone of lacking before your post your usual nonsense.
In what way have I been hypocritical? It seems that you are just writing things for the sake of it.
Injuries affect performances and results. It is as relevant to Arsenal just as it is to other teams. It is an issue that has affected the likes of MC and Real Madrid this season. It has been highlighted as a factor in Spurs’ poor season and performances of MU over the past few seasons.
I have previously highlighted that one of the reasons we have done reasonably well in the last couple of seasons has been the relative health of our first team. Injuries to key have players also impacted us negatively at certain points in the last couple of seasons and these have affected our results.
Unfortunately, your comments lack coherence. Your last sentence is just odd and doesn’t make sense in the context of this discussion.
Where is the documentation related to the team being mismanaged, or is it just your biased opinion related to your narrative against Arteta? Perhaps ManCity squad is mismanaged too and Liverpool last season? Which knowledge do you have about injury risk in elite football?
I can only think about Havertz’s absence till the end of the season
Romano said Arsenal have made a deal with Zubimendi for Arteta in the summer, but why didn’t they help their manager by signing a new CF?
Now Merino might have to play the tall false-nine role, but I don’t think he and Trossard are as fast as Havertz at pressing high up the pitch
Hopefully Merino or Nwaneri will become a revelation in the CF position
Arteta didn’t want a loan striker and no others were available?
When did he say he didn’t want a loan and there were options available
MA said he doesn’t want just a body for the team. That means in his mind any of the youth strikers are better options than “just a body” bought. Otherwise buying “just a body” would be better solution.
Looking at forwards who actually moved in January, these are “the bodies” that were available, affordable and how they’ve fared since transfer:
Kolo-Muani – loan – 5 goals in 3 matches
S Gimenez – 27m – 1 goal, 1 assist in 80 minutes
J Felix – loan – 1 goal in 2 matches
Morata – loan – 2 goals in 3 matches
Tel – loan – 1 goal in 2 matches
It’s just my opinion but I think any of these players could’ve been a better but low-risk option to have around than a youth player.
Keep up!!!
We got offered at least 3 stikers. We tried ( in vain) to sign two strikers but the parent clubs did not want to sell in January.
As @DaJuhi said below, Kolo-Muani, Morata and Gimenez were available
Arsenal should’ve paid higher than their other suitors to sign one of them, since we had only got Havertz to play tall CF
Now we’d be lucky if we can finish top 4 in EPL
Merino? That’s an interesting one. He’s not really known for goalscoring, though, is he? I’d have thought the new front three would be Sterling (on the left where God intended him), Trossard, and Nwaneri. There are goals among them, but it will be a massive struggle.
Change the formation
They can rotate as required.
I think Merino is slow, but at least he’s pretty good aerially, in hold-up play and in tight spaces
Those abilities should be enough to make him an effective target man
Remember Giroud who didn’t make any shot on target when France won the World Cup, but worked extremely hard in high-pressing and duels to help Mbappe, Griezmann and Dembele
@Gai,
This stage at Epl and UCl is not a place for experient. Hopes for any meaningful thing this season are dying away. Trossard & Nwaneri are diminutive players lacking physicality to compete in the box against Epl Center Backs. Merino lacks CF Epl experience still trying to adjust to Arsenal rhthym.
This is poor club management, I mean the signs are there that Havertz could be injured, he played so many games.
Won’t be surprised if the fan who pay lots of money for tickets become restless with the club board.
It’s sad Arteta’s job now made difficult for him.
Arsenal shouldn’t have gambled on Havertz’s fitness, but they must find a replacement for the big guy soon
Merino and Rice might be our best options because of their physicalities
@Gai, and for all Havertz. Critics who saw nothing good in what he does, I think now they”ll know ” You don’t appreciate what you have untill you lose it”
They won’t
Havertz out of the season and there goes our little hope of achieving anything significant this season. Dare I say, another another will go down with injury again, this I am 99% certain will happen soon.
We have fans blaming the board and owners, how Arteta manages to escape criticism on wasting our summer budget on unnecessary buys baffles me. This is totally on Arteta, absolutely squad mismanagement.
Because Arteta said numerous times we short in attack and need help
Why pay someone the second most in the world to run your company daily and then when he says you are running low in this area not help him ?
Think of any business
I been a manager before. Something breaks or you think staff need support with extra training / a course , Etc
You ring the owner and say this is how I can make your company better
Whoever thinks our striker problems started January is living in self delusions. Our striker problems didn’t start today, it’s been 3 seasons now and we don’t have a world class striker. Even Havertz wasn’t bought as a striker, we are only lucky he has adapted well and gave his absolute best before his injury.
What happened to last summer? It is an open secret that the board were against the signings of both Merino and Calafiori as they felt we had more pressing areas to address and plus we have an aging midfield and they felt adding a 28year old Merino to that didn’t make sense.
You people don’t even get what’s going on here. The real truth is that Arteta is loosing the trust of the board. No more funds for him to spend indiscriminately as they want to see him perform with what he has been given and that’s rightly so.
This is a business and no matter how much we fans feel we love the club, Arsenal is still a business organization.
Squad planning and management doesn’t start in January. Arteta has spent millions of funds and in all these while, has completely neglected the striker area. We can praise him for the things he has done right while still criticizing him for the ones he has done wrong, doesn’t mean we hate him.
On this crisis currently going on he is at fault because over the years he has completely neglected that part of our team.
Dan,
fair points you make regarding owners and Arteta.
I would only add this; they have the utmost trust in him buy way of extending his contract to make him among the highest paid managers in the world, have financed his “process” to the tune of 800 million, and let him build a squad full of players of his personal choosing.
Not owners fault Arteta wasted his budget on yet another LB, yet another DM type midfielder, and a last hour last day loan for an over-the-hill Sterling.
Arteta chose to sell ESR and not replace with a backup for Odegaard, Arteta chose a LB with 2 already on the books, and chose not to address the striker position; putting his faith in an always and constantly injured Jesus, and overplay Havertz until he broke.
So get rid of him , don’t give him a pay rise
You can’t in September give a pay rise then Jan say oh by the way we don’t trust you
Because whatever the reason , not doing anything and standing still could cost us
Or they could expect him to spend the money wisely within budget, you know “manage” the team.
You spoke about running a business, and I agree with your concept in general.
However, as you know businesses are not in the habit of throwing good money after bad. If he didn’t spend wisely in the Summer, why give him more in January?
It’s not about sacking him, it’s about addressing problem areas, or addressing areas before they become a problem.
Oversight is part of business, yet I question if there is any currently in our club. Perhaps January is the beginning?
Perhaps they decided to stick to a budget in our self sustaining model, and Arteta spent it in the Summer.
I know our net spending was quite low, but maybe they wanted him to sell little used players before opening the wallet again for tens of millions?
I’ve said before all are to blame, no one at the club escapes blame. Arteta was given hundreds of millions to build a squad over 5 years, yet the current shortcomings are owners fault?
Sorry I can’t agree. I blame owners for lack of oversight, but spending unwisely is on Arteta and Edu.
We have an acting Sporting Director who should have been attending to this, especially after Arteta made it clear what was required.
Of course Harvetz will be missed but that’s because we don’t even have an Nketian quality player to replace him with.
Obvious solution would to try some of the youth strikers: Butler-Oyedeji, Edwards or Harriman-Annous. Luckily all of them have been quite profilic in the U21 or U18 team.
Likely our forward line for at least the next month is:
Nwaneri – Trossard – Sterling
AND NO SUBS WITHOUT YOUTH PLAYERS.
That’s fine mate if your mid table
We are trying to win a title and compete in CL , can’t just keep throwing kids in at deep end
Could ruin them
Yeah, no doubt, but what’s the alternative?
I’m not sure if you understood but we have Trossard, Sterling, Nwaneri as our front 3, for the next month, and absolutely no one else!
So if a manager knows his current options are not good enough dont fight it
Play 5 at the back and suddenly a Zichvenko and Timber / White are your attacking options
You then grind out narrow wins knowing you can trust your defense
Then you also have options on bench
I would equally get a free transfer in as a body
Try Calafiori up front. More of a physical presence and he’s shown he can finish when the chance arises. Didn’t he used to play on the wing before moving to defence? Anyone remember Paul Warhurst?
Trossard.
Sterling. Odegaard. Nwaneri.
Rice. Partey.
Skelly. Gabriel. Saliba. Timber.
Raya.
I feel this year has been a wasted opportunity with City in Shambles and if we had signed a top goal scorer instead of spending over £65 million on Havertz in Summer.
Especially in January after Saka (our best forward) was injured. But again should have done in Summer.
Next summer we may purchase some great signings but other teams will also do so
Saka is injured, pure and simple. He will come back when his recovery is done, nothing more. Nothing less.
I knew with time even the diehards who see nothing wrong in everything at arsenal will come to terms with the fact that there is alot of mediocrity in our club.
When it is so obvious for everyone to see that we have a thin unbalanced squad full of average players with very poor forward line,they say we are fickle fans with no idea about football.
We are now a laughing stock because someone deliberately did us in when we needed them most. May be Neto will become one of the best C.fs &save our season.
We care about the team but all they care about is what goes into their pockets. What a pity.
There is still a couple im afraid
@Dan if to date anyone still doesn’t believe there is something wrong somewhere from the Kroenkes down to the management then I have no words for them.
Mate yesterday someone was getting me 200 pounds we win CL this season lol
Not strictly as described
Betting I mean lol
You offered the bet and he agreed if it makes you happy and you post something positive once in a while. There was nothing he said that indicated he believed we will win CL this season.
You also said I didn’t pay up our bet when you are the one who didn’t want the payment.
OTT do you know what’s going on with Ken1945? I haven’t seen his posts for sometime now.
Nah mate not for a while
‘’someone deliberately did us in”?
Arsenal and manipulation go together very well.
A large part of what the club do is manipulate the fans.
And there are a lot of the fans that buy into it also.🙄🤦♂️
Now at least with all these injury’s, Arteta and his band of fans have got the perfect excuse for yet another trophy less season.🙄🤦♂️
And they are going to ride it to the fullest.
Dajuhi post above is superb regarding this issue and it would’ve made a very good article.
Found a new word from the fake Sue HH
“Musings”hoping she would get an avalanche of supporters,she got 1 clown to back her up .
Did see the original sue came back after she heard about Adpat which was nice .
Hopefully she comes back weekly .be nice to get the old posters back ,even when we disagreed we did t ask to get posters banned ,the good old days on JA
😂😂😂
Even the JA 6 didn’t show up? I find it cringe that they “have to” agree with everything and back each other’s posts contrary to us pro Arsenal who disagree on many things as much as we agree on others.
It was really nice to see Sue post again. Those were the days. And with Pat now gone I hope things won’t change even further.
Thank you HH, maybe I could write an article about the issue as it is very pressing right now.
Would love to read it if you get the time to write it. Your explanation is most likely true because our injuries are abnormal and have gotten severe under Arteta. There must be something that causes it.
Even players who were hardly injured such as Partey (nowadays an injury prone) and Havertz are getting serious injuries.
Arteta and arsenal should bring back the following players from loan to assist in solving the current problem; Nuno Tavares, Pablo viera and Reiss Nelson . Am sure this players will assist to the team till end of the season. Somebody should tell the coach about this.
2 of them cannot come back
And the other one is dogsh1t
Not sure how that can help tbh
Ones the rule mate ?
Did it have to be In January?
There’s been a goal at Goodison ……
Hope still alive peeps
The EPL is the new WWE and it will take years b4 we real fans discover the truth but tonight’s game EVE VS LIV proved it beyond doubts.. Nevertheless I’m a Gooner inside out
This year is the season that will be an experience for Arteta and for the team.Whatever mistake they make and whatever lie they tell, I will find it.In front of them… the bad thing is that we, the fans, are paying for it… how many times they lied this year that we don’t need reinforcements, especially an attacker, with some stupid excuses like Wenger’s that we want a player yes but not just any player, but someone to do different things….that is, someone super special, but without money, or we want him like that in words, that is, philosophies of the ass. So The price was paid every time, Odegaard, White, Jesus, Martinelli, Bukayo, Nouanere fortunately for a while, and now Havertz…I’ve lost count…..all the nonsense was paid at the expense of the group….It’s as if karma understood that professional liars should be punished….what can you say anymore, let’s Let’s hope that luck turns a little in our favor, and that we win the championship against all odds now….I still believe it.
Scenes at Goodison lol
Imagine if they had won ?
Keeps us in it by skin of teeth
Exactly. We can’t give up
Anything is possible in Football
7 points is definitely tough but not an insurmountable lead.
If we can win Saturday Steph they go Villa Park then Ethiad , that’s our chance
Just makes me wish we had done more in January to have given ourselves the best chance possible
@Dan
Liverpool go to Molineux on Sunday.
I meant mate I assume they win that but then there next two are Villa and City so if we could our next two then I think we close gap
At Anfield dude
So Liverpool feel there was blatant foul for Everton goal ( I agree )
Yet reff and VAR allow it
Then a red card for Liverpool player and manager
Reff…..M Oliver
I thought he had an conspiracy / agenda to hurt Arsenal though
Regarding Saka we shouldn’t be surprised at the extent of his injury. It wasn’t just a matter of him being overplayed, but also overworked as he was one of our few go to players with Odegaard looking for him on every possible occasion despite Saka being tightly marked and at the mercy of being hacked down. Every time he took a tumble I worried that this would be the “big one”, our worse fear,a long term or even worse a career defining injury.limiting his future mobility. You only have to listen to Micheal Owen talking about his own experience and how that pretty much halted his career by limiting his speed and agility. For Saka’s sake we can only hope that this will not be the case and that the club gives him the rest of the season off to revive and rehabilitate. On a different note, thanks Everton. If only Arsenal had the man power to make the most of the opportunities that will come out way.
Thanks Everton
How agonizing was that VAR check
With the best defense of the Premier we may be able to have a few 0-0 draws and keep our position in top 4.
All this because of the Criminal negligence of Arteta and Edu.
Just get Oshimen and ademiji in the summer, there is
fan unrest boiling underneath. and get someone to help
MA with squad management, he is clueless as is..
Michael Oliver,
Don’t you just love him. 😂🤣👍
The Mail is reporting that Saka is on schedule for a mid-April return, which will mean another eight weeks.
Good news and bad news at the same time if it is true.
Good because we need him back desperately.
Bad because Arteta will likely overplay him again and possibly reaggravate his injury. Rotation is a rare thing with Arteta.
Never seen a manager get so many passes and excuses. Did Wenger ever get a pass through the injuries he endured as manager? Perhaps one of his half-dozen LB’s has the “versatility” to play as striker. Wasn’t “versatility” Arteta’s catch phrase?
5 years and 800 million, and the squad is still lacking in areas, and some still won’t criticize the manager.
Jax,
apologies, my response was meant to be a general comment, not a response to you, a misclick of a button.
👍👍👍