Morning all.
A story which has rumbled on for a while has now been confirmed by Arsenal Football Club. Bukayo Saka has signed a new long term deal worth a reported £300,000 a week.
> The journey that I’ve been on, from where I started to where I am now, and the journey the team’s been on as well, is a special one. I believe the next few years are going to be the years that we get over the line, and we’re able to win trophies and make history for this club. We’re back where we belong, fighting for everything.
He’s right, we are as a club fighting for everything, hard to believe after watching us capitulate against Wolves on Wednesday but we are. We breezed through the Champions League so far, into the League Cup Final and the FA Cup and Premier League trophies are still up for grabs. Being in all four competitions and winning one though are two different things.
I kind of feel we’re in a last chance saloon. We worked our way from being dreadful to being competitive since December 2019 with the final roll of the dice taking place last summer with the players the club signed.
I think the one thing most of us will agree on is that Arsenal need to snap out of this dismal spell they are going through. How they do it I don’t care but they need to. Arteta too needs to get a grip of his players and spell out what’s needed to win silverware this season. He’s been there with Man City under Guardiola so he should know how to drag this group of players out of their slumber. If he can’t now then I’m not sure he ever will.
That’s what we need to see, Arteta smiling because if he’s smiling, it means his teams are doing well.
But, there’s a saying isn’t there, one I know I’ve used before on here – “Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result!” That’s Arsenal right now, doing the same thing over and over and expecting something different at the end of it. Switching Saka from the right into the centre is all well and good but it’s about more than just the players. It’s about the way we play and burning out certain players whilst casting others aside. I thought we were done with that.
Do you ever find yourself sat with a friend over a coffee or beer and all they do is moan? Yes, I’ve been there too but it doesn’t take long to realise that the friend is doing the same thing each day and it’s making them unhappy. What have they done to try and change their life? Nothing. I’m sure you get my drift.
The Premier League race is still on, it is only February after all, but as well as causing our own problems, Man City will cause them too because this is the time of the season when they usually push hard and win games themselves. They’ve already had their own share of disappointing results this season. Not that anyone was really talking about them when they were dropping points from winning positions but with Arsenal, it’s all over the back pages. Not that I’m trying to defend the players or Arteta.
We often hear about bouncing back, the next fixture is a good opportunity to get back to winning ways etc, the list goes on but it’s on the pitch which matters. Off it too as win, lose or draw, the buck stops with Arteta. He and his players need to take a look in the mirror and ask themselves a few questions, one of which is “can I do more/better”? The answer should be a resounding yes!
Arsenal have to start playing much better and get back to winning ways, starting on Sunday, and then go on a good run. A long run, otherwise the wait for a Premier League title will go on. And on.
Catch up in the comments.