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Morning all.
I found the following information on Arsenal.com
As well as a few rule changes this season which we’ve already talked about, six new officials have joined the group Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO). They have been added to a supplementary list for the Select Group 1, which serves both the Premier League and EFL for 2025/26.
These include Lewis Smith, Farai Hallam, Adam Herczeg, Tom Kirk, Ruebyn Ricardo and Ben Toner. Smith already has experience within the Premier League, having had the whistle for nine top-flight matches already when part of the PGMO’s Development Group.
As well as those on the pitch in charge of matches, former FIFA official Kevin Blom has also joined PGMO in the role of VAR performance coach for 2025/26. Blom is a former referee, having officiated matches in UEFA and FIFA competitions, as well as operating as a video match official at EURO 2020.
Blom is the most interesting addition for me because of his nationality and experience. Perhaps he can show the buffoons who operate VAR where they are going wrong! Bearing in mind those bodies can often be spotted on the pitch as well, could we start to see some improvement?
If one could ask Mikel Arteta what Arsenal’s aim is this coming season, I’m sure he’d say it’s to win every competition we are in. Whilst achieving the quadruple would be a dream come true, it’s extremely unlikely to become a reality anytime soon.
Top four, whilst important in its own right because of the money it brings in, it’s nothing to celebrate. Not without a piece of silverware to go with it and not in my opinion, after nearly six years of building a squad good enough which I think is more than capable of winning the league. Three years of coming second is a vast improvement on where we as a club were back in 2019 but ultimately, fans want to see trophies in the cabinet and an open top bus parade in north London.
Our record in the League Cup has been atrocious for a long time now and it’s been four years since we lifted the FA Cup and even that was won win a squad totally different to the one we have today. Not one player in today’s squad started that 2020 final against Chelsea and only two were in the match day squad – Bukayo Saka and Reiss Nelson and neither made it off the bench.
As a group, these Arsenal players and the manager need to taste success. If that’s comes in the FA Cup or League Cup, it’s a start. Of course it’s only natural to want a Premier League title or Champions League trophy ahead of either of the domestic cups but sometimes, beggars cannot be choosers.
Not for one minute am I suggesting Arsenal’s aim at the start of the season should be winning either domestic cup but as the fixtures come around, we should be aiming to win them. All of them. Of course no one goes onto the pitch not caring about the result but now we have a deeper squad, there is no reason why we can’t fight harder to win either or even both English cups.
Many many years ago, Mr. Lowndes, the famous Secretary of the Treasury, in the reigns of King William, Queen Anne, and King George the First, used to say,
**“Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.”**
One could apply the same rule to sport. Win the small cups and the bigger ones will soon come along. In theory anyway. Seriously though, once this group of players have a winners medal around their neck they will want more. They will know what it’s like to push hard for something and instead of walking away with nothing, they will walk away feeling on cloud nine. Personally, I think we’re at the “any cup/silverware” will do stage.
As said, the Premier League would be the icing on the cake but when one considers how much other clubs have strengthened, the challenge will be even tougher this time around. That’s not to say it’s unachievable for Mikel Arteta’s squad, after all, we as a club have also strengthened well, plus we finally have a proper striker at the club!
I suppose what I’m asking is, as a fan, what do you realistically expect from the club this season?
Catch up in the comments…