GOOD news at last for Arsenal.
Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, has declared his intention to buy the club from Stan Kroenke. Again.
Let’s give Arteta a bit more time before judging his impact at ArsenalCredit: Reuters
Dangote has been linked with the Gunners more times than Jerome Boateng over the years but has still to make a formal offer for a club valued at around £2billion.
Yet who could possibly doubt the word of a Nigerian tycoon promising a new golden era at the Emirates?
Certainly not the excitable bloggers churning out their “long reads” to explain how much Arsenal have improved under Mikel Arteta.
It is thanks to their cutting-edge insight that I now understand I must have been watching a different team these past few weeks.
I was under the impression that Arsenal remain tenth in the Premier League table, cannot hold on to a lead and are a defensive accident waiting to happen.
But I am clearly mistaken, because apparently they have been completely transformed by their new manager and are now a football super-power once again.
Of course, Arsenal analysts completely losing their s*** and their sense of perspective is nothing new.
Every new arrival is heralded as the greatest thing since Tony Adams or Dennis Bergkamp until the realisation kicks in that, actually, they are pretty average.
In the past 18 months, we’ve seen it happen with Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira and Kieran Tierney.
Even Calum Chambers’ return from his year on loan at Championship Fulham was briefly flagged up as the answer to all the club’s defensive prayers.
Doubtless the same thing will happen when French rookie William Saliba finally pitches up in the summer.
And it’s not just on the pitch that expectations are raised beyond all rational levels.
Remember all those people banging on about “Don Raul” Sanllehi when the club’s new head of football used his extensive contacts to secure Denis Suarez on loan?
The appointment of former Invincible Edu as technical director was also supposed to herald a major turning point for the Gunners.
How is that one going so far? There is no doubt Arteta’s arrival has given some players the kick up the a*** they so desperately needed.
Mesut Ozil is now actually prepared to run for his £350,000 a week, while Granit Xhaka no longer tells the fans to eff off.
Eventually, Arsenal will be better under Arteta’s guidance than they were under Unai Emery. They could hardly be much worse.
Mark Irwin
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is so committed to the club he’s launching himself into red-card challenges and even David Luiz is starting to look like he can focus for an entire 90 minutes.
So there is little doubt that, eventually, Arsenal will be better under Arteta’s guidance than they were under Unai Emery. They could hardly be much worse.
Yet the fact remains the new manager has so far witnessed just one decent performance against a decidedly average Manchester United.
When Emery was sacked at the end of November, Arsenal were eighth in the table and eight points off the top four.
Now the gap to fourth-placed Chelsea has stretched to 11 points and the club are already making contingency plans for possible Europa League qualifiers in July.
So while the team remains a work in progress, at least Arteta is not being deceived by all the hype he is currently generating.
While others spend weeks obsessing over loan deals for Tyreece John-Jules and Eddie Nketiah, the manager is focusing on players who are actually going to help the club out of this self-inflicted mess.
Given time, Arteta’s level-headed approach will steer Arsenal back in the right direction.
But it’s not going to happen overnight — and even Dangote might need to show a bit of patience.
FIDDLING AS ROME McBURNS
Ollie McBurnie was spoken to by the FA after being spotted in the crowd making a rude gestureCredit: Rex Features
OLI McBURNIE has been reminded of his responsibilities by the FA after “appearing to make an obscene gesture” while supporting Swansea at Cardiff on Sunday.
The Sheffield United striker was pictured apparently insinuating that Bluebirds fans indulge in acts of self-pleasure.
Might I suggest that anyone who was offended by McBurnie’s behaviour has clearly never been to a football match.
So here’s another gesture for the governing body who wasted their time investigating this appalling crime….
ALI HAND OF SHKOD
RUSSIAN billionaire Alisher Usmanov has announced that he is paying Everton £30million for the naming rights to a stadium which they haven’t even started building yet.
That sounds like an incredible deal for the spendthrift Merseysiders.
Until you realise that they will probably blow the lot on Jesse Lingard or Shkodran Mustafi as soon as they get their hands on the dosh.
JANUARY SO DRY
THE January transfer window has been pretty exciting so far, hasn’t it?
Just over halfway through the month and a grand total of four players have been bought on permanent deals by Premier League clubs, for a total of £18.75m.
Takumi Minamino, Lukas Rupp, Ignacio Pussetto and Darren Randolph will be setting subs’ benches on fire up and down the country this weekend.
That’s one in the eye for all those cynics who say there are no decent deals to be done in mid-season.
Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is reportedly days away from completing a move to Inter MilanCredit: AP:Associated Press
OLI’S PARTING OF WAYS
SO farewell, then, Olivier Giroud — the most perfectly coiffed footballer since Cristiano Ronaldo.
The French Adonis is finally set to complete his move from Chelsea to Inter Milan after failing to convince Frank Lampard of his enduring worth.
It was five years ago that Giroud was voted “Hottest player in the Premier League” by an online poll of people who care about that sort of thing.
His enduring charm has clearly had an effect on French national boss Didier Deschamps.
Ex-Les Bleus star Deschamps continues to select the goal-shy striker over the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Karim Benzema and Wissam Ben Yedder.
The ultimate triumph of style over substance, let’s hope that Oli doesn’t get his perfect looks ruffled by the rough-and-tumble defenders he’s going to be up against in Serie A.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta comments on Aubameyang’s three-match ban
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
