Morning campers! Tim Stillman right here for the ultimate time earlier than Andrew returns to the keyboard tomorrow. Yesterday I took within the delights of Sincil Financial institution to observe the Arsenal U21s tackle Lincoln Metropolis. Floor quantity 70 of the 92 and that, expensive reader, was the complete motive that I went to the sport!
It was a very attention-grabbing check for the kids although, they misplaced to Bishop’s Stortford on Wednesday evening- which isn’t an enormously uncommon end result at this stage of pre-season. We’re speaking about lads of 16 or 17 locking horns with absolutely developed and absolutely grown males accustomed to enjoying bodily soccer.
I used to be anticipating the kids getting a correct hammering (I as soon as watched an Arsenal XI crew containing Hector Bellerin and Serge Gnabry lose 7-0 to Luton City at this stage of pre-season- when Luton had been within the fifth tier). For the U21s to solely lose 2-1 to Lincoln having taken a second half lead was a really spectacular displaying. They managed the primary half however, as the sport wore on, the bodily benefits loved by a League One aspect one week away from the beginning of their season grew to become evident. An satisfying time out, all in all.
Onto issues extra senior and now the crew will likely be absolutely gearing up for a few friendlies towards Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday and Lyon subsequent Sunday. Saka, Raya, Ramsdale and Rice have all returned to Colney and it is going to be actually attention-grabbing to see what the subsequent few weeks maintain for Aaron Ramsdale. I imply, his Arsenal future must be in some critical doubt however there are issues.
Firstly, Arsenal haven’t been capable of procure a substitute goalkeeper but, they haven’t even been capable of get the third selection goalkeeper they need with Wolves rejecting Arsenal’s bid of a bag of Maltesers, some coaching cones and William Saliba’s beard comb for Dan Bentley. Karl Hein has regarded good in pre-season however absolutely a part of the settlement that noticed him lengthen his contract this summer season was that he could be allowed to exit on mortgage.
Secondly, there simply don’t look to be loads of Premier League groups in search of goalkeepers, particularly with the wage Ramsdale will likely be on having signed a brand new deal final Might. Had Newcastle made it into Europe this season, I do ponder whether they may have been capable of stretch to bidding for Ramsdale. If I needed to make a prediction, I’d say the goalkeeper merry-go-round would possibly go till late within the window, with Ramsdale ultimately leaving on mortgage with a view to constructing his worth.
As a result of winter World Cup (in a European sense) in 2022, that is the primary time we should handle the impression of a summer season match for the gamers in three years. The 2021-22 season, you’ll recall, acquired off to a dreadful begin with three straight defeats however I feel that was a really totally different crew to the one we now have now. I additionally suppose that poor begin was somewhat extra all the way down to late switch enterprise than poor bodily preparation. The present Arsenal squad is in much better form to deal with the impression of protracted switch enterprise.
Additionally returning to pre-season coaching this week are the Arsenal Girls, save for the gamers who’ve been enjoying within the Olympics, which has been a very poorly conceived and organised match. The schedule makes the video games tough for viewers to observe with video games overlapping, gamers being requested to play further time in the midst of the summer season with solely squads of 18 permitted and absurd quantities of harm time being performed. The referee performed 18 further minutes of stoppage time with Brazil hanging on to a 1-0 lead over France final night time.
Arsenal’s Emily Fox went off within the remaining minute of additional time throughout USA’s 1-0 win over Japan with what regarded like a knee harm. She is 25 and has already torn her ACL twice in her profession. I realise soccer isn’t and doubtless shouldn’t be the centre piece of the Olympics however the girls’s soccer match has created undue welfare issues for gamers for my part.
Anyway, the remainder of the AWFC squad return to coaching and, as we completely revealed on Arseblog Information final week, I’m anticipating them so as to add 21-year-old Swedish attacking midfielder Rosa Kafaji to their ranks and imagine they’ll attempt to add yet another participant on high of that too. When you have any degree of curiosity within the girls’s crew, do bookmark our Arsenal Girls part on Arseblog Information, we expect some enterprise out and in to maneuver alongside within the subsequent couple of weeks because the squad takes form forward of the season beginning with a UWCL qualifier towards Rangers on 4 September. They may play a few friendlies in Washington DC in the midst of this month too and we will likely be in DC for the second of these towards Chelsea on August 25.
Anyway, that can do from me right this moment, Andrew- and regular service- returns tomorrow.
