Although I think it is probably likely that Bruno will go, I still get frustrated that reports like those Bob posted from the BBC and The Athletic both say the same thing but neither say where the “source” of their information is from. This is just lazy journalism at best.
We did struggle last season when Bruno wasn’t playing but I agree that it would be financially prudent to maximize any sale if he wants to leave, although $60m seems a little low for a proven Premier league and international player. Bruno had a very good world cup (if you ignore that disaster of a penalty). Surely he is worth more than that/
Palace have just signed the Spanish centre and right back Oscar Mingueza on a free as his contract with Celta Vigo just finished. Fantastic defender who has played in Spanish national team previously. Good business.
We’ve also just agreed an extension to Daichi Kamada’s contract
I disagree with 2/3 of that. The play offs replicate the system in the National League bar a couple of things. Both of which are a mistake i.e. the 2 legged semi instead of 1 leg.
In the NL the intro of these were met with equal cynicism but opinion has completely reversed. It works tremendously well, the single legs introduce real drama and jeopardy and the idea that it opens up a playoff place to most in the division has been thoroughly disproven. On the contrary, with about 10 games to go you see the numbers in the mix go down rapidly.
I do think Saints have an issue because their players already have an issue with Tonda and it’s foreseeable things could go south rapidly unless a rapid rebuild is coming.
The idea Parky could go just shows how the noise around the club obscures the reality of certain things.
The narrative is of course that he can’t manage at this level. It’s based on fairly thick people not really understanding just how bad things were at Sunderland and Bolton. Both basket case clubs at that time.
His remit with us for last season was to avoid relegation and finish as high as possible after a season in which all within the club bar the management and owners thought promotion from L1 was potentially ruinous. We recruited 15 players in 12 weeks such was the unexpected nature of the promotion. The number of predictions of Parky going in those opening 5 weeks was hilarious. Talk Sport invented a post match crisis meeting which never existed and the only question asked of Parky, as ever, was “what do you need?”. The answer was simply “time to gel”.
In the meantime, we had to endure several months of “he’ll be gone by Christmas” etc. It was genuinely amusing how literally no-one conceded that it turns out that he can absolutely manage at this level. Instead the mood music changed to “You’ll not go any further with…”
There were certainly mistakes made last season in terms of the January window, overcommitment to Moore etc. but whose club didn’t make mistakes?
Even if we’re bottom 3 going into the New Year his job is completely safe. If he ever goes it’ll be because he chooses the moment.
There will of course be a moment when private equity changes the balance on these things but even then W2W would have to cease for them to be even remotely persuasive.
But is there really a $60m “release” clause? Some sources say no there isn’t and he is still under contract for at least another 2 years (with an optional one year extension).
There is no release clause in Bruno’s contract. Newcastle value him at £100m. Arsenal have offered (verbally) less than £60m and have suggested they will pay £60m. I hope that is their ceiling, as a sale will not happen at that price.
My view is that a £100m valuation is fanciful, given his age (even though he’s a more important player to us than Tonali), and a deal will be done somewhere between £70m/£80m. Time will tell.
Yes correct and as you rightly said one of the few worth the money he helped us win a Premier League title, was a penalty away from winning a first ever Champions League for Arsenal and is currently playing in the World Cup quarter finals for his country as the song goes Declan Rice we got him half price.
Same re Santos, I suspect with Barco coming in from Strasbourg he along with Essuago will be the defensive midfielder back ups. I am now looking forward to playing at Chelsea / Cobham this Sunday in a tournament though its forecast to be 30 degrees when we play
I actually watched Joe Willock a lot at U18 and U23 as a work colleagues son Charlie Gilmour was at the Arsenal Academy then I always thought his brother Chris now at Cardiff was a better footballer as was Charlie but that shows up my observation skills as Charlie is now a year into a 3 year deal at Dunfermaline. Can’t remember seeing Matt Willock the third brother play though.
Even back then Joe was known as a lucky or you could say smart footballer as his best performances always came when really needed in front of the right people.
Who you taking Bruno Guimaraes at £60/70 million or Elliot Anderson at £130 million? Personally I think Arsenal will pay north of £70 million should he sign and he is worth all of that.
An Arsenal midfield of Rice, Guimaraes, Zubimendi, Odegaard, Lewis Skelly, Eze and Merino is looking decent. The best news is that Arsenal are looking to sign a player who is on a level with Rice and could play in a midfield combination with any of those other players so that Rice can be rested and introduced slowly into a midfield WITH Guimaraes not in place of.
I would like to clear something up for some of the more obtuse thinkers out there who have blind hatred clouding their judgement I am not, was not advising against Newcastle spending large on ready made players whilst my club does because Newcastle are somehow less than Arsenal.
My advice was given within the parameters of FFP which promotes progressive, healthy growth to protect clubs as institutions from their current owners for profit of course this doesn’t help the likes of Newcastle or Villa whose owners are multi Billionaires and in the short term benefits the more financially established clubs like Man U, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Now though Newcastle working within FFP rules have amassed the type of money that spent correctly could be the start of them catching up Arsenal and the other established clubs within the current rules and in my view, a fan’s view the way to do that is by buying young prospects not established and wildly overpriced PL players.
The huge thing that Newcastle, Villa and even Forest have over other teams is their fans who will allow their clubs to achieve slow, financially healthy growth and stay behind them. Am I completely wrong? Maybe, possibly I am perhaps bribing and wildly overpaying any player who has had a decent season or two and giving them looooooong hugely overpriced contracts is the way forward. Time will tell.
Ps Ask Chelsea supporters how they feel about owners for profit.
Let’s drop down a few leagues to my hometown Nuneaton (Boro) Town who 2 season ago when into administration. Reformed as a CIC club (all funds stay within the club) we had to drop down to Step 6. Since reforming they have won the league in back to back seasons so start next season in Step 4 (Northern Premier League, Midland Division).
During the close season they have resigned the joint managers to a new 2 year deal (one of the managers was the Boro’s keeper when they played in the heady heights of the Conference League (now known as National League)). The managers appear to have done a great job again by retaining a core of the squad (though we lost a good left back in Callum Carsley, son of Lee Carsley), however, upgrading with new signings ( 8 players who have played Step 4 or higher), so hopefully a season of consolidation…or maybe more.
@Bobthebuilder doesn’t need to be duly concerned about our expenditure or wage bill as talking to the club secretary last week he told me the managers had been having a little moan as their budgets don’t match that of other clubs in the league. Also this season we are going back to the “boro blue / striped kit” similar to BHA kit away so I have purchased 10 of these so my over 55 team (7 a side team) have new shirts for next season also…so with purchasing these and getting to go to a couple of matches this coming season I hope @Andyblain can award me ‘supporter’ status rather than ‘fan’ status
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