Loading summary
Transcript98 lines
- [00:01]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
As you've probably heard by now, we've teamed up with BetMGM this season. We'll be using BetMGM lines to make all of our picks and we'll have special offers for our listeners each week. If you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code TheAthletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a fifteen hundred dollar first bet offer on your first wager with BetMGM. Here's how it works. Download the BetMGM app and sign up using bonus code TheAthletic. Make your first deposit of at least ten dollars. Place bet on any game and claim your voucher for a one year subscription to the Athletic. See betmgm.com for terms. U.S. promotional offers not available in D.C. mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario or Puerto Rico gambling problem call 1-800- gambler available in the U.S. call 877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY 467-369 in New York, call 1-800- NEXT STEP in Arizona, 1-800-327-5050 Massachusetts 1, 800, bets off in Iowa, 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help in Michigan, 1-800-981-0023 in Puerto Rico for first bet offer for new customers only in partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. Don't forget, if you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code TheAthletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a fifteen hundred dollar first bet offer on your first wager.
- [01:14]
Adam Crafton
Breaking up is never easy, but saying goodbye to your old clunky work tools? Well, that's easy. Just repeat after me.
- [01:22]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
It's not me, it's definitely you, you, rigid, unfriendly software.
- [01:27]
Adam Crafton
It's time to freshen things up with.
- [01:29]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
Monday.com the first work platform you'll love to use.
- [01:33]
Adrian Clarke
With stunning dashboards, customizable templates, and built.
- [01:36]
Adam Crafton
In AI that actually works. Switching to a new work platform has never felt this good, so move on.
- [01:42]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
To Monday.com as a small business owner, you don't have the luxury of clocking out early. Your business is on your mind 24 7, so when you're hiring, you need a partner that grind just as hard as you do. That hiring partner is LinkedIn Jobs. When you clock out, LinkedIn clocks in. LinkedIn makes it easy to post your job for free, share it with your network, and get qualified candidates that can manage all in one place. Here's how it works. Post your job LinkedIn's new feature can help you write job descriptions and then quickly get your job in front of the right people with deep candidate insights. Either post your job for free or pay to promote promoter jobs. Get three times more qualified applicants get qualified candidates at the end of the day, the most important thing to your small business is the quality of candidates. And with LinkedIn you can feel confident that you're getting the best. Based on LinkedIn data, 72% of SMBs using LinkedIn say that LinkedIn helps them find high quality candidates. You can let your network know you're hiring. You can even add a hiring frame to your profile Picture and get two times more qualified candidates. Find out why more than 2.5 million small businesses use LinkedIn for hiring today. Find your next great hire on LinkedIn. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.combaseballshow that's LinkedIn.combaseballshow to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply.
- [03:09]
Ayo Akimolere
The Athletic FC welcome to the Athletic FC podcast with me Ayo Akimolere At Old Trafford all the talk pre match was about the new strikers, but it was a set piece in the end that made the difference. So is it same old Arsenal or can this team evolve under Mikel Arteta? All right here with us today for this one we've got Adam Crafton. We've also got Adrian Clark as well. Later on we'll hear from the athletics James McNicholas who was at Old Trafford for Sunday's game. Right Adrian, talk to me. Some of the numbers aren't that great for Arsenal in particular. Only had 38% possession, losing the shot count 22. 9 and only having an open play XG of 0.29. I guess they got the result but it probably wasn't the best viewing for Arsenal fans, was it?
- [04:00]
Adrian Clarke
It was a tough watch. I was on code commentary for Arsenal and it was difficult, it really was to to watch it because there were lots and lots of uncomfortable moments. Plenty of frustrating ones as well. Those numbers do tell a story. I think it's a fair reflection of the game. I don't think Arsenal will be worried about the possession stats at all. I think there is an intention to become more of a transitional team this year to be a bit more punchy on the counter because of Victor Jocherez up front. And if you look back at the game so often, Arsenal did play through Manchester United on the break, getting Erdogan into good positions and it was then that it fell down. Just the runs and and the choice of pass were poor. So actually I take some positives from, from the performance. Even though the attacking numbers were pretty dreadful, I do think the ones Arsenal sharpen up, they will become quite very decent counter attacking side. But no, look, man United probably deserve to win the game. This was certainly the, the best they've played against Arsenal for some time. And I'd probably say this was one of Arsenal's weakest performances in the last two seasons at least. Yet they won.
- [05:11]
Ayo Akimolere
What do you reckon, Adam? Do you think Arsenal were lucky to get that goal to United? Feel sore that they didn't walk away with a result there.
- [05:17]
Adam Crafton
I didn't think there was anything wrong with the goal. You mean from the corner?
- [05:21]
Ayo Akimolere
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [05:21]
Adam Crafton
I can't really believe that was even like a discussion that this goal could be disallowed. I just thought it was weak goalkeeping. Arsenal, I thought they were more organized and aggressive at the set piece than Manchester United were and that's why they managed to get a goal out of it. But I think if your team was getting a goal taken away for that, then you'd be absolutely furious in a way. Whereas you probably have to watch 15 replays to find something that you think was maybe wrong to rule the goal out. Which don't get me wrong, we've seen that before with Var, where it feels like they're looking to find a way to rule goals out. But no, I really don't think that's the kind of goal that should be taken away. Manchester United were a lot better. I also thought actually in this fixture last season Arsenal weren't very good. I think it ended up as a draw. But I don't think it was a crazily different game actually this time around. It just feels very different because, you know, there's new signings on the pitch and Manchester United have had this pre season where they won a couple of games, etc, so there's this kind of optimism around it. But Arsenal are never very good at Old Trafford.
- [06:23]
Adrian Clarke
It's true, it's true, it's true.
- [06:26]
Adam Crafton
It's really hard to remember a game where Arsenal turn up at Old Trafford and play with real authority and confidence. They always look a little bit inferior in some ways. So I think from Arsenal's perspective, they'll just be glad to get out of there with three points. I think from Manchester United's perspective, it kind of solidifies their two key problems or two of their key problems, which is they've not been good enough in both penalty boxes for a very long Time. So the goalkeeper situation is one that continues and I think they hope that a Berno Sesko and Kanye over time will pick up on the other side.
- [07:01]
Adrian Clarke
Just going back to the goal very quickly by and letting the goal straight from a corner. Last season, didn't he, at Spurs, I think it was son Heumin who scored and I don't think it's a coincidence that Declan Rice whipped that ball in underneath his crossbar. I think that would have been referenced in the build up to the game. So, you know, it's. It's smart play in the end. And I don't know if you guys saw it, but there was a. There was an new corner routine from Arsenal with those five players on the edge of the box with two of them sort of charging in at the last moment to cause a little bit of a distraction. And not saying it did cause that big a distraction, but, you know, Califuri popped up at the far post to, to score, didn't he? So no, nothing wrong with that goal, but lots of room for improvement for Arsenal, I think.
- [07:44]
Ayo Akimolere
Is this the kind of luck that Arsenal might need, Adrian, moving forward? Because I was listening to you on Handbrake off and you know, last season there were definitely moments where a lot of Arsenal fans might have felt hard d by either referee decisions or unlucky decisions that might have gone their way. If you're going to win the league, you might need some of this to go your way, right? Surely?
- [08:01]
Adrian Clarke
100%, yeah. I was asked on Handbrake off what my wish was for the season. I just said more luck. So, I mean, hopefully we've not used it all up in one game, but it was. I wouldn't say it was a lucky win because United ultimately didn't create a big chance, didn't create single big chance for all of the promise that they showed. And they did show promise with Mount as this sort of floating false 9 dragging Saliba or Gabrielle out of position. You know, they did some good things, but ultimately the saves that Ryan made, I think the Kunya save was. Was a top one from the angle, but the other ones were relatively easy. So, yeah, Manchester United have got to do a bit more to win games like that, haven't they?
- [08:44]
Ayo Akimolere
Yeah, Amaran was talking that Manchester United weren't boring. Adam, they didn't win. But I felt that there were some improvements from last season. If anything, United just really looked up for it.
- [08:56]
Adam Crafton
Yeah, but I. That's the bare minimum. It's the first game of the opening season. You've got Arsenal at home and you've just spent 200 million quid. We're up for it, right? You should be up for it. And to be clear, I do think it is an improvement. I think in terms of. The players clearly have a greater understanding now of what the manager wants to do. He's clearly got players there that want to be there. And that, again, is. We're now, where did he come in in Novemb? I think by this point there should be all those things happening. If there weren't all those things happening, you'd be. You'd be really worried. So our Manchester United in a better place than they were in May, for sure, at least in terms of the performance yesterday. But I think almost in many ways, Arsenal at home on the opening day, there's no expectations really attached to that. As a result, people are coming away from the game yesterday almost happy that they've seen a good performance. You saw Manchester United players coming out saying how well they played, which I understand because the bar was so low from where they were.
- [09:56]
Ayo Akimolere
But is that a signal of where Man United are right now that you just want to see this team can play well?
- [10:01]
Adam Crafton
Yeah, for sure, because they've not played well for two years. You know, even when they won games last season, they were really bad at times. So I don't think that should be, like, sniffed at or that United fans should be made to feel in some way, like, weak for being encouraged by that. That's the place Arsenal were three or four years ago, where what you wanted to see was a set of players who were working for each other, who had an idea of what the coach wanted to do. But. But in many ways, I almost want to see Manchester United more next week when they play Fulham away than Arsenal at home on the opening day. Because Arsenal at home is like, if you win, fantastic. If you lose, no one's really going to have a go at you. Fulham away next week all of a sudden is. Well, if you lose that, then it's a really bad start to the season again. But if you win that, then it's continuation of performances. So that's going to be the bigger test in some ways, of their new mentality.
- [10:52]
Ayo Akimolere
Yeah, I mean, Adrian, in the flip side, you know, Fadham's talking about first games. You know, City won, Liverpool won, Arsenal had to play on the Sunday. You know, there are moments where I know those are the kind of games that Arsenal start to feel the pressure, even though they didn't play that well. Winning that game, surely, is a really good start for them in the season.
- [11:13]
Adrian Clarke
Winning's order matters. Performance ultimately gets forgotten, doesn't it? And in a way, if you play badly and make mistakes yet still get three points, it's almost perfect because you've got stuff to learn from, stuff to focus on, moving forwards. I do think playing on the Sunday afternoon on the back of Liverpool and City scoring four a piece did add some pressure. I do. And I'm not saying that that impacted the performance, but it definitely cranked it up a little bit. I just think Arsenal got a little bit flustered. For whatever reason, they didn't handle Manchester United's slightly increased hostility particularly well. Passing was poor but yeah, look, got away with it and ultimately you move on. You take the three points, you forget about that match really and you look ahead to the next one. Leeds at home on Saturday.
- [12:01]
Adam Crafton
So did you say at the start though Ayo, Arsenal had to play on a Sunday?
- [12:06]
Ayo Akimolere
No, I didn't say it was a bad thing. I was just like you've watched your potential rivals win and then you're playing on the Sunday evening and you know you have to get a result. Come on.
- [12:16]
Adam Crafton
Genuinely, Adrian, do you think on the opening weekend players are even thinking about what Liverpool are doing or what Man City are doing? You've been in this position, obviously we've not. Is that something you're even looking at on the opening weekend?
- [12:28]
Adrian Clarke
They would have watched the games definitely. They would have watched it and thought City look good or Liverpool. What about their attack? They'll obviously have been encouraged by how open they were. But no, they will have watched it and obviously they've got those three points in the bag. You know, it's like you can't afford to drop too many points in a Premier League season. So because neither side dropped points because both look pretty good. Yeah, I just think I'm only talking small percentages but like a little bit more pressure was added because they did well. So then it was like can we do well? But it's a completely different type of match, isn't it? Like you say. And Arsenal have been annually terrible at Old Trafford. I don't know what it is about that place. Never ever bring our A game yet. I think we've won three of the last six now at Old Trafford, so that's definitely a positive.
- [13:17]
Ayo Akimolere
Okay, well let's move on because one player we haven't talked about is Victor Jochares. Let's talk about how he performed on his debut.
- [13:30]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
Did you know Tide has been upgraded to provide an even better clean in cold Water. Tide is specifically designed to fight any stain you throw at it, even in cold butter. Yep. Chocolate ice cream. Sure thing, barbecue sauce. Tide's got you covered. You don't need to use warm water. Additionally, Tide pods let you confidently fight tough stains with new coldzyme technology. Just remember, if it's gotta be clean, it's gotta be Tide. I'm not switching my team to some fancy work platform that somehow knows they exactly how we work. And its AI features are literally saving us hours every day. We're big fans and just like that, teams all around the world are falling for Monday.com with intuitive design, seamless AI capabilities and custom workflows, it's the work platform your team will instantly click with. Head to Monday.com, the first work platform you'll love to use.
- [14:31]
Ayo Akimolere
This is Car Tracks with Turtle Wax. Your car says a lot about you. So if we asked your car what it would say about you, what would it say? Listen, you dropped one of those tiny cheeseburgers under the seat like last week and now we're both dry heaving at the stench. Do us a favor, grab some Turtle Wax and let's get to work. This has been Car Tracks with Turtle Wax. You are how you car.
- [15:05]
Adam Crafton
It is Victor Yokerez's number that goes up and.
- [15:08]
Ayo Akimolere
He taunted by the Manchester United supporters.
- [15:12]
Adam Crafton
Having failed to get an opening goal.
- [15:14]
Ayo Akimolere
In the Premier League for Arsenal in the almost hour that he's been on the field. So much of Arsenal's summer has been dominated by their search for a new center forward. Having gone for Victor Yokares, he lasted an hour on his debut. Adam Adrian, I want to hear your thoughts in just a bit, but before that, here's James McNicholas who was an Old Trafford for the Athletic on Arsenal's new front man.
- [15:36]
James McNicholas
What did I think of Victor Yokerez on his Premier League debut? Maybe a little bit underwhelming, I have to say. I think he made a decent start. But Mikel Arteta's point in his press conference after the game was simply that Arsenal didn't really play to Yokerez's strengths. And I think this is going to be an ongoing discussion really over the next few months as as Arsenal adapt to Yokerez and he adapts to them. Arteta felt that particularly in the first half when the game was quite transitional, quite end to end, there were several moments where Arsenal had the opportunity to play someone through on goal and they failed to execut you and that's certainly true. You know, Arsenal were Lacking fluency in attack, their execution of the final ball wasn't good enough on the day. Had it been, perhaps we would have seen a bit more of Yokerez. I think we got to remember as well, he's still settling in, he's still getting up to speed. He joined Arsenal relatively late in the window. He hadn't had any sort of preseason prior to that, so I think there's a bit of sharpness there missing, too. But I think the main theme is this, this adaptation. We've seen this before when Manchester City signed Erling Haaland and they had to make, you know, changes and adjustments to be accustomed to playing with conventional number nine. The difference between Havertz and Yokerez is stark. You know, Havertz wants to drop in, wants to get involved in the midfield. Yokerez doesn't want to do that. He's playing on the shoulder, he's playing on the last line. And that requires something different from Arsenal. They didn't show it today. And I'm sure in the video sessions and coaching sessions that follow, that will be a big focus for Mikel Arteta in the coming days before their next outing.
- [17:02]
Ayo Akimolere
Yeah, Adrian, talk to me. Victor Yokeres on his debut away at Manchester United. What do you think?
- [17:07]
Adrian Clarke
I felt a bit sorry for him, really. He's feeding off scraps, wasn't he? No service. I mean, look. Look along Arsenal's forward line. Who did play well? Saka didn't play well. Martinelli didn't play well. Jocherez, I wouldn't say didn't play well. I just think he didn't really get much of a sniff. There's a couple of moments where he made good runs down the channels, sort of held it up nicely. There's one good cross wasn't there for Martinelli, that he tried to overhead kick into the net. I think the telling moment, the bit we'll all. When he makes that run down the left channel, which is kind of his domain, from an Odegaard pass in the second half, and you think, right, here we go, here we go. We're rubbing our hands together. He's going to cut inside and he's going to smash this in the top corner. And he trips over the ball. And that, unfortunately, is the moment that probably will linger in the minds of supporters. So, yeah, it was not the dream debut that he wanted, but I completely concur with James there. There were a couple of occasions. There was one Martinelli break down the middle. It's a relatively simple pass. Just slip it in behind and he was there, he was in and it didn't come. And there were one or two other little moments as well. So yeah, they've just got to. Gotta get on the same wavelength, haven't they, the. The attacker midfielders with the Ocares because he's a completely different type of striker.
- [18:25]
Ayo Akimolere
Adam, 21 touches, 0 shots. I mean it's not the greatest debut, but I don't think Arsenal were particularly at the races yesterday either.
- [18:34]
Adam Crafton
No. And it's also not the easiest game to make your debut in. You know, you're playing against three centre hobs in a team that's. That's not really played with a conventional centre forward for quite a long time now. And you know, I was even looking at the differences just in terms of percent, just some very basic kind of possession differences between this fixture last season and this fixture this season. And I think Arsenal had, What was it, 69% of the ball in the game in May where it was 1:1 and yesterday it was about 37, 38% that Arsenal had. Now that's partly because Arsenal scored early. And I think this is less about Gyokeres and I think this is something about Arteta. And as Arsenal have this kind of increased desperation to win the league where I think when they go one nil up away from home this season, and I think we saw a bit of it at times last season as well, because they know that they can't afford to drop points. I think they sometimes play with a bit of fear or a bit of we have to protect these points more than we have to go and win these points by scoring more goals. And I think that's a balance that Arteta is constantly understandably wrestling with the extent to which he can set this team free. And you know, even, you know, the back four where you've got like basically four center backs, it feels like at times across that back four is a bit Anna kind of furious. Like you can play as a fullback, but I don't feel like that balances is conducive at times to really going after games. It's more about protecting games. But Adrian, you see a lot more of them. So is that a fair assessment?
- [20:06]
Adrian Clarke
I can see where you're coming from. Definitely the game management side is a big deal because Arsenal gave up so many points last season. What I'd actually say in this game was that Arsenal's fullbacks were pretty too bold. We saw at times Califuri playing as number 10. And of course if you lose the ball or if in the case of one of the attacks, Odegaard doesn't give it to Calafury, gets intercepted. Of course. They go bang and pick out Mburmo. There was a moment with a couple of moments where White charges infield to go and support Saka and he leaves Dorgu. Dorgu cheats over on the wing. Arsenal lose it. They go and give it to him. So in a way, Arsenal were a bit too cavalier at times in the game. But I do think there will be a focus on protecting Leeds this season. But the best way to protect it in my view is to look after the ball better. If you're one nil up, have 70% of possession, that's the best time to do that, isn't it? And I just don't think Arsenal played well enough yesterday to get the control that they would have wanted. So yeah, it was just. Honestly, I'd say It was a 4 or 5 out of 10 performance. It was really bad by Arsenal standards. Yet they win at Old Trafford. So honestly it has to go down as a massive win. Actually it has to go down as a brilliant win because of those circumstances.
- [21:24]
Ayo Akimolere
I want to talk about Arteta a little later on, Adam, because you just got me thinking about it. But let's just focus on strikers for now. Ekatike scored for Liverpool on his debut. Brand new striker for Liverpool. Joao Pedro, Liam De Lapo. So coming to Chelsea, Benjamin Sheko comes to Manchester United and I guess jokers for Arsenal. I want to focus on United and Arsenal for this time being. Yokerez has been brought in to fix a lot of problems. Cesko has also been brought into Manchester United to I guess fix one of quite a few problems. How much of the success of these, both these teams rests on whether or not they can settle these strikers in.
- [22:01]
Adam Crafton
Well, I mean it does, right? Like, because Arsenal clearly are going to make him the centerpiece of their attack and therefore he has to produce probably 15 league goals, I would say as a minimum. Also, you just look at his age profile and it doesn't feel like one. Where if he has a bit of a. A slow first 18 months and then picks up in a year and a half, then it's all good. Because that's not really the point. It's a, he's a bit of a win now signing. But equally, I don't think that the fact Arsenal now have this striker should take away from what Adrian actually just said a few minutes ago, which was Arsenal's other forwards didn't play well yesterday. Arsenal don't Just need more from their center forwards. They need more from. Martinelli wasn't good enough last season, for example, Saka, I thought yesterday was poor by his standards. I wonder with Saka at times. I think he's an amazing player, unbelievable player. But can he have a season like a mo Salah season? Can he take his game and his output to that level? He may not be able to. He may just be a different player that I was going to say he creates more, but Salah creates so much as well that actually he does. He does all of it. But that's why Arsenal need a center forward that scores goals. Because unlike Liverpool, they don't have those wide forwards over the years. They score goals, but not the level of goals. But I really do think with all the discussion about your careers that there has to be a focus as well on Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli. They all need to score more goals. Otherwise you're going to end up in a situation where you just fall short.
- [23:37]
Ayo Akimolere
What about United Forcesko? Because there's an argument that you've got Hojlund there who actually, with the right service could actually be a better player. I'm no tactician, but you sort of feel that Cesko go potentially. I mean, I haven't seen him in the Premier League other than yesterday. Could take a bit of time to settle in.
- [23:54]
Adam Crafton
Well, Hoyla won't be there for long by the looks of it. He. I mean, he wasn't in the squad yesterday. They're doing their best to get him out. I think he will eventually come to the realization that he probably has to leave in this window. It's. I think it's getting a little bit unpleasant, to be honest. You know, he's someone who's. I think for all the limitations and difficulties he's had that he's. He's never been one that you could throw. Throw accusations out in terms of attitude or character. He's just not. It's just not works for him. Probably because he was brought in far too young for too much money and too much expectation on him. Sesko, I can't say that I've seen enough of him, you know, playing in Germany that I can sit here and say he's this, he's that and everything. I. I think with him because, you know, you look at his goals record in Germany, they're not at the level that it was with Gyokeres, where, you know, he's scoring 40 odd a season in Portugal with Sesco something. It was like 13 last season in the league I think what's more important is actually his role in the system at United they need a centre forward who fully understands what Amarine wants from a center forward. And I think if you're getting the goals from Embermo and Cunha and Fernandez as well, then okay, it doesn't really matter to quite the same level. But also his age, he's a lot younger. So actually if he has a first season where he scores 12 league goals and shows signs of promise, this, that's absolutely fine. Manchester United aren't going to win the league. If they finish fifth, that's great. If he comes in and scores three goals and Man United finish 12th, that is a problem. So I think the expectation is fairly or unfairly different for Gya Perez and Tesco just based on age.
- [25:31]
Ayo Akimolere
Yeah. To buy that. Adrian, in terms of Gyokores's role at Arsenal, it's more about as well those attacking players stepping up this season to help him out.
- [25:40]
Adrian Clarke
Yeah, of course, yeah, that they need to. Erdogaard has had an A season where he scored I think 15 goals. Saka the same Martinelli has as well. But what Arsenal need is for them all to sort of pull that together in one campaign, don't they? Not enough goals really from those guys last season. That's why Arsenal are in the market for a left sided player because they need more goals elsewhere. It can't just be on Yokerez's shoulders. Isn't it funny? I mean, I think all the strikers were. Will do absolutely fine but the one striker that was sort of head and shoulders above the others this weekend was Ekitike. Brilliant individual performance I thought against Bournemouth. Yeah. He's the one that will probably be demoted when Liverpool sign Isak or if Liverpool sign Isak. So yeah, it's. Yeah, it's funny in a way.
- [26:28]
Ayo Akimolere
Yeah. I'm just looking at Arsenal signings, well, the big ones anyway. Gyokores, Zubimendi, Adam compared to Buemo, I should say, and Matthias Cunha. Cunha Mbumo have played in the Premier League now and I feel like they've got those street smarts down. Was that evident yesterday? In comparison to maybe Gyokores and Zubimendi.
- [26:46]
Adam Crafton
I thought Kunya was probably Man United's best player. I saw a lot of him in Wolves games last season. He's an unbelievable player. It was just a question of how he fits in and how he works with Fernandez being that bit deeper. Because I still think Fernandez is probably at his best as a 10 rather than as one of those two midfield. Although yesterday I was surprised actually that Casemiro and Fernandez lived with the Arsenal midfield yesterday on paper that was one of those things you looked at on paper and thought that's going to be a problem. I think actually this season as a whole, across the Premier League, across those big teams, we are seeing a kind of a bit more of a pivot towards signing Premier League proven players against again, you know, Tottenham signed Kudis and went after Gibbs. White obviously Man United have done Embermo and Cunha. Chelsea have done Joao Pedro and Dala. Liverpool obviously going for Isaac. And it feels like a bit of a pivot away from what we've seen the past few years, which has always been, you know, Man United just taking, you know, let's go and sign a load of players from Holland or let's go and sign players from different markets and try and get them into the Premier League. I think what clubs have are sensing now is actually you go and sign from the team the run below you in the Premier League. So Tottenham will take from West Ham or well, maybe not in terms of position finishes last season at least, but in the general sense of budget, you know, Chelsea we see constantly signing from Brighton, Newcastle signing from Nottingham Forest and Elanga. And I think it's because the Premier League is, you know, we've said this before on this podcast, the Premier League is a super league league, right? It is the best product if you take the kind of level across the 20 teams. And that's why the top six teams are now thinking, well we're more sure of making good signings by signing from.
- [28:35]
Adrian Clarke
There on that I think it's absolutely true in terms of wanting players that are hungry on the way up rather than the players that have maybe come from a real Madrid that are on the way down. They're actually just disappointed to have left there. I think there is something in the that and, and that's one of the reasons why I would favor Arsenal going for someone like Eze rather than than Rodrigo. Even though Rodrigo is a fantastic talent. I'd absolutely take him Arsenal if they were to able to get him. But I would prefer Eze because I think Eze's still got that fire in his belly to prove that he can, he can do it at a Champions League club, that he, he can revel in that environment. Whereas if you get from above you then are you looking at a demoralized player, A player that's maybe thinking, oh, this isn't as good as it as it used to be. So that I think that is something for all of these consider okay, well.
- [29:24]
Ayo Akimolere
Let'S move on because I really want to analyze Mikel Arteta's role in this in trying to get Arsenal over the line.
- [29:37]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
As you've probably heard by now, we've teamed up with BetMGM. This season we'll be using BetMGM lines to make all of our picks and we'll have special offers for our listeners each week. If you haven't signed up for Ben BetMGM yet, use bonus code TheAthletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a fifteen hundred dollar first bet offer on your first wager with BetMGM. Here's how it works. Download the BetMGM app and sign up using bonus code TheAthletic. Make your first deposit of at least ten dollars. Place your first bet on any game and claim your voucher for a one year subscription to the Athletic. MGM.com for terms. U.S. promotional offers not available in D.C. mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario or Puerto Rico. Gambling problem call 1-800- gambler available in the U.S. call 877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY 467-369 in New York, call 1-800- NEXT STEP in Arizona, 1-800-327-5050 in Massachusetts, 1-800-bets off in Iowa, 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help in Michigan, 1-800-981-0023 in Puerto Rico. First bet offer for new customers only in partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. Don't forget, if you haven't signed up for for BetMGM yet, use bonus code theathletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a $1,500 first bet offer on your first wager.
- [30:51]
I'm not switching my team to some fancy work platform that somehow knows exactly how we work, and its AI features are literally saving us hours every day. We're big fans and just like that. Yet teams all around the world are falling for Monday.com with intuitive design, seamless AI capabilities, and custom workflows, it's the work platform your team will instantly click with. Head to Monday.com, the first work platform you'll love to use. This is Mike. Mike's stuck in traffic. The only thing that could make this worse is if he promised to cook his date dinner at 8.
- [31:30]
Ayo Akimolere
Which he did.
- [31:31]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
But it's now 7:30 and he's still on the 5. Good thing Mike has Grubhub plus with Prime. $0 delivery fees, 0 stress, 0 rush. Dinner's covered and so is his reputation. Free Grubhub Plus. It's on Prime. Additional terms and fees apply.
- [31:56]
Ayo Akimolere
Well, last week, Mikel Arteta spoke to Amy Lawrence for the Athletic, talking about how he's changed. Changed as a manager every year.
- [32:02]
Adam Crafton
As a manager, you evolve, you learn, I think, and your experience especially, and you tend to put the focus in other things, because the manager that the boys needed three years ago is a different manager than they need today, because that team has grown so much as well, in every sense of that word, that they need somebody else and that somebody else has to adapt and somebody else have to identify what is really important, what is really going to get that fire in the belly to get the best out of them.
- [32:33]
Ayo Akimolere
Yeah, that was Emi Lawrence talking to Mikel Arteta. And you can hear more on that interview on the Athletics dedicated Arsenal podcast, Handbrake off. Right, Adrian, he's had to have evolved. He's got older anyway, and some of those players around him. But from where you're sitting, how do you think the Mikel Arteta that started at Arsenal all those years ago to the guy we see now has evolved as a person and a manager greatly?
- [32:56]
Adrian Clarke
I mean, first and foremost, just look at his demeanour on the side of the touchline. I mean, people used to slate him for being sort of manic and whatnot. He's much calmer now. He's learned on the job it was a massive risk for Arsenal to go for Arteta in the first place. And year on year, he's just picked up more knowledge. He's now got a base of, like, when this happens, this is. This is what worked before. Ah, I remember this game where this wasn't going well. I changed it to that. He didn't have that at the outset, so. So he. He should be getting better and better. Style of the team has changed, obviously. Often it depends on the players that you bring in that the style will evolve. And I think this season we are set to see quite a big shift in Arteta's evolution as a tactician because of Jocherez, because it's such a different stylistic striker and also, I think, because he's looked at Liverpool. I mean, why wouldn't you look at Liverpool if you're Michael Arteta and think, how can we get better? Or, sure, let's look at the team that actually won the league last year. What do they do better than us? Ah, they score loads of Goals from breakaways, they go from back to front. Unbelievably well. Can we do a bit more of that? And I think that that is probably the next step for Arsenal. They're just learning it at the moment. There were some good moments yesterday in the game at Old Trafford where they sliced through Man United on the break. The execution was really bad. That's got to get better. And once it does that, they'll look a different team.
- [34:27]
Ayo Akimolere
Yeah. The ultimate evolution would be winning the Premier League. Adam. That's three second place, you know, finishes in a row. You know, Adrian says, you know, I mean, he says, right. You know, like he hadn't managed a team before up until now, really. Can we look at his evolution as a success? Because Arsenal haven't won the Premier League in 20 odd years.
- [34:46]
Adam Crafton
Yeah, I can't blame the whole 20 years on him. Maybe some of the time he was a player, to be fair.
- [34:51]
Ayo Akimolere
Of course not. Come on. I know what you mean by. Yeah.
- [34:53]
Adam Crafton
I remember interviewing Arteta when he was at Man City working as an assistant to Pep. And at that time there was this. There was always this kind of. People at City at the time were very excited about him, you know, in terms of the role he was playing. I think I'm trying to remember what the years he was there was maybe 20, 17, 18, around the time City became the Centurions and took 100 points. Maybe it was the. Maybe it was the year before. It was around those years. And at that time I remember going and thinking, oh, you know, he's another Spanish coach. He'll sound a lot like Pepe. He'll want to play like Pep. He's working with Pep. And actually what I remember coming away thinking was actually how much he spoke about playing at Rangers as a young kid, being on. I think he was on loan from PSG at the time, playing at Everton. An appreciation not just of this kind of Barcelona style that he'd grown up with in an academy, but also actually the kind of foundations of British football that he's really been in him for really quite a long time now. And he had those kind of two appreciations simultaneously. And it made me really interesting to see when he had his own team, what he was going to try and make them be. And really, at times, you know, I do look at offs and I see like elements of a David Moyes team. And I mean that as a compliment because I think Moyes is a really good coach and elements of Pep. And that for the first few years, that was what I saw now, when I think of what team are Arsenal most like, I think they're quite unique and I think that's a good thing. I think there's elements of lots of different other teams in there and I also know there's also quite a few Premier League teams who. I know if we all would talk about Arsenal set pieces, who have studied the way Arsenal plays and studied the way Arsenal do set pieces and almost made it like the foundations of their own workings as well. So that shows that Arteta has had an impact kind of on football itself. Of course. Right. The thing that everyone will always end the conversation is, and now he needs to go and win it. Right. And of course he does. But I don't think anyone can look at what Arsenal have done for the last six, seven years and say it's not been a huge success relative to where Arsenal were before that, which were directionless, wasteful, a very split fan base, I think, don't get me wrong, I think the fans still have their moments, you know, where they will have disagreements, but I think there is a stability around the club and a sense of purpose and a sense of ambition that had been teetering for quite a long time before that.
- [37:32]
Ayo Akimolere
It's a lot of pressure, Adrian, if you think about it, trying to bring glory back to Arsenal after all these years to win the Premier League. How do you think Mikel Arteta wears that pressure and how do you think he manages that pressure when it comes to the team? Feels like every year everyone else bolsters their ranks as well. It gets harder and harder to get it over the line.
- [37:50]
Adrian Clarke
Yeah, it's not easy competing against, you know, look at what Liverpool spent this summer. Look at Man City squad. Look at what Chelsea are spending. It's not a gimme, is it, winning the Premier League title. Pressure, I think, is not an issue for Mikel Arteta. He's grown up as a player playing for Arsenal. He's played his some pretty good Arsenal teams. He's played in some dreadful Arsenal teams, but he's. He's worn the badge. He knows what it feels like. You know, playing for Rangers brings great pressure. You've got to embrace it. If you're. If you're a manager of a big club, you've got to gobble up pressure and just use it in a positive way, haven't you? I think he's, you know, he's a family man. I think he does switch off. He's got, you know, he's got teenage kids. I think one's Max Dman's age. He spoke about that with Amy. You know, I think he does a pretty good job actually of being intense with the players and getting them to constantly evolve, but without, you know, letting it ruin his life. But the pressure is on. I think the pressure for this season with Arteta is not necessarily around his job. I think it is around. I really need to prove to the players that we can, we can win, that we can climb the mountain together. Like, for them to keep believing me as a manager, we need some tangible success. We need to get our hands on a trophy. Trophy. Otherwise, will one or two players start thinking it's not going to happen, is it? And then they'll start to look around elsewhere and that is when there could be an issue in the dressing room. That dressing room is completely with Arteta. Completely. But if at the end of this season, Arsenal haven't won a trophy again, it could change.
- [39:29]
Adam Crafton
I think it's a big four or five weeks as well, you know, even before the end of September. Arsenal have games that are. Are really some of their hardest games this season. You know, Liverpool away, Newcastle away Man City at home. And I think everyone's done a bit of a recalibration on Man City after Saturday, where you're like, oh my God, they're good again. They're good again.
- [39:48]
Ayo Akimolere
Yeah, we've all done it. We wrote them off and we're like, oh, God.
- [39:52]
Adam Crafton
I'm sure we have lots of listeners who were completely across AC Milan in Serie A, but I had a lot of WhatsApp message being, my God, the new Reinders was good. I didn't think he was this good. Wasn't meant to be this good. Looks like Kevin de Bruyne, so. So I think there is a bit of that. And Liverpool away, I think will be a fascinating game because if you look at the way Liverpool played on Friday, which was a lot more open than Arsenal I think are wanting to be. Someone said to me yesterday, Arsenal might have been happy. They soaked up pressure and they came away with a win. I was like, there was no way Arsenal wanted to have 20 odd shots against them in that game and have so much space on the break against them. And for all we're talking about the way of, about, I think, you know, we're saying Arsenal didn't play well. We don't give United credit when teams don't play well. It is also sometimes because the team they're playing against is doing things that unnerves them in some way. Now, of course, Arsenal can still, should still be passing to each other better than they were yesterday as well. You know, even Newcastle away is such a tough game over the last couple of years. It comes with kind of bruises and scars for Arsenal. And, you know, if they were to get to that point, having had a couple of iffy results against Liverpool and Man City, and then you've got Champions League starters to roll in and you don't have that much time on the training ground to really work on things. So there's a lot of jeopardy, I think, over the next month. And if they can come through, you know, the next five games with 10 points out of that or 11 points out of that, I think Arteta will be thrilled.
- [41:21]
Ayo Akimolere
We've got to wrap things up. But before we go, Adam, I've got to give you the final word. A new segment we're adding to the Monday podcast at least, and this is is it. You've got a minute to tell us who your biggest winners, losers or maybe both from the last week of football are. When you hear the referee's whistle, you've got to stop talking. We still haven't thought of a name for it. It'll come. But are you ready?
- [41:44]
Adam Crafton
I'm ready. I'm ready. I'm ready.
- [41:45]
Ayo Akimolere
All right, let's go. Start the clock.
- [41:49]
Adam Crafton
So my pick of the weekend, who is also he lost the game on Friday night playing for Bournemouth. But David Brooks, who produced a fantastic assist for Semenya's first goal, we've actually got an interview with him running this week on the Athletics. This is a plug as well as winners or losers, but he had the most sprints out of any player in the Premier League this weekend. And if you read this interview talking about the journey he had coming back from cancer, recovering from cancer, the battle not just to get well, but to get fit again. For him to be doing the most sprints in a Premier League weekend, I thought was extraordinary.
- [42:24]
Ayo Akimolere
Fantastic. I don't even know what that was, but you finished that in lovely time. I mean, very good, very good. Also used it for a plug as well. Very smart indeed. All right, gents, let's end it there. Adam, Adrian, thank you so much for joining us, as well as James for his thoughts on Yokares as well. Thanks for listening. We'll be back tomorrow.
- [42:43]
Adrian Clarke
You've been listening to the Athletic FC podcast.
- [42:46]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
The producers were Guy Clark, Mike Stavro and Jay Beal.
- [42:49]
Adrian Clarke
The Exception executive producer was Ailey Moorhead.
- [42:51]
Adam Crafton
To listen to other great athletic podcasts.
- [42:53]
Adrian Clarke
For free, search for the Athletic on Apple, Spotify and all the usual places. The Athletic FC podcast is an athletic media company production.
- [43:14]
Ayo Akimolere
Listen up. You can get the new iPhone 16e.
- [43:17]
Adam Crafton
With Apple Intelligence for just $49.99 when you switch to Boost Mic. Oh boy, we pulled so many all nighters to give you this deal.
- [43:25]
Ayo Akimolere
And hey, stop messing with the mic.
- [43:27]
Adrian Clarke
I'm just helping this catch people's attention. This is a great deal.
- [43:31]
Ayo Akimolere
Exactly, so it doesn't need all that.
- [43:35]
Adrian Clarke
Fine.
- [43:36]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
Get the new iPhone 16e available at Apple Store locations and the Apple Store online.
- [43:40]
Visit your nearest Boost Mobile store for full offer details. Apple Intelligence requires iOS 18.1 or later. Restrictions apply.
- [43:45]
Adam Crafton
Comcast Business High 5 hotline I signed my business up for the 5 year price lock guarantee and I can't stop high fiving people.
- [43:52]
Adrian Clarke
That's perfectly natural when you sign up.
- [43:54]
Adam Crafton
For gig speed, Internet and advanced security locked in at a great rate for five years.
- [43:58]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
Really?
- [43:59]
Adam Crafton
That's great news. High five everybody.
- [44:00]
Ayo Akimolere
The Comcast business 5 year price lock.
- [44:03]
Adrian Clarke
Guarantee is back, but only for a limited time. Sign up today ends 92125 for new.
- [44:08]
Adam Crafton
Customers with qualifying bundle.
- [44:09]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
Current customer eligibility varies by service and area. Guaranteed rate applies to monthly service charge.
- [44:13]
Adrian Clarke
Excluding taxes and fees.
- [44:14]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
Other restrictions apply. If you're in business, you'd expect money movement to be easy. And it is with Visa Direct Collect, hold, convert and send payments between more than 195 countries, 160 currencies, and over 11 billion cards, accounts and wallets effortlessly and securely move money your way. Learn more@visa.com visa direct.