They (Brentford) are playing an fa cup final and they are giving 105% whereas Arsenal are giving 95% because they just expected to win. They fine margins mean everything. And make no mistake (no Pardew pun intended) the crowd makes a mahoosive difference.
Make no mistake, Arsenal will dust themselves down, roll up their sleeves, take off their gloves and go again.
The announcement video was amusing with all the tweets. Good signing for us, just hope certain fans don't start having a go when he doesn't score in his first game
Don't know mate. We would have wanted to get it done but I suppose they knew they had the whip hand as we were getting desperate. They'd have known we wanted him registered in time too, so more than likely a bit of brinkmanship has gone on. Normal poker face type stuff with modern footballers. It should be so much simpler and actually about football.
Its more of a hybrid. I think its very clever. The very fact they went this route though is shameful on modern football. Everyone gets hung up thinking they are signing players solely by stats like the moneyball approach. But if you listen to their DOF he makes it clear while no player is signed without data input, no player is signed without the traditional method of using your eyes either. The big thing though was scrapping their youth system altogether and losing the grant from the PL. They were widely criticised at the time, but as they pointed out they lost Poveda to Man City and Bohui to Man U. Having invested heavily to developed them, they were whisked away and they got £30,000 for each. That's disgusting. So they realised where the gap in the market was. These PL clubs sign so many young players, hoover up all the talent from other youth systems. They then spit out loads once they've had their fun and decided who is best. They make mistakes and spit out the likes of Jaime Vardy etc. All Brentford have realised is by analysing the stats, scouting these players heavily they can spot potential. Makes complete sense. Instead of fighting the tide they use their own corrupt system against them. They head abroad and invest heavily in Scandinavian markets etc and the owners betting analysts have their tentacles all over. So instead of developing young players for other teams or spending way over the odds on League 1 and League 2 players, they operate within a budget. It will have its limits of course, but it really is two fingers up at the corrupt system.
Strange one this, why didn't they use Willock as part of the deal to get him? Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta could turn to Newcastle United's 24-year-old English goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, after failing to sign Sheffield United and England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, 23. (Chronicle)
I wouldn't sell. He looks a great talent. I'd like us to actually start giving young players a chance. True though, why would you not just stipulate any deal involving Willock would be dependant on that. For Woodmans part though, if he is just going to be a reserve, why would he go there? He is desperate to keep playing games after last two seasons brought him on hugely.
He hasn't been playing the same side that did so well the second half of last season.. Bruce or Howe.. None of them have played that side because they haven't considered the connection between that and the results They're still good enough players... Its the rest that aren't. When I say players I mean the squad.
