The Official Arsenal Thread - Part 2

[mayday]

What I will never understand is how big clubs like United and Arsenal are not copying the shit out of what Brighton and others are doing.

Caicedo for 70 million is a big gamble, Caicedo for the 5 million paid for him is nothing. United were rumoured to be in for him before he joined Brighton but wisely decided not to heed Ralfs advice and sent 11 million to Florida instead.

He took mcfred apart on the opening day of the season just to compound the wise decision.


There's bargains out there if you look. FFS Leceister bought Mahrez and Kante for a donor kebab and chips.

Agree 100%. The big clubs have the best of everything but not scouts.

I saw someone post yesterday that Arsenal shouldn’t sign Caicedo but signs the scouting dept at Brighton instead.

 

[marco 2005]

What I will never understand is how big clubs like United and Arsenal are not copying the shit out of what Brighton and others are doing.

Caicedo for 70 million is a big gamble, Caicedo for the 5 million paid for him is nothing. United were rumoured to be in for him before he joined Brighton but wisely decided not to heed Ralfs advice and sent 11 million to Florida instead.

He took mcfred apart on the opening day of the season just to compound the wise decision.


There's bargains out there if you look. FFS Leceister bought Mahrez and Kante for a donor kebab and chips.

Arsenal's (new) policy is a mix of academy players being given a chance (Saka, ESR, Eddie, Nelson), young and cheap players with high potential (Martinelli, Saliba Marquinhos, Vieira, Gabi M) + couple of established/proven players like Trossard, Jesus, Zinchenko.

They do have good scouting network but their model isn't as reliant on finding the next nuggets as Brighton or Leicester (used to be)...this Brighton team reminds me of Udinese a decade ago or mighty FC Lorient right now.

I said yesterday that i don't think Caicedo is worth anywhere near the amount of money Brighton are quoting and there is definitely better value for money out there, somewhere. They're asking for so much because they don't want to lose him (and i feel for them, no joke)...if Arsenal were to wait til this summer they'd probably get him for half the money they're rumored to be offering right now...but there's a title to conquer.

 

[marco 2005]

Agree 100%. The big clubs have the best of everything but not scouts.

I think most top clubs (as in, top division clubs) have excellent scouting networks...(Pretty much) gone are the days of some fellas watching games in remote stadia in Africa or South America to unearth the new 'X' or 'Y', you've spreadsheets and databases doing 90% of the work for you.

I saw someone post yesterday that Arsenal shouldn’t sign Caicedo but signs the scouting dept at Brighton instead.

i more or less hinted at that when saying they should just sign whoever Brighton are thinking to replace Caicedo with (Sander Berge they say).

Just buy Brighton altogether

 

[Philby]

What I will never understand is how big clubs like United and Arsenal are not copying the shit out of what Brighton and others are doing.

In most cases these Caicedo-type players are very much on the radar of the top clubs, but they decide not the pull the trigger because:

• They need a solution with a higher likelihood of slotting in and delivering asap (...often their jobs depend on it). Look at the effect that Casemiro has had on this Manyoo team. There was little risk that a guy with his profile wouldn't be able to hack the step "up" (??) to the PL, as long as his attitude was right
• Bigger clubs often don't have the patience to give promising player the time they need to bed in & develop. Brighton end up being able to sell guys on for big profit not just because they scout well - but largely because they have a structure & ethos which is a good fit with giving player the right amount of minutes, when they need it, in an environment where they aren't under quite as much press/fan scrutiny
• They're (grudgingly) happy to let clubs like Brighton incubate the player for a season or two and pay the premium once he's "PL-proven"
• The price they quote to Brighton/Brentford (or non-PL club) can differ significantly from the price that they'd quote to a traditional PL top 6 club

 

[marco 2005]

In most cases these Caicedo-type players are very much on the radar of the top clubs, but they decide not the pull the trigger because:

• They need a solution with a higher likelihood of slotting in and delivering asap (...often their jobs depend on it). Look at the effect that Casemiro has had on this Manyoo team. There was little risk that a guy with his profile wouldn't be able to hack the step "up" (??) to the PL, as long as his attitude was right
• Bigger clubs often don't have the patience to give promising player the time they need to bed in & develop. Brighton end up being able to sell guys on for big profit not just because they scout well - but largely because they have a structure & ethos which is a good fit with giving player the right amount of minutes, when they need it, in an environment where they aren't under quite as much press/fan scrutiny
• They're (grudgingly) happy to let clubs like Brighton incubate the player for a season or two and pay the premium once he's "PL-proven"
• The price they quote to Brighton/Brentford (or non-PL club) can differ significantly from the price that they'd quote to a traditional PL top 6 club

this, its not like only Brighton had heard of Caicedo, i'd say every scouting network of any PL (or continental) club knew of him...

Big clubs aren't doing their shopping in the same shops as 'smaller clubs' due to pressure on delivering whatever is their target (league title, race for CL/TNCL), in short, bigger clubs don't have time to fuck around and usually opt to pay a premium once they have more assurances X or Y is likely to be a successful signing.

that's not to say 'big clubs' never take a gamble or never give time to unproven players, it'd be a wrong statement, plenty examples out there showing it but we're only talking 1-2 of these players per big clubs at most.

 

[marco 2005]

and when you produce quality players (or buy them on the cheap after detailed scouting analysis) and give them the right structure/development path, this is what happens:

Basically 3 of the best 5 young fowards in Europe are on Arsenal's books...

 

[Bandon Langer]

and when you produce quality players (or buy them on the cheap after detailed scouting analysis) and give them the right structure/development path, this is what happens:

Basically 3 of the best 5 young fowards in Europe are on Arsenal's books...

 

[marco 2005]

Marquinhos to Norwich on loan for the remainder of the season, good stuff, needs to play.

 

[Bandon Langer]

Dubz

Some finish

 

[Philby]

i more or less hinted at that when saying they should just sign whoever Brighton are thinking to replace Caicedo with (Sander Berge they say).

Just buy Brighton altogether

Sander Berge looks a very different player stylistically than Caicedo. The Ecuadorian's defensive work-rate is on a different level.

If Brighton are keen on Berge it definitely won't be a like-for-like move.