Last week I wrote about Leandro Trossard, his adapted role this season and how he just keeps going and going. He’s not always the most fashionable option but there’s always room for a very smart, very adaptable player who knows how to make things happen. open.substack.com/pub/ballisst...

Main thing I’ve enjoyed this year how much we control games. Not as much verve yet but the control may be even stronger than the back end of 23/24, which I hold as the benchmark. Wrote in the summer about what needed to change re control, and I’m really delighted with Zubi off the back of it.

Many were seemingly very offended when I said we played poorly last week but similar this, though against a very good side. Lacking our best attacking midfielder and centre forward, losing three starters during the game, just had to dig in and get it done. Didn’t enjoy it but few complaints.

You can't play like that regularly if you want to win the league but if you do play like that, you have to win. Hated pretty much every second of that.

Aside from absolutely everything else, if you wanted to give me 25 mins to calm my worries about Gyökeres down, these would be them. Done very well so far.

If you're going to be as low-touch and low-pass as Erling Haaland for a proper team, you have to be Erling Haaland, and all the movement and strength that comes with that, before you even get to being of the level where 22 league goals is an off season.

Morning everyone! I wrote about the changes to Arsenal's forward line, the new boys, the new configurations, where everyone fits, the hopes, dreams, expectations and worries. I was as diplomatic and even-handed as I could be - can YOU tell where my scepticisms lie?

Look at the new signings in the forward line, how everyone fits, expectations and hopes and, for one and a half, let’s say, a few worries. There’s going to be a lot of mutual adjusting needed, but the plus side is undoubtedly how varied the threat is now.

NEW: This Summer I Went Signing, Part II #arsenal #afc

NEW: This Summer I Went Signing, Part II #arsenal #afc

This game is doing absolutely nothing to allay my worries that despite Eze being a lovely player, he's perhaps not the ideal fit for where we are and what we need. But he is at least definitely a very good player, which can't be said for all. V happy for Martinelli, he really needed that.

It's a complaint I make extremely often, but very jarring as a silver who tends to find a way in for (pretty much) every game how easy pickings these CL games are, and how little you hear from all those people who are always so desperate to go, apparently.

NEW: The Summer I Went Signing: Part I open.substack.com/pub/ballisst...

Enjoyed writing this one overall. 22/23 years was great up until the final bit, but it’s very hard to really go back into that time and not look at the last few years as massive progress, even though the excitement and general feeling isn’t quite the same.

NEW: Between the Zinners and the Saints open.substack.com/pub/ballisst...

Enjoyed writing this one overall. 22/23 years was great up until the final bit, but it’s very hard to really go back into that time and not look at the last few years as massive progress, even though the excitement and general feeling isn’t quite the same.

It was hard to imagine (and, at times, watch) Arsenal without Zinchenko a couple of seasons ago, all for it to end with the club desperate to get him out in any way possible. In part a steady process of planned evolution, in part a story of trust broken in moments. Read through the link above 👆

NEW: Between the Zinners and the Saints open.substack.com/pub/ballisst...

I was very sceptical of allotting the funds we did for Madueke in the context of the rest of the side, but I feel a massive amount better about having him to come in for Saka at Anfield than I would’ve for shifting Martinelli over or hoping Nwaneri can make a dent from RW.

Mental health update in the wake of the last 24 hours of Arsenal news

Those of you who’ve been more present for pre-season than I have, I have some big questions as to how next season is going to go: - How much was a Guinness at the stadium? - How much was an Asahi at the stadium? - How was the Guinness at the stadium? - How was the Asahi at the stadium?

A lot of similarly tactically inclined people didn’t take to him, which I sort of get, but also find sad. He exploded when I was about 14, and he really opened up a different way of seeing the game to me. Even though he’s Bayern incarnate I can’t help but love him.

Müller is probably my favourite non-Arsenal player in the last decade or so (not inc Messi, ofc). Not the kind of technical player I usually love but I loved seeing him show you can’t stop the smartest guy on the pitch from outwitting you.

NEW: Mülling On a Scrappy Genius ballisstrife.substack.com/p/mulling-on...

NEW: Mülling On a Scrappy Genius ballisstrife.substack.com/p/mulling-on...

Anyone else got an issue with BSky where it keeps claiming your password is wrong? Not changed it but can’t login on laptop now lol

I liked Šeško a lot for us cos there’s a tonne of potential there but I also believe/d we had a setup and main CF strong enough that he could get bedding in time, which I reckon he’d need. I don’t quite see that for United. And a real question of priorities with that midfield and limited funds.

🤔🤔🤔

Idle thinking based on a report I saw a few weeks ago saying Leao could be going for £60m-ish. Been staunchly anti cos I think Arteta would hate him and I’ve seen him do nothing way too often, but at that price he wouldn’t necessarily be Star Signing status, as it were, and much easier to rotate…

Idk if Isak isn’t interested in us, was never an option, payment style would’ve meant X, Y or Z, but this is what I meant with resource allocation and having questions. £48m up front on a non-urgent area in July (can’t join up for 3 weeks anyway) may be a factor in us not being in the conv for Isak.

I have my worries with Gyökeres but reading this did settle me somewhat. Comprehensive and really gets into how he fits and how we'll have to change around him (for the better, at least in places).

NEW: A long, in-depth look at Viktor Gyökeres. His goal record, his major strengths and some weaknesses, what he offers that Arsenal don't have (but do need). Read, enjoy, share, subscribe. Or don't! likeanewsletter.substack.com/p/gyok-n-rol...

Another great piece encapsulating brilliantly what so many of us feel and have been feeling for the past three years. @michaelkeshani.bsky.social fantastic job.

Why, as a leading writer at a national newspaper, would you turn off your capital letters for social media? Pretentious nonsense

Had a lot of positive feedback on this, which has been nice on some level but also just brings back how many tiers of failure there have been, and how much anger there is (and should be) at the club.

Allow myself to quote… myself. From my article on the forwards a couple of weeks back. A cheerier Substack post compared to my more recent promotion angles. Link: open.substack.com/pub/ballisst...

I'm less enthused about the prospect of Gyökeres than I thought I would be. I'm extremely unenthused about the prospect of Madueke. I also have some real beef with Zubimendi taking #36. We could very feasibly have a #36-#41-#29 midfield next season. It's all gone to pot.

Had a lot of positive feedback on this, which has been nice on some level but also just brings back how many tiers of failure there have been, and how much anger there is (and should be) at the club.

Pretty clear what this one is about, and it doesn't need much introduction. A lot of people have a lot to justify at Arsenal, and far beyond. I hope this situation can turn into the basis for some real change. ballisstrife.substack.com/p/three-year...

I think Michael nails it here. The club and Arteta have a lot to answer for. Yesterday someone told me Arteta was “naive” for answering the question about whether they should renew Partey. What we actually know is that he’s pretty ruthless about moving players he wants gone.

Very succinctly put by @theiconic15.bsky.social on Twitter.

NEW: Three Years of Dismay, Disgust and Paralysis Link in post below.

Shall I be plain? I wish the bastards dead

What do you do, as a fan of a club, when the rep of its main supporters' organisation takes it upon themselves to vote against an FSA motion (on behalf of said org) that players accused of similar crimes should be given a no fault stand down while investigations go on? It runs horribly deep.

Doubt it’ll ever come to pass unless some kind of charge happens, but there really should be a reckoning at the club about how this has gone down and how long it’s gone on. We’ve been saved by the fact he’s a greedy moron above all else, but at least we’ve been saved.