Good morning from London where I’m trying to figure out whether I should treat today as a matchday or not.
For those in the UK, kick-off against Bournemouth – the first match of our US tour – is at 3.30 am tomorrow, so technically it’s not. At the same time, it’s the last chance I’ll get to preview the game as it’ll be over by the time I’m up to write tomorrow’s blog.
I’m teetering on the edge of the “he’s 28 until he becomes 29” vortex, so it’s probably best to move on.
I’m not sure about you but I’ve been hoovering up the USA Tour content following a remarkably quiet six weeks or so on the Arsenal front. More often than not June is the quietest month on Arseblog News but even I was surprised that in terms of published articles, the only comparable period in the site’s history was when football was suspended due to Covid-19.
Believe me, we were ready and waiting for something juicy to drop, but aside from a few developing transfer stories and some light-touch coverage of the international tournaments, there wasn’t much worth covering. From a personal perspective, it was a blessing as my ‘real’ job has been ridiculously busy recently and when things heat up on that front, you truly appreciate the privilege of not having to produce content just for the sake of it.
And before you come at us with your pitchforks and compare us to Denilson tracking back against Stoke, I should point out that Arseblog News just passed the 20,000 published articles milestone which, over 13 years, works out at around four articles a day. So not bad.
Anyway, back to Los Angeles and the squad’s preparations for tonight’s/tomorrow’s match.
Having watched some of the training snippets on Arsenal’s social channels and the Hayters’ coverage on YouTube, it’s fair to say it looks like sweaty work. In the latter, I particularly enjoyed the cameraman remarking “that is a tan” at the sight of Ben White caramelising in the midday sun. There was no such commentary when Oleksandr Zinchenko came into view. I suspect the Ukrainian has to miss the first hour of every session while he bathes his paleness in factor 50. He must be weighing up a meeting with HR.
The heat aside, it’s a very different setup to London Colney. I know the KSE-owned LA Rams, whose facilities Arsenal are using this week, plan to move to a new training facility soon and I can’t say I’m surprised. It looks like a couple of pitches have been airdropped into the desert and the sight of various tents, portacabins and cars on the touchline gives the setup a very temporary and unglamorous feel; a stark contrast to SoFI Stadium where the Rams play their home games.
On the plus side, the grass looks pristine. Hopefully, that’s also the case at Dignity Park tonight and for the Manchester United game on Saturday/Sunday. Last year, SoFi Stadium’s pitch was in such a bad state for the Barcelona game that Arteta initially wanted the game called off.
He’s since framed the touring experience as a positive and insists being forced to adapt to new surroundings is good preparation for the season proper as “some unpredictable things happen and when you travel abroad you have to face that.”
On the subject of unpredictability, it’ll be interesting to see how we line up against Bournemouth. I’m assuming Arteta will go as strong as possible for the first half and then send on the foetuses after the break. It really depends on whether he’s ready to field his Euro 2024 contingent.
If he is, you could play Karl Hein – our only keeper with fully developed hands – in goal, then Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior, White and Jurrien Timber in defence, Thomas Partey or Jorginho at the base of midfield, Emile Smith Rowe or Fabio Vieira alongside Martin Odegaard (assuming he’s recovered from the sniffles) and three of Gabriel Jesus, Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and Leandro Trossard. That’s not too shabby.
More than anything, I’m excited to see what we do with Timber. After basically sustaining a season-ending injury on his Premier League debut, he’s the textbook definition of LANS. Moreover, we still don’t know where he fits into Arteta’s plans. This time last year, the Dutchman was making waves as a left-back but with several options in that position, not to mention a deal in the pipeline for Riccardo Calafiori, you have to assume the manager has something else in mind.
Timber seems relaxed about the situation and is happy to be considered a versatile option.
“I have played everywhere in the back to be fair. Last pre-season I started a lot as a left-back and I enjoyed it as well so I am happy to play.
“I spoke about it with Ben White as well. I think it’s good to be versatile just to play more positions. You’re also able to get more minutes then, I think. And the coach can put you in more places. It’s nice for him as well. And I’m just hoping to play anywhere.”
“I think it [competition for places] is good. And it’s good for the team. At the end of the day, you want to win prizes and you need everyone for that. So, I think it’s fun and good for everyone to lift each other up.”
Judging by the size of his arms – absolutely bloody massive(!) – it looks like he’s been literally lifting everyone up. He’ll be a very welcome addition to Arsenal’s burgeoning group of big strong boys wherever he plays.
I thought Arteta’s comments about his leadership qualities were also noteworthy.
“He is a leader. He loves to be on show and a big presence in everything that we do. He is very vocal and extremely gifted technically. He is a great addition to the team.”
Fun fact, after Bukayo Saka, Karl Hein and Emile Smith Rowe, Timber is the fourth-youngest member of the first team. I’d never have guessed given the calmness and authority he exudes when on camera…an old head on young (but massive) shoulders. As I said before, I’m excited to see him back.
Right, that’s about it from me for today.
It’s worth noting that Bournemouth are slightly ahead of us in their pre-season preparations. They played Palace in a behind-closed-doors friendly at their training ground before their “Bourne in the USA” tour started a week ago. At the weekend, in Santa Barbara, they drew 1-1 with Wrexham, whose own North American jaunt has been branded the “Wrex Coast Tour”. Whoever came up with those names needs to be awarded a medal and then shot.
Arteta and Odegaard have both emphasised the importance of winning matches during pre-season, so let’s see what happens. I’m sure there won’t be any overreaction to a defeat…
Realistically, I’m not going to wake up at 3.30am to watch the match, so forgive me in advance if tomorrow’s blog reads like it’s been cobbled together at the last moment.
Until then!