Morning all.
It’s a little bit of a working gag about Mikel Arteta’s press conferences that he doesn’t like to provide an excessive amount of away, whether or not that’s by way of crew information, harm updates, or anything. I suppose, as a supervisor, there are days once you really feel like sitting in entrance of the reporters is okay, it’s half and parcel of the job – after which there are different days once you’re simply not within the temper.
I feel yesterday may need been one of many latter. It’s not that he was impolite or belligerent, as some managers could be, simply not fairly as keen to broaden on a few of the questions he was requested. I don’t assume I’ve ever heard him say “I don’t know” as a lot as he did yesterday. Which isn’t criticism, I feel all of us have days at work the place we’re not at our most effusive, or there’s one side of the job that looks as if trouble.
He was requested about whether or not Newcastle would come flying out of the blocks tomorrow. He replied, “I don’t know what they’ve ready.”
He was requested if it was attainable Man Metropolis may really feel strain within the run in, he replied, “I don’t know what’s going to occur.”
He was requested within the second half (embargoed till 10.30 final evening), if he was nervous about William Saliba going into the final 12 months of his contract, which could require the membership to promote in the summertime if new phrases can’t be agreed. He replied, “I don’t know.”
To be honest, he did broaden on a few of these solutions. On Saliba specifically, he went on to say:
“Clearly Edu and the board are on prime of each negotiation concerning new contracts and now we’re doing every little thing we probably can to do this in the fitting second on the proper time.
“The communication and the connection is tremendous. It’s about timing, I feel. Nothing else.”
He was additionally actually eager to minimize the concept final season’s recreation at Newcastle would supply additional motivation for his gamers this time round, saying:
I don’t assume so. There may be not rather a lot to inspire from there, there are a whole lot of issues we now have to do a lot better than we did on the day. It’s a unique group of gamers as nicely and the place we’re at the moment could be very totally different to that group. We’ll must play a lot better than we did final 12 months, that’s for certain.
Which I do assume is fascinating. I’m satisfied that final 12 months’s finish of season ache has been a part of why we’ve completed higher this time round. Clearly gamers like Saliba, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko weren’t a part of that, however for almost all of them, the best way the highest 4 slipped away will need to have been painful. Harm is a superb motivator. It’s not the one one, it doesn’t trump your need to win, to hold out your skilled duties, nevertheless it’s there.
I’ve a slight suspicion that Arteta is anticipating a scorching ambiance at St James’ Park tomorrow, and is intentionally taking part in down something that may stir that up. Newspaper headlines tomorrow in regards to the Gunners are out for revenge may very well be considered as unhelpful if it will get the house followers much more up for it. It’s not as if the supervisor hasn’t performed a major half in how vociferous our own residence assist is likely to be, so he’s selecting his phrases very fastidiously. After speaking a lot about how Anfield is usually a tough place to go, this time round he’s not going to make a difficulty of the place we’re taking part in or who.
I additionally assume he simply acquired out of the incorrect facet of mattress yesterday, so possibly it was simply that.
There’s not rather a lot else occurring this morning. As summer time approaches we’re getting tales about war-chests and the way a lot cash we now have to spend; William Saliba acquired a brand new health club at residence in order that’s satisfied some folks he’s undoubtedly going to remain, as if he couldn’t simply lease his home out for extra as a result of it’s a acquired a health club. I’m not saying he’s not staying, by the best way, I sincerely hope he does, however a little bit of residence enchancment isn’t the cast-iron assurance I’d want.
Anyway, I’ll be again tomorrow to preview the Newcastle recreation right here, and we have already got the podcast for you over on Patreon – which in fact doesn’t embrace the context of Man Metropolis’s 8-0 win over Leeds, which is the place the weblog may need a little bit of a bonus.
Till then!
