Arsenal fans torn as Gabriel, Guimaraes jet off for Brazil's 'world tour'
The international break has split opinion among Arsenal observers once again, with the travel demands placed on South American stars reigniting a familiar debate. football.london's Seeing Red podcast hosts Tom Canton and John Cross clashed over the issue on the latest episode, with Gabriel and Bruno Guimaraes among those heading to Asia for Brazil duty during the break.
Arsenal have enjoyed a strong run of form in recent weeks, losing only once in each of the last two blocks of fixtures before international breaks, a defeat to Brighton before the previous pause and an exit from the League Cup in the most recent one. With the squad now scattering across the globe, attention turns to how Mikel Arteta's players will return physically.
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'That's great,' says Canton sarcastically
Canton opened the discussion with a dig at the scale of the trips some Arsenal players are undertaking. “We'd usually be in the studio, but it is the break, and you are exceptionally busy with something called 'international football',” Canton said. “I mean, mate, I know you're going to love it, but Gabriel and Bruno Guimaraes are off to Singapore and Japan… I love that. That's great.”
Cross pushed back immediately. “Well… They do. They do! Ask them what they think about playing for Brazil.”
Canton clarified his frustration wasn't with the players representing their country, but with the distances involved. “I don't mind them playing for Brazil,” he said. “It's that they went off to India and Australia last time and now it's Japan and Singapore.”
Cross defends the international calendar
Cross offered a more sympathetic take on the scheduling, while acknowledging the strain. “I have to say, I do think the international window, such as it is, this kind of elongated, particularly the first one, is supposed to help clubs slightly overcome the travel distance, but it's not that helpful when Brazil was sort of intent on doing a world tour to get funds and publicity,” he said. “So, you know, but yeah, I can understand a certain degree of frustration with that one.”
He went further, referencing comments previously made by England manager Thomas Tuchel about fixture congestion. “Thomas Tuchel did say, didn't he, you know, in the last one that four games in 11 days. Well, I think actually you'd be pretty unlucky to play Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, because normally you'd play Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Wednesday, if you were a team in the Champions League. But equally, you know, the players do it for their clubs. Why not their country? You're so unpatriotic. Shocking, shocking! You don't want to see England do well, dear oh dear. Go support someone else!”
Canton's response drew a stunned reaction from his co-host. “I mean, you know, I'm not a big fan of the League Cup either, John, but would I rather see Arsenal win the League Cup or England win the World Cup? Or what would I prefer? Oh, it would take me a split second to choose the League Cup, is what I would say. So, you know, that's kind of where I am.”
“Seriously?” Cross asked. “Yeah, yeah, I would,” Canton confirmed. Cross replied: “Mate, you're dead to me. You're dead to me! That's unbelievable!”
Arsenal fans will now wait to see how Gabriel, Guimaraes and the rest of the squad's internationals return ahead of the next round of Premier League fixtures.
