Friday Take-Away — March 24, 2023
Welcome to Friday Take-Away! In this weekly column, I offer my take on five Arsenal-related topics. These topics be anything from match tactics to transfers to a player’s dancing ability; it just depends what I’m in the mood for. Hopefully this Take-Away isn’t too spicy for you. Without further ado, let’s tuck in.
1) No, Nicolas Pepe should not get another chance at Arsenal.
For some odd reason, there has been a lot of talk about Pepe on the timeline this week. Specifically, that chatter has been about how he should be reintegrated into the squad next season. Frankly, that would be a step backwards for the club in multiple ways. First is the fact that having Pepe in the squad presents an opportunity cost that is worth more than what his season-long contribution is likely to be. He would take up the backup right wing spot behind Bukayo Saka, preventing Reiss Nelson (who is a better option for Arsenal and more deserving of trust) or any wide forward acquisition in the market from being a more feasible option. Additionally, Pepe was never a good fit for Arteta’s Arsenal and a decent season in France doesn’t change that. He still cannot play possession football, press aggressively, work as hard on defense as other wingers at the club will, or play with the intelligence that this Arsenal team does. Pepe would be a passenger in this team, and that isn’t something it can afford while competing for the highest honors against the likes of City, United, Chelsea, and Newcastle.
2) Joining the USMNT would be the best thing for Folarin Balogun, and for Arsenal.
Balogun was spotted in Orlando this week, adding fuel to the rumors that he might be set to switch allegiances and agree to play for the United States’ national team. Hopefully, that is what eventually comes to pass. Gareth Southgate seems committed to sticking with the same group of players and ignoring burgeoning English talent like Balogun, Tomori, and White. With several strikers ahead of him in Southgate’s eyes, representing the Americans is potentially very appealing. Balogun would be joining an intriguing wave of talent is still coming into their own, and his odds of appearing in the World Cup are much higher. But more enticing than any of that is the fact that he would be the face of the national team for perhaps the next decade. He would be far and away the best center forward in the squad, practically locked in to being in and amongst the majority of goals for the side. Joining the USMNT would make him a superstar to at least 400 million people. Not only would that be good for him, but it would serve Arsenal well too. Either they have a budding superstar in their squad, or they’re selling one within the next year and change.
3) Thomas Partey should not be the backup right back for the remainder of the season.
Once again, Tomiyasu is out for an extended period of time. After suffering a knee injury against Sporting last week, the Japanese defender will miss the rest of the season. That leaves Ben White as the only remaining right back in the squad. Of course, the resulting conversation among the Arsenal faithful has centered around who would fill in for White were he to miss time. One option is playing Nelson, who has previously been deployed at right wing-back in his career. But an other possibility that has been raised is moving Partey over to that position. This, however, is a non-starter. Having Partey in the center of the pitch is absolutely key to the way Arsenal like to play. The difference without him there is monumental despite Jorginho being an upgrade on Elneny and Sambi. Additionally, playing right back would be a big strain on Partey’s body, as the position involves lots of intense running and ground to cover. Making Partey White’s deputy for the remainder of the season is not guaranteed to solve any problem there and would certainly create another.
4) Having the MLS All-Star Game at Audi Field is a terrible decision.
A few days ago, news broke that Arsenal would play against the MLS All-Stars in Washington, D.C on July 19. The All-Stars will be coached by Wayne Rooney, former bane of Arsenal’s existence and the man who supposedly was whiskers away from joining alongside Gonzalo Higuain (Google that second part and the word “blimey” if you don’t get that joke). Sounds like a fun time, right? There’s only one problem: the game will be played at Audi Field. For those of you who don’t know, Audi Field opened just under five years ago, squeezed into the Navy Yard neighborhood of D.C. near Nationals Park and several blocks of luxury apartment buildings. Because of the tight fit, D.C. United’s new home barely counts as a stadium, clocking in at only 20,000 seats. As a result, the ticket prices for what effectively is a preseason friendly for Arsenal currently sit around $250-300 per ticket at the time of writing. There are a good number of Gooners in the D.C. area (myself included) and even more on the east coast who are more than willing to fork over some cash and attend the match on a Wednesday night. But that price, before all the bogus processing fees and before even getting into the building, makes what’s supposed to be a fun event rather inaccessible.
5) It’s important to remember the good times with Mesut Ozil.
This week, Ozil announced his retirement from football. The news was met with mixed emotions by Gooners. Most were sad to see him hang his boots up and wished him well. But some didn’t espouse that much sympathy. And to an extent, that’s understandable. To call his divorce from Arsenal messy would be an understatement; the German essentially waged a social media war against the club as and after he exited. But it’s hard to say that the club behaved faultlessly. More importantly, Ozil brought us some great moments during the good times. He helped end our trophy drought, playing a key role in multiple FA Cup triumphs. His performance in that 3-1 win against Leicester might be one of the best individual displays in the modern era. And of course, there is his winner against Ludogorets. At the end of the day, despite the indiscretions, Ozil was a generational talent. He was the embodiment of turning football into art, just as Arsene Wenger always wished to do. On his day he was a joy to watch, and probably would have won us a league title if he had just a couple more players’ worth of help. All the best to him in his future endeavors.
And that’s the Take-Away for this week. If it suited your tastes, follow me on Twitter @Shamsdale. Until next time, COYG.
