Cast your mind back to September of 1991. George Graham had just lashed out a club record £2.5 million to sign 28 year old Ian Wright from Crystal Palace.
Here we are in September 2016, and Arsene has just signed 28 year old Lucas Perez (well, he will be 28 in 4 days’ time) for £17 million.
Perez has had to work hard to get where he is. Born in Coruña Spain, he travelled Europe with stints in Ukraine and Greece before returning to play for his beloved hometown team, Deportivo. There, he helped his club avoid relegation by way of goals, heart and fight.
While all International breaks are a pain in the arse, the first one hurts especially as after the footballing vacuum of summer, it’s sprung on us after only three games. However, the first one usually gives us the opportunity to review new signings and do some tactics bollocks about new formations shit and how things will pan out as a result.
Sadly, while we’ve seen exceedingly promising performances from Xhaka and Holding, we’ve yet to see Mustafi or Perez. For now, however, Mustafi doesn’t matter because we’re discussing Perez.
Like many, youtubing clips are the sum of my knowledge regarding Perez, and while we know the stats, that was Deportivo in Spain, and this is Arsenal. Here, he plays with Mesut.
At this point I must lob in a cautionary note. During the height of the summer’s transfer fever, I scanned newsnow. “A source” had said we’d bid for Vardy, and also explained one of the reasons he had decided to stay in “over land and sea and Leicester” was that he’d had a conversation with Arsene, and he hadn’t liked what he’d heard about his proposed role at Arsenal. To me this implies either he wouldn’t have been guaranteed first choice striker, or far more worryingly, it’d been suggested he play wide.
I’m hoping Perez had no such conversation, and cannot wait to see him play. Then, next international break, we can do tactics and formation bollocks and talk about the New Wrighty.
MickyDidIt89
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Sorry Lads, ’twas a rush job.
Will add to it shortly, but Id rather have Perez than any other striker that moved this summer, and I’ll explain 🙂
Thanks for the post Micky. I’m with you, I have high hopes for Perez. He’s pacey, has quick feet, makes good runs and can play anywhere across the front three.
Rasp
And of the goals I saw in the youtube, not one header 🙂
Yep, he’s the anti-Giroud. Let’s hope they compliment one another.
Giroud can only really be effective playing in the middle so it stands to reason that our frontline 3-4 attack is going to be more fluid with Perez up top. I expect us to start with Giroud on Saturday but Perez to come on as a sub if everything is going to plan.
Rasp
If that’s a promise, I’ll book a ticket, and be there for the second half 🙂
It’s a promise Micky, see you in the Kings Head 🙂
Looks to me like Arsene is trying to big boy beef up the middle (albeit they’ll be smooth operators in silk pyjamas), and then add more terrier like types (like wot Sanchez be) in front of Mesut. Even Theo appears to be snapping at the oppo. heels this term.
What happened to the FFB?
Could it be a JC distance thing?
The FFB may be an option, I think its too far for JC but I’m not sure he’s attending – chas will put us straight. Do you have a ticket for the game?
Not defo. coming yet, but did check out exchange this morning, and it’s a green light.
Hate to sound too armchairy, but it’s surf conditions dependent.
Ok, well don’t forget the ticket fairy has a knack of finding tickets if you need some help.
Thanks Micky. Perez seems to have a good blend of pace and strength / size to be right for the EPL. If he is a late bloomer that doesn’t bother me. As you rightly point out there are precedents with Wrighty but also now Vardy, and Drogba hit his peak later as well. It is all about the characteristics of the new front man and whether he brings something that we have been missing to compliment our attack and make it more lethal.
I think the modern top sides that look more towards an attacking philosophy tend to use 2 wing forwards (not pure wingers) and a number 10 (or ACM) behind a front man. As such I think the characteristics of the front man need to be right to compliment those around him and provide the best attacking formation.
The modern front man, at the top the attacking sides, I feel needs to be able to dovetail with goal scoring wing forwards who can at times move into the CF position. That means the number 9 needs to be comfortable working the wide channels with one of the wing forwards moving inside him centrally as a pseudo CF at times. At this point the main number 9 becomes the provider.
Perez has played a lot as a wide player before moving up front, which means he will comfortably receive the ball wide as well as centrally. His goal tally of 17 in a tough league, but at a relegation threatened side, is more than decent, so could easily be added to by a few goals at a team with better players and attacking options around him. His assists of 10 is also more than decent and also should increase.
We have been missing this adaptively mobile striker that has the right physicality of strength and pace, goals and assists, and this style of play to rotate the position with those immediately around him. Is he the right man? Just have to hope that AW has done his homework and has got it right, but in the first instance I am looking forward to finding out.
I too would have some caution though that he doesn’t set him up as our main number 9 and goes for something different to accommodate his favourite players
Sorry Micky, I just re-read the end bit of your post where you said we could do tactical bollix and formations in the next international break, and now I have killed the blog by being premature again 🙂
Hope to see him Saturday
Now here is a subject I have been dying to get stuck into.
I have had enough of the politeness — we could have another Ian Wright. Think about that for a moment and then do away with the polite ohh that will be nice and start gushing; no, go further, start going way over the top because that will be beyond our wildest dreams.
We have finally got someone who can bring out the best in Ozil and Sanchez; they have been hog tied up until now playing with Giroud and Walcott whose comparable skills to the first two are akin to something you will find on Hackney Marshes.
And yet I don’t want to get too down on the last two because I expect Perez to bring the best out in those – by forcing them to sit on the bench and come on when they are rightly required rather than when they aren’t and just get in the way.
I expect Giroud to do very well this season mostly because of what I just said but also because he will stay fresher for longer and therefore more effective.
Walcott is doing well on the wing and I expect him to stay there until he breaks that is but this is all going to be about Perez and what he brings to the team and just how much more he brings out of the others.
Thanks for the read Micky. I didn’t realise how difficult it is blogging on a phone.
LB
I know how wildly optimistic my Wrighty comparisons may appear, but I’m a dreamer and an optimist.
Having said that, I do think my wishful thinking is underpinned by a certain reality based on the likeness of their ages, rise to the summit (becoming a Gunner), hunger, speed, movement, goaltaking opportunism and will to win.
I really am more excited by Perez than signing even a Higuain or that ponytailed creature at Utd
ps only a lunatic types essays on telephones 🙂
Cheers, Micky.
His quotes about ‘playing with the best’ certainly suggest he’s hungry and confident he can step up in class.
I’m interested where the ‘Vardy not liking what he heard after talking to Wenger’ story came from.
He does run the channels for Leicester, so I can’t imagine he suddenly thought he was going to to play as an out and out centre forward.
Chas
It was a “source”. They come out during transfer windows 🙂
Vardy was their bloke in the middle though, whatever that may be called. Innit?
Have you done further “racking off”?
I’m shortly to attempt making organic cider vinegar with some of our apples and it will make me better 🙂
Chas
Big problem for Spuds. Finding Wembley for one.
Micky, Thank you for a post about a player who excites.
Could it be that AW got fed up with trying to make Walcott the winger turned striker and bought Perez as the finished article?
If so, we are in for a treat.
5.59. 😀 😀 😀
Micky
Please read my comment again. You will see that I’m agreeing with you and that being the case we should be shouting in celebration from the roof tops.
Cheers Micky, extra options and goals that is what he hopefully brings. Cheap as chips and super motivated even when on the bench.
I haven’t done any further racking off, no.
I did top up the half full demi-john with boiled water and sugar, hence the paler colour below.
It’s fermenting away furiously turning the extra sugar into alcohol. Apparently you can keep adding sugar and end up with something stronger. The sort of brew BR would love to share with the alkies outside the railway station. 🙂
Like this one?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cfQVALNZ8o
LB
Sorry I wasn’t clear. I totally got what you were saying and completely agree
Evening BR und TA
Chas
Very impressive. My vinegar is going to be a big ask as I want “the mother” in each bottle. That’s part of the health benefit bit.
Serves Vardy right.. Rejecting The Arsenal and ends up not being picked in front of that plank Kane and we get an exciting new striker who Wenger has been quietly admiring for years to enjoy.
JC is coming on Saturday so no FFB but Kings Head for us.
I’d never heard of ‘the mother’ before. Very interesting.
I’ve just been kneading my naan bread dough to have with sweet potato, spinach and lentil dahl.
I’ve got masses of tomatoes from my own plants and from a neighbour’s. Any ideas as an accompaniment?
Naan? Very exotic. I just knocked up a rice, broccoli, salmon combo.
Easy and nutritious
http://www.101greatgoals.com/101ggvideos/hilarious-arsenal-stars-try-convince-young-fans-get-name-shirt-video/
This made me laugh
chas. Did you make the lentil dahl or is it a Waitress jobby?
Toms? Mozzarella and basil for a lovely Italian salad
Yeah, I made the dahl a couple of weeks back. Half has been in the freezer.
I was after Indian tomatoes really. 🙂
Tasty conversation. Nice.
Chas
Check out health benefits of raw, unpasteurized, organic cider vinegar with mother. Must be all of those things.
Our dog Dotty got a bad elbow resulting in chronic limp. Vet said 100% surgery required. Mrs Didit administered 10mm of apple stuff. Six weeks later, Dotty pottered into vet, produced a skipping rope. Did 50. Clapped her paws, clicked her heels and said “Yeeha. Woof”
Then check out acid/alkaline diet (the above vinegar is alkaline, strangely)
Surgery closed 🙂
Micky. You got anything for tendonitis in humans?
Haha, Dotty has landed on her feet well and truly.
I used to do yoga with a chap who played the double bass and he swore by vinegar to help the pain/swelling in his finger joints.
Not sure he went for the ‘raw, unpasteurized, organic cider vinegar with mother’ though.
Erik
Alcohol. Buckets of.
oh wow micky, that is amazing!
the Dotty on vinegar story, not your post
what do you mean ‘with mother’??
I know nothing about Perez and have no intention to pretend I have ever heard of him. Filling Wrighty’s boots seems like a tall order for the little Spaniard, but who knows, maybe he can do it?
I am going to go and see him on Saturday, shall voice my opinion then
Chas
When I said Mrs D gave 10mm, I meant every day
Yeah, it sorts out arthritis and all that shit 🙂
Must dash
Till dawn
Eat raw. Heat is bad 🙂
Oh bugger, Eddie’s here 🙂
Just a quickie, then Eddie. Google cider vinegar with mother. Might well see you and the gang Saturday. Have you got a ticket?
Will see answer in the morning.
yeah, I got a ticket
off to google cider vinegar with mother.
night all
I hope this isn’t a wind up Micky 🙂 I’ve just ordered 2 litres of the stuff from Amazon. I’ve been suffering with chronic tennis elbow throughout the cricket season, could hardly throw the ball 😦 ….. Now just how much of it do I need to take?
Isn’t tennis elbow cause by inflammation of the tendon rather than joint inflammation?
Granit got sent off for two yellows against Portugal.
Good that he won’t have to play in the next qualifier. 🙂
Ooo, it looks like it might help.
http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/acv-helped-my-tennis-elbow-arthritis-on-top-of-losing-weight.html
Rasp
It works. Drink up.
How much? Dunno, but every lunch I have a spinach, carrot, onion salad and stick it on that. All joints operating ok 🙂
Chas
First Class travel Notts to Metrop. ?
Bit poncey
Are you on a diet?
No, it’s how I eat. Raw ’till evening, then hot fat!!
Quite why I’m not slim and gorgeous is a mystery 🙂
Surf today
Yip, we’ve been looking forward to this. S Easterly winds at last, meaning clean wave. Definitely going tonight
http://magicseaweed.com/Live-Widemouth-Bay-Webcam/14/
Superb pic
I go look for the surfing swans
We go to this beech tonight
You may have to wait 60 seconds for a set of waves, so patience
http://www.eyeballhq.tv/surfcheck/saunton/
beach, not a tree
Thanks for doing the research for me chas, i’m going to give it a go because I’ve had this on an off for three years now. I’ve tried anti-inflammatories and resting it for long periods but nothing seems to work
Thanks Micky, I’m definitely going to give it a try. I’m having one of these well man check ups next week, but in truth I live a fairly healthy lifestyle and I’m actually feeling great except for the bloody elbow
Morning All,
Sir Nick to join Lansbury at Forest. They will have to be my second team.
I have achilles tendonitis and treat it with alcohol. Not so great early in the morning but by evening I am right as ninepence.
I am on the wrong blog, I will try to refresh the page
nope, the site is still full of old boys falling apart.
keep on drinking the cider guys, I want the imagine of the gorgeous you back!!
oh no, I scared you all away, I am sorry.
I am going to change the subject swiftly.
micky – when you mention Vardy and Wenger conversation resulting in Vardy rejecting Arsenal. What do you think Wenger said to Vardy??
Surely Vardy can only play the first fiddle so what is there to discuss? it had to be about money or length of contract, not position??!!
Nikki and Auntie are both delighted to help, Rasp 🙂
Few sips a day, and you’ll be chucking the leather harder than ever
“‘eff off you ‘effing pikey”
(I hate Arsene’s lack of political correctness. Really let’s himself down sometimes)
😆 Micky, I was dictating my comments into the phone – must improve my diction 🙂
Eddie
When you say “can only play the first fiddle”, I guess you mean striker, and I agree.
Yesterday Chas implied that wasn’t exactly what a Vardy does, and talked about tunnels and stuff.
I agree with you.
(or was it channels? Dunno)
ey? what tunnels??
micky – what does chas know about football? Let’s face it, he is seldom in a fit state to watch the first half, let alone the whole game.
Vardy is definitely a proven striker, lethal in front of goal. I cannot believe that Wenger asked him to play anywhere else, where????
It makes me proud to know that only one player was sent off last night and that he has been sent off 4 times since the start of the year … and he is our new €35m signing
Excellent. Now we have some bite back in the team.
My guess is that Vardy was told he had to have a proper haircut and move out of his caravan
🙂 Raddy. Hard as I tried, I couldn’t imagine Vardy in an Arsenal shirt – he just looks like a little weasel, and sounds like one when he’s being interviewed. Perez however is a thing of beauty and far more articulate.
Eddie
Re Chas. You say “Let’s face it, he is seldom in a fit state to watch the first half”
This is why the meet-up pub gets closer and closer to the ground.
More drinking time, less obstacles en route
Raddy – you are probably right about the haircut
Rasp – agree, Jammie ain’t an oil painting. Keown got away with his looks, but at least he is very well spoken
micky – not quite. Both Vines are north London lads so one has to wonder what are they doing up north?? And it is all to do with Arsenal. This way they have 5-6 hours justified drinking before games. Not even wives or partners can question their commitment to the Club. And cleverly they get away with drinking from early hours in the morning at least once a week. Genius plan!
Bloody hell Eddie
Nail on head. You’re right. Further away is good.
Must ask Ant what the dress code for Saturday is, in case I make it.
shall we all wear similar outfits?
like white trousers, red tops and hats?
Hmm, I’ll have to look in my wardrobe to select from my vast collection of white trousers.
White trousers are far too unforgiving when it comes to kebab juice, snakebite spillage and other various seepage.
https://twitter.com/_EOW_/status/773258535811608580
Chas 11:21 🙂 🙂
I hear you. I too will really struggle on that front. Could be stuck in the wardrobe for hours!
Come on boys, ´fess up. You both have a Saturday Night Fever suit in your wardrobes.
I guess for similar reasons we should rule out the powder blue safari suits
https://scopefeatures.wordpress.com/tag/sir-les-patterson/#jp-carousel-3119
Look Erik
We know you wear white flares when feeling romantic and sensitive 🙄
chas and micky – I am soooooo looking forward to seeing you in white trousers. I hope Rasp won’t let us down
Afternoon all. If you have all finished with your Trinny and Susanna bit then I wish to pose a footy question of the day.
It is regard to Granite who I know we have all ooh’d and ahh’d over, and we have needed a player that is technically good on the ball and gets stuck in. My question is, however, is he going to be great or will he get his marching orders enough that it goes the other way and becomes a liability to us?
Does he perhaps lack a bit of pace at the highest level that will mean he gets found out against the best teams resulting in desperate mis-timed tackles, or is he really our new Vieira?
Is there really any point in even asking this question of all you, everything that Arsenal and Arsene does is without equal, happy clappy, singy, la-de-da lot 🙂 ….(Eddie and Micky aside).
Ok I know that is technically 3 questions but when have I ever been able to keep it short and sweet.
GoonerB
He’s going to be a liability.
He’s slower than the BFG.
He can’t time tackles for shit.
Happy now?
Hahahaha hahahaha 🙃😳😀😂
GB, time will tell buddy. 😀⚽️
Right, serious answer now.
How on Earth can anyone tell how he’s going to pan out?
Also, I do seem to remember a Monsieur Vieira getiing a shed load of red cards for us.
My personal favourite was gobbing at Neil Ruddock. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to do that?
http://www.givemesport.com/366147-vieira-among-players-with-the-most-red-cards-in-europe
I’m definitely wearing drainpipe white trousers pulled up really high with a red shirt tucked into the trousers and a baseball cap. Off clubbing after.
Ant
I reckon you could pull of red and white horizontal stripes for the top.
A kind of maritime or nautical look.
We could call you….Sailor….. or something
GB.
An addittion to Chas’ comment at 1:37pm
4. He is not as hard as Granite.
Ant send us a picture of you in your (3:21) outfit – Terry would be very impressed 🙂 🙂 🙂
Where’s the white drainpipes?
GB. Granit.
He looks great so far.
Will he get lots of cards? Almost certainly, so did Flamini and Coquelin. It goes with the position.
Pace? Who knows? But looking at other great DM’s they also lacked pace e.g. Mascherano, Kean, Vieira, Ince. Positioning and tactical awareness are what is needed and a proper back 4.
Granit is actually not slow and has a good ability to cover ground. We are hoping that he becomes our Xabi Alonso…Now Alonsos and Busquets are great as long as they get Xavis next to them. Who will be our Xavi: Ramsey or Cazorla?
Cech – Bellerin, Mustafi, Kos, Monreal – Ramsey, Granite, Cazorla – Ozil – Sanchez, Giroud
This could work out…
RC78. Are you satisfied with our squad?
Chas @ 1:37 to GB,
You must be kinder to him — after all his sense of balance is seriously jeopardised by his wanton riding on knackered camels.
All that forward and backward, to the left, to the right – and all at the same time. 😀
GB @ 1:21 provoking everyone,
GB you mad sod, stand up to that Chasser, and show him that dressed in a pair of Terry’s cast off shorts you can take him.
I’ll hold your coat or your camel whichever appeals to me most – OK that’s the camel then. 😀
https://twitter.com/Hamburgooner/status/773206740284211200
@6:41 – that is brilliant, forgot all about it 🙂
Some eyebrow raisers…
Left eyebrow –
Belgium star Romelu Lukaku has revealed to the stunned press that the nation’s newly appointed assistant manager Thierry Henry uses play station rules to train players.
Right eyebrow –
With Wenger rating Asano so highly, he may not have moved to bring in Deportivo’s Lucas Perez this summer if the Japanese international had obtained his work permit.
Great pic of The Arsenals
London skyline needed the Shard
Morning
Morning
When I read this about the gripping exercise effect on BP, I thought of Kelsey.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37249021
VP
Brilliant news if true. Asano might be superb, so we get two thanks to the crap boys in visa control 🙂
How was the surf?
Asano scored again the other day.
I nearly posted it on here but it was partly down to pretty poor Thailand defending so it didn’t seem worth it.
I got nothing from that article whatsoever 🙂
Surf? Some ok rides. Not as good as we’d expected. Towards end, sunset was lovely
must go
early manoevre
Oh dear.
Off for a swim.
Traaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
Morning All,
Lovely pic of the stadiums. HIghbury was a beautiful ground.
didit – how are your viola lessons going? Have you fallen out with the teacher yet?
Lord B thrilled to be back in England.
Great images etc Chas, as always. 🙂
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What club is that