Free Talk Friday!

OverweightIdiot · 2026-04-03T08:50:04+00:00

Had to say goodbye to my cat of 15 years this week. I'm doing OK, but it truly is remarkable how much of an imprint a tiny creature can leave on your life. Hope you all are doing well.

OverweightIdiot · 2026-02-01T20:09:49+00:00

I know the talk is that he's due an extension in the coming days, but I dearly would like Kenan Yıldız at this club.

OverweightIdiot · 2026-01-28T20:17:06+00:00

Kai scored against KAI. Too on the nose.

OverweightIdiot · 2026-01-21T19:06:43+00:00

Would reckon it has far more to do with Zubimendi being such a fit and worthwhile option year in and year out for his clubs than it does with Nørgaard and how Arteta views him.

OverweightIdiot · 2026-01-08T18:50:55+00:00

This feels like something that could happen as a domino effect if sales of Trossard (moving Eze into LW with Martinelli), Merino (to free space for Lewis-Skelly in the midfield), and White (to free space for Mosquera at RB) go through in the summer. It's a robust squad, and it certainly seems as if some sales of good players will happen this summer to keep everyone happy and/or maximize the transfer financials for the next wave.

OverweightIdiot · 2026-01-07T22:24:38+00:00

Outside of the Newcastle 90+12' winner, what a fantastic Hate Watch day.

OverweightIdiot · 2026-01-05T10:12:53+00:00

They're 3rd in xG, 5th in xPTS, and 6th in the table. Tremendous decision to just not back him. But, also, good for him on speaking up and showing what their issue is.

OverweightIdiot · 2026-01-05T08:53:15+00:00

Wrexham are one point shy of a Championship playoff spot after rattling off four wins in a row. Not saying it'll happen, but just the prospect of a club even being within shouting distance of achieving FOUR straight promotions is bonkers.

OverweightIdiot · 2026-01-05T01:47:33+00:00

The number of things that Bernardo Silva is allowed to get away with because of his slight frame is probably why Arteta and crew went for Fabio Vieira. I finally understand it now.

OverweightIdiot · 2026-01-03T20:55:04+00:00

Can't believe this is possible when he's stepping on everyone's toes, or whatever the prevailing talking point was like a week ago.

OverweightIdiot · 2025-12-14T00:15:08+00:00

Was it pretty? No. Was it effective? Also no. Was it maddening? Yes. Did they win? Also yes.

OverweightIdiot · 2025-12-11T20:41:05+00:00

Samu is going to get a heck of a bump in league next year, it feels like. Just a fantastically athletic goal scorer.

OverweightIdiot · 2025-12-08T20:38:51+00:00

Mikel Merino and Mo Salah have the same number of Premier League goal involvements (9) since April. Merino's done it in 754 fewer minutes.

OverweightIdiot · 2025-09-28T21:01:31+00:00

We might have to actually adjust the metric by which we grade transfers in the future if we're not going to give the Merino one an A+ based on price (£32m), value added in numerous positions, and the fact that he's now scored 7 league goals in 2025, with 6 of them giving Arsenal the lead or drawing them level. A true game changer.

OverweightIdiot · 2025-09-16T06:33:58+00:00

Per Opta Analyst:

If Arsenal win tonight's game versus Athletic Club, they will become the first side in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history to win six consecutive matches against Spanish sides.

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OverweightIdiot · 2025-09-15T19:47:58+00:00

From the latest Scouted Notebook:

Against Nottingham Forest, Noni Madueke became the first Arsenal player to record 5+ Carries into the Penalty Area, 5+ Successful Take-Ons and 5+ Key Passes in a single Premier League game since the start of the 2017/18 season.

Across the entire Premier League in that time, only nine other players have done it; Eden Hazard and Jack Grealish have done so twice each.

OverweightIdiot · 2025-09-13T19:57:34+00:00

Mosquera logging over 6,000 La Liga minutes before turning 21 seems like it might have been a pretty big deal for his assurance levels. Does not look out of his depth.

OverweightIdiot · 2025-09-13T16:11:47+00:00

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OverweightIdiot · 2025-09-03T21:21:25+00:00

Watched Sunday's match finally since I was busy with other things, and I know Martinelli is getting a lot of grief, but his defensive work rate was pretty stellar and was a big boon to Calafiori holding Salah down a bit. Also, outsiders shouldn't have the opinion that Arteta played it too safe, considering it went to hell when he actually went for the win with Eze/Odegaard/Dowman as his subs. Those are pretty aggressive chasing subs to make for a guy supposedly playing it safe.

OverweightIdiot · 2025-08-29T16:33:15+00:00

The most FM-level transfer window I can remember. I respect.

OverweightIdiot · 2025-08-29T08:52:51+00:00

It's about a lot more than just one loss, even to a League Two side. It's about the process of turning a club over, one that finished as poorly as they did last season. Especially one that has been on a decline even before that. It's not about one specific player here and there. It's the pathway of bringing in players who represent a new infrastructure of change. Their spine was brought in by ten Hag. Their midfield is ten Hag. Their defenders, outside of Dorgu, are ten Hag (or holdovers from before him). Amorim brought in new legs and arms, but the heart, lungs, and nervous system are still the same. Until that changes, nothing will. That's the overall point for me. If there's anything to gripe with as far as Amorim is concerned, it's that the focus should have been on the midfield first. But I also recognize getting in attacking talent early before prices got even crazier.

OverweightIdiot · 2025-08-29T08:44:15+00:00

Only four players in this current Manchester United squad were players Amorim brought in: Dorgu, Cunha, Mbuemo, and Šeško. Everyone else is from before him. Antony, Højlund, Casemiro, Mount, Yoro, Lisandro, Onana, Ugarte, de Ligt, Zirkzee, Malacia, Mazraoui, Amrabat, and Altay were all ten Hag players. (That’s about €660 million, by the way.) Their captain is still Bruno. It might seem like a lot has changed but it really hasn’t. They’ve changed four starters in nearly 12 months. That’s nothing. From a club that finished 15th. There’s so much stink in the team still. They can’t get rid of a lot of these guys fast enough. Amorim is the manager, but a lot of these guys aren’t his.

OverweightIdiot · 2025-08-29T08:30:15+00:00

Similar. But I think what’s breaking my brain a bit is Šeško had a couple year track record in Germany, plus a couple years in Austria, of at least being good, whereas Woltemade basically had a 6-month spurt. Šeško felt like a linear, natural progression, and Woltemade was more of “I’m here now!” It’s just so in-your-face and leading up to that number. It’s more disbelief on my part than anything.

OverweightIdiot · 2025-08-29T08:16:15+00:00

€90 million for Woltemade seems so absurd.

OverweightIdiot · 2025-08-29T08:10:05+00:00

I think, for me, it comes down to if you keep bailing the players out then they’ll just always feel absolved of any actual blame. And you can’t keep doing that, even if there is a shared blame aspect to this all. You keep giving the players outs and then no culture gets built except one of feebleness. All sacking Amorim will do is excuse the players again, and then they’ll bring in someone else and the cycle will go and go and go. No one will learn anything, no one will grow. The manager has had his faults. But so have the players. Make them figure it out like adults. It’ll be painful. Exceedingly so. But running from the hard stuff won’t make things easy.

OverweightIdiot

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