Edu Gaspar

[Yousif Arsenal]

Stability is all well and good, but you need to get the right people in first. The club has been a circus ever since Vinai and Edu have had control. I really don't trust them to rebuild the team.

Agree that depend on kroenke the problem they get little knowledge but if we get Overmars it'll be good appointment

 

[El Duderino]

Spoiler

Chance played its part in Edu’s return to Arsenal. The Brazilian was attending The Best FIFA Football Awards in September 2018 as an ambassador for his homeland’s federation, the CBF. He had travelled alone and was about to slink out of the post-ceremony cocktail party when he bumped into Raul Sanllehi and Unai Emery of Arsenal. Edu knew Sanllehi from attending Barcelona matches to watch Neymar and had played under Emery at Valencia. The trio got chatting, and the club’s interest developed from there.

For Edu, returning to Arsenal represented a homecoming. It is the club where he won two Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and was immortalised as one of Arsène Wenger’s Invincibles. It holds, he says, a special place in his heart.

It must pain him, then, to see the team struggling so much this season. Edu’s vision is for an Arsenal with the same winning mentality and competitive spirit he was part of in 2004. In the long term, he envisages a squad based on youth and academy players, but with a sprinkling of stars that bring quality and leadership. He wants a style of play that is attractive and fits with the Arsenal ideology.

Right now, that all looks some way away. Edu appears to know as much: during the recent draw with Southampton, cameras caught him raging in stands, mirroring the frustration of supporters at home. Apportioning blame for Arsenal’s current crisis is no easy task, but Edu has not escaped criticism. The decision to dispense with the previous scouting department was controversial — Edu has a model for a more efficient recruitment strategy, but the benefits have yet to be seen. Signings such as Cedric Soares and Willian, in which he played a part, have drawn the ire of supporters. With Sanllehi now gone, the buck for Arsenal’s squad planning ultimately stops with Edu.

We are, however, on the eve of the first transfer window for which the Brazilian can take sole responsibility. We are entering the period in which his work can be most accurately assessed. With that in mind, The Athletic asks: What does Edu do? What has he been responsible for thus far? And what are his plans for the future?

In the winter of 2018, Sanllehi regarded a technical director as the missing piece in his Arsenal jigsaw. Sven Mislintat believed he had been earmarked for the role by Ivan Gazidis, but Sanllehi felt he did not meet the requisite criteria. A disappointed Mislintat decided to leave the club, and Arsenal began the recruitment process for their first-ever technical director.

The new role would have responsibility for the first team, with an eye on the medium-to-long term. While the head coach’s focus would be on the current season and the next game, the technical director’s emphasis would be on squad-planning and sporting philosophy. He would have a succession plan for every position, co-ordinating the scouting network and liaising with the academy to identify potential breakthrough players. Arsenal were also seeking someone who was a believer in analytics, and who had proven experience in high performance — dealing with medical services, physios, psychology. In football, the investment in talent is huge, so it’s all the more crucial you protect and maximise it.

A list of around half a dozen candidates was drawn up. Edu ticked many of the boxes, on account of his experience with Corinthians and the CBF. The suggestion he has not held a role of this magnitude before is unfair. At just 42, his experience belies his age. For five years, Edu served as the sporting director of Corinthians — a huge club, with more than 25 million supporters in Brazil. Edu oversaw a golden period for the club, in which they won the Brazilian title, a maiden Copa Libertadores and then stunned Chelsea to win the Club World Cup, all inside his first two years. By the time Edu left, they had added the Recopa Sudamericana and another domestic league title.

He followed coach Tite to the national team, where he brought in consultants from Ernst & Young to map out a new chain of command, installing professionalism and accountability to a set-up that had appeared to be regressing. His tenure there culminated in the Copa America win of 2019.

There were missteps along the way. At Corinthians, expensive attempts to rehabilitate the careers of forwards Adriano and Alexandre Pato proved unsuccessful. With Brazil, his decision to choose Sochi as the base camp for the 2018 World Cup — a city in which the team did not play a single game — was not well-received by the media. Rogerio Micale, who coached Brazil Under-23s to gold at 2016 Olympics, was critical of Edu’s handling of the international youth teams. There are those, too, who point out Edu’s successes came alongside Tite, suggesting he was reliant on the older man’s experience.

Arsenal and Sanllehi, however, were impressed by Edu’s CV. Although it was not a deciding factor in his appointment, his historic association with the club was also seen as a positive.

Two things counted against Edu. Firstly, he was not immediately available, having decided to remain with Brazil until the conclusion of their Copa America campaign in June 2019. Sanllehi respected his loyalty, but time was of the essence. Secondly, he had no experience in the European market. Consequently, Monchi emerged as Edu’s foremost rival for the job. Not only had Monchi and Emery worked together extensively at Sevilla, but having left his role with Roma in March 2019 he was free to start sooner. Both Edu and Monchi were aware that other candidates were under consideration, and Monchi’s immediate availability meant talks progressed swiftly.

Ultimately, however, the Spaniard chose to make an emotional return to Seville. Arsenal were philosophical about that outcome: although they respected Monchi’s experience, they feared it might be difficult to incorporate his very distinct methodology and personality into their existing structure. Edu was a more natural collaborator and had embraced Arsenal’s model. He did not have the experience in European transfers but, having spent three years travelling to watch national team players, he had broad contacts and knowledge. Going from South America to the UK held little fear for a man who had made the same move almost two decades earlier, aged just 23.

Edu’s lack of experience in deals was not necessarily a problem at first. While Edu and Emery would work together to identify targets, Sanllehi and contracts specialist Huss Fahmy were to lead the negotiations. Edu would be present for those financial talks, but only to discuss the technical aspects: why Arsenal wanted the player, and why the player, in turn, should choose the club.

The idea was for the head coach, technical director, head of academy Per Mertesacker and Fahmy all to report into Sanllehi. The head of football would co-ordinate and lead this group, as well as representing Arsenal within the European Club Association and Premier League.

Edu combined football pedigree with a good business background — he made some shrewd investments during his playing days, and before taking the Corinthians job, had been representing an American flooring company in their business in Brazil. He also has a calm manner — something that has served him well in dealings in the transfer market, but also with the media.

“He’s a very relaxed guy,” says one agent. “That’s the most important thing about him: he’s extremely calm. He’s not confrontational at all. He’s not the kind of guy who jumps up and down at the end of the game or runs into the dressing room swearing. He brings a sense of calm. And he knows when to talk.”

“Yes he talks to the talk, but he walks the walk too,” adds an Arsenal colleague. “He’s public, he communicates. He’s got stature, presence, integrity. He looks like he should be the sporting director of AFC. It may sound funny but that counts for a lot when you’re out and you’re meeting players, owners, executives, agents. He carries himself really well, communicates well, puts people at ease — and I’ve seen him be tough and strong, too.”

That toughness is a necessary trait for a technical director. When coaching staff feel a matter has escalated beyond them, Edu is called upon to oversee disciplinary matters. In recent times, Arsenal have fined Willian for his unauthorised trip to Dubai, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for missing a COVID-19 test before a European trip, and others for lateness. Issuing discipline has complications in the midst of a pandemic. Mikel Arteta’s “wheel of fortune” is no longer spinning — many of the punishments, such as training with the academy, are simply not possible at the moment.

Edu’s communication skills offered the possibility of an alternative frontman for the club, someone who could ease the pressure on the head coach in times of need. Although he was unusually quiet in his first year, it is telling that when manager Arteta has come under pressure, Edu has been quick to step forward publicly.

It is impossible to reflect on Edu’s time at Arsenal without mention of Kia Joorabchian, the Iranian-born agent whose name has seemed to accompany Edu’s at every turn since the former “Invincible” returned to England. In Edu’s 18 months in London, Arsenal have recruited three of Joorabchian’s clients: David Luiz, Cedric Soares and Willian.

Joorabchian and Edu share a common history at Corinthians and a strong personal connection. However, both bristle at the suggestion that Edu is a Joorabchian client. In the course of his playing career, Edu had only one agent: his brother.

The previous administration had been generally reluctant to deal with super agents, even turning down the opportunity to sign Luiz in January 2018. By the summer of 2019, however, Arsenal was a different club — gone were the likes of manager Arsène Wenger, transfer chief **** Law and Gazidis. Sanllehi was operating as head of football, with Edu supporting head coach Emery as technical director.

Edu’s involvement in that summer window was minimal, with Sanllehi keen for him to have a period of adaptation to his new role. Publicly and privately, Sanllehi spoke of his intention to protect the new arrival.

On the Luiz deal, however, Edu was able to provide substantial support. Arsenal’s initial plan had been to invest the majority of their budget in a new centre-half, signing an up-and-coming winger of a lower profile. It was Emery who insisted the club make a wide player the priority, leading to the acquisition of Nicolas Pepe from Lille. At that time, Arsenal were already interested in signing their young centre-half, Gabriel. They tried to negotiate a deal for both players, or even a first-option agreement on the Brazilian defender, but were ultimately unsuccessful — Lille owner Gerard Lopez was insistent he needed Gabriel for one more season.

With Laurent Koscielny having departed for Bordeaux, that left Arsenal looking for a central defender late in the window. When Luiz’s name came up in conversations with Emery, Edu had the connections to help make that deal happen. As well as his association with Joorabchian, he also had a good personal relationship with Luiz due to his work with the CBF.

Of the three deals that involved Joorabchian, the signing of Luiz is the one that has attracted the least criticism — the experienced central defender played a critical role in Arsenal’s 2019-20 FA Cup win and has proved to be an influential figure in the dressing room.

By the time Arsenal arrived at the signing of Cedric in the January 2020 window, Edu was playing a more active role in Arsenal’s technical strategy. Although it was Sanllehi who ultimately made the recommendation to the owners for Emery to be dismissed, as technical director Edu had instigated that process. He also led the recruitment of a new coach, drawing up a list of candidates and playing a key part in the interview process. Arsenal knew that the names they had identified all had outstanding coaching credentials — subsequently, the chemistry between technical director and coach would be of critical importance.

“My first conversation with Mikel by phone was fantastic,” Edu told Arsenal Player last year. “To be honest we didn’t talk about the squad, we talked about what I really believe is the basis, the organisation. We talked about human beings, we talked about discipline, that was our first conversation. What is nice as well is when you see all the candidates, all of them were very good coaches and very good people and they have a very good experience in football but we have been talking about — it’s a feeling… ‘Oh, we have a connection’.”

Once Arteta had joined, early conversations about squad planning revealed two immediate needs: a left-sided centre-half and a back-up right-back. Arteta wanted two left-footed centre-backs from the beginning, hence following up the signing of Pablo Mari with Gabriel. At right-back, Ainsley Maitland-Niles was regarded as inconsistent, and with an uncertain future. Arteta believed Hector Bellerin required direct competition to remain motivated.

The problem Arsenal faced was that they were working under significant budgetary constraints. This was before KSE decided to refinance Arsenal’s debt. Moreover, the club was set to undergo a financial stress test related to their stadium debt covenants in February 2020. This meant the club was severely limited in terms of what it could spend.

Consequently, loan deals for Mari and Cedric became attractive. Mari was a player Edu knew well, having watched him in action for Flamengo several times. Arsenal had a list of attainable targets, and there was consensus among the technical staff that the Spaniard represented the best option. Edu was duly dispatched to Brazil to help complete the deal.

Cedric was seen as a good market opportunity — the player’s contract was scheduled to expire at the end of the season, so he could be signed for a negligible fee. The club initially investigated the possibility of signing him at the end of the 2019-20 season, but the player’s preference was to join in January and avoid the risk of sustaining a serious injury that could jeopardise any deal. Ironically, despite both players being fit when negotiations began, both Cedric and Mari found their first half-season with the club dogged by injury.

The two January signings were both represented by agents with well-established connections to Arsenal’s executive team — Cedric by Joorabchian, Mari by Arturo Canales. Some have understandably questioned whether the net was cast sufficiently wide in that mid-season recruitment drive. Certainly, the now-defunct scouting department felt that these players should only be signed as emergency short-term cover.

Arsenal would doubtless contend that it was only their good relationships with agents that enabled them to do business in that window. The four-year contracts were provisionally discussed in January but it was not until June, when the stress test had been passed, that they were finalised and then announced. The deals depended on an element of trust — and when the time to formalise the extensions arrived, Sanllehi impressed upon the board the importance of honouring their commitment.

Although Willian has been framed as an “Arteta signing”, Arsenal’s interest in the Brazilian actually pre-dates the manager’s arrival. Willian and Edu have a close relationship from his time with the CBF — part of Edu’s role entailed meeting with international players throughout the season, and the pair consequently developed a friendship. It was Edu who alerted Arsenal to Willian’s possible availability as a free transfer in October 2019. At the time, Emery was under considerable pressure, so any serious discussion of a potential deal was placed on hold. Willian was keen to settle his future before Christmas, but with uncertainty over Emery’s position, the club was not in a position to proceed with any talks.

Once Arteta had been hired, the prospect of signing Willian was raised again — and the new head coach responded very enthusiastically. He fitted the technical criteria and personality profile Arteta was looking to recruit. Amid competition from Inter Miami, Barcelona and Chelsea, Arsenal pursued and eventually secured a deal in the summer of 2020, offering a three-year contract to see off the other interested parties. The contract signing took place at Joorabchian’s London home due to restrictions on other venues because of the pandemic.

There were discussions about the possibility of a fourth Joorabchian client arriving at the Emirates Stadium: Edu and Arteta were keen admirers of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as a possible cut-price alternative to Thomas Partey. However, the Ghanaian was consistently Arsenal’s first choice and Hojbjerg’s association with Joorabchian — and the possible attention the signing might have attracted — was among the several factors that led all parties to go elsewhere.

There is no great embarrassment or unease among first-team staff about Edu’s relationship with Joorabchian, or any other intermediary. Maintaining good relationships with agents is part of his remit — it bears mentioning that Edu has also dealt with many agents beyond Joorabchian on deals for Aubameyang, Partey, Gabriel, Alex Runarsson and other negotiations.

Under Wenger, Arsenal appeared circumspect about which agents they were prepared to do business with. The loosening of that policy has ruffled some feathers. There is a degree to which this is simply a culture clash — after all, all of Edu’s previous transfer experience occurred in Brazil. There, that familiarity between agents and executives is more widely accepted.

“The dependence on agents for information in South America was much much higher than it was in Europe,” explains **** Law, who also held roles with Corinthians and Arsenal. “For one thing, player contracts did not expire on the same date every year. There’s no uniformity.” Although things are moving towards standardisation, that remains the case — a glance at the Corinthians page on Transfermarkt shows contracts expiring in June, July, December and January.

“Secondly, understanding the nature of the contracts is more important,” continues Law. “Does somebody else hold a percentage? Does the agent have a piece, does the player have a piece, does another club have a piece? So agents became critical holders of information about a player’s status. The default was to depend on a network of agents for that intelligence. We still need that information in Europe, but obviously, you have a degree of standardisation regarding contracts expiring on June 30, and the player registration situation tends to be more clear.”

Ultimately, signings are judged on their contribution. If a player proves successful, the agent fades into irrelevance. With both Bellerin and Maitland-Niles still at the club, Cedric has thus far seemed superfluous. Willian, meanwhile, has contributed a goal or assist in just one of his 12 Premier League starts. He may come good, but at 32 it is realistic to anticipate some form of decline. The three-year deal for Willian and four-year deal for 29-year-old Cedric are not investments on which Arsenal are likely to recoup substantial return. Throw in a three-year deal for the 31-year-old Aubameyang, and Arsenal have committed considerable resource to ageing players.

The decision to give these players long-term contracts beyond the peak of their career was ultimately a technical one. Arteta played his part, but as technical director, Edu must take final responsibility. “A good sporting director gives the manager what he wants,” suggests one agent. “A great sporting director knows when to say, ‘No’.” These signings form part of Edu’s squad-planning — and as yet, it is difficult to decipher a coherent strategy.

The summer of 2020 was a chaotic time for football and the world in general. For Edu, it was no different.

In the midst of the pandemic, he set about dismantling Arsenal’s international scouting network. Senior scouts including Francis Cagigao, Peter Clarke and Brian McDermott were let go as part of 55 redundancies. Although these departures were announced by head of football Sanllehi and managing director Vinai Venkatesham, it was Edu who had proposed the sweeping changes.

This was partially informed by COVID-19 — with scouts unable to travel to games, there was not sufficient work for a team that comprised of more than 30 staff and contractors. Edu also believed, however, that the model had become outdated. He wanted a smaller, more efficient team — and he wanted his own people.

No sooner had Edu culled those beneath him than the man directly above him was gone too. On August 17, Sanllehi was unceremoniously relieved of his duties. The subsequent reshuffle saw Venkatesham take over as chief executive, with Arteta promoted to sit alongside Edu as “manager”.

This was a seismic moment for Edu. He had lost the man who appointed him, and who had assured him he would provide him with protection and support. In the midst of a transfer window, he’d also lost his chief negotiator Fahmy.

Fortunately, talks on some of Arsenal’s key deals were already advanced. The night before his dismissal, Sanllehi had all-but arrived at an agreement with Aubameyang to sign a new three-year contract. Sanllehi’s close relationship with Lille owner Lopez meant they were aware of Napoli’s offer for Gabriel, and simply needed to match it. Arsenal’s interest in Partey was longstanding, with Cagigao having performed much of the legwork in keeping the player’s camp warm. In the course of 2019-20, Sanllehi, Edu and Arteta attended a series of meetings regarding the deal. There was transparency between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal: Atletico knew of the interest from London and Partey’s determination to move. Arsenal, meanwhile, hoped they would find a way to negotiate a fee below the €50 million release clause.

Edu and contract specialist Fahmy simply had to get these deals completed, and they did — although Atletico officials were furious when the open lines of communication closed just as Arsenal decided to pay Partey’s clause.

There were other negotiations led by Edu. Arsenal made a bid for Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar, but ultimately opted to proceed with the Partey deal instead. Runarsson was signed on the recommendation of goalkeeper coach Inaki Cana. At the start of the new season, Edu and Fahmy met with Mesut Özil’s agent to try and discuss a solution that might suit all parties. Ultimately, those talks proved fruitless.

This period placed a significant burden on Edu, and some things appear to have slipped through the cracks. Arsenal failed to organise a loan move for William Saliba — a significant mistake which the club accept cannot be allowed to happen again. Arteta and Edu discussed the need for an additional creative player but ultimately had other priorities. The workload was considerable. At one stage, The Athletic was told: “Edu’s head is on fire with all the negotiations”.

The news in October that Fahmy, too, would be leaving the club has only increased the club’s reliance on their technical director. Some would suggest that’s no accident. “Edu has consolidated an enormous amount of power into his position,” says a former Arsenal executive. “It appears deliberate.”

It’s not something he shies away from. “It is important to be clear,” Edu told a press conference in September. “What I would like from now is for everything related to football to come through me. All the contacts, if agents want to talk to the player, internally, externally, outside people have to see me — and my name — as the first one to call or connect to.”

Edu’s position does at least bring clarity. “In the last few years at Arsenal, it wasn’t always obvious who you should be calling,” explains one agent. “Let’s say you’ve got a player you think might be interesting for Arsenal. In the old days, you called Arsène or **** Law and that was it. Recently it’s been, ‘Do you call Huss? Do you call Sanllehi? Do you call Edu? Cagigao? Who’s running recruitment?’ Now at least you know.”

That brings accountability, and pressure too. Edu has gone from being part of a committee to having foremost responsibility for Arsenal’s technical direction. He is increasingly influential, but also increasingly exposed.

Edu and Arteta now sit side-by-side as technical director and manager. The structure has drawn comparison with the American model of general manager and coach, but also with the set-up at Manchester City, which sees Txiki Bgiristain and Pep Guardiola working in tandem.

Like them, Arteta and Edu have an excellent relationship and speak daily. Edu will occasionally watch training at London Colney, but will more often drop into the coaches’ room to talk strategy with the manager.

The subject of hierarchy is an interesting one. Under Sanllehi’s model, both Edu and Arteta would have been entitled to make a recommendation to their superior to terminate the other’s contract. Presumably, this remains the case — although both Edu and Arteta remain resolutely committed to working together to fix Arsenal’s immediate and long-term problems. That said, it is the responsibility of any technical director to have an eye on the future and possible succession plans.

As well as Arteta, Edu is responsible for all technical and performance staff — they appreciate that both in public and behind closed doors, he is unflinching in his support. He recently finalised the arrival of physio Bruno Mazziotti from Paris Saint-Germain. Arsenal had lost Portuguese physio Paulo Barreira in the summer, so wanted to appoint someone with a Latin background to reflect the diversity of their squad. Mazziotti joins a growing Brazilian base in north London. He worked with Edu to help instil a winning mentality at Corinthians — the hope is they can now do the same in north London.

Arsenal intend to appoint someone to provide Edu with assistance on contractual, administrative and legal matters — effectively a replacement for Fahmy — but that is not imminent. In recent months, Edu has been handling negotiations alone, and some feel he requires support. “Huss was more shrewd than Edu by a country mile, and very principled,” argues one agent. “But Edu has a different image and has a better manner with people. Ultimately both are working within parameters set by the board and the owners, so there isn’t going to any big difference in terms of the numbers. Huss and Edu will offer you a similar deal — Edu might just make you feel better about it.” If Edu doesn’t hold the purse strings, perhaps his power is more limited than some imagine.

Except for that appointment, Edu’s preference is for stability. After a period of tumultuous change, the feeling among the technical department is that this new structure must be given a proper chance to succeed. Outside the club, there is talk of further executive appointments, adding experience and oversight on the football side. Within the club, there is a belief that this slimmer model brings greater efficiency and accountability. For some, Gazidis’ 2018 structure was simply a case of “too many cooks”.

Edu’s priority is the transfer market. Having dispensed with much of the previous scouting department, he now works with a small team that places a heavy emphasis on video analysis. Jason Ayto is the club’s player recruitment co-ordinator, Mark Curtis is first-team scout and Ben Knapper is loan manager. In the field, Edu retained Thomas Pasieczny in Eastern Europe, as well as Jonathan Vidalle and Everton Gushiken in South America. The decision to keep Vidalle and Gushiken may be a reflection of the fact it will be easier for South American players to obtain work permits after Brexit, thanks to a new points-based system that will incorporate domestic league appearances, youth internationals and continental competitions such as the Copa Sudamericana.

Once attending live games is a realistic prospect, Edu is expected to expand this team — although his preference remains working with a small number of trusted scouts. Even for Edu, getting to games is difficult right now. With the club navigating the British government’s tier system and COVID-19 regulations, Arsenal’s technical director was not able to attend the Carabao Cup match against Manchester City.

Remodelling the scouting team is regarded by many as a bold decision, the success of which can only be judged in time. The reports filed by the outgoing scouts are expected to help inform the recruitment process for several windows to come. He is keen to successfully integrate Arsenal’s internal analytics company, StatDNA, in the recruitment process. That department is now led by Sarah Rudd, the head of analytics and software development.

Instead of having wide scouting coverage on the ground, Arsenal’s intention is to work in a more narrow, efficient manner. This will mean starting from a positional need, discussing specificity of player type with the manager, and then compiling a list of candidates with input from both scouting and StatDNA.

Edu has overseen the development of new internal software that amalgamates analytics, video clips, scouting reports and key transfer information. Rather than use an industry-wide application like Wyscout or Scout7, this proprietary software enables Edu to watch video footage compiled and curated by Arsenal’s own scouts instead of a third party. The system will soon incorporate a “lookalike” feature to identify similar players. Arsenal’s use of data and digital software is increasingly cutting edge: loan manager Knapper uses to a tool built by StatDNA, which analyses teams and managers by playing style to find suitable temporary homes for the club’s young players.

The January transfer window is the first for which Edu will be wholly responsible and it arrives at a critical time for the club. His clear intention is to pursue a creative midfielder, albeit in a market that is expected to be difficult. He is also seeking a right-sided centre-half, with an acceptance that deal is more likely in the summer. There will be a significant focus on moving players on. Arsenal have 10 first-team players whose contracts expire in the next 18 months. The club must do all they can to get some return on those investments.

Edu believes this squad will only be truly competitive in time for the 2022-23 season, when natural churn has occurred and the young players arrive at their peak. With the club in the midst of such a poor run, however, the pressure is intense. Seemingly short-term signings appear at odds with a long-term trajectory. Striking the balance between immediate and future goals is proving difficult. Some feel the promotion of Arteta to manager may have muddied the waters.

“There are two possibilities for Edu right now: this period is either going to kill him or make him better,” says a former Arsenal staff member. “Personally I believe him and Mikel are victims here. The club’s structure has been weakened, and Edu is alone now — thank god his relationship with Mikel is strong. The club will try to protect Mikel until the very end, but the best way to protect him is to let him concentrate on the games, and I don’t think that’s happening.”

The thinning out of the club’s executive hierarchy does at least offer clarity and accountability. The next few transfer windows will see Edu’s plan put in place. He has already made some big calls, and more may be round the corner. Arsenal fans are inclined to give this Invincible every chance, but the time for judgement is approaching.

Someone paid a hefty buck for this exhausting PR piece.

Yeah, not feeling it with Edu. Never have.

Also, I guess they pay Ornstein by words written. I like long reads, but this article did not need to be one.

 

[Aubamagoal]

Yeah, not feeling it with Edu. Never have.

Also, I guess they pay Ornstein by words written. I like long reads, but this article did not need to be one.

lol they paid e&y for a restructuring.

this is where it has to stop for me

 

[Macho]

Although Willian has been framed as an “Arteta signing”, Arsenal’s interest in the Brazilian actually pre-dates the manager’s arrival. Willian and Edu have a close relationship from his time with the CBF — part of Edu’s role entailed meeting with international players throughout the season, and the pair consequently developed a friendship.

:rofl:

So let me guess Partey and Gabriel was all Mikel despite interest and talks predating Arteta as well.

This is why I unsubscribed from this horsesh*t tbh.

 

[Artisan]

Just another attempt by Arteta's fart sniffer to slyly try to shift attention and blame away from Arteta and onto some other party.

 

[MikelHadADream]

We can be competitive next season if the right decisions are made ffs.

 

[grange]

What a lack of ambition from that fraud. Could be competitive in 2-3 years? Could be competitive right now if they signed a central defender and a creative midfielder or two. Or, you know, suck your pride up and play Özil while easing in ESR to see what he has - maybe play Saliba in less risky fixtures and see what he can do. He was a top defender in France's top league but now he's not trustworthy enough to play for this clown show? This club is a farce.

 

[MikelHadADream]

Edu comes across as a clown in that Athletic article. He thinks the squad will only compete in 2022 when contracts expire, what a load of ****. If we make 4/5 proper first 11 signings, we should be able to challenge the top 4 again.

Also, he's on about deadwoods contracts expiring. He is the one that signed Mari, Cedric, Willian and Runnarson!

 

[grange]

I don't even consider that level to be competitive. I would say getting to top 6 level is competitive now in this league. The next step would be making smarter signings to elevate the club to league challenger status - top 3 area. That's a crackpipe dream right now though..

 

[CrouchEndGooner5]

Fascinating piece from Orny, tbf.

However, deeply concerning. Essentially where there was once Raul, Huss, Edu, and a scouting department there is now just Edu doing all the jobs? No way to run a football club.

Also, all the signings since he arrived except Partey are Kia players or lads Edu knew from Brazil. When you sack your scouting department, you hope the alternative is better than just players Edu and Kia know personally. **** sake.

 

[GoonerJeeves]

Seems we've gotten in Bruno Mazzioti to strengthen our medical team

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/foo...ack-latest-Mikel-Arteta-coach-news-update-SNT

 

[teamsoutheast]

Has anyone considered the impact Brexit will have on the club and our transfer strategy? Could this have been why most of the scouting team was disbanded? I wonder if we could take advantage of Edu's knowledge of the South American market? This would surely work in our favour would it not?

 

[Arsenal1508]

Seems we've gotten in Bruno Mazzioti to strengthen our medical team

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/foo...ack-latest-Mikel-Arteta-coach-news-update-SNT

Nepotism.

Bet Vinai had many Indian doctors he knew, but did not want to recommend. Edu has no shame.

 

[Iceman10]

Has anyone considered the impact Brexit will have on the club and our transfer strategy? Could this have been why most of the scouting team was disbanded? I wonder if we could take advantage of Edu's knowledge of the South American market? This would surely work in our favour would it not?

Pretty sure UEFA will clamp down on any advantage in due course. They have a way of doing those things especially when potential revenues of clubs like ours are influenced so much by presence in continental competitions.

 

[bingobob]

Pretty sure UEFA will clamp down on any advantage in due course. They have a way of doing those things especially when potential revenues of clubs like ours are influenced so much by presence in continental competitions.

Nothing Uefa can do. Take Portugal as an example there is a reason a lot of Brazilians end up there.

Brexit could allow us to take advantage now as any non UK player will be treated the same, France, Spain, Brazil. It could make it easier.

Just bumped this thread to say Edu getting to work early. The window isn't open and already we are one player down. Hopefully the start of the many.

 

[scytheavatar]

Has anyone considered the impact Brexit will have on the club and our transfer strategy? Could this have been why most of the scouting team was disbanded? I wonder if we could take advantage of Edu's knowledge of the South American market? This would surely work in our favour would it not?

New system does nothing but make it hard for clubs to sign under 18s from other countries........ which means guys like Martinelli will be difficult to be signed in the future. Which sucks but let's be honest the days of Cesc are ancient history. And nowadays the best young talent will not have us as first choice. So it looks like you are overestimating the impact the new system will have on us.

 

[sdotzdot]

Clowns.

We have inexperience in every department from top to bottom; Josh, Edu, vinai (in his new role), Arteta.

We are ****ing doomed

 

[Gooner416]

Seems we've gotten in Bruno Mazzioti to strengthen our medical team

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/foo...ack-latest-Mikel-Arteta-coach-news-update-SNT

I've posted this in the past because he's been linked to us for awhile but he's ****ing impressive. Black belt in Jujitsu and a PHD student whilst being a physio at some top clubs in football. It's well documented on my thoughts on Edu, but I have time for this Bruno fella. Hope he turns Bellerin into Adama Traore soon enough!

 

[DanDare]

Thank god we're getting someone else in. Hopefully he knows how tonrember to suit paper work

 

[Jack_the_boy]

My understanding is that Vinai makes the non footballing decisions (commercial, hospitality, non football staff and such) and Edu handles the football stuff (signings, coaches, scouts etc).
It’s a good setup to have but it relies on them being the right guys for the jobs.