YAMACAST Episode 4 – the one when there was not a lot of Arsenal news

It’s been a quiet week for Arsenal supporters. We’re either still smarting from the misery that was the North London Derby or there honestly wasn’t a whole lot of news going on.

Even with a lack of news, that doesn’t mean we still don’t have stellar guests. This week we are joined by two very insightful guests in Tim Stillman (@LittleDutchVa) of Arseblog and Vital Arsenal. Additionally, we’re also pleased to be joined by Bobby McMahon (@BobbySoccerRep) of Fox Soccer Channel and Forbes magazine.

Tim and I discuss the current state of the team. We take a realistic, measured approach to the fallout from the North London Derby. Preview the Bayern match and talk about Tim’s recent article on the imbalance in the current make of this Arsenal squad. Tim contends and I agree that  Arsenal do have good players in the squad but they lack the quality of a game changer who when things are going good can take that good and make it a moment of greatness. We discuss as our example Luis Suarez of Liverpool. If you watched Suarez’s performance in their match up against Spurs, his movement and class for the first goal helped give an end product to a period of sustained Liverpool pressure. Had Arsenal had someone capable of such greatness, then it’s likely the first 37 minutes of the NLD where Arsenal had so much dominance and certainly looking like the better team, may have netted a different result.

We also look at the crucial match for Arsenal in Germany. With the Gunners on a trip to the Rheinland, both Tim and I hope that the squad shows up mentally and at the very least puts on a solid, professional performance. More for the mentality of the run of 10 final league games then anything else. A blow out by the Germans and Arsenal could well and truly be in for trouble for the last 2 months of the league.

After Tim, I am joined by Bobby McMahon. Bobby recently wrote a piece (a few pieces actually) on Arsenal. We take a look at one in particular – his look at the reported £1.5 billion bid and that it is essentialy 10 years too late for Arsenal. Bobby and I focus on the financial health of the club. Its a cringe worthy topic to some but it is an important aspect of this club. Bobby points out that while the on the field product isn’t where it needs to be, Arsenal are primed (provided they take advantage of it) to be one of the best off in terms of financial health, power and ability beginning this summer.

Sure you can make a case that Tottenham, Liverpool, Everton and a few others look like they are ascending and surpassing Arsenal in their own the field product but the fact remains they do not have the financial infrastructure or health to maintain it. Success will drive them to look for more sustainable financial models and its likely the likes of especially Tottenham and Liverpool will have to either improve their current stadia or build new ones which could have (as we all know) implications on the teams they can field.

Arsenal with managable debt, new commercial deals looming and the new global TV rights for the Premier League ready to kick in  are the only club outside of Manchester clubs and Chelsea who could actually survive not being in the Champion’s League. Yes, its not something any of us want to discuss but we do. Arsenal are poised to come out of their darkness – they only need to wield the financial clout they will have. And therein lies the rub of it all.

Finally, Bobby and I look at the run in for Arsenal and while I think you can’t really see where any of these clubs will ultimately wind up, Bobby is concerned about Arsenal’s chances of finishing in the top four this season.

Thanks again for taking the time to listen. We always welcome your feedback either here on this page or via twitter.

Until next time – stay Goonerish

You can either download or stream the podcast via the links below or we are pleased to now be up and available via iTunes on this link:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/you-are-my-arsenal-yamacast/id615279052