Evening.
Not much going on today, but I can see a lot of people on the Internet debating the usefulness of Joel Campbell and decided it's high time to talk about him. I've touched on the subject already, but it's obvious it needs further clarification and elaboration.
The general reaction to any (however vague) story linking Campbell away from the Emirates is outrage. Most Arsenal fans seem to view the Costa-Rican as a genuine contender for at least a place on the bench, which I consider odd. But let's try and look at the matter from their point of view.
Campbell was signed in 2011 and everyone was like "Who is this guy?" Yours truly was no exception. I have to admit that, more often than not, I cannot say a single word about our newcomers. I may have heard of them, I may know them as good players, but I rarely watch the games of other teams and never watch them on a consistent basis. I don't know enough to pass a judgement on their style of play and sometimes to even make an educated guess on how these individuals will fit in. For me, a player's career start when he joins Arsenal and draws to a close when he leaves. Even with individuals I admire (Henry, Fabregas, Pires) the story is the same. I'm just not interested enough to watch them play for someone else.
Anyway, as soon as Campbell was signed, it turned out he had to obtain a work permit (in other words, play a number of games for his national team). Joel, at his young age, hasn't accomplished that and was consecutively shipped out on loan. First to Lorient, then to Betis and last year to Olympiacos. And here I don't think I'll make a gross mistake by saying there are hardly any Arsenal fans who followed Joel's progress at these clubs. Last year was a bit different, with Campbell scoring a wonder goal against United (this was the time I realised we actually owned Campbell) and then becoming a champion with the Greek side. But even last season I'm not sure there were too many Arsenal supporters keeping an eye on Joel.
And then there was the World Cup. Joel scored and assisted in his first game and then went all the way to the quarter-final with Costa-Rica. Joel played well, was both good at holding up the play and making quick runs and Arsenal fans got a bit overexcited. Simply because Campbell was something different to what we've been accustomed to. A fresh, interesting players. Subsequent calls to bring him back (and even play Joel ahead of Giroud) ensued.
But let's look at it differently. Do you honestly think that one good World Cup (good, not marvellous) and three loan spells in leagues far inferior to BPL is enough to throw Campbell into the mix? Let's be brutally honest about the World Cup: Joel had one great game - against Urugyay. He wasn't useless in other games, far from it, but he was no leader either. He wasn't a match-turning guy for Costa-Rica like Neymar was for Brazil or Messi for Argentine.
Do three season-long loans indicate he's ready for the rigours of the Premier League? Sure, he couldn't play in England due to work restrictions, but it's not like he was loaned out to Marseille or Atletico or, say, Schalke. When even a player of Mesut Ozil's calibre, a hardened pro with a bags of experience obtained at Real Madrid, struggles during his first season, that tells it's own story.
Besides, Campbell faces extremely stiff competition for places. He's got at least Giroud in front of him in the central striker position (who's no less capable of bringing other into play) and the likes of Cazorla, Sanchez and Oxlade on the flanks. The only player Joel is above in the pecking order in our front department is Sanogo.
That's why I think a loan move to a BPL club is about the best thing that can happen to the Costa-Rican. Like it's the case with Jenkinson, Campbell needs playing time. Unlike Jenkinson, though, he needs this time to adapt to the Premier league and understand what's required of him. There are plenty of clubs ready to take Campbell and give him playing time, so he should join these for the upcoming campaign.
Don't get me wrong, I think a really good player can grow out of Joel. A player we could use. One for the future. But this future is not here yet. He needs to accept it and try to prove his worth at a higher level. If he impresses, we'll have this talk again.
Finally for today, Chambers has talked about his ability to cover defensive midfield, while Arsene took over Twitter. Both have interesting things to say, so check it out if you feel like it.
And I'll get back to you with a fresh batch of news when it arrives.
Until then
Not much going on today, but I can see a lot of people on the Internet debating the usefulness of Joel Campbell and decided it's high time to talk about him. I've touched on the subject already, but it's obvious it needs further clarification and elaboration.
The general reaction to any (however vague) story linking Campbell away from the Emirates is outrage. Most Arsenal fans seem to view the Costa-Rican as a genuine contender for at least a place on the bench, which I consider odd. But let's try and look at the matter from their point of view.
Campbell was signed in 2011 and everyone was like "Who is this guy?" Yours truly was no exception. I have to admit that, more often than not, I cannot say a single word about our newcomers. I may have heard of them, I may know them as good players, but I rarely watch the games of other teams and never watch them on a consistent basis. I don't know enough to pass a judgement on their style of play and sometimes to even make an educated guess on how these individuals will fit in. For me, a player's career start when he joins Arsenal and draws to a close when he leaves. Even with individuals I admire (Henry, Fabregas, Pires) the story is the same. I'm just not interested enough to watch them play for someone else.
Anyway, as soon as Campbell was signed, it turned out he had to obtain a work permit (in other words, play a number of games for his national team). Joel, at his young age, hasn't accomplished that and was consecutively shipped out on loan. First to Lorient, then to Betis and last year to Olympiacos. And here I don't think I'll make a gross mistake by saying there are hardly any Arsenal fans who followed Joel's progress at these clubs. Last year was a bit different, with Campbell scoring a wonder goal against United (this was the time I realised we actually owned Campbell) and then becoming a champion with the Greek side. But even last season I'm not sure there were too many Arsenal supporters keeping an eye on Joel.
And then there was the World Cup. Joel scored and assisted in his first game and then went all the way to the quarter-final with Costa-Rica. Joel played well, was both good at holding up the play and making quick runs and Arsenal fans got a bit overexcited. Simply because Campbell was something different to what we've been accustomed to. A fresh, interesting players. Subsequent calls to bring him back (and even play Joel ahead of Giroud) ensued.
But let's look at it differently. Do you honestly think that one good World Cup (good, not marvellous) and three loan spells in leagues far inferior to BPL is enough to throw Campbell into the mix? Let's be brutally honest about the World Cup: Joel had one great game - against Urugyay. He wasn't useless in other games, far from it, but he was no leader either. He wasn't a match-turning guy for Costa-Rica like Neymar was for Brazil or Messi for Argentine.
Do three season-long loans indicate he's ready for the rigours of the Premier League? Sure, he couldn't play in England due to work restrictions, but it's not like he was loaned out to Marseille or Atletico or, say, Schalke. When even a player of Mesut Ozil's calibre, a hardened pro with a bags of experience obtained at Real Madrid, struggles during his first season, that tells it's own story.
Besides, Campbell faces extremely stiff competition for places. He's got at least Giroud in front of him in the central striker position (who's no less capable of bringing other into play) and the likes of Cazorla, Sanchez and Oxlade on the flanks. The only player Joel is above in the pecking order in our front department is Sanogo.
That's why I think a loan move to a BPL club is about the best thing that can happen to the Costa-Rican. Like it's the case with Jenkinson, Campbell needs playing time. Unlike Jenkinson, though, he needs this time to adapt to the Premier league and understand what's required of him. There are plenty of clubs ready to take Campbell and give him playing time, so he should join these for the upcoming campaign.
Don't get me wrong, I think a really good player can grow out of Joel. A player we could use. One for the future. But this future is not here yet. He needs to accept it and try to prove his worth at a higher level. If he impresses, we'll have this talk again.
Finally for today, Chambers has talked about his ability to cover defensive midfield, while Arsene took over Twitter. Both have interesting things to say, so check it out if you feel like it.
And I'll get back to you with a fresh batch of news when it arrives.
Until then
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