Folarin Balogun

[Highbury Hillbilly]

Shame we won't see any more of him with preseason being cancelled.

[jayramfootball]

Shame we won't see any more of him with preseason being cancelled.

Is it cancelled? Thought it was just the Florida trip?

[Angelito]

Shame we won't see any more of him with preseason being cancelled.

Is it cancelled? Thought it was just the Florida trip?

Yes, just the Florida Cup.

We'll play a couple of indoor games before facing Chelsea and Spurs in the Mind Series (pre-season tournament).

Inter have also pulled out of the Florida Cup.

[DiamondGooner]

Shame we won't see any more of him with preseason being cancelled.

Pre-season isn't cancelled.

The Covid visit to America is, we'll re-arrange to play local games in England or Europe more than likely, you can't cancel your prep for the season, that would be ridiculous.

[Highbury Hillbilly]

Shame we won't see any more of him with preseason being cancelled.

Pre-season isn't cancelled.

The Covid visit to America is, we'll re-arrange to play local games in England or Europe more than likely, you can't cancel your prep for the season, that would be ridiculous.

My mistake, I thought the US matches were the last ones before the season started.

[Phil71]

Not sure if we've found replacement opponents. That'll probably be difficult. At least decent ones.

[jayramfootball]

As long as the team are together and training, its all good. 1st 11 can play 2nd 11 if they have to.
The games themselves are not that important.

[thebigbangtheo]

This lad is now at a crossroads where all the talk about his as yet unproven potential and ability ahead of him having even started a game for the first team, needs to have greater substance than hot air, hope and sheer will of a fan base for him to be the boy Arthur gripping the hilt of Excalibur for the first time.

Being head and shoulders above your peers in the under 18's and 21's to look like the best thing since sliced bread is one thing, producing it at first team level is another and why the like of a 16 year old Wayne Rooney remain a phenomenon while the like of a Nketia or Hudson-Odoi become the norm.

[jayramfootball]

This lad is now at a crossroads where all the talk about his as yet unproven potential and ability ahead of him having even started a game for the first team, needs to have greater substance than hot air, hope and sheer will of a fan base for him to be the boy Arthur gripping the hilt of Excalibur for the first time.

Being head and shoulders above your peers in the under 18's and 21's to look like the best thing since sliced bread is one thing, producing it at first team level is another and why the like of a 16 year old Wayne Rooney remain a phenomenon while the like of a Nketia or Hudson-Odoi become the norm.

The thing that has me more worried is that at the lower level - up to the U23s - Baloguns record is significantly worse than Nketiahs was.
That does not mean to say he can't be better at the highest level - he might just be a later developer - but as of now the hype is unfounded.
Needs to perform now he has his new contract and promotion to the first team - I hope he does because if so he could solve a key issue for us, in that both Auba and Laca are getting older and towards the end of their contracts.

[swipe right]

This lad is now at a crossroads where all the talk about his as yet unproven potential and ability ahead of him having even started a game for the first team, needs to have greater substance than hot air, hope and sheer will of a fan base for him to be the boy Arthur gripping the hilt of Excalibur for the first time.

Being head and shoulders above your peers in the under 18's and 21's to look like the best thing since sliced bread is one thing, producing it at first team level is another and why the like of a 16 year old Wayne Rooney remain a phenomenon while the like of a Nketia or Hudson-Odoi become the norm.

If we are buying Tammy Abrahams it means Arteta doesn’t see him as a ready option.

[Arsenal Tone]

This lad is now at a crossroads where all the talk about his as yet unproven potential and ability ahead of him having even started a game for the first team, needs to have greater substance than hot air, hope and sheer will of a fan base for him to be the boy Arthur gripping the hilt of Excalibur for the first time.

Being head and shoulders above your peers in the under 18's and 21's to look like the best thing since sliced bread is one thing, producing it at first team level is another and why the like of a 16 year old Wayne Rooney remain a phenomenon while the like of a Nketia or Hudson-Odoi become the norm.

If we are buying Tammy Abrahams it means Arteta doesn’t see him as a ready option.

Or he sees him as a WF rather than a CF

[jayramfootball]

This lad is now at a crossroads where all the talk about his as yet unproven potential and ability ahead of him having even started a game for the first team, needs to have greater substance than hot air, hope and sheer will of a fan base for him to be the boy Arthur gripping the hilt of Excalibur for the first time.

Being head and shoulders above your peers in the under 18's and 21's to look like the best thing since sliced bread is one thing, producing it at first team level is another and why the like of a 16 year old Wayne Rooney remain a phenomenon while the like of a Nketia or Hudson-Odoi become the norm.

If we are buying Tammy Abrahams it means Arteta doesn’t see him as a ready option.

He's been promoted to the first team and Arteta has publicly said he is an option and has a chance this year to break into the first team.
Now, Mikel might be blowing smoke to string the kid along, a la Martinelli... but at least he is in the first-team squad now and if he is as good as being said then there will be really nothing to stop him... just as Mikel had to succumb to the clamour on Martinelli.
Keep in mind also that Martinelli will not likely play much part in the first half of this season. He's at the Olympics and will likely be back to square 1 for him when he returns. Unlikely he'll come straight back into the team.
Then there is Nketiah - I suspect he will be sold.
Seems like the door is open for Balogun even if we do buy Abraham.

[Ach]

All he has to do is be better than Nketiah

[swipe right]

This lad is now at a crossroads where all the talk about his as yet unproven potential and ability ahead of him having even started a game for the first team, needs to have greater substance than hot air, hope and sheer will of a fan base for him to be the boy Arthur gripping the hilt of Excalibur for the first time.

Being head and shoulders above your peers in the under 18's and 21's to look like the best thing since sliced bread is one thing, producing it at first team level is another and why the like of a 16 year old Wayne Rooney remain a phenomenon while the like of a Nketia or Hudson-Odoi become the norm.

If we are buying Tammy Abrahams it means Arteta doesn’t see him as a ready option.

He's been promoted to the first team and Arteta has publicly said he is an option and has a chance this year to break into the first team.
Now, Mikel might be blowing smoke to string the kid along, a la Martinelli... but at least he is in the first-team squad now and if he is as good as being said then there will be really nothing to stop him... just as Mikel had to succumb to the clamour on Martinelli.
Keep in mind also that Martinelli will not likely play much part in the first half of this season. He's at the Olympics and will likely be back to square 1 for him when he returns. Unlikely he'll come straight back into the team.
Then there is Nketiah - I suspect he will be sold.
Seems like the door is open for Balogun even if we do buy Abraham.

Pecking order
1. Auba
2. Laca
3. Tammy
4. Nketiah
5. Martinelli
6. Balogun

He should start looking for a championship loan.

[thebigbangtheo]

This lad is now at a crossroads where all the talk about his as yet unproven potential and ability ahead of him having even started a game for the first team, needs to have greater substance than hot air, hope and sheer will of a fan base for him to be the boy Arthur gripping the hilt of Excalibur for the first time.

Being head and shoulders above your peers in the under 18's and 21's to look like the best thing since sliced bread is one thing, producing it at first team level is another and why the like of a 16 year old Wayne Rooney remain a phenomenon while the like of a Nketia or Hudson-Odoi become the norm.

If we are buying Tammy Abrahams it means Arteta doesn’t see him as a ready option.

He's been promoted to the first team and Arteta has publicly said he is an option and has a chance this year to break into the first team.
Now, Mikel might be blowing smoke to string the kid along, a la Martinelli... but at least he is in the first-team squad now and if he is as good as being said then there will be really nothing to stop him... just as Mikel had to succumb to the clamour on Martinelli.
Keep in mind also that Martinelli will not likely play much part in the first half of this season. He's at the Olympics and will likely be back to square 1 for him when he returns. Unlikely he'll come straight back into the team.
Then there is Nketiah - I suspect he will be sold.
Seems like the door is open for Balogun even if we do buy Abraham.

The door of opportunity being open is only one half of the equation. Essentially the point and purpose of my comment are relative to the second half of it, as not everybody steps through an open door simply because it's there even if knowing what's beyond it. Ravel Morrison, point in case.