by thebigbangtheo » Sun Jul 11, 2021 2:33 pm
I could be wrong, but I don't think there is much to debate regards the impact upon our fortunes that not having an attacking midfielder at our disposal for the first half of last season, had a cataclysmic effect upon any progression being made with the team.
In acknowledging that fact, it would then be gross negligence of the highest order for the club to then enter the upcoming season having not resolved that issue as much as it's reasonably possible, by having two players to fulfill the role in being duly mindful of injury, suspension and loss of form.
For me, Emile Smith-Rowe is one of those players. However, being conscious of his proclivity to sustaining short to medium term injuries as things currently stand, Isco would be an ideal candidate to have as his back-up cum competition cum mentor.
At 28/29 years old, would it be unreasonable to expect two to three years of top quality football to still be in his tank as such? I think not.
With this prominently in mind, Smith-Rowe would have no significant fears to endure regards having his arsenal career progression, development and prospects curtailed or ultimately blocked by the Spanish playmaker. Indeed, any such fears would have been far more relevant in our pursuit of Isco's Real Madrid team mate Odegaard.
Besides, are there any gunners out there who didn't see our need to have a quality back-up player for Keiran Tierney who similarly is all too familiar with surgeons, physios and treatment tables?
As little as 4 years ago if that, nobody outside of Villa Park would have deemed it credible to have valued Jack Grealish as a £50M player, never mind the near double that to avoid Dean Smith spitting in your eye before advising you to self fornicate.
In an environment where ESR isn't carrying all the hopes of the Gooner Nation on his young shoulders but instead just allowed to continue to grow and express himself along with his best friend Bukayo Saka and the handful of notable acquisitions, we could end up with a team cable of addressing the ill's of the last decade and a half, so what price that?