Good morning, a quick Friday walk to you.
While we worry about our lack of depth at center forward, across the English Channel and then down a bit and then a bit more, an Arsenal player is beating them up in Ligue 1.
Folarin Balogun is currently on loan at Reims, and scored twice in their 3-1 win over Rennes yesterday. That takes him to 10 Ligue 1 goals so far this season, putting him in pretty decent company near the top of the goalscoring charts:
With three assists to his name too, that means Balogun has been involved in 13 of Reims’ 19 league goals this season. To have such an impact on a mid-table team, where chance creation isn’t as prolific as it would be at other clubs, is a very impressive comeback for a player who stepped out of his comfort zone this season.
He went on loan to Middlesbrough in the second half of last season, but this time he chose to go to a new country, with all that that entails in terms of language and everything else, and it seems like a very good decision. There was a touch of Arsene Wenger in the way Mikel Arteta spoke to the 21-year-old about his path before choosing to go to France. Balogun explained in September:
“Before I moved, Mikel just wanted me to develop as a man. It was like an open answer and it was for me to interpret what he meant by ‘develop as a man’.
“Moving abroad, I am beginning to learn what he meant by that. It doesn’t just mean on the court but also off the court. I think by the time I get back I’ll be in a better place to compete than I was before I left.”
It reminds me of the stories told by Wenger players seeking advice or guidance, and instead of being explicit, it led them to their own answers. I think it’s fair to say that it didn’t always work, but this wasn’t just for young players. Finding that balance between instruction and education, and letting people think for themselves, is not always easy. Let’s face it, there are some people who just need you to be explicit with them. Give an order, they carry out the order, etc.
But there are others who thrive on that bit of freedom to interpret what is said; the ability to make a decision and live or die by it (in metaphorical terms, obviously). Clearly, Balogun’s loan this season, after signing a new deal with Arsenal, was going to be very important. He hadn’t played much senior soccer, and for his own development he needed to do that. I’ve seen calls for him to be called up to give us depth at center forward, and I can understand that. It is something that worries me a bit, but again it is the balance between what is best for the club and what is best for the player in the long term.
I can’t see it happening unless there’s some kind of injury crisis, and I’m not even sure if there’s a withdrawal clause in January. There may be, but I wonder if you might have a deadline after which we can’t bring it back even if we wanted to. In any case, let’s hope that we resolve this issue of depth in another way, and that Balogun can continue scoring goals this season.
If he does, he’ll return to Arsenal a much better player, and the conversation about the competition for places in summer time will no doubt be interesting. Also, given the quality of him and the fact that he was born in New York, the United States would be absolutely pissed if they weren’t courting him about his international future.
One to watch, perhaps.
—
I don’t have a Pelé anecdote. I don’t really have a favorite Pele memory. He was always present in my football consciousness. He was omnipresent. His name was synonymous with greatness.
“Who do you think you are, Pelé?” – A schoolboy yelled at a guy who tried to dribble an entire team when he clearly wasn’t capable of it. It did mean, however, that only Pele could realistically think of doing that, simply because he was considered the best by those watching. For those who wrote and talked about football. And that legacy never really faded.
Great players come, great players go, but legends live on. And he was one.
RIP.
—
Right, that’s your lot for this morning. There’s a new Arsecast for you below, looking at some of the transfer links, previewing the Brighton game and much more. Listen happy.
