As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
Arsenal have accelerated their sometimes left-field revolution off the pitch with the arrival of the Russian data expert Mikhail Zhilkin, who previously oversaw the launch of the Candy Crush video game.
A graduate of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Zhilkin has a Master of Science in Applied Physics and Mathematics and has been appointed as Arsenal’s new data scientist, working under director of high performance Darren Burgess.
His arrival represents a continuation of chief executive Ivan Gazidis’s drive for all-round expertise and ideas from across different industries in an effort to build an organisation that can outperform their natural spending power.
Zhilkin’s remit will centre on analysing injury and physical data rather than recruitment or technical performance. Injuries were a significant problem for Arsenal across a series of seasons in the second decade of Arsene Wenger’s reign as manager and an issue that was the subject of several internal reviews.
It all also follows a huge overhaul in the club’s medical staff under Burgess, who was appointed in July 2017, following Wenger’s departure as manager earlier this year. As well as Colin Lewin leaving his job as head of medical services, physiotherapists Andy Rolls and Ben Ashworth and osteopath Dr Philippe Boixel were all let go.
Zhilkin has described himself as a “data scientist interested in rational thinking, automation, data visualisation, machine learning, association football”.
Rac1: #AFC and #FCB are negotiating a deal for Gomes but so far the English club is unwilling to match the €30m asking price. A loan with the obligation to buy was proposed as well. Andre is seduced by Arsenal and it’s his favourite destination.https://www.rac1.cat/info-rac1/2018
Fantasy football stuff I know but Willian to Cuntalona for £68m could open up the opportunity for us to sign Dembele. PEA, zil, Lacazette, Mkhitaryan plus Dembele is a title winning attack.
I know that there is bad blood between everton and watford, but £50m for richarlason is fcuking madness
£40m is a figure being talked about - fucking hell, once i used to get angry with the over inflation of transfer fees but now its just
can't wait to watch this bubble burst, bring on free tv deals and the collapse of sky
My original post was meant to say £50m
Tbh I'm not as confident as I once was about the tv deals collapsing - sky have just lost the rights to spanish football, and the same company that bought those rights have also outbid bt for the italian rights The more companies interested in buying football tv packages, the more the price will go up, and amazon's deal is only going to make it worse again Anyone obsessed with football (as I used to be) and watching european and english football, will be seriously hit now if they want to continue watching the same games cos a 3rd subscription will now be needed