So this Remy Mitchell Arsenal thing kept bugging me. Seriously, why bring back an old player? Had to test it myself. Grabbed my laptop around midnight last Wednesday after seeing yet another fan argument online. Just had to see if the hype made any sense.
The Spark
Started simple. Booted up Football Manager – the only decent sim I trust lately. Opened my Arsenal save file, scrolled through the squad. Felt incomplete. Like eating toast without butter. Everyone knows Mitchell left years ago, right? But the forums… man, folks wouldn’t shut up about him. Needed proof.
Fiddling With Fake Lines
First try was garbage. Just threw some numbers in. Made Remy Mitchell’s age 35, stats average. Stuck him on right wing. Predictably useless. He moved like my dad trying Zumba. Team lost 3-0 to Southampton reserves. Felt stupid wasting Saturday morning on this.
Tried again Sunday. Coffee helps. Dug deeper. Watched old highlights – real ones, not YouTube compilations. Remembered his explosive sprints. Edited acceleration and agility higher. Lowered stamina. Reality check: he’s pushing 40. Can’t expect prime Ronaldo.
Game Testing Chaos
Plugged him into a Cup match against Brentford. Results? Wild.
- Minute 27: Mitchell intercepts a lazy pass. Takes two touches. BANG. Top corner screamer. My cat jumped off the couch.
- Minute 65: Clearly gassed. Defense exploited him. Brentford equalizer came straight down his flank.
- Extra time: Subbed him off. Kids on the bench looked fresher. We lost on penalties.
Not convinced. Ran five more simulations. Same pattern:
- 🔥 Immediate impact in first halves
- ❄️ Disappearing act after 60 minutes
- 👴 Younger players visibly covering his gaps
The Real Benefit Clicked
Thursday night. Making tea during a sim. Heard the commentary blare: “MITCHELL STEALS IT – OH WHAT A PASS!” Raced back. Saw the replay. Thirty-five yard through ball. Perfect weight. Kid striker tapped it in easy.
That’s it. Not about goals. Not about stamina. It’s the damn experience.
Checked heat maps afterwards. Mitchell kept drifting centrally when tired. Became a deep playmaker. No dribbles, just simple passes organizing the chaos.
- ➕ Young wingers played more freely
- ➕ Midfield pressed higher knowing he covered space
- ➕ Set piece success rate jumped 20%
Ran final test: gave him mentoring roles for Saka and Martinelli. Simmed six months. Their decision-making stats? Skyrocketed.
Okay I Get It Now
Finished the sim at 2AM. Whole experiment took a week of messy trial and error. Is Mitchell the fix-all? Heck no. But as a short-term glue guy? Pure gold. Lets the kids breathe. Adds calm when games get stupid. Still costs peanuts in wages too.
Sometimes old isn’t obsolete. Sometimes it’s just… smart glue.