Posted by Gringo Maclure in Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Cesc Fabregas, Premiership | 5 January 2010
Arsenal welcome Bolton tomorrow before hosting Everton on Saturday in what will be the conclusion to a busy Christmas period for Arsene Wenger's boys. At the end of January and start of February Arsenal have a one-two-three face-off which will surely play a huge part in the destination of the Premier League - Manchester United (H), Chelsea (A) and Liverpool (H). Granted the Anfield team are having a nightmare season by their standards but the Gunners will be pitched into battle with Gerrard, Torres and co scrapping for European football next season while negotiating further rounds of the FA Cup and the start of the Champions League knock out rounds.
In the meantime, Arsenal will hope they can make it to these crunch games with their recent unbeaten run in tact and, perhaps more crucially, with their squad in tact too. In the first quarter of the season Arsenal relied on Fabregas and Van Persie to provide goals and assists and neither player will be available for some time to come. Encouragingly, Arsenal have continued to score well in part thanks to Arshavin and a returning to form Eduardo. However, as most commentators have already acknolwedged it will be Arsenal's midfield that will be under scrutiny as Eboue and particularly the influential Song leave this week for the African Nations Cup.
The FA Cup 3rd tie at West Ham proved a good testing ground for an Arsenal attacking 6 which included 4 "Carling Cup" youngsters. Ramsey, Vela, Wilshere and Merida all started but what did we learn about Wenger's midfield options over this winter month?
Wilshere - Still too young to be relied on. Maybe the loan option to Burnley - which would presumably include more first team play - is a good idea as Wilshere rushed his passes against West Ham and looked overawed starting a match a notch higher than the Carling Cup.
Merida - Shows glimmers of promise but recently stalled on a new deal so perhaps has his eye on the door. Didn't establish himself against West Ham fading as time went on and along with Wilshere was a worthy candidate for second half substitution.
Diaby - Was a crucial inclusion at West Ham. His recent performances have shown that the Vieira comparisons don't just extend to looks and height. He has shown strength this season and an unexpected gift for surging forward and finding the net.
Nasri - Another player who turned the West Ham game around. For me, Nasri is 85% a Pires or Ljungberg - he shows flashes of skill and neat touches but he needs to find consistancy and perhaps bulk up in the gym over this summer to make his presence felt in Premier League fixtures even more. A way to go before he is another number 8 legend for Arsenal but certainly likely to start in Wenger's Fabregas/Song-less midfield.
Aaron Ramsey - the most promising of the youngsters and as the papers were happy to report after the Upton Park tie, a ready heir to Fabregas. His performance and goal against Portsmouth a few days earlier were similar in style and quality to anything the Spanish captain has produced this season.
Denilson - if he passes a fitness test the Brazilian will be available for the Bolton game. Despite niggling injury problems, Denilson has proved himself this season as an able enforcer with a good work rate particularly alongside Song or Diaby. Still young though, and quite short, so perhaps it is asking too much for him to be Arsenal's next Gilberto-esque "invisible wall" on his own.
Rosicky - Committed to Arsenal long-term thanks to a new contract this week. Still does not have fitness for 90 minutes but could be a useful supersub throughout January.
Walcott - he won't ever be the ball winner in the centre of the park but as an attacking midfilder/striker he will always be in contention as long as he can get over his injury setbacks. Has been difficult for the young Englishman to come through on his evident promise due to such a stop-start season.
Wenger has rumoured he may dip into the transfer market this January. With those heavy-weight fixtures at the end of the month he may want back up especially as there may be unforseen injuries to come. Even so, as I've tried to indicate above, Wenger could compose a strong starting midfield from any combination of about 5 or 6 players with Diaby and Ramsey likely to play crucial roles in the absence of Song and Fabregas. On current form, Arsenal are doing their best to make it anything but a bleak midwinter.
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Posted by DavidM in Arsenal, Liverpool | 13 December 2009
While there is still a long way to the end of the season today's result was significant for both teams.
Arsenal needed the win to put them back in touch with the top two. Assuming they win their game in hand, Arsenal will be level on points with Manchester United and 3 points behind Chelsea. Had they lost the game, no doubt the critics would have once again derided Arsenal's youth and inability to finish teams off despite playing beautiful football (though not today).
Liverpool desperately needed the win to get their season back on track. Out of the Champions League and 13 points off top spot, Liverpool are no longer title contenders but alarmingly may struggle to clinch one of the coveted top 4 places.
Today's loss leaves them 5 points off a top-four spot and on the same points - after 16 games - as Birmingham. Liverpool's season can now be considered to be in crisis!
It's not just that their own performances haven't been good enough. The real concern is the quality of the teams that have edged above them. Aston Villa beat Manchester United yesterday after Ferguson himself commented on their great form. Tottenham - despite a surprise defeat to Wolves - have been attractive and effective. Manchester City have stuttered between blandness and brilliance but have an increasingly strong squad that will only get better.
I predicted some time ago that the first impact the new Manchester City would have would be to push Liverpool or Arsenal out of the top 4. That may not quite be true yet, but it looks increasingly likely that Liverpool will be the first casualty of the growing confidence of City. Villa and Spurs.
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Posted by Gringo Maclure in Arsenal, Chelsea, Premiership | 7 December 2009
So, Arsenal returned to winning ways with a 2-0 win over Stoke at the Emirates. The win was a breeze as a makeshift Arsenal side fielding only Arshavin up front could of and should of finished the game with a lot more goals in the bag. So, why did Arsenal struggle in their last 3 fixtures not scoring any goals and conceding seven?
If Arsenal want to be real title contenders they need to turn games like the away fixture against Sunderland into an opportunity to come home with at least a point. The 0-1 result was disappointing but not wholly unexpected if you take into account most of Arsenal's squad were coming back from international duty, the team had just lost the in-form Van Persie and Sunderland were fresh after a two week hiatus. As for the 3-0 Man City loss in the Carling Cup, Arsenal's youngsters (and oldster Silvestre) came unstuck against a City side content to really bear their teeth at the Gunners and who desperately needed a win after 6 consecutive draws. Both games were wintery occasions away to a battling sides in the north - in recent seasons an unfortunate indication that Arsenal might suffer. In other words, the losses to Man City and Sunderland were just about forigveable. The Chelsea defeat was not.
Arsenal have been turning the Emirates into a fortress and in recent seasons have registered good results against the vast majority of Premiership teams including Liverpool and Manchester United, (last season's Champsions League semi final being the exception). Chelsea, on the other hand, have won thier last two games at the Emirates with a combined score of 7-1 in their favour.
It wasn't always this way. Between the 95/96 season and the 03/04 season Arsenal lost only twice to Chelsea in all competitions and on occasion racked up some fantastic home and away wins against the Blues. The turning point came toward the end of Ranieri's reign when Arsenal, 2-1 up on aggregate at half time in the Champions League quarter final second leg, let Chelsea back in crashing out 2-3 to an 87th minute Bridge winner.
Since then, Arsenal have won only twice in 14 fixtures against their London rivals. Pyschologically, that Champions League exit in the season of Arsenal's "Invincible" squad must have been a huge blow but a further factor tells the story of Chelsea's dominance. On both occasions Arsenal won, Didier Drogba wasn't playing. The Ivorian giant has tormented Arsenal since his arrival at Stamford Bridge in 2004, netting 10 past Arsene Wenger's men, including the two he scored last week. Crucially, Arsenal have let winning positions slip against Chelsea on 3 occasions since 03/04 - in the 2006/7 League Cup Final, in the 2007/8 Premier League Emirates fixture and in the 2008/9 FA Cup semi-final - and it has been Drogba's goals and presence which have been telling on each occasion. If Arsenal had been able to register a victory in (any of) those games the Emirates trophy cabinet would likely be a little less threadbare for the seasons after 2005.
My point is this - Arsenal need to find a way to reverse the curse of Chelsea. They may not be able to dominate like they did in the pre-Mourinho era as Chelsea are a very different proposition but if Arsenal can at least give as good as they get - as they do against Manchester United and Liverpool - they even the odds for picking up that elusive trophy. This season Drogba has been almost impossible to stop irrespective of who he is playing against but if Arsenal are to progress past Chelsea in knock out competitions or get one over them in the league they need to find a way to lock him up. Either that, or wait until Didier is sold or retires.
As a small postscript, I find it interesting that frequently one player is able to perform so well against specific opposition over several years, even when that opposition change manager, players or stadium. Torres' recent dominance of the normally solid Ferdinand-Vidic defensive pairing of Manchester United might be a case in point. I was talking about the Drogba effect on Arsenal with a friend this week and he reminded me that Le Tissier always scored against his club, Newcastle. Another friend, a Derby fan, said that embarressingly Steve Claridge always netted against the Rams. And, at least, I can console myself that Arsenal have produced many outstanding players who have been significant thorns in the side of other clubs - Henry tormented Middlesborough and Leeds, Pires always scored against Spurs and Ian Wright hit the back of the net against everyone.
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Posted by Young'un in Arsenal | 26 November 2009
This Sunday sees London, and arguably Britain's, two top sides collide in a game that could swing the door for Premier League success wide open, or equally, slam it shut. Now I know that I am talking in the extreme here but I don't think the importance of this game should be overlooked. A Chelsea win at The Emirates would see them go an incredible 11 points clear of The Arsenal; a deficit I don't think this side is capable of recovering from, especially with Chelsea producing the sort of consistency needed to win a title as challenging as the Premier League. However, an Arsenal win, a possibility not to be dismissed with The Gunners boasting a 100% record at home in all competitions, would close the gap to 5 points, with a game in hand on Ancelotti's men. That game being Bolton at The Emirates, one I am prepared to judge as a nailed-on home win. Therefore, Chelsea would hold a slender 2 point lead, that could of course be overturned in one game.
While Chelsea's players are miraculously recovering in time for this clash, Arsene Wenger seems to be suffering the reverse effect. Kieran Gibbs limped off with a (this time) confirmed broken foot while William Gallas is a doubt with a swollen eye. Arsenal will also be without Nicklas Bendtner, Abou Diaby, Gael Clichy and Robin van Persie amongst other fringe players. So, the boss has a selection dilemma, particularly at left back, and up top. Does he go with the young, energetic, yet inexperienced Armand Traore? Or the mistake-prone veteran that is Mikael Silvestre? Though it should not be too much of a problem, with Chelsea's width generally coming down their left, through Malouda or Zhirkov, as Michael Ballack or sometimes even Michael Essien are deployed on the right, so the Arsenal left back, whoever he may be, should not have to worry about being bamboozled by pace and stepovers.
Assuming Wenger continues with a trio of frontmen, he has a particularly challenging dilemma in deciding who will spearhead the attack in Robin van Persie's absence, as well as the supporting two either side. Against Sunderland, unsuccessfully, he opted for Eduardo, the obvious choice, but many feel he isn't cut out for being the 'primary' striker. While on Tuesday, Carlos Vela was the man deployed through the middle, and to be honest, did little to stake a claim for a starting berth against Chelsea. The contenders for the three positions are: Eduardo, Andrey Arshavin, Carlos Vela, Theo Walcott, Emmanuel Eboue, Samir Nasri, Tomas Rosicky.
Here is my Arsenal team for the weekend, assuming Gallas is available:
Almunia
Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Traore
Denilson, Song, Fabregas
Arshavin, Walcott, Eduardo
I have picked this XI because, firstly, Traore can add the attacking threat that Silvestre can't. And because of this, I have drafted in Denilson, who can support Song defensively, while providing Fabregas the freedom he thrives on to punish teams. I have chosen Walcott because he is direct, his pace will trouble defenders, and I think with his final ball needing work, he could be more effective at the 'arrowhead,' hanging on the shoulder of the last defender, ala Michael Owen in his glory days. Fabregas and Arshavin will provide the ammunition, while Eduardo can cut in from the left and provide a further goal threat. This can be particularly effective as Walcott's movement can drag defenders away and provide Eduardo with the kind of space in the box Chelsea won't want him to have. While incredibly talented, perhaps Rosicky and Nasri are both a bit too 'elaborate' for a game of this magnitude, not to mention the fact they have both only recently returned from injuries. With the likes of Arshavin and Walcott we are more direct, therefore can play at a quicker tempo which will ruffle the feathers of an ageing Chelsea side. Of course, if the goals aren't coming, Rosicky and Nasri can be brought on to add a bit more creativity, as can Vela, who, if on song, can help turn a game, either by providing a cool head in the box or creating space for others. And they say we have no strength in depth!
But will Wenger pick this team? That's anybody's guess. All I can say is that she has to get it right. Here's to an Arsenal win. And hopefully no Eboue!
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Posted by Gringo Maclure in Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Chelsea, Man United, Newcastle, Premiership, West Brom | 6 November 2009
It's no secret that Arsenal have been scoring for fun. The Champions League 4-1 victory this week was the latest evidence that the Gunners are turning the Emirates into a fortress. But, taking league form as a barometer, which has included two occasions when Arsenal have netted six, are Arsenal's goal scoring exploits that unusual? Are other teams in all divisions able to equally score so freely and, more importantly, dominate teams by keeping their goal difference high as well?
To find answers to this question, I compiled a "Best of English Football" league. I don't know why British newspapers/statisticians don't employ this more often but the Brazilian press use the criteria "percentages of available points won" as a league ranking. This eliminates the problem of looking at a league table with "games in hand" to take into account. For example, let's say if Aston Villa had won their first two games at the start of the season they would have a percentage of 100% (6 points won / 6 points available) after two games and would finish above a team who had won two but drawn one which would have a percentage of 77% (7 points won / 9 points available). The advantage of this is that you can also compare teams across divisions or even countries even if they have played vastly different numbers of games. So, using this criteria let's compile an elite league of 12 made up of the top 3 from the top four English divisions. This is what it looks like.
Percentage of available points won.
1. Chelsea (Prem) 81%
2. Leeds United (CCL1) 80%
3. Man Utd (Prem) 76%
4. Arsenal (Prem) 73%
5. Bournemouth (CCL1) 68%
6. Newcastle (CCC) 67%
7. Charlton (CCL1) 64%
=7 MK Dons (CCL1) 64%
=7 Rochdale (CCL2) 64%
=7 Dag & Red (CCL2) 64%
11. West Brom (CCC) 60%
12. Cardiff (CCC) 60%
This league of leagues shows how the Premiership really is a league of extremes in which the top teams have to perform extraordinarily well maintain a title challenge. The top 3 Premier League teams appear in the top 4 overall form positions. Arsenal, despite being 3rd in the Premier League are producing results 6% better than Newcastle who are top of the Championship. Another factor in favour of the Premiership teams has been the lack of draws in the top half of the Premier League this season – more points are being won by more teams. Well done to Leeds United too, who are clearly dominating League 1 taking 80% of points available to them.
But, when it comes to goals scored per game, what does the league of leagues look like?
Average goals per game (gpg).
1. Arsenal 3.2
2. Chelsea 2.5
3. Man Utd 2.3
4. Cardiff 2.1
5. West Brom 1.9
=5 Leeds 1.9
=5 Rochdale 1.9
=5 Dag and Red 1.9
9. Charlton 1.6
10. Newcastle 1.5
11. Bournemouth 1.3
12. MK Dons 1.2
This league demonstrates, then, that Arsenal are scoring far more freely than anyone else in the top 4 English divisions, netting 0.7 more goals per game than Chelsea and everyone else. In fact, the best teams from Europe are not scoring 3 goals per game either: Barcelona 2.6 gpg, Inter 2.5 gpg. Even in the SPL where the old Firm usually dominate the rest of the league convincingly, Celtic top the gpg ratio at only 2.0. Again, the Premiership seems to be the division to watch in order to see goals. Much has been made this season of Cardiff's free-scoring in the Championship but they still average less gpg than Chelsea and Manchester United.
Strangely, Bournemouth and Newcastle can't muster more than two goals per game and yet they are leaders of their respective leagues. This shows, of course, that defence is equally important to success. Or, in other words, goal difference (goals scored – goals conceded) is obviously an even more important indication of whether a team are winning and winning well. Arsenal fans won't be happy if Arsenal concede as many as they score.
So, here is the goal difference league across the four divisions divided by the number of games played by each team. The number in the league then is the number of goals MORE that a team scores than their opponents on average per game.
1. Arsenal +1.9
2. Chelsea +1.8
3. Manchester United +1.7
4. Leeds United +1.4
5. West Brom +1.1
6. Cardiff + 1
7. Newcastle +0.9
=7 Rochdale +0.9
9. Charlton +0.7
=9 Dag and Red +0.7
11. Bournemouth +0.5
12. MK Dons +0.3
When Arsenal fans have gone to watch Arsenal this season they have been watching a team that averages more than 3 goals per game and who beats teams by almost a clear 2 goal margin. Or, the average Arsenal score this season has been a 3-1 win to the Gunners. No other team is able to dominate teams quite so thoroughly in all 4 divisions. Cardiff, who have done well to score so many goals, seem to concede a lot as they only manage to beat teams by one goal each time.
These statistics are clearly not the be all and end all in comparing teams across the divisions. Bournemouth are topping League 2 with a very low goals scored and goal difference. It seems apparent that the outcome of a league – especially at the business end of the season – will be down to many other competing factors including when and against whom goals are scored and conceded. What these statistics do show, however, is that Arsenal supporters should be a fairly happy lot right now. Nowhere in England or probably Europe is a team scoring so many goals in order to overturn teams so completely.
As a Gooner myself I say long may it continue!
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Posted by Young'un in Liverpool | 31 October 2009
First of all, I accept that being an Arsenal fan leads to obvious bias in this department, but I don't think even the most die hard Reds fan can deny that Liverpool are in serious trouble. A simply ridiculous 8 losses before November has even started is a far cry from title winning form - something many Merseysiders were anticipating this season. Knocked out of the Carling Cup by Arsenal's wonderkids, Liverpool also find themselves outside the top 4 with the likes of Manchester City and Aston Villa breathing down their necks. Not to mention their dire start in Europe. A scrappy 1-0 win at Anfield against minnows Debrecen was followed by equally unispiring performances; consecutive defeats away at Fiorentina, at best the third best team in Italy, and then at home to Lyon, a side who failed to win the Ligue 1 title last season and are now without talismanic striker Karim Benzema, who moved to Real Madrid in the summer. Surely, for a club of Liverpool's stature this is simply not good enough. They now travel to France with a depleted squad and simply must beat Lyon to retain any realistic hopes of progressing from their group. Failure to qualify may see the end of Rafa Benitez's reign at the helm of the club - especially considering they can effectively be considered out of the title race already.
Last week's triumph over bitter rivals Manchester United seems to have only papered over the cracks. Now don't get me wrong, I think the likes of Pepe Reina, Javier Mascherano and Yossi Benayoun are decent players, but now everybody knows that Liverpool rely far too heavily on their only really top class players, injury prone goal machine Fernando Torres and talismanic skipper Steven Gerrard. With the latter missing at the moment there is a gaping hole in Liverpool's midfield and without him (and arguably more so, Torres) the Reds are simply no more than a top 6 side at best. Fans will argue that Alberto Aquilani is a talented prospect, but I fail to see any logic in buying a player who has been ravaged by injuries for £20 million. And I don't think he's even what they need. The sale of Xabi Alonso looks to be a horrible bit of business, especially conisdering his boots are being filled by the distinctly average Lucas Leiva. When Torres is injured, Benitez has the, ahem, luxury of deciding whether to pick David N'Gog or Andriy Voronin. With no due respect, I doubt even Hull City's back 4 will be shaking at the prospect of either of them spearheading Liverpool's attack. What puzzles me is why all the football 'experts' have only just realised this blatant lack of depth, when certainly most football fans I know, had deduced that this was the case a long time ago. People argue that Benitez had no funds. Bollocks. This is partly the case because he has wasted ridiculous sums of money on 'quality' players like Robbie Keane, Ryan Babel, Albert Riera, Andrea Dossena, Jermaine Pennant and Fernando Morientes. Shrewd. I don't see why the American owners are despised so much. They have backed Benitez in the transfer market and are willing, eventually we are lead to believe, to plan the new stadium the fans crave for. They moan because they have not spent a penny this summer - because they raised around £40 million by selling Alonso and others. But he has bought Glen Johnson and Alberto Aquilani for around £20 million each. Arsene Wenger has guided Arsenal to a terrific start. Now, The Gunners are short on funds, as they aim to pay off the stadium debt, a project which will inevitably benefit Arsenal in the long run. Wenger also didn't spend a penny. He made a £30 million profit: selling Adebayor and Toure to Man City, who have flattered to decieve, either by their performances or attitudes, and bringing in Thomas Vermaelen, arguably the best bit of business in recent seasons. So, come on, let's all shed a tear for Liverpool.
So, worst case scenario (and at this rate a very realistic one): Liverpool are knocked out of the Champions League at the first hurdle and fail to qualify for the competition next season. Benitez is sacked and replaced by a manager who the fans are not fond of. The money continues to dry up, especially due to the season failures. Fernando Torres, disillusioned with Europa League football, leaves for Real Madrid/Barcelona, and Liverpool can not afford to spend the big bucks they recieved on a genuine replacement. Steven Gerrard has to decide whether to fight with his boyhood club or join a team that is actually going to challenge for the Premier League crown he desires. The Reds begin season 2010/2011 with a strikeforce of Voronin, N'Gog, Heskey (because all legends return, apparently!) and some youngster their deluded manager drafted in.
Drastic? Yes. Overdramatic? Yes. Likely to happen? Probably not exactly as I have depicted. Will I laugh if it does? There's more chance of Tottenham winning the league than me not.
Happy Halloween.
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Posted by David Fox in Alex Ferguson, Chelsea, Man United, Premiership | 9 August 2009
So the event everyone is contractually obliged to refer to as the season's curtain raiser ended with Chelsea's players cavorting around the Wembley turf as though the minor trophy meant something, and Manchester United's trying their best to convince themselves it didn't. The truth, as ever, is somewhere in between. While Ancelotti will lose his job if this is the only trophy he ends the season with and Ferguson doesn't count Charity/Community Shield victories as official trophy victories; the showpiece game was important because it gave us pointers for the season ahead.
With that in mind, what did we learn? Well, for thing, that United would a much more rigid outfit playing a straight 4-4-2, rather than the more fluid 4-3-2-1 concoction of past seasons. While this could be seen as a regression to a more simplistic style of play, it should get the best out of Rooney, who should now get to play as a more traditional centre forward, and Berbatov, who played in a 4-4-2 during his Leverkusen and Spurs peak. This formation puts more pressure on the central midfield, and with Owen Hargreaves seemingly no closer to making any kind of a comeback, the jury is out on whether a combination of Carrick and Fletcher will be able to dominate in the middle of the park. More will be expected, also, of the bustling but limited Park Ji-Sung and the frustrating show-pony Nani now that Ronaldo has sashayed out of Manchester, though the fleet-footed Valencia made an encouraging cameo. Rooney and Berbatov should score more than last season, and Owen may well chip in with a few, fitness permitting, but how many goals United score from midfield will be the key to them retaining their title.
Talking of formations, as we were, Chelsea have ditched their Mourinho-inspired 4-2-3-1 for a 4-1-2-1-2 (or 4-4-2 diamond, if you prefer) a favoured formation of their new manager during his Milan days. It's stylistically similar to the style adopted during the early days of Luis Felipe Scolari's ill-fated reign and its usage could see Ancelotti suffer a similar fate to the avuncular Brazilian. While an attempt to change the playing style of Chelsea's arch-pragmatists is no bad thing, one gets the impression that Ancelotti decided on this formation before appraising his playing staff and is now having to shoe-horn players into unfamiliar roles. Malouda is a left-winger who loves to get chalk on his boots and looked much less comfortable having to come inside to make way for Cole's shuttling runs from left back (his subdued performance was a shame, given that towards the end of last season under Hiddink he looked rejuvenated, back to his inspired Lyon pomp) and with Anelka's natural instinct also being to drift out to the left channel, that side of the pitch could get somewhat congested. By contrast, Chelsea's right flank was a no-man's land in the first half, with both Essien and the uncomfortable right back Ivanovic unwilling to surge forward down that flank. It took the introduction of the galloping Jose Boswinga at half-time to give some semblance of balance. It remains to be seen whether Chelsea's players can adapt to the new style, or whether it will be as easily stifled as Scolari's system was. However, if Ancelotti can coax yet another goalscoring season from the irrepressible Lampard and get Drogba back to his battering ram best, there will be another title challenge from the Londerners' ageing squad.
What we learnt from the Community Sheild was scant, in all honesty. Ahead of a new season, more questions than answers remain for these sides. Can they both adapt to their new styles of play? Do either side have plan B if and when things go wrong? Do the ageing figureheads of Chelsea's squad have one more title push in them? Will United's midfielders score enough goals? Does Petr Cech realise that the combination of his black and fluorescent green shirt and headgear makes him look like a character from Tron?
We'll have to wait a while for answers, but what's undoubted is that these two sides will be in the scramble for the title again. Much will depend, though, on how long it takes them to adjust to the new formations and the upheavals of the summer. In a title fight with a dangerous looking Liverpool side, a zesty, underrated Arsenal and possibly even big spenders Manchester City, both of these sides are going to have to hit the ground running starting next weekend. Thankfully, their dress rehearsal today showed plenty of promise.
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Posted by Young'un in Arsenal, Man City, Man United | 14 July 2009
So, 'silly season' is here. With no major tournament, the lack of football drives the fans mad. In order to numb the pain, the media start spouting all sort of garbage about who's going where. As expected, Arsenal players are near the centre of attention: Fabregas to Barca, Arshavin to Barca, Van Persie to Inter, Adebayor to Man City. The latter is the only one with any truth in it. And, for me anyway, it's the one that is the least 'destructive.' I find him lazy, arrogant and perhaps even a tad overrated. He has all the necessary attributes but since he's started scoring goals, he's lost the attitude he had when he first joined from Monaco in 2006. If this deal does happen, it proves just how good Wenger is in the market; as he will be making a profit on the lanky striker of roughly £15 million. Yet despite his flaws, City will be getting a striker who is quick, strong, dominant in the air and cool in front of goal.
Which leads onto my main point about this artice: is this Manchester City's chance to finally fulfill the potential they've been given since the arabs took over? With Mark Hughes at the helm, the club have made expensive, but sensible buys. Well, most of them anyway; the signings of Nigel De Jong and Wayne Bridge still baffle me. And although Hughes will have trouble accomodating all his new players, City potentially have the best strikeforce in the country. This enbarrassment of riches includes Robinho, Tevez, Santa Cruz, Bellamy and possibly Adebayor. Naturally there may be more to come (John Terry rumours have been circulating of late) but they already have an impressive looking team:
Given
Richards, Onouha, Dunne, Bridge
Wright Phillips, Barry, Ireland, Petrov
Tevez, Santa Cruz
I have no idea what players and what formation Hughes will field next season but I think that XI has enough quality to challenge for a top 4 place.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Manchester, are United on the decline? With the player wanting to go and a ridiculously big offer on the table, Fergie had little choice but to sell Ronaldo, but how can they replace him? In an attempt to do that, he's brought in Antonio Valencia from Wigan and Gabriel Obertan from Bordeaux. I know little about the latter but somehow I doubt he's at the Portugese winker's level. As for Valencia, well yes he's good, probably too good for Wigan, but is he worth £17million and a place at 'the world's top club?' I doubt it. Tevez has also left the club and joined bitter rivals City. His replacement? Michael Owen. For all his quality in front of goal, you can't help but feel its a gamble considering his age and injury record. Is it just me or have United taken a step backwards? What if Rooney and Owen both get injured (it's certainly possible)? Reserve-atov and Macheda up front is it? Oh no, please don't.
In my expert opinion, I think the race for 4th will be hotter than ever. Naturally I predict Arsenal will be well clear of that, Chelsea too under the guidance of Ancelotti. But I think Liverpool's squad is too weak (if Gerrard and Torres are out they are screwed), and as previously stated, United's has taken a beating, too. The likes of Man City, Everton and dare I say it, Tottenham will all be in the running. But one thing is certain: it's gonna be another brilliant season in the Premier League!
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