Manchester City have been given a boost after Yaya Toure declared himself fit after he missed the mid-week win against West Brom. Costel Pantilimon is expected to start in goal ahead of Joe Hart, while Robert Mancini could go with Edin Dzeko in attack.
Roberto Martinez has a big decision to make regarding his Wigan side after they lost at home to Swansea on Tuesday. Antolin Alcaraz (hamstring) isn’t fully fit but could be risked ahead of captain Gary Caldwell. Ali Al-Habsi should step in for Joel Robles between the posts after playing in the semi-final.
Roberto Mancini pre-game…“It’s important for the mentality and the attitude that we win tomorrow. It’s important that you win something special every year. It’s better to win the League or Champions League but we need to work more.”
Roberto Martinez pre-game…”Manchester City rested eight players on Tuesday. We couldn’t do that because we are in the most crucial stage of our season and we still will be after the final. If you ask me, this is not the right time. Traditionally the FA Cup final has always been the last game of the season, and that makes sense.”
Match Statistic: Wigan, currently 18th in the Premier League, would be the lowest-ranked side to win the FA Cup since West Ham in 1980.
Prediction: Manchester City 2-0 Wigan Athletic
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Manager Chris Hughton admits his side need to forget the defeat to Aston Villa in order to make a final push for survival.
The Canaries suffered a 2-1 defeat at Carrow Road on Saturday as a late Gabriel Agbonlahor strike secured maximum points for Villa.
Norwich are now just three points clear of the drop zone with two games remaining, against West Brom (h) and Manchester City (a).
Hughton admits the defeat to Villa came as a major disappointment and the Norwich boss is desperate for his side to bounce back when the Baggies visit on Sunday.
“It is hurting at the moment and there won’t be much sleep over the next day or so, but we have to bounce back,” said Hughton. “We are all in the same boat as managers. We of course have sleepless nights over results and the team you are going to pick and your form. Unfortunately it is part and parcel of the game.
“I go through all the torments. The next couple of days are not going to be particularly good days for me, and I wouldn’t expect it to be for any of the players.
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“But we have to bounce back and the only way to put ourselves in a position to get a result on Sunday is to make sure that we clear this one as quickly as we can.”
I don’t believe a player like Luis Suarez owes any club anything, no matter how big they are. There’s no hidden meaning behind it, it’s just the damning nature of the game today.
It is, more often than not, harder to replace a player like Suarez than it is for the player himself to find an equally good or better club. But for everything that is happening this summer in the Suarez saga, is it really unexpected or shocking?
Liverpool, surely, would like to think that they’re owed something back for all the times they stood by the Uruguayan, often risking their own reputation in order to maintain a working relationship with their biggest asset. But that’s not how football works, and it would be naïve to think otherwise. Beyond these two-and-a-half years Suarez has spent at Anfield, there is nothing linking him to the club. No emotional bond, no reason to extend his stay in spite of a lack of Champions League football or trophies; he is far from a Francesco Totti or even Steven Gerrard.
[cat_link cat=”liverpool” type=”list”]
And even so, can we really say Suarez hasn’t given anything back to Liverpool? He’s a little (or a lot) like Carlos Tevez: a whole lot of nonsense off the pitch, but nothing but 100 per cent on it. Suarez rarely misses a beat when he takes to the field. There was a strong claim for him to be awarded Player of the Year last season. Some of his goals, the Newcastle effort springs to mind, were absolutely magnificent. He’s far from coasted along since arriving in 2011. Considering what Liverpool paid Ajax for his services, they’ve more than got a healthy return.
I’m in no way buying into the player’s claim that he wants to escape England because of the media. The thing about players like Suarez is that they have a level of resolve whereby they can brush off such harsh criticism and continue to perform at the highest level. It would be unkind to say that he doesn’t feel the effects of the continued storm of hate, but his reputation, and the media’s ability to target him, isn’t something he’s going to be rid of anytime soon. If he thinks the media in England are a handful, he’s in for a rude awakening in Spain.
For Suarez, it’s motivation to succeed. He understands, like most do, that Liverpool are in a transition, and not the luxury kind where they’re armed with blank cheques and the promise of immediate and unparalleled wealth and trophies. All of Liverpool’s building this year is to see rewards in the form of trophies a few years down the line. It’s the way most sporting clubs do it and there’s nothing wrong with Liverpool’s admirable approach. But the player himself knows that there is an alternate option, and for that the whole notion of loyalty goes out the window. Maybe labelling athletes as mercenaries is too harsh, but football isn’t the only realm where athletes move on quickly for one reason or another. The modern makeup of sports means it’s a foolish for supporters to create strong bonds with players.
We’ve been down this road before in previous years, with Fernando Torres, Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, and plenty of others switching allegiances to those who are perceived to be the enemy. Real Madrid and Barcelona, arguably the biggest football rivalry in Europe, are no strangers to it. Far be it from me to say Liverpool supporters can’t conjure up all the hate and scorn they believe Suarez is deserving of, but to suggest that the player owes Liverpool a degree of loyalty is to stubbornly fly in the face of what is the norm in modern football.
For Liverpool, the best thing that can happen for them is to receive a good fee for him – £60 million or thereabouts is unrealistic considering the circumstances – and move on. Leaving the Suarez saga hanging over them for another year and a player who doesn’t really want to be at Anfield is far too damaging and risky with so many young players now looking to help guide the club forward.
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It comes down to how each club measures success. Liverpool could win the Premier League title and it would be an undoubted victory for all concerned at the club. But further climbing the Premier League ladder and making some real noise in the battle for fourth place is the realistic target this season. Even if only Europa League football is secured, it’s still a big step forward from where the club were prior to Brendan Rodgers’ appointment.
So on the Luis Suarez front, Liverpool fans will accept the player back into the fold because it’s in their best interest to do so: no player is bigger than the club, and the major steps that could be taken this season is of far greater importance than any personal hatred towards the forward.
You have to ask whether the player’s actions over the summer were of such unspeakable treachery that it would be a mark against the club to welcome him back into the team, even if it’s only a matter of accepting him for his talents rather than him as a person.
[cat_link cat=”liverpool” type=”list”]
But the fact is Suarez isn’t the first footballer to speak of the greener grass on the other side of the wall. Yes, it can burn bridges and in some cases make a player’s position ‘untenable.’ But in this instance, Liverpool are gaining (or regaining) one of the best players in the Premier League, and any issue that may have been brought up during the transfer period should be put to bed until next year.
It was always admirable for the club to stand strong in the face of both Suarez and the fleeting interest from Real Madrid. At the time, it made far more sense to move the player on, not only because of his public declarations of unhappiness, but also because he has been a liability in the past and could be once again in the future. For all his talents, is it worth jeopardising the greater project?
But that is the situation the club are faced with now. On some level, Liverpool’s hierarchy should have an idea of what they’re in for with Suarez now. There must have been some assurances that, despite his intentions during the summer, he is willing to offer 100 per cent on the pitch in a Liverpool shirt. Fortunately for the club, that is an aspect of Suarez that can never be questioned.
For all those who may be irate following his actions, it’s difficult to imagine many Liverpool fans staying grounded and firmly silent if and certainly when Suarez scores for the club. What if this past summer is countered or balanced by Suarez scoring the winner against Manchester United and in turn helping to secure fourth place in the league? There can be few that see Suarez and Liverpool remaining side by side beyond next summer, but for now, their individual interests can be perfectly married to have a far more respectful and dignified break up next year.
There are many football fans who have rightly abandoned the hero worship of players; it simply doesn’t apply in the modern game. It is no longer a matter of loyalty, but rather a case of an employer and employee; it just so happens that the reality of it was far better disguised in the past, to such an extent that the bonds between players and fans were harder to break.
For now, however, and in spite of the bitterness that came to the fore in the past, the working relationship between Suarez and Liverpool can still exist. It doesn’t have to be about loving or even liking one another, but there are grounds for this season to be a success, no matter how that success is measured.
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Should fans welcome back Suarez for the good of the club?
Instead of being caught up in the fervent excitement ahead of a trip to Rio next summer we are now being embroiled in the most bizarre of race rows. Roy Hodgson stands accused of making a space race monkey joke during the half time team talk on Tuesday, which according to those offended was interpreted as a racist jibe towards Tottenham winger Andros Townsend.
Although the exact details of what was or wasn’t said are largely unclear, the joke was supposedly part of a gambit to get Chris Smalling to pass more frequently to Andros Townsend and it reportedly involved the NASA punch line; “feed the monkey”. The Sun has since claimed that at least one player was offended by Hodgson’s outburst and this has in part allowed the issue to escalate.
I would like to make it clear that I don’t condone racism in any form, but in the same way I don’t stand for the politically correct idiocy that is gripping our once liberal country.
Racism is still a problem in the 21st century but in my opinion those that try to stoke up offence whenever possible just act to blur the real perpetrators. It has got to the point where you actually have to stop and think about what you say even when you have absolutely no intention of being racially aggravating. I think Steven Fry was spot on when he made the following remarks on this whole concept of offence:
“It’s now very common to hear people say, ‘I’m rather offended by that.’ As if that gives them certain rights. It’s actually nothing more… than a whine. ‘I find that offensive.’ It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. ‘I am offended by that.’ Well, so f*ck*ng what.”
If you ask me the player that was quick to associate the monkey joke with Andros Townsend’s ethnicity is arguably acting in more of a racist way than Hodgson himself, and this really underlines how ridiculous the whole issue is.
The player himself has even come out to defend his manager, even going so far as to dismiss the whole episode:
Stan Collymore a staunch campaigner for anti-racism was also quick to defend Hodgson, hitting the nail on the head when he argued that events like this just end up clouding those that really are racially aggravating:
The very fact that Hodgson has even had to apologise is to me a worry in itself, why apologise when to any reasonable observer you can see that he hasn’t done anything wrong? This isn’t so much a footballing issue but a cross-societal one. Year on year we continue to have our personal freedom of expression impinged by those that wish to sterilise our language of all things that could feasibly cause offence.
Much of associated press have been quick to castigate Hodgson and I believe wrongly. I’m not surprised though, you only have to look at the recent cases of both Robbie Fowler and Adrian Chiles to realise how quick our media are to chastise those that stray from the realms of acceptability.
Now in the current climate all three cases involved the individuals using somewhat ill advised language considering the media spotlight, but this doesn’t make them wrong to do so. I doubt Fowler is a chauvinist as much as Chiles is a Pole hater, but this is the way our media and in fact many in society chose to treat those who act in this way.
Piara Powar, the executive director of the Football Against Racism in Europe (Fare) organisation, suggested Hodgson was wrong to use the term. He wrote on Twitter:
“Hodgson used very silly term within a diverse team environment. He should know better. Assume it wasn’t a Freudian slip, no evidence to suggest it was. Some players will see it as reflection of the crude language still used by some coaches and attitudes that still prevail.”
Yes again Hodgson was perhaps a little naive, but really who is Powar to tell a manager to stop using this so called ‘crude’ language? Is the expectation now for managers up and down the country to submit their perfect works of prose before kick off for moderation? Honestly where have we ended up when a manager is being told how to address his players?
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I fully expect and hope Hodgson used ‘crude’ language after some of the dross England produced during this qualifying campaign. Can you really imagine Sir Alex Ferguson straying away from ‘crude’ language when United were under-performing?
Obviously there is a difference between racism/sexism and crude language, but clearly this distinction is much too complicated for those in positions of authority to distinguish.
Has society gone mad, or am I just as much of a racist and bigot as Hodgson?
England have finally learnt who they will be playing in the World Cup group stages in six months time, with Italy the opponents in their opening match. It will be a tough test for Hodgson, who was knocked out of Euro 2012 by the Italians on penalties, after being outplayed during a goalless 120 minutes.
Two years later and the two countries will once again face off in front of the world’s gazing eyes. Here we look at some of the key matchups, where the match could be won or lost. A match that is set to display some of the best European footballers on the biggest of stages, who will get the better of their opponent?
Buffon v ?
He has been one of the best goalkeepers in world football for years, Gianluigi Buffon has been winning individual awards for the last 10 years, and has been right in the centre of all debates over who is the best shot stopper on the globe. Italy’s World Cup winning keeper in 2006, the Juventus star has dominated the number 1 shirt for the Azzuri for over a dozen years, with only injuries keeping him out of the national side.
Who knows who his opposite number will be in Manuas. Joe Hart is the likely answer, despite being dropped recently by Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City. His mistakes over the last 18 months have caused doubts over the keeper’s position in Brazil, with Celtic’s Fraser Forster, West Brom’s Ben Foster and Norwich keeper John Ruddy all looking to steal the number 1 shirt from the former Shrewsbury player. However, despite his recent errors, it seems that Hart will start for England, should he not make any more calamities.
Buffon is Italy’s most capped player in history, after recently making his 137th appearance for his country, 99 appearances more than Joe Hart has made for England. And whilst Hart has won the Premier League golden glove for 3 years in a row, his individual trophy cabinet is nothing compared to the Juve legend. Buffon has won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year in 2003, Best European goalkeeper 2003, 3 appearances in the UEFA Team of the Year, twice in the FIFPro World XI, and was the Ballon d’Or Runner up in 2006. A stunning goalkeeper rightly recognised for his talent, Rooney and co will do well to beat this Italian legend.
Rooney v Chiellini
The Manchester United forward has often played a deeper role in the last 18 months, but that doesn’t mean he has lost his attacking threat. A natural goal scorer, Rooney can be unstoppable when on fine form. His power, strength and precise finishing make him one of the most feared strikers in world football, and wanted by every team. The United star has lifted the Premier League five times, as well as holding the Champions League and Club World Cup trophies.
But he may come up against one of the strongest defenders in Europe, Giorgio Chiellini. The 29-year-old has become a legend at Juventus since moving from Fiorentina, helping the club win back-to-back Serie A titles. In June this year, he was placed 7th in Bloomberg’s top 50 footballers based in Europe, a list built on scientific, mathematical analysis. Chiellini is one of the toughest players to shrug off the ball, and incredibly calm in possession. Relaxed, and a step ahead of the game, he is one of the most difficult defenders to face. But can he really keep Rooney quiet? It’s a well-known fact that Rooney hasn’t scored a goal at a World Cup finals, so he will be eager as ever to break his duck.
Balotelli v Cahill
Its coming up to 12 months since Manchester City sold the Italian striker to AC Milan, but Mario Balotelli has continued to terrorise opposition defenders. One of the strongest and most powerful forward in Europe, Balotelli’s fierce, moody style of football will cause problems for Roy Hodgson’s side, as he’ll physically battle Cahill to try and force his way into a shooting position. His performance against Germany in the semi-final of Euro 2012 was one that will always be remembered by Blues faithful.
Cahill will have to be at his best to manage the fiery Italian, but it can be done. Whilst Super Mario can create a piece of magic from nothing, he can often drop his head and fall out of the game, should his service be low. If Cahill can get to the ball first, and frustrate the striker, then England will be in a great position. The Chelsea defender enjoys a physical challenge, both on the ball and in the air, and won’t back down from taking on Balotelli at his own game.
Gerrard v Pirlo
Possibly the most important area on the pitch, whoever can win the battle of the midfield will surely win the game for their side. And what better matchup to watch then two legends for their respective countries: Andrea Pirlo and Steven Gerrard.
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The Italian, just 1 year older than Gerrard at 34, was ranked as the 5th best player in Europe by Bloomberg’s rankings in June, adding to his long list of personal awards that include being in the 2006 FIFPro World XI and 2012 UEFA Team of the Year. Pirlo is known for his incredible control over a football. The midfielder can spray a pass across the length of the field to incredible accuracy, whilst also score a free-kick from almost anywhere in the opposition’s half. And his penalty against England in Euro 2012 was the perfect demonstration of his precision, technical ability and composure.
In the white corner is Steven Gerrard, one of the best midfielders to lead out his nation. A similar player to Pirlo, his passing accuracy, and eye for an attacking through ball has led to Gerrard one of being the best assisters in the Premier League. Often the Man of the Match for both club and country, Stevie G always shows 100% commitment and passion. But on June 14th, he will have his work cut out to keep Pirlo quiet, a job he and Scott Parker failed to do two years ago. Brace yourself folks, we could be in for a treat with these two.
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After losing to Liverpool 5-1, and drawing 2-2 at home to bottom club Fulham, both Arsenal and Manchester United were eager to make amends when the two face each other on Wednesday night.
Unfortunately last night ended up as a drab 0-0 draw; however there have been some memorable meetings between the two clubs over the years.
Lets look back at the five best meetings between the two sides in the Premier League era.
Manchester United 2-0 Arsenal, 22nd October 2004
If this was a Friends episode, this would be called, “The One Where the Pizza was Thrown.” This controversial match was the day that Arsenal had their amazing run of 49 unbeaten games end in the worst possible way.
In a game where both teams could have easily been down to nine men due to terrible tackles, Arsenal fell behind to a Ruud Van Nistelrooy penalty after Wayne Rooney (who turned 19 that day) dived after tangling with Sol Campbell. Arsenal’s misery was complete when Rooney got the decisive goal in the last minute of the game, sending Arsenal to defeat for the first time in the league for 17 months.
If everyone thought that the match was a spectacle, the aftermath was even better. Tempers boiled over in the tunnel, and it was reported that Sir Alex Ferguson was the victim of having food thrown at him by a then unknown Arsenal player, which turned out to be Cesc Fabregas. Sol Campbell refused to shake Wayne Rooney’s hand after the penalty incident, whilst Van Nistelrooy and Ashley Cole squared up following a dangerous tackle by the Dutchman during the match.
United faced Arsenal five times that season, with Arsenal eventually getting the last laugh, defeating United on penalties in the FA Cup final.
Arsenal 2-1 Manchester United, 21st January 2007
The first Premier League meeting between the two clubs at the Emirates was going to be a great occasion. Arsenal had beaten United in the corresponding fixture a few months earlier, but were 12 points behind United when the two sides faced again.
It looked like Arsenal’s first defeat at their new stadium was imminent when Wayne Rooney scored from a diving header 10 minutes after the restart, but RVP (who spent more time on the Arsenal treatment table at this point of his career), scored which looked like to have saved Arsenal a point.
However, they don’t call him King Henry for nothing. With a minute to go, Thierry Henry scored a fantastic header from an Eboue cross to help Arsenal complete the double over their arch nemesis. It was the first time since their double winning season of 2001/02 that Arsenal did the double over United, but United got the last laugh by winning the league for the first time in four years.
Arsenal 1-2 Manchester United, 22nd January 2012
This game makes Arsenal fans infuriate. It was the first meeting since the 8-2 riot, and Arsenal were desperate for revenge. After a tight first half, Arsenal fell behind thanks to an Antonio Valencia goal on the stroke of half time.
But after bashing the United defence with many changes during the second half, Arsenal finally got their goal from a former fan favourite in Robin van Persie after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain practically ran rings around the United defence. The goal brought over loaded optimism to Arsenal fans, as everyone related to the club thought the Gunners actually had a chance of beating United.
The fans, players and bench were hyped, as Arsenal were playing so well that victory was well insight, the pay back was on.
However, this mere thought was dashed away when Wenger decided to bring off the English starlet for Russian flop Andrei Arshavin. The sub back fired as Arshavin was dispossessed in the middle of the park, which lead to Danny Welbeck’s 81st minute winner. Wenger even said in his post match interview that the sub didn’t work, and Arsenal paid the price. Arshavin was loaned out to Zenit a few weeks later.
Manchester United 0-0 Arsenal, 21st September 2003
The Battle at Old Trafford, the game that played a pivotal moment in Arsenal’s title winning season.
In a tight game of football, where there were limited chances, the game exploded into life when Patrick Vieira saw red for kicking out at Ruud Van Nistelrooy, despite not actually making any contact with the Dutchman with 13 minutes remaining. The Arsenal players were ballistic, the United fans were joyful and the fans of both sets of teams were excited for a tense finale.
With seconds to go, United flop Diego Forlan was floored by Martin Keown and United were given a penalty. A scuffle broke out and this seemed to effect Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s concentration.
Up he stepped and the ball crashed against the crossbar with Arsenal celebrating the point that they knew that they were going to get.
The whistle went and everything exploded. Martin Keown’s famous jump triggered off a massive melee which was greeted with heavy fines and lengthy suspensions. Ray Parlour, Ashley Cole, Lauren, Martin Keown and Patrick Vieira were all fined by the FA whilst Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo were punished for their wrong doings.
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The bust up between the players was costly as Manchester United and Arsenal paid a total of £250,000 between them for the incident.
Manchester United 8-2 Arsenal, 28th August 2011
Everyone knew a thrashing was on the cards, but not like this.
The two sides had contrasting summers; Ashley Young, Phil Jones and David de Gea were all signed for United whilst Arsenal sold Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Eboue and Gael Clichy without signing anyone significant before the match apart from Gervinho (who was suspended for the match), and Carl Jenkinson, a 19 year old defender who had only made 8 league appearances for Charlton.
Arsene Wenger relied on youth and inexperience for the match by selecting players such as Henri Lansbury, Giles Sunu, Armand Traoré and Carl Jenkinson. The expected risk didn’t work as Arsenal suffered their worst league defeat since the 1800’s.
A hat trick from Wayne Rooney, a double from Ashley Young (his first goals for the club), Danny Welbeck, Nani and Park Ji-Sung rubbed deadly salt in the ever increasing Arsenal wound. To make things worse for Arsenal that day, RVP missed a penalty and Carl Jenkinson, a boyhood Arsenal fan was sent off with 13 minutes to go. A damaging day for Arsenal indeed, however, there was some good news.
It was the first time in the Premier League era that Arsenal had scored two goals at Old Trafford against Manchester United in the league. Every cloud has a silver lining I guess.
It hardly required the yellow ‘Breaking News’ banner that perennially scrolls the bottom of the Sky Sports News display to tell you that Tottenham Hotspur had sacked manager Tim Sherwood. His day of judgment was beckoning from the moment he was appointed, and only in the most unlikely of circumstances would it have occurred any differently.
Whilst nobody truly believed we’d get to see more than half a season of Sherwood at Spurs, it was a joy to behold while it endured.
I’m not speaking from a results-based perspective. Sherwood’s approach to the job was a real breath of fresh air. His candid manner may not have won fans in the dressing room, the club hierarchy, the White Hart Lane stands or even in some areas of the media. But his ramblings, whilst writing good copy for the daily papers, at times harboured the incoherence of your everyday football supporter. And I always felt as though from the point of view of a football fan, that he wasn’t as disconnected with those who love the game as many modern day football managers are.
I struggle to think of any other managers who would have done what Sherwood did on the last day of the Premier League season. Even when times are good, and the fans are singing praises of a manager, you rarely see much acknowledgement. A small clap here, a wave there. But no actual communication. Sherwood embraced the criticism of a regular stadium-goer, and gave him his five minutes of fame with good grace.
In his post-match interview he said that the fan was there every other week trying to direct his tactics and his substitutions. The fact that Sherwood was aware of this was pleasing enough, but for him to act upon it in a light-hearted and fun manner was a beautiful moment to conclude the season. Such is the pressure of the life of a Premier League manager, the 19 others in his position would have stood with a cold gaze across the pitch, allowing the fan to continue bellowing into the ether. Granted, by and large, the pressure was off that day. There was little to play for and it was largely a procession. But that doesn’t make it any less of a captivating moment.
Whatever he could be branded as – confrontational, brash, loud, unpredictable, cocky, egotistical – he was never afraid to speak his mind. And this wasn’t a speaking of his mind in the way that Jose Mourinho will try to belittle or derogate others. His honesty felt as though it came from deep within him. A man who – when his attire allowed for it – wore his heart on his sleeve with every decision he made and everything he stood by. There was nothing false about him. Everything you saw was everything you got.
The fact that he didn’t toe the line that Daniel Levy clearly expects from his managers was enough to win him over for me, whilst probably going in the opposite direction for the Spurs chairman. He openly admitted to the flaws in the Tottenham squad. After yet another humbling at the hands of a so-called ‘rival’ club, Chelsea, he laughed off the idea of gaining a top four spot, claiming that everyone at the club needed to ‘wake up’ from the dream of coming fourth.
Whilst it may not have been to the liking of many around the club, the fact he addressed the reality of the situation was a brave thing to do. Far too many managers would reel off the old ‘mathematical possibility’ platitude, or any of the other pre-prepared clichés from interviews of the past. Instead, he said what, in all honesty, should have – and probably already was – recognised by many around about the club. All but the big wigs that is.
Ten points may not be the ‘million miles’ that Sherwood confessed Tottenham were from Champions League football. But it is a significant distance to catch up. The club may not be willing to wake up to the fact that many of the players they signed in the summer aren’t up to the job, but Sherwood was aware.
Right now it stands to reason that Tottenham won’t finish in the top four for yet another year. And the chances are that Sherwood’s successor may just face the same destiny of nine previous. While the hierarchy at the club continue to believe that the money-throwing, manager-firing approach will eventually achieve the desired results, they’ll continue replicating the same old errors.
The clubs ambitions right now appear to be delusions of grandeur. Despite his Tottenham background, Sherwood didn’t buy into this. Everything he said was steeped in realism.
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Whilst he may not have been the right man to guide the club towards their lofty aspirations, it would be worth Levy and co. learning a few lessons from him along the way. Sherwood got the problems of the football club out in the open, and they would be wise to take note. He may not have been to the liking of everybody, but he sure won me over.
Tim Sherwood: I hope to see you back in the Premier League very soon.
The safest thing to do would be to go into full media lockdown with regards to Arsenal transfers. Mathieu Debuchy looks to be Bacary Sagna’s replacement for next season, and Alexis Sanchez is as good as out the door at the Camp Nou, with Barcelona already promoting Luis Suarez as their new No.9 in the club shop.
Maybe there isn’t anything to worry about; that champagne will be ready to open soon enough. But forgive the cynicism on this one, this is a club that has previous, previous of going to great and even humourous lengths to wind up their supporters.
Alexis Sanchez may be Arsenal’s marquee forward signing, or, like Gonzalo Higuain last summer, he could end up in Italy. How about one step further into moonsaulting-out-your window territory? He could do a Juan Mata and end up at a local rival. You never know, Manchester City have way too much cash to sit idly by and not stick a middle finger up at one of next season’s title contenders.
There is cause for concern because Arsenal are being left behind by teams who aren’t for following the nonsensical ideal that players can’t be bought either before or during a major international tournament.
Chelsea have landed Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa; Manchester United have addressed two glaring needs by signing Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw; Liverpool, not content to sit on their hands and hope for an improvement on last season to come naturally, have signed three players thus far. As for Arsene Wenger, well he just looks a little too relaxed on the beaches of Brazil, only really taking time out of his day of kickabouts with the locals to dine with a few ex-players, who are definitely not coming out of retirement for one last hurrah.
It’s true, clubs have departments that can handle the day-to-day of the transfer window without the manager, but at Arsenal, I’m not entirely convinced Dick Law actually exists.
Any other club could get away with it – and after all, it’s still only the beginning of July. But Arsenal aren’t to be treated like any other club when it comes to transfers, notoriously having a history of ill-preparation and skilful yet insubstantial PR.
At this stage of the summer, Alexis very much feels like Higuain of last summer, Yann M’Vila of the year before and Mata the summer prior to that. All players who apparently had the club’s shirt in hand ready for the customary first photo shoot, only for a strong London breeze to carry them off elsewhere. And strong London breeze can be substituted for dithering. Oh how we both love and loathe that word.
All the money in the world may not be able to change Wenger. Despite the club’s supporters breaking off into factions, we’re still not absolutely sure whether Wenger has a long-standing reluctance to spend, or if the club’s hierarchy have been withholding funds.
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But this summer is vital for the manager in repairing that severely damaged relationship with a majority of the fan base. Nothing has changed at this point. Arsenal may be extremely close to signing a host of new players, but close doesn’t win you a league title. Again, excuse the cynicism, but you know…
In a summer promising much, with the club not holding back on parading their new sponsorship deal with Puma, the club can’t afford to follow the tired and disastrous transfer routine of the past.
Rarely these days do you see Englishmen as club owners in the Premier League.
Even less is the likelihood that the owner would have any connection or care for the club or at least the sport. It seems more and more that football teams are just becoming a property on their Monopoly board to many of these owners. To me it is much more. If only these owners felt that same affection.
Now, I know all the soldiers in the Toon Army will rip me apart as a result of this but I have to pay respect to an English businessman in this day and age. If I met him I may not like him either but it’s definitely refreshing to still see English owners who actually appreciate the sport for what it is.
Mike Ashley isn’t exactly a local lad but, he does seem to have at least some care for the club. Of course it is to him, as it is to every other owner, an investment with expected returns. But it appears, just like top tier players, that there is a growing lack of English ownership in the business.
Arsenal co-owner Alisher Usmanov once said that foreign owners are good for English football and he argued was that it helps boost the economy. In many respects Usmanov was right in what he was saying.
But it’s more than that. Football is a culture to some, even a religion, so it would be almost sacrilegious to stand by and watch your club be dismantled by outside investors.
The issue isn’t always the fact that the owners of these clubs are foreign, that they don’t sit in the stands with the fans or even that they don’t wear the kit at home games. For me it’s more about the care of the game.
Of the 20 Premier League clubs, 13 are under foreign ownership. It’s possibly even likely that these owners couldn’t even name the starting XI of their respective clubs. How can that even be?
Don’t get me wrong, changing the name of St James’ Park perplexed me as much as your average Magpies fanatic and didn’t do much Ashley’s reputation amongst the fans of the club he owns. But he’s far from the worst nightmare some would make him out to be. It’s just like being at school. No one likes the Headmaster but, once they leave, they realise he/she wasn’t as bad as first thought.
Ashley’s reign was tough to begin with. Ut was as though Ashley just didn’t get the ethos at St James’ Park that he so desperately wanted and needed. Surely it wasn’t as distressing as how the Hull City fans felt about Assem Allem’s attempt to change the clubs name to ‘Hull Tigers,’ or Cardiff City fans’ reaction to their club colours being changed from blue to red by owner Vincent Tan.
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Club owners don’t appear to care about fans views and it’s hard to realistically expect a multibillionaire to immerse himself in the community and align himself with the so-called ‘lower classes,’ but they should at least make an effort.
We need more owners like Mike Ashley, who really appreciate the culture behind they club they run. I just wonder if more English owners in the game would also lead to more English managers and then ultimately, a stronger English core at these top tier clubs.