Yearly Archives: 2015

Spurs, Leicester and the New TV Deal

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So it is time to put Saturday’s defeat behind us. Yes, it was disappointing, but we can not dwell on it for too long. Luckily for Arsenal, we play Leicester tonight. After a defeat like what we had, it is good to have another game so quickly, to get 3 points on the board, to move on.

It is the oddity of the league this season that after our most disappointing result so far, we actually have an opportunity to be 3rd in the league – our highest position since the opening day.

With Manchester United and Southampton not playing until Wednesday, and Spurs away to Liverpool, a 3 goal victory for Arsenal will likely see us be 3rd on goal difference, even if it is just for 24 hours.

The race for the Champions League is tight. By the end of tonight, there could be just 3 points between third and seventh. And that is why it is important we move on from Saturday, and quickly.

But just to dwell on Saturday a bit (yes, I know I said not to dwell), we might have lost, and we have all probably taken a ribbing at work over the last day, but it is important to remember the following:

  • Saturday was only the 7th time Spurs have defeated Arsenal in the last 45 attempts
  • A Spurs fan aged 20 has never seen Spurs finish above Arsenal
  • Harry Kane has celebrated Arsenal winning the league more times than a 50 year old Spurs fanSPURS

Spurs are in our shadow, and it will take a lot more than one victory for them to come out.

3 points tonight is crucial, against a Leicester side bottom of the league. With the rumours surrounding Nigel Pearson’s future, you would think it will be an ideal situation for us to romp to a win. However, beware the wounded animal.

Pearson will be setting up Leicester to not lose. It will be 11 men behind the ball, defend for your lives. We will have to be patient to break them down, and when we do, take advantage of our chances. Get an early goal, we will go on to romp it.

Despite being bottom of the league, Leicester’s form in their last 8 games is not actually too bad – including the FA Cup (where they played 2 Premier League sides):

P 8 W 4 D 1 L 3 F 8 A 8

Get behind the team. Let’s not allow the disappointment of Saturday eek into both the fans and players minds.

In other matters, it is being reported that the Premier League are set to announce another record TV deal – this time worth £4.4bn. This would be a 45% increase on the current deal. This would see each individual club receive an additional £30-40 million a season, depending on where they finished.

The disgrace is we all know that whilst this will get shouted about as a brilliant success, all the additional money will go into the pockets of agents and players.

At the moment, clubs have to spend £200,000 of the current TV money on ‘the away fans experience.’ Arsenal do this by dropping prices for away fans by £2.50, and having a ‘Welcome xxxxx Football Club’ sign hanging above the away end. Other clubs put on coach travel, give bar staff shirts of the away club to wear, or put up pictures of the away clubs legends.

It sounds all well and good, but it is just £200,000. That is a drop in the ocean as to what clubs from the TV deal. The £200,000 would not even be enough to pay Wayne Rooney’s weekly wage!

With the new MEGA MONEY TV DEAL set to be signed, it is time the clubs gave back to the fans. The players do not need anymore money, nor do the agents.

Using my GCSE maths, £40,000,000, divided by 60,000, divided by 26 (how many games a season ticket holder gets) would equal £25.64 a ticket.

Or working back upwards, Arsenal could drop season ticket prices by £666 and still earn the same money that they are earning now.

Sadly, these are but a dream. Ticket prices would not be reduced, and all income will go out of the club to players and agents as quickly as it comes in. And at the same time, ticket prices will probably rise.

Up The Arsenal

Keenos

 

A great day ruined by a game of football

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So our 12.45 curse continues, resulting in what was a top day of drinking nearly being ruined by a game of football.

It started off early doors, 8.45am in the White Swan. The promise that they would start to serve at 9am was false, as 2 members of staff were turning people away. By 9.30, they started pouring out pints, but with just 3 members of staff, and a good 500 Gooners gasping for a drink, the bar was quickly 5 deep.

The only solution was to get a quick pint was to pop next door, buy some cans, and take them into the pub.

It was fairly sedate in the pub before the game. Many people left next door to the Famous Cock due to the slowness of the staff in the Swan, this left the fans split.

A highlight was the look on one families face as they came in. 6 adults all dressed in running gear, with a baby in a buggy. It is clearly their Saturday ritual to go for a run (with their baby, why?) and then go to the White Swan for breakfast. They seemed confused that at 10am, there would be 500 blokes having a drink. “What’s going on?” they asked each other, before finding a quiet corner for their latte and scrambled egg on toast.

The walk down to the ground was the normal quiet stroll through Harringay. Is there a worse, more run down, pointless area in London than Tottenham High Road? Taking football banter to a side, the area is vile.

As always, we were met at the ground by the usual, snarling inbreds of Spurs fans, screaming obscenities from the safety of behind the police. A bunch of kids who think they are head because they wear Stone Island, and a bunch of adults who probably have the mental age of a 14 year old. Using one had to swear, their other to record and take pictures, they truly are a simple bunch.

The most disappointing moment of the trip to ‘The Shit Hole’ was the lack of beer at half time.

No beer

 

This is not a first, and seems to be creeping into the game. Banning of beer at half time for away fans will become the norm at football. This time it was due to ‘Local Government Regulations.’

A bit like the camera holding knob heads outside of the stadium, it seems when Spurs scored, they were more interested in videoing Arsenal fans than celebrating a goal. A bit like no booze at half time, camera holding prats is part of the modern game I can not stand. Put the camera’s away.

The march out of the stadium and back down Tottenham High Road was the usual fun, with the usual Spurs fans having a go whilst behind the police, than going silent when the police were gone.

And then back to the White Swan. The place was silent to begin with, like a funeral. But a bit like a wake, as the beer flowed, the place started to liven up. By around 5pm, I think the majority of the patron’s did not care about the result anymore.

Perhaps the longest version ever of B’Jesus said Paddy lasted a good 15 minutes. To repeat, at this point, the result was forgotten.

The ‘wake’ continued in the Swan for a few more hours before people started to go there separate ways. We ended up The George, before heading home.

The result was poor, but the day was quality. A good drink up with some good people.

Keenos

Tottenham v Arsenal – Player by Player – Who is better?

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August 2013, I undertook a completely unbiased player by player review of Arsenal and Tottenham’s 1st 11. The comments made interesting reading.

One claim was that I was a “retarded Gooner” as I rated Per Mertesacker above Michael Dawson. Mertesacker went on to win the World Cup, Michael Dawson now plays for Hull.

Another read “Ramsey better than Paulinho? Go have a lie down” (half a dozen Spurs fans made the claim that Paulinho was the superior player). Ramsey became one of the stand out players in the Premier League, whilst Spurs did everything in their power to sell Paulinho in the last transfer window. And whatever happened to Capoue being better than Arteta, Wilshere & Ramsey?

“What a joke. Lets see who has the best team by their respective positions at the end of the season.” Arsenal finished above Spurs again, for the 19th season in a row.

 

As it is a North London Derby tomorrow, it is time to analyse the starting 11’s again.

Szczesny/Ospina v Lloris

For me, Hugo Lloris is the best keeper in the Premier League. Yes, he still has his Hollywood moments, but at times this season, he has single handedly kept Spurs in the game. He is a brilliant keeper.

Neither Szczesny or Ospina are near to the level of Lloris. Szczesney has had a rough ride this season, but is still young, whilst Ospina is in the early stages of his Arsenal career, so it is very early to judge him. Although he has not yet conceded a Premier League goal.

Szczesny/Ospina – 7 Lloris – 9

Bellerin v Walker

Had Mathieu Debuchy been fit, this would have been a no contest. Unfortunately, as he is out injured due to a bit of Stoke thuggery, it is only fair that I judge who will play. Hector Bellerin.

Bellerin is young, raw and exciting. He will become a superstar, but is not there yet. His only real weakness is his size. He is small and lightweight. But his reading of the game, tackling and ability to get up and down the line is remarkable.

Kyle Walker was once like Hector Bellerin. A young talent. He will be 25 in May. He has certainly not fulfilled his potential. He still relies too much on his pace to get him out of trouble, and is defensively awful, I have not seen a player with worse defensive positioning or awareness since Armand Traore. Despite these criticisms, Walker get’s the nod due to his experience.

Bellerin 6 Walker 7

Mertesacker v Fazio

Both are tall, both lack pace, but only one has exceptional reading of the game.

World Cup winner Per Mertesacker is still an exceptional defender. Yes, he does make mistakes – but doesn’t everyone? When I look at Vincent Kompany, he has made horrendous errors this season, yet does not seem to get the criticism that Mertesacker does. Sometimes people make an opinion of a player without truly watching him.

I will not go as far as saying Fazio is a donkey. That is harsh and it would be hypocritical of me to label him as such, with it being what Spurs fans have tagged Mertesacker and Adams over the years. He is an OK player, but his 2 red cards in 23 games shows he is a bit of a liability.

Mertesacker is an established Premier League centre back, Fazio there is still a question mark over him.

Mertesacker 8 Fazio 6

Koscielny v Vertonghan

Previously, I have always rated Vertonghan as superior to Koscielny. But last season, the Frenchman took strides forwards, whilst Vertonghan went backwards.

Koscielny’s importance was highlighted when he was out injured. Arsenal missed him. He is strong, quick, and has exceptional reading of the game. I rate him higher than Kompany.

Meanwhile, Vertonghan has struggled over the last 18 months, and is now known more for his goal scoring than his defending. That is always a sign of a defender who is struggling. Saying that, he is still a top defender and his partnership alongside Fazio is a bit like a poor version of Mertesacker/Koscielny

Koscielny 9 Vertonghan 8

Gibbs v Rose

Both players are older than you would think. Gibbs is now 25, Rose already 24. There is a chance their careers could pass them by without them realising their potential, especially Gibbs.

There is, however, only one top player between the two. One is defensively complete, brilliant going forward, and, in my opinion, Englands best left back. The other is Danny Rose. A Championship player at best. He will probably be sold to QPR next year when they get relegated.

Gibbs 7 Rose 4

Coquelin v Capoue

A bit like the Bellerin v Walker match up, we are comparing a player who’stop level career is just starting, against an established, but average, player.

Coquelin has filled a whole at Arsenal, putting in some top level performances, but he has some way to go before he can be considered top level himself. Capoue has put in some average performances and will probably forever remain average.

Coquelin 6 Capoue 6

Ramsey v Mason

Last year, we were talking about Ramsey v Paulinho. Many Spurs fans disagreed with my view. However I was proved right. Paulinho has since been replaced by ‘young’ Ryan Mason.

Mason is just 6 months younger than Ramsey, and quite frankly, is not good enough to even clean Ramsey’s boots.

I remember watching a youth cup game at White Hart Lane years ago, and Wilshere ran the show. My thoughts at the time were ‘Aaron Ramsey could have played today too.’ Mason did play, but I do not remember him doing anything. Ramsey’s injuries have halted his progress this season, but he is the superior player.

Ramsey 8 Mason 5

Cazorla v Ericksen

Two stand out players. Both have been brilliant for their clubs, especially in recent weeks.

Ericksen’s 9 goals this season have been crucial to Spurs’ overall points tally. It is not just the 9 goals, but the fact those 9 goals have all seem to have been 89th minute winners. People claim Arsenal are a one man team with Sanchez, but Ericksen is the sole reason why Spurs are in the top half.

Cazorla has 6 goals. Many of which have come from the penalty spot. It is his 7 assists in the league this year which highlights his importance. Neither side has a player who has created more.

Cazorla 9 Ericksen 9

Walcott v Lamela

Erik Lamela has scored 1 Premier League goal this season. Theo Walcott also has one goal. The difference is that Lamela has played 1288 minutes more than Walcott.

Lamela has to go down as one of the biggest flops in Premier League history. A fee rising to £30 million, he has just the one Premier LEague goal to his name (and 5 assists). Whilst Ozil was getting pelter’s last season, Lamela went by fairly unnoticed.

Walcott has been out injured for the good part of a year, but his goal against Aston Villa shows he is re-finding his feet. With a goal also against Brighton, his return is timely, taking into account Alexis Sanchez is now out injured.

Walcott 8 Lamela 5

Ozil v Chadli

Nacer Chadli is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League. Two footed and direct, he already has 7 goals and 5 assists in the league this season.

Ozil, like Walcott, has had his injury issues this season. His ‘poor’ form last season was over played in the media – he finished the season with 5 goals and 9 assists. This year, he has 2 and 2. Not a bad return for less than 700 minutes of football. On his day, he is unplayable. When it is not his day, he is atrocious.

Ozil 8 Chadli 7

Giroud v Kane

Another player who has missed a lot of football this season due to injury/stupidy, Olivier Giroud is finally back, and scoring goals. Since his return from injury in November, he has scored 6 goals in 10 Premier League games. He is average 1 goal every 99 minutes in the Premier League this season.

Arsenal fan Harry Kane has been a revelation this season, and certainly deserves an England call up. He has the knack of scoring goals from anywhere in and around the box. Before this season, he had only scored 21 professional goals in all competitions, all leagues. He has scored 20 this campaign.

There are two major differences between the two. Giroud is a consistent Premier League striker. He now has 34 goals in a little in 82 games. Kane is in his first season. A bit like Bellerin, it is perhaps unfair to compare someone in his 1st full season, with someone who is in his 3rd.

The second is goals per minutes. As mentioned, Giroud has averaged a goal every 99 minutes. Kane is up at a goal every 125 minutes.

Giroud is the better player, but Harry Kane has ability

Giroud 8 Kane7

Arsenal 84
Spurs 73

And that is without Alexis Sanchez…

Keenos