£423million reasons Manchester City won the league last year

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“Arsenal bottled it” is still the narrative some fans put out about last season, usually using a graphic that shows we led the league for 93% of last season or something.

I have always found that infographic a bit odd.

Let’s take a marathon race. Would a runner that has been two strides ahead of his opponent for 93% of the race, only to be out kicked, be labelled as bottling the race? Unlikely. So why is it in football?

A team could lead win 37 of their first 38 games of the season. The team in second could have won 36 out of 37 with a single draw. Last game of the season, the team leading could be playing away to the team in 2nd. The team in 2nd win the game and win the league. Did the team who won 37 of the first 38 games bottle it with 111 points? They would have led for over 97% of the season and finished 2nd.

Oddly, I never saw a “lead for XX% of campaign” prior to last season. It is almost like someone invented it as something relevant just because it was Arsenal.

Anyway, surely it is better to be in the title race and finish 2nd, than be like Newcastle and not having challenged, for nearly 30-years, or be Spurs and finish 8th, 29 points behind. Both of their sides would have given anything to finish where we did last season.

Moving on, Manchester City’s accounts for last year are out and they make eye-watering reading.

£423 million on wages is an increidble number. To bring that into perspective, the year before, only 5 clubs had a higher turnover than what Manchester City spent on wages in 2022/23.

In 2021/22, we had a turnover over £369m and spent £212m on wages. Whilst I would expect these to increase for 2022/23, they will not be close to Manchester City’s figures.

The equation is simple:

Higher Wages = More Better Players = More Squad Depth = Higher League position

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule for poorly run clubs (Manchester United), or clubs that overachieve (Arsenal last season), but the trend data will show that the more a team spends on wages, the higher up the league table they tend to finish.

£423m on wages, an average of £195k a week per player. Arsenal reportedly only have five players earning more than this. So Manchester City’s averagfe is basically nearly our top end!

Man City got stronger as the season went on. This was due to Pep Guardiola being able to rotate his stars more without seeing a drop off in quality on the pitch. That is due to the strength in depth of his squad.

Now some will answer to this blog “well Kroenke needs to put his hand in his pocket”, but that is the wrong route to take.

You do not catch up or overtake Manchester City through spending as much as them. If we spent £423m on wages, they would just spend £623m. We would both still have the squad, and all what would happen is those players just get paid more.

Manchester City are owned by an oil producing state. You can not outspend them unless you are also owned by an oil producing state. Kroenke is a billioanaire, the owners of City are trillions in wealth available to them!

And a £713m turnover is crazy. That is double Arsenal’s from the previous season. Manchester City are clearly bringing in commercial revenue that is unheard of in sport, from companies that are also unheard of.

Thsat turnover is £100m more than what Arsenal and West Ham (both with 60k seater stadiums) generated in 2021/22.

I have always said that I do not expect Arsenal to win the league, and the big reason for that is due to Manchester City’s extreme wealth. Their latest accounts for last season shows just how well we did to get so close.

We are competing with Ferrari whilst only being able to afford an Audi.

Keenos

Ramsdale’s Dad, Fragile Michael Owen, Cazorla Return and More

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Ramsdale’s Dad

Is Aaron Ramsdale’s old man craving attention or just naive?

I am not sure why he took it upon himself to go onto an Arsenal podcast and air his son’s dirt laundry to anyone and everyone.

The fact that he was sitting their, being interviewed, whilst seemingly having a drink, just showed what an unprofessional shit show it was. There are plenty of questions those involved need to ask themselves:

  • How did Ramsdale’s think going on a podcast would halp his sons Arsenal career?
  • Did Aaron know his old man was going on the podcast?
  • Did the podcast contact his dad to go on; or was it his dad that contacted the podcast?
  • Why did an Arsenal podcast decide to pursue a line of question that would only be damaging to the club and player?

I have seen his old man in away ends. He always wears a silly hat so that everyone knows who he is. He certainly likes the attention.

But I also do not understand the podcasts intention. It is host by Kevin Campbell (who has previously cozied up to AFTV), and someone who has appeared on Sky Sports (and seems to has aspirations of being a mainstream presenter / journalist).

Personally, I have always been uncomfortable with those that manufacture negative content for clicks (and as a result attention and revenue). They show they are happy dragging our club through the mud for a bit of coin.

The interview, Ramsdale’s dad, and all those involved can get in the bin. No better than AFTV.

Fragile Michael Owen

What a poor little sensitive soul Michael Owen is.

The second installment of Match Officials Mic’d Up has had the exact dame criticism as the first, with Owen getting the brunt of the criticism for failing to challenge Howard Webb.

Howard Webb is afforded the easiest of rides by wooden Michael Owen on Match Officials Mic’d Up was one headline of last months show, with Michael Owen panned for NOT challenging the former ref as the second installment’s viral headline.

The show is basically a “party political broadcast” for the PGMOL, with their Dear Leader, Webb, speaking unchallenged for the entire show and Michael Owen just standing there contributing nothing.

As for the decisions themselves, I do get why they failed to give the goal. It baffles me that VAR camera’s are only on one side of the stadium. This was not the first time VAR have been unable to properly review a decision due to not having the angles.

“Both hands arepushing on the back but it is not a foul” was baffling. Surely this was a blatant foul? And the lack of audio for the Bruno Guimarães decison is worrying. What are the PGMOL hiding? Did the refs say “it is a red card, but we can not give it after the Havertz decision”?

What needs to happen is we the fans need to hear the decisions on TV live. It happens in cricket, rugby, American Football, etc. I really do not see why football sees the need to protect its officials from public scrutiny.

Cazorla Return

It is always fun to read what is actually said in comparison to what the headlines are.

Santi Cazorla makes huge return claim was one such headline, which led to lots of discussion about the little Spanish returning to Arsenal in January to finish his career.

The interview these rumours have circulated from were about Santi’s plans once he returns. Now 38, he was talking about wanting to stay in football, but ‘does not know if as a coach, a second coach (assistant manager) or sporting director.’

When asked specifically about a return to Arsenal, he told the Daily Mail ‘of course I would like to come back. I have to wait if the club thinks about me, if I can help in something – as a coach or a sporting director.’

So stop getting your knickers in a twist, or getting excited about him going back for a “final goodbye”.

Arsenal will not be signing Cazorla in January. After 3-years in Saudi he would ahve nothing to offer us on the pitch. But do not be surprised if he does he badges with us, just like Thierry Henry, Jack Wilshere and Mohamed Elneny.

Christmas Jumpers

Not yet got your Arsenal Christmas jumper for 2023? Our range of Arsenal Christmas jumpers is now on the store. Sweatshirts and T-Shirts available, with kids and adults sizes available!

Keenos

Sky agenda exposed in PGMOL exclusive

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After the Newcastle game, it was all very odd the way that Sky pundits went out of their way to defend English referees and the PGMOL.

Gary Neville accused Arsenal of ‘undermining the whole refereeing community’, whilst his best mate Jamie Carragher was a little bet less clickbaity, but still backed the officials.

Love Island star Gemma Owen’s father, and now Sky pundit, Michael Owen also had his say:

‘The only (in his words) ‘embarrassing’ and ‘disgraceful’ thing about it was Arteta’s behaviour. A common occurrence that damages the game more than any incorrect decision. 

‘For his club to now release a statement moaning about the standard of officiating is poor and sadly for a team of Arsenals standing, totally classless.’

It felt like at the time that there was a bit of an Arsenal pile-on from Sky pundits, and many sctratched their head as to why they came out so aggressively in favour of the officials, refusing to acknowledge that the PGMOL need to improve officiating in this country. And we can now expose why.

Yesterday afternoon, the Premier League announced that they will make the audio piblic for the Newcastle goal decision. It would be exclusively released…..you guessed it! Sky!

The VAR audio will be played and analysed on Sky’s Match Officials Mic’d Up – a monthly programme hosted by PGMOL chief refereeing officer Howard Webb. And co-hosting the show? Michael Owen.

So we have Sky getting an exclusive from the PGMOL (of which they will earn advertising revenue on) and PGMOL chief Howard Webb talking exclusively to Sky on the decision.

Don’t kick a gift horse in the mouth is what comes to mind.

For those not up to date on their old-English proverbs, this basically means that you you should not criticize a gift, even if you don’t like it very much.

I am sure Carragher and Neville has the same distain for officials as pundits as they had as players, and actually agree with Arsenal that refereeing standards in this country need to improve. But whilst the PGMOL give Sky exclusive access to their decision making process, and their chief ref, they will toe the company line.

They will not want to criticise the PGMOL, as that could result in Sky taking away their new toy, and giving the exclusive access to TNT or the BBC.

As for Michael Owen, he is a horrendous commentator and has now been given the Match Officials Mic’d Up show. It is clear that his agenda is driven by his need to keep his job following his gambling issues.

Howard Webb is afforded the easiest of rides by wooden Michael Owen on Match Officials Mic’d Up… the former England star is avoids the tough questions.

That was just one review of the shows first episode back in October. It is all just a farce.

We are now in a situation where the PGMOL go on TV to say “look, we are giving more access”, but they have also clearly informed Sky that if the grilling or criticisim is too much, they will cut the access.

It is no wonder that fans are leaving Sky in their droves and seeking alternative ways to watch their football and absorb post-game analysis. It is all just driven by generating high advertising revenue using ‘shock comments’ that go viral rather than actually providing good analysis.

I am lucky. I go home and away for most of the games so am immune to what Neville, Carragher et al have to say the majority of the time. But Newcastle I had to sit their BS. For Chelsea v Manchester City last Sunday, I simply switched over (the the Blacklist) at the final whistle.

I am all for listing to experts. But their view needs not to be driven by an agenda.

It is clear and obvious that Sky’s protection of referee’s, and OTT criticism of Arsenal, is due to their cozy relationshiop with Howard Webb and the PGMOL.

UTA.

Keenos