In memory of Jose Reyes; let’s stop abusing footballers

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The death of Jose Antonio Reyes has hit everyone in football. Shocking news to try and digest on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

It is a reminder to everyone how fragile life is.

Bill Shankly was wrong. Football is not more important than life or death.

Reyes death should be a reminder to everyone to be kinder. He had a tough time at Arsenal. After a solid start he was booted out of a game against Manchester United and never really recovered. After this game he became one of those players the crowd loved to get on the back of.

Were he to be at Arsenal in the current era, he would have received a lot of abuse on social media from fan.

Criticising players is fine. Nothing wrong with it. But abuse is wrong and often crosses the line.

It was not too long ago that fans were standing outside the Emirates singing about wishing death on Arsene Wenger. Following the loss to Chelsea, I saw one fan post up a picture of the Munich disaster with the comment “we need Arsenal’s version of this, with Emery and Cech in the front seat”.

Granit Xhaka recently came off social media due to the volume of death threats he receive. Shkodran Mustafi has also received death threats in recent weeks.

Whilst I am sure these death threats may not have been made with the intention of carrying through, it is still clearly wrong. I remember a few years ago someone said they would “find me and slit my throat”. I did not take it seriously but it still was not very nice.

We have also seen a lot of online abuse aimed at Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Alex Iwobi and more. No one seems to be immune.

If you do anything in memory of Reyes, be kinder.

Criticism is fine; abuse is not

RIP Jose Antonio Reyes

Keenos

Liverpool and Tottenham show why Arsenal need to stick with Unai Emery

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Tonight it is Tottenham v Liverpool in the Champions League final. I will not be watching.

There are lessons to be learn, however, from Liverpool and Tottenham for Arsenal fans in the way things need to be one in the future.

Both teams have stuck with their managers despite a lack of success, believing that they were the right men to take them forward. Tonight one of them will break their trophy duck in charge of their relative club.

Following Arsenal’s defeat to Chelsea on Wednesday, Arsenal fans overacted with many calling for Unai Emery’s head. Demanding to be sacked. Many of those doing it did so because they missed Emery off their short lists to be Arsene Wenger’s replacement. They backed Allegri or Arteta and have not been willing to give the Emery the chance.

Emery is the right manager.

Emery is already ahead of Pochettino and Klopp when it comes to win ratio in English football.

Jurgen Klopp’s first 3 seasons with Liverpool saw them finish 8th, 4th and 4th. They lost the League Cup Final, Europa League Final and Champions League Final.

Prior to tonight’s game, Pochettino had just a League Cup Final defeat on his record. Three times Tottenham were in the Europa League under him. The furthest they got was the round of 16 (once). They were knocked out in the Round of 32 twice.

Their fans stuck with the managers, giving them a chance. Realising they were taking them forward and all they were lacking was success.

Unai Emery’s Arsenal are already vastly superior to where Tottenham and Liverpool were after Klopp and Pochettino’s 1st seasons.

Emery is not going to be sacked this summer. He should not be sacked this summer.

Instead of using your time and energy trying to start a campaign against him because you did not want him in the 1st place, spend it on supporting him, supporting The Arsenal.

Keenos

Unai Emery “needs to learn lessons” from tough 1st season

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At least in Unai Emery we have a manager who tells us as it is

“We didn’t achieve our first target this year…[Chelsea] are now better than us”

No excuses, a simple comment that Arsenal were not good enough and this season has been a failure.

“We are really disappointed today but in general we made a new step in improving and being competitive. We made one more step than last year.”

Once the dust have settled, I imagine Arsenal fans views on the 2018/19 season will be as split as the EU referendum vote.

You have those who will see the step forward we made this year.

In the 1st season without Arsene Wenger, we finished a place higher, with more points and made a European final. We were better than last year and went on a 22 game unbeaten run.

On the other hand, we capitulated at the end of the season, finished outside of the top 4 and lost that Europa League final.

Emery is right that we have taken a step forward this season, but it is probably not a big enough step.

Some of the boo boys are already out, calling for his head and demanding the club go for Max Allegri. Emery needs to be given his 2nd year of his contract.

Manchester United have shown that chopping and changing manager following Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure does not work. Getting rid of a manager costs money and puts you back to starting again. A much better idea is to get behind Emery, for the club to support him and his vision.

If next season, we have not taken a bigger step forward, than we have a discussion.

I am sure Emery already knows he has lessons to learn from this season, but he will be defined based on whether he learns them to take us forward:

Sell Mesut Ozil

The time has come for Mesut Ozil to leave Arsenal.

It is not just about the money he is on, but also his overall attitude. The final he was the worst player on the pitch and he seems to drag everyone else down.

it is like having a moody employee in the office. When on top form, they might be your top performer, but their mood sets the mood for the office. If they are having an off day, they drag everyone else down with them. You get shot of them and the mood in the office immediately changes.

The Ozil problem needs to be solved.

Return to 4 at the back

I have never been a fan of 3 at the back.

It puts too much onus on the full backs, leaves too much space in behind them and not enough cover in front.

With Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira in the middle, it also makes Arsenal a little too defensive.

Against Chelsea, there was a huge disconnection between defence and attack.

Jose Mourinho calls it transitional players – players who can take the ball from defence into midfield, and then from midfield into attack.

When we play 3412 we lack the players in midfield who can take the ball off the defence and drive forward into attack – especially when Mesut Ozil is off form.

Returning to 4 at the back will see us return to 4231 and see us transition the ball much better

Sign genuine width

Alex Iwobi is not good enough to play week in, week out but is one of the few transitional players we have. Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are not natural wide men. Arsenal need to invest in a pair of wide forwards.

In the early part of the season, we were a threat in behind the opponents fulls backs. This was due to Iwobi and Aubameyang getting in behind – or making space for Bellerin and Monreal to get in behind.

Playing 4 at the back, with Xhaka and Torreira in the middle, Arsenal have a stable base and centre. Add two wide men either side of a number 10 and the team is starting to take shape.

Decide his best striker

A tough decision needs to be made up top.

We have two top class strikers who both broke our transfer record. Unai Emery needs to decide who his first choice is; and stick to it.

There is no point having two of the best strikers in the world if you do not have the players to get the ball to them.

Sacrifice one up top to add an extra man deeper. That will lead to better control of the ball, better transition through the phases and more chances created.

Sign Exciting Youth

in the last few windows, we have seen the side sign the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Henrik Mkhitaryan, Sokratis and Stephan Lichtsteiner.

Arsenal need to move away from signing experienced, highly paid players and return to signing younger talents.

Spurs have got to where they are with a transfer policy of buying players under 25-years-old. They are cheaper – both in terms of salary and wages – and can be sold on for profit. This enables you to continually evolve and improve the team.

Arsenal operated like this in the 00s, but in the 2010s we have focused more on buying senior pros – from Petr Cech through to Mesut Ozil and the more recent acquisitions.

This summer, we need to focus on young, hungry players that Emery can mould into what he wants.

“Next year is a big challenge to take another step in our way, with our young players and the spirit.”

Keenos