Tag Archives: Liverpool

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

Wet day in Vauxhall trumps sunny Spain

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I have made better decisions in life.

It is 17°C in Alicante this morning. Today’s highs will be 26°C. Arsenal fans are gathering in the Spanish city for a couple of days of sunshine boozing before getting a 2 hour train north to Valencia on Thursday for the game.

I turned down the chance to go to the game. Most of my mates flew out Monday lunchtime. They have been sunning themselves for 2 days already.

The reason why I turned it down? I had tickets for today’s ODI against Pakistan at the Oval.

So instead of waking up this morning in lovely Spanish sunshine, I am looking at of my window at grey clouds, could air and rain until 4pm. Cold and wet. It must be the start of the cricket season in England.

Earlier this year I spent a couple of weeks in Antigua watching England get thrashed by the West Indies. I did not care about the result, it was a cracking bit of time away.

The Vauxhall Oval is going to be very different to the Sir Viv Richards Stadium that I sat in earlier this year. Instead of looking for a bit of shade to sit in, I will probably be looking for somewhere to stay dry.

Arsenal have not been great this season. That is an understatement. And as Liverpool showed last night, the tie is not over.

Valencia did not look great at Arsenal. There only threat was from set pieces. But at 3-1 and with Valencia having the away goal; the 1st goal is key.

Wining the Europa League would turn Unai Emery’s 1st season from a tough one to a trophy laden, successful one.

What it will also do is parachute Arsenal back in the Champions League.

For obvious reasons, the Arsenal transfer budget is not yet finalised. There is plenty of money available with the increase in commercial deals and players leaving on a free. These two factors free up £60million a year to be spent on transfer fees, wages, bonuses, agent fees, etc.

Win the Europa League and qualify for the Champions League could add an extra £40million to that pot for next season.

Tomorrow is a huge night.

I just wish I was out there instead of getting the waterproofs out of the loft for a day at the cricket.

ps: Whilst I am talking about the sunshine, have you bought the banana beach towel yet?

Keenos

Arsenal target 15 points from 8 games for top 4 finish

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My Arsenal v Manchester United preview spoke about how the result could make or break our challenge for a top 4 place.

The 2-0 victory leaves it very much in Arsenal’s hands to finish top 4.

Prior to the weekend, very few would have thought that Tottenham would have lost to Southampton and Chelsea would have got just 1 point at home to Wolves. But that is what happened.

Prior to the weekend, Chelsea’s game in hand made me fearful. A win would put them 2 points ahead of Arsenal.

Had Arsenal then lost yesterday against Manchester United, it would have left top 4 out of our hands. We would have needed Manchester United to drop 4 more points & Chelsea to drop 3 more points than us in the last 8 games. It would have been an uphill struggle.

But we won, Manchester United lost and Chelsea drew. Also Tottenham lost to Southampton which drags them back into it.

Instead of it being 3 teams fighting for 1 spot and Arsenal being the bottom of those 3, it is now 4 teams fighting for 2 spots and Arsenal have to be favourites.

Even if Chelsea win their game in hand, Arsenal are still 4th. There would be just 3 points covering 3rd to 6th.

The wheels are coming off Tottenham.

Just over 2 weeks ago they were 10 points ahead of Arsenal. They could fall out of the top 4 next weekend if they fail to get a result away to Liverpool.

They are without a win in 4 games, and their only point came courtesy of a 90th minute missed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty.

With games against Liverpool and Manchester City to come and tough home games against West Ham, Everton & Crystal Palace to come, it is hard to see Tottenham getting more than 15 points. That would leave them on 76.

Manchester United are still to face Manchester City and Chelsea at home.

They were on a great run under Ole without really playing a top team. Like Arsenal’s 22 game unbeaten run, it will be interesting to see how they respond. Like Tottenham, they will probably not be too far from the 76 point mark.

Chelsea have the trickiest of run ins, although they do have a game in hand.

They will do well to get points from trips to Manchester United and Liverpool, and also have tricky trips to Leicester and Everton.

Their draw at home to Wolves shows how fragile they are. I think they will struggle to make the 75 point mark.

So that will make it around 75-76 points to finish in the top 4.

Only once in the history of the Premier League has a team amassed 75 points and not made the top 4 – Arsenal in 2016/17.

To put that into perspective, Arsenal finished 2nd the season before with just 71 points.

Arsenal need 15-16 points to finish top 4.

My feeling is 76 will be enough for 4th. Anything above will be enough for 3rd.

The issue Arsenal face is we only have 3 home games left – Newcastle, Crystal Palace & Brighton. We need 9 points from those 9 games.

We have dropped just 7 points at home in the league this season – 5 of which were to Liverpool and Manchester City. It is not unreasonable to expect Arsenal to win all 3 of those games.

It is the 5 away games that will be key.

Arsenal are 9th in the Premier League away table with just 5 wins from 14 games. Although it has to be taken into account that 5 of the 14 away games were against sides in the top 6.

If you take games against the other top sides out of it, our away form reads a lot more favourable:

P 9 W 5 D 2 L 2 Pts 17

If we mimic this form in the 5 remaining away games we should get 9 points. If we add the 9 points from 3 home wins, that would leave us with 78 points in total.

From those 5 games, even if we end with 2 wins and 1 draw, that takes us to 76 points as long as we win those home games.

Ultimately it is winning those home games that is important. Do that and top 4 is ours. Maybe even 3rd.

Keenos