Tag Archives: Manchester City FC

Are Arsenal genuine title contenders?

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They say the league table does not lie. Those that are high in the league are there because they deserve it. Those near the bottom are also there due to their own performance. Over the season, a poor referring decision here or there has no bearing on where you are in the league table. Yes it might be the difference between 13th and 14th, but it has very little to do with a club being 20th against mid-table.

The league table does not lie.

Many will argue, however, that you should not look at the league table until 10 games in. Teams positions can be artificially inflated due to playing poor teams, likewise a good side can find themselves near the bottom after getting a cruel set of opening fixtures. It is best not to read too much into the early season table.

Taking both of these into account, should we be getting excited that we currently top the league? Can we be considered genuine title contenders? Or have we just had a nice early run of fixtures.

Firstly, let’s look at the table. We are top (I do enjoy saying that) – and the rest of the top 6 are made up of Tottenham, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton. It might only be early day’s in the season, but the usual suspects are already congregating at the top. The only side missing is Manchester United, but they have had the hardest start, with away games against both Liverpool and Manchester City, and a home match against Chelsea.

At the bottom of the table, it is a similar story. Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Norwich, Cardiff & West Hame occupy the bottom 6. If I were a betting man, I would put my house on the 3 relegated sides coming from those 6 teams. Again, despite it being early doors, the league table is not lying.

This brings me on to Arsenal. Top of the league on goal difference. Some might argue that we are only there due to a favourable run of games – out of our 5 games, only 2 have been away, both of which were against 18th and 20th in the league; and the 3 home games, Spurs, Aston Villa & Stoke, we would expect to win (Although we lost to Aston Villa). We have had a very comfortable start to the season. But is it any harder than others?

In terms of playing ‘each other’ in the sides in the top 6, Spurs have played 1 other (Arsenal away), Manchester City 1 (Manchester United home), Liverpool 1 (Manchester United home), Chelsea 2 (Manchester United & Everton away) and Everton 1 (Chelsea away).

The stand out team is Manchester United. They have already had 3 very tricky games in the 1st 5 games. Other than that, every other side has had a similar run of hard games, with every side playing another at least once, bar Chelsea who have played twice.

Therefore, it is easy to make an argument that the league table does not lie. What it shows is that it is tight at the top. 3 points between 1st and 6th. Whilst it might take another half dozen games before Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool can be considered as true title contenders, the signs are good for the Gunners. With a favourable run of games coming up, it is not inconceivable that we could still be top after the 1st 10 games. And then we will have to be considered contenders.

Whilst you can not win the title after the first 10 games, you can certainly rule yourself out of the race by too many early dropped points. All we can do is take it one game at a time.

Keep the faith, and keep supporting the team.

Keenos

Are foreign fans clueless?

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Over the years, foreign fans throughout the Premier League have got a raw deal. They have been accused of not being real fans. Not understanding the passion for the game. Not having the same loyalty as English based fans. They have been derided and often, when it comes to a debate via a message board, the common response is ‘Your opinion means nothing as you are not from England.’

Whilst in the past, these points could have been valid, is it still the case that foreign fans of Premier League clubs can still be labeled as clueless, not having loyalty, not being bandwagon jumpers and lacking passion?

When you look at The Arsenal tour of Asia this summer, the atmosphere within the stadiums was incredible. Louder than the Emirates during most of the games. And non-stop. Yes, some argued that those same fans would turn up in their Manchester City shirts if it was Manchester City playing, or their Chelsea shirts if Chelsea were playing, but surely these fans would be in the minority. Surely now, with the globalisation of football, a foreign fan should be considered as an equal to their English counterpart?

These days, a lot of foreign fans have not just jumped on the bandwagon of the Premier League. There are genuine fans out there that have supported us since pre-teens, just like many fans in England would have started their proper support of the club around the age of 10. Is a 22 year old Arsenal fans who has supported Arsenal since 10 any different to an English Arsenal fan that has supported since 10?

Yes, they might not get the passion of the stadium, of the match going fan, but having been in a few bars throughout the world where Arsenal have been playing, they are as passionate as the stadium. To label them as anything as passionless is disgraceful. Would you label the Twelve Pins or The George or the Gunners as passionless on a game day?

I follow two people who highlight the passion of fans not in England. The first is @LordHillWood, a ex-pat living in Poland. The stories he tells of the Polish Arsenal fans shows anything but a lack of passion. The way they get to the pub early to ‘decorate’ it. The chucking out of Spurs fans. It shows real passion. Not just from the ex-pats but also from the Polish born fans. The second is @SSGooner, a Malaysian fan. Again, there is no lack of passion. from him when it comes to game day, with each match brilliantly planned.

I also speak to  few Australian fans. They always seem to be awake when Arsenal are playing. Always watching them game. Even if it is 3am in the morning. How about that for commitment? When you see some English-based fans barely even being able to get out of bed for a 12.45 ko, or ducking out on a European game due to a hard day at work or its a little cold, these foreign fans seem to be able to wake up and watch the games, no matter the consequence of sleep deprivation for the next day.

Then we come to the knowledge of the fans. This is somewhere where the foreign fans and English fan are more then equal. In fact, some would argue tha many foreign fans are more knowledgable, as they actually study the game, whilst the Englishman turns up, watch’s the game drunk, then continues to drink.

Two little stories. One is of a friend who went to Ethiopia on a business trip recently. Upon his cab driver discovering he was an Arsenal fan, he was then lectured for half an hour, by the Ethiopian cabbie, on what Arsene Wenger was doing wrong, how he should be sacked, and questioning why we had not signed anyone. From the sounds of it, he was spot on. Had it been a black cab driver in London, nothing would have been mentioned. It was a clear that there was not a knowledge gap.

The second little story is of a friend at the game. Behind him was two American’s discussing the game. Whilst they did use frustrating American terminology, their knowledge was impeccable. Even as far as talking about how Sagna was only playing at centre back in an emergency, that the young lad at right back was Arsenal through and through, and whilst good going forward, was often found out in defence.

They then went on a 10 minute discussion about the bench. Gnarby. Zelalem. Akpom. Had the been talking in cockney accents, it would have been normal. But in their American accents, it just showed to my friend how football was a truly global game.

With Facebook bringing fans together from around the world to discuss games. Twitter providing instant information. All 38 league games being available online. British newspaper’s being available online throughout the world. Add in podcasts and blogs -this blog gets a lot of readers from Scandanvia, there is plenty of information available throughout the world to educate the foreign fans, to whet there appetite.

Are we now in a time when foreign fans can no longer be labelled clueless, but are in fact the footballing intellectual equals of those from England?

Keenos

Two ‘Almost’ Signings Leave a Bitter Taste

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In January, I wrote a piece that I was not too unhappy about our lack of transfer activity because when I looked around players to of joined the Premier League, none of them really interested me and would barely of improved our squad, let along our first team. This summer, things can not be more different.

At the time of writing, our only signing has been Yaya Sanogo on a free, who, whilst is a talented young player, he is exactly that, a young talent.

As I look around the Premier League, the green eyes of envy quickly come over me. Over At Chelsea, Andre Schurrle will be one of the signings of the summer. Manchester City have spent over £100million on players, and whilst I feel half will flop, they have improved.

Victor Wanyama joining Southampton was a big surprise. Linked with Arsenal, Manchester United and various top clubs throughout Europe, joining Southampton from Celtic perhaps highlights the low esteem the Scottish Premier League is held.

In 2009, Arsenal were heavily linked with Modibo Diakite. In 2013, he joined Sunderland on a free. Could he of done a job as 4th choice centre back? certainly. Then we have Bony at Swansea and Spurs looking to match Manchester City’s 9 digit spending spree. Teams around us have done business. Good business. But 2 players in particular leave a bitter taste in my mouth.

Stevan Jovetic and Etienne Capoue.

In March, when England played Montenegro in Podgorica, Arsenal fans watch the game for one reason and one reason only, to watch our supposed big summer signing, Stevan Jovetic, the Montenegrian Messi. He had a decent enough game, not exceptional, but showed that in a top team with good players around him, he would shine. Media outlets around the world were calling it a ‘done deal.’

For whatever reasons, he did not join Arsenal, and ended up going to Manchester City for £22m. And the jokes begun. Arsenal scout, other teams sign. At this moment in time, Stevan Jovetic should be in Finland playing for Arsenal against Manchester City, not the other way round.

Then we have Etienne Capoue. He became the hipsters favourite back last summer when we were sniffing around Yann M’Vila. Many bloggers and statisticians stood up and said that M’Vila was the wrong Ligue 1 destructive midfielder to be targeting. The statistics showed that Etiene Capoue was the man to go for. In the end, we signed neither.

In January, there were reports of a £10m last day of the window bid, with Arsenal going as far as booking a hotel room for him in London. Nothing materialised. So it tastes bitter when this summer, he joins Tottenham for £8.6m. Again, we scouted him, and we could have got him.

Both of these leave a bitter taste in my mouth for many reasons. We could have had both of these players on July 1st. They would not have been that hard to complete. They could have already had a full pre-season with Arsenal. Both would have improved not only our squad, but our first team, and at not too much of a cost.

With their combined transfer fee being just over £30m, we would still have plenty left in the kitty to sign Luis Suarez and a centre back. And the squad would be looking strong a deep. On top of that, it would have meant that if we miss out on Luis Suarez, we would still of signed 2 top class players.

What makes it so bitter is both will be playing in the Premier League next season, for our rivals. When looking at our transfer dealings, the thought is always ‘who moved to a Premier League club.’ I think this because if a player moves from Italy to Spain, he may well of not wanted to play in wet, cold England. However if he joins a Premier League club, he is happy with the grey and drizzle. Both Jovetic and Capoue joined a Premier League club.

Why we did not sign these two players, I do not know. Arsenal’s failure to make these ‘little’ transfer is costing us big. (More on this another day).

Keenos