Tag Archives: Premier League

Do clubs do enough for disabled fans? – An open letter to the Premier League

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This season, every Premier League club has been instructed to spend £200,000 to better the experience of away fans. Many of the clubs, Arsenal included, are spending part of this on away fans visiting the Emirates Stadium, as well subsidising away tickets for travelling fans. Whilst all of this is positive news, making football a little bit (the subsidy is only £2.50 per game) more affordable and accessible, it seems there is one group of away fans who continue to get a raw deal when travelling away.

We were recently approached by a disabled Arsenal supporter to publish his open letter to the club and the Premier League highlighting the problems for disabled away supporters:

To whom it may concern,

Last week I’ve been to two games and been bitterly disappointed with the seats I’ve received from the club at both fixtures I’m afraid to say. In both instances I felt that I’ve wasted money on travel and ticket purchases as a result. Yes, I have a disability of being partially sighted from a generic condition called retinitis pigmentosa, which effects my night vision, as I can see inside stadiums as they have sufficient light but as soon as I’m outside relying on seeing from the aid of street lights I have a big problem.

The seating allocation I received for the Dortmund game was ridiculous! The nearest Arsenal fan to me was in a wheelchair at the half way line and Arsenal fans were the opposite end to me. Half of the actually match I spent extremely paranoid as one guy was continually staring at us, and it seemed like a few others were as well. I don’t speak German so that made me even more paranoid when we got looked at and then spoke in their native tongue. The guy who was continuously staring at us came up to us at half time and I can honestly say I was petrified, but he was actually friendly when he spoke to us, which was a huge relief.

In my humble opinion though I should have never have been put in this situation. When we scored I felt that I was not able to celebrate, as we were situated with home fans that were extremely pissed off to say the least. All I could do was look at our fans at the other end wishing I was able to celebrate with them. I’m not being funny but if I had watched it at home I would have been able to celebrate our goal with a smile on my face rather than sitting down feeling down!

As for Manchester United game yesterday, I’m afraid it was more of the same. We were stuck in seats with Manchester United supporters surrounding us, but this time our away fans were on top of us. As we arrived early with the arsenal coach we went into the ground to have a drink and something to eat. Unfortunately we felt uncomfortable eating because the only place to eat was with United fans, and surprise surprise they were staring at us!! So we had to leave that area and go to our seats until the game started even though we wanted to watch the game shown on the screens inside.

To make matters worse the United fan next to me through out the match was blatantly trying to wind me up to the point I wanted to hit him. I even heard him say to the guy beside him say “I’m gonna wind him up”, referring to me! Yet again, I feel that I would have been better off watching the game at home.

The bottom line is that I have spent over £200 over the last week to feel down, uncomfortable and paranoid. If I knew this was going to be the case I would not have travelled all those miles to have these emotions that are detrimental to my well-being, as I suffer from depression which I’m on medication, and pay for it!

Part of the reason why I make these trips are to get out the house and be with fellow Gooners win, draw and lose as we are family. I feel we are been segregated which makes it all pointless. As disabled supporters we should at least be told if we are seating with our own supporters so we can make an informed choice!

My eyes sight are deteriorating and I struggle outside to see in crowds in the dark, but what keeps me going is being with Arsenal fans, its one area in my life that makes me happy. If I do not need a platform I should not to be subject to this, as I just need seats. Sorry to repeat myself but I’m bitterly disappointed.

Leon Boreland

Manchester United Vs The Arsenal – It will be won in the middle of the pitch

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ozil

After serious doubts were raised over Arsenals trophy credentials this season, Arsenal have silenced their critics and have done so with big back to back victories. After breezing past Liverpool at a canter Arsenal travelled the fortress that is the Westfalenstadion and put in a typical European away performance and return to England with the three points & being restored to the top of their Champions League group. There is no time to look back and admire however as we travel to Old Trafford in what is most likely the biggest game we’ve had all week. Not in terms of the quality of the team but in one respect only, the psychological affects that come with it.
Three points against Manchester United at Old Trafford is a feat that we haven’t managed to achieve since 2006 and from then to now, it’s been fairly obvious that United have been far better. This season however marks a turning point and thus far Arsenal have been superior not only to Manchester United but also to most other Premier League teams and with 8 points already between United and us, 3 more points for would be monumental. Ending up victorious against a side like United’s however is always a hard job and with us being unsuccessful in our last 6 times, how should an Arsenal team flying on form enter the game on the weekend?
With Micheal Carrick ruled out injured we have the perfect opportunity to play our natural game. With two central players posing as wide men, Cazorla and Rosicky on either flank will be looking to come in and without the retention services of Micheal Carrick factored in, the midfield is not a battle Manchester United have any hope they can win. Giroud will have his starting place nailed on but the attacking three behind him would be difficult to guess and that is the biggest problem for United defenders. With Ozil, Rosicky, Cazorla & Wilshere are all central players however two of them will end up playing wide and though they might start the game on the flanks they most certainly won’t end the game there. Whilst extremely frustrating to watch from the fans point of view it does make it extremely difficult to mark, coupled with Fellaini being the most defensive player of Man United’s midfield it doesn’t bode well for them that their central midfielders will be outnumber by 3-2.
Specific to the way United play, especially against Arsenal, traditionally they attack down either flank. In his time Alex Ferguson would flood the midfield and hope to hit us on the counter and expose the weakness of the team defensively. Today however United cannot do that now for a number of reason, firstly because Arsenal’s team have worked collectively to shut out opponents and if you look at the games against the big teams they haven’t conceded many. In a way it’s seems easier to defend against bigger teams because mentally you are more focused, you understand that it’s a game of fine margins and that any mistake at any time can cost you. However without seeming disrespectful, playing some of the smaller sides in the Premier League you can always rely on your attacking talent to bail you out. Another reason quite simply is United wingers aren’t what they used to be, the fall in quality from last season to this season is a big gap despite not losing any players and if you compare them to 3 or 4 seasons ago the drop in quality is monumental. It’s a simple enough defensive job for our full backs and supporting midfielders and that is to keep Januzaj & Valencia quite and the game is ours to dictate how we want.
If we do manage to be successful in nullifying their threats, Moyes may result to his old tricks against Arsenal and going back for the physical approach and after making Fellaini his first signing as United manager they have a player they can knock the ball long to. Whilst I think the myth that we can’t deal with physical sides should be dispelled by now, it does at least give us problems and slows us down. The only problem that would hinder Moyes in carrying out such a style of play is that United players have no competence in playing this way. It’s difficult to adjust to a big mans knock downs and runs as we have found out with Giroud last year and manufacturing an understanding as big as this in the middle of a game is never going to work. We need to make sure we’re on top of every ball and that every second touch is an Arsenal players, it’s imperative players such as Rosicky, Arteta and Ramsey keep up a high intensity for as long as it’s needed.
With Flamini returning to the team we suddenly find ourselves with two options at defensive midfield and whilst a player retrained will never quite have the same nature as a real defensive midfielder, Arteta should be preferred to Flamini in this game. With everything mentioned above the game will most probably be finely poised and one thing that Arteta brings that Flamini doesn’t is calm and composure. If you scroll up and see what Arsenal need to do, there’s not a single thing that Arteta couldn’t handle and out of the two is less likely to be walking a tight rope or be sent off. Despite all the preparations however football doesn’t always pan out the way it’s meant to and all the preparation and tactics in the world can’t prepare for a mistake, or a world class 30 yard goal and tomorrow may be just about riding our luck. However any which way we win as long as 3 points is the outcome that’s all that is important.

Five right backs to replace Bacary Sagna

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An unsung hero from the victory over Liverpool was Bacary Sagna. To say Sagna ‘rolled back the years’ would be disrespectful for the Frenchman, who is still just 30.

Sagna’s performance highlighted a couple of things. Firstly we need to get him signed up to a new deal. Secondly, if he does not sign a deal, we need to get in a replacement.

On the first point, he has proved this season that he is still very much our best right back. Whilst at times his crossing is very much to be desired, he is still amongst the best defensive right back in the league. With only perhaps Branislav Ivanovic and Pablo Zabaleta as equals.

Whilst the likes of Kyle Walker, Glen Johnson and our own Carl Jenkinson are better going forward, Sagna does a lot more defensively to be above these kind of players. Add to the fact that Sagna is our 4th choice centre back, Bacary Sagna clearly still has an important part to play in our squad.

Personally, I would offer him a 3 year deal, knowing that for the next 2, at least, he has the ability and legs to be 1st choice centre back, and after that, could go on for many more years as a 4th choice centre back and back up full back.

If, however, Bacary Sagna fails to agree a deal, whether due to us not meeting his demands, or PSG or Monaco coming in with a big money ‘retirement’ offer which we can not compete with, we will have to look at replacements. Whilst I like Carl Jenkinson, both as a player and a person, he is not ready for 1st choice duty over a 38 game campaign.

He has the ability to be Arsenal’s back up full back for his career, mirroring what the likes of Phil Neville and Wes Brown did at Manchester United. However his positional sense and decision making is what is currently holding him back. If Sagna does leave, we will have to look at a new righ back in the summer. what are our options?

Mattia De Sciglio (AC Milan)

The extremely talented full back is currently playing out of position for AC Milan. Naturally a right back, found himself playing left back for AC Milan due to the presence of Ignazio Abate. De Sciglio picked up a knee injury in pre-season which left him with a tear to the cartilage in the knee, requiring him to go under the knife. He made his come back last week against Lazio.

Brilliant and graceful in defence, he is far superior to Carl Jenkinson, who is the same age, 21. He also has pace to burn and a quality cross. If he gets clear of his injury, he will become one of the best all round right backs in world football. The big sticking point is whether he will leave AC Milan, who he has been with since 10 years old. A promise of 1st team football, in his favoured position, and a salary which AC Milan will struggle to match could put a move on the cards. If Di Sciglio decides to stay, and becomes 1st choice right back, it could mean that team mate Ignazio Abate comes available.

Lukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund)

Borussia Dortmund are Arsenal 8 years ago. A Lot of talented players, but unable to pay the wages to keep them at the club. In 2012, the Dortmund wage bill was €80 million, compared to Bayern’s €158 million. As a comparator, Dortmund’s wage bill would be 7th highest in the Premier League, between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa. whilst they have done well over the years competing with Bayern Munich, they are now losing players every summer. Their situation is very similar to Arsenal, who competed with Manchester United in the early 2000’s, but were unable to competed for wages from 2005 onwards, leaving players to leave.

Dortmund have lost, over the last couple of years, Nuri Sahin to Madrid (2011), Shinji Kagawa to Manchester United (2012) and Mario Gotze to Bayern Munich (2013). With Robert Lewandowski already set to leave in 2014, Dortmund are a team who could well of peaked. Previously they have only lost 1 star a season, but like with Arsenal in 2011/12, they will break, and will lose 2 or 3 top players over the course of a transfer window (Arsenal sold Clichy, Nasri & Cesc that year, with Song & RVP leaving the next). For me, next summer could be that year for Dortmund. And that leads me to Lukasz Piszczek.

At 28, and with Arsenal being able to comfortable double his wages, his head would not be too hard to turn. Piszczek is in very similar mould to Sagna. More defensive then attacking, he would be a solid addition to the side. He is perhaps the best defensive right back in Europe right now. He has decent pace and is good going forward, but he would be seen as a like for like replacement for Sagna. The only concern is that he turns 29 in June, and, at just 2 years younger than Sagna, would not be a long term replacement. Would Arsenal invest £15+milllion on a short term replacement? Maybe not. Then again, we need to change our mindset. Get the best player available now, not who has potential. A cheaper option from the Bundesliga could be Atsuto Uchida.

Seamus Coleman (Everton)

If Arsenal want a proven Premier League performer, they could do a lot worse than signing Seamus Coleman from Everton. He might not get the praise and column inches that Leighton Baines gets, but he is a solid, proven performer. He might not be exceptional, he is certainly not a Dani Alves, but he is a very, very good right back.

He reminds me a lot of Gary Neville. An unsung hero. He might not raid down the right like Kyle Walker or Glen Johnsen, but when on the edge of the opponents area, he can put in a cross as good, if not better than those two. Coming into the Premier League at the ripe age of 22, he has gone on to play 90 Premier League games in just over 3 seasons (including an injury in 2011/12). He is certainly a proven performer. Whether he would have the XFactor and is capable of performing on a European stage would be questionable, but if we are looking for a reliable, Premier League proven replacement for Bacary Sagna, he is the one. If Everton are unwilling to sell, a younger option could be Nathaniel Clyne.

Sime Vrsaljko (Genoa)

Sime Vrsaljko is someone who has come onto Arsenal’s radar recently. The 21 year old only signed for Genoa this summer. The Croatian full back has drawn comparisons to Croatian captain and record cap holder, Darijo Srna. I know very little about him, as I am not a footballing hipster who claims to watch Eastern European or Scandinavian football, and with Genoa being one of the unfashionable sides in Italy, they are rarely on the screens. Few can claim to know much about the right back, but according to reports, Arsene Wenger’s scouting team are continually watching him every game. He has previously played on the right win for both Zagreb and Genoa (according to the internet!) so clearly has some ability going forward.

He averages more tackles and interceptions per game for Genoa than Carl Jenkinson  or Bacary Sagna, which should not come as a surprise taking into account both teams fortunes this season. Going forward his statistics are interesting, with him completing 3 times as many crosses as Sagna or Jenkinson. His statistics indicate he is very similar to Gael Clichy in defence, preferring to intercept then tackle, and similar to Leighton Baines in attack, with a similar amount of cross’s attempted and crosses completed per game as the Everton left back. He would be someone we would know little about when signing, however we know Wenger has previously bought players off statistics (such as Sagna) so if he joins, we will know the club have done their homework. Another out of left field who could come in as an unknown quantity would be Ricardo van Rhijn of Ajax.

Sam Byram (Leeds United)

If Arsene Wenger decides Carl Jenkinson does have the talent to at least compete with a fellow right back for a 1st team place, he will end up looking for cheaper options than those above to compete with him. One of these is Sam Byram of Leeds United. The youngster has been heavily linked with Arsenal over the last couple of years, and only his preference of playing 1st team football over reserve football stopped him joining our youth set up.

Reports are all the top sides in the Premier League are keeping an eye on him. Capable of playing right back and right wing, he won Leeds United’s Player of the Year Award, Young Player of the Year Award, Players Player of the Year Award and Supporters Club Player of the Year Award in 2012/13. Powerful running from deep and brilliant delivery has led to comparisons to Gareth Bale. His signing may well raise a few issues. His price tag will be high, for someone who is not as proven as Carl Jenkinson, and a hip injury suffered in the summer is still niggling in the background. If Arsenal wish to have someone to compete with Jenkinson rather than be 1st choice ahead, they might be best off promoting within and giving Hector Berlin, who has been training with the 1st team this season, a chance.

Keenos