Tag Archives: She Wore

Mesut Ozil v Dele Alli

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“If he Mesut Ozil had half of what Dele Alli has got, that nasty streak, he would be ten times a better player than he is because he hasn’t got what Dele Alli has.”

They are the words uttered by Lee Dixon during England’s defeat against Germany.

Now I am not in the business of abusing Arsenal legends. And I will not abuse Lee Dixon. Legends have a right, and a platform, to give their opinion. Often the abuse on social media platforms they get from so called “Arsenal fans” is nothing short of a disgrace.

Even though you might be an Arsenal legend, it does not make you immune for criticism, and Lee Dixon’s comparison of Alli and Ozil is laugable.

It is that last line I find hilarious. Mesut Ozil hasn’t got what Dele Alli has.Let’s compare what both players ’have’:

One is a world class player who has won trophies throughout his career for club and country. The other spends his time making up silly handshakes.

Dele Alli is a player who I have rated since his days at MK Dons. I, like most, surprised how much he has developed. But he is yet to reach anywhere near the level of Mesut Ozil. Alli is a good player, but not a world class place. Germany won without Ozil. England lost with Alli in the side.

I think in summary, if Dele Alli achieves half as much as Mesut Ozil in his carer, he would be a ten times more successful player than he is, because at the moment, Dele Alli hasn’t got what Ozil has. Trophies.

Keenos

The future of Wenger, Sanchez and The Ox

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In the second leg of a series of 2 blogs that I am going to call random stuff I am predicting because I am bored of the international break and football in general we look at the future of 3 men at Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger

We have all known it for months. But buried our head in the sand hoping it was not true. Arsene Wenger is going to sign a new contract at Arsenal.

He probably agreed the deal back in January, and was just waiting for the right time for the news to be announced. But with our bad form, there has simply not been a right time.

The hopeful in me would like to think that Arsenal have actually spent the last 2 months since the contract was signed exploring their options. Approaching various other managers on the quiet, whilst also attempting to negotiate a way out of the contract agreed with Wenger. Maybe we a well p[aid move upstairs.

The realist in me knows this has not happened. The board are happy with Wenger. Wenger thinks he is doing a great job. And the new contract will be announced after our season tickets have been renewed.

Alexis Sanchez

Alexis Sanchez has never stayed more than 3 years at a single club. He has never signed a second contract at any club he has been at. After 3 years, he packs his bags and moves on.

He is. Whether his destination by Bayern Munich, Juventus, Real Madrid or PSG, I predict he will not be at Arsenal next season.

With just a single year left on his contract, Arsenal are not in a great position to negotiate. The main hope is that all 4 of the above get into a bidding war, pushing the price up. But ultimately the ball is in Sanchez’s court, and a bit like Robin van Persie a few years back, he will be able to force a move to the club he wants to join, not the club Arsenal want to sell him too.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Recently I have felt a bit sorry for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He has been thrown to the wolves a few times in recent weeks, facing the media after a defeat because no one else has the testicles to do so (when was the last time Laurent Koscielny faced the media?)

He has also been the sole man coming across to the fans.

He is one of the few players who seems to feel the pain of defeat that the away support do. He wears his heart on his sleeve. He has shown captains material in recent weeks.

But I predict if he does become a captain, it will be for another club.

He has never really settled at Arsenal, in and out of the team due to injury, form and non-selection. Played in many positions. Many times out of position.

But he is talented. With the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea in desperate need of home grown talent, and with one year left on his contract, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be playing in blue next season. The only question will be; Dark blue or light blue?

Keenos

Prediction: Arsenal ticket prices will not drop with Europa League football

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Predicting the future in football is near impossible. Who would have guessed in 1990 that Liverpool would not win another league title in 26 years, despite winning 13 in the previous 26. Or in 1996 that the weird looking spectacled new Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, would have seen off 10 Spurs managers. Or in 2004, that Arsenal’s invincible’s would not win another league title. Or finally in 2015 that Leicester City would win the title.

Even though it is stupid trying to predict the future, with it being an international break, I thought I would put a few small short term predictions down on paper on a few different things Arsenal over the next couple of days.

Ticket Prices

If Arsenal fail to qualify for the Champions League, season ticket prices will not drop.

In the Arsenal Terms and Conditions, we sign up to 19 league games and the first 7 cup games, excluding the League Cup. With qualification for the Europa League likely, Arsenal will stick to their guns. You will still get 19 league games and 7 cup games. You will just get Europa League instead of Champions League.

The T&C’s split fixtures up for pricing as follows:

6 Cat A, 14 Cat B and 6 Cat C

Recently Arsenal have created additional games as Cat A, and therefore charged this back to fans in the next years season ticket. Likewise this year, we are due a small refund.

The club will make the decision that despite us being in a lesser European competition, prices will remain the same, and with the same split of A, B & C.

Liverpool, Manchester City, Spurs, Chelsea and Manchester United have been Cat A games this season. That is 5 of the 6 games. The club will either move another Premier League game to Cat A (previously West Ham has been Cat A) or rely on Arsenal getting a big home cup tie in either the FA Cup early stages, in the Europa League to make it 6.

Creating 6 Cat A games will not be a big problem.

The issue is the other end of the spectrum. Can Arsenal create enough Cat B games?

This season, Manchester United were drawn in a group which contained Fenerbache, Feyenoord and Zorya Luhansk. The club would have no qualms about making Fenerbache and Feyenoord Cat B. They would be if they were in the Champions League. Zorya Luhansk would have to be Cat C.

Southampton were drawn with Inter Milan, Sparta Prague and Hapoel Be’er Sheva. Inter Milan would certainly be Cat B, maybe even Cat A. Prague Cat B. Hapoel Be’er Sheve Cat C.

In recent years, the split in the Champions League group stages has been 1 Cat A, 2 Cat B. A move down to the Europa League would create 2 Cat B, 1 Cat C.

So for the club to offer the same amount of Cat A, B & C games, at the same cost, they would just have to boost one Cat B game to Cat A, and 1 Cat C game to Cat B. It will not be that hard to do.

Whether fans will happily pay for their season tickets when they are getting Europa League is another story. But the club do not care about the fans. With a waiting list of around 100,000 people, if 15% of people chose not to renew due to it, the 6,000 season tickets coming available will be quickly snapped up.

Dropping out of the Champions League will not see a drop in ticket prices.

Keenos