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Sutton Away loophole, Fans set for refund, Transfer deadline day & Watford

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Sutton Away

So we got the tie a lot of fans wanted, an away game against Sutton United of the National League (formerly known as the Conference). As Arsenal fans celebrated a chance to visit a lower league ground, stand on the terraces, it slowly dawned on everyone that we will get next to no tickets.

With Sutton’s Gander Green Lane stadium holding just 5,013, Arsenal will get around in the region of 750 tickets.

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When Leeds visited at the weekend, they got a grand total of 750 tickets.

With Arsenal having around 1,200 on the away ticketing scheme (basically an away season ticket), tickets for the game will be put into a ballot as per the terms and conditions of the scheme. This means many of the fans who ‘celebrated’ and were looking forward to an away trip to Sutton will miss out.

dcdddThere is some talk that Sutton United could apply to move the game to a bigger venue – likely to be Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park. However, in 2003, after Farnborough switched a 4th round tie against Arsenal to Highbury, the FA Challenge Cup committee slamed the door on Cup’s rogue venue-switchers.

This would seemingly make it impossible for the game to be switched. However, reading through the 2003 article, there still might be some options open to allow more fans to watch the tie:

No club will be able to benefit financially from such a switch

So as long as no one benefits financially, that the income taking from the move remains the same as the income the clubs would have received had the tie not been moved, then a move could possible still be open.

Those who move for the wrong reasons could be barred from the competition the following year.

What are the wrong reasons? Clearly the wrong reason is financial. So what are the right reasons? The right reasons will always be ‘on health and safety grounds’. Whilst Sutton United have a safety certificate enabling them to have 5,000 at their ground, what would happen if 10,000 fans converge on the area to watch the game locally? Would the police be able to control that? Fans attempting to jib in, force their way into a ground that can not be secured. It could be a massive health and safety risk.

The tie could possibly therefore be moved on police advice.

If a cup tie still had to be switched it would go to the nearest suitable neutral venue, rather than the opponents’ home ground.

So a tie can be switched to the nearest suitable home ground. In this case, it would be Crystal Palace.

If games are still moved, any excess money earned by the participants would go into the central pool.

So to stop people benefiting financially from a change of venue, any extra revenue generated go’s into a central pool and then distributed to all clubs.

The door is clearly open for a venue change. Sutton United and Arsenal will simply have to present to the police that holding such a big game at such a small stadium presents a health and safety and security risk.

Fan set for refund

As part of an Arsenal season ticket, fans automatically get the first 7 FA Cup / Champions League home games – this is why Arsenal always appear to have vastly more expensive season tickets than other clubs; we get 26 games.

If Arsenal do not play 7 home FA Cup / Champions League games, fans are then given a discount off next years season ticket.

With an away draw against Sutton making it 3 away FA Cup ties in a row for the Gunners, it leaves Arsenal fans having had just 4 of their cup tickets. The 3 games in the group stages of the Champions League and Bayern Munich in the first knock out stage.

In total, Arsenal have a possibility of playing another 4 games at home in cup competitions:

  • 6th round replay if we draw away to Sutton
  • FA Cup QF / QF replay if we get through the 6th round
  • Champions League QF
  • Champions League SF

Now you make your mind up on the likelihood of any of these happening.

The club bean counters will be getting nervous at this point. The cost of refunding 3 cup games to fans could be as high as £9,000,000.

Of course, the club (and fans) will be hoping we get through to the FA Cup QF and Champions League semi-final. This will also come with a cost, however, as the club are likely to make these games category A, and adding a charge to fans season tickets for next year.

Deadline day Arsenal transfers

Nothing to see here. Move along please.

Watford

So Arsenal enter a defining few days in this years title race. Victory tonight over Watford and a Chelsea defeat at Anfield blows the race right open again, and sets it up nicely for the weekends game at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.

For the 1st time in a long, long time, Arsene Wenger has almost a fully fit squad to pick from, with only Santi Cazorla out injured, Granit Xhaka suspended and Mohamed Elneny in Africa

Having only just come back from injury, I would be very surprised if Theo Walcott or Danny Welbeck start. The former playing 90 minutes at the weekend against Southampton.

The biggest headache for Wenger will be whether to give Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain another run out in the middle of the park after a Man of the Match performance against Southampton, or revert to what he knows and have a Coquelin, Ramsey, Ozil axis. I think he will play it safe and go for the later. Although he will start Oxlade-Chamberlain on the wing.

Hopefully Stevie Boulds Red & White Army makes it 2 wins from 2.

Have a good day and stay warm and dry later.

Up the Arsenal.

Keenos

Defining 7 days for The Arsenal

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The next week is set to be the most crucial of the season in the Premier League.
By this time next week, Arsenal could be 14 points behind Chelsea. Out of the title race. Goodnight, Vienna. But if results go Arsenal’s way, it could be a 2 point title race. Bring it on!
Tomorrow Chelsea travel to Anfield to play Liverpool. The Scousers are in terrible form. Just a single win this calendar year, against Plymouth. They have just been knocked out of the League Cup and FA Cup. Currently 10 points behind in the Premier League, defeat tomorrow for them is simply not an option. It will mean their season is over in January.

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Liverpool will need to go all out for a win, but in their form, they will struggle. Although Jurgen Klopp, and Liverpool, do have a habit of raising their game against a bigger side, only to then lose the next week against someone like Crystal Palace.

The  same day, Arsenal host Watford.

The Premier League is the toughest in the world. We have seen Klopp & Pep Guardiola struggle this season with a competitiveness that they have simply not been used to in their managerial careers. A tough game every weekend, rather than a tough game once a month. And that is why we can not take a game for granted, even a home tie against Watford.

On paper, Arsenal should beat Watford easily. We have not lost in the league to them since 1988 in the Old First Division. Although Wednesday will be just the 8th time the sides have met since then.

Since their return to the Premier League last season, Arsenal have scored 10 goals in 3 games, conceding just once. However this time last year Watford knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup, winning 2-1 at the Emirates. It was the quarter final stage and denied Arsenal 7th visit to Wembley in just over 2 years. That was Watford’s only victory over Arsenal in 9 games.

Then on Saturday Arsenal travel to Stamford Bridge for the game which will define our season.
Even if Arsenal beat Watford and Chelsea lose to Liverpool, the game against Chelsea will still be win or bust.

Arsenal have not won away from home against Chelsea since 2011, and have beaten Chelsea just once, home or away, since that game (I do not count the Community Shield as a competitive game). Arsenal’s record against Chelsea in the last 13 years is nothing short of atrocious.

Pre-Abramovich, Chelsea could not beat Arsenal. During the Abramovich era, the form between the sides has done a 180, and Arsenal have struggled to get the 3 points.

3-0 was the scoreline earlier in the season. A result which had many writing Chelsea off as a threat in the title race. But an incredible run of form of 15 wins in 16 games has seen Chelsea go from 8th to 1st, clear in the league by 8 points. Chelsea are a different side to that which we faced earlier this season.

Arsenal win, the title race is on. Chelsea win, you might as well do the trophy presentation after the game.

14 points or 2 points. The next 7 days will define this years Premier League season.

Keenos

Arsenal’s Spring Break, Klopp’s Liverpool Form & Transfer’s

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Arsenal’s Spring Break

Last nights victory for Southampton against Liverpool results in the Premier League tie away to Southampton at St Mary’s on 25th February will be rearranged. This is great news for Arsenal.

As winter turns to spring, Arsenal will have around 14 days between the FA Cup 5th Round (if Arsenal beat Southampton this weekend) and an away trip to Liverpool. With 12 games to go in the Premier League season from that point, it will give the side a welcomed break before the title run in.

The break could be further extended to 17 days if Arsenal lose to Southampton this weekend. I am fine with just the 14 days off thanks!

Anyone who has taken a week holiday from work will know how much fresher you come back. Arsenal players will be able to down tools after the FA Cup match for at least 5 or 6 days, before having to return to full training. It also gives the side further time to prepare for Liverpool away.

The downside is the Southampton fixture now needs to be fitted in somewhere.

If Arsenal go on an FA Cup run to the Semi Final, a further 2 Premier League ties will have to be rearranged to mid week. Matters could be further muddied if we have to face any FA Cup replays.

The Premier League should apply to UEFA to host Southampton v Arsenal on the 14/15 March. With UEFA rules stating that no domestic top level game is played at the same time as their beloved Champions League, this date will be in doubt.

21/22 March is also free, although this is slated in for FA Cup 6th round replays.

The last possible date is the 28th February / 1st March. Just 3 days after the original fixture. Whilst this date would be advantageous for Arsenal, as we would have the weekend off and Southampton will be suffering from the fall out of whatever the League Cup result is, it would reduce that Spring Break and give us less time to prepare for the Liverpool away fixture. Suddenly Southampton’s victory is not such great news.

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Klopp’s Liverpool Form

In 2017, Liverpool have won just a single game, an FA Cup 3rd round replay victory over Plymouth Argyle of League two. Their form reads:

LLWDLDD

1 win in 7 since the New Year.

Even more interesting is Jurgen Klopp’s near identical record to that of Louis van Gaal. One has been considered as a great success since coming to the Premier League, the other was labelled as a massive flop. It just shows how media reporting can change your perception.

Now this is not an anti-Klopp, pro-Wenger rant. You are an idiot if you do not think Klopp is not a very good manager, and would have been an ideal candidate to replace Arsene at Arsenal. But what Klopp’s struggles show, like with Pep Guardiola’s highlighted last week, is just how hard the Premier League is.

If Liverpool end up 5th, or even 6th below Jose Mourinho’s much derided Manchester United team, will Klopp continue to get such an easy ride from the British press?

Media Perception

On the thought on media perception – and this is something I might write an expanded blog on this subject another time – something has caught my eye / brain / 6th sense recently.

The media made a big fuss over Arsenal going 9 years without a trophy. I knid of remember the press picking up on trophy-less run after the 5th year. Certainly before the Birmingham League Cup Final defeat the press were making a lot of noise about it. Arsenal had not yet gone 6 years without a trophy by that point.

Liverpool are now up to 5 years without a trophy. Their last being the League Cup in 2012. But there is no noise from the press. Maybe they are worried to upset the mentally fragile, reactionary Scousers? They have not won a major honour (FA Cup, League, European Trophy) since they beat West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup Final. That was near on 11 years ago. 1 trophy in 11 years. 0 trophies in 5 years. Interesting how the press pick and choose who to create a narrative about.

Then you have Tottenham. I always laugh when the media talk about a ‘big 6’. There is no big 6. How can a club which has not won a league title since 1961, not finished 2nd since 1963 and made the top 3 just once in 30 years be considered in any sort of elite class is a joke.

Since they last won the FA Cup in 1991, Spurs have been knocked out of the FA Cup as many times in the 3rd round as they have in the semi finals. Six times each.

Spurs last trophy was in 2008. Like Liverpool, it was the League Cup. 8 years without a trophy. But like Liverpool, there is not the media interest that there was when Arsenal were at 8 years. Maybe it shows that Spurs are just a small club of little to no interest?

We all know by now, it is 25 years since Spurs last won the FA Cup. 55 years since they last won the league. The media pretends their is a big 6, and people believe them. But the reality is they are not in any sort of elite.

Transfer’s

Has there ever been a transfer window where Arsenal have been so quiet. And not just the club’s own activity, but the fans.

Usually at this point of a January transfer window we are all going mental. 5 days until it closes, we still have not signed anyone of note, and yet social media is not awash with people demanding Arsene Wenger “Spend some f**king money”.

Why is this?

Are we content with the squad, realising there really isn’t much else better out there? That we will have to make do with what we have? It is interesting that no one in the Top 6 of the Premier League has made a move for anyone. The biggest signing this summer as been 19-year-old Ademola Lookman to Everton.

Maybe we are now seeing the death of the January transfer window. It is a market for the desperate, those so concerned about being relegated that they end up spending £15million on some bloke called Wilfred Ndidi.

Or are Arsenal fans just bored of it all. Have we accepted that the club will simply not do much business in January. Are we all suffering from Stockholm Syndrome? Just counting down the days until Arsene Wenger leaves. Why get angry about something not in your control. It will not change anything, just increase your blood pressure, leaving you purple face in anger as you scream and shout at your friends.

I would be very surprised if Arsenal signed anyone in January.

Keenos