Two of the best teams in the world are playing in Premier League under generational managers in Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp. Both City and and Liverpool have dominated the domestic league and have done exceptionally well abroad. For last few years, Chelsea has been trying to catch up with them but if you ask me, Chavs have a lot to do to reach their level!
There is no single 4th best team. It’s been a fight between Arsenal, United, West Ham and Tottenham to grab the Champions League spot and we will soon find out who gets to play at the grand stage.
Coming back to City, Pep relies more on the midfield control, ball retention and possession play. He is such a brilliant manager that he has not missed one of the best strikers of premier league in recent times in Aguero and has been mostly playing without one. This is possible only because of the class he has in midfield.
Klopp on the other hand loves gegenpressing. Having a high line of pressing, working in a fast paced countering football. He has his 3 machines up top in Salah, Mane and Jota/Firmino who can be a nightmare to defenders.
Mikel Arteta, having worked at City under Pep – is thought to have a similar play from the back, possession football and we were for a good part (except last 2 games) played without a striker. Yes, though Laca is a CF, he was doing the link up play and had scored next to nothing! We let go Aubameyang and has only started playing Eddie because of Laca’s illness.
Lets compare the top 2 teams in the league. While most of the goals for Liverpool have come from the front 3 of Salah, Mane and Jota; City has a bunch of players who have contributed in their tally of goals.
Liverpool :
Mo Salah – 22, Diogo Jota – 15, Sadio Mane – 14, Roberto Firmino -5, Fabino – 5
Manchester City :
Kevin De Bruyne – 11, Mahrez – 11, Sterling – 10, Phil Foden – 8, B Silva – 8, Jesus – 7, Gundogan – 6
I have only mentioned players with 5+ goals to keep it simple. Only Pep can play a season without a striker and still wins the League. Liverpool on other hand has probably the best front 3 on the planet currently. Where are we?
If you check for Arsenal, we have 4 players with 5+ goals this season : Saka – 11, Emile Smith Rowe – 10, Odegaard – 6, Martinelli – 5.
We don’t have a Salah-esque level player dropping 20+ goals a season. We don’t have two other players scoring around 15 goals each. Our goal scorers are wingers and midfielders, similar to City but the difference is City has almost double the no. of scorers and of course they are better quality wise (for now).
Arteta’s expectation for scoring has been from the midfield. Partey’s flying rockets are the proofs.
Coming back to the question of whether we need a striker – yes, we do in my opinion. We don’t have a midfield of City in terms of class and number. We don’t have a billion dollar lying around in fridge to always buy some more. In last 2 games, we saw how important it is to have a genuine CF. Eddie’s presence not only threatens defenders, it also allows the midfield to only work for delivering the ball to someone who can do the job.
Auba thrived in an environment of feeders and we need a similar player, only better in work rate. We have a midfield who can score, adding a striker will solve most of the problems.
What do you think you would like to see? Can you imagine playing without a CF which requires players like Saka, ESR and Martinelli to step up and score more?
Let us talk in comments!
Mb,
Having a few technical difficulties with the site,is it me or are you having the same? The comments aren’t updating unless I go in and refresh the page myself. Also your new post isn’t on the home page. I wonder could you change the time aswell, must be something to do with daylight savings but the comments are be logged at an hour behind their posting time. It’s easy to forget that and not realise that the last comment was only a few minutes ago.
Mb,
I’d agree very much with your post, we are a team that needs to play with a striker. Very few teams can afford to build a midfield of goalscorers, they are too bloody expensive. And rare! How many KDB’s or Bernado Silva’s are there. One good striker, while expensive, can carry a team far. I know he’s an extreme case but look what Benzema is doing for Madrid. The question for me is,even if money isn’t the problem, what game changing striker would come to us?
Kroenkephobe,
Williams under pressure, did well to get out 8 all. Ronnie still flying.
The brother can’t explain the growing enmity on Merseyside but the taunting is not humorous anymore he said,from either side.
Does Iago remind you of anyone??? I always have him in mind when doing Othello.
You missed an incredible semi final tonight, city must be the unhappiest winning team ever after allowing Real to stay in the tie. We’re lucky over here, all the CL games are still on terrestrial TV. As a result most people see more European football than premiership. It’s a funny old game…..
I messed up something, will fix it today..
Comment posting should be fine though, hosting provider was spursy yesterday.
CL football on terrestrial TV? I don’t think that’s happened on the side of the Irish Sea since the 20th century.
City are a strange lot aren’t they. Some genuine old skool support but also a high quotient of plastic Johnny come latelys.
Very few setbacks and so there’s a sense that following them must become predictable and a little ordinary. I think when we were in our pomp all those years ago, we probably knew deep down that it would never become permanent domination (and so it was proven).
Ambarish – I love your fixation with all things North London football. Even crap web providers are spursy! It’s amazing how momentum has swung back in the space of 5 or 6 days. I’d be delighted if that was the last swing, the only downside being the little guy with the plucked eyebrows will still be doing his raindance on the touchline next season.
Oh, and I’d say the person in question, although at times an ersatz Iago for sure, is also akin to Hamlet.
Chronically indecisive, erratic, prone to temper tantrums and steadily going bonkers.
Or Julius C, ie a huge ego who doesn’t listen to others and who grows to rely on sycophants and hangers on.
There goes Shakespeare and his talent for summing up the human condition. Maybe Ambarish could let him have a guest slot on LiR. Oh, hang on…
He’d probably be a Coventry or Villa fan wouldn’t he.
What a crazy game of football between City and RM last night. That was as open as Bayern thrashing us 5-0 regularly during our hay days 🙂
Is anyone rooting for Villareal tonight? I for one will be all out for them. It will be magical if they can get a result at Anfield tonight. Though I lost it with Emery in the final days, especially when he played Cech in goal in spite of being in poor form, but criminally even after him confirming taking up a position with Chelski (at the end of season, which I felt was insulting to us), I have the greatest respect for him. Like Coq mentioned, it was the language barrier that proved decisive in his apparent failure. I wish him and his team the good luck and hope they take a 5-0 lead at Anfield and kill the tie……
I’m shouting for Villarreal too. Am hoping Emery can produce one more giant killing but I don’t think it’s likely, euro nights at Anfield v Klopp and that attack is probably the most difficult challenge in football today. The manner in which he was assessed for ‘his’ failings at Arsenal versus the perception of Arteta’s ‘inherited ‘ failures is very revealing in terms of the shifting goalposts type analysis that is now predominant around Arsenal. Nobody is rewriting Emery as a success, would simply like to know why the criteria for gauging a manager has changed so dramatically. It seems an agenda is being driven. Why and by whom?
Villarreal for me too, always the underdogs if we are not involved and I hate bin dippers any way.
Would make a great story if the impossible happens
Almunia
Indeed it’s the day light saving thing, theme I’m using only supports GMT. I thought it would be an easy one but I may have to get in the code. I will fix it in couple days, it should align to Premier League timings.
The yellow submarine (Villareal) to beat the hometown of the writers of the yellow submarine. Emery had some awful moments in North London towards the end. He needed to be relieved of his duties but I think he didn’t deserve to be demonised. He’s clearly got a great track record as a manager.
If there were ever to be a binary choice, I think I’d take him over Tets. He achieved a huge amount of success beating us last year and Manure in the finals. He didn’t crow about the two wins (as a lesser person might) and deserved the Cup. Brilliant manager – just not for us, nor PSG.
Almunia
Yan beating Williams 11-10. Hoping the man from Tredegar can prevail despite that mad fluke.
despite closing on emulating Hendry’s record of seven world titles, O’Sullivan is adamant that the Scot’s dominance of the sport in the 1990s still makes him the greatest.
Almunia
This from today’s Guardian.
Ronnie agrees with you. I don’t think it’s false modesty either.
Kroenkephobe,
Great comeback by Williams, he defies the ageing process doesn’t he. Quite incredible that if Higgins wins all three of the class of 92 will be in the semis. Trump v Bingham is going to be a cracker aswell. It’s just as well cos I have a nasty suspicion that it’s going to be very one way at Anfield tonight, will be turning it off if that’s the case. Beginning to tire of Klopp’s Cheshire cat grinning on the sidelines.
Pretty one sided affair, villareal offering nothing upfront without Moreno, it’s as easy a match as you could dream of in a CL semi. In hindsight its a pity Juve or Bayern aren’t here taking on Liverpool. The whole thing has been so predictable. I think Emery gets even more credit paradoxically for managing to get this lot to a semi. Coquelin was poor also,no regrets there.
You watching the snooker Kroenkephobe? Higgins struggling, may not get across the line though Lisowski is equally rattled.
Did you watch Villarreal or the walking dead? Is there a difference?
Bluebirds took another beating, season can’t end quickly enough I’d say.
True there Almunia. It was pretty much one-sided. Painful. Once pool got the own goal, switched off. I think to overturn this 2-0 lead could be almost mission impossible for the yellow submarines, but then stranger things have happened in football.
Also totally agree with you on your earlier comment about moving the posts, when evaluating managers. Did fluency in native language made people more gullible and move them posts? I’m as curious as you are.
Almunia
It was the walking dead rather than the Villareal version (led by a tongue tied Count Dracula!).
Do you remember a 70s show called the Banana Splits? Plenty of stuff on you tube and a catchy theme tune if you don’t. In essence, 4 people dressed as dog-o-bear hybrid animals (plus an elephant/pink mammoth thingy called snorky) dressed as fire fighters in a mad heath-robinsonian fire station. Yes, really. THE most LSD-inspired piece of art to come out of the west coast hippie scene ever. Well, cutting a long story short, Klopp with his mega bright, mega huge gnashers is the spit and image of a character in that programme called ‘Bingo’. Check it out mate – the perfect antidote to Othello.
Cardiff are going backwards. A team always known for its fight and grinding out results is fully on the beach. I’ll switch off for the rest of the season and reluctantly concede that need regime change. 4 defeats on the bounce. Its been a dog of a season for them.
So Ronnie v Higgins (boo!) and Trump v Williams. Three characters and a bit of a wrong un. Williams looks unbeatable at times but he is erratic. As long as Ronnie makes the final, I’m unfussed about his opponent. How will you be come Monday if – a big if – he equals Stephen H’s wc tally?
Tra la la. La la la laaa
Here’s the link Almunia. Don’t say I never look after you! Enjoy…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XMl6HnhFFIA
Kroenkephobe,
You really took me back down memory lane there,Saturday mornings on bbc, there were a load of cartoons on at a time whe you gave up your rest cos it was a choice between that and cartoons!!
Retire,
I gave up watching also, really poor stuff. Can’t see any way back for them next week either. I’m starting to get those horrible ’99 feelings again!
Manure 99 (and not partying like its 1999!).
Yes, another complete nightmare which Arsenal should have prevented by winning that game up at Villa Park. I was working in the British Embassy in Buenos Aires when they beat Bayern Munich. Everyone, including the Argentine staff, wanted the Mancs to win except me. All that, ‘you’re a football fan, you must be really happy that an English team won the Champions League’ as I sat grim-faced in the office as the others crowded round a TV. Arseholes. I worked with some brilliantly clever people but I was horrified by their naivety that day.
Looks right now that they, at least, are not likely to be returning to those levels anytime soon.
What’s the tactical prognosis lads for West Ham? I think it’s almost an advantage that we’re playing away because no way will Moyes deploy a low block at home. Quick incisive passing, getting our shots off quickly and nullifying Rice in MF will do the trick I hope. If they play a high line it could be a pleasing afternoon esp for Martinelli.
Kroenke
I’d be amazed if Moyes did anything other than deploy a low block with the injuries / suspensions they’ve got in defence. West Ham may talk the talk on only caring about great football but Moyes has them higher in the table than they’ve been forever and getting them regular European football. West Ham fans will gorge on a few horse shit sandwiches.
Hi Marc
Interesting. I think West Ham have become increasingly more self-confident as a club after Moyes narrowly avoided the sack and started to get a tune out of his squad in the past two seasons. I tend to see them as thinking they’re back where they belong based on having a flashy team all those years ago in the late 60s/early 70s. Moreover, I think their key players might be hardwired by now to try to attack and out score the opposition.
I think he might go down the route of sending them out to play in their normal, more expansive home style just to try and keep spirits up before going to Germany which is clearly where their priorities and CL hopes lie.
More generally, I think it’s in our favour that we’re playing the likes of Leeds, Newcastle and Spurs in our remaining games because they’re all instinctively anti-low block. And Everton might be done, relegated and on the beach if we need those final three points.
Arteta has proven time and again that he has no cunning plan against teams that sit back especially after conceding first.
We shall see. In essence I think our run-in favours us not least because there’s been no international break since beating Manure.
Kroenke
4th should now be the minimum for the season – if we hadn’t thrown so many cheap points away 3rd would (and should really) be on the table but of course the fans boys will either hail Arteta as a genius for getting 4th or re write the season as 4th was never a target.
When you consider how poor the season has been for so many of the teams other than City and Liverpool where we are in the table is not a true representation of Arteta’s performance.
Watching Villa Norwich for no other reason than I picked Villa in last man standing at work. Few observations, Chambers is poor, regularly gets forgotten when talking about Wenger’s collapse in spotting talent. Like Jenkinson,part of the culture of overpaying and then refusing to admit mistakes and sell. Secondly Ollie Watkins could be some player if he finds the right setting. Thirdly, disappointed to hear Jacob Ramsay has just penned a new 5 year contract, he is some player.
West Ham down to the bate bones,fully expect Mark Noble and other bench warmers to start. No excuses, we will never again have the stars align like they have this season.
Marc
Agreed. Given the money spent and lack of euro commitments, any sane follower of the club would see 4th as the bare minimum. Staggering how its back in Arsenal’s hands to make it happen despite 11 defeats so far this season.
Almunia
Villa v Norwich? That’s dedication. I’m flicking between Leeds v City, Trump getting the better of Williams in the last frame and some pointless IPL cricket match. Turning to tomorrow, they have to win don’t they? Arteta can’t fuck it up against knackered and injury depleted West Ham surely. God knows who Moyes is going to put in their back line. I just hope we’re not talking about a series of miracle saves and a shut out by flappyhandski tomorrow evening.
Kroenkephobe junior went to Nottingham see Swansea lose heavily to Forest today. And he’s a Cardiff fan! The kid really enjoys his football but I’ll be taking the piss when he gets home late tonight!
Kroenke
ManU, Spud’s and Leicester have all had awful seasons and two of them have changed manager mid season. In any normal season you may have one or even two of them do badly and if that happens you often get a surprise team have a blinder
We can’t keep relying on other teams being bad to prop us up – God knows how we’ll cope next season in the CL unless we add 5 or 6 names in the summer and Arteta learns how to rotate.
Just checked the odds,hammers are 7/2 at home! We’re 3 to 4 on. There are simply no excuses acceptable. We’ve essentially played in one competition since Christmas, unheard of for a club our size. Still 30 points behind top 2 and we might just get 4th. I see arguments for improvement, but reasons to herald Arteta? No. It will take a lot more for anyone,not just Arteta,to justify being Arsenal manager in my eyes.
Kroenkephobe,
The snooker was amazing, felt sorry for Williams but Trump is really growing on me,seems a very grounded,humble lad,especially considering his incredible talent.
If your young lad isn’t following in your gooner footsteps consider it a blessing that he’s becoming a bluebird. If my kids ignore their father’s not so subtle manipulations then it’s utd or liverpool they’ll turn to. The horror……….
Almunia,
I think I’m secure in saying his main team will always be Arsenal. I got home yesterday and he was wearing a newly bought maroon shirt from our last season at THOF (with PV4 on the back). I think he just genuinely loves the craic at football esp. away games. He’ll be on the receiving end of a keel hauling if his love for Arsenal ever wavers…
Marc
5 or 6 names sounds about right to me if we make the CL. Quality, proven players as well. And play some of the youngsters in the cups. Flores seems to be coming up quickly, as does Norton-Cuffy (on loan at Lincoln). Plus Patino, Azeez and Hutchinson. I’m getting ahead of myself terribly – there’s a chance I’ll have my head in my hands this time tomorrow. 😒
Kroenke
It’s what the squad will need to compete but we all know A) Xhaka will still be first choice next season and B) Arteta can’t rotate to save his life, he fumbles around when on a losing streak, trips over something that wins a game or two and then sticks with it until the next losing streak appears and then repeats the process.
It staggers me that more don’t see it.
Almunia
I think we’ll get 4th but it won’t be because of us doing well (since when did scrapping 4th become an amazing achievement for Arsenal?) but more down to others being poor.
Marc,
We are one of the strangest clubs/ fan bases in the world. We have a billionaire owner and are one of the top 10 richest clubs,yet many fans are averse to having expectations of consistently battling for top honours. They feel it would make them seem entitled. They pay ridiculous prices to follow the team,buy the merchandise. They see their star players earn hundreds of thousands of pounds a week. Novice manager on 5mill p.a. ,yet they are content to see signs of improvement.
Now we all know that success is rarely immediate ( Klopp is the argument used here,it took him x years etc). We also know that it can’t necessarily be bought( utd squandering millions is the argument used here). But the big difference is that at no point have liverpool or utd fans ever set 3,4 year plans just to get back in the top 4 or feted a manager for getting rid of players and replacing them,christ,next thing we’ll be thanking him for turning up on match days and talking to the team at half time.
It’s about expectations. Some fans have never recovered from the gradual lowering during the latter Wenger years,others have refused to accept an Arsenal that aren’t in the title race. And those two groups have grown further and further apart,to such an extent that they are now blaming each other for the club’s failings. The high expectations are unrealistic, toxic,hounding out players and managers. The low expectations are enabling the mismanagement of the club to continue,heralding every small step forward as a major success while ignoring, if not denying, the flaws. We are beginning to despise each other. Hard to see where it ends. I’d like to say I’m neutral but I’m not. I’m firmly of the belief that it is the duty of fans to hold their club to the highest standards possible,within reason. For Arsenal ,those standards should be equal to the likes of utd and Liverpool. That’s my belief.
And one final point. Look at the other teams in Europe’s top ten richest clubs and ask yourself,where in their fanbases are the swathes of supporters happy with the bare minimum??
Almunia
A really good explanation of where the club and supporters are these days. Thanks for sharing that. I was an Arsenal fan from some point during Bertie Mee’s reign to the present. I think an individual’s relationship with the club is affected by the team’s values at the time of first realising you’re going to be with them for life. Mee’s Team gave way to Neill then to Howe and GG. A gradual metamorphosis from a club which paid attention to values and tradition to becoming a hard, physically strong team for who the result and dominating the opposition mattered. My ideals about football changed in step with that progression (although I still have a fondness for that time in the early 70s when we consistently enjoyed moral and actual victories) . Wenger’s inheritance of GG’s team and its culture allowed him to reap success. It was only when the scales started to move fully towards Wenger’s corinthian ideals did standards start to slip and trophies start slipping away. A lot of people who got into Arsenal during Wenger’s time don’t see it that way, and don’t fully appreciate why 71 and 89 were our most important periods in the post war history of the club.
It’s dreadful the way some fans base their opinions on sentiments that Arteta expresses in press conferences etc. We shouldn’t be concerned about going to places like West Ham if you consider not only the current circumstances but also the history between our two teams and who we – not they – are. I think we win by 2 clear goals this afternoon.
In essence, I agree that we now have an element of relative newcomer support which perversely thinks that loyalty is about making excuses for the team and coach rather than being angry/disappointed when they fuck up. Part of that includes criticising OUR brand of support (which is far more honest). You’re right – it does particularly, but not exclusively, affect Arsenal. It’ll take a hell of a manager to restore unity – the present incumbent is a wanker and will never achieve it. Ho hum.
I assume you’re hoping for a Trump triumph. I’m going to watch as much as I can as soon as my mother in law stops watching her antiques programmes! I really need a man den.
Kroenkephobe,
We all need a man den! Keeping an eye on the snooker but big gaa and premiership games mean I’m flicking all over the place. Ronnie is hot favourite in my eyes,Trump has done very well just to get to the final. He is not in form. Ronnie acting the tool again with the ref, I can’t take to him at all.
You made two brilliant points in the last post that have me thinking. The idea that our expectations of our club come from our commitment years,and also the huge importance of ’71 and ’89. We must cling to them. Liverpool were shaped by Paisley,Utd by Busby, and the sense of being elite has never left those clubs despite the departure of those managers and many lean years since. But Arsenal fans who cling to our pivotal moments are criticised for being out of touch,entitled or just ignorant. No I can’t accept that. You must always want the best for the people you care about. End of story.
Liverpool were shaped by Paisley,Utd by Busby, and…. Arsenal by George Graham!
I suppose I already have a deluxe wood-panelled man den. Its called a shed. When I was younger I never understood why old boys disappeared in their sheds. But it’s to escape the other half of course. Not for me though, I hate the smell of creosote and looking at lawnmowers (and feeling I should be using it).
What’s going on this season? I’m watching Chelsea and kind of hoping they win.
Teams announced.
West Ham’s better than I expected. Our’s a little worse…
Almunia
There are a father and son (son my age or there abouts) who sit one seat away from me both really nice guys who’ve been going for much longer than me – I know I irritate them with my dislike of Arteta but during the last two homes matches I’ve had one case of them both moaning about Laca being everywhere but leading the line through the middle – when I said blame the manager because it’s clearly instructions they were “your just moaning about Arteta again” and then the following match the son saying he’d prefer to be playing golf next season than going.
I don’t understand how you can be unhappy with things and not want something done about it. I’ve never expected instant success and if you ever saw my comments on Le Grove you’d know that I was in the “give Emery a chance camp” he screwed it up and was rightly moved on but we’re worse now and it’s blasphemy to criticise the manager.
It doesn’t make sense.
Marc,
I really think people are just so tired of being critical of Arsenal that they’re desperate to throw themselves behind the team. Arteta’s fa cup gave them hope and they can’t accept it was yet another false dawn. They have my sympathy,no one wants to be in a permanent state of frustration. But like I said,it’s getting a little bit nasty with some unable to accept others right to criticise, that’s the line in the sand for me. You don’t have to give out but don’t tell me I can’t.
Kroenkephobe,
See Ronnie acting the dick again since my last post,then walked off without shaking the refs hand, he’s a pup!
Nervous watching this but the atmosphere isn’t as intimidating as I feared. Key not to wind them up by doing something stupid.