Posts Tagged ‘Arsenal F.C.’

2012/13 predictions from 1FITG

Posted: August 6, 2012 by onefootinthegame in Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
3

It’s barely been three months since Martin Tyler’s spine-chilling Aguero climax, or from the historic moment John Terry appeared in full Chelsea kit in Munich, commencing a lucrative Photoshopping career.

But following the entertainingly predictable Team GB failure in the mens football, the new season is now rapidly approaching, and here at 1FITG towers, we love a good prediction. So we’ve been asking some of our contributors to tell us what they think is in store for season 2012/13, with five simple questions – a few of the usual, with some of the unexpected thrown in there.

1. The Champions question: who will win the Premiership, Championship, League 1 and League 2

James Albion: Manchester City, Charlton, Sheffield United, Southend United.
@josephclift: Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End, Rotherham United.
@giraffefarmer: Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, Sheffield United, Southend United.
Trebor A: Chelsea, Blackpool, Coventry City, Gillingham.
Dan Northcote-Smith (@dnsandnick): Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Sheffield United, Fleetwood Town.
Nick Moss (@dnsandnick): Manchester United, Bolton Wanderers, MK Dons, Rotherham United.
@Miller179: Manchester United, Leicester City, Sheffield United, Rotherham United.

2. The Ron Atkinson question: who will be the first manager to be sacked in the top four divisions?

James Albion: Neil Warnock (Leeds). Conventional wisdom says that Neil Warnock just needed time to mould Leeds in his image. However, sometimes it just doesn’t work for you at a club, and there were signs last year that Warnock may be struggling to work his alchemy at Elland Road. A slow start this year, could see Ken Bates try and salvage the season with an early managerial change.

Who’s up for the chop?

@josephclift: Andy Thorn (Coventry). I’m amazed he’s still in his job to be honest – Coventry look as though they’re a club that could have a Preston-esque year of transition in League 1, and a poor start to the season will probably see him sacked in September.

@giraffefarmer: Sean O’Driscoll (Nottingham Forest). High expectations coupled with a mediocre squad means that Forest could struggle at the start of the season. If that happens expect the patience of the new owners to wear thin very quickly, especially if they feel that a higher profile name could be attracted to the City Ground.

Trebor A: Steve Kean (Blackburn Rovers). How on earth has he managed to last this long? Could be sacked before the end of August.

Dan Northcote-Smith (@dnsandnick): Nigel Pearson (Leicester City). Continued investment at the King Power Stadium will demand results which on recent form seem unlikely to come.

Nick Moss (@dnsandnick): Steve Kean (Blackburn Rovers). Even though it seems he has actually improved the team, the owners aren’t going to understand the difficulty the Championship poses.

@Miller179: Chris Wilder (Oxford United). Oxford are a big club (in terms of the division0 who could be looked upon to have underachieved over the last few seasons.  If they don’t get off to a good start, the trap door could be beckoning for Wilder.

3. The Guy Whittingham question: who will be the top scorer out of the top four divisions?

James Albion: Jordan Rhodes (Huddersfield Town). Too good for League 1 last year, I fancy him to carrying on from where he left off in the Championship.

@josephclift: Stuart Beavon (Wycombe). Beavon did extremely well in League 1 last year, really impressed me when I saw him. I’m amazed that he hasn’t been snapped up by either a League 1 or Championship team. Assuming he stays, I can’t see League 2 defences coping with him, and provided Wycombe don’t implode I can see him having a great season for them.

Who’s going to score a shedload?

@giraffefarmer: Freddy Eastwood (Southend United). Back at the club where he made his name in the Football League, he’s far too good for this level and will supply the goals for a Southend United side that is likely to dominate the league.

Trebor A: Sergio Agüero (Manchester City). What a debut season from the diminutive Argentinean. I fully expect him to avoid the dreaded second season syndrome.

Dan Northcote-Smith (@dnsandnick): Jordan Rhodes (Huddersfield Town). Proven finisher – think Huddersfield will do well this year under Simon Grayson.

Nick Moss (@dnsandnick): Jordan Rhodes (Huddersfield Town). Great finisher, now working under a manager that made Beckford look Prem quality. More of the same.

@Miller179: Sergio Agüero (Manchester City). The complete striker/poacher.  He has everything - pace, agility, strength, and finishing.  With the service that he will get I’m sure it will be goals galore this season.

4. The Marco Boogers question: which new signing will completely flop?

James Albion: Nuno Gomes (Blackburn). The Portugal international has a fine pedigree, but if I were a Blackburn fan I’d prepare to be underwhelmed – very underwhelmed. Having spent the bulk of his career challenging for honours at Portugese giants Benfica, the move reeks of a player whose only remaining interest is in bolstering his pension. Now 36, does Gomes really have the mettle for the rigours of a long Championship season in a cold, half-empty, Ewood Park? Well, you can guess what I think.

Who is this season’s Marco Boogers?

@josephclift: Steven Naismith (Everton). David Moyes simply doesn’t have a good overall record with strikers. He’s done well with some, but terrible with most – for every Jelavić he’s signed there’s a James Beattie or Jermaine Beckford blotting that record. Naismith was always the lesser of the pairing at Rangers, and coming off the back of a cruciate ligament injury I can’t see him doing well in his first year. Particularly if he’s stuck somewhere in midfield, which he may have to expect given Moyes’s bizarre allergy to selecting two strikers.

@giraffefarmer: Ben Burgess (Tranmere Rovers). This question was answered early this year, Ben signed for Tranmere Rovers in June 2012 and then retired from football in July 2012. A sad end for a solid pro, but definitely a flop.

Trebor A: Eden Hazard (Chelsea). The football prostitute, cavorted himself to a plethora of potential suitors. Fluttering his eyelids, and continually pursing his lips. Before announcing his decision on twitter. In a ridiculously over-hyped fashion. You would think Chelsea have signed Leo Messi. Well they haven’t. Hazard is just another player, whose 5 minute YouTube videos precede him.

Dan Northcote-Smith (@dnsandnick): Olivier Giroud (Arsenal). Can’t see him dominating Premier League centre-backs like he did in France. Plus, will Arsenal start chucking crosses into the box?

Nick Moss (@dnsandnick): Edin Hazard (Chelsea). Tough call this as his talent isn’t in question. His adaptability, especially in the first season, is though. A hefty price tag, and most likely having to find space on the left wing won’t help.

@Miller179: I wouldn’t say flop signing because this player has great potential,  but Edin Hazard (Chelsea).  I’m not sure if his style is suited to Chelsea - for me the way they play is too rigid and unexpressive.  I think he will have a very tough first season.  He should have gone to Man United.

5. The Titanic question: which club is going to have a nightmarish disaster of a season?

James Albion: Portsmouth. Given Pompey may not even exist at the start the season, this may actually be a poor choice. At the time of writing the club had just 3 first team players on its books. Assuming they satisfy the administrators on the 10th August, it’s hard to see how the remaining players – along with any last minute additions – will do anything other than struggle. It raises the humbling prospect of the 2008 FA Cup winners starting the 2013 season in the bottom division.

Who’s entering troubled waters?

@josephclift: It would be easy to say Portsmouth. I’m instead going for Nottingham Forest. A new manager once again, and while Sean O’Driscoll was raved about prior to 2011 it’s difficult to forget that it all ultimately went very wrong for him at Doncaster. His style of football was generally pleasing on the eye for a team with zero expectations – with the rich new owners and heightened expectations, I’m not convinced O’Driscoll’s up to the task. They’ll be looking at a top 6 finish – I reckon they’ll be midtable or worse, with potential upheaval in the new year from jittery owners concerned about their investment.

@giraffefarmer: Swansea City. Swansea lost their talented manager Brendan Rodgers over the post-season and look set to lose star players such as Joe Allen. With little clout to bring in new players or the time needed to integrate any newcomers into their (slightly overrated) sub-tiki-taka style of play, the team is likely to be weaker than last season. Couple this with second-season syndrome and Swansea will seriously struggle. If that wasn’t bad enough, potential success for rivals Cardiff this season after their cash injection means Swansea could be relegated while being leapfrogged into the Premier league by their biggest competitors – which would definitely be a nightmarish disaster of a season.

Trebor A: Aston Villa. Yeah, I know last season wasn’t exactly a vintage one, for Villa fans. The McLeish era wasn’t something to regale you about. However, I fear that everything is about to get a lot worse. A meagre budget, coupled with average players means one thing. Relegation is clearly on the horizon. England’s 2nd city will soon have no football clubs in the top-flight.

Dan Northcote-Smith (@dnsandnick): QPR. Low caibre signings and they will be without the delivery of errant midfielder and social media expert Joey Barton.

Nick Moss (@dnsandnick): Coventry City. A couple of demoralising results early on – that slip can turn into a slide.

@Miller179: Liverpool. For me the Brendan Rodgers era is going to get off to a very slow start. Everyone talks about the style of play that Rodgers employs, but what people don’t realise is that this takes time – a lot of time  to get to that level. It doesn’t happen overnight. Remember Rodgers at Reading??? People won’t see the full fruits of this until next season. The first few months could be a tough slog for the Reds.

What I learnt from Chelsea v Arsenal

Posted: October 29, 2011 by onefootinthegame in England, Premier League
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
11
Chelsea Vs Arsenal, 2007 Carling Cup Final, Mi...

Image via Wikipedia

Defending isn’t Chelsea’s or Arsenal’s strong point

Bad defending has been everywhere in the Premier League this season, it’s like some sort of virus. In the first half Chelsea gave Arsenal two guilt edge chances to score, first Gervinho miscued then Van Persie missed from close range and for the Arsenal goal Terry and Ivanovic were so flat footed it was unreal. Even Cech got in on the act moving so slowly for both the 2nd and 3rd Arsenal goals and the backpass and slip by Terry for the 4th was embarrassing.

Not to be outdone Arsenal and Santos in particular (who had a terrible game his goal apart) bent over any time any Chelsea player had the ball. On the other side Djourou was constantly on the back foot in the first half particularly and gave Ashley Cole far too much space and time. As for Per Mertersacker, for someone who is 6’7 he is remarkably poor in the air he was dragged all over the shop for Terry’s goal. I imagine he plays like Peter Crouch would if he was a centre back. Awkwardly. Funny thing is, that come the Euro 2012 tournament you know he’ll have a blinder as Germany trounce England in the Quarter Finals. Again.

If either want to reach their ambitions this season (League for Chelsea, 4th for Arsenal) then they will need to get their defence in order. Quickly.

Robin Van Persie has never been more important to Arsenal

This is an obvious one, without Van Persie Arsenal will not finish in the top four, simple as that really. His hattrick today was helped by defensive mistakes but he took them all fantastically well. He is on the hottest form of his life. How Arsenal keep the man of glass fit I don’t know, but they need to.

Mata is getting on with his business

I wasn’t sure about Mata before he signed, but then I wasn’t sure about David Silva either…

When Mata got on the ball today he was fantastic in the first half especially, he was left one minute and central the next. Comfortable on the ball, smart with his passes and great assist for the first goal (though Santos may as well of lubed up, the way he defended against him). Is he as good as Silva? No, I don’t think so but he is a player than Chelsea needed. He lacked a bit of stamina in the second half it seemed but still when he got on the ball he made things happen. In the second half he drifted and Chelsea didn’t get him on the ball enough, no surprise that this was when Chelsea struggled most. His goal was superb, you knew it was in as soon as he hit it.

Lampard still has something to give but maybe only for 45minutes

He scored a great goal, one that has Lampard written all over it. Running from deep past the forward and getting a goal. But his distribution stood out for me, midway through the first half his first time pass around on the spin for Sturridge to get on to (and miss) was sublime. He may not be everyones cup of tea but with pace of Sturridge, Mata’s class and Rameries legs around him he is still very effective.

Arteta didn’t turn up. Again

2 years ago Arteta was a fantastic player, he stroked the ball around and dominated the midfield for Everton. Injuries have taken their toll on his legs and he’s still not fully fit, add to that the standard in the centre of midfield in the Premier League has risen to new levels and Arteta has been left behind. He was played very deep today perhaps as a deep laying playmaker, but he made 60 successful passes today only 4 of those reached the Chelsea defensive third and none were in the area.

When Arsenal signed Arteta fans and players were crowing that he was the missing piece and a good addition to replace Nasri or Febregas. I was much more skeptical and the way he has played since he arrived hasn’t changed my view at all. Privately Wenger was skeptical himself about Arteta and Mertersacker, seems his gut is still making the right noises, the problem is he isn’t following it anymore.

Related articles

A tragic end to the magic?

Posted: February 21, 2011 by onefootinthegame in Carling Cup, Championship, England, FA Cup, Non League football, Premier League
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
3
Football League Cup trophy at the Old Trafford...

Image via Wikipedia

The FA Cup is unwell.

It seems to have picked up an illness that’s gradually weakening it year-on-year. It probably caught the illness when it failed to wash its handles after visiting the League Cup in hospital a few years ago. The symptoms are similar certainly – declines in attendance levels, a weakening of teams, reduced appeal etc. The doctors at the FA have been there before when the League Cup was first admitted. They gave teams involved at European level byes to later rounds to keep the bigger clubs interested, and reduced the number of games by eliminating two-leg ties in earlier rounds and eliminating replays in the hope of reinvigorating interest and halting the illness. The effects in that instance have been marginal at best. Which is why it is odd that the same therapy is being suggested as the magic cure to all of the FA Cup’s ills, with abolishing replays at the front of the line of suggestions to “improve” the tournament.

In the twenty years I’ve been a fan, many of my favourite moments have been in the FA Cup. Which is why it’s upsetting to see it in decline. This year has been no different. Home ties between lower league and Premiership teams have seen crowds nowhere near capacity. I saw Sheffield United vs Aston Villa in last month’s 3rd round, with the attendance falling below 17,000. 10 years ago that sort of game would have brought in a higher number. Both teams played their strongest teams, the game wasn’t on TV and ticket prices were substantially reduced – the stage should have been set for a much healthier crowd than what turned out. Other clubs have similarly reduced prices with little effect. The weekend saw a virtually full strength Man City take on Notts County in a half-empty Eastlands. Again, tickets had been largely reduced to try and encourage more people to go – the main effects being a likely loss of revenue for Notts County from the gate receipts.

The FA seem to think it’s simply a case of there being too many games, but really the reason why fans can no longer muster the same enthusiasm as they did in the past is that by and large the teams in the top 2 divisions on the whole aren’t that bothered. The Premiership consumes everyone’s attention. The teams fighting it out at the top or bottom feel they must rest their key players so that they can concentrate on more important matters – the need to finish in the top 4, or the fear of dropping out of the division, overrides the Cup. Man United overcame plucky Crawley by a small margin with their reserves, while over at Leyton Orient Arsenal’s reserves had to settle for a draw. The half-arsed approach to the competition by many of the top teams also cheapens the achievements of the teams they struggle against. I was delighted for Orient, particularly at a time when the Olympic Stadium award to West Ham threatens their future. But a draw against Arsenal reserves isn’t quite the same as a draw against Arsenal. It may be the case that the score would have been the same had Arsenal played the same XI that beat Barcelona – sadly we couldn’t find that out. The same could be said for the Man United game. Giant killing isn’t quite the same as it used to be. Deep down, the O’s fans will know this too. They will however be delighted at the prospect of the replay, and the crucial funds it will bring to the club.

Which brings me to the scrapping of replays idea. O’s chairman Barry Hearn made a passionate defence of replays this week. They are an important part of the FA Cup. For lower clubs, they can make a huge difference to both their prospects in and revenue from the competition. Scrapping them would be to the benefit of the big clubs, and the detriment of the small. Extra time rather than replays would likely favour the bigger teams due to the fitness levels their players tend to have. Smaller clubs would find away trips to the top teams altogether tougher. If the FA wants to reform the Cup, it needs to look at other more substantial changes, rather than tweaks that will worsen the competition.

A better option could be to simply space out the rounds and have the final in the first week of June. It is already a disgrace that this year’s final coincides with a weekend of Premiership matches – let’s return this to being the season-ending occasion it used to be.

Also, perhaps it is time to put the League Cup out of its misery and turn off its life-support…

Related Articles

How do you solve a problem like Arsene?

Posted: August 25, 2010 by onefootinthegame in Premier League, Rant
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
0
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and in the backg...

Image via Wikipedia

Arsene Wenger intellectually is the smartest manager in the premiership

He can speak numerous languages and the extent of his football knowledge is vast. One further quality we can be sure about, is he is neither blind nor stupid. He will say he did not see a foul, when we know full well he did. This has become his trademark, his catchphrase and in it lays the secret to explaining the conundrum of Arsenal Football club.

Wenger does not have money to spend. There you go, I said it. Start from that premise and the rest shall become clear. The stadium cost hundreds of millions. The money Arsenal borrowed for the stadium was secured luckily years before the worldwide financial crisis. This doesn’t affect the amount we received but it will affect the payback period. At that time there’s no doubt Arsenal would have opted for a fixed rate for at least the first few years, which is fine. The problem lies in any renegotiations. Arsenal would have very little room to manoeuvre. The fact is Arsenal has to free themselves from the shackles of the bank before they can get back to being a free spending football club.

We can all do the maths; high season ticket prices, regular external events held at the stadium, and a consistent cash flow from Champions league TV rights. The money is definitely flowing in, what grates Arsenal fans is why does that not result in bigger signings, with the wages to match? Why do we not retain our players at all costs? Why can’t we just spend £20m and buy Gareth Barry etc.

Imagine the scenario, you have a £250k Mortgage with a Bank. You tell them, “I can’t pay this off any faster we simply don’t have the money!” whilst simultaneously buying yourself a brand new car each year, parked in full view on your driveway. Your excuses will not wash.  Business men are not football men. The banks want their money back, they need it more than ever. A £200 million loan is no small shakes for any bank, let alone one that’s payback period that is tied to a sporting entity’s success, which is in no small part dependent upon the ability to spend money. Unless of course you can be successful without spending money. Step forward Arsene Wenger.

How can a manager that watched Vieira destroy midfields single handily believe Denilson can do the same? Does he truly believe Diaby can hold a flame to Petit, or finally that Djourou will develop into the next Sol Campbell? The answer is no. He wants them to be Denilson, Diaby and Djourou. The same way he wanted Anelka, Henry, and Vieira to find themselves and to be their own men. The weight of expectation is great and the players are not. His eagle eye allowed him to turn stones in diamonds and he is a victim of his success. The deserved accolade of the “Greatest nurturer of talent” hangs heavily around his neck.

Wenger wants to find the next bright spark, but not for his personal pride but out of necessity. There is no money. Why would he be willingly to wait 4 months between the summer transfer window and the January transfer window to save £3m on Arshavin unless it was absolutely vital. A footballing man would say, “If you wait till Winter, he will be cup tied for the Champions League” and business man would say “He’ll be cheaper”. Ivan Gazidis is the man at the top of the tree. He is not a footballing man he’s a business man. When he moves on, and his prospective employers ask him to outline his previous achievements, he will not refer to great victories or extended cup runs ending in success, the achievements will all be financial. The number of years of positive income growth, the reduction of long standing debtors and such like. Arsenal are a business and they make business decisions.

The players we currently have at Arsenal are not special. Infact they are woeful. Nasri, a poor man’s Pires and is frail of body and mind. Diaby is weak, and slow, his size is deceptive. He seems imposing but rarely does. Walcott is another Keiron Dyer in the making and at best a Jermaine Pennant of 2008/9 season’s standard. Wenger’s hands are tied. He wants to spend but the weight of expectation and the cost of failure weigh heavily on his shoulders. We’ve send the transformation of a man that was the epitome of calm, controlled, management under pressure, to being a highly strung, agitated, nearly man, yet is the only manager that can cope with the restrictions at the Emirates and he knows this. To leave Arsenal now would be a complete breach of his duty of care. Criminal almost, bordering on neglect. Arsenal need him more than he needs them, perhaps that’s an insight into the theme of the conversations he had with Cesc Fabregas.

The good news for Arsenal fans is this period shall not last forever. The debts will be soon repaid and then the true fight shall begin…for sole ownership. Another saga still to be concluded.