Archive for the ‘Arsenal’ Category

Do The Top Six Actually Employ Any Scouts?

Posted: February 15, 2017 in Arsenal, Chelsea, European Football, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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It is a question which has been raised once or twice in the past. Of the current top six only Tottenham Hotspur have been buying anybody English from the lower divisions, that being Dele Alli, who arrived from MK Dons for £5 million a while ago.

Chelsea went down the tried and tested route by buying N’Golo Kanté from Leicester, shortly after he had become a Premier League winner, so no risk there.

Liverpool went for the unknown foreigners who have yet to prove themselves in the top flight, and Sadio Mané, who hasn’t. (more…)

Will The Top Six Keep Their Current Managers Next Season?

Posted: February 13, 2017 in Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Chelsea, European Football, Everton, Football, Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool, Managers, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Pep Guardiola, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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The current top six are unlikely to remain with their present managers for too long unless they find a way of sharing the trophies between them on an annual basis.

The Holy Grail, however, remains the Premier League title but with half an eye on winning the Champion’s League, (unless you are Arsenal, in which case just qualifying for the competition is sufficient).

If, this season for example, sees Chelsea win the title, City, United and Tottenham finish in the top four and Liverpool and Arsenal making up the remainder of the top six then little should change for next season. (more…)

Manchester United’s Incredible Support Is Even More Evident Thanks To Technology

Posted: February 9, 2017 in Arsenal, Chelsea, European Football, Football, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League
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(Thanks to sportingintelligence for the graphic)

Whenever anything relating to Manchester United is published it is big news. Maybe not to everybody in the world but there are many who hang onto every word, written or spoken, about the reds.

There is talk of the stadium capacity being increased to around 80,000 in the near future and it will be full for almost every home game.

Do United do anything differently to the other top teams? They spend some of their close season touring far away places in order to give some of their fans the chance to see the players, (not to mention increasing the fanbase to make more money)! (more…)

Can The Top Six Be Breached? Not If Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United Or City Have Any Say In The Matter

Posted: February 5, 2017 in Arsenal, Chelsea, European Football, Everton, Football, Liverpool, Managers, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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Ronald Koeman must resign himself to the fact that a challenge to break into the top six will probably have to wait until next season. Some wise spending in the Summer transfer window and his astute management should see a more concerted effort from Everton next time out.

He will certainly be expected to improve upon the finishes of Roberto Martinez and David Moyes as he has a sizeable amount of cash available thanks to the new owner, Farhad Moshiri. (more…)

The Things We Have To Put Up With To Watch The Beautiful Game

Posted: February 4, 2017 in Arsenal, Chelsea, European Football, Football, Managers, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League
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As regular readers of these chronicles will be aware, there are several amongst the football fraternity who are, to put it mildly, an irritation. We are not just referring to current players in the previous statement, as there are far more irritating people who have never played the game, who have retired from the game or who have dabbled at it and been no better than average.

There are reporters, presenters and referees. There are “celebrity” fans, another horrible expression suggesting that some people are “celebrated” whilst others are completely ignored throughout their life despite the good they may do. (more…)

The Chinese Super League Relies On The Greed Of Players Which Means That Many Will Be Attracted

Posted: February 1, 2017 in Arsenal, Chelsea, European Football, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur, Wayne Rooney
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Back in 1974 the Conservative government of the day was brought down by the miners. They went on a three day week and brought the country to it’s knees. It was the last time we saw Ted Heath, dubbed by Mike Yarwood as “that pompous Popeye with the performing shoulders“, as Prime Minister.

The Labour government who were returned at the following election were not popular among the majority of the rich. Then again a Labour government is never popular among the majority of the rich, who see their sole purpose in life as hanging on to their money, making even more of it and not caring who suffers in the process. As long as there are enough poor people to fund the national health and pay taxes through smoking Woodbines and drinking beer, then it’s a case of “I’m alright Jack, stuff you“! (more…)

Manchester United, City, Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool And Arsenal All Make Changes With Varying Degrees Of Success And One Spectacular Failure

Posted: January 29, 2017 in Arsenal, Chelsea, European Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, The FA Cup, Tottenham Hotspur
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The top six were all in FA Cup action this weekend. They all fielded “weakened” teams which, however it is viewed, means that the FA Cup is now regarded as being on a par with the EFL Cup. They are both competitions clubs would like to win but, if they don’t, then it’s no big deal and some of the fringe players and youngsters have had a run-out.

One manager was quoted as saying that, “we don’t have a weakened team we have an alternative team“. This should be true, especially when you consider the size and quality of the squads belonging to the top six, but it was said tongue-in-cheek. (more…)

Sky’s Transfer Centre Is Not Generating Any Transfers Despite It’s Best Efforts

Posted: January 26, 2017 in Arsenal, British Television, Chelsea, European Football, Everton, Football, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur, TV Sports Coverage
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Mountains and molehills, sow’s ears and silk purses. A couple of adages the meaning of which Sky Sports is desperately trying to demonstrate. They are doing their level best to make mountains out of ever-decreasing molehills and they have several sow’s ears out of which, as yet, they have been unable to produce anything even remotely resembling a silk purse.

The prevailing problem at the Sky Sports Transfer Centre is that there have been no real transfers of any note and it doesn’t appear there will be any in the foreseeable future. (more…)

The North/South Football Divide Is Slowly Shrinking

Posted: January 17, 2017 in Arsenal, Chelsea, European Football, Everton, Football, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Tottenham Hotspur
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Despite Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham all doing well in the Premier League this season the spotlight remains firmly on the Northwest, helped most certainly by the arrival of both José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola in Manchester.

The area provides the most interesting football and, generally speaking over the last forty years or so, the best and most successful football.

Last weekend a collective groan was to be heard at WSA when the live games were advertised as being all-London affairs. This was not because there would be no decent football on display, although that was a possibility, no it was because the feeling of boredom when no Northern team is involved is overwhelming. (more…)

Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Manchester United And Liverpool. The Top Six Are Miles Ahead Of The Rest

Posted: January 8, 2017 in Arsenal, Chelsea, European Football, Everton, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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Is it a coincidence that the six richest clubs in the Premier League currently occupy the top six places in the Premier League?

I suppose it depends upon your view of Leicester City’s achievements last season. If you think, like many others, that their winning the title was a one-off, freakish, yet sensational story then the natural order of things has been restored.

If, however, you think that the Leicester story can be repeated by either themselves or another unfancied club, then the amount of money a club has available to buy players is less relevant. (more…)

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