From Al Lee : another Arsenal season
Morning Myles,
It’s been another disappointing season for Arsenal (not unexpected).
I did not expect us to win the title due to our lack of goal scoring.
Our lack of professionalism and game management (due to AW) cost us crucial points.
I don’t think Ozil and Sanchez, Arsenal’s two main offensive players, are compatible.
Mesut is a conductor and Alexis is neither a winger or volume goal scorer.The Chilean prefers to be a second striker and be the main creative force. He wants to be on the ball much more than he is and prefers to operate where the German star does.
However, the choice between the two is clear. Ozil is far more valuable as he is a superior collective player and more efficient than the spiky warrior you admire.
Instead of signing Alexis to a new deal (which is likely) , AW should sell him and buy players who complement the others (highly unlikely).
Like you often say, football teams are about partnerships. Great players want to play with other great players. The better they fit together, the better the outcome.
We have quite a few players of varying quality, who in my opinion are past their prime.
Cech who is still very good; Mertesacker, Flamini, Arteta, Rosicky and perhaps Koscielny, who I have a lot time for.
However, I would rather sign any of those to five year 200,000 pound a week contracts than having Szczesny and Wilshere as senior players. Could you imagine the latter two as leaders at a top club?!? Talent (which both possess) is only part of the puzzle.
From Haroon : Champions League
Great games this week, Myles,
Loved the Barca-Atletico second leg! How I wish we could defend like that.
Bayern should win it. When they battered us in Germany earlier this year it was the best football I’ve seen in a long long time.
Do you think the board watched the games?
Atletico have knocked out Barca twice in a few years yet any half-decent team knocks us out in 1 leg of 2. Pep has made 7 CL semi finals in a row! SEVEN!
Wenger has 2 semi-finals in 18 attempts. No European trophies in his life. NONE!
Fergie won 2 and lost 2 and then said, “We should have won more”
Where is our ambition?
Myles says:
Diego Simeone is a down-to-earth street-fighter who manages as he played.
As the world of entertainment became more bland and commodified, Arsenal has prospered as a business that sells a sophisticated image to punters who are middle class or want to be middle class.
The football industry became flooded with TV money and Arsenal’s employees became rich without having to deliver the success you wanted to see. It’s a gravy train for them and Rosicky doesn’t want to get off.
I think Al has a point about Ozil and Sanchez wanting the same role.