Arsenal Facing Uncertain Future

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“Alexis Sánchez” (CC BY 2.0) by Ronnie Macdonald

Arsenal are staring down the barrel of a dangerous future, with the potential departures of manager Arsene Wenger and key players Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

Wenger is the longest-serving boss in the Premier League, accruing 20 years to his tenure in the Gunners’ dugout, but he has yet to confirm that he will be staying with the club for next season. However, many of the club’ supporters would not mind seeing the back of the Frenchman due to Arsenal’s stagnation over the past decade.

The fate of Sanchez and Ozil is also in limbo given that their contracts are about to expire and no new deals appear to be in sight. The Gunners’ predicament appeared to take a turn for the worse when reports suggested that the Chilean forward had become disillusioned with life at the Emirates Stadium, leading to disagreements with his teammates and Wenger after being left out of the starting line-up in the club’s 3-1 defeat to Liverpool.

A handshake between Sanchez and the Frenchman signalled that the issue may have been overblown, although that will not ease the fears of supporters over the direction the Gunners are heading in the Premier League and the potential loss of two of their star players.

It has never been more important for Arsenal to finish in the top four of the top flight this term, with the club being backed in the latest football betting odds at 11/8 to claim a Champions League place.

A failure to finish in fourth place or above would be the first time the club have failed to accomplish the feat in Wenger’s tenure, highlighting a decline in their fortunes since their defeat in the final of Europe’s elite competition in 2006.

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“Arsène Wenger looks on” (CC BY 2.0) by Ronnie Macdonald

Should Wenger, Sanchez and Ozil all depart this summer, it would leave a huge void in the spine of the side and the foundation of the club itself. Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has been touted to replace the Frenchman, although whether he could be convinced to leave the Bianconeri in the midst in the most successful runs in the team’s history would be another matter.

Allegri also inherited situations at Juve and before during his tenure with AC Milan with sides in positions of strength. I Bianconeri had previously won the league three seasons on the bounce under Antonio Conte before his arrival, while Milan boasted a strong squad featuring Alessandro Nesta, Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in their Serie A triumph in the 2010-11 season.

As Pep Guardiola has proved at Manchester City, there’s no guarantee of immediate success in the Premier League.

Marco Reus, Isco and James Rodriguez have been suggested as potential replacements for Sanchez and Ozil. However, the German has had huge issues with his fitness, while both Isco and Rodriguez have failed to make the grade at Real Madrid – something which plagued Ozil during his time at the Bernabeu.

If these players fail to offer an improvement on the duo, especially Sanchez who has been indispensable to the Gunners with his 17 goals and nine assists in the Premier League, Arsenal could take a further step back.

This could be the biggest summer in the history of the club should they lose arguably their three most important assets. And although replacing Wenger may seem a good idea at the moment, there’s no outstanding candidate out there to take his place in the dugout.

Down But Not Out: Arsenal Still Have Plenty to Play for This Season

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“Empty Emirates Stadium” (CC BY 2.0) by wonker

Arsenal’s Champions League dreams may be over for another year but the Gunners are still in contention for FA Cup glory and a spot in the top four; supporters shouldn’t be hitting the panic buttons just yet.

While some fans are ready to draw a curtain on Arsenal’s current campaign, the vast majority understand that victory over Lincoln City this weekend will give Arsene Wenger’s men a real chance to win the FA Cup this season.

The Gunners suffered another embarrassing 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich earlier this week; their second heavy defeat to the German giants in the last month.

Wenger’s side must now turn their immediate attention to Lincoln; defeat to the National League outfit would signal the end of Wenger’s tenure at the Emirates Stadium. Just imagine how much criticism he will have to deal with if Arsenal slip up in that contest…

As of March 8th, Arsenal are fifth in the Premier League table – two points behind Liverpool, although the Gunners do have a game in hand on Jurgen Klopp’s side.

 

A top-four finish isn’t out of the question just yet and Wenger will be quietly confident of securing Champions League football at the Emirates for the 21st year in a row. Even when Arsenal seem down and out, they always find a way to finish in the top four; and fans will expect the Gunners to dig deep in the coming months.

Will a fourth-placed finish suffice? Probably not. Arsenal fans are sick and tired of settling for Champions League football – the majority of supporters want the Gunners to challenge for silverware.

Wenger’s men last won the Premier League title back in 2004 and it would be fair to state that the Frenchman has struggled to build a championship-winning side since the likes of Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and Ashley Cole left the club.

Should Arsenal, currently priced at 10/3 to win the FA Cup for a record 13th time in Paddy Power odds, defeat Lincoln City, they will be involved in a Wembley semi-final and from there, anything is possible.

The uncertainty surrounding Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil goes on but Arsenal have shown that they can win without these two men in the past and, with the utmost respect to fifth tier Lincoln, they shouldn’t have too many problems in that clash.

Wenger is under intense pressure right now and the Frenchman will be desperate to win the FA Cup in a last-ditch bid to save his job.

Fans are baying for blood after Arsenal’s latest setback in the Champions League but the Gunners boss deserves to see out the rest of the campaign at the very least. From there, the Arsenal hierarchy will have a difficult decision to make.

It is hard to be positive right now but Arsenal are still in contention for a top four finish and FA Cup glory. At the start of the campaign, fans wanted to challenge for the title but Chelsea have been by far and away the strongest team in the Premier League this year.

Keep the faith and hopefully, Wenger will deliver another FA Cup victory and a Champions League finish at the end of the season.

Are Leicester Where They Should Be In The League Table?

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As of now, Leicester sits in 15th place below Watford, Bournemouth, and Burnley in the league table. Moreover, if the team doesn’t start winning, it may soon find itself below the likes of Swansea, Hull and Middlesbrough. A question that many soccer fans and pundits are asking is whether Leicester is where it should be. A number of people, the majority of them Leicester fans, argue that the reigning EPL champions are in a false position. According to them, Swansea, Hull and Boro shouldn’t be above Leicester in the league. The counter argument to this is that Leicester has been horrendous this season and deserves to be in the relegation zone. So, this beckons the question: is Leicester where it should be in the EPL table?

The current premier league season is Leicester’s third consecutive season in the top flight of English football. Of the teams mentioned above, only Swansea has had a longer sustained stay in the EPL. Talking about the EPL, you can easily get the latest odds on the best sports to watch on TV. Coming back to the topic, if Leicester was above the likes of Watford, Bournemouth, and Burnley in the table, it would sit in 12th place: a position most Leicester fans believe the team should hold. Even though it upset the odds and won the league last season, Leicester is a team most people expect to finish mid table.

Most people, including Leicester fans, expected the team to not do as well as they did last season. In fact, during pre season, many had predicted that the reigning PL champions would struggle to finish top 6 in the 2016/2017 premier league season. What they did not expect was Leicester being in a relegation dog fight. Whenever a team wins a title, its motivation automatically drops the next season. Now while this may not happen to bigger clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona, teams such as Leicester are bound to suffer from a lack of motivation after winning big. If you’re interested in watching Real Madrid or Barcelona play, you can get fast speed internet to watch a live stream of a game involving either of these teams.

Leicester fans may not like where their team is currently in the table but the reality is that Leicester is exactly where it should be. Contrary to what most people say, Leicester won the league last through sheer hard work and there was little luck involved in its triumph. Similarly, Leicester is 100% where it should be this season as the team has performed abysmally in most games this season.

In short, Leicester massively overachieved last season to become the English Premier League champions. This season, Leicester has performed just a little below expectations but is exactly where it ‘should be’ in the table.

It’s Time To Support Arsene Wenger And Turn Against The Board

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Things are a mess at Arsenal right now.

A section of the Arsenal fan base is against Arsene Wenger, and I can see why. We’ve had 14 years of finishing in the Top Four without really looking like winning the Premier League, except in the 2007/2008 season when Eduardo had his leg tragically broken, pretty much ending our challenge that year.

And you would have to say that was the start of a downward spiral for Arsene at Arsenal. We have been in an abyss in the following years, and any solution Arsene seems to find just isn’t good enough for Arsenal getting to the next level.

But it’s not all his fault.

Arsenal fans now want change. But Arsenal have consistently reached the Top Four and for me that is an amazing achievement, considering what Arsene Wenger has had to endure and work with.

The biggest problem at the club isn’t Arsene Wenger, but the Arsenal board.

Arsene Wenger is the only man at the club who loves Arsenal. Arsenal to Silent Stan and the board is a cash cow and as long as they make a profit and he can line his pockets that’s all he cares about. And look, I’m not naïve, I know how business works – but in terms of on the field success, we’re suffering.

It’s not fair for Arsene Wenger to get all the flak. The board, and the players, also need to be made accountable. Arsene Wenger is a man who puts his faith and belief in his players, and of late they have not been repaying him. Arsene Wenger gets all the shit off the fans and the media, yet the board and players get away scot free – and it’s not right.

The fans who protested last night – and they are perfectly within their rights to do so – don’t necessarily hate Wenger, but they just want change. The consistency is boring and when you’re paying the highest ticket prices in Europe you expect some success in the major competition, but that just hasn’t happened.

The issue is that getting rid of Arsene Wenger won’t change anything, and that’s the bottom line.

With our weak board, can you see them hiring someone who actually has a mind of their own? Someone who could ruffle some feathers?

A new manager coming into Arsenal would want around £200 million to revamp the squad and get rid of the dead wood. Do you think Silent Stan would want that? Not in a million years. With Arsene Wenger, he’s guaranteed a big payday every season.

So what’s the solution? To turn against the board.

Without David Dein we have no forward thinking person in the Arsenal hierarchy. There’s actually no one on the board that knows anything about football. They’re all businessmen and women, who love to see the club making money.

You look at other clubs in the Premier League and it’s clear the owners make a big difference. Look at Roman Abramovich at Chelsea. He’s a lot of things but what he does love is football and always invests in the team to keep them competitive. Of course, his rapid hiring and firing of managers is not the Arsenal way but his underlying ethos is for Chelsea to win trophies – which is what the fans want.

Then there’s Leicester City. Their owners have completely embraced the City and have made a conscious effort to win over the Leicester City fans. They come to the games; they make gestures (such as offering free beer and pies to celebrate the owners birthday) and give a clear message that they want the best for the club. And the fans appreciate it.

Liverpool are another team with American owners in Fenway Sports Group and the Liverpool fans I have spoken to are not fans at all. They realise (or believe) that FSG are only there to take money out of their club. I’m not sure that’s the case when they’re spending big on expanding the stadium but it’s interested to know that when things aren’t going well they don’t turn against the manager, it’s against the board.

Manchester United have the Glazier family and it’s interesting to see how the Manchester United fans reacted when Sir Alex Ferguson was managing there. The fans never turned against the man who brought them success but turned against the board – wearing yellow and green scarves, holding up banners and staging protests. Why aren’t the Arsenal fans doing the same?

Don’t get me wrong, Arsene Wenger as a manager has his faults, and we know he’s stubborn in some areas. But despite that he is a top-level coach. Arsenal need to get new owners and have someone on the board (like David Dein) who can push Arsene Wenger and question him when required. I truly believe that with new owners Arsenal can once against become a genuine title challenger and that Arsene Wenger deserves another season under a new regime.

5 Reasons Why Arsenal Can Overcome Bayern Munich Tonight

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You must have been living under a rock if you don’t know about the disastrous first leg in Germany. Arsenal are trailing 5-1 after being bent over and royal screwed at The Allianz Arena, after actually equalising after Robben’s early goal and went into half time all square at 1-1.

Unfortunately, the second half was typical Arsenal and we ended up shipping 4 goals. But there are some reasons to be positive and believe that Arsenal can overturn this massive deficit, and they are outlined below:

1. Mesut Özil isn’t playing

After missing the Liverpool game due to “illness”, the lazy playmaker is also out of tonight’s tie with Bayern – which can only be a good thing. He pretty much strolled around in the first leg and while it was a collective collapse from the team, having a player who walks around the pitch isn’t really the best approach in a massive Champions League game.

No wonder Sanchez was angry at him.

He won’t be missed tonight and if you had to name 20 players you would want to call on to put in a fight or battle on the pitch, he wouldn’t be on there.

Without Özil we can put out 11 players who run around and give every single ounce of energy on the pitch. Except for the goalkeeper of course, I wouldn’t want him running around too much.

2. The scoreline is so ridiculous, Bayern Munich might not know what to do

Bayern would have been basking in the almighty glow of their own brilliance a couple of weeks ago, and lets’s be frank, every man and their dog knows Bayern are through. But that can work to our advantage.

If Arsenal manage to score early, or at least score twice in the first half (I know it’s a big if) then what would Bayern do? It’s not inconceivable that Bayern could start the game in defensive mode and struggle to get back into the game if the tide is turning. We came so so close against AC Milan at The Emirates once (when RVP really should have put us through) and that away goal is a life line. Bayern don’t want the game to be open so if we nick a goal or two then the whole dynamic of the match changes.

I seem to remember Monaco overturning a big deficit against Real Madrid, and Deportivo La Coruna doing the same to AC Milan (I think) in the Champions League before.

While it might be almost impossible, there is always that little chance if things go our way.

3. This could be Alexis Sanchez’s redemption

Alexis Sanchez is by far our best player and things couldn’t be any worse right now. The bust up with the manager and “senior player” (whoever that is) means that moral is rock bottom. But if Arsene Wenger can get his team selection right, and compliment the supreme talents of Alexis Sanchez, then we are a goal threat all day long.

What better way to kick start our season with a miracle win against Bayern Munich and have Alexis Sanchez at the fulcrum of that? You know this guy will sweat buckets for the shirt and if we can give him the best possible supporting cast, anything could happen.

4. Philipp Lahm is suspended

Bayern’s iconic captain is missing tonight and he is a massive part of their team. How will they cope with his absence? If Arsene Wenger can pick the right team that is the part of the pitch we can surely exploit.

5. Because Arsene Wenger’s teams can always score

Arsene Wenger is a lot of things but as consistent as our defensive frailties is our ability to score. It doesn’t matter what Arsenal game I’m watching, I know that on our day that we have the ability to score against anyone if we’re in the mood.

Arsene is a champion of attacking football and while it hasn’t been a trend of late, we are always capable of scoring. If you said to me we would create at least 10 chances tonight I wouldn’t be surprised – of course, taking them is another question.

The front line selection is vital in how we do tonight. I wouldn’t put Theo Walcott anywhere near the starting eleven as this is not a game for him. But do we go for the dynamism and pace of Alexis or the aerial threat of Giroud? Or can we start them both.

Arsene needs to really think about what our best attacking combination is and if we can get it right, anything can happen.