One of the standout transfer rumours of the summer so far has been Arsenal’s link with Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal, with contrasting reports over the scintillating Chilean midfielder’s future aplenty.
Some sources have stated that the all-action star is set to join the Gunners after the Copa America, while some members of the British press have dispelled the rumblings.
With the truth of the matter yet to be revealed, it is pertinent to analyse just where Vidal would fit into the Arsenal set-up – especially given the competition for places in the side’s midfield.
Arsenal fans have been crying out for Arsene Wenger to secure an assertive central midfielder that can offer a dominant presence, win the ball back and dispel the common assumption that the Gunners are a soft touch physically. The emergence of Francis Coquelin last season has seemingly reduced the pressing need for this type of player, with Mathieu Flamini as an able back-up in this role.
In Vidal’s Bayer Leverkusen days, the South American battler was used in a central midfield role and gained Juventus’ attention through his work-rate and ability to win back possession. Despite these attributes still being present in the star’s game, the Serie A champions have largely used the Chilean as an attacking weapon rather than a defensive one. In the Bianconeri’s star-studded midfield, it is Vidal that plays at the head of a four-man quartet, with the South American charged with surging forward to support the side’s strikers.
He acts as a link between the team’s midfield and attack, with his movement off the ball also a feature of last season’s defeated Champions League finalists’ play. As such, it appears that if Vidal was to slot into Arsenal’s bespoke 4-2-3-1 formation next season, it would be as the man behind the lone striker, in a ‘No.10’ role of sorts.
This position has been most commonly occupied by Mesut Ozil of late, with the German playmaker charged with laying on chances for team-mates and acting as the creative spark to unlock stubborn opposition rearguards.
Vidal’s presence could well see the former Real Madrid attacking midfielder shift to one of the flanks, with Alexis Sanchez on the other wing. Ozil has been used in a wide role on occasion before by Wenger, but it is clear that the diminutive schemer would prefer to play centrally. A position on the flank would require Ozil to track back and defend, while also negating his influence to some extent, due to not being as involved in his team’s possession play.
There is no doubt that Vidal’s signing could well be a real boost to Sanchez, as the countrymen are friends from their exploits at national level. Vidal would give the North Londoners a new dimension in their attack and his versatility would also be a real plus for Wenger.
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The main man to lose out if the Chilean arrives appears to be Ozil, but the collective would undoubtedly be stronger with Vidal as part of it.
With sources now claiming that Sergio Ramos has ‘played’ the club for a new Real Madrid contract and reports hinting that Nicolas Otamendi will be staying with Valencia, the Red Devils’ defensive transfer plans have taken a bit of a hit.
This is particularly concerning for the club as the area in question was undoubtedly the weakest sector of Louis van Gaal’s XI last term, and was often bailed out by the heroic David de Gea – who may not be around for much longer!
But, with the transfer window officially open until 6pm on 1st September, there is still some time to get at least one centre-back through the door at the club, and even if it’s a ‘desperation signing’ surely any sort of addition makes sense right now.
With that in mind here are FIVE stars who would surely jump at the chance to play for LVG’s side and shouldn’t be too tough to lure in…
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Ron Vlaar
After shining for LVG at last summer’s World Cup, a Netherlands reunion act at Old Trafford was mooted. In fairness, ‘Concrete Ron’ looked, as his nickname would suggest, solid in the Oranje XI, with his lack of pace not so much of an issue thanks to the speed of team-mates and his reading of the game in a back three.
Fast-forward 12 months, and Vlaar is now a free agent, facing a few months on the sidelines with a knee injury. Okay, it would be a risk to bring in an unfit player, but the 30-year-old would be a freebie, and boasts a wealth of experience, making him a great short-team option. While he recovers from his knee issues, Phil Jones, Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling could command the centre of defence.
John Stones
Not ‘desperation’ in quite the same way as Ron Vlaar would be, making a move for Stones now would whiff of a signing made in a time of anxiety at Old Trafford. The 21-year-old is an excellent young centre-back, but with Everton having already rejected £20m for him there’s every chance his price-tag could creep north of £30m with Chelsea firmly in the race.
Stones is a promising, ball-playing defender, but he lacks experience with fewer than 50 Premier League outings to his name and only four senior England caps. Although he looks to have a bright future, a massive fee now would appear desperate on United’s behalf.
Hector Moreno
A Mexico international plying his trade in La Liga with Espanyol, Moreno has earned much praise over the course of the past few years. Like Ron Vlaar, he looked impressive at last summer’s World Cup, playing a key role as his side held Brazil to a 0-0 in their Group A clash.
However, his chances of a move were thwarted by a fracture to his tibia, which he only returned from over the winter.
At 27 he is entering his peak years and could offer a genuine alternative to the likes of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling, potentially filling the void until next summer when a top-class target may become available.
Semih Kaya
Linked with United earlier this summer, Galatasaray’s 24-year-old centre-back is clearly a player to have been talked about at Old Trafford.
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A four-time Super Lig champion with the Istanbul club, Kaya boasts much experience, and in that time he’s also featured in the Champions League – which could be handy for LVG as he enters his first European campaign at the Theatre of Dreams.
However, there are questions surrounding Kaya’s ability to step out of a relatively poor league.
Virgil van Dijk
A £10m-rated Dutchman being linked with Everton, Van Dijk could be a wise addition. Van Gaal clearly knows all about the player thanks to his knowledge of stars from the Netherlands, but his decision to overlook him as he built his squad for last summer’s World Cup does indeed hint that he may not rate him too highly.
The 24-year-old has proven himself to be far too good for the Scottish top tier, but the gap between said division and the Premier League is vast, so his adaptation may not be smooth. However, Van Dijk boasts good pace, a strong physique and is good with the ball at his feet.
With the transfer window finally closed we can analyse the business and begin to suggest how it might affect the fortunes of clubs in the English top flight.
Manchester City, in now familiar fashion, were the biggest spenders, with three of the five highest value purchases made by Premier League clubs heading to Eastlands.
Manuel Pellegrini, himself given a new contract this summer, has been allocated further vast funds of Arabian wealth by owner Sheikh Mansour to help City retrieve the Premier League crown lost to Chelsea last term.
Frighteningly for the rest of the league, the Manchester outfit have made an imperious start, largely due to the efforts of their existing playing staff.
From the new recruits, only Raheem Stirling has made a considerable contribution so far, yet City sit top of the pile with four wins from four, including a crushing defeat of champions Chelsea.
The final piece of Pellegrini’s puzzle fell into place only a few days ago.
Interestingly, the most expensive player of the transfer window heads to the north west from German outfit Wolfsburg, having been cast aside by Jose Mourinho a little over 18 months ago.
Kevin De Bruyne arrives at the Etihad Stadium for a whopping £54.5 million but with his new side already making such great progress, will the young Belgian enhance their title charge or unbalance the apple cart?
De Bruyne’s quality is undeniable. Last season his exploits earned him footballer of the year in Germany and he finished the campaign with 16 goals and a staggering 27 assists in all competitions.
His duties for Die Wolfe developed as the season wore on and from the halfway point of the campaign he enjoyed a free role in the attack, operating as a roaming playmaker behind beanpole Dutch forward, Bas Dost.
The 24 year old’s vision, technique, passing range and shooting ability make him perfect for the role of a mobile no 10, occupying the hole behind the striker but occasionally roaming to the flanks to create space.
The problem now for Pellegrini is how best to incorporate another superbly talented individual into the arrangement of players that stack up behind Sergio Aguero.
David Silva, one of the most naturally gifted playmakers on the planet, shares many of De Bruyne’s attributes and is best suited to the same area of the pitch.
Raheem Sterling has been used on the left and occasionally interchanged with Silva, his own large transfer fee demanded his inclusion form the season’s start and his contribution so far has seen him tighten his grip on a starting spot.
This means that almost by default, De Bruyne will take the place of Jesus Navas in the first choice XI.
The former Sevilla winger seems destined to be sacrificed to include the new signing. While De Bruyne’s stats from last season dwarf those of Navas and the former Chelsea man is the younger and more exciting member of the squad, dropping the Spaniard to accommodate the shiny new purchase could have significant side effects.
Navas has never quite set the world alight during his time in Manchester but he has started the season well.
He is a true winger in style, preferring to hug the touchline and beat his man for pace before delivering a cross or making for the penalty area himself.
City have few players of this nature at their disposal and Navas’ early season form has so far offered the crucial dimension of width to Pellegrini’s attack.
De Bruyne is capable of operating in a wide area and has the ability to deliver great crosses but ultimately, if stationed out on the right flank, will feel the need to drift inside to get involved. If he is forced to stay wide many, including the player himself, might view that as a waste of his talents.
Silva and Sterling are also the type of players who like to receive the ball in the centre of the park, and while either like, De Bruyne, are capable of operating wide, the playmaker within them will see them follow their instinct and head infield.
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Even Samir Nasri, who is adept on either flank, is not naturally inclined to engage his full back in a foot race to the byline.
The preferred trio behind Aguero is now likely to be Sterling, Silva and De Bruyne; add to that mix Yaya Toure bursting from midfield and it could well be a case of too many cooks for City.
Of course given time, a player of De Bruyne’s quality is likely to adapt to the role that is available but his inclusion will now place great responsibility on City’s full backs to provide threat from wide areas.
It will be interesting to see how the Belgian is integrated into a side which at the moment looks well balanced and isn’t crying out for him.
It’s hard to remember a transfer that collapsed quite as spectacularly as David De Gea’s this summer.
Real Madrid’s interest in the Spain international had been well-documented for the best part of a year, but it appears they only entered negotiations with Manchester United on the final day of the La Liga transfer window which, it turns out, wasn’t enough time for both clubs to get all their paperwork in before the 11pm deadline.
Of course, Real Madrid blame United and United blame Real Madrid for the deal falling apart at literally the final hour, but it remains to be seen what will happen to the 24 year-old whose long-awaited move failed to materialise.
Indeed, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, the Red Devils will be left in a sticky situation if the 6 foot 4 shot-stopper decides against penning a new deal.
They might be forced to sell him in January rather than lose him for free in the summer, meaning they’ll require an immediate replacement.
But fear not United fans, for Football Fancast is here to help. Using our god-given powers of transfer know-how, we’ve listed FIVE such replacements the Red Devils could snap up in the new year.
JASPER CILLESSEN
Netherlands No.1 Jasper Cillessen flourished under Louis van Gaal’s leadership at last summer’s World Cup, which is more than enough to make you a Manchester United target nowadays.
To give credit where it’s due, the 26 year-old was also in fine form for Ajax last season, claiming the club’s Player of the Year award for his 63 saves and Eredivisie-best twelve clean sheets in 32 appearances.
The Red Devils’ expected bid for the 6 foot 2 shot-stopper never arrived during the summer, despite plenty of reports alleging an offer around the £20million mark throughout the transfer window, but we could see LVG return for his former No.1 once De Gea has officially departed from Old Trafford.
Furthermore, the Dutch outfit probably won’t be too miffed about selling; Cillessen is understudied by the more than capable Diederik Boer, who made almost 300 league appearances for PEC Zwolle before moving to the Amsterdam Arena in 2014.
FRASER FORSTER
A lightening quick shot-stopper blessed with an aerially dominant and seemingly impenetrable 6 foot 7 frame, Southampton’s Fraser Forster is emerging as real contender for Joe Hart’s No.1 jersey within the England fold.
The 27 year-old was nothing short of phenomenal during his debut campaign with the Saints last term, claiming the second-most clean sheets of any Premier League goalkeeper, 13 in 30 outings, despite having his season ended early through injury.
Also boasting considerable experience in the Champions League from his time with Celtic – where the former Newcastle United youngster gained huge notoriety for a spate of talismanic displays against Barcelona – in my opinion, Forster’s ready to represent one of the Premier League’s top clubs.
Whether the Saints are ready to sell is another issue. But they did sign former Roma No.1 Maarten Stekelenburg on loan during the summer as cover for Forster amid his lengthy injury lay-off, so they won’t be left shorthanded.
That being said, it remains to be seen if the England international will have recovered from his broken kneecap by the time the transfer window reopens in January.
KEYLOR NAVAS
Having been included in the £29million David De Gea deal that eventually never happened, one can only assume Manchester United would be fairly comfortable with Keylor Navas as their long-term No.1.
The 28 year-old hasn’t been tested much at the Bernabeu since arriving for €10million last summer, managing only eleven appearances across all competitions last term as Iker Casillas hang onto the No.1 jersey for dear life.
But Navas is well proven from his prior exploits in La Liga with Levante, rather incredibly making the most saves of any keeper in the division, a whopping 141, and keeping the second-most clean sheets, 17 from 37 outings, during the 2013/14 season.
He also stood out for Costa Rica at the World Cup in Brazil, helping his country reach the tournament’s quarter-finals with three clean sheets in five appearances and a Man of the Match display against Greece in the Round of 16.
Navas is believed to have agreed personal terms with United at some point during the De Gea debacle. But whether Los Blancos are still interested in doing business with the Old Trafford outfit – and vice versa – remains to be seen.
BERND LENO
A suggestion from slightly further afield, Bayer Leverkusen’s Bernd Leno hasn’t been directly linked with United but a combination of impressive form and the Red Devils’ need for a new No.1 could soon change all that.
Indeed, the Germans seem to produce top-class goalkeepers on a never-ending conveyor belt and the 23 year-old is one of the latest to emerge from the production line, last season recording the second-most clean sheets of any ‘keeper in the Bundesliga, an impressive 16, after Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer.
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Furthermore, the Germany U21’s been first choice at the BayArena since 2011, when he was just 19 years of age, and in that time has made 31 appearances in European competitions – so for such a young No.1 he’s already got plenty of experience.
Under contract until 2018, Bayer will feel under no obligation to cash in on Leno, especially half way through the season. But with two international goalkeepers also on their books – albeit one-cappers for the USA and Croatia – they can probably afford to let him go at the right price.
HUGO LLORIS
An equally quick goalkeeper of similar shot-stopping prowess and easily the best No.1 outside of the Champions League, Hugo Lloris has always felt like the natural successor to David De Gea.
Indeed, he’s continually demonstrated top class ability since moving to White Hart Lane in summer 2012, last term completing the most saves of any goalie in the Prem’s top six, a whopping 89, whilst keeping eight clean sheets behind an incredibly porous Spurs defence.
Lloris has never hidden his desires to play in Europe’s top tournament, seeing it as vital to maintaining his captaincy within the France fold.
The obvious problem, however, is Tottenham’s ability to drive a hard bargain – or more particularly Daniel Levy’s. Despite being safeguarded from the 28 year-old’s departure for some time through understudy and former Swansea City No.1 Michel Vorm, the Lilywhites chairman will attempt to squeeze every penny out of the Red Devils – especially if he’s to sell Lloris mid-season.
The crest is the one of the few constants a club has for its identity. Colours rarely change but different kits are churned out every year, players come and go, even stadiums are abandoned. The badge remains . . . well, not exactly the same.
Over the years top sides have switched their crests for a number of reasons. Manchester City are currently undergoing a month long consultation with fans about their current badge while West Ham United took a vote and will switch theirs to a new design when they move into the Olympic Stadium.
These are two recent examples of a trend that has become popular as clubs search for the most marketable look.
In the first of a series looking at changing badges we start with the ones clubs got wrong. To avoid being facetious the Manchester United badge doesn’t appear in this list. They were widely criticised back in 1998 for dropping the words “Football Club” from the crest but they were just ahead of the curve in the marketing game.
Here are the five worst badge changes…
Liverpool
Now this isn’t here to get Scousers angry. It isn’t even here because Liverpool Football Club has a bad badge, in fact, all iterations of their crest have been good. They are all equally iconic. The problem is how they have become interchangeable.
The more detailed version from the nineties that incorporated the Shankly Gates and the Hillsborough eternal flame replaced the Liver Bird in a simple crest design. The nineties version may have taken some getting used to but it brought together a number of vital elements.
It still is the official badge yet the latest jerseys have seen a return to the standalone Liver Bird atop the LFC lettering.
Again, either design looks good but there’s no reason for the reversion, because of this the current shirt badge qualifies for one of the worst badge changes in recent times.
Fulham
At first glance there is nothing wrong with the Fulham badge. It was introduced in 2001 to mark their debut in the Premier League. The club has had an array of crests, ranging from simple lettering to coats of arms. Normally I would be a fan of a simple design, they work well and from a marketing point of view and make most sense.
What I can’t applaud is laziness. No effort was made to keep one unique symbol in the design. It looks like the sort of thing computer games produce when they haven’t got the licence to use the real badge. Back in 2001 it faced an angry backlash from the fans and it’s not hard to see why.
Click here to view Fulham’s crest before the change in 2001.
West Ham United
As mentioned in the introduction, West Ham will alter their badge when they start life at the Olympic Stadium in 2016. Their new design could quite easily have joined the “Best Badge changes” list. The new offering will prove to be the Marmite of crest alterations.
When put to the vote, 56% of fans said they liked it. Or to put it another way, nearly half of them didn’t. Its crisp design should be applauded. The removal of the castle, thus disposing of any Boleyn Ground ties, makes sense. The problem is with the overall execution.
The addition of the word “London” looks tacky and the Hammers sit awkwardly in a crest that appears there for the sake of it. Instead of giving a nod to the original badge, that was a crossed pair of hammers in a crest, they should have just used it or had the hammers alone. The wording ruins an otherwise good design.
Click here to see what the Hammers’ new crest will look like.
Manchester City
Regardless of what happens during Manchester City’s month long consultation with fans one outcome is certain, a new badge will be designed. The current one was adopted in 1997 when the in-use circular badge became ineligible for trademark registration. The board didn’t like the idea of not being able to control merchandise or prevent counterfeit goods flooding the market.
So the circle went and in stepped an eagle. The centrepiece of the badge containing the ship and the three rivers stripe was a good way of keeping tradition. The eagle itself had been used in programming dating back to the sixties, one time Manchester council had requested all sporting teams adopt an eagle to represent the city.
It just didn’t look or feel like a Manchester City badge. The two previous circular versions were instantly identifiable. The eagle looked like an imposter. To make matters worse three stars were added for absolutely no reason. They don’t represent anything. At the time they were described as giving the badge a more European feel which came in handy for away games in the old Division Two.
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Some fans have grown up with the new badge and feel attached to it but the majority are looking forward to waving it goodbye.
Click here to view Man City’s circle crest.
Leeds United
Leeds deserve to be here because they replaced a badge that was highly identifiable and transcended in football with a gimmick for no good reason.
What’s referred to as the “Rose and Ball” badge came into existence in 1984 and lasted 14 years. It was the one that last saw Leeds clinch a league title, incorporating the white rose of York, a yellow and white ball and the club’s name.
It was replaced by then chairman Peter Ridsdale to mark the Leeds march on Europe. The new one may include the traditional rose but it’s garish and looks like it’s been designed on a Commodore 64.
Since they have made themselves at home in the top flight, life has been going pretty swimmingly for West Brom. The Baggies have lost their tag of being a ‘yo-yo club’ and have made the comfortable (slightly dull) mid-table berth their own.
From Steve Clarke to Tony Pulis, West Brom have specialised in stiff-upper-lip type of managers – aside from a brief Pepe Mel diversion – and it has largely paid dividends. On FM16, they now possess one of the Premier League’s best young players and have a work ethic that is hardly possible to compete with.
When the squad has been criticised lately, it is usually not been because of poor form, but just an poor aesthetic performance and that’s just a side-affect of having Tony Pulis.
FM16 should allow you to really show how good West Brom can be and this guide should give some crucial pointers on the players to bring in and the ones to ship out.
What you start with…
Unfortunately, the board aren’t going to budge on their budget of, well, nothing. The squad doesn’t need too much work, though, so that minimal budget shouldn’t effect your chance of success.
What’s expected…
Premier League – The board will usually be quite accepting if you only just avoid relegation, but they will ideally want you to finish in mid table.
FA Cup – A cup run can supplement a decent league season and help you make your board members a bit more understanding with any other dodgy results.
Capital One Cup – A run past the fifth round will keep the board happy, but you can get away with a bit less if you face a particularly tough tie..
Three to buy…
Joel Campbell – Campbell might be a bit of an outcast at the Emirates, but the Costa Rican would be a star man for your Baggies side. His powerful play and versatile game would make him an excellent addition to the side, whilst the prospect of Campbell linking up with Berahino and Rondon is exciting in itself.
Jack Colback – To accompany the industry in West Brom’s central midfield, Colback would offer a tidy deep-playmaking option. The Newcastle man might be quite costly, but the ‘Ginger Pirlo’ should be a useful addition.
Hatem Ben Arfa – Ben Arfa’s attitude might make Berahino’s look exemplary, but the ex-Magpie is available on a cut price deal early on and would be an excellent creative influence in the West Brom squad. It might be a challenge to manage Ben Arfa to the best of his ability, due to his questionable determination and teamwork stats, but his technicals should be enough to get you interested.
Three to sell..
Gareth McAuley – The veteran centre-back might still be able to do a job in your side, but the other defensive options in your squad make it worth cashing in. The transfer fee might be minimal, but the extra wage budget could help to secure a loan signing.
Victor Anichebe – With the signings of Lambert and Rondon, Victor Anichebe is hardly up to the standard of the first-team squad any more. The ex-Toffee is sluggish and an unreliable finisher, is worth cashing in on before he gets another injury and declines yet further. The Nigerian forward will only work if you are going extremely direct and, surely, Rondon is the better bet for that.
Cristian Gamboa – Gamboa is a full-back that might occasionally overlap the winger, not exactly the Pulis way, so he has been rarely used this season. If you are looking to use a back three, as I would suggest, a right full-back is no longer of use and it might be worth using this money to add to the team’s resources centrally.
Youngsters…
Serge Gnabry – The Arsenal starlet is admittedly only on loan at the club, but you might be able to extend him for another season or two. His direct running and pace makes him a good option to partner one of your more powerful forwards and a successful loan spell might see the Gunner keen on a move to the Hawthorns.
Tyler Roberts – This young forward can develop into a threat, in a promising West Brom youth squad. Roberts has pace to burn and has recently been recognised by Pulis as a huge promise for the future.
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Saido Berahino – The Baggies star man might be a hero already for Pulis’ men, but he is still only 22 and can become a real asset for the club. Keeping hold of Berahino is one of the biggest challenges facing anyone managing the club, but the England striker can carry his childhood club onto the next level.
Another game. Another defeat. Another blank in front of goal. Another instance of Wenger blaming anyone (mostly Costa) but himself or the players for his side’s shortcomings.
Following defeat to their London rivals on Sunday, Arsenal have now gone nine league games without a victory over the Blues. Their last win came when Andre Villas-Boas was in charge – how long ago does that feel?
This was the game that was supposed to right the wrongs of the past few seasons. With Arsenal gunning for the title and Chelsea struggling to get clear of the relegation battle, it was all set up for the North Londoner’s to finally get one over on last year’s Champions.
Even Wenger’s nemesis had gone this time. No more Mourinho? Ah well, Arsenal will win then. The Portuguese manager often seemed to prioritise games against the Gunners and relished victory over his rival. Even this season, with Chelsea’s worse showing in the Premier League in it’s history, the Blues ran out 2-0 winners in the first encounter at the Bridge.
It seems that no matter what Arsene does, he just cannot get a result against the West Londoners, in the league anyway. Even with home advantage, a relatively full contingent of players and a ‘wind of change’ blowing through the air, things still took a familiar course.
[ffc-gal cat=”arsenal” no=”5″]
A failure to score, a man sent off, players not playing to their potential. All in a day’s work when they face Chelsea. Wenger can try all he likes to claim that Costa got Metersacker sent-off, despite it being one of the most obvious red cards you’ll see.
More baffling, what exactly was the lanky German glancing at just before the tackle? A camera-phone perhaps?
With his own questionable team and tactic selection, and substitutions (particularly Giroud) that were met with derision by the fans, the Arsenal boss would be better served to look at himself for the reasons for defeat, but that’s not his style is it?
It’s getting beyond a joke now, and surely it’s more a case of a mental block than any physical shortcomings in the players.
It’s been well documented on past occasions that Chelsea’s superior size and strength was a major factor in holding the Indian sign over Arsenal. Certainly this was often the case with Mourinho in charge and to some degree can still be argued to be true.
But this is no longer just a team full of ‘giants’, as it often has been. This was not a case of ‘Men against Boys’ as it has looked in the past, Arsenal actually showing some good ‘fight’ at times this season and more than equipped to deal with this Chelsea side. Fabregas was the top-tackler for goodness sake.
This is now a lack of belief from players and managers alike, that when facing Chelsea they are going to come away empty-handed. You could argue that the Gunners were never going to win yesterday, no matter what they did, and they knew it.
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They actually played quite well in places, even more so when they were down to ten men. There was endeavour and, sure, Chelsea rode their luck at times. But there wasn’t really anything you could call a guilt-edged opportunity.
Their players looked a little flat, even the till-now impressive Mesut Ozil disappearing into obscurity once again. The introduction of Sanchez helped, but he can’t do it all by himself, while Flamini did his best to win the game for Chelsea single-handedly.
I can only conclude that it comes down to the manager. Whether he over-thinks it, under-prepares it or it’s simply just ‘one of those things’, the Frenchman and his side cannot get over their Chelsea hoodoo. But then again he can just blame Costa, it’s probably all his fault!
Liverpool’s trip to Selhurst Park has been as fragmented as many of their previous visits, though far less entertaining.
A drab first-half stalemate would suggest that perhaps both sides have improved on their solidity since the infamous 3-3 thriller that derailed the Reds’ title challenge in 2014. Right?
Wrong. In fact, both sides are as fragile at key areas in the team as ever, there just simply is a dearth in top quality.
To be fair, that’s been one of the major themes of the season on a much wider scale.
Clearly, this season in the Premier League is one for the romantics.
Leicester City have captured the imagination of the footballing community by romping their way to within touching distance of the most unlikely of title wins.
It’s a fairytale.
However, while we as fans of the game naturally wish to celebrate such a story, the fact they are sitting five points clear at the summit is indicative of the problems within the top order of English football.
Both Arsenal and Manchester City boast more talented squads than the Foxes. That is almost without question.
Still, the expensively assembled pair are unable to keep the pace with Claudio Ranieri’s men. A lack of top quality is painfully evident within key areas of their teams, despite the vast sums of money spent by both Arsene Wenger and Manuel Pellegrini.
This is not to say Leicester are a bad team and their continued success is merely a freak. Absolutely not, they are a well drilled outfit who give their all.
Riyad Mahrez is clearly an exceptional talent, but the brand of football largely deployed by ‘The Tinkerman’ at the King Power Stadium is a basic one.
It’s nothing fancy, just hard work and quality in key areas.
The fact that both the Gunners and City cannot catch them is borderline comical. In fact it is laughable.
Serious questions should be asked of Manuel Pellegrini and Arsene Wenger, who are fortunate the footballing world is far too engrossed within the Foxes’ fairytale to truly dissect their poor performances.
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The buck doesn’t stop at those two particular individuals, however. The inconsistency that has made this season such thrilling viewing is actually it’s biggest detriment.
It is one of the major problems dogging English sides in the Champions League. Such a thrilling brand to watch, though the madness surrounding Premier League football is not an environment in which to create strong tactical plans to take into continental competition.
As inconceivable as it sounds to most, Arsenal could beat Barcelona at The Emirates and earn a draw at the Nou Camp, which would knock the favourites out of the Champions League.
The outcry would be heard all around the world and the Catalan region would join the Spanish press in castigating the La Liga champions for ever more, but in his quiet, assured and reasoned way, Wenger has already plotted their downfall.
Arsenal are without Gabriel Paulista, Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky, but the quality and depth of the squad has learnt from last season’s shortcomings against Monaco.
Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Petr Cech are among those who will return on Tuesday night, and Wenger believes this is Arsenal’s best chance of beating the Spaniards.
“Everybody’s convinced that we need absolutely to be as a whole squad totally focused, to have a chance… No team is perfect, (though) they are not far from it, Barcelona, I must say. We have to use every moment in the game where we have a chance to score,” Wenger said in his pre-match press conference.
To use every moment and press Barcelona would be the plan. To sit back and invite trouble would certainly not be the way to go, because the last thing you want to do is to invite that pressure. At some point, their ingenuity and class will break through and with Neymar, Suarez and Messi facing you, Arsenal need to force the attack.
Wenger will prepare his team to play higher up the park, thus not letting their full-backs make their usual runs. As they try to move forward, that will leave space behind them and that’s for Arsenal to exploit.
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They need to use Walcott to maximum effect as he will give the Gunners that attacking prowess, but they must not get pulled about. In Pep Confidential, Marti Perarnau recorded a conversation Pep Guardiola had with Bayern Munich in which he explained why Tiki-Taka was misunderstood:
“In all team sports, the secret is to overload one side of the pitch so that the opponent must tilt its own defence to cope. You overload on one side and draw them in so that they leave the other side weak. And when we’ve done all that, we attack and score from the other side. That’s why you have to pass the ball, but only if you’re doing it with a clear intention.”
Previous teams have overloaded one side when trying to take care of Messi, only for his teammates to show their quality and rip you to shreds. Messi is not only a superb solo player, but he is a team player and will do what he needs to do for the good of Barcelona.
When Barcelona dominate possession, they will usually win. Under Luis Enrique’s management they have added another string to their bow and become almost unmerciful on the counter-attack, winning a historic treble, becoming world champions and now they are currently on a 32-game unbeaten run, smashing Pep Guardiola’s record of 28. That’s not to say that they can’t be beaten.
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While the focus will be on Messi, Arsenal still need to pay close attention to Luis Suarez. Will he come short to lose his man and then take the space behind the defence, as they move in on Messi? It’s about exploiting space and taking every chance, and you know Barcelona will do just that.
Don’t forget that Arsenal have already beaten Bayern Munich at The Emirates this season and with Welbeck back in the side, Arsenal can dominate the Barcelona defence with crosses into him and Giroud. Scrabbling around just behind them would be Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain and co. all looking for the loose ball.
This will be an enticing encounter and for Arsenal it’s pay-back time. Defeat in the 2006 final and the knockout stages in 2010 & 2011, maybe it’s the Gunners’ turn for glory?
If the recent Old Firm meeting at Hampden Park was anything to go by, Scottish football will get the shot in the arm it so desperately needs as Rangers gear up for a return to the top flight.
The Glasgow giants have spent the last few years in the lower tiers, destroying all before them, though they will receive far sterner tests.
Manager Mark Warburton has done an excellent job in coaching his players, though he will surely need to draft in reinforcements in order to substantially scrap with Celtic at the summit of the league.
There have been reports he will be afforded a £5m war chest in order to do so, meaning the former Brentford manager will have to tinker with his squad over the course of the summer.
While it’s a world of fun waxing lyrical as to who will arrive at Ibrox, the Gers will no doubt have to ruthlessly cut some of their title winning side out of the picture in order to make way.
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Who may they be? Well click the image below to take a look.
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Danny Wilson
For a central defender, Danny Wilson struggles when run at with pace. While he’s no doubt a resolute defender, the former Liverpool youngster could well be found out when isolated against a pacy forward in the top tier.
Nicky Clark
The notion of selling Nicky Clark is likely to be a divisive matter this summer, due to his recent run of good form.
However, with the likes of Josh Windass arriving, it could represent a natural end to Clark’s time at Ibrox.
Granted, the 24-year old has improved recently, though it should not deter from his largely lacklustre performances for much of his time on the books.
Kenny Miller
Controversial perhaps, considering his form this season, but can the Gers really rely on a 36-year old Kenny Miller next season?
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Everything good about the club right now is the fact they are the exact opposite to their arch rivals.
Hungry, exciting, dynamic.
Will Miller really give them that, as stoic a servant he’s been in the second tier?