Well, there’s quite a lot to unpack today.
The football, at this point, is about one thing and one thing only… winning the Europa League.
The second part of the football equation is keeping our stars fit. We didn’t manage that against Fulham. Alex Lacazette pulling up with a bad hamstring injury which could be the last of him this season, maybe even forever depending on how the summer goes.
The game overall was a bit of the nothing event.
We dominated Fulham, had 18 shots, hit the woodwork, had a good goal chalked off for a VAR minor infringement, then conceded a stupid penalty.
To the credit of the team, they did keep going until the end. Mat Ryan making himself available for a corner, nodding it to the back post where a cross was tapped in by Eddie.
The team celebrated like they’d won a world cup instead of focusing and chasing down the last minute, but there we go. There’s still a lot of education to go at Arsenal FC.
You could complain about the line-up having too many first-teamers… but when we rest players and lose, it affects our momentum.
You could complain about Balogun not making the bench, but Eddie did and he scored.
You could complain about a lot of things, but in the grand scheme of this season, the only thing that matters now is making the Champions League via the back door.
I didn’t think the performance was as bad as some made out. We created enough big chances to win that game and we weren’t treated well by VAR. The main concern defensively was Gabriel with another reckless mistake at the back. He’s young though and that’s part of the bargain with defenders of that age. I hate that he has to come out and defend himself from social media idiots. The internet really is an embarrassing place these days.
Saka, Gabriel and ESR didn’t have their best game, but man, when those three click, it’s going to be special.
The main concern going into the Everton game is who picks up that role Lacazette has been doing so well?
I think we’re dreaming if we think Auba is going to recover from malaria in a week. It’s a serious, serious disease. I think it’s going to take a while to go from hospital bed to Premier League fitness.
That gives us a conundrum in attack. Eddie is going to be off this summer, do we put our season on his shoulders? I’m not so sure the quality is there for him to do the things we need him to do.
Flo Balogun has signed his deal, he’s exciting, but it might be a bit wild to start him in a European semi-final we have to win. Crazier things have happened in the past, but that might be a stretch.
Martinelli seems the obvious choice as a striker, but he’s not a connector of players like Lacazette is. He’s more in the mould of Jesus at City. He can lead a press, he can go over the top, and he’ll work like a dog.
There are also other options in the false 9 role. Nico Pepe could be an interesting option, though I worry that he’s quite sloppy compared to Lacazette. Alternatively, the return of Odegaard might alleviate the need for Lacazette to play that role.
I just really, really, really hope it’s not an emergency call for Willian.
The other point I’d make about the Fulham game… Mo Elneny just ain’t it. He can do a lot of the basics well. He moves the ball fast, he covers a lot of ground, but the biggest miss yesterday was Partey’s quick thinking and fast actions. Mo doesn’t like to go vertical, he’s extremely low risk, and his crab football totally clogs up our game. We really need to take a chance on a youngster for the rest of the season, even if it’s worse, at least we’ll be investing in an idea we’ve not seen tank numerous times.
Onto the biggest story of yesterday: Arsenal is part of a rebel set of clubs that are pushing to set up a super league. Vinai was due to meet with fans on Sunday, but after the uproar, he cancelled. Shocker.
Here’s the basics.
- 20 participating clubs with 15 Founding Clubs and a qualifying mechanism for a further five teams to qualify annually based on achievements in the prior season.
- Midweek fixtures with all participating clubs continuing to compete in their respective national leagues, preserving the traditional domestic match calendar which remains at the heart of the club game.
- An August start with clubs participating in two groups of ten, playing home and away fixtures, with the top three in each group automatically qualifying for the quarter-finals. Teams finishing fourth and fifth will then compete in a two-legged play-off for the remaining quarter-final positions. A two-leg knockout format will be used to reach the final at the end of May, which will be staged as a single fixture at a neutral venue.
It’s a £340m signing on fee. There’s no relegation. No promotion. It’s an enclosed league of ‘big name’ clubs that think they are better than everyone else. The absolute cheek that they’ll let 5 other clubs cycle in based on achievements… we’re currently 9th in the Premier League!
This is a football coup.
This is the billionaire class taking a lead in destroying football culture to entrench their wealth.
It’s anti-sport.
No one wants it.
It is an outrageous heist none of the owners will speak publicly about.
It is an international disgrace.
A few have said that the modern fan likes the big games and this might be targetted at them. I absolutely cannot have that. The narrative cannot be allowed to shift to ‘this is a visionary marketing step for a game that needs change.’
No, no, no, no. Football is fine. In fact, it’s more than fine. It would be in stunning health if not for the pandemic. Fans are getting what they want and they show it because they keep paying for it. Sky know what fans want, which is why they keep buying the rights. Amazon is sniffing around, because they know it’ll help them sell Prime bundles. There hasn’t been a conversation amongst fans about the need for a Super League.
This is not a painful idea to save a game in decline. Football is not baseball or golf. The model we have now is the hottest commodity in sport. It doesn’t need an innovation to keep the dollars rolling in.
… and if there was an innovation then SURELY that innovation is not creating a less competitive league for a select few elite names.
What makes Champions League football incredible is that everyone can win it until they can’t. A Super League will not be that. 2 or 3 teams will compete, then what of the rest? Fans like winners. A bottom of the table Super League clash will not be a spectacle. Just like it’s not a spectacle in the NFL when a once-great team that’s gone to shite falls off the wagon.
Who wants to see a shite Arsenal get walloped by Madrid? Why do Spurs, a team synonymous with losing, deserve to be in this coterie of clubs? How are Liverpool selling this vision to Klopp?
This is the billionaire class trying to impose themselves on the people’s game, again. We’ve already had to deal with expensive TV subscriptions, aggressive price hikes, attacks on the kick-offs… but the game was still the same. Moving to this model is an attack on our football culture. Keir Starmer, the Sports Minister, and Boris have all piped up about this. Fans need an intervention at the highest level. It should not be allowed to happen. It is an international disgrace.
I am absolutely ashamed my club is part of this. Not surprised though. Stan hasn’t been able to crack the football code organically after trying 50 bang average short cuts, so now he’s attempting the ultimate short cut… start a closed competition. It is absolutely shocking.
It also shows where we are on ‘values’ and ‘class.’ Just talking points. Very sad.
Let’s see how this farce plays out.
C*nts
Spurs in a ‘super league’. Comedy.
Surely not 1st?
What utter shambles
Good Ebenin.
This is bullshit
If you haven’t seen their website for this, do check it out. It makes it sound like these top level matches are some never seen before spectacle or something.
Those “”super” games are only special because they don’t happen often. So when they do its a spectacle. Putting it on every week it ll soon lose its appeal.
These guys seriously lack vision
Well said Pedro. It’s a disgracful idea.
The super league, being driven by American billionaires as a football NFL. FIFA and UEFA should treat it like Kerry Packers cricket thing and ban participating players/clubs from other competitions.
Arteta in the super league, you can’t make this shit up
Well done Pedro.
This is the only talking point now.
Your words beforehand about Fulham, the rest of the season and Europa League are absolutely meaningless now with this crass ugly spectre hanging over us.
Guns of Brixton
Totally right. Like seeing arsenal vs madrid for the 10th time in 2 years will be anything remotely special.
Doesn’t sound a great idea to me. Is it possibly a power play to put FIFA, UEFA and national associations back in their box? that lot are on a par with the billionaires for self interest.
But if it does happen, Stan will be in a heavenly state of serene bliss, a guaranteed place at the top table with no need to show any ambition or direction once there
A bit hypocritical the likes of Boris getting involved though, the Tory party not exactly averse to pandering to self interested billionaires
Pedro ,
now with the huge revenue coming in with this super league surely you can now agree it’s time to get our house in order and get the building blocks ready for this and get Negelsmann in ASAP and hopefully with rangnick ?. We cannot under any circumstances go into the level with arteta in charge can we ? We’d be lambs to the slaughter with him
UEFA and FIFA need to say the following: Any club, any player, any manager, any match official, any sponsor who participates in the so-called European Super League will be PERMANENTLY barred from participating in ANY FIFA or UEFA competition.Surely that will have to kill off this ludicrous idea. As it is, they want to have 5 teams per year get there on merit. Well they wont be able to do that now, because those teams can’t afford to go there one year and then be forever blocked from any other competition afterwards. Likewise, players who play for ESL clubs… what… Read more »
Wiglaf
Seriously you gonna deny the covid virus now? And yeah it is quite deadly, atleast in its 2nd mutated form and ive people around me dropping like flies and you wanna say its not a serious issue?
It seems a very American idea – essentially two conferences and then playoffs. It wouldn’t surprise me if they ended up trying to move down some sort of salary cap & draft pick route either in a few years.
It was only a matter of time after that cunt Roman Abramovich appeared on the scene that football would eventually be doomed. Shame.
It was good while it lasted…….but as many have pointed elsewhere, it’s time maybe to get behind some local teams from the lower tiers.
2 or 3 teams will compete, then what of the rest? Fans like winners. A bottom of the table Super League clash will not be a spectacle. Now excuse my ignorance but hasn’t the above been the case in the Premier league for the last few years? Aside from the odd FA Cup we’ve hardly competed in the league for nigh on two decades! Football for the last 5 years has always been about money, this ESL just proves it greedy clubs on a cash grab. Most sensed this was come when SK took over and took our club private.… Read more »
My biggest fear is that the two sides will come to some sort of accomodation that will stop short of the actual Super League but allow the big boys to grab an even bigger percentage of the cash pile within the existing structure. It’s already bad enough with oil states and oligarchs distorting the game without throwing billions at them as a reward. Football is or was a game based on sporting merit, without that it’ just another vacuous game show for imbeciles.
Absolutely shameful from the club and its fellow ‘founding members.’ This is nakedly greedy cartel behaviour. And it’ll be unbelievably boring too. Wins are hollow when no one can lose.
Lol As if the FA or UEFA have the balls to ban the biggest clubs on the planet. Just goes to show money equals power in this World and all these Associations and Governing bodies are a waste of space. Like how WHO proved in this COVID fiasco
Fuck Kroenke. Get him out. And punish all the ‘founding clubs’. -30 points next season I say.
Spot on Andy. Without competition it’s merely entertainment. It’s a string of friendlies. It’s a preseason cup tour. It’s video content for mass consumption.
On sporting merits alone we don’t deserve to be there, (if we’re looking at this season’s results so far.)
As for traditions and history we are one of the biggest in the country.
We should have known better than to sign something like this.
Where’s our decent!
*our sense of decency
This is nothing but a short-term exhibition league, a freak show. After two or three seasons when people become jaded with this, what then? Also, why would any other club join the league? Once they do they are banned from their domestic league and any European comps and have the potential to be relegated out of the league? A high potential actually as 12 clubs can not get relegated. So it’s just one competition every year with the same teams? How many games will there be a year? What player will want to join a team that automatically gets them… Read more »
If the FA do allow continuation of domestic football for these 6 teams, each and every one of them should be relegated.
Also 6he threat of a champions league ban is hardly scary to a team in the ESL is it. As if there in the ESL surely they’d not take part in the champions league anyway due to to many fixtures.
” Aside from the odd FA Cup we’ve hardly competed in the league for nigh on two decades!”
Well, that isn’t true at all…
“Also 6he threat of a champions league ban is hardly scary to a team in the ESL is it.”
It is a permanent ban. Once this ESL experiment fails and the founding investors have sold off their stock what will these clubs do?
The creation of a European Super League is nothing new and the debate has been going on since the 1980s. Most Leagues in Europe are frankly uncompetitive beasts. Does anyone believe that the French or Bundesliga are competitive? Indeed I would venture to suggest that also applies to Serie A and La Liga as well. When was the last time that a club outperformed PSG, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Real Madrid or Barcelona? Sadly the EPL is moving in a similar direction. The only difference is that there are six major clubs in EPL rather than one or two elsewhere. The… Read more »
In the premiership, there is multiple competition 1) title 2) top 4 3) European place 4) relegation place So even a bottom game can have importance and meaning for one of the party. With no threat of relegation and no qualification for Europe the competition will lose some of its appeal. The playoffs in the Championship were introduced to create some drama. However having playoff to qualify for a quarter of finals where the winner is likely to be stuffed by a much bigger team will not have the same drama. Within 2 years, people will be bored. A lot… Read more »
Once this ESL experiment fails and the founding investors have sold off their stock what will these clubs do?
Hopefully UEFA, FIFA and the FAs stand their ground and actually ban the teams. Then if what you say comes true, Stan has basically stolen the club from right under our noses.
Surely there is a way for fans to sue Kroenke and get him out like how Scousers did their previous american owners.
Let’s be clear, this isn’t ‘Arsenal’ joining a Super League, it’s Stan F*CKING Kroenke joining it. If we let it happen we may as well accept that Stan IS Arsenal. Number one it must be stopped, number two fans of all the clubs involved have to drive the scum that own these clubs out regardless of if they are successful with this ‘project’.
I’m not sure why there is all this indignation about the ESL… In terms of the EPL there will be no change, the ESL is designed to compete with the champions league not the EPL and all this talk about it ruining the English football league system is a confluence of the two ideas. Lack of competition, money ruining the pyramid etc… Can I point you to city, Chelsea, Blackburn back in the day etc… UEFA and FIFA are worried about losing money… period…
Jim Lacey
Its been what 30 years since the PL era started, with largely the same 15 teams every competing every year. Is this a freak show too which people have grown bored of?
Exactly
Typical of Stroller to actually take pride in Arsenal being in this sham.
@cheney
If you can’t see the difference between the current sporting-merit-based champions league approach and the proposed ESL way where 15 teams are guaranteed a place forever, you’re trying to troll or are really lost.
In this brave new world, tenth will be the new fourth. Given that we could only have PL games on Saturday or Sunday (how the fuck will all the fixtures get played?) I think the most I’ll be in future is a weekend supporter (literally and figuratively). How long before the likes of Leicester, West Ham and Everton etc. seek to have the big 6 kicked out. Will there still be an EL? If I was a marketing guy at a bottom half or good championship club, I’d launch a campaign to lure big 6 fans into the club. Half… Read more »
Crazier things have happened in the past
—————
Paul Vaessen anybody?
Rambo… or the same three in Spain, Scotland, France, Germany… are people bored of these leagues too?
“Sadly the EPL is moving in a similar direction. The only difference is that there are six major clubs in EPL rather than one or two elsewhere. The only club outside the big six who has won the League or for that matter a trophy in recent years is Leicester.” What are you talking about… “Only six major clubs” in a league of 20.. The league is far more competitive now than it has been, we had 15 years of United winning it every year and now we finally have some variety and the league is being pulled apart for… Read more »
@gunerman I’m not lost, I’m just not having the fake indignation… if you look at those competitions it’s pretty much the same teams every year anyway… Your idea of sporting merit is akin to the American dream… it’s a myth…
From a player pov, if your selection country has no chance to qualify for a major tournament never mind winning a completion, then being ban is not necessarily a big threat.
For example Northern Ireland, San Marino, Faroe Island, Kenya, Uganda, Honduras, Venezuela, Peru, … Players may well decide that more money is more important that being selected.
Remember how Ryan Giggs the current Wales manager used to treat international selection. ManUtd was important to him than Wales. So for some players earning money in the ESL may be more important than playing in meaningless international games.
@Rambo –
“Its been what 30 years since the PL era started, with largely the same 15 teams every competing every year. Is this a freak show too which people have grown bored of?”
49 teams have played in the premier league since its inception, with only 6 ever constant.
cheney
So what if it’s mostly the same teams? It’s the fact there is a 1% possibility that still matters compared to the 0% probability in ESL.
On the contrary it makes my idea NOT a myth.
Let’s see whether the likes of Arsene and Fergie or even the current managers such as Pep, Klopp etc. take a hard stand against ESL. If their stand is wishy washy then nobody can stop the idea of ESL. UEFA and FIFA are corrupt themselves and can easily be bought by billionaire owners or mega sponsors.
Wiglaf
Sorry whoever you are.
But the virus is deadlier once the health system is overloaded.
It will also get deadlier because it will mutate with more infections.
Take it from someone from the far side of the world. We are at ground zero when it started.
Not sure how this ESL will end up, quite how the 12 clubs, whose fan bases are violently opposed to the idea, will be able to deal with the opposition.Interesting to see how things will develop as the owners and organisers of the ESL would have anticipated the reaction that the announcement has caused so must have a game plan. Can’t help but feel that it’s the American owners pushing the franchise model at a time when Covid has temporarily fucked the finances of some of the biggest clubs. On a personal level, I cannot not support Arsenal where ever… Read more »
It reminds me of what Kerry Packer did to international cricket in the mid 70’s but that only lasted 2 seasons.
From a big club POV would you rather play another big club or you’d wander around Europe putting yourself up against Mighty Dundalk or Azerbaijan Fc?
The guaranteed $$$$$ helps too
Relegation will have to be introduced though
Fergie already said something about it. Something about moving away from history. Negative but not a heavy critic.
Still waiting on Arsene in his FIFA office.
@gunnerman the EPL won’t change… This is a European competition… as I said in a post earlier, you and others are mixing ideas… the ESL will allow 5 teams in each year based on sporting merit (prob end up being more in the end). There is your one percent mate… As I said, please don’t mix up domestic league and European football.
Ishola, ES is a a Kroenke apologist (although he claims not to be) so yes, it’s not surprising at all.
cheney
There is no sporting merit when 12 teams don’t have to qualify for it. As of right now the champions league is solely sporting-merit based.
Arsenal haven’t been in it for the past few years but will now get a bye into Europe just because? This destroys the concept of competition.
It’s disgusting and every fan, outlet and journalist must unify in protesting this. Make it absolutely clear if this abomination gains traction NONE OF US ARE BUYING.
Wiglaf, the ‘suits’ that sold out to Kroenke are gone. The bunch in there now can choose to either suck up to Kroenke and keep their jobs or walk. I’d put money on 99% of people who work for the club don’t like the idea but need to keep their jobs and can’t do a thing about it. So for me it’s all on Kroenke.
“From a big club POV would you rather play another big club or you’d wander around Europe putting yourself up against Mighty Dundalk or Azerbaijan Fc?”
Why would “big clubs” be playing those teams?
Cheney10
The ESL have permanent members. They are in there not due to league performance.
They kind of are just there.
Not only that but you can bet that this doean’t mean more money for the club but for the owner who can fill his boots. Match tickets aren’t going to be cheaper, they’ll probably be even more expensive (justified by this so-called ‘premium product’). Watch them squeeze every last drop of blood out of the fans.
Somebody need to crank out that Arsenal plane once more.
Mourinho sacked, some good news at last 😛
Relegation can’t work in this super league can it? Where would the lowest ranked team(s) be relegated to?
“Relegation can’t work in this super league can it? Where would the lowest ranked team(s) be relegated to?”
Exactly, do they just stay in limbo for a season before being put back in?
Don’t know where you got that from TR7.
TR7 thats not good news, I was enjoying Jose stink out the place there
“Mourinho sacked, some good news at last 😛”
Yeah, how is this good news?
TR7
April 19, 2021 10:24:18
Mourinho sacked, some good news at last 😛
For me that is bad news?
The moaning one has been SACKED!!!
Talks of stripping Liverpool, Real, Barca, and Milan off their UCL badges of honour.
Something tells me their titles will be stripped also.
Mourhino sacked
All kicking off
The sacking of Mourinho is funny AND Karma news but not necessarily good news for Arsenal. If Spurs get a proper manager, that would make reaching top 4 next season harder not easier.
Jose sacked by Tottenham for being 7th while at arsenal being 10th is all about trusting the ‘process’
“that would make reaching top 4 next season harder not easier.”
Bold of you to assume we will be playing in England next season.
This is a bad time for JM to be sacked.
That sweet news will be drowned out by the ESL
You think him getting sacked is in some part related to the Super league nonsense?
In American sports you dont have relegation its a closed shop. Their levelling up happens via the transfer system.Whether that model will work here is another matter. I have been saying for a long time that its possible to get rid of owners but it needs the fans to get organised and boycott matches. Empty stadiums get owners attention. Liverpool got rid of Hicks and Gillett
Jim Lahey
The EPL is not competitive when it comes to winning trophies or finishing in top 4 place.
The only club in last decade who finished first in EPL or won a trophy who was not in top 6
clubs is Leicester.
The other clubs may win from time to time matches on a one to one basis, but they are not
competitive over a whole season or perhaps more importantly over a 10 year cycle.
Let’s be for once objective if the European Super League is established do you want Arsenal
to compete outside that competition?
Mourinho getting sacked is always a good news for me, I despise the man. As for Spurs they will always be shit, so don’t worry 🙂
Remember when the club talked about “Arsenal values” and how important it is to keep them? I hope we are docked 30 points along with the other 5.
It’s a disgraceful way to behave.
I agree with most of the comments on here. For a change! Big games are only big games because they happen every now and then. If you have a big game every week then the appeal dissipates. We are lucky that we have the Premier League, it is a competitive league unlike any other in Europe. Sheffield Utd beat Man Utd at Old Trafford, Fulham won at Anfield & Leicester, West Brom stuck 5 past Chelsea and these aren’t one off results, it’s an unpredictable league which adds to the appeal. The European Super League is typical of the disdain… Read more »
Please I don’t want Spurs to get anyone decent.
I’ll be seriously annoyed if they manage to pick up someone like Nagaelsmann or Allegri…
Chris Wilder or Eddie Howe will be in the frame I reckon.
AFC Forever
I agree that the EPL is currently the best League in Europe and the World.
However, if a European Super League is established then I am afraid that status disappears.
From my perspective I want as an Arsenal Supporter to see the club play at the top level.
“The EPL is not competitive when it comes to winning trophies or finishing in top 4 place.” I mean it is… You have 4/5 teams that are capable of winning it. And teams dip in and out of the top 4 places all the time. “was not in top 6” Not a go at you, but I want to address this here? Who decided what the “top 6” is? What is the metric? It seems like there was a “top 4” until we could no longer compete and then it became a “top 6” are we looking at changing that… Read more »
Toxic Mourinho definitely gone.
One week before their Mickey Mouse Cup Final which suggests something has gone on behind the scenes here, strange timing.
No wonder they never win anything. No stability, they think they are bigger than they are.
Why stop at a closed league?
Why not cut the game into quarters with ad breaks any time the ball goes out of play. How about extra-time multiball, or monster trucks at halftime. Let’s go full American.
I had another thought. Without proper competition, wouldn’t it degenerate into a pompous Emirates Cup? Also the billionaires can dream about dollars, but without the screaming fans buying football packages there are none. Can’t see the media companies having another bidding war.
The super league is a power grab by the big clubs.
All the money will go directly to them.
Logistically, it will destroy domestic leagues as we , along with the rest of the big clubs, will be playing second string sides on the weekend which will kill off the relevance of those leagues along with the importance of other ‘non big’ clubs such as Leicester, west ham, aston villa, everton etc.
It’s a dream come true for Stan though. He’ll be able to continue his couldn’t give a shit approach to running arsenal without having to worry.
Any money says Jose was sacked because he was against the Super League.
Man City and Chelsea were not “top clubs” until the money was poured into them. Why should there be a cut off now whereby the rich clubs (not top clubs) get to pull the ladder up from those below? Make no mistake; this is purely driven by money. There will come a time when Arsenal won’t even have a stadium in Europe let alone the UK if this goes ahead. A global business can be based anywhere and fans attending the stadium aren’t really needed as the money comes from TV and sponsorship. People supporting this move are being very… Read more »
Breaking news says Mourinho has been sacked by Spurs… just lasted 17 months
Emirates “However, if a European Super League is established then I am afraid that status disappears. From my perspective I want as an Arsenal Supporter to see the club play at the top level.” I get your point but don’t agree. You will soon get fed up watching the same games every week. Big games are big games because they happen occasionally, they get the juices flowing and the excitement & nervousness is intoxicating. As far as travelling is concerned, midweek games all over Europe are not only a giant pain in the arse but inconvenient and expensive. If the… Read more »
What annoys me about this is that we fans have so much power but we let billionaires walk all over us just so we can have our fix of entertainment.
José Mourinho sacked as Tottenham manager
Jim Lahey
Just like that travesty of Ben Askren vs Youtube.
It is no longer sports. It is sports-entertainment. Mainly entertainment. And content.
Jamie… have to be related or else doesn’t make a. Lot of sense with Spurs at 7th even counting Europa exit.
Football is absolutely huge. The authorities are only kicking up about the ESL because it will dilute the earning power of their execs.
If fans oppose this new league and protest why not go a stage further and insist the fans own part of their club.
This is why Kronke becoming an outright owner of Arsenal is a bad bad thing.
No accountability or conscience!