Coming at you from 30,000 feet above the ground as I travel home from Vermont to North Carolina. Here's a fun article for y'all:
First, anyone who believes that
we are entitled to a place in the Champions League is an idiot and
needs to stop talking before they look even less intelligent than
they already do.
No one is EVER entitled to a
place in the Champions League. Those places are earned. If you don't
qualify, you don't deserve a place in the Champions League, plain and
simple. We didn't qualify, so we don't really deserve a place in the
Champions League. That's my opinion, at least.
Second, everybody needs to grow
up and accept that Arsenal beat us to fourth. Fair and square.
There's no way of getting around that. I don't like doing it just as
much as the rest of you all, but anybody trying to delude themselves
otherwise is as idiotic as the folks above.
Third, if you're going to get
into a twitter argument with Gooners about the finishing order, be
smart about it. Your "have fun exiting the Champions League at
the Group Stage!"s are worthless against the Gooners' "at
least we're in the Champions League."s. You'll lose that
argument every time.
But there is a way to corner the
Gooners courtroom and lawyer-style. A sound argument that no Gooner
(as of now) can protest. And I'm going to share it with you, so that
we can all look more like the bright lot of supporters that we are
and not the buffoons that the ignorant Spurs supporters are (sadly,
they exist)/ the Gooners see us as. Ready?
Here's your "trump card",
so to speak: Arsenal currently have no evidence of a long-term
upside.
When I say that, I mean that
there is no evidence that Arsenal will be better than what they
already are in the future.
Arsenal aren't moving up the
table anytime soon, but they aren't slipping backwards either. What
they are is stagnant. This comes in contrast to the claim I have seen
some Spurs fans make- that Arsenal are a club slipping. Getting
worse by the year. As of now, that too is incorrect. It's not that
Arsenal are any getting any worse now; their decline from the lofty
heights of the Invincibles has already happened. Rather, we are
getting better. We are on the way up.
If you don't believe that Arsenal
are stagnant, look at the past half-decade for the Gooners. Each
season has consisted of a top-four finish in the Premier League, a
knockout in the Champions League Round of 16, and a (well-documented)
lack of trophies. It's a rut that they have grown accustomed to,
whether or not they realise it. And even though Arsene has claimed
time and time again that there is no "lack of ambition" as
many have suspected, I question his ability to guide Arsenal to
anything beyond a top-four finish. I honestly think that his defiant
nature behind the press conference microphone is him trying to avoid
the fact that he simply doesn't know how to advance Arsenal any
further than where they are now. I think he's a man in denial.
So, if you really want to get the
goats of the Gooner supporters you know, ask them this (and I dare
you all to tweet at them with this too!):
What reason should I have to
believe that Arsenal will do anything in 2013/14 besides finish
fourth in the Premier League, get knocked out in the Champions League
Round of 16, and not win a trophy?
Right now, I see none. That could
change over the course of the offseason, depending on what
acquisitions they make in the transfer window, but as of now, Crystal
Ball James says that's precisely what Arsenal are going to do next
season.
Now, should a Gooner ask you why
we should believe that Spurs will do better than the Europa League
next season, I would say:
-That AVB lead us to a
club-record 72 points in his first season of manager at Tottenham
Hotspur;
-That many of the moves made in
January were "deadwood-clearing" moves that have us in good
shape to go get that damn striker in the transfer window;
-Alba Violet Bale (which is my
personal symbol for my belief that Gareth Bale will stay at Spurs
unless we get Ronaldo-money for him);
And that the last three times
this club has finished fifth in the Premier League, it has followed
that up the next season with a fourth-place finish. And we just
finished fifth.
Here's the thing: if I were a
Gooner, I would be bored as hell. What fun is it to follow a football
club if you know exactly how its season would play out before the
season even began? Because that's how I would feel if I were a
Gooner. And the worst part would be that I would have no hope of my
side getting any better.
I know that most of you are at
least aware of Piers Morgan's unabashed love of Arsenal, and all of
his Arsenal-related tweets. And I know that a lot of you don't like
him as a result. Now, he might get cocky and a little too sure of
himself for my taste most of the time, but give the man credit for
one thing, because he's right when he makes this point:
Arsenal will not begin to trend
upward again until Arsene Wenger is no longer manger of Arsenal
Football Club.
And that's only part of the
problem over there- I think that the board will need to go too if
Arsenal are to do any better in the future.
The funny thing is that I don't
think a lot of Arsenal fans realise or understand this. I think that
they're right happy with making the Champions League, not winning any
trophies, and finishing in fourth. I think their fans are complacent.
Now, I suppose that hindsight is much closer to 20/20 when you have
the benefit of a third person-perspective, but I think it's pretty
clear to all of us at Spurs that Arsenal aren't going anywhere
anytime soon.
Which leads me to another point-
what if we make the Champions League in a future season at Arsenal's
expense? And what if the Europa League is that kick-in-the-pants that
Arsenal need to get out of the rut that they're in? And what if they
make changes accordingly to avoid the Europa League in the season
after? There's no denying that Arsenal have the financial might to
sweep us off the floor if they got their act together, and that would
be a case in which I would fear for the long-term success of THFC
compared to the Gooners. In that case, I might just hope that both
clubs make the Champions League, if nothing else so that it keeps
Arsenal in the state of delusion that they're currently in.
But as it stands, I don't think
we have much to worry about in the "Arsenal getting better
department". At this point, we know the bar that we have to
reach to beat them- it hasn't changed for a few years now, and at
this point it's not going to change unless something drastic happens
to Arsenal. The bar is set. All we have to do is make sure that
we aim above it. If you want to fault AVB for anything, fault him for
not aiming high enough in the table. But even then, his stated goal
of 70 points would have secured Champions League football in all but
two of the past 20 seasons, and would have tied a club record for
most points secured in a single Prem season by Tottenham Hotspur. How
much higher can you go than that?
I think of that magic number of
70 points, and I am so often reminded of the everlasting quote from
Bill Nick:
"It is better to fail aiming
high than to succeed aiming low. And we of Spurs have set our sights
very high, so high in fact that even failure will have in it an echo
of glory."
Because this season is very much
a case of failing while aiming high. Likewise, I believe that this
"failure" has an echo of glory- that brand-new club record
of 72 points. I don't know about the rest of you, but I think that
being mad at AVB for not aiming high enough this season would be
trivial.
A bit of a side note here, but I
love that AVB isn't concerned about the table so much as he is about
a points total- I think the emphasis on the points is absolutely
brilliant, because it forces you to focus on only what you yourself
are doing in the league. You are the only ones who can earn points
for yourself- no other club can earn points for you directly. It
teaches the lads that they can't expect anyone else to earn points
for them and do them any favours (as this season, along with many
others, has proved).
So how do we go about solving
this problem of "failing while aiming high"? By setting the
bar higher. And if we are to "raise the bar", then
that means that AVB will have to set a goal of a point total higher
than 72. Personally, I'm hoping that his goal for 2013-2014 will be
80 points. Call me crazy when I say that, but when I look at the
early season slip-ups to West Brom and Norwich, the November slide
(including Ade's ridiculous red card, among other things), the game
away to Everton, the match at Anfield, and the draw with Wigan… I
don't know about you, but between all those close matches there are
surely 8 points that we could have taken off the table instead of
leaving them on it. Now that 80 point goal is very much contingent on
how the summer goes for us. And for me, that means:
- Resigning Bale (we're not quite good enough yet to be able to replace him without a hitch, but we're a lot closer than a lot of people think)
- Selling Scott Parker to QPR (because we aren't going to get a better deal for him than the one Harry gives us)
- SIGNING THAT DAMN STRIKER (I could care less if it's Benteke or Damiao, but we've GOT to sign someone capable of scoring goals and giving Adebayor a reason to work his ass off)
- And selling any one/ all of BAE, Livermore, and/or Naughton (because we've got way too much deadwood in the midfield/ defence to be chasing a Champions League spot)
And the best part of all? If we
hit 80 points, I think we would almost be assured of not just pipping
Arsenal to a Champions League spot, but soundly beating them to it.
Because I can't see Arsenal getting anything much higher than 70
points. With 80 points, we would be 2-3 games clear of Arsenal.
That's quite the gap if you ask me. And to be honest, I think that
that's how the "North London Revolution" will take place-
not by us squeezing past the Gooners, but by us thumping them in the
table and establishing our authority over them with a significant
margin.
Maybe then the folks at the
Emirates will begin to see the plight that they're in. Maybe then
Piers Morgan will start tweeting in fury about how he was right all
along. In that case, I will be off in my gigantic recliner chair in
the corner, sipping on a glass of Jack Daniels and saying "shame
on you, Arsenal, for failing to see it coming and for failing to do
anything about it."
The future is Lilywihite because
Arsenal are stagnant. Take that to your Gooner friends on twitter,
and let the war begin.
-James
Comment on this article below and follow e-Spurs Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/e_spurs
As an Arsenal supporter you're right but only up to a point. Building a new stadium with your own money is a big drag on your competitiveness until its paid for. As you are soon to discover when you build yours (which you must if you're ever going to get any higher than where you are). Ours is all but paid for now and the financial shackles are finally off. So your point is valid but not for any longer if Wenger does dust off the check book this summer. If he doesn't then we are screwed because I don't see us holding you off for much longer otherwise. Anyway, congrats on a great season, you had me worried for most of it and I'd rather you'd got the CL place than Chelsea you weren't quite good enough.
ReplyDeletenice but that argument is no good, anyone can improve, you lot have, anyone can go bad, we clearly had. we were shit and won a title two years later so really that argument is about as useful as a chocolate tea pot my friend.
ReplyDeleteArsenal fan in peace here. I would just like to say that arguments from both Tottenham and Arsenal fans giving reasons why they are on the up are just as valid as each other. Tottenham have just achieved their highest points total ever, whilst Arsenal picked up 26 points from their last 30 games. Also, we have finally more or less paid off our stadium debt, and that need for financial prudence, I believe has been the reason for Arsenal's stagnation. This summer will be very interesting - in my opinion, Tottenham should cash in on Bale, you will not progress as a team if you just rely on his 90th minute longshots. On the other hand, we seem to be close to signing Jovetic which is a great, but we need to spend wisely.
ReplyDeleteI like having Tottenham challenging, it makes the season much more interesting, just so long as you never finish above us, that is!
P.S - Are you guys still moving into a new stadium?
18 years & you still don't learn!
ReplyDeleteAll very intuitive but the simple truth is you were not good enough !! Take out Gareth Bale and you are a mid table side at best. Far too many not good enough, especially Adebayor.
ReplyDeleteI think in the case of this season the reason arsenal pipped spurs had more to do with the fact that they had an un-congested fixture list following their early exit from all comps. That and the fact that they played normally hard fixtures at easy times, eg Man U as champions, QPR following relegation etc.
ReplyDeleteI think if those fixtures had been differant and arsenal had still been in contention for other trophies, things would have been differant and they probably will be next year.
Arsenal fans looking back at 18 years? Its the next 18 you guys want to think about because this author is correct, you are stagnating and your ambition now appears to be limited to solely qualifying for a trophy you have no hope of winning but has money and prestige which appears to be the limit of ambition now.
ReplyDeleteLook how far behind you've dropped from the leaders? How has that happened? What about those arsenal teams of a decade ago? Then we would have read of Bale going to arsenal. Its been a dramatic decline in which the cracks have been papered over by UCL qualification which yes you are just about managing still, but for how much longer?
Firstly congrats to Spurs on keeping the fight alive right til the very (and I mean very) end. But sorry, Arsenal are not stagnating by any means. Spurs have started along the long road to a new stadium. It will be interesting to see how competitive they remain whilst that is all going on. Arsenal are now through the worst of it, and the future is looking an awful lot brighter now than it has for a long time. The lack of trophies has been a bit grim, but with all the oil money buying up trophies left right and centre, that has reduced the opportunities for everyone, not just Arsenal. Let's also not forget that without the League Cup, Spurs have won nowt since what, 1991?
ReplyDeleteNot denying Spurs are on the way up, but the distance between the two clubs is only going to get bigger over the next 10-15 years.
American gooner here also in peace. The answer to your question is yes, we have quite a few reasons to feel confident about the future.
ReplyDeleteFirst reason is financial growth. The stadium debt will no longer be the albatross it has been in the last few years. New (much favorable) commercial deals will replace the not so good old ones, including the return of control over merchandising in 2014. All this new money means actually bringing players into the club, rather than selling superlative players year after year. Oh, and this summer Arsenal will have their analogue to your dead wood clearing summer. If it's good for you, it's good for us too. To the tune of about £200K of savings a week.
Second reason is the fact that the squad has stabilized. The more cynical among us might say that Arsenal have no superlative players to sell anymore. The way I see it, Arsenal finally found a core of players, sans superstars, who aren't going anywhere any time soon. These guys were ably to amass 40 points in the second half of the season. With just this squad we should be able to match your stated goal of an 80 point season.
Third reason is a corollary of the first two. More money means greater spending power. If under financial constraints Arsène is able to get Nacho Montreal, Santi Cazorla, Oliver Giroud and Lukas Podolski, think who he could get if/when the purse strings are loosened. Stevan Jovetić, Gonzalo HiguaÃn, Victor Wanyama... or maybe just the next Laurent Koscielny. Who knows? New, established players on top of a stable base. Imagine that. The future is bright. And yes, it is Red and White.
Well done this season, you have just informed every Arsenal fan what they already knew. I also agree that the time is up for Wenger and thank him for what he had done for the club. A new season, new players and a new manager is required for Arsenal to push on and we all know it. The only thing that may play into ours and your hands is the manager changes for all three of the teams in the top positions. AVB has at least had one excelent year with Spurs, keeping Bale is a must for you and Wenger has all the experience we need to possibly push for the title if they spend well. It does make the difference having Spurs pushing Arsenal all the way and I hope it continues. That's football and I love it, after our poor start I thought the season was over within the first 2 months and we manage 4th, yes I am happy with that after our worst ever start. You just don't know what is going to happen, Newcastle in relegation battle after the season before, West ham in the top 10, West Brom with a magnificent start, Everton challenging for Champions league. I can't wait for August and with Liverpool improving it's not going to be an easy to get in the top 4 positions once again.
ReplyDeletearsenal type, not in peace: massive problem with your goal difference> reliance on 1 individual> spurs are midtable medicrity w'out bale. even saf said arsenal are building a better squad than most realise, spurs squad is bale.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteArsenal Fan, here.
Are there any Spurs fans actually reading this blog? All the comments seem to be from Gooners. :)
As an Arsenal fan I get more pleasure out of Spurs than any other non-Arsenal PL team (and I'm sure the opposite is true ie if Arsenal lose then Spurs fans get a lot of pleasure from that). I agree with the point made ie that Arsenal have slipped and stagnated.
ReplyDeleteThe amount of extra TV, shirt and stadium money coming to Arsenal is huge and we will get 300k plus per week of wages off our wage bill (Arshavin, Squiller, Chamakh, Denilson, Park, Bendtner etc), meaning we can afford to buy excellent players and pay their wages.
So we are at a tipping point that give us a better chance, especially as we will have more stability this summer ie we have lost too many good players in the last few years (we have signed an English core plus Ramsey for the long-term. Hence the first half of most seasons has been dire and we have picked up in the second half as the team gels. If we can maintain our second half form and add one or two great players we will improve, potentially a lot. Whether we can keep up with the oil money is another matter.
And our manager will have been at the same club for almost as long as the managers of the other 19 clubs put together.
I can't hate Spurs, they have given me a lot of pleasure over the years. Playing on Spursdays and a injury to Bale would mean that they will struggle to get so high in the league, so there may be more pleasure to come.
There one thing you forgot!!!
ReplyDeleteArsene is stubborn and sees Arsenal as his own project to build a team that he has personally developed from the ground up. That's why there will be no marquee signings, that's why he is loosing ground every year.
Incidentally, I hated it when Spurs were mid-table and we were going through the season unbeaten. I much prefer a strong but not too-strong Spurs.
ReplyDeleteStrange but true.
At the end of the day my spurs chums its a case of top4 for the Gooners and ITV4 for the spurs. On the up you are but still sitting in the shadow........The battle next year will be close and i dare say you will be there or there abouts but i believe with the other big clubs losing managers and going through change its our big chance to both step up and challenge for top honours, bring on the new season.... all the best !!
ReplyDeleteGUNNERS, BRACE UP…
ReplyDeleteI will only try to explain the current position of this great London club that sweats out with visiting opponents in a magnificent edifice called The Emirates.
People, including Arsenal fans call Wenger all sort of names when, indeed, the French tactician should be worshiped by at least Arsenal fans for his feat at the club for past 16 years. First, Le Prof wants trophies more than anybody out there but he stubbornly wouldn’t do that at the detriment of a club he had given everything to build.
Wenger shed secret tears seeing Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie go. He had nurtured the Spaniard into one of the best central midfielders in world football, nurtured the Dutch into one of the most-potent strikers in the world as well as elevated his fellow Frenchman into a class act. In the end, they had to go, not necessarily for trophy as we were made to believe but actually for bigger pay. Perhaps only Fabregas left for something entirely different. It was clear that Wenger had hoped to start winning with those three as his fulcrum. But they broke his heart or rather, other clubs did before Arsenal was ready.
Arsenal ready? There’s no way the club would have broken their wage structure and survived financially – all in name of trophies that wasn’t even guaranteed. Barcelona, Man City and Man Utd saw this and mercilessly raided Arsenal..there was nowhere a 29-year old van Persie could turn down a jumbo pay of 235,000 pounds pay week when Arsenal was only willing to pay 130,000! Nasri was lured with 180,000 while Arsenal was paying 80,000.
By then Arsenal were just managing to balance the books. Arsenal has the best of modern facilities and academy big enough to accommodate U-3s. They have a very big backroom and playing staff, hence wages were enormous. From Wenger to Angela Murphy, Arsenal have 39 coaching staff on the payroll! (20 first team staff, 14 academy staff and 5 ladies staff). Yet, there’s the issue of servicing as well as paying back the stadium loan. Arsenal and Arsene couldn’t afford to keep their best players because, no thanks to Chelsea, Man City, etc…money has suddenly become the name of the modern game.
Today, Arsenal got £57,111, 685 pounds from 2012/13 season, combined total of shirt and kit deals stand at over £60 million every year from next season..
We’re told Wenger has more than £70 million to spend this summer…and I know he will spend it but be warned Gunners…it won’t be enough to turn things automatically around. Chelsea, Man City, Man U and even Tottenham have great teams and all bar none will certainly strengthen in the summer, Chelsea and Man City particularly. If no Arsenal player leaves…in fact, there’s no other world class talent left besides Wilshere, then the chemistry they achieved last 10 weeks will lead them from season’s beginning until expected new signings bed in. However, the top three will all change managers and it will affect their early balance. It’s left for the Gunners to fly off the blocks.
If you’re a Gunner fan, hold your breath yet…the trophies may not come by next season but Arsenal won’t struggle for top 4…they’ll be challenging…a trophy may role in if the luck smiles our way. But the top 3 teams have left Arsenal far behind in quality of players that Wenger has been performing miracles these past eight seasons to continuously trudge along. Three good years of continued improvement is needed, not just one season, to catch up.
I had written the above before I read the one above. Great...I'd wish Tottenham make 85 points next time. I think that'd be enough to make Gunners win. Since we always finish above them, maybe we make 89..which was enough for past two titles!
I thot the first part of your article was brilliant ... but when I got to your 'Trump Card' ... it really sounds buffoney ... Good luck at Europa =)
ReplyDeleteThat's it? Arsenal are stagnant is your 'trump' card? Really?
ReplyDeleteWow!
Well, if that were true, surely that would strike fear into every Spurs fan. A truly stagnant Arsenal is still better than 'highest-ever-points-total Spurs'. Spurs' best is still worse than Arsenal's stagnant!
Whatever floats your boat, man. If you get solace from that - enjoy.
but the truth is simple. Spurs had their best ever chance in 18 years to overtake Arsenal. all their best players were sold, the entire media were against them, Spurs were praised to the hilt, had the player of the season scoring 30-yard undeserved winners in dying minutes, but you still came short.
Arsenal will buy serious talent for next season. The chasm will be huge.
You tried, you failed. You want to call it glorious failure? Go ahead.
Its very hard to take aperson who considers piers morgan a sound of reason when it comes to matters of football. The man who suggested that arsenal fire wenger for martin o'neal who almost send sunderland to relagation. The reason Pier morgan is a talk host in a tv show is because the only thing/talent he has is running his mouth. He spews rubbish to stay relevant by creating contravacy. He don't like Arsenal and damn hates Spurs.
ReplyDeleteAs for Spurs the reason you struggle to overhall the Gunz is; you have a small ambition as a club. You can't start every season by aiming to beat Arsenal, yet they are not the standard bearers in the league.My Grand dad always told me to aim for heaven if i fall i hit the sky...Spurs target arsenal if they fall they are out of the champions legue.... Target the champions if you fall you have a chance for 2, 3 or 4. the area of risk is large and can be managed.. Peace
All you have to peddle is the unknown and unknowable future. Spurs have been peddling this pipe dream for years now. Of course it is always possible that this dream will come true eventually. Who knows? Sadly for you, reality always seems to smack you hard in the face and that reality - ie, what actually happens - is all that really matters. What an incredible fantasy trump card you have offered.
ReplyDeleteClutching at straws here aren't we....
ReplyDeleteBuild a new Stadium, and pay it off whilst maintaining a top four spot and then we can talk.
Spurs have grown, and AVB has been excellent in doing a Wenger - keeping them competitive whilst losing VDV and Modric, but Wenger has lost had his best player, had them hand picked by the Billionaires and United for five years whilst maintaining a top four spot against ever increasing oppersition.
Now the debt is more managable and the commercials deals improved do you really see Arsenal not improving? there will be additions and no one leaving making for a stronger squad than the previous 4 - 5 years.
It will be Spurs this summer with the vultures circling around Bale as they have done with RvP, Nasri, Cesc, etc. for the past few summers. Will he turn down 250,000 a week? and Champions League football and the chance of Silverware, the chance to play with Messi?
Arsenal fan here.
ReplyDelete1.) Arsenal's previous sponsorship deal was 55 million quid over 7 years. Their new deal with Puma is worth 170 million over 5!!! 30 million a year buys a top class player every year.
2.) New stadium paid off. Spurs haven't even started on theirs yet.
Lets see if AVB can emulate Wenger in keeping a top 4 place while building a new stadium.
The Goon here,
ReplyDeleteI like the way you naively look at and interpret things. "Arsenal stagnant, Spurs on their way up".......sigh. i don't know how many times I have to say this cos its beginning to irritate me how naive spurs fans can be, I said it when you were 13 points ahead last season and I said it when your were 7 points ahead this season. Its not about the rivalry but it's just simple football analysis. I understand you are using statistical straightforward logic but the TRUTH is Arsenal is light years ahead of spurs in terms of management and the experience they have gained in these trophyless years. Yes they may seem to stagnate but look at the lessons over these dry seasons, lessons which even if spurs where to win the league, champions league or whatever would never have because they simply come by old fashioned experience. That is why no matter how many lead points spurs will have, Arsenal has had too too much heartbreak they know when to make it count, something spurs will never have except they go thru it. 1) Spurs have been buying players, Arsenal have been selling their best players 2). Arsenal have been in downsize mode and had financial constraints(maintenace mode) Tottenham have been investing and in "upsize" mode (improvement mode) 3) Tottenham are Hungrier for any form of success , Arsenal have been unambitious because they have had a track record to fall back on 4). Winning a trophy does not endorse a successful status of a club ask ManCity,Swansea,spur..oops. Just because Spurs have been finishing above liverpool does not make spurs a bigger and more succesful club and if it was a final vs spurs, tradition ingrained will demand to favour liverpool or arsenal or man u to an extent chelsea why?because thats what makes a club, its history/tradition. Thats why no matter how many times spurs battle arsenal for a crucial spot they will lose out its called pride "the old guard and defending your honour"..which reminds me Defoe better stop making those bets against Wilshere. 6) Arsenal - most prolific striker of the time(RVP)= champions league spot why experience in maintenance management, Spurs - last minute saviour(Gareth bale)= "I think you know the answer to that". 7) Spurs are so desperately obsessed to measure themselves using Arsenal(very low standards, as all top 4 teams have been crap in past 4-5 seasons, even Man U has jus won the league with the worst ever side, Arsenal 4th with a substandard squad. look at epl team stats in uefa . so spurs are on the Up?really? or has the bar dropped...hmmm food for thought ), Arsenal are desperately in need to win a SINGLE TROPHY( thats the only thing missing to embolden the belief they have always had "Sleeping Giant" ). I will stop here but it beggers belief that rivalry has a way of blinding people to looking at analytically. I could go on and dont even get me started about the Transfer window cause yes Arsenal will get or should i say have got their Act together, the fact that Arsenal almost lost out to that spot to spurs twice in a row is a serious wake up call believe you me. Jovetic in soon, and I d take Higuain off your shopping list. Spurs will be up there next season but gamble at your own risk in saying Wenger won't push further. He is not their by accident
Interesting but inaccurate article. For example, the past "half a decade" has included a semi-final and 2 quarter finals in the Champs league. That said, the sentiment that this could be a defining close season for Aresenal is true but is also true for Spurs. Further, this would have been the case had roles been reversed; If Spurs had finished 4th and not challenged and perhaps dropped back to 5th or 6th, this year would have been seen as a flash in the pan. In reality now, they - and Arsenal - will have to spend just to maintain the staus quo as Liverpool may well be improving and the top 3 will go and spend another fortune this summer due to managerial changes. Prediction for next May? Similar to this May in that one of the top 3 will win the league and be joined in the top 4 by either Spurs, Liverpool or (most probably) Arsenal.
ReplyDelete