The mid-table of european football
Morning,
Last night was a bitter pill to swallow. We were comfortably beaten by a very good side and there is no shame in that. There was plenty of effort but not enough quality. For Bayern they scored two early goals sat back and hit us on the break. It was great to watch and reminded me of the Arsenal back in the early 00’s. Every season we’ve qualified for the Champions League and progressed to the knockout stages but this is all down to our Coefficient after so many years in the competition. We’d most likely struggle if we were seeded maybe second or third and in European football terms we’re as mid-table as you can get. Wenger has been convinced time and time again that his group of players can mix it with the best but every season they fail him. The last three seasons we’ve been beaten comfortably by Bayern, Barca and Milan and unfortunately it’s going to take a massive overhaul of the playing staff to get anywhere near the best in Europe.
The above is why it hurt so much to lose to Blackburn. That was a massive chance of winning a cup competition as was the League Cup and yet again we came short. Is Arsene to blame? Absolutely, but the players are also to blame as much as the manager. They might not be good enough to beat Bayern but they’re certainly good enough to beat Bradford and Blackburn. We now face a big task to qualify for the Champions League and will need a massive effort by all the players to pip Spurs or Chelsea to 3rd or 4th place. The Champions League is a must to qualify for and we can hopefully expect an off season without the distraction of which players will be leaving. There are no RVPs, Cesc’s or Nasri’s this Summer. The worst case scenario is that players such as Sagna will move on, and as good a right back as he is, let’s remember he’s 30 and I’m sure there are good enough right backs out there to replace him. Our best players such as Santi, Wilshere and Walcott will all be staying and for me there is no player who will leave a gaping whole if they were to leave. If we can go and get ourselves another Three Santi Cazorla’s, Lucas Podolski’s or Nacho Monreal’s then we’ll only be a better team. Giroud will be a year wiser, Wilshere will have a full season and maybe just maybe there will be a little cause for optimism.
Now let’s bring on the Villa.
Until next week.
That result has been coming for a while. We’re not at the races at the moment.
The team went out last night without a game plan. We pumped long balls up to a small forward in Walcott, while the 6ft 4in one sat on the bench. The centre backs looked like they have not trained together. We play without a defensive midfielder, have done for 5 years.
The Manager is making a real mess of his legacy. He needs to walk.