Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger announced on Friday that he would be leaving the club in the summer after 22 years in charge of the north London outfit, and the search will now begin for the iconic Frenchman’s successor.
It was expected in many circles that the 68-year-old would go at the end of what has been a largely disappointing season, with the Gunners once again set to miss out on Champions League qualification in the Premier League – where they have failed to pick up a single point on the road so far in 2018.
They can still qualify for the Europe’s elite club competition by winning the Europa League however, and Wenger will be determined to see off La Liga giants Atletico Madrid in a two-legged semi-final tie in order to get through to the final.
There will be many names linked with coming in to succeed Wenger in the coming days and months, and Arsenal certainly have a big decision to make given that the new man will need to follow in the footsteps of a legend – even if things haven’t always been positive in recent years.
Former players Mikel Arteta and Patrick Vieira may well be in contention, while the fans chose Juventus’ Massimo Allegri as their preferred option on Twitter earlier this month.
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte may also be in the frame with his future at Stamford Bridge looking to be in severe doubt.
While the Italian could be a contender to replace Wenger, Arsenal could also easily find themselves fighting with their London neighbours to appoint a certain individual this summer.
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So, Arsenal fans, who would you like to see replace Wenger next term? Let us know by voting below…
In signing at Old Trafford in dramatic style towards the end of this season’s summer transfer window, Radamel Falcao certainly became one of the most high profile names to make their way to the Premier League in recent years.
Alongside the likes of teammate Angel Di Maria, Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, and Jose Mourinho’s effective duo of Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa, English football found itself with a whole new bunch of stars to contend with at the beginning of the season – with expectation surrounding such said names as high as it’s ever been in the modern era.
So then, when you consider that Radamel Falcao has definitely been one of the biggest disappointments so far this term, the Colombian’s future with the Red Devils seemingly doesn’t stand in the most concrete of places at the moment.
With the likes of Juventus, Real Madrid, and even title rivals Chelsea being linked with the 29-year-old striker in recent weeks however, Manchester United will ultimately have to think twice before ushering Falcao out the door at Old Trafford, and releasing his talents back into the ever-competitive realms of top level European football.
Simply put, giving up on the South American hitman should come as a hard decision for Louis van Gaal and the Manchester United backroom staff – regardless of how poor his form has been throughout the 2014/15 campaign.
Yes, injuries have proven to be part of his downfall time and time again this season, yes, the money currently being spent on the Colombian certainly seems a bit over the top to say the very least, and of course, any deal that was put in place to land the striker at the beginning of the campaign may now have to be changed in light of his drop in form – but as the player in question has proven to be more than worthy of the praise whilst playing for Porto and Atletico Madrid not too long ago – Radamel Falcao still has to be seen as a player with some pretty wild qualities.
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Although fans of the Premier League sadly haven’t seen a great deal of promise from the on loan Monaco man this season, the 29-year-old still has it in his locker to test even the very best defences in the modern game.
Falcao’s movement often doesn’t receive enough credit as it deserves. The intelligence shown in his off-ball running really can work a treat when things are going well for the striker, his aerial ability has actually been unplayable in the past – and despite only managing to score a meagre four league goals so far this term – the former Porto and Atletico man certainly has what it takes to score some truly well-crafted finishes when fortune is on his side.
The media backlash from failing to do the business in the Premier League this season has likely been something the no. 9 has never properly experienced before. When coupled with the fact that Louis van Gaal unceremoniously dropped him to the U21’s not too long ago, it starts to become clear that Radamel Falcao’s problems this season are stemming from a confidence issue, and not because his overall ability is not up to scratch.
If Manchester United therefore see fit to end the player’s spell at Old Trafford rather abruptly this summer without seeing him offer up his true potential in 2014/15, the Red Devils could simply be handing over one of football’s most effective weapons to a rival next season.
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Especially if the talk involving Chelsea turns out to be more than mere speculation in the next few months, Louis van Gaal’s side could embarrassingly be on the end of a real threat if Falcao returns to Old Trafford with a point to prove across next year’s campaign. His poor form can’t last forever after all, and as the striker is likely to adjust quicker to his surroundings with one full season of Premier League football under his belt next term, the whole ‘form is temporary and class in permanent’ notion might just come back to haunt the Red Devils.
If the Colombian’s reported £43million price tag is still on the table throughout the approaching summer transfer window however – with some pretty obscene wage demands also likely to be in place for the striker – maybe keeping hold of Radamel Falcao isn’t quite as cut and dry as it seems – especially as he has simply looked nowhere near the amount of money being talked about with his ultimately poor performances out on the pitch this season.
People get a little overworked when you take away something dear to them. Or perhaps not, perhaps it’s just the thought of having something taken away from you that riles people, even if they don’t really need it.
Football fans crave the January transfer window and view it as their own Christmas. Forget Happy New Year and all that, January 1st marks the start of insane decisions made by those in the boardrooms of clubs and the insatiable hunger from fans to unearth as much gossip as possible – only for them to shoot down the messenger when they hear something they don’t like.
So what’s the point of the January window? I know Sky will come up with a whole host of reasons to keep it going. In fact, how much of their yearly viewership comes from that month alone? When there’s not much else to talk about (or gossip about), reruns of an interview with a bloke in his car will do.
But’s it’s not really about Sky or the fans, and it never has been. I’m not one for saying I haven’t sat there insisting certain clubs should start taking themselves seriously and spend some money, but why shouldn’t clubs live and die by their own decisions? If clubs can’t make it through the season from their business in the summer window then maybe some managers need to give the whole football thing a rethink.
QPR have bought two teams in the space of six months and they still might go down. Buying a goalkeeper halfway through the season because your first-choice has been ruled out for months is acceptable, as Real Madrid were fortunate, sort of, that Iker Casillas’ injury came during the last week of January. And that’s the purpose the window should serve, not in allowing clubs to field two completely different teams in a league campaign just because a manager or owner severely screwed it up the last time around.
Isn’t a good football manager viewed as someone who can take his team and prove that they’re the best (or just a little better than others) over the course of 38 games? That’s why a league title is a better representation as to how good a team is or was than a Champions League title.
Isn’t it said that the most managerial sackings occur in November? And it’s hardly difficult to understand why. It nicely sets up a big month of spending for a new manager and his new club, who, in all honestly, don’t really have the means to part with the sort of cash usually required for a January fire fight.
Some sports leagues do the whole thing of leaving the transfer ‘window’ open throughout the year and close it just prior to the playoffs, but that really couldn’t work in football. For starters, sports teams in America are largely protected from having their best players poached during random stages of the season due to contracts, salary caps, no-trade clauses etc. None of that exists in football, and who’s to say clubs with the means to do so won’t just harass their way to victory in the transfer market? In fact, forget them. The better perspective is to look at clubs like Everton, Tottenham or Arsenal, who have players wanted by bigger clubs in England or on the continent but who are protected by the closure of the windows in August/September and January/February.
You look at the bigger teams in the Premier League this January, and for the most part you can say they were all sensible. Liverpool were always in need of another striker but also managed to find a bargain in Coutinho. The arrival of the Brazilian will improve Brendan Rodgers’ side, but it wouldn’t have broken them if they didn’t make the move. Manchester United rolled the dice on Wilfried Zaha but loaned him straight back to Crystal Palace. Nothing really to write home about there, they could have completed that signing in June. Arsenal’s move for Nacho Monreal was out of necessity, but it could be argued that Arsene Wenger should have made a signing of that quality last summer. And the same goes for Chelsea, who picked up Demba Ba for a release clause rumoured to be in effect during the summer window.
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No one really comes out of this January mess on top. Clubs like QPR may survive and benefit from the increased television revenue, but then what? A club like that are unlikely to see added windfalls from competitions like the Champions League, so how do they deal with the wages they picked up this January?
Football, in reality, scraps a whole month-worth of football because the majority of clubs are too wound up with the transfer window. Emergency signings should be sanctioned, as we’ve seen in the past. But if a club is not adequately guided or prepared during the summer months for the long haul of a league season, without any safety net midway through, then that’s their problem. Live and die by the decisions you make ahead of each season.
Mohamed Salah has been a crucial member of Liverpool’s team this season, and if he were to miss out on Tuesday’s Champions League tie against Manchester City, it could be detrimental.
The Egyptian international has been in scintillating form, scoring 38 goals in all competitions, the most recent of which came against City in the first leg.
The 25-year-old opened the scoring in a sensational opening 45 minutes that resulted in the Reds going 3-0 up.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane also found the back of the net, while City struggled to respond and failed to nab what could have been an important away goal.
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Given how dominant Pep Guardiola’s side have been in the Premier League as they have a 13-point advantage in the title race, many tipped the club to be favourites to progress.
However, Liverpool find themselves in that position due to last week’s result, which was not just about the attackers, but the team’s ability to keep City’s stars quiet.
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During the match, Salah pulled up with a groin problem and missed last weekend’s Merseyside derby, but Klopp is hopeful that his key player will be fit for tomorrow.
Liverpool fans have tweeted their reaction to the update.
Whisper it quietly, but could Daniel Levy again be sharpening his axe, ready to dismiss yet another Tottenham manager? Is Mauricio Pochettino’s job really safe?
The 11th manager under his stewardship is only in his first year at White Hart Lane and his team sit only six points off a Champions League place. However, following a humbling capitulation at the hands of rivals Manchester United, the chance of a top-four place remains slim at best.
With Spurs also out of every cup competition, will Levy really see this as the progression he craves so dearly? Still needing another 20 points to overhaul Sherwood’s solitary season in charge and a further three points to ensure he records more than the much-maligned Andre Villas Boas.
The Argentinian will point to how he has been so keen to include youth in his sides, with players such as Ryan Mason, Nabil Bentaleb and of course the revelation that is Harry Kane. However, did injuries and lack of form force his hand? Where would Spurs be now if Pochettino had included the young forward from August, rather than simply giving into undeniable fan pressure?
Some of his detractors would also argue that his predecessor did much of the hard-work, bedding the young players into his first XI months before the current manager reverted to doing the same.
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Of course, this seems a harsh assessment, for if Eriksen’s free kick, dipped underneath, rather than hitting the crossbar, Tottenham could have very well lifted the first major trophy of the domestic season. Also with nine games to go the opportunity for Champions League football is still available.
At a normal football club, under a normal chairman, his job would be safe beyond measure. But this is not a normal chairman, he has shown a propensity to dispense with managers like few others in the game and has arguably turned the club into a circus.
The main argument for keeping Pochettino in a job is the effects he seems to already be having; they are now one of the fittest teams in the league. Their sheer volume of late goals point to that fact. With another pre-season and another window to sculpt his own team, Poch could still be hugely successful in North London.
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AVB was dismissed following capitulations against Liverpool and Manchester City; the current Tottenham team have been as humbly dispatched by Fiorentina in Europe and at Old Trafford last time out in the league.
Although, the majority of sane football fans would despair at the sheer thought of the former Southampton man even being at risk of losing his job, Daniel Levy has proved himself to be an impatient man, if Spurs’ season now feebly ends with a whimper. The chairman may, once again, feel like he has a decision to make.
After the freezing weather did its best to distort the fixture list and pile up the midweek fixtures for February and March, it was back to league duty for Crewe after ten days off since they overcame Bradford to reach the northern area final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.
The 1-1 draw at Leyton Orient on the twelfth day of January seemed an age ago and Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth gave Crewe a chance to get back to winning ways in League One after also losing to Stevenage in their previous home game.
After losing just one of this season’s fifteen home games at Dean Court, Bournemouth were not going to present an easy visit for side who have been witnessing a malaise in performances since the emphatic victory at Preston at the beginning of December. Crewe have won three times since then, but with scrappy, sluggish performances which have alerted manager Steve Davis to the need to alter formations and personnel as he attempts to arrest the slide that has now crept in through the form of results.
Davis tweaked the team further for the journey down south with Max Clayton partnering Mathias Pogba in attack as Bradden Inman and Byron Moore played wide of Abdul Osman and Luke Murphy in a 4-4-2, an alien system when it considered Davis has alternated with a 4-2-3-1 or a 3-5-2 over the course of the season. The defence was also changed, ever-present centre-half Mark Ellis was bizarrely dropped in favour of Adam Dugdale (who should not be starting at this level) and 20 year old Jon Guthrie, a centre-half by trade, was pushed to left-back to cover Matt Tootle’s absence through injury.
Against a side who had scored 47 goals in the comfort of their own home and had lost just one of their previous seventeen games, things looked ominous for Crewe who were a goal down within eight minutes. Dugdale succumbed to Marc Pugh’s trickery in the box and his fall led to Iain Williamson pointing at the penalty spot to allow Brett Pittman to fire past Steve Phillips. Crewe were settling in however and for a young side, their response was positive, Max Clayton headed at Shwan Jalal after good work by Moore, Inman and Murphy all saw shots go wide of the post while Pogba saw a drive deflected out for a corner.
Despite the good football being played there was little cutting edge and in Josh McQuoid and Lewis Grabban, the Cherries had a large threat on the counter attack, the latter broke free to round Steve Phillips on the stroke of half-time only to hit the side-netting with his effort. The second half continued in a similar vein, Pittman had three half chances while the pace of Grabban was also a constant danger, Phillips had to deny the attacker with his legs on the hour mark. For Crewe, Inman curled a shot just over while a neat passing move led to Pogba teeing up Osman who could not register enough power on his shot, it was the epitome of the good football the away side were playing that contained little ruthlessness in front of goal.
Probably the best indication into how well Crewe played to no reward was Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe’s admission that his own side appeared “leggy” and “tired” as a result of a packed recent schedule. “Such is the spirit in the squad that we managed to find our rhythm in the second half and we were superb” said Howe who saw his team double their lead in the 66th minute after Pittman applied a deadly finish to McQuoid’s low cross. Midfielder Simon Francis then forced a mistake from Phillips and defender Harry Arter should have put the game to bed as he headed over with the goal at his mercy.
Bournemouth were nearly made to pay for that miss as eighteen year old Ryan Colclough, who together with Ajay Leitch-Smith came on for Clayton and Inman, stabbed home at the back post following a scuffed effort from Pogba to halve the lead with fifteen minutes to go. It was the promising winger’s first professional goal and it gave the Alex a feint hope, only to see it soon extinguished as Wes Fogden, a Bournemouth substitute for McQuoid, was tripped by Osman to another, albeit controversial, penalty award.
Pittman thrashed it home to complete his hat-trick and to finish Crewe off. Davis was left to bemoan the referee’s decisions but the lesson was clear in that despite playing well, teams have to be clinical or risk being punished by very good teams, which Bournemouth clearly are, they moved up to fifth in League One while Crewe slipped down to 13th, the play-offs now a very distant dream separated by a margin of eight points.
This was always going to present a tough assessment of Crewe’s young side who are still on an education in League One and positives will be taken from the decent performances from Clayton, Moore and the young Guthrie who filled in respectably at left-back. There were clear signs of life that the in-form Crewe of November and early December was on its way back despite the run of three games without a win that Davis will have another attempt at stopping it against Scunthorpe back at Gresty Road next Saturday.
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Rangers failed to win for the third successive match on Saturday, drawing 2-2 away to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership.
After back-to-back defeats to Celtic and Kilmarnock before the international break, a win was crucial against the Steelmen in the Light Blues’ bid to secure second place in the top-flight.
However, their afternoon got off to a terrible start, falling to a two-goal deficit by the break and requiring a monster second half performance to rescue a point against Stephen Robinson’s outfit.
Supporters were left frustrated with the result and performance, criticising their defensive line in particular.
Bruno Alves got much of that criticism with fans believing he’s been a massive disappointment since arriving last summer.
They are now hoping to see David Bayes get more game time in his place, completely losing faith in the Portuguese’s ability.
With another year left on his contract, some are even hoping the club manage to get rid of him this summer.
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Let’s get it out there from the start… Arsenal have a mammoth task awaiting them this evening. The Gunners’ quite frankly woeful showing at home to Monaco sees them entering the second leg of the clubs’ last-16 clash with a 3-1 deficit, despite opening the encounter at the Emirates Stadium.
No team in the history of the Champions League has come back from such a socreline in the knockout phase, so Arsenal can make history if they overcome the odds in the Principality to defeat the Dimitar Berbatov-fronted side, who have only just returned to the top tier of French football – this is their second season back in the big time.
Stranger things have happened in the beautiful game, though. And with Arsenal needing at least three goals at the Stade Louis II, here are FIVE reasons to be positive…
Olivier Giroud
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“Giroud scores in the big games. He loves it. I hope he will score in this one. He is in a good run of form.”
The words of Robert ‘Bobby’ Pires in relation to the Gunners’ talismanic striker. Giroud has not always been a popular figure at the Emirates Stadium and still divides opinion, but his form this season has been excellent. Another goal in the weekend win over West Ham took the Frenchman’s league and cup tally for the season to 13, and it’s fair to say that he’s currently riding a wave of good form that has seen him firmly dislodge Danny Welbeck and become Wenger’s main man.
Monaco aren’t actually that good
Let’s not kid ourselves, Monaco aren’t a great side. This season is only their second back in Ligue 1 after a period of decline, which has been brought about by Russian money and the importing of talent. They finished last season as runners-up to PSG in the French top tier, and this season they may fail to quality for the Champions League altogether – they sit fourth behind Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon. Further to this, they’ve netted just 32 goals in their domestic league – only three more than relegation-threatened Toulouse.
The Stade Louis II is no cauldron
With Monaco being more of a millionaire’s playground than hotbed of football, the Stade Louis II is far from being an intimidating arena. Low stands and a running track don’t help to create an atmosphere, while a maximum capacity of 18,500 – which is rarely ever met – again ensures that noise is minimal. Arsenal need to get on the front foot and show what they can do from the off, which may be easier for them without a rampant home crowd.
However, Monaco have won 75% of all their Champions League clashes at the ground.
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Arsenal have a decent record against French sides
Building on statistics, Arsenal can take great heart from the fact they’ve met French opposition on five occasions in the Champions League knockout stages and have won out each time. Wenger appears to have a solid knowledge of the footballing scene in his homeland, and with the Gunners having had a recent break before their West Ham win he’s sure to have done his homework.
Monaco are low scorers
Monaco have netted just seven goals in the Champions League this season. SEVEN. To put that into context, Bayern Munich smashed the same number against Shakhtar Donetsk in a single match last week, the competition’s top scorer, Luiz Adriano, has hit nine, and Arsenal scored over double that figure in the group stage. The Londoners need to attack and keep it tight at the other end, so the Mediterranean side’s lack of cutting edge may be beneficial.
Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs has told Absolute Radio’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Football that he’s impressed by the performance of West Bromwich Albion ahead of their Barclays Premier League clash with the Red Devils this weekend. The midfielder said, “Steve Clarke has done a great job – after a few Assistant Manager’s jobs, he’s took control of the team and he has took it on to that next level.”
When asked if the Baggies could stick around for the rest of the season, Giggs said, “Yeah, I think they could. I think it all depends on injuries and suspensions with teams like West Brom if they keep everyone fit then they will have a great chance because obviously, confidence aside, it’s not a false position, I’ve seen a few of their games and they performed really well. So, yeah, they could do. Every season you have a team who surprises people and West Brom could be that this year.”
Giggs also discussed the return of Captain Nemanja Vidić from injury saying, “He’s a great defender, a world class defender, so we’ve no doubt missed him over the last year or so.”
The 39 year old also admitted the clock is ticking for him to maintain his record of scoring in every Premier League season saying, “Obviously I’d like to score but you know, it’s not something that plays on my mind really. But I suppose I am running out of time really, I’ve got half way to go so, we’ll see what happens.”
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Live and exclusive commentary of Manchester United versus West Brom can be heard on Absolute Radio on Saturday 29th December 2012 at 3pm – The build-up begins with Russ Williams at 1.30pm and Ian Wright presents Rock ‘N’ Roll Football at 5pm when the full-time whistle blows with a chance to discuss the day’s results.
Aston Villa are still in contention for automatic promotion to the Premier League following Tuesday night’s victory over Reading.
Steve Bruce’s side are seven points adrift of the top two with six games left to play, but as it stands, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Cardiff City are making it into the Premier League via the automatic route.
Villa’s stock dropped slightly in recent weeks after failing to win three Championship matches on the trot.
However, goals from Birkir Bjarnason, Conor Hourihane and Scott Hogan against Reading ensured that the Midlands outfit got back to winning ways at Villa Park.
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Understandably, the supporters were delighted with the result, and special praise was given to Hogan and Jack Grealish.
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Bjarnason also dominated the social media channels, with supporters hailing his performance, in particular the 25-yard strike that rippled the back of the net in the one-sided clash against the Royals.
The midfielder has only started nine league matches this season and has come off the bench in a further 12, scoring three goals and creating one assist.