As I predicted last weekend, after talking to my contacts in the midlands, I expected West Bromwich Albion manager Slaven Bilic to be sacked on Monday. I was two days early and he left on Wednesday! Now West Brom have turned to Sam Allardyce who has rescued more clubs from relegation than St. Bernard dogs have saved stranded mountaineers! But Sam will have his work cut out because West Brom invested only £20million in the last transfer window after promotion from the Championship second tier and I am afraid that only leads to one thing as poor Slaven and the club owners have discovered.
Will all be well at the Gunners?
Only three Premier League clubs have scored less goals than Arsenal, who have 11 goals in 13 games which leaves them in 15th place after four consecutive home defeats and one draw. However, the Arsenal management said this week that despite their poor start to this season, manager Mikel Arteta will not be sacked. Technical director Edu insists that everyone at the club remains behind the manager as he tries to turn things around at the Emirates. He said, “I know asking for patience for Arsenal is very strange because everyone has said that over long, long periods. Everything is fine internally although the results aren’t coming but that will change very shortly. The club needs stability because we have faced so many changes. Now is the time to try and be a stable club in the old sense—externally and internally. Now is the time to be together.”
Edu dismissed the row between Dani Ceballos and David Luiz as irrelevant. However, it reflects a worrying trend at Arsenal. Player discipline is a concern with Xhaka and Gabriel being sent off in their two most recent matches. Edu said that rumours of players losing belief in Arteta is also not true and the spirit and conviction of the players is as strong as ever and Arsenal will very soon begin to produce the results everyone wants. The facts do not agree with his comments. Again, training is an issue from what I am being told. First of all Arteta’s back-four defence is not working. He wants to build the team around 4-2-1-3 but then he needs a stronger midfield with two world class players and he does not possess them. With better players left patiently on the bench why play an out of form Xhaka every week? With Xhaka unable to play this week Maitland-Niles was given his chance at last. Arsenal have made more than 260 crosses into the box this season which is the highest in the league and yet they drop to 12th place with crosses converted into goals. Both main strikers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette are woefully out of form. The club is being squeezed financially with two highly paid players, Ozil and Sokratis sitting at home earning nearly half a million pounds per week between them. 19 year-old defender William Saliba has not played one single game since joining for £27 millon.
Chelsea signing Willian has been well below his excellent best but Arteta plays him regularly while impatient youngsters watch from the sidelines. Arteta’s mentor Pep Guardiola is on record as supporting his ex-assistant and says he will turn things around but the booing supporters at the game against Burnley will tell you that time is fast running out for the manager.
Hasenhutll says Southampton’s game against City is vital
High flying Southampton boss Ralph Hassenhuttl says the game against Manchester City this weekend will test just how good his Southampton team are. He said this week, “I recognise the steps we have made and this is very obvious in every part of our game. Even set-pieces are getting better and better. I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t continue what we’re doing at this moment. We’ve got a big game against City and that will see how good we are. How competitive we are. It’s not a coincidence that we are now very calm on the ball, we’ve tried to develop our game and create many solutions to all situations when we are on the ball.”
Lampard is in for the long term
Frank Lampard has pledged his future to Chelsea and made it clear he wants a new long-term contract even if he thinks of managing England as a future ambition. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has tremendous respect for long serving Lampard and is likely to sanction his wish providing he continues to improve the team with the new signings. Lampard is on a three-year deal signed when he took over as manager last summer. He has led Chelsea to qualification for the latter stages of the Champions League where they face tough opposition in Atletico Madrid but Lampard is confident they can come through. He said this week, “I felt like I took the job in a different position to the most recent Chelsea managers. I think people sympathise with that and I think I have been a success. I would love to be part of the long-term plan here. I’m a lucky man to be managing the club that I love and is my life.
Mourinho’s tactics with his full backs
Jose Mourinho planned carefully before parting with Spur’s cash and purchasing Sergio Reguilon from Real Madrid in September. Mourinho’s plan has succeeded perfectly. First he worked with Serge Aurier who previously had been a player with some rough edges such as being caught out by coming too far forward and being left stranded when opposing teams counter attack. He was also reckless in his tackles at times. Mourinho has ironed out those faults. Enter Reguilon, a Spanish full back with great athleticism and tremendous energy and strength who makes breaking runs forward whenever the opportunity presents itself. With Aurier showing new discipline at the back, when Reguilon breaks forward he is covered and makes sure Spurs are not left exposed with only two backs remaining in defence. Excellent planning from the “Special One.”
Klopp will not be leaving for Germany
Germany’s manager Joachim Low is under siege with his job severely threatened after his side were humiliated 6-0 by Spain recently. It was Germany’s heaviest defeat for 90 years! I am reliably informed that Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp is in the top three of a wish-list which the German football authorities have prepared. German newspapers have talked up Klopp for the job. However, I have bad news for them because when tackled on this subject Jurgen said he would not be leaving the Red’s just yet. He said this week, “Maybe in the future but for now, no because now I have no time. I also have a job - a pretty intense job by the way. The weather is bad here again but I am staying!”
Fulham manager spoke too soon
I really felt sorry for Fulham manager Scott Parker this week. After the south London club drew with Liverpool the manager said the team received a tremendous boost from the 2,00 fans allowed inside the stadium. He said, “They really cheered us on and motivated the players. It is difficult to play without the passion of the crowd and our supporters did us proud this week.”
Then, only days later, London went into Tier 3 because of Covid 19 and once again supporters will be locked out of games. Life really isn’t fair sometimes.
Guardiola justifies his faith in Jesus
On Monday morning, Pep Guardiola held a meeting with his players to discuss their lack of goals this season. Manchester City have scored less times than all the other top half of the table clubs.
Following that meeting Pep Guardiola was smiling as he justified his remarks about Jesus being one of the best strikers in the world despite his lack of goals. Jesus had been targeted for misfiring this season and his goal drought has extended to seven games. Jesus was injured at the start of the season with a thigh injury and missed the first six weeks of the season and his scoring touch has deserted him.
Guardiola says that his game is much more than just scoring goals. He said, “Without him we would concede more chances. With the way we play he’s been high in dragging the ball away from an attacking opponent in the 18-yard box.”
Raheem Sterling too has been lacking goals this season which resulted in City earning only 20 points after 12 games, their lowest since the 2014. Raheem acknowledges his goal shortage and he said, “It’s been a tough start to the season for different reasons but we are still in a good position.”
Europe to blame says Klopp
Jurgen Klopp was quick to mention that none of the top clubs playing in Europe last week won their games. If last season belonged to runaway champions Liverpool, this season belongs to the smaller clubs and less successful managers who are showing the big guns that they are not also rans anymore.
Fulham were tactically well organised last Sunday and gave Liverpool a fright with their persistently good play. Burnley put Arsenal to the sword, Crystal Palace halted Jose Mourinho’s Spurs with a display of striking power from Wilfried Zaha, Eberechi Eze and even Christian Benteke.
Everton tripped up Chelsea 1-0 and Wolves saw Aston Villa take away a 1-0 win. Suddenly the table is looking good for the underdogs with Southampton leading the way and even West Ham are up there with the best instead of their usual relegation battling position.
