WENGER ARSE-ENDED IT AT THE EMIRATES
After 22 years, 2 PL titles and 7 FA Cups, Arsene Wenger has decided to walk through the exit doors at Arsenal FC.
Give it to Wenger, in an era where clubs didn’t have scouts in every country and where mega money was not yet involved, Wenger built Arsenal on shrewd buys, talent development and little spending. Admittedly today, what he achieved: longevity and stealth bargain purchases is impossible – the big clubs have scouts in every town and every country, Bayern Munich know about every talent in England and Spain and no top manager breathes well when they string together three weeks or a month of bad results – and probably will never again be achieved, at least at the top level but what he brought to England was a continental flavour that was years ahead of the game in England.
Should he have walked out last season on a high, after winning the FA Cup?
Would his legacy be tainted by the lack of premiership success in the last thirteen years as other managers dominated?
And would the world ever forget the chants and placards of Wenger out or would he always be better remembered with his brand of football and initial success with Adams, Keown, Would, Dixon, Wright, Berkamp, Overmars, Viera, Petit, Kanu and the others?
What next for Wenger? We would know in the next few weeks as the dust settles on the exit of the last of the untouchables, who produced the invincibles? Good luck to you Mr Wenger, at least the board, the fans and even the players can no longer use you as an excuse.
SALAH WINS OVER HIS FELLOW PLAYERS AS HE CLAIMS PFA PLAYER’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2017/18
I have just watched Mo Salah demolish AS Roma at Anfield in the first leg of the UCL. Each time I watch Salah at the moment, he plays better, creates his own goals, plays unselfish football in the box and gets you on to the edge of your seat, pushing all sorts of boundaries in the process.
He has been a breath of Freas air and a revelation this season.
Deservedly so, he has been named by his fellow players as the PFA Player of the season, beating Kevin DeBruyne, David DeGea, Harry Kane and a host of other players to the trophy.
Is he the best African ever to grace the premiership?
How far can he go? Can he be a successor to Messi and Ronaldo in a couple of years?
Luis Suarez (ironically of Liverpool) and Gareth Bale have previously stood tall among many premiership greats and have gone on to become world class superstars at Barcelona and Real Madrid, so are we about to see the next one to be rolled out of the premiership to Spain?
How much would Salah cost now in today’s market?
Can Liverpool afford to lose him? How would they be able to replace his goals?
If Liverpool keep him and add a few players to the defence and midfield, Liverpool could be steaming for the EPL next season. Its April and the season is not yet over, Anfield is dreaming of another champions league trophy, 13 years after the last one. Who wouldn’t when you have Mo Salah firing on all fronts.
POCHETTINO FALLS SHORT AGAIN
You can look at it that way, or you can say Mourinho got it right again. Either way, Tottenham started the season with so much promise but have once again finished on prize giving day with nothing to show for it.
Much had been talked about Spurs at the beginning of the season, and they did play very well at some point during the season, but at the business end of the season, and when it mattered most, Pochettino and his boys could not find a way through the maze. Juventus, Manchester City, Manchester United, crucial games that had big prize tags on them, saw Pochettino outwitted again and again.
Its the same old story; a team with talent and potential, a manager with ability and huge talent, but after having said all and done, the class of Harry Kane, Erikssen, Dele Alli, Eric Died, Wanyama, Rose and Lloris still wait for their first titles at club level.
Would Pochettino be there next season?
How long can this team stay together without a title?
LIVERPOOL ON THE VERGE OF HISTORY
5-2 at Anfield and it could have been 7, 8 or 9, Liverpool turned it on as Eusebio Di Fransesco looked like he had never watched clips of Mane, Salah and Firminho before tonight.
I watched the game and wondered how this Roma team got past Barcelona and just couldn’t believe what I was beholding; a high line against three of the fastest strikers in Europe, a scanty midfield, absent wing backs and no organised pressing game, Roma were sitting ducks all through as players, coaches, staff began to argue and shout at each other on and off the pitch.
Tactically Roma was abysmal, but you have to give credit again to Jurgen Klopp who just instructed his players to go long and find the spaces vacated by the absent wing backs and when you allow Salah and Sane those spaces, such time and one on one marking, they will punish you decisively, and that was exactly what they did.
Powerful midfield play coupled with direct football meant two or three passes were enough to open Roma’s defence all evening, and the only consolation were the two away goals scored late in the game.
If Roma play the same way again however next week, there will only be one winner in Rome, and Liverpool fans might as well start booking their journeys to Kiev.