Arsenal, are you serious?!
Hello again and welcome back to My Premier League Thoughts! Slight change of style to this weeks post as I won't be discussing the majority of highlights but the main 2 in my opinion. One of them being Arsenal and the other is Team on the edge of 4th. Thank you for all the recent support, its be phenomenal. If you didn't know, I have launched my 2nd blog channel, where I journey through football manager 2016, using Arsenal. I will leave the link at the foot of the page for if you would like to check that out!
As for the post this week, I hope you enjoy my opinion on what seems to be an annual event and my thoughts on how the top 4 will pan out, here we go:
ARSENAL!
What are you doing? It was your year, you were in an incredible position to just keep going, keep racking up points and come the end of the season, with Leicester possibly dropping points here and there through in-experience, you would be champions. Premier League Champions! Do you not want that title?
I can not believe it, it is simply breath-taking. I don't know what you can make of the fact that Arsenal, no matter what the situation is, always seem to find a way to crumble at this stage of the season and fall to 4th place. Okay, so I could be rushing this because they are in fact 3rd as things stand but with Manchester City just 2 points behind and a game in hand, its not looking overly promising for the Gunners. Of course, Manchester City could slip up and not win their spare game, but realistically, Man City usually seem to take full advantage of these situations. Example; just a couple of seasons ago, when they won the league, coming from behind with not much left of the season to win the trophy. They can do it again, which will see Arsenal return, basically, home as that is what they have infamously made of 4th spot over the previous seasons.
Honestly, at this stage, Arsenal do seem to get plagued by injuries. However, this season, with the exception of Koscielny and Petr Cech, their considered first team players have managed to remain injury free, so what excuse is there this time Mr. Wenger?
There's no excuse, Arsenal are widely considered as a top team in the English league, but are they? Well, obviously, they are. But Arsenal aren't as much a top team as Manchester City, Chelsea or even Manchester United as many people think they are, and personally I believe this is because of one factor. Experience! But wait, how can they not have experience, with the likes of Cech, Koscielny and arguably Ozil in the ranks, the team must be able to rally themselves together to provide at the business end of the competition. So, why don't they? I think there is only 1 possible explanation for the in-experience, Arsene Wenger!
The French-man has got experience, from 20 years at the reigns of Arsenal you would expect him to be 'experienced.' Which he is and proves by consistently reaching Champions League football. But experience when it comes to winning titles, I don't think Arsene possess.
You may argue that Arsenal have won titles under the manager, in the season of 2003-04, when Arsene famously lifted the title with 'The Invincibles.' That team, everyone remembers, not only for going a full season undefeated but for the large majority of superstars and players wanting the title. Legends like Patrick Viera, Sol Campbell and Thierry Henry wouldn't have let the team or themselves down if they had the opportunity to clinch the title, but today in 2016, the players have again, let the team down.
I don't think Arsenal have enough in their squad to be 1st, as strange as it is, but compared to the usual top 4, Leicester obviously upsetting my stat, do Arsenal have a Yaya Toure type of player who will dominate in the midfield, or a Diego Costa who you can rely on the score or cause the defence problems, or even a Wayne Rooney, who drives his team to the finish line and demands his team at this stage. I don't think so. Having thought about it, Leicester this season, do not actually upset my thoughts, as they have Jamie Vardy, he causes the problems in strike, Kante has been a stand out midfielder who has controlled the games he has played, as for a Wayne Rooney type, the whole team is mirroring him, you can see from watching their play that the team wants the 3 points every weekend and ultimately the trophy, all the players and especially the manager included.
Arsenal, Champions 2015-16, I don't think so, Arsenal 4th 2015-16, more like it. I'm sorry Arsenal fans but you just need some of Brenden Rodgers favourite word 'Character' in these situations before you can call yourself champions. Oh and maybe start by actually buying players that will help the team during the transfer windows, if you know what I mean.
WHO WILL CLAIM 4TH PLACE?
Currently, the race for 4th is massively unpredictable I think. With 9 games remaining of the season, 10 points separates 4th and 10th, yes 10th! Initially, you may think 10 points is a lot, an enormous amount of points, in fact, at this latter stage, its nothing if I'm honest. Teams will begin to fall under the pressure as well as the bottom 5 or 6 teams affecting the top half in considerable ways.
Teams from the bottom half, hoping to survive the drop will be going all out against anybody they come up against and this can result in lots of teams dropping points from being outplayed. Also, the teams around the top 4 will all be going all out for the win too should they come up against each other. In theory, we could still see Chelsea, currently 10th, come away from their rather disappointing season, in 4th position. Obviously, they have their work cut out and need a near perfect run-in but things like this can happen.
Personally, I see this being a battle between 3 teams really, Arsenal, Manchester United and West Ham. I think these teams are in the best position and have the professionalism to see out the season with the results they need to claim 4th. As pointed out earlier, Arsenal have become accustom to 4th place, really after the season they have had they should be finishing higher but with Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur preforming so well, Arsenal will probably have to settle for 4th or disastrously lower.
Manchester United are in with a shout, but honestly, painfully, I only see them finishing 5th. The team, as hard as it is to watch, are struggling. Just look at the game against West Brom. a 1-0 defeat in what should have, at this point in the season, been a comfortable win. But after having next to no possession for much of the game, they deservedly slumped to a loss. This is not acceptable with so little left to go. Every 3 points is vital now, every game is a cup final.
West Ham United, in my eyes, maybe have an incredible chance of finishing 4th. They look composed in games and look a team with desire to achieve. Proven in the dramatic 3-2 over Everton, The Hammers could power above Manchester United and Arsenal to complete a top 4, which consists of 3 team which at the beginning of the season you would never have thought to be included. With players like Antonio, who has stepped up with goals of late, the wonderful talent of Demetri Payet and fans who are so supportive in their last season at The Boleyn Ground, I wouldn't put it past them to round off the season occupying 4th.
This Premier League season has been fantastic, a real underdog story came from it and it has seen many teams flourish and become amazing when arguably the big teams have failed to produce their finest.
Thank you for reading this week, I can not emphasis my gratefulness for the support you have given me. Be sure to check back Friday, for my football manager blog; Glory Hunting - Arsenal. But until then, have a great week, see you soon.
Lee Harwood
