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Smith Rowe forgotten?
There’s been a lot of discussion flying around about young English talent and how bright the future is for us. Mount, Saka, Foden, Bellingham, Greenwood, James are all thrown around but somehow Smith-Rowe manages to be forgotten about.
29 appearances, 5 goals, 7 assists and a complete game changer for Arsenal. Since he started against Chelsea on boxing day, Arsenal are 3rd in the form table. There aren’t stats for it but anyone who watch Arsenal can see the difference he makes in every game he plays in.
Kane with Saka, Foden and ESR has so much pace, creativity and agility it’s scary. We will probably play Sterling, Sancho and Rashford instead but the options Southgate has at his disposal are incredible. Anything but a semi-final would be a massive failure. And if not this year, then next tournament we would surely be up there as favourites on paper as we have the most exciting youth players coming through and for the first time in a long time, they are regular starters.
Rob A (good well soon Auba) AFC
Whatever happens this season with Arsenal (I’m guessing either spectacular implosion or heroic failure), the one shining light, the one silver lining, is that our youth pipeline seems strong.
Saka is a given, there is a reason he is valued as one of the most expensive teenagers in the world, he has a maturity well beyond his years.
But for me, the player who I think may have a higher ceiling, is Emile Smith Rowe. His footballing brain is razor sharp, and his close control reminds me of Santi which can only be a good thing.
What I am trying to say is, that as an Arsenal fan, we are lucky to have such wonderfully talented footballers at our club. I know every club has their great hope, and it is great to see Foden, Bellingham, Grealish et al thriving in their teams. For all the giant signings, I think all football fans really want one of their own to be the best in the team. Someone who has gone through the youth teams to make it.
Who are the youth players from your club we should look out for and why?
John Matrix AFC
Job done, Ole
Good game against granada, the lads sure got the job done, credit to the manager and players. They didn’t even have to be fantastic to get the better of granada. I believe and strongly hope ole breaks the jinx of the semi final curse. We need to celebrate with a trophy at the end of the season, ole deserves it, the players need it for morale and momentum. Get ourselves a right winger, DMF and or maybe a striker (that’s imperative on cavani staying), and we can lift the premier league or champs league next season.
Roma would be a tough opponent in the next round, but we’ve faced and beaten tougher opponents (Ac milan), next up Burnley, I foresee an Edinson Cavani hat trick, this I have seen. Time to go set up my fantasy team. Def triple captaining Kane. Wish me luck. Ciao.
Alaribe G. Festac, Nigeria
Pogba love
Thank you, Dave MUFC for sharing that Michael Jordan quotation. I’d never seen it before and, as much as I find the motivational quotes you find on office posters cheesy, I actually think it’s a good reminder that a) we’re all human and will make mistakes b) making a mistake doesn’t mean you are bad at what you do.
On a different note, I’m glad Pogba seems fit again and happy to be playing football. It’s hard, in my opinion at least, to watch his post match interview in which he accepted his substitution with good grace and come to the conclusion that he’s a selfish egoist who only cares about himself and the money he earns. I really hope he stays because he’s a phenomenal player, but if he decides he wants to win stuff elsewhere, I also won’t hold it against him.
Daniel, Cambridge
Top ten dogs over Mourinho
Yep, I’m having another pop at Jose.
I think this is entirely justifiable because he has made supporting my football club a miserable experience. This week the club got bantered by the Dulux sheepdog, which I don’t believe would have happened had Pooch (sorry, Poch) still been in charge, so in tribute to that spectacular low, here’s my list of ten dogs who I’d rather be in the WHL dugout.
Snoopy – What do you think he’s thinking about all day, laid on that doghouse? How to make use of the double pivot and underlapping fullbacks to get the best out of Harry Kane, of course. A little-known, Bielsa-sque tactical genius.
Scrappy Doo – Would at least imbue the team with a little fight.
Muttley – Might spend just as much time slagging off the players as Jose, but has the decency to do it under his breath rather than publicly. “Snazza frazza rashin’ fashin’ Serge Aurier!”
Buddy from Air Bud – I’ve no doubt that basketball expertise would translate to the football pitch.
Pickles – Knows exactly what needs to be done to get his paws on a trophy.
Lassie – Highly intelligent. Fiercely loyal. Never going to give up on her family. These are three key attributes of a top-level manager. Jose possesses, at best, one of these.
Churchill – With the air of negativity permeating the club at the moment, who wouldn’t want a dog who will only ever say “Oh, yeeesss”?
Snoop Dogg – At least the players would be a little more, erm, “chilled”. Just make sure to dodge the FA drug testing team.
Old Yeller – A lesson to Daniel Levy about when an old dog has become a rabid, frothing liability and needs to be taken out to the stable with dad’s old rifle and (figuratively) put out it’s misery. Even if it does cost £30m+ in compensation.
My dog, Cookie – a one year old huskie mongrel, rescued from the streets of Romania, who spends all day digging up my garden and licking her own a***. I still rather have her in charge of Spurs.
Chris Bridgeman, Kingston upon Thames
MAILBOX: Spurs and Dulux: A very modern shaggy dog story
Apologies for yet more emails about Liverpool.For my money, none of the individual Liverpool players are the root of the problem. The team last year was characterised by near telepathy. Everyone knew what everyone else was going to do, all the passing and movement and rotations were seamless. This year, every team is different, the “wrong”players are playing in the “wrong” positions, and everyone is having to think about what they do, rather than just doing it.I ultimately don’t think it’s fixable without a proper training camp to rebuild the squad’s muscle memories and build their confidence in each other. Which sucks, but I think it’s important to have some perspective. We’ve been treated to two of the finest seasons in the history of the club, and it had to end at some point. They all deserve the benefit of the doubt for a season.That said, if Salah, Winjaldum or any of the others truly want to leave, we should let them go with all appropriate gratitude and be confident in their replacements.
Dan, Still Drinking The Kool-Aid LFCWow Liverpool fans,
So Salah is not that good eh? So Mane is finished? I take it we need to get rid of Firmino as well. Thiago is a flop, Gini, Trent was never any good (????) Robertson anyone? Come on lads. Why do we have to even react to all this? 12 months ago we were World champions, European champions and winning the league with ease. We demanded respect and earned it from everyone else. However, this team deserves our respect. They have been a great team and will probably be back stronger next year. It took us thirty years to win a league- let’s stop behaving like it is our birthright. Just sit down and shut up and watch. Is this one of the great Liverpool teams? – Definitely. And that’s not based on potential, its pure fact. Worst Champions ever- not by a longshot. Would the worst champions have also won the European Cup? Let’s be happy Reds fans and give this great team a chance to catch their collective breath. And yes Mo missed a great chance. But think of all the nights that he scored that one chance- remember Napoli 1-0 anyone?
Michael, Ireland
Premier League season assessments
Been reading a lot of the usual mails that seem to revolve around how great/rubbish every team is and how rubbish VAR is and how to fix it … just wanted to throw my tuppence worth in ( this phrase may be symptomatic of my final point ) and concentrate on the football not the politics ( that’s a whole different website/mail) ;
Liverpool – great team – bad season … happens to every team – stop gnashing – remember how brilliant you were – Barcelona at home in semi was only moments ago .. cheer up – bad season will be great again
Man Utd – having good season will likely win Europa – yes – there are issues ( apart from Cavani none of your strikers can really get 20+ a year – buy Kane – simple)
Man City – shame support ( look at number of mails received here ) is so low – great team/ great coach – just great
Chelsea – clicking ….quietly content watching them progress – good outfit ….could easily win CL
Spurs – as an Arsenal fan they worry me … they have so nearly been there … but as is now common – are just ‘spursy’ – get in Rodgers and you’ll actually win something – and you could win League cup …. Wigan won FA Cup ……
Arsenal – oh dear … Arteta needs to rely on youth – there is obvious disharmony when certain players are there ( he needs to offload all the loanee’s – Torreira/Guendozi/Kolasinac/AMN etc ) get rid of the dross – Elneny/Xhaka/Willian/Luiz et al – think about who the captain is and probably get some money for Laca and Auba ( Non-triers unless in European shop window) and trust the kids …. It’s the only option
Villa/Wolves/Everton/West Ham/ Leicester – I’m not going to patronise – Fans would have had more good days than bad if in stadiums this year and if trajectory can keep going and we are back next year * then there is hope of trophies and good times
Leeds – fun times – absolute madness – feel most sorry for their fans and hope when they get back in Elland Road they don’t do a Sheffield Utd
Everyone else (apart from Newcastle)….. always next year – sun will be out… and just being able to see your mates and have a pint and do our usual thing of blind optimism …. Happy days ahead in August
Newcastle – man, you need an overhaul ….. from very top to bottom … sorry – great city / great fans / shoddily treated (and I don’t even blame Ashley – he’s just a businessman and he’s trying to get out …)
VAR – this is super simple fix … it’s there for clear and obvious decisions ( Maradona v Shilton / Thatcher tackle / Chelsea ‘penalties’ agst Barca etc etc ) – Refs and asst refs want to run game / people want free flowing footie / no one wants toenails offside – simply adopt the cricket method – each team given 2 appeals per game ( Captain on pitch makes call within 10 seconds – no coaching from sidelines after watching replays on ipads – the players KNOW when something is not right ! they all knew Maradona pucnched it in – so they make gesture to review – if they are correct – they keep appeal – if not they lose it ) . added advantage – they’ll be no feigning of injuries etc as Capt will ask player and he’ll have to fess up or you lose appeal and potentially match . Any review is then ‘voted’ on by Stockley Park ( panel of 5 {ex refs/players/managers } – majority wins… decision to be made within 1 minute, independently ). Lose both appeals and you are done ….. in reality VAR is probably used less often and for decisions that the ref would like his own review ( e.g. violent conduct off the ball ) he can ask to see replay on pitch side screen ??? wouldn’t that keep everyone happy ?
Lastly (*) – where is the game going to end up ? I’m in my fifties and have been watching since 1974 …. My dad took me along as it was something to do on a Saturday and he could meet friends etc … where the game has gone ( even down the leagues) it isn’t a turn up and pay a few quid for a few hours bonding … how many under 16’s or even under 25’s do you see on terraces ( sorry rows of seats ) any more ? people don’t sing as they are too embarrassed – there is no youthful exuberance …….. who will be attending matches in 15/20 years time ? me and my 75 year old mates ? Isnt it about time ( especially now we can see that clubs can survive without huge gate receipts ) clubs actively started to encourage youngsters to attend games and care about their local teams ? If every club gave 10% (or more) of their tickets away for free ( have a think tank how !) to under 18’s they would be investing for the future ….. without fans …. You end up with Liverpool almost matching the great Derby team of 2008 by losing 7 home games in a row ( almost ) … we need fans and we need excitable, noisy, boisterous loyalty …… interested to see if you all feel same – (any dads out there not taking kids because of cost who would go more often if they could bring their 12year old for free ? )
Gary K – ( yes – it was rubbish in the 70’s watching Arsenal but I stuck with it and still love it !) – North London
We are in the final few games of the season. So let’s have a look at the PL table and what each club manager needs to achieve in order to avoid the boot.
Manchester City: Looking more and more likely to win 4 titles this season. City could lose every single remaining game of the season and the manager would still remain safe. Hard to argue if there is a better manager in the PL right now.
Manchester United: We keep hearing each week Ole’s not good enough but he seems to be doing just enough each season to keep his place. A 2nd place finish (in a year where the usual challengers flopped badly) may be one of those instances but it still does not answer the question of whether United can win titles with Ole. Win the Europa League and that might just be the answer to that thorny question.
Leicester: Another excellent season from Leicester and the question is not whether Leicester should stick with Brendan Rodgers but whether Rodgers will get lured by a bigger club. A 3rd place finish would be a satisfying end to the season.
West Ham: After Pep, Moyes may be the Manager of the season. Not only in the CL places as we near the finish line, Moyes has even managed to make Lingard look like a world class winger. Champions League qualifications still on the card but anything bet even a top 6 finish would be an achievement.
Chelsea: Chelsea may not finish in the CL places this year, but without Tuchel, they may be much further down the table. Wherever they finish this year, Chelsea will definitely in the running for top 4 places next year.
Liverpool: How the mighty have fallen. Liverpool need reinforcements desperately and they need to qualify for the CL to get their top targets. Finish fourth and we may see Liverpool fighting for the league title. Finish below that and we may stop seeing them as title challengers.
Tottenham: At this stage, not much Mourinho can do to cement his place. This is a manager that just needs to go. But does Daniel Levy have the balls to hand the pink slip to Mourinho? Win the League club and Spurs fans are in for more drudgery next year.
Everton: Have been very pleasing to the eye and doubt they will find an upgrade on Ancelotti.
Leeds United: One of the best seasons from a promoted club, there;s not one reason why Leeds would part ways with Bielsa.
Aston Villa: From competing for CL places to 11th in the table, there has been quite a drop in form. But the club is still overperforming thanks in large part to Graelish.
Wolves: This season may have been a disappointing one for Wolves fans, but Santos’ tenue has been an excellent one overall. Stay of course.
Beyond this, no manager looks safe. A lot will depend on where they finish come the end of the season.
Adeel
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