- What is the secret for making a poor club better?
- Is anything going right with football? Or are the journalists right to criticise everything?
By Tony Attwood
Last season, as you will probably remember, Arsenal won all eight of their opening ties in the Champions League, and so gently sailed into the knock-out rounds of the Champions League, which started in January this year.
Now the format continues as before with the list of matches for the first eight games announced. Once again the idea of playing clubs home and away is abandoned in favour of a system in which clubs play eight different teams, with four matches at home and four away.
Here is the Arsenal selection of games
- Real Madrid (H),
- Bayern Munich (A),
- Borussia Dortmund (H),
- Real Betis (A),
- Lille (H),
- Napoli (A),
- Sabah (H),
- Slavia Prague (A)
The first round of games will be played September 8-10, with the first six rounds taking place through to December. The league phase resumes in January with the eighth and final round on January 27.
The top eight teams in the final standings go directly to the round of 16 in March. The next group of teams, then have an extra round to whittle their numbers down. And then after that we have a final array of knockout rounds.
Meanwhile, the teams that finish between 25th and 36th are eliminated.
I don’t think that is a complete guide to the rules, but then I don’t think a complete guide has been published yet, but this is enough to take us through to January – a set of games in which Arsenal won every single fixture last year.
And although that awareness of such an unbeaten run caused us great fun and a lot of boasting last season I am not sure it can be achieved again. If it can it will certainly make Arsenal kings of Europe, whether they win the Champions League or not.
I’ll be back with more once we have the dates etc.
Thanks Tony for that report.
It can be achieved if we improve.
The problem is one of our European consistent performers is being sold in Martinelli, who was suited by the middle position counter attacking play.
Speaking of needing European form players.
It looks like Alveraz is on with a 50% chance of it actually completing. Like Martinelli, Alveraz’s European form is a lot better than his domestic form, so there is a major plus there.
Regarding European guru Martinelli sadly leaving, we will need a suitable replacement that can get us European goals, to help us improve that step further.
Others, rightly will also have their opinion, but I have compiled the following, regarding Real Madrid being top heavy with players, that we can take advantage of.
For our Left Wing:
Arsenal should go all out in this order:
1st:(GULER)
Although has been playing on the right the consistent skillful workaholic 2 footed “Guler”, who has also flourished on the left middle, but can also play left wing as he is good with both feet. He is consistently getting 8 plus ratings and MoM awards.
Been tested against the very best.
2nd:(RODRYGO)
failing getting Guler then go for “Rodrygo”, who is being played out of position on the right instead of his favourite Left. Will get better STATs when switched to the Left.
Been Tested against the very best.
3rd:(ENDRICK)
One of the worlds best young prospects, mainly positive but with some questions to be asked.
Two footed, and very skillful with pace and dribbling ability, but is he injury prone? and does he have the strength for the Premier League, although highly skillful, he is also untested against quality opposition.
He would be a good loan choice with an “option” to buy, because he has the tools, but he is a risk because he has not been tested.
I was the first to mention 6 weeks ago Arsenals interest in Vinicius, weeks before the media, that turned out to be true and a bid was made by Arsenal, but unfortunately he was not interested in leaving Madrid.
Madrid is Left sided heavey, players that are being kept out of that position is by our previous target Vinicious, but the 3 real madrid players i have mentioned above would be an upgrade and 3 possible “two footed versitle” world class left wingers, Arsenal may wish to persue from Real Madrid.
Tony/daveg
“It looks like Alveraz is on with a 50% chance of it actually completing. Like Martinelli, Alveraz’s European form is a lot better than his domestic form, so there is a major plus there.”
Alvarez is a quadry.
1) He seems desperate to join Barcelona. I say desperate because just now it’s been reported that his doctor has signed him off with depression. Now, aside from the jokes that will be made at our epense, what this meens to me is, that this is just a ruse to get the Barcelona move on the basis that Athletics refusal to sell him to them is contrary to his health, if not his ‘human rights’.
2) I went and had a look at what Arsenal fans are saying on the BBC and Mail websites and 90% of fans don;t want him. They say this on the basis that
a: Why do we want a player that clearly wants to go somewhere else
Well, to me that isn’t a particularly bad thing, and it certainly wouldn’t be the first time that a player didn’tt get his first choice, and it doesn’t neccessarily stop them performing elswhere.
b: His attitude stinks, and given the ‘family’ atmosphere that Arteta has clearly been fostering and puts so much stock in, why risk buying such a player?
c: And is he even that much of an upgrade on what we have, if at all?
Well maybe maybe not. His domestic numbers are not great. 8 Goals I believe. Yes, better in the CL, but reallly for e130 million plus we should be getting 20 plus in the Pl, PLUS whatever he’s capable of in Europe.
Personally I’m not convinced. Having said that, I trust Arteta. As I say, a quandry.
I don’t think we’ll get him anyway, so all pretty irrelivant.