By Tony Attwood
So as we know, Arsenal need just one point in their final game in the stage of the European games to utterly guarantee a place in the Champions League going forward. But in reality, virtually any likely result will still see Arsenal qualify. However, I can’t imagine Arteta taking any risks at this stage. And not that it matters but Arsenal are utterly guaranteed a place in the playoffs no matter what, but those extra two games are worth avoiding for the sake of the squad and the danger of overplaying certain players.
Meanwhile, Arsenal sit second in the league with the second-best goal difference in the league. And we should not forget that the three money transfers this season have all played a part. Raya of course was one of those, but in reality we had him the season before and the fee of £27m looks an absolute snip. Both Merino (13 games) and Calafiori (12 games) cost more.
Unsaid, but massively important, is the fact that Arsenal seem to be perfectly able to fit their buying and selling into the profit and sustainability rules of English football, which is more than can be said about Manchester United who seem to be heading straight into trouble – as if they were not in enough trouble already.
Meanwhile, we are into the season of making excuses for Tottenham H. Try this one for example, “Spurs have ended only two of this season’s 21 matchweeks in the top six and only once have they ended a round of Premier League fixtures higher in the table than they were at the corresponding stage of last season. Injuries to key players, particularly in defence, have clearly contributed to their recent poor run of results.”
Which is rather interesting given the level of injuries to key players Arsenal have had (and really, you hardly need look beyond Saka) and yet Arsenal are 20 points above Tottenham and have conceded 14 goals fewer than Tottenham (who currently reside in 15th, just eight points away from relegation).
Elsewhere on the footballing globe, Manchester United have finally got around to admitting what we all have presumed for quite some time, that they are breaching profit and sustainability rules if they do not cut their losses, and have left the door open to ticket price rises next season.
Spending over £180m on transfers, making a pre-tax loss of £312.9 million over the past three seasons, and sitting in the bottom half of the league, really isn’t what a well-run team with access to the sort of income ManU have, should be doing. Since Ratcliffe took over they have got rid of an astounding 250 members of staff.
Of course, I have no idea what these 250 people were doing before they were given their marching orders but they must have been doing something which is now not being done. So maybe that explains why they are just two points above Tottenham.
Indeed these two basket cases do prove utterly that a) just spending money doesn’t actually take a club up the league and b) changing managers doesn’t actually take a club up the league and c) football journalists don’t know anything.
Also proven, is the fact that incoming owners often have no idea how to run a football club. The ManU approach of raising prices without consultation is something that many clubs have done, but it still doesn’t mean it is a good thing. Fans will accept price rises if the club does well, but not if the club is doing poorly.
Meanwhile, the league table also shows us that five of the big seven clubs in the Premier League are in the top seven places as one might expect, while Tottenham and Manchester United are way out of line with their ambitions, their boasts and their money spent. Tottenham for example are a massive 13 points off seventh place, (seventh place normally being the last place one can occupy in order to get a place in Europe based on league position).
Contrast this with Arsenal, second in the league, 99.9% certain to be in the next round of the Champions League and currently the third-best team in Europe, And all that despite having one of the worst runs of injuries in decades,
But the media go on and on and on and on telling us that Arsenal need new players. And yet as we all know, new players can cause harm to a squad as well as take the team forward, and need to be brought in with caution.
Maybe all these commentators really do want Arsenal to fail.
