Showing posts with label manchester united. Show all posts
Showing posts with label manchester united. Show all posts

Monday, 4 July 2011

Is Arsene Wenger's Tenure at Arsenal in Jeopardy?



The obvious answer is no, he is well respected at the club and has done a lot in the past. The real question is SHOULD Arsene Wenger's Tenure at Arsenal be in jeopardy? The answer to that is a resounding, undeniable YES! Football in The Premier League is about winning trophies, not balancing books, bringing in youth or just playing attractive football. Arsenal are not bridging the gap between themselves and the Chelseas and Manchester Uniteds of this world. The footballing knowledge of Wenger is not in doubt, the level of his arrogance is. The policy of bringing in young players and spending next to nothing will please the accountants but will not please Arsenal fans and any of the Gunners' followers with even an ounce of ambition.

Admittedly the tutelage of Wenger has produced  numerous talents such as Ashley Cole, Nicolas Anelka and the imperious Cesc Fabregas but 5-plus years without a Trophy is unbearable. Wenger himself is responsible for raising expectations at The Emirates with the success he has enjoyed in over a decade in charge, but the key issue is growth. Football clubs look to grow and get better and although he has done well it is time to look for a new direction, a new way of thinking and a new era.

The Gael Clichy sale is symptomatic of a team which harbours players with unfulfilled ambitions. Who could blame Fabregas , Nasri and the Manchester City bound Clichy, from having their heads turned by clubs moving in the right direction (and offering ridiculously high salaries to boot).

The time is right to make a change now before the season starts. There is no time to let Andre Villas-Boas settle in at Chelsea and to let Alex Ferguson further build on last season's success. I would say move now or by Christmas the Title may be well on its way back to Old Trafford,Stamford Bridge or even Eastlands.







Tuesday, 28 June 2011

Is De Gea the right man to replace Edwin Van Der Sar?



David De Gea is set to complete his transfer from Atletico Madrid to Manchester United in a deal worth around £18million. Edwin Van Der Sar has been a superb keeper for the red devils and the jury is out as to whether De Gea is the man to fill his shoes. Liverpool stopper, Pepe Reina has voiced his admiration for the 20 year old Spanish star, saying he is up to the challenge. Sir Alex Ferguson usually gets things right but who could forget his legacy of signing calamitous keepers such as Massimo Taibi, Roy Carroll and Mark Bosnich who failed miserably in following,'The Great Dane' Peter Schmeichel.

Other more experienced options such as Schalke's Manuel Neuer would have got my support. The Schalke keeper has Champions League experience and impressed against United in the recent Champions League encounter. Reports suggested that Neuer shunned a move to the Manchester giants but a few more zeros on his annual salary would have no doubt made him think again.

I hope De Gea does well at United and goes some way to help bridge the gap between the Premier League Champions and the dominant Barcelona side.