Stuff of Champions!

I’ve written a lot of football stories over time, but strangely enough, never have I done any piece directly concerning Manchester United. In a sense therefore, I’m a bit nervous, this being my very first time. The feelings are mixed. Will my fellow Gooners term this as the cross-over to the enemy? Will the United fans buy any of this as an honest representation of facts? Ideally, The Dug Out’s United correspondent, Martin is the one usually tasked with this, but what the hell! Once doesn’t hurt, does it? Plus, he’s kind of been sleeping on the job (sic).

On Monday 22^nd April, 2013, Manchester United effectively sealed their 13^th Premier League title and 20^th overall. And in some style too, thrashing Aston Villa 3-0 in a 32-minute blitz that was a show of might as it was a show of insatiable hunger for success. No prizes for guessing who stole the show, one Robin van Persie. He put in a shift that was in itself a performance of superlatives befitting of claiming a maiden championship milestone, grabbing that hat trick including a highlight-reel-material contender for goal of the season.

Van Persie was always going to dominate this piece same way he’s dominated the headlines of English football for the last two years or so. This is the man who almost single-handedly dragged Arsenal literally kicking and screaming last season to third place and a secured them a Champions League slot. This is the man who at the end of the season with a year left in his contract, and widely expected by the Arsenal faithful to extend his stay at the Emirates beyond that, chose not to and inadvertently attracted the interests of suitors from Europe’s elite. Also this is the man who chose to ignore the overtures of Manchester City and Juventus to instead warm up to and sign for Manchester United.

When on 15^th August last year United announced the Van Persie signing, even the most ardent of United fans were in disbelief. The Arsenal fans were livid. The football world was shocked. But what would be the implication of this? I personally remember declaring amid my many rants on twitter that Arsene Wenger had actually handed the Premier League title to Sir Alex Ferguson by approving that sale. What convinced me? Everybody remembers how irritated and annoyed Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini was about missing out on Robin’s signature. And in fact he might have said (in not so many words) that if there was going to be a difference between his side and Fergie’s in the title stakes, Van Persie was it. Eight months later, and I believe Mancini has been proven right, just like I have.

United have won the title with a margin of 16 points over their nearest (and really, only) rivals, former Champions, City. Was this expected? No, and a resounding one at that. Before the signing of the former Arsenal captain, I had pointed that (in my own assessment) that City were still odds on favorite to reclaim the title, and if that weren’t to be the case, then Chelsea and not United would pip them. What guided my rationale was partly the psychological blow that the Blues had inflicted on their two rivals by signing Eden Hazard who had been scouted and fancied by all the three clubs. Another reason was my belief that the title is won in the transfer market and up to that point, with the acquisition of Hazard, Oscar, Marko Marin and Victor Moses (later) Chelsea has done the most and probably best business. But later, the Chelsea juggernaut would run out of steam with owner Roman Abramovich’s decision to sack manager Roberto Di Matteo. Then the game-changer happened; Arsenal accepting United’s 24 million pound bid for Robin. And the rest from then on, would follow the popular script.

Has Manchester United been the best and most deserving team during this campaign? Winning the title with four games to spare while that much ahead of the nearest team surely begs to defend that notion. You get the feeling that United were absolutely stunned by the manner in which their ‘Noisy Neighbours’ City upstaged them last season. Hence this campaign, aside from the flying Dutchman’s heroics, there has been a marked improvement across the squad. David De Gea was easily the best ‘keeper of the season, responding to his fierce critics by cutting down on his errors and rising to a whole new level of producing superman-ly reflexes. To be the best, you need a top drawer ‘keeper to be at his best almost every other day. The young Spanish custodian was a wall between the posts this season and he deserves all the credit he’s getting.

In defence, one man has been on the lips of almost every United fan. Brazilian right back Rafael has been a revelation all through the campaign. His overlaps, his defensive ability and even his touch in front of goal has been a dream. Known for his petulance and childishness in the past, this season he’s been reborn into the professional that every title-winning coach wants his player to be. It is no wonder that many fans are incensed by his exclusion from the PFA Award nominees’ list. Rio Ferdinand rolled back the years with some trade mark assured displays at the back after managing to minimize his injury niggles that have in the past blighted his game. Johnny Evans was a commanding presence and so has been the captain, Nemanja Vidic. Patrice Evra may not be as good defensively as he was a few years ago, but still his quality shone, with a welcome goal scoring dimension added to his game. Phil Jones impressed too.

United’s midfield story has been about one man, really. Who knew that at this time of the season Michael Carrick would have made more forward passes than any other midfielder in Europe including the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Andrea Pirlo and Bastian Schweinsteiger? If there’s a player that epitomizes the improvement United has made as a club this season, then it’s this English international. He on many occasions gave United latitude and a fulcrum on which to build on and thrive, finally justifying why Fergie paid so much to prise him away from Tottenham some seven years ago. It isn’t difficult to see why Carrick has been nominated for the PFA Player of the Year Award.

Sir Alex Ferguson has always built his successful sides around four highly dependable strikers and this season was no different. In Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Javier Hernandez and of course Van Persie, the manager had men who could lead the attacks of any other team in the top flight with distinction. And with the choice of being able to play one, two or three of them during a single match, you can see why they’ve played an integral part in United’s success. With the exception of Welbeck, all of them have scored important goals, won games and rescued the points in the team’s march to glory. Of course, Robin Van Persie, on 24 goals already (at the time of writing this) is bang on to retain both his Golden Boot Award and the PFA Player of the Year Award. Does an attack get any better?

United still have areas to improve on, especially in midfield, but for now they can at least say ‘We are the Champions!’ What you and I can be sure of is that when June rolls in, for the manager, the 20^th title will be a distant memory and instead focus will be on winning the 21^st league title…because at United, it is all about conquering and moving on to the next one. Let us all stand up and hail the 2012-13 Barclays Premier League champions, Manchester United!

Preview - Bayern Munich v Juventus

Stand-out tie of the Champions League Quarter-Final draw? Absolutely, without the slightest shadow of a doubt. Personally, it strangely doubles up as a dream tie as well as a dreaded one. Hoping it will turn out as the former. That aside, both teams are traditional giants of the European game and naturally the tie is always going to generate massive interest. Domestically, both have been in imperious form this season and are odds on to be crowned champions. Bayern are way clear of Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund, while Juventus, on the back of an unprecedented unbeaten league season are on course to retain the Scudetto, are also massively ahead of the chasing pack. Thus the strength and might of these two is clear for all to see.

The last time these two sides clashed in the Champions League, Bayern produced a master class get-out-of-jail show in Turin to run out 4-1 winners and advance to the knock-out phase of the 2009-2010 season. Times have inevitably changed and a similar result is improbable. Juve, under Antonio Conte have evolved into a mean, efficient machine that suffocates opponents to submission gracefully. Sticking to the Italian-favored 3-5-2 formation, La Vecchia Signora, in many pundits’ view is the hardest team to crack in Europe. Their players are experienced and equipped to bring out the best of that system and of course Conte is Italian – and you know about Italian gaffers and tactics.

On the other hand Bayern Munich really is the most complete team this season. After the agony of coming so close and faltering on home soil last May, the bosses at the club have pulled all stops to conjure up a world-beating side boasting the famed German efficiency as well as the Spanish-esque silky style. They too have a water-tight defence. Their slight edge could be their industrious and devastatingly effective midfield complimented by a more than potent attack. Add to that the fact that in Jupp Heynckes, FC Hollywood have a manager who’s taking his final bow and is determined to leave on a high at all costs. Motivation is not a big problem here.

This is a clash pitting an immovable object (Juventus) against an irresistible force (Bayern). Something has got to give, for sure, but which one? In goal there’s the veteran Italy and Juve captain Gigi Buffon and German number one, Manuel Neuer. Both are among the top five ‘keepers in the world so no much difference here. The Old Lady’s first choice back-line of Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Berzagli and Giorgio Chiellini is as good as any and better than Bayern’s of Phillip Lahm, Daniel Van Buyten, Dante and David Alaba. Though that only holds for them as a defensive unit. We all know that in offence, Lahm and Alaba are at their destructive best.

The midfield battle is going to be key over the two legs. It will be interesting to see how Juve’s trio of Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio, of course flanked by the flying wingbacks in Stephan Litschsteiner and Kwadwo Asamoah will fare against the arguably more technical Bastian Schweinsteiger, Javi Martinez at the base and Frank Ribery and Thomas Mueller on the flanks and Toni Kroos in the free role. In this battle, you reckon that whichever of the two that manages to contain either of Pirlo or Schweini will have the important upper hand. Also the Ribery-Alaba combination will definitely force Litschsteiner to defend more and attack less and that might play into the Bavarians’ advantage. In Marchisio, Juve have a slimy schemer who if unshackled, could be decisive.

Upfront Juve will rely on Mirko Vucinic and Fabio Quagliarella (or Alessandro Matri) to finish off the chances. Not much is expected of them though as they are not known for being prolific as much. For Bayern, Mario Mandzukic who’s been in scintillating form all season will lead the line. The difference between him and the Juve forwards is that give him an inch, he’ll grab a mile definitely. Of course if he’s marked out, there’s always Mario Gomez and even Claudio Pizzaro waiting on the wings. Thus in that department, Bayern look the more menacing.

The fact that the often decisive second leg will be at the Juventus Stadium is a crucial element in this tie and could tip the scales in favor of the Italians. Whether that holds of course depends on how Bayern perform at the Allianz Arena and if they can effectively kill the tie there. The road to Wembley is clearer now and we wait with bated breath to see who among these two big names will be inching closer. It promises to be close and hard-fought. My take? I always go with the irresistible force. Enjoy the 180 minutes (plus), won’t you?

Enter, The Bundesliga

Before last Tuesday’s Champions League clash at the Emirates between Arsenal and Bundesliga run-away league leaders Bayern Munich, I had been trying to enlighten my followers on twitter on the fact that the Bavarian side are actually a lot better than they think. Now at the beginning I thought everyone should be aware of this fact. You know, it being a global village and all with everyone virtually in the know of events happening everywhere else, but alas! Admittedly, I happen to support both Arsenal and Bayern so I guess people could not understand exactly what I meant. Perhaps they thought I was just playing down the Londoners’ chances with the hope that I was expecting a pleasant surprise. Oh well, I didn’t imply anything of that kind.

The very first football match I remember watching was almost 17 years ago was between GorMahia and Reli, mainly because my uncle played for the latter side. Subsequently, I got to watch an Arsenal v Manchester United clash where I famously fell in love with the Gunners. I have to say though, that mostly then I watched only Champions League football. That’s where I got to know of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, in that order as they were the semi-finalists of the 1999-2000 season. And I liked the Germans’ red strip more, so I became a Bayern fan. So I may have known Arsenal first, but the first club I actively followed was the Bavarian outfit. Of course these days 76.3% of my football talk and thought is drawn majorly from the English Premier League. It kind of masks the fact that I actually followed the Bundesliga way before the Premier League. From 2000 to 2004 the Bundesliga and Champions League sums up all the football that I watched, as they were broadcast live by the national broadcaster, KBC. When I joined high school in 2005, many are the times I would endure unending, unedited ridicule for talking about Bayern Munich and German football. What choice did I have then? None, apart from joining the Barclays Premier League bandwagon…and of course I have no regrets. I’ve thoroughly loved it. Anyway, I had to digress a bit, you know, just so you can see I’m not preaching the Die Bundesliga gospel just to appear sophisticated and politically correct, per se.

So a few nights ago as I sat watching the two teams I’ve loved the most lock horns, I felt weirdly anxious and serene at the same time. I wanted Arsenal to win but then again I wanted Bayern to win too. Win-win situation much? Yes, you could say so. Of course the game ended 3-1 in favor of the Germans. What actually bemused me was the fact that my friends both around me and on twitter were genuinely shocked by that result! I thought I warned them! It’s funny when you do the fore-warning and people pretend to listen then when it actually comes to fruition, they are bewildered beyond measure. Maybe I tweet unnecessarily too much. 

Germans are traditionally known for their super efficiency in football, but this wasn’t just an efficient display. It was measured, matured, calculated, artistically choreographed, clinically deadly and of course, efficient to near-perfection. And really to be honest, that’s what I’ve been expecting since the draw was done in December last year. A glance at the Bundesliga log and what I’ve just said is reinforced with aplomb! Bayern are an almightily whooping 17 points ahead of second placed champions, Borussia Dortmund. You may then conclude that basically the other teams in that league are crap. Well, Dortmund, as far off as they are, topped their Champions League group that had the champions of Spain, England and the Netherlands. So are the Bundesliga teams that aren’t Bayern Munich still shit? Oh, and the league’s other representatives in Europe’s premier club competition, Schalke 04, also topped their group which had the champions of Greece, France and of course, Arsenal, whom they soundly beat in their own backyard.

People talk on and on about the Premier League and the La Liga as the world’s premier leagues, and maybe rightly so. I beg to differ though. Most Friday evenings I’m usually tweeting the hash-tag #FridayNightBundesliga, just a hopeful clarion call for friend and foe alike to treat their eyes to a sumptuous 90-minute Bundesliga match. I know of only two others, Sid and the lovely Roxx, who normally respond encouragingly. Granted, a lot of stuff goes on (or do I say goes down) on a typical Friday night, but it’s an experience I would hardly miss. Next Friday night, please do try it. The Premier League may be fast and rather unpredictable. La Liga may boast the world’s two best players and possibly the best team in the world. But the Bundesliga has the best organization, the highest fan attendance, the best pool of top young talent and of course, the next force in European football, Bayern Munich. Or why do you think Pep Guardiola is going there as from July 1? Or why did UEFA strip off Serie A one Champions League spot and hand it to the Bundesliga?

In my native language, ‘Bundesliga’ translates to ‘league of guns’ or ‘league of drums’, depending on your intonation. Either way, guns represent explosive power while drums represent constant lively entertainment. Any chances of one of Bayern, Dortmund or Schalke conquering Europe this May at Wembley? I wouldn’t bet against it. So come on, go ahead, try a dose of the Bundesliga football that I’ve prescribed. Once you’re hooked, it’s aesthetically pleasing. You won’t get enough!

Give Me The Stage..I'll Perform

Happy New Year to you all. I want the Harambee Stars job. Yes, you heard that right. I want to be the coach (I prefer manager) of the Kenya national senior football team. And no, it’s not just empty (bordering gibberish) start-of-the-year talk. 

In a week’s time Africa’s crème de la crème will be in South Africa to square it out for the chance to be called Champions of Africa in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations extravaganza. Predictably, for us Kenyans we will have to adopt other nations to support as we sit back and marvel at the quality of talent on display down south. Exciting, huh? Nothing could be further from the truth as our national anthem will not be sung even once before any match at the tournament. But hey, what’s the big fuss? We are quite used to this, right?

When I heard on the twitter streets a few days ago that the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) were on the hunt for the coach of the national team, I thought, ‘why don’t they give me that job?’ In fact, I instantly tweeted that I wanted the job (well, first of all I said that the name ‘Harambee Stars’ would have to go). My friend John Aggrey, who is an expert on local football, told me to prepare my CV and submit it to FKF for consideration. To which I replied that they should probably check my twitter timeline and read my thoughts on the game on my blog. Admittedly I just said that in my usual attempt at online humor to appear funny and gain followers (I desperately need to hit the one thousand followers mark soon). Later on though, I thought about it and realized that just maybe, there could have been an element of seriousness in that spate of tweeting. 

Harambee Stars needs a fresh maverick approach, and in fact this is not only limited to the national team, but should be extended to the running of Kenyan football in general. We need to redefine ourselves and the kind of football we would like to be associated with. That is the first step in making progress as a footballing nation. Somebody from a faraway country should be able to, by just having a 3-minute glance of the screen, say that ‘Yes, that is the Harambee Stars playing’. Yes, identity is what I’m talking about. What type of football do we play? What kind of formation do we employ? What color is our home jersey? Which kit manufacturer provides our playing and training kits? In which stadium do we play our home matches? I’m an avid football fan but even I can’t answer all of those questions. How much more difficult do you think it is for an average fan or even a foreign football expert to try and answer that?

Of course I’m assuming that the next to be installed as the coach of Stars will be tasked with steering the team to through to the wilderness of the qualifiers and safely to the promised land that is the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Poor bastard, I pity him (even if it happens to be me, ha!). It simply won’t come to pass. By the way the World Cup is actually being held next year. Sorry, had to put that into that dramatic context. In 2003, Kenyans were ranked as the most optimistic people in the world (I think). Even if that unprecedented optimism were to be lifted to this year, it wouldn’t be enough to earn us that elusive World Cup ticket. That’s the damning reality. Things are that bad. And precisely I do not envy whoever will take up that job (well, and also because I want it for myself).

In July last year, after Spain cantered to triumph at the Euros, I wrote something about how I thought their victory would (or should) impact on the football world. Basically I vociferously endorsed La FuriaRoja’s style and pointed that every team at every level of the game had to emulate that. That is what I would push for Kenya to adopt. The problem and maybe what would ultimately deny me the job, is that for it to be successful, it would require the utmost degree of excruciating patience. Let me ask you, describe the football that Harambee Stars play. Don’t worry, I’ve got all day, I’ll wait. This is sad, but that’s what we should rectify. We have to play football that has purpose, football that is consistent irrespective of who’s playing, football that is tactically sound, and ultimately football that is superior to our opponents. My vision of this football (heavily borrowed from Spain) is this: When we have the ball, they don’t have the ball. You need the ball to score. They can’t score, but we can. When we pass that ball (in a circle) among us, they have to chase. They become tired (and bored) and leave spaces. We run into those spaces, receive the ball and give it. Then inculcating our technical ability and individual brilliance, we create chances and the goals come. When we lose the ball, we hunt it back as a pack (considering we’re less tired), retrieve it and repeat the cycle.

It is easier said than done, of course. The real test is finding the players, getting them to bond (they need to play and fight for each other), teach them on paper this style of football and painstakingly make them repeat and repeat the knowledge imparted on them on the training ground till they can hack it competitively on the pitch. If this can be achieved, then you’ll never have to worry about tactics. So long as the tactics you opt for before a match has a goalkeeper in it, this will always come good for you and your team. Of course this can only be done with a proper youth set-up in place. I say youth because well, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Heck, it might turn against you and bite you, give you rabies and turn you into another dog. True story.

In this respect, I would push for the creation of a national football school. Yes, school. Majorly it is a football school, but ethics and life skills will be incorporated too. Footballers need to realize that they are ambassadors of their families, communities, towns, counties, the nation and humanity in general. Alternative, no, also, it should be imperative for the country’s elite and stable football clubs to establish these youth schools of their own, operating under the above blueprint. I’m talking about the GorMahias, the AFC Leopards, the Tuskers, theSofapakas of this country. After all, aren’t clubs in existence to provide the national team with a perpetual pool of talented professional footballers? Absolutely, thank you.

I can’t elucidate further than that for now, I wish I could, but then again it would be too long for you to read. Look, in the next 8-10 years or so, if we don’t change we aren’t going to achieve anything that we only dream of. I know I’m barely into my twenties, but why not give me the job for that period and let me build what will sustain you for a lifetime at least? Yes, I have no coaching experience, but that’s largely due to the fact that nobody my age would have ever gotten time to try that. I have something that you’re going to turn millions of stones to unearth…a unique concoction of football passion and brains. Anyway, all said and done, I’m just a boy who loves football and my country and wants us to be counted among the best. That’s all.

On the Path to Ruin

I wasn’t going to write this piece right now, but what do you know? I just did. Actually I should be attending a Real Analysis class at the moment, but at times human interactions (I mean twitter) can alter much around and about you. So this morning I’ve been online on the TL very early (it helps when your crush wakes you up) and we’ve been dissecting age discrepancies among African players, but that’s talk for another day. The other subject, as usual, was Arsenal and that’s going to dominate, once again, here. I may have missed the class, but what better way to atone for that than to do a real analysis of my own here? Right? (just don’t tell my dad).

On Wednesday, as if the Carrow Road capitulation wasn’t enough, Arsenal once again served us with an insipid and agonizing display in the Champions League at home to Schalke 04. And this time I was pretty much a part of this. That might have just been my worst decision of the month. Picture this; I had a CAT to read for that night which I duly opted to ignore, then there was also a better match on the screen, Dortmund v Real Madrid at the Westfallenstadion. The Madridista in me very much wanted to watch it, but I didn’t. Reason?Arsenal. I wanted to see my side set the record straight from the weekend. And well, they did it…in all the negative ways possible.

These days just by looking at the team line-up, I can tell whether we’ll win or not and almost get it spot on. What am I driving at? If I can do that, then how many more times can Arsene Wenger, the manager for 16 years manage that? Granted, we don’t share the same set of eyes, but surely some things are just plain obvious! I glanced at the line up and team formation just before kick-off and the only thing that stopped me from switching to the Madrid game was the fact that we were home at the Emirates. And of course, in some 42 games prior, we hadn’t lost to a foreign club in the Champions League. Gervinho leading the line, Cazorla just behind him, Podolski on the left and Ramsey on the right of midfield.My verdict (at the time…and still now)? Recipe for disaster! Why? I will explain, don’t worry.

It is every manger’s or coach’s prerogative to prepare and assemble his team adequately enough to get the required result for a match. This result almost always (about 98% of the time) usually is a win. Hence the saying in football, ‘you are as good as your last game’. So back to the game at the Emirates. I think is fairly obvious that Gervinho is not a striker, but rather what they call a wide man. Should he be leading the line? I don’t think so. Wenger thought and has been thinking so. And on the night he was as woeful as you’ll ever see a player at a corporate get-together match. Cazorla playing in the ‘hole’ is fine, but I’ll elucidate why it was the wrong decision. Lukas Podolski? I need a new paragraph for him. So, here goes.

I’ve followed Podolski closely since he made his name for Cologne as a teenager 7 or 8 years ago. And I may be wrong, but I think his designation at the time was a striker and still should be now. In the 2006 World Cup on home soil, Poldi announced his arrival on the big stage by staring for Germany partnering the evergreen Miroslav Klose in attack. I think he scored three goals and was the Young Player of the Tournament. He then went to Bayern Munich, flattered to deceive and was back at Cologne in no time. Anyway, I digress a lot. Accept my a thousand apologies. My point? Wide left is not for Podolski, not in a long shot. This is a player with one of the sweetest left foot in the game and has scored over 40 goals for Germany. If you play a left-footed striker on the left, he’s never going to score (a lot). And aren’t strikers born to score goals? Fine, maybe the gaffer wanted him to create chance for Gervinho. Wait, Gervinho??? And you wonder why the German fizzled very early in game? And if he isn’t to lead the attack, don’t you think a Robben-style wide right for him is a more productive option?

What about Ramsey? I won’t pretend that I’m his greatest fan, so probably this is a bit biased. In that game he sucked (for lack of a better word). Why? He was badly out of position. He was tasked with giving our attack pace and width on the right. We all know he’s not the quickest, so it was always going to be hell for him. Which brings me to Santi. At the moment, he’s the most gifted player we have and watching him pull the strings is, as they say, orgasmic. Even on the night it was evident that in the sea of mediocrity, he was the island of brilliance. But, Cazorla was ineffective, most thanks to the Ivorian’s profligacy. Unlike the others I’ve mentioned, he wasn’t exactly playing out of position, but given how the team was set-up, he would be best utilized on the flanks. I expected Podolski to be the central striker, Cazorla on the left Gervinho on the right and Ramsey linking the midfield to attack. I’m convinced we wouldn’t have lost given how Schalke was set up.

People have been talking about how greedy and out of touch the Arsenal board is, and that may be true. I find myself subscribing to that sentiment a lot too, but the fact is, we are a football club, emphasis on the football. When we lose a game that we shouldn’t be losing, it is not the board that the buck stops with. It is the players and the manager. As a fan I’m more interested in the result on the pitch than the books of accounts and boardroom politics. And on the pitch we’ve hardly been good enough…for years. When we have a manger that is supposedly among the best in the world, you can’t help but wonder. I mean, the best produce the best results, right?

In the first half of his reign at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger couldn’t put a foot wrong. He was just the best. Is he still? In 8 years, what has he to show for it, apart from the club’s overflowing coffers? Yesterday at the AGM he said that playing in the Champions League is just the same as winning a trophy. Well, not in so many words, but to that effect. You could tell a six year old all day that participating is same as winning and he would still think you’re an idiot. Hasn’t the great Arsene consigned himself to the fact that the players at his disposal (whom he brought to the club) are too poor to win anything? Well, if he has, it is true anyway.

Football has changed radically over the years. You need the best players to win things. These best players come at huge sums of money, if your academy is not Barcelona’s La Masia. When you settle for less, you have to work almost seven times as hard to harness their technique and make them as competitive as the others. Gooners, football is about two things: winning and not winning. It’s a choice. Arsene Wenger hasn’t chosen winning. If he is still is what Arsenal as a club needs, maybe I should just limit my life to the insurance math that is boring the hell out of me day in, day out.

Totally unrelated, I thought it wise to cap this up with this verse from Rudyard Kipling’s most famous poem:

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise: