Liverpool spanking not much of a surprise by KM
Hello fellow Gooners around the world! Happy times to be a Gooner these days hey? Taking away a few games where we didn’t look like ourselves, we’ve really kicked on this year. And the fact that we spanked Liverpool 4-1 which really is a result that flatters them, considering how at 3:0 we decided to rest rather than give them payback for last season is no real surprise.
Looking at the team sheets, there wasn’t a single Liverpool player I’d pick in our starting XI. I’d have Sterling on the bench but that’s it really. And you can see that having our players fit and rested back from injury makes all the difference. Ozil looks fantastic since his comeback and that rest at Newcastle let him dominate Liverpool with ease. Just compare that to how he was playing before, when he was tired and barely walking. Same goes for Giroud who is on fire after his injury, again marginally different from the times he played 30 games in a row, since we had no other striker..
To be honest going forward our squad doesn’t look worse than what Chelsea or Man City have. We have creative players, players with explosive pace and players with strength. The question now is, why can’t we keep this form the entire season? Because somehow this looks all too familiar. We start poorly and we finish the season strong to get to 4th.
The reality is we are still more likely to finish fourth than first. With another scrappy win for Chelsea, even we somehow beat em at home, although you can bet Mourinho would do anything to ruin Wengers’ day, they still have a huge cushion and we need to be perfect. I just wish we finish in the top 3. It’d be a real shame to finish fourth again. I’d like to skip those 2 qualification games early on and focus on the league.
We gave away easy points against Leicester when we were 1:0 up. We were up against Hull, only to scrap a draw at the end. Our keeper gifted Southampton 3 points. We had City turned over at home and drew at the end. We went bombing forward at Swansea to lose a game we were in front. Those points woud’ve meant we were neck and neck with Chelsea now. I just hope Wenger learns the lesson. But it’s been too many years in a row. We need to make the full season strong, not half of it.
Looking to the transfer market, a few players have a tricky contract situation. First up it’s Coquelin, who’s been immense for us. Easily the game changer. He balanced our squad so we stopped conceding so much and helped the defense, allowing our attacking players to do their business without the urge of chasing a goal down. It doesn’t make sense for him not to sign. The other top teams have their DMs and he’s fit in so nicely. I think he’ll stay.
Theo Walcott is a player I’m worried about. He is one-dimensional and that allowed Welbeck to kick him out of a first team spot. But still people fear the pace of Walcott, he counts as home grown and if he leaves it’d be for an English club. I want to keep Theo but Wenger is not giving him a chance in the squad, but we need Theo. It’s nice to have a big squad and have good players on the bench. It’s the first time in while we do, so let’s not be quick to throw em out of the door just because we have too many. Real Madrid have too many all the time. It’s a sign of us being a top team.
Rosicky will leave us most likely. Sad really. I love him. Injuries ruined the career of a very talented player, who was never too greedy. I hope he captains us in an FA cup final and we win. It’s the least he deserves. I think Flamini is also on the ropes. He simply has to go. All he does is slow us down and foul people. Arteta for me has to go too, and I’d be really disappointed if we give him a new contract instead of shipping him for another DM.
So who do we bring in? We have to buy Cech. He doesn’t want to warm the Chelsea bench. He’s won everything with them (including the CL). We can use a few more players with a winning mentality. He won’t need to move, and since the other top teams in England have good keepers we’re his best choice. We need a solid keeper. Szczezny is going out for me. I’d target another defender, since i think Mertesacker won’t be first choice next season if he stays.
I’d like to see a player like Koke join us. Someone to give Coquelin some help, and when Ramsey inevitably gets injured, we don’t have a hole in midfield. Schneiderlin would do too, but I’d prefer a player who has played for a monster coach in the form of Simeone, who won the title in Spain not playing for Real or Barca, and a CL final behind his back. Last but not least, Jackson Martinez. We are looking good forward, but Giroud and Welbeck are always a doubt when you only have one chance with the keeper and it has to be put off.
I hope Wenger has a plan. We’re looking good. If we build on that platform we can really be contenders next year. Will he do another signing like Sanchez? I’d love it! Just to scare the hell out of our rivals. Have a fantastic week!