ENGLAND, SPURSINESS, AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR ARSENAL
Well, it was fun while it lasted.
Harry Kane was the fine margin in a close game… and when you roll the dice on Spurs, you get a Spursy outcome. One of the most brutal penalty-takers of all time couldn’t keep his late kick under the bar. It was a really sad moment, but hey, that’s England in major tournaments… always undone by a penalty.
I was quite down about it yesterday, then I realised this was all on Spurs, then I dug a little deeper and realized this has bad ramifications for them long-term.
Firstly, we don’t know how Kane will be affected mentally. Dennis Bergkamp came back from a lost shootout against Brazil in 1998 and he wasn’t the same player for a long, long time. Our treble flopped on him if we’re brutally honest. Does Harry think deeply enough about anything to have a World Cup hangover? Who knows. But he did stink out the start of last season because he didn’t get a move to City, so keep ’em crossed.
Secondly, think about what missing out on a World Cup means for him personally. 300 career goals. Not a trophy in sight. If they win nothing this season, which is very possible, will he agitate for a move next summer? If he does that, will Spurs hold him to the final year of his deal and get a bum year… or will they sell him… and to who? City? No chance. United? Not sure. Bayern? Maybe.
Spurs are in bad shape. Everything is geared around the end of Harry Kane’s career. Their squad is fairly old, their technical director probably has deep involvement in a scandal that is ROCKING Juventus, there are no amazing kids coming through, and the club can’t sell because it’s a billion in debt. Then factor that they have a basket case manager.
They didn’t take the pain after the CL final they made. Instead of renewing the squad under a proper manager, they decided they needed winnertivity. How did that work out? The same thing some Arsenal fans BEGGED for looks like it’ll be a huge flop that will have to be addressed with pain at some point, with money they don’t have, in a league that has never been richer.
If Harry wins a World Cup, he doesn’t need another trophy, now he has failed… he has to seek one out or risk being mocked as a pundit by G-Nev and Roy Keane.
It’s all very delicious if you ask me.
As for Arsenal? Well, I don’t think too much damage has been done. Benny Blanco’s exit is far enough away from the loss to avoid getting pulled into an expose about how the 5th choice right back ruined the preparation. Bukayo Saka was great in the semi. Aaron Ramsdale just sat about doing nothing for 4 weeks.
The only player we have left in the tournament is William Saliba who has played one game against Tunisia in which he delivered 27 minutes of pure bliss.
We have had one injury. It’s a major one. But I think we can manage it
Focus now turns to smashing West Ham in 15 days time. My question is whether Declan Rice is going to start that game, if he’s rested, that’ll make things a lot simpler. Are people really calling our new #6 Basmati? They are.
One point on #6 players… Tchouameni, outside his goal, didn’t look like a £100m player to me. I’m sure he’s going to grow into an elite-level role, but I wasn’t wowed by him. Which I guess is why I want our new #6 to come from the Premier League. If they are doing it already, you know it’ll be an easy transition.
Back to the Premier League.
That reopener to the season is tough. It’s all about momentum. Beat West Ham, Brighton looks easier, and Newcastle doesn’t look so daunting. Lose the first game, the pressure builds, and things get a little bit unpleasant as everyone looks to Gabi Jesus being the thing that unpicks our season.
January is certainly going to be interesting. We’ll sign a winger as the priority and I’m feeling less and less inclined to believe we’ll move for a 6. Big Mo is back in the mixer, Thomas Partey seems to have maintained his fitness pretty well and he’s had a midseason break. We’ll get better deals in the summer and I think last January proved that the shriekers soon change their tune when they see proper players come in the door in the summer.
The biggest myth perpetuated this January will be ‘we’ll never have a better chance’… yes we will. The same people talking that way about our title challenge are the same people that said we’d never get a better chance of top 4 last season.
Arsenal are 5 points clear at the top of the league with a team that has an average age of 23. If Arsenal play their cards right, we’ll be challenging for titles for the next 8 seasons. The key is NOT to do something short-term and stupid. Focus on the future, have the average age of title winners in the back of your mind (28), and trust the process.
Big clubs keep doing the things that work.
Manchester City will lose Pep G inside the next two years, there’s no way he stays on, I’m shocked he did.
Liverpool has a megalomaniac manager who has been given the keys to a Kingdom the owners are trying to sell. The eye is OFF the ball there.
Spurs are in trouble.
Chelsea’s strategy is blurred and the outcome of their work is not looking good.
Newcastle and United are a threat because they have big money, but they are still behind us by quite a stretch.
The stars have aligned. We have a great academy, great scouts, a great manager, and we’re going to be contenders.
The process is working; let’s see how we continue to make it pay dividends over the next few months.
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