When a season reaches it’s climax one of the best things about that period is football fans debating what will happen and this season is perfectly set up for such debates.
The Premier League is as tight as it comes, top four has four teams fighting for two spots, avoiding relegation is still very much to play for, there are numerous candidates for the Champions League and then there is the Europa League.
How does that saying go, “Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one but they think each others stink.”
Well, I reckon the opinion of Jamie Redknapp, Chris Sutton and our very own Martin Keown’s opinions on the Europa League, stink.
Why? because literally all three of them reckon Chelsea will lift the trophy. When they were asked who will win the trophies outside the Premier League this was their responses.
REDKNAPP: City for the FA Cup and Chelsea the Europa League but I have a feeling that Juventus will win the Champions League.
KEOWN: I can see City lifting the FA Cup. The Champions League is trickier. Any one of the four English sides left in could win it but I’ll go for City. Chelsea for the Europa League.
SUTTON: Chelsea should win the Europa League. I cannot see anyone stopping City from lifting the FA Cup. City are also favourites to win the Champions League.
Not one of them reckons Arsenal, not even Keown! Obviously, they are looking at the draw and either have us losing to Napoli or getting beat by Chelsea.
Napoli will be tough for sure, we know that, but they are not Juventus, they are very beatable and the assumption, because that is what it looks like to me, that we will lose to the Italians is bloody insulting. In my opinion, we are the better side, English football is superior to Italian football, just look at how many English clubs there are left in Europe.
The assumption that Chelsea will beat Slavia Praha is arrogant in the extreme, has no one taken on board what they did to Sevilla?
And will these so-called experts still retain their opinion if we get past Napoli? Will they then be so confident that Chelsea will get the better of us?
As for Keown, what is wrong with him? Why do former Arsenal players have such low opinions of us? Because they do, we all know it.
I am a bit put out, to be honest, and will be on their respective Twitter accounts sticking it to them when we do beat Napoli.
Rant over.
Martin
Mate it’s opinions you can’t expect everyone to think arsenal are going to win it .
I don’t think we will win it tbh ,still some tough teams in there and we are playing probably the toughest next round ,
If we get the luck maybe but as it stands we probably have the 3 rd best team that is left in it.
Agree with you Xxnofx, I think Martin the article writer is being a bit precious about it. As you say, it’s all about opinions and mine may be different to yours but it doesn’t mean I think your opinion “stinks”. I have every respect for Keown and just because he thinks Chelsea will win, does not change that.
Why then none of them sees us finishing in the top 4 even though we are 4th well 5th but with a game in hand,chelsea lost theirs and have problems of their own,dressing room,manager on the verge of the sack,players wanting to leave,possible ban…..spurs have lost their last 4 games with kane,alli back,we had a goog last month(europea,beating man utd,drew spurs a game we deserved to win),still no one gives us even the slightest chance including some of our fans,don,t you see something wrong??
Yea, its fine. It’s their bl**dy opinion. Many of them wrote us off against AC Milan last season. Anyone remembers how that ended?
Well, its their opinion and they’re all entitled to it…
Let our football do the talking in the end..
Then we can laugh last and best
COYG
I understand where your coming from, we’re never really giving a prayer in any competition! So it’s not surprising we’re getting writ off for the Europa League! Chelsea will always be favoured over us and that’s a fact! even Paul Merson has written us off for Top 4 all season and now that we’re in a position we can grab it, he’s sticking the knife in and saying Man utd will go for the title next season and Arsenal won’t, it’s as though he’s been angered Arsenal are proving him wrong so far.. that criticism should be the perfect motivation for the team to go on and win the Europa League and finish 3rd ? let’s get the 3 points on Monday and just take it one game to the next ?
Merson should concentrate on his addictions,drinks,gambling he lost about 6 millions altogether,bashing our club and now wants our support,pity….no way COYG!#
I couldn’t agree more Tissiam ☺ I used to love him as a player, I really can’t stand him now! He’s shown his true self, he doesn’t like Arsenal.. maybe it’s because Wenger got rid of him, I don’t know.. he’s no legend in my eyes! He’s criticised the club too much to ever be a fan.
Wenger did not get ‘rid of him.’
He was offered a 2 years extension, but chose to go to Middlesbrough and play for them in the championship because they gave him a higher salary than Arsenal…
Spot on, John! It’s probably a little unlucky that we find ourselves in this situation. I don’t think the media has an agenda against us per se. But there is no doubt that regardless of the actual facts that should be reported, they have sold so many issues and garnered countless clicks because of our lack of success over the past decade. It’s a sleazy business by nature and we did provide them with enough ammo to last a lifetime, so I imagine it’s hard for them to let go of the characteristically feeble Arsenal and our huge rumor gobbling fan base. Even when Chelsea are in obvious despair, not to mention when we steamrolled them in the league, they still get the nod over us for no reason other than their desire to see us fail like we have most of the time. Let’s prove them wrong, boys. Maybe then next year they’ll have Chelsea wearing the dunce cap.
I’m perfectly fine with being underestimated. Just keep winning and all the pundits can do is keep living in denial. Either method we take to achieve UCL qualification makes this a successful season.
We have a first eleven that is as good as any on their day. Don’t mind ney sayers it’s we the arsenal who always seem to shoot our selves in the foot.
Yet we are always told this Arsenal team is average and not even a top four team by mamy Arsenal fans yet they forget that many are not playing at their full potential.This team is not average but rather full of underperformers.
“Underperformers”
You all on here know who I blame for performances.
Not pointing hands at you actually but what I’m trying to say is that this team is talked about in a way that makes it seem so bad when it’s more of a case where most are underperforming.Im sure there were many that also predicted 4th place for Arsenal before the season begun considering everything.
If many here weren’t Arsenal fans would they tip Arsenal to win it considering how they’ve been playing all season?Along with Chelsea are Napoli Arenal are among the favourites but Unai Emery must choose the right formation against Napoli and must start with wingers not wingbacks.Napoli would take nothing but a win at home and to me the formation we play is going to be key in our win because the three back system has only made us worse off in attack and I expect Napoli to easily neutralize our attack.
I think the 3 at the back isn’t so bad if we play 2 CM who can aid in attack, it is kind of swapping a DM for a CB.
I would also hold more faith in our fullbacks to provide attacking options compared to players we can play on the wings, it isn’t like we are blessed with top wide forwards, to be honest I do prefer the sole ACM behind 2 CF which leaves no space for wide forwards.
Haven’t you said that Auba and Laca should both be CF? While I advocate AMN to be CM, I also agree that keeping him at RWB till next season is the most logical choice. AMN and Kola are players who do add more going forward than the so called ‘wingers’ at Arsenal. I would also say that AMN is better as a RWB than a RB, I think AMN could do well against Napoli at RB, I don’t think it suits AMN of recovery over preempting… Which you have also pointed out if I am not mistaken 🙂
I would like to see Arsenal revert to a back 4 again but I can’t see Emery trusting Jenks at RB and I dread to think of Lich playing… I’d be up for Jenks at RB and put AMN on right wing, extra def protection while AMN has shown to be a threat going forward this season. Iwobi is a hard worker and will press a lot on the left to help in a 4231 formation… But will Emery play Jenks?
Last couple of competitive games were enjoyable to watch and everyone knows I am not a fan of Emery tactics, I’ll leave the Jenks moan as it is as Emery has given us a couple fun games in a row when playing 2CM who can aid in attack ahead of 3CBs.
3-5-2 or 3-4-1-2 vs a 4-4-2 isn’t a bad match up.. i beleive we would dominate napoli with the extra man in mid it’s the fullbacks that are the most threatening if they push up, so laca and auba got to keep them busy, as long as we keep the ball we should be ok mid/kev at least against napoli, if the lads play with the correct mentality we will win this game, for sure!!!
i’m with you on the back four, cant wait till we get the players to revert back to that system 🙂
To be fair many of us have been writing Arsenal off for most of the season. I’m still not sure how we’ve got to where we are at in the PL. Like many, I’ve had questions about Emery but he’s on the cusp of leading us to a pretty satisfying season. Hats off to him.
Satisfying only because arsenal fans are sooooo desperate. May I remind you December we were right there with the big boys until one man thought he was invincible. Jose said it was “impossible” for United to catch us.
We have a decent record v Che going back quite a while now. Even the one Che won in beginning of season, they rode their luck and we were really unlucky or wasteful depending how you see it. I wouldn’t pay too much attention to the pundits, they do be flopping about all season the moment things start to change. Napoli will be tough though so it would be naive to just look forward to a game v Che, as well Che need to give respect to their opponents like you mentioned, other teams would feed off that, if you speak as if it’s a foregone conclusion.
I love the fact that we’re being disregarded. The games aren’t decided on paper or by so-called “experts” (who would all be rich from their gambling earnings, if they were that prescient).
Let them keep forgetting about us and then let’s relish watching them backtrack and claim how they believed in Arsenal all the time. If Napoli take us as much for granted as these “experts” do, then they’re in for a stuffing… 🙂
Mystic Meg isn’t ?
???
What have we done to Paul Merson, Martin Keown and Company that they cannot not forgive Arsenal? Anyway, who really cares? Had it not been our shambolic defense, with the goals we score, we would be challenging for the title. Our games against the so called big six this season prove that Arsenal is improving. I want us to qualify for CL and win Europa just to silence those talking heads. Let Emery be given enough funding to buy players of his choice.
???
We’ve not done anything to Merson or Keown, they just express their personal opinions. BTW, Company never played for us ?
Declan you’ve been hilarious lately… what are you on?! ?
Jammy bloody Man United
They won’t be against Barcelona.. we’ll see how good Ole is then
Ed Woodward is getting his P45 ready & has already contacted Tracey Neville to become caretaker manager ?
Do you know what, I’d love, really love to watch Barca give them a good thrashing ?
Is he leaving ? haha she’s netball or something isn’t she ? Messi will walk through that crappy utd defence and you don’t need to be mystic meg to know that ? Well Sue I’m gonna give this site a break for a while today is gonna be my last on here at least until the end of the season..
The end of the season????
May, ..Sue ?
I know when it is ? that’s a long time… Will look out for you on crimewatch ??
Huddersfield are down then ? haha cheeky ? let’s hope we have the Europa League when I return ?
Yrs I hope so! Alex said yes then?! ?
I’m working on it ? did you see LeTissier when utd scored the 2nd he looked so happy ?
No because I was bloody shopping! Oh so you watched soccer saturday??!!!
Some of it Sue I had a couple of bets but bloody rubbish. Anyway he was grinning ear to ear I think he’s a utd fan
Right Kevin I’m off out ? look after yourself… I’ll miss our chats… as believe it or not you’re a funny guy ?? Uncle Sue will still be here & before you say it, when you come back no I won’t have applied for my bus pass ??
You enjoy Sue ? ???? I bet I’m not as funny as griezmans barnet ? but thank you for your compliment ? that’s not until next year ? Lol you know I’m joking ? aww, me too ? let’s hope we finish this rollercoaster season on a high ? you take care Sue ? ?
I’ve said all season long that we have a squad capable of finishing third. Liverpool and City are the two teams above us in my opinion, Chelsea are behind us as far as I can see… Current points 😛 and quality.
If Chelsea are considered as favourites then I have to believe that Arsenal are the real favourites.
At least… As long as Emery plays attacking football. When he has set us up to attack and we went out to attack, it has been very enjoyable. If he goes out their to defend then we’re likely to get knocked out, go to them with the intent to win and I believe Emery has enough quality in the team to make it happen.
One moan I hardly ever heard about Wenger was getting the team to score, the real complaint was how he ignored our def. After Arsenal bought 5 players to help our team out defensively… How could I not believe we have a squad capable of third?
Wenger’s last season, only Liverpool and City outscored us. If we had a better def then we could have reduced that 51 and stood a chance of finishing 3rd! The spuds fin 3rd and scored the same as us, they conceded 36, 15 less than us. That is where we lost points last season.
Auba is settled this season, Laca is over his knee issue from last season… We should be better in attack this season. With those 5 signings who are def orientated, we should be better def this season. Oh, add in to this that Emery coaches players in def tactics.. Our side should be doing much better defensively…
As long as Emery does a good job then I can see us finishing 3rd and winning the UEL.
Arsenal will definitely finish 3rd. It is obvious now
Everton were pretty darn good today… they’d better not keep that up next weekend!!
Martin, Why in Gods name are you being upset just because some pundits(not “everyone” as you incorrectly state) think Chelsea will win the Europa. Unless their opinions concur with yours , which you say they do not, then why does what they think- or anyone else either- worry you? I never worry what others think of my opinions. I make them without fear , favour or bias towards our own club and could not care less about the pundits. And the reason I do not remotely care is because I always back my OWN judgement. USUALLY WITH MONEY TOO. YOU AND OTHERS WILL NOT LIKE THIS BUT I have bet against Arsenal making top four(layed them, as the odds are favourably to bet against. ) I anticipate staking further money to bet against us after the Spuds , Chelseas and our own game Sunday and Monday coming. If it upsets you by people backing Arsenal to lose out on Europa, as those pundits you list do think, you must be very insecure. Forget them and concentrate only on what you think, is my advice.
The views of ex players always amuses me in that they are invariably wrong.They are of course entitled to their opinion but as a Manager I would use their views to motivate my players to prove how incompetent these professional punters are.