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I recently listened to an episode of the Filthy Fellas podcast (which I’d highly recommend by the way) where they talked about something interesting. The topic at hand was, if you were to strip down different Premier League clubs and then rebuild those clubs around one player, who would it be. I thought I’do the same. This may be one of two posts on this subject, but for now, I’ll go through 5 clubs from last year’s top 10 and answer this very question. City: Erling Haaland City have some many talented players that could be the cornerstone of the club. However, considering age, ability & individuality amongst other things, I think the player you build around would be Erling Haaland. It’s so hard to score goals at the highest level, and when you have a guy that can bang them in for fun, who only cares about scoring goals & couldn’t really care less about being involved in any build-up play, you must cater to that player. The scariest thing about Haaland is that he’s still so young and, in truth, still a little bit raw. Yet, he’s already one of the best no.9s around. I mean what he’s already done in the blue half of Manchester is crazy. Unless a Real Madrid comes knocking for him, it’s highly likely that he’ll be at City for the long haul, and it should be in City’s best interests to build a team that allows Haaland to be the best version of himself. As I said, there are some many fantastic players, but Haaland is that guy. Arsenal: Declan Rice I was a little bit torn with this one and let me explain why. Arsenal have three solid candidates. You’ve got Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s starboy. He’s the embodiment of Arsenal football club, a player has ascended from the juniors all the way to the first team. Then you’ve got Martin Ødegaard, captain fantastic, who was brought in at a time when Arsenal were not what they are now, and has helped to transform this team. But the player I’ve gone for is Declan Rice. And the reason is simple. He is Arsenal’s marquee signing, the guy that they believe will help them get over the hump and win a league title. I knew he was a good player, but the impact he’s already had at Arsenal cannot be understated. He’s so calm in the midfield, such a reassuring presence, being that seamless link between the defence and the attack. Imagine if he went to City how different things may have been! He will be Arsenal’s guy for the foreseeable future and someone that the team should be centred around. United: Bruno Fernandes The list of players that you could build around at United unfortunately starts and ends with one player: Bruno Fernandes. It says a lot that there is only realistically one player right now that any fan would want to pin all their hopes and dreams on. The Portuguese hasn’t been that good this season, but since he signed in January 2020, he has been by far our most consistent performer. Despite what you may think of him and his antics on the pitch, one can’t deny that he always gives his all, no matter if the team is winning, losing, or drawing. But again, when I think of other players that I have or will mention, he’s probably the one you’re least likely to build around. No one doubts his quality, but there are question marks about his performances against the big teams as well as his temperament at times. I’ve watched him too many times be a lesser version of himself in games where you need him the most. However, who else are you going to build around? It has to be Bruno. Newcastle: Bruno Guimarães Here we have another team that have a few options at their disposable. You’ve got Sandro Tonali, the Italian who was one of the Toon’s major summer signings. As good as he is, you can’t have a player who can’t stay out of trouble be the foundation of your football club. You’ve also got Anthony Gordon, who at first, I didn’t rate but he’s been Newcastle’s best player this season and has plenty of time to improve. But I’m going for Bruno Guimarães. He’s the lynchpin in the Newcastle midfield. Anytime Newcastle score, assist or just in any of their build-up play, the Brazilian is usually at the heart of it. He’s so key to how his team functions that when he’s off the pitch, you notice the difference. If you find the players that complete his skillset (which Newcastle have done a good job in doing), you’ve got a midfield that is hard to outplay. The Geordie fans love him, and he’s shown in his stint so far that he is the heart and soul of Newcastle. Liverpool: Trent Alexander-Arnold There has been a lot of talk about Trent Alexander-Arnold over the last couple of years regarding his defence ability, specifically the lack of it. However, when you have a player that has such a unique ability, you must centre the team around the ability. We have never in the modern game seen at right-back does the things that Trent does. The passing ability he has is unrivalled, the way he can strike a ball so cleanly for a full-back is remarkable. If you think of the way Liverpool play, it doesn’t work anywhere near as well without the Englishman. Sure, there are better players at Liverpool, the likes of Van Dijk & Salah. But the point remains, Liverpool aren’t Liverpool without Trent. He’s their most creative player and the player that most of the team’s attacks go through. The question is, if you were to build Liverpool up from scratch, do you play in at right back, or midfield. I think it has to be right-back? I’ll leave that one for you to decide! This Week’s Hot Take I do not think you can build a team around a winger, no matter how good they are. The way the game is played nowadays, there’s so much emphasis on the middle of the park. With wingers, you can have some top-tier ones, but I feel that wingers can be more easily replaced than any other positions, and the drop-off would not be that noticeable. I’m not discrediting wide players by any means, just that when focusing a team around a position, it shouldn’t be a winger.

Heading into the first week of December, we’re getting a sense of how the 2023/24 Premier League campaign will play out. The first third of this season has already had its fair share of drama, thrills, and controversy, and it’s sure to continue. A lot of football is still to be played between now and mid-May, but it is usually around this stage of the campaign were the contenders come to fore, where the pretenders fall away and where all those in between tussle it out. So, for this week’s post, I’m going to offer my two cents on what’s happened thus far in the English top-flight. Three’s a Crowd It’s been the longest time since we’ve had a genuine three horse race for the title, and this season, it’s looking like that may be the case. In previous campaigns, three supposed contenders have threatened to duel it out, but then at least one would always fall by the wayside. However, the three teams that are leading the league, Arsenal, City and Liverpool, seem destined for a three-way battle for the Premier League trophy. Manchester City are still the team to beat in England, but they haven’t looked like their usual selves, whether it’s down to injuries, complacency or the effects of their exerts from the year before. City’s lack of concentration in some games has offered Arsenal and Liverpool hope that this may be their year. Despite not really playing that well, Arsenal are top of the league. They’ve managed to grind together results even if they’ve not been at their fluent best. The questions will remain as to whether they’ll be able to get enough goals from their strikers to seriously challenge. With Liverpool, the quality they have in attack and defence means that they shouldn’t be slept on. Will their lack of a ball winning midfielder be their detriment? We’ll have to wait and see. Even as a rival fan, I hope that one team doesn’t end up running away with it and we have a competitive race. The Gates of Europe Await Below the title contenders, the hunt for the European places is going to be wide open. With the Champions League format changing from the start of the 2024/25 season, England could have five representatives in the Champions League. This means realistically, it could be up to 6 teams fighting for the remaining two Champions League places: Villa, Spurs, United, Newcastle, Brighton & Chelsea. It’s great to see that the traditional top six is a thing of the past, as from a neutral, we want to see new teams get the chance to experience the thrills of European club competition. Villa have looked very good thus far, with the players really buying into Emery’s philosophy. Spurs started on fire, but they’ve hit a rough patch and are dealing with a mountain of injuries. As bad as I think United have been, they’re still in and around the Champions League places. Newcastle’s and Brighton’s efforts in Europe may be slightly affecting their domestic form, although they are doing enough to stay around. Chelsea are still a team that is learning to play with one another as well as adapt to Pochettino’s tactics. All realistically have a chance, and we seem set for a close race for those European places. Your Luck’s About to Run Out One of the biggest storylines of the season has been Everton’s point deduction. The club have been docked 10 points for breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules. This is the most severe points deduction in the history of the league, and it’s left the Toffees once again in the thick of a relegation dog fight. The consensus amongst fans, media and even fellow clubs is that the punishment is harsh, but what’s done is done and Everton must galvanise themselves for the matches ahead. Whether you believe in Karma or not is here nor there, but Everton have been on the brink of relegation for the last few campaigns. However, this might just be the footballing universe playing a cruel trick on Evertonians. It wasn’t long ago that they beat Bournemouth on the final day of the previous campaign to survive and maybe their good fortune has started to run out. The only slight positive for the blue side of is that only 13 games have been played and so there’s plenty of time left. However, this point deduction may end up being the nail in the coffin for Everton’s Premier League status. Mind The Gap You know the saying, what goes up must come down? Well, that feels like the case this year with the newly promoted sides. Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton all made the jump to the big time, but after watching them in spells this year, their chances of continuing to swim the sharks don’t look good. I don’t think the gap between the promoted sides and the rest of the league has seemed as big as it does this year, whether that’s down to the promoted clubs not being Premier League ready or just the rest of league strengthen more than those other clubs. One thing that the promoted clubs have in common is that they have all tried to play the same way they did in the Championship as they are in the Premier League. The issue is: this ain’t the Championship. I get that the managers have a certain way of playing, but when you’re an inferior team, you’ve got to adapt to your environment. Out of the three clubs, I think Luton have the best chance of staying up as Kenilworth Road will be a tough place to go no matter who you are. I already fear for Burnley and Sheffield United. They just aren’t good enough to be in this league. I may be proven wrong, but all the signs point to it being a struggle for all three. This Week’s Hot Take We rave about the Premier League being the best in the world, partly due to its competitiveness. But if City win the league again, the league is threatening to become like the Bundesliga or Ligue 1. It will be 6 titles in 7 years. That doesn’t sound competitive to me, does it? How does that differ from Bayern winning 11 titles in a row? Sure, the rest of the league is competitive, but it’s no fun seeing the same team win the league over and over again.

VAR, the gift that keeps on giving! Ever since its inception in the Premier League, it has been under heavy scrutiny, and rightly so. In particular, over the last few weeks, there have been some highly questionable decisions being made by officials, which VAR has played a massive role in. Unlike most people, I’m all for VAR as, if it’s used correctly, I think it has a place in our league. But right now, the way it’s being utilised in this country needs to change, and quickly. So, let’s talk about it; let’s talk about why VAR is and why it isn’t working in the Premier League. Why It’s Working Righting Wrongs What was the primary reason for the FA deciding to implement Video Assistant Referees? It was to ensure that the on-field mistakes that officials made were rightfully overturned. And if we look at it from an objective set of eyes, VAR has done that for the most part. Whether it’s overturning an incorrectly awarded penalty, ruling out a wrongly awarded goal for offside or overturning a red card that shouldn’t have been brandished. When it works, it makes sure that the correct decisions are made and ensures the reputation of the game remains intact. Some people will point to the fact that at times it can take far too long for VAR to come up with a verdict. But my counter to that is, it shouldn’t matter how long it takes, as long as the right decision is made, that’s all the matters. There have been instances when the referees have made glaring errors and if it wasn’t for the intervention of VAR, teams would have been screwed over. Since the beginning of the season, out of 28 possible overturned decisions, 27 were correctly overturned (just over 96%). That statistic alone shows the value of VAR. Exposing The Con Artists If there’s one thing I don’t like about modern footballers, it’s their tendency to try and pull a fast one over the referee or attempt to deceive the officials. I can’t remember how many times I would watch a Premier League match where a player would take a dive in the box to win a penalty. Or maybe a player would go to ground easily over the slightly bit of contact to get an opposing player sent off. I understand that at times footballers may have to “exaggerate” to get what they want, but there’s a difference between exaggeration and outright deception. Well, with VAR, the likelihood of players being able to get away with such shenanigans is slim-to-none. Not only does VAR exposes these con artists, but it makes sure that the game is being played with the right spirit. I don’t care who you support, no fan wants their players flopping and ending up on the ground after minimal contact like is sometimes commonplace in other sports (NBA, I’m looking at you!). We want to see commitment, aggression (in the right sort of way) and passion, and VAR is doing a good job in that regard. Why It Isn’t Working Lack of Transparency Only in the last few weeks have the Premier League started realising audio of what the officials at Stockley Park are saying while an on-field review is taking place. Before this, fans watching a match on TV or in stadiums had no clue what was being said in the booth. All they would see is the big screen stating that an incident is being checked. The Premier League needs to make more of a conscious effort to keep fans informed of what the thought process is behind some of the decisions in real-time. That way, we’d be more understanding of certain decisions. The Premier League could learn a lot from Rugby. Here, both the referee and the video assistant referee are mic’d up. This means that those of us at home can hear exactly what the referee is thinking as well as the discussions between the ref and the video assistant referee. You never hear of any gripes with how the system is used in Rugby because all parties are kept informed as events happens. Whereas in the Premier League, we must wait till days after matches to hear the audio. It’s simply not good enough. Where’s the Objectivity? VAR was meant to bring more objectivity to decision making, but we’ve started seeing that it’s being used on a more subjective basis. We’ve seen instances of this in the last couple weeks, with Scott McTominay’s goal for United against Fulham being ruled out because Harry Maguire was deemed to be offside from a subjective POV. If we’re now allowing subjectivity to come into play, VAR shouldn’t be changing on-field decisions at all. Why should decisions be overturned purely based on partiality? Other rules such as handball and offsides are not being viewed from an objective lens anymore. The handball rule has been changed so many times since VAR came into the league, but even now, the lack of consistency when it comes to handballs is ridiculous. Similarly, with offsides, they should be relatively simple. But depending on the game, the lines that are drawn can be straight in one instance, wiggly in another. Sometimes they can be drawn from one part of the body or angle and in a different case they can be drawn from a different body part or angle. The Premier League needs to get rid of this subjective decision making as it is ruining the game. This Week’s Hot Take Despite many people’s issues with it, I think overall, VAR has been good for the league. There are those that will argue that mistakes are part of life and referees should be allowed to make them. But at the same time, a mistake could be made at the wrong time which could potentially cost a team the title, or Champions League football, or even Premier League survival. Sure, we still have a long way to go before VAR starts working seamlessly in the English top-flght, but we are getting there.

Earlier this week, France Football presented the annual Ballon d’Or awards, recognising the best male and female footballers over the 2022/23 season. Ever since FIFA and France Football decided not to continue with the partnership (from 2010 to 2015 the award was officially called the FIFA Ballon d’Or), there have been some controversial winners. That was more of the case this year as well. With that in mind, in this week’s post I’ll go through some of the winners from this year’s ceremony and explain whether I think they were worthy or unworthy of their prizes. Ballon d’Or: Lionel Messi Messi is the greatest footballer I’ve seen in my lifetime, period. Even at 36, he is still a magician on the pitch. The one thing that was always hanging over his head was the lack of success at international level. Sure, he won the Copa America in 2021 but for his biggest critics, that wasn’t enough. He had to led Argentina to World Cup glory. And that’s exactly what he did. His performances in Qatar were special (specifically that final for the ages). However, as great a story as it was, to me, he shouldn’t have won the award. It seems like with the Ballon d’Or (and some of the others), more emphasis is placed on certain achievements than others, for example the World Cup. I look at a player like Erling Haaland, who achieved football immortality by winning the treble with City, as well as winning the PFA and FWA Player of the Year, scoring 56 goals for club and country. Do I think Haaland is a better player than Messi? No, I don’t. But that’s not what this is about. It’s about who was the best player during a particular period, and for me, that was Erling Haaland. I can’t say I’m mad that Messi won it, I just think the narrative behind him worked in his favour. Verdict: unworthy Ballon d’Or Féminin: Aitana Bonmatí I did my research on Bonmatí just to make sure I got my facts right and I must say, she had one hell of a season. Similarly with Messi, she was the star player for Spain as they were crowned Women’s World Cup winners in Australia & New Zealand, winning the Golden Ball for her performances during the tournament. Before a ball was kicked, Spain weren’t considered as one of the favourites, but through spirit and determination, they reached the pinnacle of international football. Not only that, but she also had a hugely successful club season, winning La Liga and the Champions League with Barcelona. So unlike Messi, one could argue that she was equally as successful with her club as she was with her country. When you take all of that into account, I don’t really think there’s that much of an argument to say she wasn’t the right winner. Honourable mentions should go to players like Sam Kerr (who won the domestic double with Chelsea) and Mary Earps (Golden Glove Winner at the World Cup by the way) as they both were pivotal to the fortunes of their respective teams over the course of last year. However, Bonmatí was the right winner for this award. Verdict: worthy Kopa Trophy: Jude Bellingham We as football fans are probably running out of words to describe this man’s talent. You’ve heard me say it several times; English players tend to be some of the most overhyped players in the world. We’ve seen it time and time again, but with Bellingham, this doesn’t seem like the case. Even at his young age, his game has a level of polish and maturity that you don’t tend to see from players in the infancy of their careers. But this is no normal young player now, is it? Although his performances at Madrid wouldn’t have been considered for this prize, his start to life in Spain has been sensational: El Clasico double, last-minute winners, MOTM performances. It’s not an exaggeration to say that he has carried Madrid so far. But I digress, he won the Kopa Trophy based on his last season at Dortmund, where if it wasn’t for one of the biggest bottle jobs in recent memory, he would have led them to their first Bundesliga since 2012. We’re blessed to able to see some many talent youngsters hone their craft, the likes of Jamal Musiala, Pedri, Gavi. But right at this moment, Bellingham might just the cream of the crop. The sky is the limit, and who knows what’s still to come. Verdict: worthy Yashin Trophy: Emiliano Martinez Again, I feel like those that have voted for this honour have been swayed by the World Cup. We can’t deny that if it wasn’t for that one-on-one save Emi Martinez made to deny Kolo Muani at the end of extra-time in the final, Argentina don’t come back from Qatar as World Champions. He also had a pretty good season for Aston Villa, helping them qualify for the Europa Conference League, Villa’s first foray into Europe since 2010. But again, I must ask, during the 2022/23 season, was he the best keeper? To me, he wasn’t. Look at Ederson. He won the treble with City and conceded the fewest goals in the league as well. If you ask me to compare each keeper’s seasons, treble winner vs World Cup winner, only one keeper comes out on top and that isn’t the Argentine. We must be careful of how the winners are selected as we don’t want to fall into the habit of other sports (for example, the NBA) where the narrative or the story behind the player influences voters far too much. I like Martinez, I think he’s a good keeper, just not the best keeper over the last year. Verdict: unworthy This Week’s Hot Take I don’t how the specific voting works, but I feel that the votes of the coaches and players should have more influence than those from journalists. Those that play the game or manage are less likely to subscribe to the notion that the Ballon d’Or is a popularity contest. Obviously, they’ll want their teammates, players or fellow countrymen to do well, but not at the detriment of the integrity of the award. Journalists on the other hand like a story and so they’ll probably vote for the player that has the best story going into the ceremony.

There are those situations in football where a player makes that dream move, but for whatever reason, we end up questioning whether it really was the right move for them. Especially when you’re a world class talent, there is pressure to hit the ground running and ultimately become a success. However, the move ends up being a failure. I want this week’s post to centre on some of those transfers that we end up thinking to ourselves “what could have been”. Eden Hazard: Chelsea to Real Madrid Let’s get something straight, Eden Hazard is one of the most naturally gifted footballers to ever grace the Premier League. There was a period in the mid to late 2010s where he was clearly the best player in the league, almost unplayable. During his time at Chelsea, he basically won it all, Premier League winner, Champions League winner, Europa League winner. You name it, he won it. But his famed £130m transfer from Chelsea to Real Madrid in 2019 was really the nail in the coffin when it came to the Belgian’s career. It was never going to work when he arrived in Madrid overweight, the height of unprofessionalism if you ask me. I mean, how can you arrive on your first day at the world’s most prestigious footballing institution and not be in shape? It was inexcusable. From them, it only got worse. He was plagued with injuries whilst at Madrid. Inheriting the famous no.7 shirt that Cristiano Ronaldo wore before him was always going to be a burden that was too heavy to bear. In four seasons, he only managed 76 games in all competitions, scoring 7 goals. He recently announced his retirement from football at the age of 32, and football fans are now left wondering, if his Madrid move turned out differently, what more he could have achieved. Alexis Sanchez: Arsenal to Manchester United I remember being in disbelief when I heard the news that Sanchez was arriving at Old Trafford and United were sending Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the opposite direction. We’ve talked about Eden Hazard earlier and I’d say that after him, Sanchez was the best left winger in the league at the time. He had been tearing up for Arsenal and it seemed strange that they were willing to let him go to a rival for next to nothing. In hindsight, they must have known something that we didn’t! It’s hard for me to pinpoint the exact reason why the move didn’t work; it just never felt like the right fit. One thing that I do remember was that he wasn’t the same player physically at United that he was for the Gunners. He used to be so dynamic, always going at his defender. But then when he came to United, he became very passive, often taking the safe option and at times occupying the same spaces as Paul Pogba on United’s left-hand side. Once more, he was never able to nail down a position, as both Martial and Rashford were vying for a starting spot. It meant that he would play some games up front or even on the right, which were obviously not comfortable for him. He has never been able to create the magic in London, which is a shame because I feel he had so much more to give. Phillipe Coutinho: Liverpool to Barcelona At Liverpool, Coutinho was in many respects the main man (before a certain Egyptian started taking over), pivotal in how Klopp wanted his team to play. However, when he made the move to Barcelona, that’ was never going to be the case because of a certain Argentine gracing the pitch. Additionally, I believe prior to his move, he wasn’t quite as good as some of the others on the list and in terms of longevity, he wasn’t quite up their either. But still, I thought he’d do well in that environment, but in turns out that wasn’t case. This was a certain expectation that Coutinho would fulfil the Iniesta role while in Catalunya, being that elegant, fluid link between the defence and the attack, the midfield maestro that kept the team ticking over. However, he never was able to rediscover his Liverpool form and more time played a bit part role at the club. Sure, whilst there he won two La Liga titles, a Copa Del Rey and a Champions League (which technically he won at Bayern whilst on loan from Barca). His move never lived up to the hype, and efforts to resurrect his career since then have not worked out too well. Fernando Torres: Liverpool to Chelsea We’ve got to go a bit further back in time for this move, but it was one of the most dramatic deadline day transfers in Premier League history when Torres made the move to Merseyside in January 2011. To this day, there aren’t too many strikers in Premier League history that were as feared as El Niño. At Liverpool, the partnership he developed with Steven Gerrard was as deadly as it was dangerous. But having engineered the move to West London himself, we thought he’d continue to tear apart defences. Well… The ironic thing is his first game for his new club was a 1-0 defeat against his former employers. Not the most ideal start, right? And as it would be, his time at Chelsea ended up being a nightmare. He did have a few iconic moments such as that goal against Barcelona at the Nou Camp in the Champions League semi-finals. But he was a shell of his former self at Chelsea. He always looked a yard slower and a touch heavier, completely devoid of confidence in front of goal. Was Chelsea the right club for him? Probably, but he may have already reached his peak by the time he made the move, and Chelsea were always going to getter a less version of the Spaniard. This Week’s Hot Take Focusing on Eden Hazard, I think he is the most natural gifted player in Premier League history. That’s a pretty bold statement to make given the talent that has graced the English top-flight. The man was a wizard with the football, so silky, so smooth so fluid. He was so breath taking to watch and would leave fans mesmerised by his ability. There was simply nothing he couldn’t do with a football.

The word “crisis” is far too often used in football. Whilst this isn’t the case yet, these are worrying times for my beloved United. If you look at the stats, they make for grim reading. Three defeats in the last four, six in the first ten games, consecutive defeats in the Champions League group stages. It does not look good. As I’ve always said, I call it as I see it. So, for this week’s post, let’s address some of United’s main issues and what they can do to turn their season around. The Issues It’s All About Balance The most alarming issue at the minute is the lack of balance in the team, particularly in the midfield. It seems strange that just last season, the midfield of Casemiro, Eriksen and Fernandes were pivotal in where we finished. However, this year it’s completely off. When fit, Mount & Fernandes are playing so high up which leaves Casemiro isolated with no protection. Teams have repeatedly been able to slice through United’s midfield at will and penetrate their defence. The attack has been too predictable and static; the plan almost seems to be, get the ball to Rashford, and hope he does something. Even the defence seems unbalanced, with players consistently playing out of position (e.g., Dalot at left-back or even Amrabat as a hybrid full-back). The whole team is a mess, plain and simple. Mistakes, Mistakes, Mistakes You can legislate when a player makes a mistake, fair enough. But too many times already, United players have had howlers. Onana, who Ten Hag insisted on being United’s no.1, has already made a few high-profile mistakes. The challenge in the box against Wolves that went unpunished; flapping at Leroy Sane’s shot against Bayern, the misplaced pass against Galatasaray that cost us the game. I might be picking on him a bit, but he’s not the only one. As bad as the defence has been, they must feel unnerved when you have a keeper like Onana behind you. Even the forwards have made key mistakes (Rashford not burying that chance against Galatasaray as well). When a team is riddled with mistakes, how can you expect them to do well? It also doesn’t help that the manager is trying to get them to play a certain way which at this moment they are not capable of (more on that a little later). Take A Look in the Mirror I was praising Ten Hag last season for the job he did, but he needs to look in the mirror and hold his hand up and admit what he’s trying to get his players to do is not working. Take for example playing out of the back. This style of football requires a goalkeeper who’s comfortable on the ball and good under pressure. It requires defenders to be able to receive the ball well under pressure and it requires midfielders to be able to take the ball in tight spaces and advanced the attack. Onana regularly looks like he’s due to make a misplaced pass. Aside from Martinez maybe, I wouldn’t describe any of the centre-backs we have as ball playing defenders. Even the likes of Casemiro and Mount, both who are very good on the ball, often have had their pocket pinched by opposing midfielders. Ten Hag has been stubborn in some of his decision-making, and it’s getting in the way of United winning games. The Solutions Strength In Numbers I will never use injuries as an excuse, as all teams experience them. It’s a part of the game. However, once United get close to a fully-fit squad, I expect the team to improve. Already within the first few weeks of the season, we’ve been without the likes of Martinez, Shaw, Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Mount, Antony etc for spells. Now, I’m not saying that once everyone is fit, United are suddenly going to start surging up the table. But as I alluded to early, United have had to field make-shift teams, playing players out of position which has been a detriment to their performances. I still fully believe that our starting XI is decent, more than good enough to get into the Champions League. If that team can have a sustained run of games together, then the hope would be that United can slowly but surely improve. Shock the System Provided that the players are available, Ten Hag needs to (at least temporarily) change the system and maybe look to go to three/five at the back. The amount of goals United have already conceded this season is outrageous and it seems only right that Ten Hag looks to shore up the defence. If that means the attack suffers a little bit, then so be, if it means that for a stretch of games, United are way more solid than they’ve been thus far. Alternatively, in the midfield, United play two 6s just so that Casemiro has enough cover. Again, this would provide more stability in the midfield and stop teams being able to bypass the midfield like it isn’t even there. The Cream Needs to Rise to the Top Certain players haven’t hit the same levels as last season. I’m looking at Rashford, Fernandes and Casemiro specifically. Rashford’s levels have dropped significantly. He’s only got one goal to his name in all competitions and looks shot of confidence at the minute. Fernandes similarly has started the season poorly, and his persistent moaning isn’t helping matters either. Casemiro looks completely discombobulated at times in the midfield and has been prone to getting exposed in the middle of the park. The fortunes of United are directly affected by the performances of these three players. If they don’t play well, it’s unlikely United win many games. If they play at their usual levels, United are a vastly improved team. Ten Hag needs to get these three back to their best, and quickly. This Week’s Hot Take As bad as the situation is right now, it’s not worse than the last days of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. I remember at that time thinking there was absolutely no hope as the fans had turned on the manager & the players had downed tools. I don’t think either is the case in this present situation. Sure, it could get even worse, but I believe (maybe against my better judgement) that there will be some sort of a turnaround in the weeks to come.

Readers of my previous post will be aware that the topic of discussion was my customary, early season predictions for where I see certain teams finishing in the league. Well, this post is the second of my predictions, but this time, I’m focusing more on some of the individual awards that are up for grabs. I’m sure that when I come to revisit these picks later a lot will change, but it isn’t that why they’ll called predictions? Time to jump right in. Player of the Season: Erling Haaland It must be tiring for you readers to hear me go on and on about Haaland, but I just can’t help it. There was a slight thought in my mind that he would drop off a little bit after his treble-winning exerts but once again, he’s started the season on fire. Sure, in terms of overall performances, he hasn’t really played that well, but he’s still already scored 7 goals. It’s not a certainty that he’ll win this award, but given I believe City will win the league once more, he’s the most likely candidate from this City side. If De Bruyne wasn’t facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, I would have strongly considered him (as to me, he’s still the best player in the league). But, at the end of the day, Haaland will be the main reason why City win the league, and, for that reason, he is my pick. Young Player of the Season: Evan Ferguson I’m colouring outside of the lines a little bit with this one. There is also a bit of recency bias coming into play I’ll admit as he recently scored a hattrick against Newcastle, but Evan Ferguson looks like a talent. We as fans are very quick to call someone “the next X” or to say that “X” is destined for greatness. However, I like what I’ve seen from the Irish international. For a man so young, he has a certain amount of composure and poise in front of goal that isn’t often seen in young strikers. His hold up play is good, and his movement of the ball is impressive. Brighton as a team score lots of goals, and provided he can stay fit, Ferguson is sure to get his fair share. It will only be a matter of time before one of the big clubs in England make a move for him. Manager of the Season: Roberto De Zerbi You might think it’s weird that I’m picking a manager whose team I have finishing seventh, but that’s the way it is. The funny thing is, when Graham Potter was Brighton manager, we were all raving at what a job he was doing (and rightly so). Except, De Zerbi has taken this team to a whole new level. It’s the demand he places on his players, and the unwavering confidence in his philosophy no matter the opponent that makes he such a good coach. Brighton have made a good start to the season (dismantling my United team last weekend actually) and don’t seem to have dropped off from their levels last campaign. We’ll see how the distraction of the Europa League affects their domestic form but regardless they’re set for another good year. It feels like a matter of time before the top clubs start sniffing around. Top Scorer: Erling Haaland Don’t think I really need to explain this one, but I’ll keep it brief. Simply put, Haaland has no real competition for the Golden Boot. Two of his would-be competitors aren’t even in the running, with Harry Kane now playing for Bayern while Ivan Toney is serving a lengthy ban for gambling. Other contenders include Mo Salah, Alexander Isak & maybe Heung Min-Son. But at the end of the day, they all have one thing in common: they’re not Erling Haaland. There is an air of inevitability about the Norwegian that means you can stop him for long spells of a game, but then in blink of eye, he’s bagged a brace. I’m not a betting man, but you could bet your house that he wins this award. Best Signing: James Maddison We’ve seen some good signings made this summer: Mac Allister at Liverpool, Rice at Arsenal, Tonali at Newcastle. However, the one I’ve gone for is James Maddison to Spurs. I’ve been a big fan of Maddison, and I don’t always feel he’s got the love he deserves. Spurs have been crying out for a creative midfielder since Eriksen left the club, and with the way Ange Postecoglou plays, Maddison seems like the perfect conductor in that midfield. In today’s market, the £40m that the cost represents a steal. There are some many things he can do on the ball, he’s a good passer, can go past players and has an eye for goal. With Kane now gone, a lot of the creative burden will be on him, but he doesn’t seem like the player to buckle under the pressure. Worst Signing: Mason Mount/Kai Havertz I’ve opted for a joint winner for this selection. Both signings represent similar situations: square pegs in round holes. Mason Mount got a lot of stick last season for his performances but he’s still a good player. The issue he’s not the profile of midfielder United should have bought. What was needed was more of a box-to-box, someone who could help Casemiro but offer a bit of a threat going forward. With Havertz, Arteta is trying to get him playing the Xhaka role and he’s just not well equipped for it. It’s only been a few games in, but he looks a bit out of sorts in the Arsenal side at the minute. Both players could easily come good, but I just think both players should have signed for different clubs. Whether that makes them the worst signings I don’t know! This Week’s Hot Take I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that when I come to revisit these predictions, I don’t think I’ll change any of my picks. It’s hard to determine so early in the season how things will fare, but aside from maybe Young Player of the Season, I’m very confident in all these picks. There could be egg on my face when I do this all again mid-season or come the end of the campaign but I choose to back myself.

With the season’s first international break in progress, it gives me a chance to take a step back and lay down my early predictions for this campaign. Whilst it’s still way too soon to know who’s going to finish where, the first few games have provided a small glimpse of what we can expect. Will City run it back? Will this be the closest race for the European places ever? What will the fate of the promoted sides be? All this and more, will be addressed in this week’s post. Let’s get it. Title winners: Manchester City I’ve learnt my lesson and I’m not going to bet against City winning their fourth straight title. They are still undoubtedly the best team in England, and I don’t see anyone stopping them. Sure, they’ve got rid of some of their key men, players like Gundogan and Mahrez. But at the same time, Pep has once again changed their dynamic of his team. He’s made it more physical in the midfield and added more pace in attack with the signings of Matheus Nunes and Jeremy Doku. Haaland has already started the season on fire and looks like replicating last year’s heroics. Alvarez is becoming a more complete player for City, playing equally well in the midfield and the attack. They’ve added Gvardiol to an already elite centre-back grouping, a player who could go on to do great things at the club. I just think they’ll have too much for the rest of the league. There might be a little bit of pressure as they’ll be attempting to make history. But we’ve seen it last season; pressure is no match for this team. Champions League: Arsenal, Liverpool, United, Spurs For this prediction, I’ve assumed that England will have five representatives in the Champions League in 2024/25. Arsenal & Liverpool are locks for top 5. The Gunners have strengthened their starting eleven and made some good signings. The questions will arise as to whether their squad can cope with the addition of the Champions League, but given their relatively easy group, that shouldn’t be an issue. I was a bit nervous that Liverpool wouldn’t make it when they missed out on Caicedo and Lavia. Whilst Endo and Gravenberch aren’t like-for-like replacements, I believe their attacking play can more than offset their defensive issues. United have not started the season well, with key players already injured and the balance not quite right in the centre of the park. My heart wants to believe that our new signings will integrate well with the team and for now, I trust Ten Hag to get it right. Spurs have surprised me so far. Their start has been relatively easy, but without Kane there seems to be that extra fluidity up front and overall, they’re playing more positive football. I’m eager to see how they fare when they face the better sides in the league. But, given they’re only playing one game a week, I think they could just sneak into that last spot. Europa and Europa Conference League: Chelsea, Newcastle, Brighton I’m not convinced by this Chelsea team at all. It’s as if Todd Boehly is playing Career Mode, buying all these young players with potential on long contracts, and then expecting the manager to integrate all of them with ease. I do like some of the players they’ve bought, but I still feel they lack a goal scorer. If you’re relying on Sterling, Jackson and Nkunku when he returns, I’m not sure that is enough. I’m happy to be proven wrong, but that’s just how I view the Blues. As impressed as I was with Newcastle last campaign, they benefitted from teams not performing at their usual levels. They’ve not made a good start, their defence doesn’t seem as strong and all that combined with the added excursion of European football, they may slip down the table a little bit. Unlike Newcastle, Brighton have looked good so far, so it seems a bit strange that that I’ve got them finishing 8th. The only reason again comes down to slight doubts as to whether they’ve got a strong enough squad to compete on multiple fronts. Best of the Rest: Villa People may think I should have Villa higher, but it goes to show the quality of this league. Emery is finally showing exactly the kind of manager he is. I also like a lot of their new signings. Pau Torres, Diaby. If you look at their starting XI, it’s surprisingly good. They’ve got a good spine, their wide players are good and in Ollie Watkins, they’ve got someone that will score goals. The question I ask myself though is are they better than the eight teams ahead of them? I don’t think so. Having watched them against Newcastle and Liverpool, they got battered, and I mean battered. They’ll most likely take plenty of points from the lesser teams, but against the big boys, they may struggle. Relegation: Everton, Burnley, Luton I was thrilled to see Luton get promoted. It’s something we haven’t seen before, and they’ll bring a good-feel factor to the Premier League. But I give them next to no chance of staying up. They simply don’t have the players and financial resources to kick it in the big time. They haven’t picked up a point yet and I just don’t see where they’re going to get enough wins and points to stay up. For Burnley it’s a similar story… They’ve got Vincent Kompany at the helm. They have spent a good amount of money on strengthening their squad. But it could be a case of Fulham in 2018/19 where it will be hard for their players to gel. Everton have ridden their luck over the last few years. I remember saying the same thing about Southampton, but it just feels like it’s their time. They’ve lost key players and I don’t think they’ve replaced them well enough. I rate Sean Dyche as a manager, but keeping the Toffees up is going to be a tall order. This Week’s Hot Take We rave about the Premier League’s competitiveness, but if I think about it, it’s becoming so a one-team league. Sure, each year you have different teams competing for Europe and survival. But if City are to do what I predict they will, it will show the lack of competition they really have. Winning four leagues on the trot, six in the last seven years sounds like a one- team league. What makes it any different to the Bundesliga or the French League? You tell me…

The 2023/24 Premier League season is underway, and it’s sure to be one for the ages. Being a United fan, last season was a positive one, considering the circumstances. I’m hoping we can build on it and further bridge the gap between ourselves and the likes of City and co. I’d thought it would be apropos for me to outline what my realistic hopes & expectations are for United over the next nine or so months. Without further ado, let’s get into it. The Promised Land is a Must At the bare minimum, United need to qualify for the Champions League. In recent years, United have been mocked by rival fans for almost celebrating qualification to Europe’s elite club competition, on the basis that United fans 10 to 15 years ago would never be content with such an accomplishment. What these rival supporters fail to realise is, this is a different club to the one that was winning league titles left, right and centre. Different manager, different players, different league. The main long-term goal for the club is to be competing for the league. To do this, we need to be regularly playing Champions League football. Although the season hasn't started the best, I'm somewhat optimistic, but there are few sides in and around us that will also be in the mix (the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea & Newcastle etc). Given it will be Ten Hag’s second season, the players should become even more familiar with his tactics. Do I have the most confidence in my team? Not too sure really, but I have enough confidence in the manager for him to get the job done. Step Up, Or Step Aside Last year, we were carried by a few players, individuals such as Rashford, Casemiro, Martinez (and to some extent De Gea). We can’t do the same thing this season. We can’t be so overly reliant on three or four players to get us where we want to be. If you look at the great Premier League sides, sure they’ve got some star players, but they are surrounded by other good players. The saying goes “you’re only as good as your weakest line”, and that couldn’t be more relevant for this United side. Certain individuals need to step up. Martial, Sancho, Antony; I could name a few more. These players must up their game and start performing on a consistent basis. I’m not expecting them to be bagging 20 goals or 20 assists a season or something stupid like that. The point I’m making is, these are decent players, bought for big money, and so it’s not unreasonable for me to expect them to contribute to the team instead of just being passengers. Particularly for Martial & Sancho, they either need to step up or kick rocks. Possession is Nine-Tenths of the Law Since Ten Hag has come in, there has been a change in the way we play. There was a time against the so-called lesser teams, we’d dominate the ball but would find it hard to penetrate defences. Whilst we do still struggle at times against the low block, the midfield of Fernandes, Casemiro and Eriksen last campaign meant we had skilled passers across the middle of the park who were able to play defence-splitting passes. But as mentioned before, we’ve always been ball dominant against the smaller teams, it’s the better sides that we struggled with possession. When we faced the likes of City & Arsenal, we’d always revert to the old counter attacking style but that only works some many times. If you keep inviting pressure, the best of teams will punish you. My hope is that in the big games, we can start holding our own a bit more, be a bit braver in possession. I don’t expect we’ll start out-possessing the big teams, I just want us to be more ball dominant. When The Going Gets Tough... If there was one thing, I could be critical about us last season would be our lack of character. Over the last couple of years, there have been occasions where this United team goes down one or two goals, their heads just go, and they lose the plot. This mindset of being confident when things are going your way and then, the second things go a bit pear-shaped, you capitulate has to be eliminated. A lot of this is down to the players themselves, as ultimately, they’re the ones on the pitch. But it’s also down to the manager to spot when things look like they could get messy and to make a change, whether it’s personnel wise or tactically. Ten Hag is still relatively new to his players so it may require some time, but I don’t expect us to have these freak events to often this upcoming campaign. To Sell or Not to Sell This last one isn’t really performance related but I’m sick of this takeover saga dragging on and on. We have to go way back to August 2022 when there were early rumblings that the Glazers were open to selling a stake in the club. Then some three months later, the Glazers effectively put the club up for sale. But since November, we’re no closer to knowing who the new owners will be. This takeover ordeal has created an air of uncertainty, and this has affected us both on and off the pitch. We’ve had to change our approach in the transfer market as the Glazers have been less willing to spend knowing that they may not be the owners come the turn of the year. If we had new owners prior to the window opening, I’m certain we would have signed either Harry Kane or Victor Osimhen. But I digress, we need this situation to be sorted quickly so we can focus on things on the pitch. This Week’s Hot Take Despite the progress last season and the decent signings that we’ve made this summer, we are still at least 2-3 years from challenging for the league. I don’t like to compare, but it took both Klopp & Arteta two full seasons to get Arsenal & Liverpool challenging for the league. Whilst United were in a better position than those two were when their new coaches took over, there’s still work to be done (both on and off the pitch) to get United competing for titles again.

The Saudis have really come to play, haven’t they? Since the transfer window opened, there has been a mass exodus of players leaving the top European Leagues to ply their trade in the Middle East. The question now seems to be, are Saudi Arabia single-handedly destroying football as we know it? At this point, we don’t know yet, but they are shaking up the sport. It’s time we talk about the newly formed disruptors of the beautiful game. The Domino Effect Middle Eastern countries have been involved with football teams for a while now, whether it’s through direct ownership or partial investment. Examples include Newcastle being owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund; PSG being owned by Qatar Sports Investments & Sheikh Mansour (an Emirati royal) being the majority owner of Manchester City. However, in terms of clubs/owners being able to attract top talent, they didn’t always have the pull. That all changed when Cristiano Ronaldo went to Al Nassr. Whilst it was on a free, the move was a statement signing, as arguably the most marketable footballer on the planet had chosen to be a part of this Saudi revolution. Once one big name went to the Saudi Pro League, it was always going to create a domino effect, where more and more players would end up there as well. How long will this domino effect last for? That’s unknown. The Saudi government is rapidly trying to expand its economy through other industries aside from oil, and sport (specifically football) is one area they are looking to grow. With seemingly endless amounts of money to play with (I’ll touch on this a bit later), it seems like this contagion is only going to continue. No One is Safe The Saudi’s aren’t adopting a cautious approach when attempting to attract talent from Europe. They’re going gung-ho, leaving no stone left unturned, and going all out. We’ve seen that no European team is safe from the Saudis. You could be one of the best players in the world, at a top team who is consistently winning or competing for trophies, and yet, you could be lured by the glitz and glamour of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (like a Karim Benzema). You could be a player in the prime of your career, who could have chosen to play for one of the European heavyweights, but instead, were once again enticed by otherworldly levels of money (e.g., a Ruben Neves). Or even, you could be considered to be a club legend (captain even) and despite all your previous misgivings, still be swayed by the financial allure (step up Jordan Henderson). My point is, no matter what type of player you are, or what your motivations are or what stage of your career you’re at, if a Saudi Pro League team wants you, it may become very hard for a player to resist. From my view, the hope is that Europe isn’t left with a dearth of talent simply because players care about the mighty dollar more than anything else. History Repeating Itself? What’s happening in Saudi Arabia can be likened to what the the Chinese Super League (CSL) did previously. A few years prior, China was the one to carry the mantle of a burgeoning Asian superpower. The CSL had been buying players from European Leagues from as early as 2011, but it really catapulted during 2016 with the signing of Ezequiel Lavezzi from PSG. Similarly, to the Ronaldo signing, it had a knock-on effect, whereby the following summer players more and more players were now playing in China. In the 2016/17 winter transfer window alone, Chinese clubs spent over $400m, more than any other league in the world. Let’s be clear though, there are two distinct differences between the events in China and in Saudi Arabia. Firstly, none of the players that went to China were, at the time, the best in the world. They were either good (but not great) decent players who were looking to get paid or players who were past their best. Secondly, and this is the crucial difference, there doesn’t seem to be any let up from the Saudis. After a while, the CSL introduced a new transfer tax to restrict transfer spending on foreign players. The Saudis don’t seem interested in enacting a similar rule. Unless the Saudis suddenly have a change of heart, it doesn’t look like this will be another case of history repeating itself. The Market is Finished One of the negative effects of the transfer business being conducted by in the Gulf region is the massively inflated player values. Given the masses of money within football, transfer prices are always going to be on the rise (that’s just the nature of modernisation and increased consumer demand). Except the Saudis are making a mockery of the transfer market. Just recently, Al Hilal had a world-record £258m bid accepted for Kylian Mbappe. Even more remarkably, the one-year contract he was offered would have amounted to a whopping £602m. Specifically, the wages that these teams can offer players is nuts. To think that any one footballer could earn that much in just a year is ridiculous to say the least. There are only a handful of clubs in Europe that can compete with the money that the Saudis have to work with. Most likely, if any European team is going to end up in the bidding war with their Middle Eastern counterparts, there’s only going to be one winner. It won’t be long before we see the first billion-pound bid be made for a player, and you can bet your bottom dollar that we’ll have the Saudis to thank for that. This Week’s Hot Take At some point, the European leagues should stop doing business with teams in Saudi Arabia. I’m all for them wanting to improve sport in their country and attract more players, but there’s a right way of doing it. Simply throwing dumb levels of money left, right and centre, with no regard to how it will affect the transfer market in years to come, is not how it should be done. You should want players to come to the league not just for the money, but because of the competitiveness and the prospect of it being one of the best leagues in the world. Until that happens (which I cannot see for the life of me), European leagues need to take action, and fast.

In beating Inter in the Champions League final, City accomplished something that only one other team in England has done and that’s win the treble. It got me thinking; is this City team the greatest in the Premier League era? Well, to answer that question, I’m going to talk about some of the other greatest Premier League sides and by the end, I may be able to come up with a definitive answer. Let’s do this. Manchester City 2022/23 The most recent entry is the City team from the season just gone. Given what they achieved, it’s hard for them not to be considered in this list. They boast one of the best managers to ever do it in Pep Guardiola. The starting XI is stacked from midfield to attack, players like Ederson, Dias, Rodri, De Bruyne, Gündoğan and how can I not mention, the man, the myth, the legend, Erling Haaland. There are some many other players that deserve a mention, but I think you get the point. Despite doing the unthinkable, the only thing I hold against them is that they didn’t dominate the Premier League like we’re used to City teams doing. Arsenal ran them super close this year and if it weren’t for them faltering towards the end, the story may have played out differently. Nevertheless, they deserve to be considered at the very least. Arsenal 2003/04 We’ve talked about a team doing the unimaginable earlier, and this Arsenal team can also lay claim to this statement. Dubbed the “Invincibles”, they went an entire season without losing on their way to winning their third Premier League title. Do you know how difficult it is to go a whole season and remain undefeated. That Arsenal team had some sure-fire greats: Cole, Pires, Viera, Bergkamp, and in my opinion, the Premier League’s greatest ever player, Henry. I think what this team (and some of the others) have in its favour is they played in a more aggressive era of football. Sure, tactically football has greatly advanced, but the game was nowhere near as soft as it is now. The only knock against them I can think of is they only managed to win the Premier League. They are still for sure in with a shout as the cream of the crop when it comes to all time Premier League teams. Chelsea 2004/05 From 2004 to 2006, Chelsea were undeniably the best team is the country. Out of those two seasons, I think the 2004/05 team was the slightly better one. Led by Jose Mourinho, one of the game’s up and coming managers at the time, they dominated the league, amassing 95 points and losing only once. For me, what makes this team unique is that they could be considered the first “defence first” team to win league. Across that season, they conceded just 15 goals (still a record to this day). Despite being so strong defensively, with Čech, Terry and Carvalho being at the heart of it, they were also blessed with great forward-thinking players: Lampard, Drogba, Robben. They also won the League Cup as well, showing they were built for both the league and cup competitions. Judging it on overall completeness, they could well be the best to do it, certainly worthy contenders. Manchester United 2007/08 I believe the Red Devils of 2007/08 is Fergie’s finest side. They won the Premier League and the Champions League (granted with a bit of luck) in the same season, a feat only two other teams have accomplished in the Premier League era. If you look at their starting XI, there are very few weaknesses. Van Der Sar in goal, Ferdinand and Vidić marshalling the defence. The midfield of Carrick, Scholes and Scholes controlling the middle of the park and what some consider the greatest frontline in Premier League history, CR7, Rooney, and Tevez. This United side was maybe one of the first Premier League sides to have a killer front three, something that would become popular in the years to follow. Overall, they had no real weaknesses, maybe Wes Brown at right-back, who was more than serviceable. Whether they’re the best is up for debate, but boy where they a fantastic team! Manchester City 2018/19 For their second entry, I’ve gone for the 2018/19 side as opposed to the 2017/18 team, but it really could have gone either way. Personally, I’ve leaned towards the former because of who they had to fight off to win the title. To win the league with 98 points is remarkable, but to do it with Liverpool, who would go one to win the Champions League that season, ferociously chasing you down is something else. To this day, the 97 points that the Reds obtained is the highest a runner-up has ever obtained. As a rival fan, that City team was the most attractive to watch and played a brand of football that was unmatched. This City team also did something that hasn’t been done before: win the domestic treble (Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup). When I think of peak City, this is the side that I think of. Manchester United 1998/99 The last team on this list must be what many consider the greatest, United’s treble-winners of 1998/99. I think what makes their treble win even more remarkable was how dramatic it was. The league went to the final day of the season, that incredible FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal were Giggs scored that solo goal. And of course, the most talked about Champions League final in history, where two goals in stoppage time saw United achieve footballing immortality. Their squad that season was a stacked as they come. Schmeichel, Stam, Irwin, Beckham, Scholes, Keane, Cole, Yorke, the list goes on. The team was and still is the standard bearer by which we measure success in British football. The legacy this team will have for generations to come cannot be understated. We as fans can argue about the quality of play and opposition across eras, but they won’t be another team like United’s treble-winners of 1999 ever again. This Week’s Hot Take I’d say that the 2022/23 City team is the greatest Premier League side of all time. On paper, they may not even be the greatest City side ever. And sure, they didn’t dominate in the Premier League like other teams. Nevertheless, the fact that they did what some many teams have struggled to win by winning the treble has to put them in a different stratosphere. We may see teams in the future do the treble, but for right now, this City team stands at the top of the mountain.

There’s this conception that I show more love to certain teams or players than others. One specific team comes to mind: Arsenal. Even though in past blog posts I’ve been nothing but complementary about the Gunners, that doesn’t seem to be enough for you Arsenal fans, does it! I was recently chatting with a friend of mine who’s a die-hard Arsenal fan and he suggested that I talk about their 2022/23 season from a rival fan’s POV as well as whether they overachieved this past year. So, that’s the plan. Let’s get into it. Setting a Firm Foundation Arsenal finishing second, running City mighty close in the process, may have come as a shock to some. But if you dig deeper, you’d see that the foundations were there for them to have a run at the title. In the 2021/22 campaign, they finished fifth, with Champions League football in their hands until back-to-back defeats against Spurs & Newcastle. Despite finishing outside of the top 4, Arsenal started developing patterns of play in both defence and attack which would become cornerstones of their title charge. In attack, the intricate triangles and one-touch passing between the front line and the midfield became more prevalent. The play of their wingers also developed into a key weapon for them, with Saka & Martinelli having the licence to run at opponents. In defence, they developed a style of play where one full back would sit deep while the other would join the attack. The early signs of both were there to see, and they were further built upon in the 2022/23 season. After rotating between certain players in the early portion of the 2021/22 campaign, Arteta found his go-to starting XI. Aside from some additions last summer, that line-up remained relatively unchanged. With all that in mind, we as outsiders would have believed Arsenal cracking the top two was a surprise, but those inside the Arsenal camp knew they were building something. A Touch of Inspiration The saying goes “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”, and you could say that is the case with Mikel Arteta. A student of the great Pep Guardiola, the young Spaniard took a page out of his mentor’s book with the way he set up his team. The signing of Oleksandr Zinchenko from City allowed the Gunners to tweak how they played in and out of possession. Without the ball, they adopted your standard 4-2-3-1, with a back four, a double pivot in midfield and then three advanced players behind the striker. With the ball, Arsenal would line up with a back three, with one of the midfielders (usually Partey) dropping in between the two centre backs. That would allow Arsenal’s full-backs to become inverted and form a two just in front of a back three. This little tweak out of possession caused teams so many problems. Arsenal time and time again were able to create overloads in midfield and would make it easier for them to get at opposing defenders in the blink of an eye. Even the way that Arsenal pressed from the front was very reminiscent of their compatriots in Manchester. Some people would say that Arteta is ripping off Guardiola, but isn’t that just football? Managers are always taking inspiration from other managers, it’s a part of the game. Credit should go to Arteta for being able to implement it with his players. Leadership: It’s a State of Mind One of the biggest detractors you could levy at Arsenal was the lack of leadership. Something that is a must for all great teams is they need leaders, and the Gunners have found theirs: the young bluds. The young core have really taken a lot of the burden over the last couple of seasons, setting the standards and leading by example on the pitch. It started with the signings in the summer of 2021 with Ramsdale and Ødegaard but has continued with the emergence of Saka and Saliba. Without the quality and leadership of these four players (all 25 and under), there is no chance that Arsenal would have even sniffed the title. It’s very rare for a young squad (the second youngest behind Southampton) to challenge for the Premier League. We saw it Fergie’s kids in the early nineties but not since. I mentioned four players further up, but I want to focus on Ødegaard, who was appointed permanent captain at the beginning of the 2022/23 season. You wouldn’t think he’s the most vocal or the biggest personality, but boy did he let his play on the pitch do the talking. With the young core they’ve assembled, it looks like Arsenal have found their leading men for the next 5 (or even 10) years. Working Smarter, Not Harder Let’s get it right, Arsenal have been smart in their transfer business, which has enabled them to create a platform to challenge. When Edu became the sporting director of Arsenal, he was keen for the club to buy players of a certain profile: under 25, with the right attitude and mentality. This has been evidence with the signings of some of the players I’ve previously mentioned, the likes of Ramsdale, White, Ødegaard, Gabriel Jesus etc. All these players were clearly identified by the club as key targets, were signed at a reasonable price and were undeterred by the lack of Champions League football. Why? Because they believed in Arteta’s vision and had 100% trust in their manager. We’ve seen teams struggle massively in the market, whether it’s because they consistently overpay for their players, or their ability to sell effectively. Not Arsenal, they seem to have found the right formula. With the added financial power of Champions League, Arsenal are going big this summer. They’ve already spent £65m on Kai Havertz, and Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber are close to joining for a combined £140m. With another successful transfer window in the works, Arsenal are sure to go from strength to strength. This Week’s Hot Take The quality of football I saw from Arsenal this season, before their title charge fizzled out, was at a level that I don’t think we’ve seen from them since the Invincibles of 2003/04. I know that’s a wild take, but I stand by it. At least for the first 4 months of the season, the football they were playing was so scintillating, no team in the league could live with them. They were a special team to watch and from a neutral’s perspective, it was a shame that they ran out of steam. But, the level they were at for a spell was something else.