Martin Odegaard will have to earn his Arsenal place back ‘through form rather than necessity’ when he is dropped for Kai Havertz in the trophy run-in.
There is also love for the Champions League format and so very much more.
Send your thoughts to theeditor@football365.com.
Group stage chaos
I know there continues to be a lot of moaning about the new CL group stage format but Wednesday night I absolutely loved it! I enjoyed it last year too.
It’s true there was only minor jeopardy for the very top teams, knowing they weren’t going home, but the battle to get 16th spot was brilliant if you cared to take notice. If you didn’t care to notice then I would ask why you were complaining in the first place as that would suggest being only interested in the big clubs.
I was hooked the whole evening on permutations and goal difference. The clubs fighting for both top sixteen and top eight seemed to swap places every five minutes and involved a staggering number of teams. It was like those rare PL final day dramas that I love.
I found myself rooting for Benfica with Mourinho always worth a watch. And it didn’t disappoint. Not only did they absolutely pummel my least favourite club Real and demote them into the playoffs, but the ending was incredible with Benfica needing one more goal to qualify for the next phase on goal difference which was scored in the dying seconds of injury time courtesy of the most ridiculously brilliant header by the goalkeeper. It was every bit as good as Alisson’s for Liverpool. That script was far too ridiculous to write! Oh and Real had two players sent off because Real =stroppy.
I can’t help but feel few cared to show an interest and those same disinterested people will be the ones complaining the league format is boring and possibly were also the ones complaining about the old format being boring.
I’d say group phases are often somewhat dull and this hasn’t massively changed that but the final day drama was a lot better for me. They just need to disadvantage the play-off teams even more. Something like a play-off winner having just a single match away in the next round against a top eight team or something to that effect.
Nick
Hello mailbox friends,
In the prem after 8 games you don’t usually feel like the table is fully formed yet and there will be some outlier teams that have had some tough/easy runs. So it feels a bit hard to say that the top 8 of the CL groups are the 8 teams to fear in the knock outs. I know UEFA have seeded the draw to try and solve this but, to me, that is really a comparison with last seasons teams not this seasons (compare liverpool then and now for example).
With the help of our AI overlords I thought I would compare the average final table position of each team that a club has faced in their CL knockouts. This has PSG with the hardest run (avg 11th) and Spurs the easiest (avg 26th). In this analysis all the English teams are low down the league meaning an easy run.
Seeing Kairat in 6th I realised that this first table was probably a load of rubbish because there is some kind of feedback loop where by winning you move up the table and the other team down (the better you play the easier your fixtures look). So for this I looked at how hard the 7 games were excluding the team we are analysing. Example in ranking Arsenal’s difficulty against Bayern as a fixture we use the other 7 games Bayern played to see how good they are. This starts to bring English teams back up to mid table. Chelsea and Arsenal having hardest fixtures but still only 13th and 14th. PSG and Bayern had the hardest tun and Spurs stay right at the bottom with the easiest run of all 36 teams.
So there you have it. English teams have had a relatively easy run of it but still did the business and dominated the top 8 but after 144 matches the main conclusion that one can draw is that Spurs are, and always will be, sh*t.
Nice one,
James
One thing to love about Arsenal’s last match
Was overjoyed to get to see a pairing I’ve been looking forward to since the announcement video for our Swedish Striker signing in the summer. The Stewie-baiting combo of the ‘Ashtray’ and the ‘Viking Clogger’
I want to move onto the football but one last bit on Stewie, I thoroughly enjoyed the weird lack of self-awareness in his deranged narrative spewing attacks on the deranged (fictional) narratives of Arsenal supporters that he clearly doesn’t know. I assume from the name it’s a character, and my guess is one created for mocking the horrible slide into just talking absolute negative sh*te about every football team other than your own – which has seen the rise of my least favourite fan type – even worse than the ‘Wannabe-Influencer’ – the ‘Fan-Martyr’ – who seem to react to the negative opinions of rival fans to form their opinion of their own team and just hate-support them in a spiral of suffering and self-loathing. Seriously folks, if the football isn’t bringing you joy, please do something (anything) else! You’ll feel much better for it!
Anyway, before the season started, I remember being surprised that everyone I spoke to, or read posts by, assumed our new Striker was going to just replace Havertz in the side. I remember having a few conversations with various football following friends and family and sharing the observation that Arteta originally wanted Havertz in a shadow-striker role but couldn’t get the balance in the team with the players we had around him then. It turned out his profile better fit those sides in the striker role, but that left us lacking in other places.
I was quite excited to see how the side might look once Gyokeres was up to speed and Havertz returned to that role and position on the pitch, but obviously we’ve not yet got to see the first and the second has been delayed through injury.
Havertz is much maligned for his lack of prolific goal-scoring (although still our most prolific goal scorer in the league by goals/minute over the last 3 years) but he brings so much to the team. He’s probably one of the best in the squad, alongside the captain, at understanding and delivering against the pressing and transition principles of Arteta’s side and he’s combative and tireless in delivering that. Most importantly he adds movement and some directness (with his link-up play) to the team when in it, and here’s the crucial bit for me, those two things combined make him the best alternative to Odegaard – in my mind at least.
A midfield trio of Rice, Zubimendi and Havertz could very well be our best three once he’s back to full match-fitness. His link-up is quicker and more direct than Odegaard’s and whilst we lose a little of Odegaard’s vision the increased speed in the transitions will more than make up for it and most importantly to the team and Arteta (I reckon) – we don’t sacrifice half as much with our defensive and transition structures as we do with Eze slotting in there (I think there’s a different role for him to play but one for another time perhaps). Havertz can continue to be a target-man in similar positions to those he naturally picks up anyway if he’s in the Captain’s spot. Coupled with the direct running of Gyokeres (if/when we can get him playing more like the player we pursued), he’ll have a much better outlet than he’s often had for progressive passes (other than Saka) before now!
Obviously there’s still a time and a place for him up front too and for Odegaard in midfield but I do think it’s probably great timing if we can rotate the Captain out as we get to the crunch and let him try and regain his position through form rather than necessity. Then that embarrassment of riches in Trossard, Martinelli, Eze, Saka, Madueke, Jesus and Merino ought to allow us to rotate freely for fitness and play the best players for the occasion around them.
I just hope we can keep Havertz, Gyokeres, Saka, Rice and Zubimendi as fit as possible for the key run-in across the League and Champions League – not to look down on the cups (still nothing else quite like an FA Cup Final Day to my mind) but trying to land one of the big two has to be the priority!
Anyway, to close off and loop back to a theme from the start of my email, I’m really excited by the potential that’s there for us this season, we won’t win 100% of our games (neither will any other team by the way) so I think we all need to remember that unless we’re talking about one-legged knock-out football games, then one single result never decides it! More importantly than that, nothing is permanent so just enjoy it! We don’t know when we might be back down having to fight for a Europa League spot or worse and this could be as good as it gets for a bit, but if you’re not enjoying your team, watch the F1 (don’t know why I picked F1 not my cup of tea at all!) or do something else rather than become a ‘Hate-Watcher ‘or a ‘Fan-Martyr’!
Thanks,
North-East Gooner
Needless hyperbole
Your article earlier titled ‘Liverpool: Slot fires needless dig at Klopp‘ is exactly the kind of bullshit that Mediawatch specialises in highlighting.
Slot’s comment that ‘it’s only two years ago that we were playing Europa League and we went out in the quarter-finals against Atalanta’ doesn’t read as a ‘needless dig at Klopp’ in the slightest, but a simple statement of the facts.
To suggest that this statement ‘surely doing more damage than good as he continues to lose backing from supporters’ is in my opinion complete nonsense. I think most Liverpool supporters will just take it as a simple statement which has nothing to do with Klopp at all.
Slot has his detractors, and I am amongst them. But stop making shit up to feed a narrative, and practice what you preach via Mediawatch!
A, LFC, Montreal.
Pelters for Paddy G
Paddy G couldn’t be more wrong.
A shot cannoning in off the crossbar, especially if it then bounces up into the roof of the net, is the greatest way a goal can be scored.
In off the post is fine, but with modern goals as they are, the ball too often ends up bouncing out of the goal, which is an ugly business.
I say bring back deep goal nets that the keeper has to lift up to get the ball out. Would be great fun, especially if someone’s trying to get the ball back quickly.
Tom, Andover
Paddy G, I read you don’t like it when the ball hits off post/bar on its way in for a goal, cus it “takes the absolute certainty of the goal away slightly”.
“On its way in for a goal” seems pretty certain to me.
Rocastle7
Paddy G, you have no blood in your veins. A goal going in off the bar is like Cindy Crawford’s mole. Yes, it’s an imperfection, but man, it’s sexy.
Matt Pitt
Favourite XIs
Go on then. I’ll send in my ‘favourite’ XI, with varying reasons for inclusion. I’ll figure out the formation as I go. That’s not an ode to ‘Arry Redknapp. Favourite, not best. That would be almost entirely different. For example, there’s no space for Zidane here, but he’d be the first name on my ‘best XI’ team sheet.
GK – Jorge Campos. The oversized colourful three-quarter length jerseys should be enough by themself. Then you add in the goalscoring exploits (35 in his career) and that fact that he was around 5 ft 7. I was always him when I was forced to go in goal for a kickabout. My diminutive stature had nothing to do with it.
RB – Lucas Neill. There aren’t many scenarios where Neill edges out Lahm and Cafu, but this is my XI, not yours. Absolute steal on Champ Manager (yes, ‘Champ’) and at least 8/10 every game for 8/9 years thereafter. Hit a few pingers too.
CB – Olof Mellberg. If you’re a Villa fan and you don’t put him in then you’re not doing it right. Bought 3,000 shirts for the away Villa fans for his last game. Also had a truly magnificent beard. Terrifying when asking for a pen to sign things with.
CB – Fabio Cannavaro. Gorgeous defender. Also, a gorgeous defender.
LB – Bixente Lizarazu. Tell me that’s not the most fun name to say ever! Could play too.
CM – Steven Gerrard. Annoying, I know, but hard to not enjoy the all action style. If he played for your club, you’d worship him too. Dammit.
CM – Hidetoshi Nakata. Sort of put Japanese footie on the map as the first real global star from there. Played at Perugia, Parma, Roma, Bologna, and Fiorentina, but of course finished his career under Big Sam at Bolton. A pleasure to watch.
CAM – Francesco Totti. One club legend. Scorer of great goals and for the odd season a great goalscorer. Rome (well, half of it) adores him. He’s much much more than a footballer. (Was) stripped to his pants after a Serie A title win. Iconic.
RW – Ronaldinho. There’s a fair few that could go here (Messi included), but that smile… Oh, and the outrageous skill and what not. Didn’t whinge about being fouled. Just got up and nutmegged you again.
LW – Thierry Henry. Yeah yeah yeah. It ain’t quite right to shoehorn him out here, but he’ll cope. For, what, 4-6 years (?), just an incredible player to watch. Villa Park pretty much gave him a standing ovation once. Then he scored that cheeky and shitty quick freekick.
CF – Juan Pablo Angel. I can’t type through the tears.
I’d pay good money to go and watch this lot play. Additional honourable mentions for varying reasons include Jose Luis Chilavert, Erik Thorstvedt (that kick from the hands technique), Paul McGrath, Ugo Ehiogu, Michel Platini, Carlos Valderrama, Gheorghe Hagi, Jack G, Stoichkov… Ah, I could go on forever.
Gary AVFC, Oxford (Enjoying a trip down memory lane).
Alphabet XIs
Since we’re getting some classic mailbox fodder XIs, I thought I’d chip in with my own. A while back I was on a train journey, and to pass the time tried to come up with an XI for each half of the alphabet. Max one player per letter (some letters not used). I’m only going back as my football memory allows (mid 90s basically) and I’m fairly biased by what I’ve actually watched (Premier League & Champions League). For A-M I came up with the following:
Alves – RB
Busquets – DM
Cannavaro – CB
De Bruyne – CM/AM
Ederson – GK
Ferdinand – CB
Henry – LW/ST
Iniesta – CM/AM
Kane – ST
Lahm – LB
Messi – RW/AM
Pretty solid team there. There are plenty of keepers who could have made it in instead of Ederson (Allison, Casillas, Buffon) but those letters had too many other quality players.
For the rival N-Z team it’s harder. Q, O, U, are really tough to find elite players and others (XYZ) don’t give you a huge amount of flexibility. Here’s what I came up with:
Neuer – GK
Owen – ST/WF
Pirlo – DM/CM
Robertson – LB
Suárez – ST/WF
Terry – CB
Van Dijk – CB
Walker – RB
Xavi – CM
Yamal – RW
Zidane – CM/AM
Now there is one obvious question here. Andy Roberston instead of Ronaldo? Or Ramos? Or the other Ronaldo? But bear with me. Who are the best left backs of the last 30 years? Maldini, Carlos, Cole, Marcelo, Lahm, Alba, Evra, Alaba. They are all A-M. I literally couldn’t think of any except Robertson. so sorry Christiano, Andy gets the call. Don’t love Owen there either, but we don’t have many options. And in his youth, on peak form he was terrifying.
A-M probably wins the match, but N-Z has a bit more character.
Anyway, please tell me why I’m wrong and see if you can do better.
Mike, LFC, Dubai
