Monday, 5 June 2017

Early Season Review Part 1


Image Coutesy: Getty Images
        So there you go, the European football season of 2016-2017 finally concluded with Real emerging as worthy conquerors of Europe after they beat Juve to the trophy rather disappointingly to me I must say. I expected a whole lot more from the old lady of Turin, but hey as a neutral, I really can’t complain right so congrats to Zidane & his charges especially CR7, you are very much worthy champions. Take a bow please...
Back to Arsenal and I will start this by saying no surprises seeing Arsene Wenger pen a new two year deal worth a whooping 16Million in queen’s quid.  Well after the FA cup win what were we expecting, we wish init. The Arsenal management needed an okay excuse to stick with le’boss….they got a good one. This quotes from Ramsey after Arsenal’s lets us in on whats expected
 “It’s been an up-and-down season, but to finish it with an FA Cup has to make it a successful one. I just love this competition. The boys deserve it, and I’m happy for the manger, I’m delighted. He’s been fantastic for me, fantastic for these players. Fair play to him, he’s changed the system and it’s paid off. So hopefully he’ll be here next season, because we owe him a lot.”
That’s saying a lot but I don’t agree on the “successful one” part. if you ask me. So now that the fan fare is all over, Arsene has peened a new 2year deal whether or not we think it’s the right decision by the board, what next? We all know this season was barely salvaged from the decimation of DISASTER by our FA cup Triumph, still there are many reasons to feel very disappointed considering the size of the club in terms of financial as well as player resources. Lets look at those low lights of the 2016-17 season past.

To start with, we finished a terrible 5th on the EPL log while yet again ending the season double digits behind the league winners, a whopping 18 points off of the Top, 7 points worse than 2015-16 season. The gunners also finished below Tottenham for the first time since Wenger ascended the mantle as head coach, last season’s miraculous 2nd place finish due to Spurs last minute capitulation should have been the wake up had Arsenal being paying attention, instead the Arsenal management did an ostrich by ignoring the “signs”. That wasn’t all, most teams around the top 6 beefed up their squads quite early ahead of the season, Arsenal chose to dither as always on transfers, got beat in the first game of the season, thus began playing catchup right from the get go. Arsenal conceded 41 goals in the league this season as against 36 last year and 32 goals the year before…….Progress? I think not. Then there is whats seems to have become an annual ritual of the round of 16 champions league exit for the 7th successive season. Bayern really taking us to the cleaners with that 10-2 aggregate scarring ……Mein Gott!! There is some sort of consolation in the fact that this coming season will be different since Arsenal did not make the cut. I am not trying to be cynical r sarcastic, just saying there is no point qualifying for Europe’s elite club completion only to bow out at the first knock out hurdle. Let’s take a chill pill and learn the right lessons even if “SpursThursday night football” hurts our gooner pride, hopefully it’s going to be the spur we need however ironic that may sound. I will say that captures the main lows for me this season. Next post will look at dissecting the team from goal keeping to the attack as well as checking out whats buzzing in the rumour mill, so keep a date.......……Ciaooo

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