Ashley Young will turn into one of the best signings of the season
What is it that limits Nani to being just a good player rather than a great one? Over-indulgence and inconsistency of supply into the box. How many times does he pass over a crossing option in favour of one more step-over? That’s what Ashley Young has been bought in to cure. Young is not an exceptional winger, he’s just an extremely good one, but it’s his direct approach to forward play that will have appealed to Sir Alex Ferguson.
If you’re Javier Hernandez, you’re delighted to see Ashley Young at the club. As a forward, if you’re forever checking back on runs because your source of supply dallies on the ball, then the chances you get in front of goal will diminish. But if you can make runs and know when the ball is coming in, it’s a license to fill your boots. Manchester United under Ferguson have always had pace going forward, and have always had players that can fit into a counter-attacking philosophy – Young is far more in that mould than Nani is, and the team will benefit because of it.
Arsenal have stood still
Because there’s no evidence to suggest anything different. I challenge anyone who watched the Emirates Cup over the weekend to identify any differences between this year’s Arsenal and last year’s incarnation. They’re still profligate infront of goal, they’re still indecisive around the opposition box, they still make too many errors in defense, and they still haven’t learned how to protect a lead.
Yes, Gervinho’s joined the club, but so what, because fine player though he is, he doesn’t solve any of the existing problems. In fact, it was even mentioned in ESPN’s commentary that he’d already ‘caught the Arsenal bug’ of overplaying in the final third. They’re frustrating to watch even when you don’t support them.
The only way the club can depart its current malaise is through investment; Samba needs to come in and Joey Barton needs to be seriously considered. Ultimately you can decorate a house as flamboyantly as you want, but if the foundations aren’t built from strong enough materials then it’s fairly pointless – Samba and Barton are your Bricks and Cement.
Newcastle are going to be better than expected
Well, they might be. A lot of their squad is foreign now, and talented as they may be a collective temperamental melt-down is never going to be far away. In Cabaye, Marveaux, and Demba Ba, they have creativity, flair and pace, and goals – that’s a pretty good start.
I think it’s fair to say that the way in which the club is run is baffling, because you always have that sense that the current ownership are capable of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory at any moment. What hasn’t been made public about Kevin Nolan’s departure is probably more significant than what we know – something is very wrong with the infrastructure of a club when your captain choses to move down a division. The Joey Barton saga is also symptomatic of the same issue; players at properly run football clubs don’t behave in that way. When a large swell of public support emerges for someone with Barton’s past, you know that the club has an enormous PR problem – there are just so many questions; why are first-team players leaving? How much jurisdiction does Alan Pardew really have in that dressing room? What is Mike Ashley’s long-term objective for Newcastle United.
As always, one step forward and two back at St James’ Park. They’re going to give a few ‘bigger’ teams a bloody nose this year, but the pack of cards could crumble at any moment. It will, at least, be a good watch for everybody else.
Everton will start well
We know what to expect from Everton, because nothing has happened over the Summer and they’re exactly the same team. While resources are scarce at Goodison Park, what David Moyes does have in abundance is team-spirit and a unified squad. This is a set of players that seem to genuinely like each other – check out the various Twitter conversation between Messrs Coleman, Neville, and Cahill as a starting point – and Moyes deserves a lot of credit for fostering that spirit.
The perennial criticism of Everton is always that they start badly and only really seem to get going as Winter sets in. Interestingly though, four of their first five games are very winnable this season; Tottenham, QPR, Blackburn, Villa, and Wigan. White Hart Lane may be nil-pointer on the opening day, but you’d expect them to gather at least nine points from the other twelve available.
If they can couple their traditionally strong finish with a better start, then – don’t laugh – but fourth or fifth is not beyond them. Of course that whole theory comes with the usual caveat about injuries, but a full-strength Everton can beat anyone.
Who is d author of dis article…d fact dat a club does not buy means dey can’t progress? How about d years arsenal as won d emirate cup n yet nothing happen in d league,I can bet dis guy did not watch d emirate cup cos if he did he will not be talking about d team aving 2many options in front of goal besides u should check d rotation after every first half of dis year pre-season match n not d second half cos d second half is normally gam packed with d second team…if arsenal is annoying to watch what do say about other clubs who do not play football at all or should I say they play rugby instead…a good football analyst will tell u arsenal need to add a 1 or 2 players to d team preferably not barton n samba their so many gud players out there so y dis 2plares.
William Pye is a obnoxious bell end. You stand to make alot of money betting on football as all of your views are obviosly so certain to come true!!! knob wash. “If you know your history”
@Williampye, u r clearly an Arsenal supporter goin by d way u r sayin Young will gradually make his way to d bench by d end of d season. D season hasnt even started yet. The team u support wud have been much beta if they had a player like Young.
Be prepared to watch in awe as he dazzles and takes d EPL by storm.
Arsenal ? Title Contenders ? Hahahaha brilliant !!
You could be a real success writing comedies. Fabregas going, Nasri going, who’s going to knock on the wrinkled faces’ door and request a transfer next I wonder?
Are Arsenal the new Spurs? Boring everybody with claims of playing the finest football yet not winning anything much for a generation or more.
A fifth thing to confidently expect for the coming season ? The arrogant Wenger will once again self destruct in February bringing down what remains of the edifice for yet another season.
Title contenders ? hahahahahahahahahaha
ashley young has yet to have a “complete” season for any club he has played for. he’s both injury prone and easily frustrated when he or his team aren’t playing well. he is simply not good enough to operate in the center forward role that he was brought in to play and is nowhere near the quality of nani or valencia. he will slowly make his way to the bench by the end of the campaign and will prove that he was not worth 18m. he was average at best in preseason but maybe you saw something that the rest of us (including fergie) missed.
if you actually WATCHED the emirates cup (and you didn’t) you’d know that arsenal didn’t field their defensive starters at the same time. they didn’t once use their captain due to injury and hardly played nasri or van persie, which makes all the difference in how often the ball is in their defensive third. they have aaron ramsey back healthy, a champions league-experienced jack wilshire, a healthy van persie at the seasons beginning and THOMAS VERMALEN. they still have work to do but are clearly title contenders. what planet are you on?
and what does newcastle being “better than expected” even mean? are they going to finish 10th instead of 12th? who cares?
moreover, everton NEVER start well. i’m glad you realize that this is true historically but you make the point yourself that they are the same team and have NO resources. why would anything change this year when the only difference is age? they will finish 4th when west ham claim the league and fa double because of a premier league lockout. have you heard of liverpool, tottenham or city? they’ll CELEBRATE beating out fulham, sunderland and villa; come off it lad.
thanks for all the insight though, mate.