LEAVE NOW ARSENE! IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!

Arsene Who? That was the headline that covered the London Evening Standard on October 1, 1996 after Arsenal signed Arsene Wenger. Now it’s Wenger Out everywhere you go.  A relative unknown upon his arrival on British shores, despite his successes with Monaco in previous stints. His arrival though heralded a change in the British approach to football. He brought along with him, a fresh and attractive brand of football that condemned the tag of ‘Boring, Boring Arsenal' to the past. Also with him, came a recruitment policy that involved an awareness of the untapped markets throughout Europe (especially France). A transformation in player fitness and maximizing potential while playing football sent from the Gods was his niche and nobody could do it better than Le Professeur. He was the wind of change that Arsenal and English football needed and very soon everyone was following suit.

Wenger also brought success on the pitch with the Gunners with four FA Premier League trophies, four FA Cup wins and four Community Shield wins with a double in the 1997-98 season and the Invincibles tag in the 2004 after going a season unbeaten in the League. A golden period no doubt for Wenger and Arsenal. He was miles ahead of everyone and just like the hare in Aesop's fable , ' The Tortoise and the Hare', Le Prof slowed down, took a sort of a break and everyone caught up with him and most of them even got better than him. A sign of things to come. A sign that he should leave while things were rosy. 

Since 2004, the Gunners adopted a mediocre approach of some sort as they became content with successive fourth place finishes and eliminations at the Round of 16 in the Champions League. The old magic was still there as he has been able to unearth talents across Europe but they have all come to naught. They had their best chance of winning the Premier League but the seemingly fragile mentality that Wenger hid for so long was transferred to his players and allowed Leicester City to surprise us all and claim the League. 

The last few years has seen Arsenal become the laughingstock of England and Wenger is the clown that leads this band of weak and spineless bunch. It is safe to say the times caught up with him and his stubbornness from a tactical viewpoint and a somewhat delayed reaction in transfers is of his own doing and its time he left while he still has some dignity left. 

Time has never been anyone's friend as it has a way of making people forget your best while focusing on your worst. Wenger had the chance to escape this fate but chose to face time for another two years but only weeks into the new season, it appears he's still the same old 'once-good-but now-mediocre' legend who would prefer to lose it all than quit while he has something to hold on to. 

Arsene Wenger is by far been the greatest manager in the history of Arsenal and deserves to be remembered for his successes.. so long as he leaves now! Despite the pettiness of time, it will still give you a choice to define who you are and what you'll be remembered for. 

Over to you Le Professeur.

GOALS, EXCITEMENT, SURPRISES AND MORE! WHAT WE LEARNT FROM DAY 1 OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE

The 2017/18 Premier League season is underway and fans were treated to an entertaining weekend all over the world.

If we were to judge based on preseason results and transfer dealings, then the overriding feeling before kick-off would have been that top sides would get off to a flying start. But this is the top flight of English football and things are never so simple.

On a weekend where the reigning champions Chelsea were humbled at home by Burnley, while the favorites showed us their title credentials and Liverpool was Liverpool, 

here's few things we learnt from the Premier League on Match Day 1

1. Arsenal may not win the trophy but will have a big say in who wins it 

The Gunners started the Premier League at home with a nail biting but exciting seven goal thriller with Leicester.

The game showed us that should Arsenal be able to steer clear of injuries and all the unnecessary off the pitch issues that usually plague them, they will be a deciding factor in finding this season's winner. With a potent front line and a back line that looks ready to collapse at any point in the season, we can expect the Gunners to be themselves by having a shot at the trophy in the first half of the season and capitulate midway and try to salvage it at the end. Unless they delve into the transfer market and strengthen some defensive positions, expect Wenger and his men to be kingmakers this season.

 2. New Season, Same Old Liverpool

Usually the Premier League is unpredictable but it has one constant: Liverpool! There's the usual hype and furor about their transfer dealings and performances in the off season , the inability to transfer the performances to the season consistently and then the tag "Robin Hood".

 Though the season is young, The Reds showed signs of these in another goal-fest on Matchday 1 against Watford. Yes, there was the enforced and "semi-enforced" absences of Coutinho and Lallana but with the kind of squad Klopp has at his disposal, this should not be an excuse. A failure to improve in defence and goalkeeping will counteract all the work in attack. There is still time this season for Klopp to improve his and Liverpool's fortunes from "Next Year Will Be Our Year" to "This is Our Year".

3. Signs of Second Season Syndrome for Conte

After a title winning season in his maiden season in England, Antonio Conte has been anything but happy in the lead up to his second season.

With a somewhat unsatisfactory transfer campaign and the apparent lack of squad depth, it looks like the second season demons that plagued Ancelotti and Mourinho (in his second spell) are back and part of the blame lies squarely at his doorstep. His shocking treatment of Diego Costa, an apparent lack of communication between the board and himself (Matic sale) and his tactical rigidness (so far) all make up a recipe for disaster and this is imminent! With the improvements made by title rivals, a lack of depth and a grueling season ahead, it is safe to say Chelsea won’t be winning anything neither will they be defending anything. It might be the end of Conte’s stint at the Bridge. Failure to invest in the squad and a tweak in tactics will mean the ''Second Season Syndrome'' strikes and the London Bridge falls down.

4. Mourinho building Chelsea 2.0 at Old Trafford

Jose Mourinho is building another solid side with Manchester United and Chelsea may have given him the final piece. United’s signings seem to have gelled well but the addition of Nemanja Matic has all but solidified the side and given the team freedom to be fluid while occasionally joining the attack. With a burly target man with the form of Lukaku , pacy wingers at his side, creative midfielders behind him and pivot of Matic and Pogba not forgetting a solid backline and a world class goalkeeper, Mou has all the ingredients to create title winning juggernaut at the Theater of Dreams. Watch Out England, Jose is Coming.

WHAT WE LEARNT FROM AFCON 2017 DAY 2

After a somewhat uninteresting start to the 2017 African Cup Of Nations which saw 12 goals in 8 games (five draws and three wins), day 2 produced some cracking displays with somewhat of a goal glut (20 goals). Here is what we learnt after day 2 of AFCON 2017.

The Teranga Lions are The Real Favorites 

Senegal showed that the victory over Tunisia in the first game was no fluke and followed it up with another impressive victory over an exciting Zimbabwe outfit, even managing to outplay them with the only statistic they failed to dominate being the foul count. This victory not only cemented their place in the quarterfinals but also has confirmed the pre-tournament tag as favorites. The team has been near complete but Sadio Mane has been the standout performer with two goals in two games so far. A run to the final is obviously in their sights and with such performances after two games it is hard to look beyond Senegal among the current crop as the favorites.

Aubameyang Cannot Do It All Alone for Gabon.

The host nation Gabon has been exciting but have been indecisive and their goal count is testament to that (2 goals in 2 games). Their goals have come from Borussia Dortmund marksman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang but it hasn't been enough to secure progress (at the time of writing). In the event of Gabon qualifying for the next African Cup Of Nations tournament in Cameroon, the Panthers must rise up to the occasion and relieve the pressure off Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Algeria are the flops of the tournament already

The Fennecs after two games have been underwhelming after two match days and are on the brink of elimination. Algeria came into this tournament as favorites and have in their ranks, the current African Player of the Year in Riyad Mahrez. He has a high quality supporting cast. He has already scored 2 goals in the tournament but the team in general has contrived to fail. Africa's top nation is already the Flop Nation of the Tournament.

One Goal Project Will Not Be Enough If The Black Stars Do Not Improve.

Ghana's Black Stars have done all they have to do, win games and qualify to the next stage with a game in hand. But have they been impressive? Not at all. After exhibiting some high quality stuff in the first half of their games against Uganda and Mali, the second half of both games have been anything but impressive often sitting back content with one goal as they did in Angola in 2010. So far, the opposition have not been up to the standard needed to trouble the Black Stars. With potential opponents such as Ivory Coast, Morocco and The Democratic Republic of Congo who are of a different breed to what Ghana have faced there is the need for improvement in all sectors.

WHAT WE LEARNT FROM AFCON 2017 DAY 1

The first day of the 2017 African Cup Of Nations came to an end last night and I pick out a few things that we learned in the first 8 games.

Quality Of Pitches Affecting Quality Of Play
The African Cup Of Nations is Africa's biggest footballing fiesta. A chance for the top nations along with their best players as well as the unknown quantities to showcase their talents to the continent and the world. There has been the promise of high level of play but the pitch has hindered that so far.
It no doubt adds to the thrills and spills in the games but with parts of the pitch coming off after every shot and the odd bounce that deceives the goalkeepers and with the risk of injury at anytime as the pitch wears off, the quality is somewhat diluted. Both home based and foreign based players have been put at an obvious disadvantage. Goals have been at a premium with 12 goals in 8 games played, as opposed to 13 in 2015, 19 in 2013 and 15 in 2012.
This is Africa's biggest international tournament and with the caliber of players on display CAF can ensure it produces high quality games by making sure hosts have the ability to provide world class pitches.

No Beauty, Just Beasts
Apart from the game between Zimbabwe and Algeria, the tournament has been filled with "hard games" during which most teams are content to fight for the ball rather than try to put them in the back of the net till the game is in its dying embers where they exhibit some high level football. It is no doubt that African football is characterized by the physicality but the high number of foreign based players should alleviate this with some silky smooth football. After all, what is a Beast without a Beauty.

Big Guns Fail To Show Up
8 and a half games (at time of writing) into the tournament and the favorites have contrived to underwhelm giving the underdogs some creditable draws. Nations such as Cote D'Ivoire, Morocco and Egypt have no goals between them in matches where they were expected to win with minimum fuss considering the quality of players in their ranks. Ghana won their game but struggled to get going against a well drilled and motivated Ugandan side whereas Algeria drew with a determined Zimbabwean outfit. This leaves us with Senegal who won albeit not convincingly but managed to show a bit of class. Mahrez has so far been the outstanding player in the tournament but he has a supporting cast that can marvel the continent and the world. Others such as Ayew, Gyan, Zaha, Salah, Ramadan Sobhi among others must stand up and show why their nations are considered favorites.