Mails: Any injuries to Arsenal and we’re…

Sarah Winterburn

If you have anything to say on any subject, mail us at theeditor@football365.com.

 

MSN would f*** them up
We should send Barca to fight ISIS, they would batter them on this form.
Stu, Chiswick

 

Any more Arsenal injuries and we’re…
I liked Matt’s article on Ozil and Sanchez but it got me thinking that given our current injury list, any injury in key positions would end our top four (six) hopes at this time.

Cech – Ospina, Ok but not going to save us ’12-15 points’.

Bellerin – Debuchy…scary.

Kosc/Mert – Gabriel, meaning this is the only position I think we are okay for one injury.

Monreal – Gibbs, okay but not top tier.

Cazorla/Flamini/Ramsey – there are no other first-teamers available. Bielek? Kamara?

Sanchez/Ozil/Cambell – again right now there isn’t anyone. Reine-Adelaide? Dan Crowley? Iwobi?

Giroud – 4-6 is the new 4-4-2? But we don’t even have enough midfielders for that…

Then again, barring Man City (Silva/Aguero), if you take the two most creative players/goalscorers, the team is likely to falter.

Mata/Martial
Eriksen/Kane
Coutinho/Benteke
Mahrez/Vardy
Fabregas/Costa? (ha….)

So the only difference between other top-four hopefuls and Arsenal is the injuries mean we might have to re-sign Gilberto Silva so we actually have a complete match-day squad.

When does the January window open again?
Rob A (solid win, something to calm the Midlands defeat) AFC

 

Just look at that bench
Four defenders on the bench and a keeper for a must win game?! That decision not to buy at outfield player in the summer is looking more and more foolish.
Toby Hudson

 

Arsenal making progress, you bas***ds
I’ve been an avid reader and mailbox contributor to your site for years but recently you’ve been getting on my nerves.

My beloved Arsenal won quite comfortably last night but what do we get? another sarcastic headline.

That win has put our qualification for the knock-out rounds in our own hands.

You laud Everton’s youngsters and ask whether Spurs can win the title and yet both clubs sit below a side with seven players out that’s only two points off top spot.

The problem is numpties like Stewie Griffin lap this sort of guff up.

We’re actually not in too bad shape at all so long as we get some players back from injury and are still in the mix following the Christmas round of games.

Arsenal are making progress, it may be slow progress but it’s progress nonetheless.
Graham Simons, Gooner, Norf London

 

How can two predictable results cause a u-turn?
Two weeks ago after the drubbing by Bayern and the late winner from Olympiakos against Zagreb the football media was full of reports of Arsenal ‘being on the brink of Champions League exit’, ‘Champions league hopes hanging by a thread’ and various other doom and gloom. Following two highly predictable results last night with Arsenal beating Zagreb at home and Bayern handing out another drubbing the same media tell us that Arsenal ‘have a real chance to qualify’, ‘keep Champions League hopes alive’ and other such optimism. The only logical conclusion to draw from such a change of opinion amongst the football press is that Arsenal beating Zagreb at home and Bayern beating Olympiakos at home were not expected by the press pack. The only conclusion to draw from this is that football journalists really are quite stupid.

Anyone with half a grasp of simple maths and enough wisdom to believe that Arsenal would beat Zagreb at home and that Olympiakos would get nothing in Munich could have told you that the results two weeks ago were irrelevant to Arsenal’s hopes. Since beating Bayern at the Emirates in the third round of matches Arsenal’s qualification was always likely to be decided in the final game in Athens.
Jo

 

A trio of learnings from Arsenal
Three things we learnt last night from Arsenal’s victory over an average Zagreb side.

1 – Alexis doesn’t get tired.

2 – Ozil is a glorious footballer and I love watching him more than any other player right now but will never get the recognition he deserves in England because he doesn’t run around kicking people.

3 – Calum Chambers is not a central midfielder. I still have hopes that he will be an excellent centre-back but, dear lord, let’s hope we don’t have to play him in midfield.
Adonis Stevenson, AFC

 

No actual glass ceilings in football, only imagination
Alexis Wolfe’s letter on glass ceilings in football
is very intelligent, but I think to some degree it misses the point.

S/he is absolutely correct that our prejudices limit not only what is physically possible, but imaginatively possible. This is absolutely crucial when we’re talking about social change. For example, we have to imagine that women are capable of leading huge corporations before women are allowed to do it. We have to imagine that people of African descent are as intelligent as those of European descent before they are allowed equal opportunity. The effects of failures on this score are dire.

But when it comes to football, the only measurement is the final table. And statistics have repeatedly shown that in the current market, money plays a gigantic, virtually determining role at the top. Money attracts the best players, and the best players win the most football matches. This effect has only grown in recent years. We say that Leicester City will not win the league, not because we can’t imagine it, but because we know for a certainty that the odds of their doing so are vanishingly small. The chances of Tottenham’s doing so are larger, but also very small. Most importantly, our failure to imagine Leicester City’s winning the title will have absolutely no negative effect on the Foxes’ chances. They will not be denied any opportunities, and they will not be unfairly prejudiced. They get to play 38 games like everybody else.

But there is one possible, significant exception. We often hear about ‘big-club bias’ in Premier League refereeing. If this were shown to be real, it would be a significant burden caused by prejudice. The only study that I know of that suggests real big-club bias in the Premier League was done by journalist Jonathan Liew early in 2015, who showed that in the previous five seasons, big clubs trailing at home could get up to roughly one minute and 15 seconds more minutes of injury time at the end of the game. However, Liew himself noted that some of the sample sizes were relatively small. More studies need to be done. But until we have definitive proof of an overall big-club bias in the Premier League, we have to say that whatever our imaginations may tell us, everyone has a genuine chance to win the title, limited only by their money and their management.

Except Arsenal, of course.
Peter G, Pennsylvania, USA

 

Stop the patronising mails about the patronising mails
Reading Alexis Wolfe’s mail last night I realized that we have now come full circle. Beginning with people writing in with giddy excitement, followed by patronising mails against them and then we have Alexis’ mail which I found quite patronising against those patronising mails in the first place. It’s this new class of hipsterism which wants us to believe that any team can achieve any heights. Really Alexis? Do you really want us to honestly believe that Leicester or even Spurs for that matter can win the League come May? Now don’t get me wrong I would be absolutely delighted if they did but forgive me for being sceptical.

It is like if I were in a pub with my mates and I see Kate Upton walk in with Mathew McConaughey. Now I could turn to my mates and say, “you know what? I have a real shot at taking Kate Upton back home tonight since she’s here”. This could lead to two responses: A) The typical response where my mates (rightly) think I’ve been on the sauce for too long and I’m delusional or B) the new hipster response where they honestly think I have a shot at it. Now in the esteemed mailbox’s experience of nights out on the pull which response would most likely be elicited?

So you see Alexis, Leicester winning the League or even coming in the top four would be akin to me (an ordinary bloke) going home with Kate Upton because she happens to be in the same pub. Now I’m not saying it’s impossible but highly unlikely. If it happened everyone would be delighted (at least I hope so) but if it didn’t no one would give it a second thought. Please stop this new form of hipsterism which ignores history and logic. It’s as tedious as the original nonsense
Jay (Clean shaven, standard hai cut, job with a suit and tie. A Hipster’s nightmare) AVFC

 

Some people love the Wolfe
Alexis Wolfe, whether female or male, your signoff name is truly, spectacularly, beautifully and spellbindingly apt.

May many a gracious day pass you by.
Anthony Kane (Wish I knew more people like you), Milan

 

…I would just like to commend Alexis on his email in the mailbox. That is most likely the best piece of writing I have ever read regarding football.

F365 should consider using him as a freelance writer.
Shidaan (Johannesburg)

 

…Move over Ed the Raven Bloke, F365 mailbox (me) has a new favourite contributor. I very much enjoyed reading alexis wolfe’s mail (twice in fact) which led me to consider why I really don’t think the established top four or now six will genuinely be broken. Initially I thought that the sheer weight of money behind these top six teams was enough for them to beat all other competition over 38 games. Even when I continually allowed my hopes to be raised by Southampton’s incredible form for around 20 games last season, I knew in my head it wouldn’t last mainly due the money available to the other teams giving them better players, but also stronger squad depth and being able to buy players and managers with proven mental toughness to complete at the top over a whole season who’ve done it before.

So I really thought there are hard reasons why you have to be a ‘big club’ to finish in the top four. But then I thought am I part of it too, convinced by Sky and marketing and the prestigious Champions League being just that, it’s not for teams like Leicester/West Ham. They’ll soon be back to their level, whatever that may be. Now I don’t know anymore. There is no reason that a decent team can play above expectations for a season and finish in the top four, is there not? Using resources like that money ball baseball team and where everything else comes together for one season.

I’m now confused. Should I allow myself to believe again that there is no reason that any team can finish in the top four or win the league? Or not? I mean, it really is very hard to finish there for the first time. It’s the hope that kills you after all.
Andy (F365 – alexis wolfe – sign him up) Southampton

 

Let’s talk trophies
Am sure there will be many replies to Mr Wolfe and his excellent email. But would it not be more to do with the clubs winning trophies than Sky’s tag of Big Four that would influence a history repeating itself attitude. Sure Spurs have finished ahead of Liverpool for six out of the past seven seasons. But (and this pains me to say as a Spurs supporter) in those last seven seasons Liverpool have actually had a run and the title and won a trophy. Spurs haven’t.
Dave (Éire)(want to watch Pulp Fiction now)

 

Really going off bitter Scholes
Paul Scholes was one of the greatest players ever to pull on the red shirt of United. However, since not being invited by Van Gaal to stay on as a coach he has become as bitter as a bag of lemons.

I was looking forward to the class of 92 taking over from Moyes, I envisaged a swashbuckling form of football not seen since the likes of Kanchelskis were gracing the famous turf. What did we get? A dreary version of Moyes football. They promised pace and excitement and played Carrick in centre midfield who resembled Len Goodman on a slippery dance floor.

They were an amazing group of players but the documentary on their club, and the embarrassingly bad errors they are making, shows they should be nowhere near a top professional club.

Get back in your box son, Neville pi**es on your bonfire with his knowledge and you are like a poor man’s Roy Keane, obviously bitter but not entertaining in any way.

While I am at a moan. Can someone please tell Michael Owen to stop using the word ‘almost’ when describing any situation, moronic.
Russ (I know, but he winds me up)

 

Ode to Georgie
Ten years ago one of football’s most iconic and brilliant players passed away, George Best was without doubt one of football’s most gifted players lit up the league bamboozling defenders whilst being kicked from pillar to post on pitches Ronaldo wouldn’t be seen dead playing on. I know he lost a lot of good will with people with his long battle with booze and seemingly throwing away his second chance after a liver transplant but I’m here to honour the footballer, the Belfast boy who made people sit up and take notice, El Beatle, the Maverick the icon.

One of my favourite stories of George was when he was talking about the best goal he had ever scored, playing a reserve game after coming back from suspension along with Paddy Crerand (who was coming back from injury) walking out for the second half he said to Paddy “I bet you I can score from kick off” Crerand replied with “Hundred quid says you don’t” George said “just give me the ball from the kick off” So the whistle goes Paddy gives George the ball who proceeds to weave his way through the entire opposition until he comes up against the keeper, sends him diving to his left with a drop of his shoulder and taps it into the opposite side, walks back up the pitch looks a Crerand who just utters “you’re a b***ard Best”.

In times of mass media coverage where Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar even Hazard are strewn across every PS4 game, book, magazine and TV programme George would have eclipsed even these stars because even though gifted as they are they still weren’t the Best. I’ll leave the last words to the man himself. “If it was a toss up between beating five players and scoring from 30 yards at Anfield or shagging Miss World it would be hard for me to choose…luckily I’ve done both.”
Paul Murphy, Manchester

 

Adoring Fabio
Lovely piece by Daniel Storey
on a lovely man, Fabio Cannavaro, what a dreamboat.

However, my iconic image is of him hoisting the World Cup trophy whilst lifted on his teammates’ shoulders.

As if in that moment they knew they won because of his immense tournament.

If you compare this to – for example – last year’s Champions League celebrations, where Neymar, Dani Alves, Alba and co. just wanted to be in front of everybody else to make selfies… football has really changed for the worse. Glad an article like this comes along every now and then to remind us of prettier times.
Stijn, Amsterdam