Mediawatch: A massive Arsenal u-turn and…

LIVE LIVE LIVE
‘Transfer news LIVE: Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool latest as Premier League clubs prepare for January’

That’s the headline on the Daily Mirror website and we have to admit that it’s a doozy.

So what is this LIVE transfer news on Monday morning?

‘Manchester United are reportedly considering moving for Benfica defender Victor Lindelof in January.’

That’s LIVE on November 14. Except it links to a report in A Bola on November 11. Which cites a report in the Daily Mail on November 10.

LIVE.

 

Case notes
‘JOHN CROSS: WENGER HAS FLIRTED WITH THE TITLE BEFORE – BUT ARSENAL CAN FINALLY END 12-YEAR WAIT FOR GLORY’

Mediawatch cannot deny that we were excited when we saw that headline emblazoned across the top of the Daily Mirror football site and we were in no way disappointed.

‘The case for Arsenal: Why Arsene Wenger will finally win back the title in 2016/17’ is the headline on the actual piece, which is strong stuff.

Except that Crossy has clearly lost courage in his convictions by the end of the third paragraph:

‘Surely they have a great chance of being crowned champions come next May? Well, they certainly can win it. Whether they will or not remains to be seen.

‘Certainly, I’m not 100 per cent convinced and yet, make no mistake, this season does represent a great chance.’

Oh. So the Arsenal fan tasked with making a case for Arsenal winning the title is not convinced? Instead, we suspect that he thinks they have a ‘great chance’.

Let’s go on…

‘I don’t necessarily subscribe to the view that this season was going to be difficult because of the arrival of Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho in Manchester.

‘The superstar managers are here, Antonio Conte and Jurgen Klopp, too, but are the Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Liverpool so much better than Arsenal?’

We will stop you there, John, and gently remind you of this. Yes, that’s John Cross – who didn’t think that this season would be difficult for Arsenal – predicting that this season was going to be very difficult for Arsenal, who would finish outside the top four, behind the Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Despite thinking that Arsenal would not finish in the top four, Cross wants you all to know that he is still a big fan of Arsene Wenger. He has a book out, you know.

‘Wenger is what he is. An open, attack minded coach who delivers attacking football. It has brought success down the years. It’s great to watch. That’s his philosophy. Don’t go reinventing him. That’s just unthinkable and hipster nonsense.’

We were waiting for the hipsters to be blamed for a nonexistent argument and Cross never disappoints.

It’s at this point in the column that we suspect the sub-editor gave up. Who can blame him/her? Here are a few more choice snippets:

* ‘But has he still got what it takes after going 12 years without the big prize? No-one has gone that long and cone back again.’

* ‘Coquelin, in my mind, is still the best bet but must show this season he can dominate in title winning season.’

* ‘They couldn’t Middlesbrough, let alone Tottenham, when he wasn’t playing.’

* ‘He’s been an incredible player, isn’t finished but the injuries have become moire frequent.’

* ‘Wenger, meanwhile, will surely sign a contract for another two years. Who else is out there who is better?’

* ’20 years in the top four, always eating the Champions League knock-out stages.’

There is a case to be made for Arsenal, but surely there were better candidates to make that case.

 

A right Charlie
Daniel Sturridge’s injury record does encourage some scrutiny but Mediawatch would question this from The Sun’s Football Editor Charlie Wyett:

‘DANIEL STURRIDGE is infuriating.

‘One of this country’s most naturally-gifted stars, as he proved with his instinctive opener against Scotland, the Liverpool striker remains in grave danger of not fulfilling his true potential.

‘Now aged 27, Sturridge has made just 25 senior appearances for England and is currently unable to get into Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool team.’

It’s at this point that Mediawatch feels compelled to point out a few other England strikers and their cap collection by the age of 27:

Peter Crouch – 24.
Robbie Fowler – 22.
Andy Cole – 2.
Ian Wright – 0.
Teddy Sheringham – 0.

Does anybody want to argue that any of those English strikers did not ‘fulfil their true potential’?

 

A message to you, Jose

A selection of the headlines generated by that Twitter post:

‘Manchester United news: Luke Shaw sends message to Jose Mourinho amid fitness concerns’ – The Independent.

‘Manchester United defender Luke Shaw sends message to Mourinho’ – Manchester Evening News.

‘Shaw fires back at Mourinho with fitness update ahead of Manchester United return’ – Metro.

‘Luke Shaw sends message to Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho ahead of Arsenal clash’ – Daily Express.

He should have just used WhatsApp.

 

Ain’t too proud to beg
Does Gareth Southgate seem to you like a man who would ‘plead’ for anything at all? Surely he just politely asks.

So Mediawatch was bemused by the Daily Mirror’s back page which suggests that Southgate has said GET A MOVE ON and ‘It’s time to act on Lions’ job’ (their quote marks, not ours) as he ‘pleaded with the FA to make a quick decision on his England future’.

Southgate’s quotes on the subject – as transcribed by the Mirror – in their entirety:

“Everybody is going to want to know by the end of November or middle of December where everything’s heading.”

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how a nice boy ‘pleads’.

 

Fighting the good fight
Of course, the above ridiculous back-page splash is a direct consequence of international week. Over at The Sun, they have gone for the other option: Transfer/contract nonsense.

We are told by Kane’s agents Neil Ashton in his opening paragraphs that ‘HARRY KANE and Spurs have agreed to put all talks over a new contract on hold’ and that ‘the two parties are at loggerheads’.

Harry Kane ‘at loggerheads’ with the club he loves? Bloody hell. That must be hurting the poor bloke.

And then we get to the eighth paragraph – right down at the bottom of p53:

‘The player has not been directly involved in the talks as he has remained focused on gaining full fitness after a two-month lay-off with an ankle problem.’

One question: Does he actually know he is at loggerheads?

 

Oh Gary, Gary…

Obviously it’s not like Kelvin MacKenzie to make a nonsensical claim he cannot possibly justify. And of course Gary Lineker is guilty of employing a professional tweeter because he ‘hasn’t cleared up’ a nonsensical claim that cannot be justified.

Meanwhile, Mediawatch has our suspicions that MacKenzie is actually nothing other than a giant turd and we shall be very ‘puzzled’ indeed if he does not clear this up by the end of the week.

Oh and…

 

Re-writing history
‘WALES lost to England last summer – and it seemed like the be-all and end-all of their Euro campaign’ – Phil Cadden, The Sun.

You mean when they were second in the group and only had the awful Russia to face in their final game? You mean then?

 

Patronising quote of the day
“You saw by the way they celebrated how happy they were. You could see we are now a scalp. When they come here and get any points, it’s massive for them” – Neil Taylor, Wales.

Alternatively, Serbia celebrated a draw against Wales because it put them on course for their first major tournament in ten years.

 

Bizarre conclusion of the day
From Martin Samuel in the Daily Mail:

‘Ronald Koeman has suggested that Romelu Lukaku may have to depart Everton to get the most from his career.

”His potential is greater and higher than Everton as a final destination,’ he said. Some have lauded the manager for his honesty, others criticised his defeatism – yet it is what Koeman’s words reveal about his own ambitions that are most telling.

‘A manager who is planning to stick around for the long haul would want Lukaku with him each step of the way. Reading between the lines, this implies Koeman’s view of his striker applies equally to his own career path – with Everton no more than a stepping stone.’

Silly Ronald. What he should have done is said that Lukaku could win the Champions League with Everton. He would have looked like a mentalist, but he would at least have looked like a loyal mentalist.

 

Ask a silly question
‘Mourinho takes time out from Man United troubles to take in the tennis at O2 Arena…but why was he with Barca star Pique?’ – MailOnline.

Erm, he wasn’t…

 

Ill-advised tweet of the day

 

Recommended reading of the day
Michael Cox picks key tactical trends in the PL so far
Dom Fifield on Eric Dier and his foreign footballing brain
Pete Jenson interviews Ander Herrera