Mails: Allegri is the perfect man for the Arsenal rebuild

Daniel Storey

A really good afternoon Mailbox. Keep them coming to theeditor@football365.com…

Allegri would be great at rebuilding Arsenal
F365 readers are generally pretty clued up about football, but sometimes maybe not paying so much attention to what’s happening outside the Premier League. This, for instance : ‘Allegri gives you the impression he’s not very good at rebuilds.’

At the start of last season, Juventus parted ways with Pirlo, Vidal, Tevez, Llorente, Pepe, Matri, and 7 other squad players. That’s 4 out of the first 11 and the team’s attacking spine, 6 players integral to between 2 and 4 Serie A titles, and literally half the first team squad. Sure, now it’s easy to look back and say that their replacements Dybala, Mandzukic, Khedira, Cuadrado, Alex Sandro etc are just as good, but the reality is that Dybala and Sandro were yet to prove themselves and there were doubts over Khedira’s fitness, Cuadrado’s form and Mandzukic’s ability. And quality of new signings is never a guarantee that they will work together as a team.

It took Allegri a couple of months to bed the new arrivals in, during which they won just 3 of 10 matches. Once the team got settled in they won 24 and drew 1 out of the next 25. Not to mention that even with a couple of highly questionable refereeing decisions going against them, they were seconds away from knocking Guardiola’s Bayern out in the Champion’s League. So yeah, I think Allegri is pretty good at rebuilds.

In any case I don’t think Man Utd will be in the need of a rebuild, even if Mourinho is fired (which I don’t believe he will be). Now, if Wenger leaves and Arsenal want to challenge for anything, they need to change half their squad, and probably will be forced to sell Sanchez and Ozil. Last season’s showing by Allegri is probably why he is towards the top of Arsenal’s shortlist to replace Wenger.
James, Zug

 

Why is outrage the new norm?
I am not the first person to do so, nor will I be the last (providing The Donald doesn’t press the red button in a fit of pique anytime soon), but I am a firm believer in football being representative of issues/trends in society as whole.

Coverage of football in the media and the world in general seems to be at saturation point. Headlines generate clicks which generate further headlines to generate more clicks. Repeat ad infinitum.

One example of this is Arsenal Fan TV, which appears to show people that have just been pumped up with amphetamines, slapped in the chops like the old Tango ads and have Arsenal / Arsene whispered into their ears as being the culprits. As with most reactions that are documented digitally, outrage seems to be the default status. Being measured, considerate and articulate have no value, both in terms of your opinion being heard firstly and even being considered as relevant thereafter.

It is reported that there is a fan protest planned for before tonight’s game for Arsenal against Bayern Munich in the Champions League Last 16. Fans are protesting at the tenure of Arsene Wenger.

Whilst people may feel like they do not have a choice, they are free to support who they like. It may seem like an obligation, but it is not. Given all that is going on in the world, all the suffering and injustice that is apparent from ineffective government to a struggling national health system to crippling home ownership/homelessness issues that seem to be getting worse and worse ( I am from Ireland by the way, but these issues are common, sadly), why is it this issue that seems to have galvanized people into action, a call to arms, giving a voice to their ‘struggle’. There is a lot to be angry in this world about. But I am pretty sure Arsene Wenger isn’t one of them. Grown people complaining endlessly and getting worked up to the point of protest about something they chose to follow of their own volition should be a cause for concern. We are seeing it with Arsenal now. It was the same when ‘supporters’ of Man. Utd. chipped in together to fund a plane flying a banner over Old Trafford. Could it not be better spent? Even if it were merely kept in their own back-pockets.

I can understand how football, and sport in general, can go beyond being viewed as a mere ‘game’ at times. For so-called ‘smaller’ clubs, they are the heartbeat of the area, every kick of the ball driving the pulse of the community. The FA Cup runs of non-league teams, improbable Cup final come-backs, Leicester winning the league, players playing a game/scoring a goal shortly after a bereavement and being lifted temporarily by the sheer, unbridled joy spilling over from the stands in that instant. These are all testament to that and I wholeheartedly believe in their positive communal effect.

Football seems to have lost its way somewhat. Negativity from the fans and the media seem to feed each other in some form of dark, bleak symbiosis.

Football should, by and large, be an escape, a past-time, a release. Playing or watching, it gives people a chance to shout, cheer, lament and any other emotions that can be encountered during the course of a football match. It gives you a chance to indulge your emotions for an hour or two It should be used to bond with people, to make your leisure time more enjoyable. Your team wins or loses, you text your friend about it. You read about the game on your lunchbreak (or copied into an email for covert perusal). You play a game of 5-a-side on a Friday and then go for a few drinks after with your mates. Basking in the shared enjoyment of a common pastime.

As I mentioned previously, outrage does appear to be the default setting to everything nowadays. Shout loudest to be heard. Be as obnoxious as possible for recognition. Who cares if you are right or not? The comments section on online articles, Twitter, TV are indicative of this. Extreme views are the ones now most considered newsworthy. Not just in football but in society as a whole.

Carlo Ancelotti once said that football was ‘…the most important thing of the least important things’. It is about time people remembered that.
Le Goose

 

The ramifications of streaming
When it comes to films, I’m pretty against streaming. Firstly, because if people stop paying to watch films then no-one will make films anymore, and secondly because I don’t know who is hosting the stream.

Football is a different beast. I suspect that it will carry on regardless of whether people are paying for Sky/BT subscriptions or not. Sure, there’ll be less money involved but with the direction football is going I think most people would welcome that. So my first reservation above is far less relevant.

The second one though, that’s a problem. Not to get too geopolitical (a football website is not the place to do so), but some very shady groups generate income from streaming websites. Those dangerously confused young men (and some woman although I suspect it’s mostly men) in parts of Iraq and Syria earn an awful lot from their digital presence and its possible that they’re responsible from some of those streams you’re watching. When Laurence says there are no obvious ramifications, I get what he’s saying but the truth is there are and they can be far more serious than just being about money.

The viewing of football feels broken at the moment: hideously expensive to watch in person (this might be my big club bias) and increasingly expensive to watch on TV (not to mention limited in terms of the games that can be viewed). Sorry to say that I think the consumer is likely to get rolled over by the commercial giants here. Case in point being the attempt to increase competition by involving BT in broadcasting (which has done exactly the opposite and made it more expensive to watch than ever).

Finally, just to pick up Calum’s point on monopolies, it’s true that the FA etc. have these but I don’t see a better system at the moment. In Spain, we have seen the effects of allowing teams to negotiate their own TV rights deals and it led to a less competitive league for a long time. As you say, the governing bodies need to stop living in the past, embrace the modern way of watching TV and start looking for a solution.
Dave, MUFC, Manchester

 

Why it’s fun supporting this Tottenham
In response to Mark, Newcastle this morning’s question of if it is fun to support a “top 6” team, I definitely find it fun to support Spurs. I started supporting them in 1993, so too late for Lineker and Gazza, but just in time for a lot of crap. We flirted with relegation in that first season and I remember “watching” us play Oldham (on teletext), needing the win to stay up (we won 2-0). 11 years later I remember doing sums to see if we could nick top 7 from Charlton and sneak into Europe.

For the first 12 seasons we finished neither in the top 6 or the bottom 6, even with Klinsmann! In fact, one of the best memories from the 90s is Jurgen coming in to save us from the drop (that and beating Southampton 6-2). We didn’t beat Chelsea or Arsenal for what seemed like lifetimes.

Since Big Martin Jol came in we have smashed a lot of glass ceilings, and are now established as a member of that “top 6”. This all seemed completely unthinkable not that long ago, so I really am thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s tribute to how far we have come that the question can even be asked – in fact a colleague (hi Tom) asked me yesterday if I would be happy to finish 3rd! The thought that Spurs would not be happy with that – incredible. Feels like we are really going places (hopefully on longer European trips for one thing).

Long story short I am bloody loving supporting Spurs nowadays and it’s all been fun. One day we might even finish above Arsenal (probably not though, we can’t have everything/the universe might fold in on itself).
Ryan

 

…And Liverpool, sometimes
Is it fun supporting one of the top 6? I can only speak for myself supporting Liverpool, but I would imagine the answer for all is a mixture of yes, sometimes and it depends on your expectations.

Despite common belief, Liverpool fans are not all deluded and filled with an inflated sense of their own worth. Some are, but every Liverpool fan I know expects us to be competing for the top 4 and the domestic cups. No one I know ever expects us to win the league. That’s not an expectation based on history it’s based on where we stand based on squad, net spend over the last few years (had to get that in) and wages.

It’s a common complaint of fans lower down the league that fans of more successful clubs should never have a right to complain. But any fan has a right to complain about their own situation. If Derby were in the relegation zone of the Championship, you’d be annoyed. You wouldn’t say “ah well, it could we worse Exeter are in league 2, what do we have to be annoyed about?”

Every fan of every club has their own expectations based on size, status and money. As long as you are realistic about where your club should be, supporting any club should be good fun. This season we’ve had some great moments, performing above expectations and those made me happy. We’ve also performed below expectations and those moments made me frustrated. At at the end of the day I like our players and our manager and we often play good football. I’d still rather support Liverpool than any other team and I’m sure any fan would say the same about their own club.
Mike, LFC, Dubai

 

…And Manchester United, mostly
I’d just like to respond to Mark, Newcastle, who asked this morning if it’s fun to support a top six team.

I’m in a pretty unique situation that I’m a Man Utd fan born in 1992, which means my entire lifetime we’ve been the most successful club in the country. It’s meant that I haven’t really experienced what it’s really like to be a ‘true’ football fan. There’s been no despair or heartbreak or long term failure.

There would be the odd season we didn’t win anything or everything, but you knew that next time there was a good chance that Fergie would sort out whatever the problem was and we’d win the league again, then again and then again.

Since then we’ve come 7th, 4th and 5th winning one FA Cup, so it’s been a little strange having to adapt to that feeling of helplessness and the realisation that Fergie won’t just fix it this time. The Moyes season felt awful, but since then it’s not been too bad (personally, obviously some people have been furious). The wins start to mean more because they happen less often, I still get to go see them in a magnificent stadium and because one or two defeats no longer means we don’t win the league I can brush off that feeling of frustration about an hour after the game.

So I think it is fun to be a fan of a top six team, you just have to enjoy the smaller moments rather than relentlessly winning. Honestly I would have us finishing 5th every season if every year we bring through a kid who looks as delighted as Rashford did every time he scores.

I understand how entitled it is to say ‘I’d settle for 5th’ but I’m the football fan equivalent of Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Entitled Bob

 

Today’s Hall of Shame has gone down well
Please never stop writing about how much you hate Tim Lovejoy, Storey.

No matter how big the fish, and how small the barrel you think it’ll become, I reckon about 3/4 of the readers on this site would go out and buy a Cliff Notes version of his book, written by you, if we could.

Or even a side-by-side analysis/translation a la those Shakespeare books everyone had to buy at school. Perhaps your analysis could be in normal text size, to his font size 14 so you have the complete opportunity to express your hatred.

Incidentally, your original article on his book and Taylor Parkes review is sadly no longer viewable on Football365, so you have to dig around on archived web pages in the dark depths of the internet. Could it be brought back to the site?
Tom (perhaps you could pin it to the front page for eternity) West Hampstead

 

Some West Ham thoughts
I thought I would offer opinion on the game last night as there wasn’t a great deal about it in the mailbox this morning.

We were pretty abject barring the first 20 mins. We tried to get the ball out wide but just couldn’t get the quality into Carroll to cause any real damage. But even if we had you kind of got the feeling that Luiz or Cahill would have snuffed it out anyway.

I have heard a lot of superlatives about Ngolo Kante recently, I have to admit I did question the hype but after seeing him first hand last night it is fully justified. I don’t think I have ever witnessed a player be so destructive to an opposition. He was absolutely everywhere, it was like he knew exactly what we were going to do and when we were going to do it (to be fair we weren’t that unpredictable) but it was still a pretty impressive thing to watch. Physically he looks like a child playing against men but it will surprise me if he isn’t player of the season this year. He misplaced one pass in the second half and I nearly fell off my seat in shock.

Chelsea’s system is first class, they didn’t give us any space to play (even if we had it I am not sure we would have known what to do with it admittedly). Alonso and Moses were literally level with Costa for periods of the game and did not stop running. Snodgrass and Fegouli couldn’t even get close to that sort of work rate to keep them at bay.

Also it just shows you the type of performance Conte expects from his players in the fact he was practically jumping on the pitch at 2-0 after 90 mins encouraging and screaming at his players to press our blunt attacks.

We lacked invention yes but I think it was a lot down to the way Chelsea set up against us. Noble takes too much time to get our moves going and whenever we were direct with our play we were snuffed out by Kante. I hate to say it but I think Mr West Ham may need a bit of a break out of the side.

Respect to the Chelsea fans who applauded on the 8th minute for our young fan who passed away recently, always good to see rivalries put aside for the greater good. Although I found songs about us selling our soul pretty ironic considering where Chelsea were pre Abramovich.

In conclusion, there is no doubt it is Chelsea’s title. I think the best we can hope for is scraping top half and hoping to reboot for next season.
Ross Jenkins WHUFC

 

A goood response
Not since Mrtn Skrtl have I thought the issue of vowels and football were such a wonderful mixture.

Well played Aloex Stokoe…
Pete, DRFC in Suffolk…

 

…Great mail from Alex Stokoe, Newcastle upon Tyne on Darron Gibson.

Like Alox Stookoe I too would have liked to have seen the progression of Doon Goons name in progressive mailboxes, maybe seeing it catch on like Dimiflop Berbaflop had done in the past, but unfortunately for Aloo Stookoo it looks like Dooo Goooos career has stalled somewhat, and should Sunderland be relegated, as seems likely, Oooooo Oooooo is unlikely to appear in the mailbox anytime soon.

I can only hope that Aooooo Stooooo can find another player to pin his hopes too. Maybe turning Wilfred Zaha into a sleepy Zzzzzzz. Keep on dreaming fella!
Chris ITFC, Liverpooooooool