Dan's Latest Thoughts on the Season

Friday, 23rd October 2009 at 12:10pm

Something must be wrong at Arsenal. My brother is a Gooner through and through and yet this season he has become completely disillusioned with events happening at the Emirates Stadium to the point where he no longer watches the matches and has even begun to call for the head of Arsene Wenger, something, until recently, unthinkable to him. The Gunner's have endured a terrible month losing three Premier League matches to Stoke, Aston Villa and lately Manchester City. This has been further compounded by the loss of Theo Walcott through injury and the public outburst by the now ex captain William Gallas. It appears a lack of experience is costing Arsenal at the moment.

There is no doubting the talent that exists in the side, the win over Manchester United proved that and the future looks incredibly bright for the Gunners. The two comprehensive Carling cup victories against Sheffield United and Wigan were won by teams with an average age of 21 and 19 respectively and underlines what talent Arsene Wenger has developing under him. But their bread and butter is the Premier League and the 2008/2009 season. My brother has bemoaned Wenger's refusal to dip into the transfer market and add strength and depth to the Arsenal squad and fans are criticising his stubbornness to persist with youth. It is admirable to try and win the way Wenger is trying but with his team having already lost 5 matches this season they sit 10 points from the top and only one point above Hull City. Come January, it is vital for Wenger to add some experienced, top class players. Arsenal do have money, it just needs to be spent.

Harry Houdini appears to have done it again. Once again, Harry Redknapp has come to a club in seemingly dire straits, picked it up by the scruff of the neck and shaken it into something that resembles a football team. Spurs were dire. The confidence in the players was shot and they never looked like winning a match. The likeable Juande Ramos was sacked after Spur's worst start in over 100 years and in came 'Arry. The change was noticeable immediately. Redknapp's first match, even if he was only indirectly involved, saw Spurs beat Bolton 2-0 at the Lane, but it was the effort made by the players that stood out. All 10 outfield players were charging around the field hustling the opposition, something they had never done under Ramos and the confidence began to surge through the side. Since that game, Spurs have taken 10 points from a possible fifteen including wins over Liverpool and Manchester City and an incredible 4-4 draw with rivals Arsenal where Tottenham scored twice in the last 5 minutes of the game to snatch a point. Under Ramos, these results would never have happened. In each of the three games mentioned, Spurs were trailing and some stage in the match and under the Spaniard that would have signalled a collapse, but under Harry's magic spell, Spurs now have resolve. The charisma that the former Portsmouth manger exhumes around his charges has turned Darren Bent into a regular goal scorer again, has helped David Bentley discover his best form and has lifted the club as a whole.

It's fitting that Redknapp, the best English manager for some time, be given a chance at one of England's bigger clubs. He has grabbed it with both hands and has made the best start for a manager at Spurs in over 100 years. Now if only he can work his magic on poor Huerelho Gomes. If he can help the error prone 'keeper then I think all fan's will believe that "Harry Houdini" really can do magic.

On the 21st November, 2007, English football was at one of its lowest ebbs. The Three Lion's had just been beaten 3-2 by Croatia at Wembley and were not going to Euro 2008. Steve McClaren's reign was at an end (joyful celebrations all round) amidst pictures of him and his brolly in the autumn rain. Fast-forward almost a year to the day and we see a different picture. Even though the weather in England is awful, the sun is definitely shining on the team and on coach Capello. Four wins from four in the World Cup qualifiers, a rejuvenated Wayne Rooney and a win in Berlin against old foes Germany, where the home side hadn't lost in 36 years. This victory was achieved by a largely second string XI, with a number of big names left at home nursing injuries. The performance will have made the "stars" take note and hopefully will have underlined that their places aren't set in stone under the Italian's regime. The players who came in will have increased confidence and Capello himself now knows more about his squad and who can make his England team stronger. It is too soon to be getting carried away, but it's getting harder to restrain the excitement that is building with each performance.

And finally a note to Maradona. He did cheat in '86, he admitted it and it still grates, but it was 22 years ago and time to move on. I loved his response to the question about Terry Butcher and the England man's refusal to shake the Argentine legend's hand. "Who is he? Who is Butcher?" Terry Butcher may never forgive but it seems Maradona has already forgotten.

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