The performances of Arsenal in the Champions League have underlined one thing that they are one piece of the puzzle from a trophy-winning team. The only problem is that it is the largest and generally most expensive part of the puzzle.
To date, Mikel Arteta has spent around £ 650 million in his five and a half year. Arsenal must be willing to go again and, if not, I fear that the manager is looking for a new job that will come the end of next season.
Mikel said his side was the best in the Champions League after their semi-final defeat, that even staff on the couch of Paris Saint-Germain agreed with him. But they were not the best team.
The top teams put the ball in the back of it just like it really matters and so you win the big competitions. Arsenal will not beat their biggest rivals for the big trophies, unless they find a goal scorer and more creativity in the latter third.
Twelve months after criticizing Arsenal because of the lack of a murderous lead, here we are again about the same shortcomings.
There is a difference of opinion within the club about whether Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres is the right choice for Spits. Apparently, partly because he is 27 next month and his trade in Portugal.
If resistance is because he plays in a weaker Portuguese competition, I can understand the doubts. But if they think that Gyokeres is the right man, but becoming 27 means that he does not fit into their profile, his age should not come into the comparison.
Mikel is unable to wait for someone with a better age profile. He immediately needs a Finisher, like now, for next season.
For me, 27 is a big age to get a striker, so that shouldn't be debating. He has scored 56 goals for Club en Land this season so far. If he is 27 in June, he will be in his prime. He can give them the way in which football players take care of themselves nowadays, if not anymore. Age is not a factor in this case.
And how long does Mikel think he has? He has to think: if I don't win trophies for the next 12 months, I could be here on the road and out of a job here. So, getting a proven goal scorer, in his prime, through the door is the priority.
I said it earlier here, this season will get from Arsenals excessive amount of set-piece goals from their long and I am not sure if they will even finish second in the Premier League. That is 14 goals from their 64, so it would align them in 11th place.
When you come across the best teams, you need more creativity and better finishers. Against PSG, statistics showed that they had the possession and went easily in the last third part, but it is not enough.
When you break it down, it was long pouring and crossing it in the box that were the biggest threat. There was minimal creativity or cute game that wins games at that level.
Mikel went against PSG for a long time. Carlo Ancelotti did the same with Real Madrid against Manchester City earlier this season. I understand why they both did that, and I have no problem with that. But there is still an unforeseen issue here.
When you are a team that has on possession all week and presses high, takes place from the back and then suddenly changes, you actually admit that you cannot deal with PSG's press.
I personally never experienced that as a player and I am not sure what my attitude would have been. If I were one of that midfield, I would think: 'Hey, he doesn't love us here. He thinks they are better than we do. “
We never intend to hire a team at our competition in my seven years at Liverpool.
The only tactical change we have ever made was Bob Paisley, five minutes before the kick -off against Bayern Munich in the semi -final of the European Cup, and asked Sammy Lee to make Paul Breitner.
Out of possession, Arsenal is very harmful to teams. They work very hard to force you to make passes that you don't want to make, but they need more in the future.
There is no shame losses from PSG, they are a very good team and proven that beating Liverpool, Manchester City and Aston Villa, but Arsenal must be better equipped to hire these teams.
They have lost four semi -final since 2020 and only scored two goals.
There is no comfort, but they were part of four great competitions in the two semi -final. All four games were a great advertisement for the Champions League and also underlined the huge wave in the class between that competition and the other two European competitions.
Fully English shows how strong Premier League is
Despite the protests of the opposite of respective managers, the Europa League final is a chance of redemption for Manchester United and Tottenham.
It is pretty miserable for both teams this season, but if you win a trophy, it makes your supporters happy and it makes the bean counters happy. You enter the Champions League through the back door and you come up the new season that everyone is approaching with their tail; Continue and up – you hope.
The reaction of the two managers reflects the different attitude towards their work. Ange Postecoglou looks over his shoulder and waits for the end and Ruben Amorim is approaching knowing that he is fairly safe in his work.
Eventually they know that the 15th and 16th in the Premier League is not good enough, but to have two struggling teams in the final of a European competition underlined why ours is the most competitive competition in the world.
A bitter blow for Villa
The absence of Youri Tielemans for the Run-in Aston Villa can be a meaningful factor in their search for Champions League qualification.
He has settled as the first name on the team schedule for Unai Emery and his injury could not have been in a worst time. He is a cute and smart passer -by of the ball who also strikes with vital goals and I am a big fan.
Villa is fighting for the top five and does not want to be confronted with teams that still have something to play for. Bournemouth on Saturday they were able to do without, but then they have Spurs and United who will both have an eye on the Europa League final.
In these types of games, players can drop a garden or even six centimeters and it makes the difference. Not fast enough for the challenge, not to get their shot, the intensity may only have to fall by 0.5 percent to give it to the benefit of Villa.
Liverpool, with the title in the bag already, was a perfect example at Chelsea last Sunday.
I've been there. In the last season of Bob Paisley as Liverpool manager, in 1983 we won the title in April and we won none of our last seven games. It is unintentionally, but that small elimination can make the difference and play in Villa's hands.
Hearts in bloom
The prospect of the owner of Brighton, Tony Bloom, can only be good for Scottish football.
Here is a man who seems to have had the infrastructure in the past decade when finding a method to recruit well and find real talent to compete at the highest level.
Hearts won a trophy in 2012 for the last time and if I was a fan, I hoped to see which talents from Brighton could be lent. If this happens, it will improve competition. After all, isn't it about getting the best 11 players on the field what it's all about?
Although I run the risk of disturbing the Hibernian supporters, the hearts are the third best supported club in Scotland, on average just over 18,000, so he would buy a club with a very passionate support. And living in Edinburgh is no hardships. It is a fantastic city.
Similarly with Rangers, and the potential investment of the 49ers-group that owns Leeds, I believe that the use of the know-how of people who have taken steps in English football can only improve the competition of Scotland.
A huge thank you
Finally, I just want to thank those who have supported me and team Debra in our cross-channel swimming.
We have collected more than £ 650,000 to the charity that helps people with epidermolysis bullosa (EB), at a moving distance from our goal. The collected money will make a difference, but the fight continues. Thank you.
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