Hello my good football people, trust you’re doing well… as they say in London “can you Adam and Eve it” (can you believe it), it’s the damn Community Shield this Sunday! Maaad!
I hadn’t even looked at the fixture and, of course, treble winners Manchester City play Arsenal (because they were runners-up in the league) instead of the traditional league champions against FA Cup winners.
I’m not sure it’s an ideal way for Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta to head into the season despite the trophy itself having little meaning.
📣 #PLFixtures for the 2023/24 season have arrived!
— Premier League (@premierleague) June 15, 2023
It is a glorified friendly, but there’s a strong possibility his master (Pep Guardiola) may well put another negative result on him.
This could re-open the choke wound of not being quite good enough to really believe in themselves. And to add fuel to the psychological bonfire, the Gunners have spent £200m (the most in Europe) on new signings.
There’s a lot of expectation in North London, a lot of investment and with it a lot of pressure.
Conversely, a win would be the perfect tonic to settle the nerves ahead of their (easy-on-paper) opener, at home to Nottingham Forest the following Saturday.
Anyway, good luck to all you Gooners out there…
Moving onto the league’s other title hopefuls who I don’t think are in it… Manchester United.
As mentioned before, it feels as if coach Erik ten Hag is doing a good job. But he lost more games this season than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did in his last.
It’s a bit of a shocking stat considering the growing belief in and around Old Trafford. I guess the argument is that he’s put a lot more structure in place, has taken a no-k@k approach in installing his philosophy. But despite the inclusion of our very own Benni McCarthy among the backroom staff, it’s clear that all isn’t good in the striking department. Hence the signing of Danish wonderkid Rasmus Hojlund!
I’m loving the online United fan chat going on about what a brilliant payer he is… Hahahaha, as if any of them knew who he was two weeks ago.
But anyway, after looking up his senior stats, which are very unimpressive, with just 25 goals at 20-years old.
I did what a lot of us do and checked out his YouTube highlight reels. He does look a bit tasty! And I guess United have looked at his immediate success in the Uefa Euro qualifiers where he’s bagged six in four for Denmark!
But £72m for a kid who’s never stepped onto a Premier League pitch?
There’s always the possibility (as with Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk) that the pace and pressure might be a bit overwhelming.And as for the press already billing this season’s big striking battle as Hojlund v Erling Haaland, FFS, give the kid a chance…
I know they’re just doing that because their names sound similar.
Oh well, by this time next week, the Community Shield will have been played (predicting a City win) and we’ll be three days from the start of the new season!
Love to hear your predictions for the top six, drop me a mail at [email protected]. Chat next week, bye byeee.