Who’d want to be Liverpool at the moment?
Published: 7 October, 2010
THE CROW
AT least we’re not Liverpool. This has been the refrain of every Arsenal fan after defeats by West Brom and Chelsea.
Because if Arsenal were Liverpool the fans would be blubbing at those two defeats like their pet cat had just died.
If Arsenal were Liverpool their fans would be caught on television cameras, with their scarves and a stupid collection of badges on their hats, weeping in the stands.
If Arsenal were Liverpool their fans would be on radio phone-ins defending their team’s divine right to be seen as the number one team in England at all times, even when defeated at home by Northampton.
If Arsenal were Liverpool they would still be hiring people like Roy Hodgson – a modern day Bruce Rioch – as manager.
If Arsenal were Liverpool they would buy players like Lucas. If Arsenal were Liverpool they’d be scrabbling around in the Europa League while singing: “Where’s your European Cup?”
If Arsenal were Liverpool they’d have kits that made them look like Swindon Town.
Chelsea, forgetting as usual their money-bought success hardly eclipses a history of under-achievement, sang to Arsenal fans at Sunday’s match: “Five years and you’ve won fudge all.”
Yet it’s unbelievable to anybody who grew up at the same time I grew up that Liverpool could go 20 years – four times that – without winning the league.
Thankfully Arsenal are not Liverpool.
RICHARD OSLEY
WHAT a conundrum. Did I want Chelsea or Arsenal to win at the weekend?
A draw was my preferred outcome, but the old rivalry kicked in and if someone had to lose then it might as well be Arsenal.
The weekend gave us the perfect example of bad finishing. No, I’m not talking about Cheryl Cole’s (or is it Tweedy now?) voting on the X-Factor, I’m talking about the Arsenal strikers.
The Gunners may have dominated the possession at Stamford Bridge but, like always, they didn’t know what to do with it when it mattered most.
There’s a lot of talk about the tide turning in north London as Spurs and Arsenal slug it out for Champions League football.
I had a conversation with a very nice Gooner the other day, that’s right, I said it, and his take was that London teams were now beginning to dominate the Premier League. I pondered his suggestion for a while then laughed because if this wasn’t a true reflection of a shift in the tide then nothing was!
Oh yeah! Did I forget to say Spurs won 2-1 on Saturday against Aston Villa?
All football fans should hold tight for the season ahead, results like Blackpool beating Liverpool at Anfield is a sure sign that a it’s going to be an exciting season.
TONY DALLAS