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This time, super-prolific COS reader Peter tells a couple of world class managers how to do their job.
This weekend sees the meeting of Liverpool and Arsenal, not so long ago (well, 17 years is quite a long time actually) they were contesting the league title on the final day of the season. It appears the gauntlet has been passed to Manchester United and Chelsea for the time being as both Rafa and Arsene’s sides have been well off the pace in the Premiership title race lately.
Luckily, I’m here to pass on some advice to the two struggling managers that will return the sleeping giants back to their rightful places…
If I was Rafa…
Who to bring in? Well that’s easy if we assume that there’s shedloads of $100 bills arriving at Anfield any minute now. Daniel Alves and Fernando Torres for starters. If the Americans really want to prove they mean business then world class attacking midfielder in the mould of Kaka or Totti to do what Luis Garcia can only muster up every 10th match. Maybe Rafael Van Der Vaart could be bought but it would be a risk.
If I was Wenger…
Monsieur Wenger is always rather mercurial when it comes to the transfer market. It wouldn’t be out of character for him to sell Gilberto now that the Brazilian can command a good fee, but who to replace him? With Diaby, Fabregas, Denilson and Flamini in the middle who better to teach them than Claude Makelele? He’s got another season in him and perhaps worth breaking the one-year rule for over-30’s that has the Frenchman’s future slightly in doubt at Chelsea.
Aliadiere has shown he can’t cut it, Bendtner should be at least given a chance and the young Dane could be exactly what Arsenal need. His record at International level speaks for itself, he banged them in for Birmingham and without Henry or Van Persie Arsenal have been toothless. Freddie is past it and Baptista is taking his sweet time in adapting. If Wenger can pull off a coup by selling Reyes and giving back the Beast I think Arsenal would benefit greatly. One of two players would then need to be brought in, Florent Malouda or Charles N’Zogbia. Both fit the Wenger mould, young, pacy and French. They’re also a bit more direct in their attacking play than the pass-first-ask-questions-later types waltzing aimlessly about the Emirates lately. It looks like Mad Jens Lehmann could be heading back to the motherland which could pave the way for the Scottish national keeper Craig Gordon who has made it known that he’d jump at the chance of playing for Arsenal.
It’s that simple. If only they would read my column.