Pat Rice a fond farewell…

By Tony Alvarez
Despite being well known by Arsenal fans and perhaps fans of a lot of other clubs up and down the country Arsenal yesterday officially announced that Pat Rice the clubs long term assistant manager and even longer servant would step down after Sunday’s clash withWest Brom.

He joined the club as a youth-team player in 1964 before turning professional two years later and went on to make more than 500 appearances for the Gunners, captaining the side to FA Cup victory in 1979.

Rice left Arsenal for a four-year spell withWatford in 1980 before returning to the club as a youth-team coach.

Is tomorrows North London derby make or break for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger?

 

By Tony Alvarez
At 13:30 tomorrow the game that could shape the rest of Arsenal’s season and possibly the club for the next few years will kick off.
Media outlets especially Sky tend to over hype games such as these because in reality saying 4th vs. 3rd no one would really care. But this game could really be the all important blockbuster Sky are always promoting.
I’m sure you are aware of or are one of the many Arsenal fans who have completely lost faith in manager Arsene Wenger and want him out the club as soon as possible. Whilst these fans have been in this mood for quite some time, there dismay at Wenger has heightened over the last 10 days following an embarrassing loss in Milan and then a totally inept performance in the 2-0 FA Cup loss at Sunderland.

Can Wenger win back the Arsenal boo boys?

By Tony Alvarez

More increasingly recently there has been a section of Arsenal fans calling for the sacking of Arsene Wenger, and it seems the number of people supporting a Wenger out campaign are growing.

At half time in Arsenal’s 3-2 FA Cup win over Villa, while the side were 2-0 down phone in shows, social networks and even inside the ground itself were inundated with people who believed Arsenal were better off without Wenger.

Needless to say that number was greatly reduced upon the final whistle. However, there are still a large number of Arsenal fans who no longer want to see Wenger in the dugout at the Emirates.

For those who don’t know, I am an Arsenal season ticket holder and have passionately followed the club for as long as I remember.

Team GB selection policies confirmed…do you agree with the criteria?

 

By Tony Alvarez

It was announced yesterday that no player that is selected for the Euro 2012 championships will be selected for the London Olympics due to fatigue and also to keep relations strong between the clubs and the Football Association.

Of course initially this only effects English players as none of the other home nations qualified for Euro 2012, however there is still some disagreement whether players from other nations will play and the FA has contacted players to see if they would like to be considered for selection.

It is thought that Welsh players Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey of Tottenham and Arsenal respectively are both interested in being part of the tournament next summer.

The squad will consist of 18 men 15 of which must be under 23 and the other 3 can be of any age.

The manager of the GB men’s squad Stuart Pearce said about today’s announcement “It’s a sensible football decision when you consider the demands on players, and it now leaves no room for doubt for players and their clubs about next summer and the two major tournaments”

Although it will come as a relief to many managers and fans who primarily focus on club Football it will mean that the team GB side will be a lot weaker than initially thought, players such as Chris Smalling, Jack Wilshere, and Phil Jones to name just a few look likely to be selected for the Euro 2012 squad fitness permitting meaning they will not be in consideration for London 2012.

It had originally been thought before yesterdays announcement that no player would be made unavailable for selection and that players were likely to compete in both competitions much to the dismay of managers throughout the Premier League.

I personally think the decision is a great decision for the game inEnglandwhere many fans are proud in calling their league the best on earth. For me it is also a sensible decision and should mean there is a good balance between the standard of the Team GB squad and the Barclays Premier League.

It will also please managers such as Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger who could of lost stars such as Wayne Rooney and Jack Wilshere. However it will not all be joy for Wenger who could lose Ramsey until September should team GB progress through the tournament.

What are your thoughts? Is the decision to not select players for both tournaments the correct one? Will the decision help to raise the level of the Premier League? Will Team GB still have a chance of Olympic gold without the players who go to Euro 2012

If you ar eon Twitter please follow us @sfts1

Is Coyle under pressure at Bolton?

By Laurie Fitzgerald

Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Bolton Wanderers on Saturday may have eased the pressure on one manager, but it certainly added to the woes of another.

While Gunners boss Arsene Wenger will be breathing a sigh of relief after picking up a much-needed victory, Owen Coyle will be wondering what he can do to get Bolton out of their current rot.

The Trotters have now lost five on the spin in the Premier League, with their latest loss at the Emirates condemning the side to the bottom of the table.

Having won convincingly at Queen’s Park Rangers on the opening day of the season, Coyle has seen his team suffer home defeats to Manchester City, Manchester United and Norwich City as well as setbacks at Liverpool and Arsenal.

In defense of Coyle, Bolton have had an incredibly tough start to the campaign; playing four of last season’s top six doesn’t give his squad the best opportunity to hit the ground running.

So there is a degree of sympathy with where the club currently find themselves languishing. But what is concerning has been the nature of the defeats.

They have been leaking goals all over the place, with 16 goals conceded in their succession of defeats – an average of over 3 goals per game.

You can’t hope to stand a chance of picking up points regularly when you’re conceding at such a frequent rate, especially when you consider that goals have been hard to come by at the Reebok.

Kevin Davies has never been a prolific scorer but has always been an excellent player in terms of holding up the ball and bringing others into play.

But Davies has been hampered by the fact that various attacking options havent been available to help him either through injury or leaving the club.

Daniel Sturridge impressed hugely when on loan at the Reebok, but he is now back in parent club Chelsea’s plans, while Johan Elmander left the club in the summer to join Galatassary.

Not only that, but the impressive Lee Chung-Yong has been unavailable after breaking his leg in pre-season.

It means Davies and Ivan Klasnic have been carrying most of the responsibility up front, but Klasnic is currently in the middle of a three-match suspension after being sent off against Norwich for violent conduct.

All of these issues means that for the first time in his managerial career, Coyle is under pressure to turn around a difficult situation.

When he was appointed Bolton manager having done an excellent job at both St. Johnstone and Burnley, the club found themselves in relegation trouble.

But this was a problem inherited from previous manager Gary Megson, and so was able to turn things round knowing the situation was not of his own making.

Now things are different, and with confidence naturally low after their current run of form, it’s up to Coyle to pick the players up against opposition that they will feel they have a greater chance of winning than in recent weeks.

Some of their upcoming games include trips to Wigan and Swansea and home fixtures against Sunderland and Stoke.

Coyle is a very good young manager who certainly has the potential to go far in the game, and I feel that he will get through this test and push Bolton further up the table over the next few months.

First of all they have the task of ending their run of defeats next Sunday with a home game – against Chelsea.

So what do you think? Is Coyle under pressure following their difficult start? Will Bolton turn things round in the next couple of months? Leave a comment and let us know your views.

However, first up they have the small matter of trying to win their next game

How will Arsenals late transfers shape their season?

By Tony Alvarez

Following Arsenals frankly embarresing 8-2 drubbing at Old Trafford theNorth Londonclubs manager was forced into the transfer market to appease the clubs fans, the media and if reports are true the club board.

After the defeat at the hands of the Champions manager Arsene Wenger completed the signings of no less than 5 players.

Arsenals first signing was that of Korean striker Chu Young Park from French club Monaco, this signing was met with shock by many fans as not only was he realitvily unheard of and the clubs need seemed to be at the back rather than upfront but more that the Korean would have to complete national service in his home land by the age of 28, he is 26 so if everything goes as expected Park will only be at the Emirates for 2 seasons.

Wenger also added two midfielders with Premier League experience to his squad;Chelsea’s Yossi Benayoun came in on loan and Spaniard Mikel Arteta came in from Everton. Many believe that Wenger signing two midfielders was reaction to the news that Jack Wilshere will be out for at least two months.

The area that thrilled Arsenal fans most was Arsenals strengthening of their back line, highly respected and experienced German centre back Per Mertesacker and also addressed the issue they have at left back by signing Brazilian international Andre Santos from Turkish side Fenerbahce. Although injuries are never welcome this has made the news that commanding centre back Thomas Vermaelen has had an ankle operation that bit easier to take.

Arsenals first fixture since the mauling at Old Trafford is on Saturday at home to newly promoted Swansea, this is not a nice fixture in my opinion, if Arsenal win 3-0 people will say “it was only Swansea its expected” if Arsenal struggle to a victory then people will say “Arsenal are finished as a big side” and if the club lose then everyone will be calling for the head of manager Arsene Wenger.

I don’t think the current signings will change the formation he has been using in the last couple of seasons and on Saturday I expect the line up to be as follows:

Szczesny

Sagna     Koscienly  Mertesacker Santos

Frimpong

Ramsey     Arteta

Walcott                                     Arshavin

V.Persie

Of course the above team is still hampered by suspensions to Alex Song who at full strength would come in for Frimpong and Gervinho who in my opinion would take the place of Arshavin on the left.

I expect Arsenal to win on Saturday I don’t think it will be as easy as many predict;Swanseawill look to make it as difficult as possible and frustrate the Arsenal players and fans.

Although the line up above, even if you include the suspended players and the injuries to Jack Wilshere and Thomas Vermaelen is still clearly weaker than last term, however I honestly believe this side can still challenge for the top four.

After the late failings last term many Arsenal fans would be hoping for a side ready to challenge for the title and the honest truth is that they do not have a squad capable of doing that but I guess we will have to wait and see.

What are your thoughts? Is Champions League a realistic goal for Arsenal? Will Wenger be Arsenal manager for much longer? Is the team above strong enough to compete in the League and Champions League? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.

If your on Twitter please follow us: @SFTS1, many thanks.

Who does your club need in the transfer window?

Premiership bound?

By Tony Alvarez

Before Shouts from the stands winds down for the summer where instead of a daily article we will be just be dealing with the issues with 2 or so articles a week we will look into who each Premier League side should/needs to sign this summer.

This is similar to an article created around the January transfer window which can be found on the links below:

http://shoutsfromthestands.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/who-does-your-club-need-in-the-transfer-window-a-l/

http://shoutsfromthestands.wordpress.com/2011/01/15/who-does-your-club-need-in-the-transfer-window-m-w/

Today is the turn of the sides that finished in the top 6 in the Premier League in the season just finished.

Manchester United:

With the retirement of Edwin Van Der Sar it is clear that United need a keeper, all of this seemed to of been cleared up when Alex Ferguson announced that the club was very close to the signing of David De Gea however that situation no longer seems so clear with De Gea’s camp saying there has been no formal agreement between there man and United.

The only other major issue with United is an attack minded midfielder which has seemingly been a problem for a last couple of seasons, with the omission of Paul Scholes from initial next season squad list it would seem his retirement is inevitable, even should he continue he in incapable of a full season meaning United still lack a goal scoring threat from midfield. The Champions have long been linked with Dutch maestro Wesley Sneijder who would seem the ideal signing not only would he add goals to the side but he also adds creativity to the side and is a dead ball expert which United lack at the moment in my opinion.

They have also been linked with a somewhat shock move for Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri who would fit the bill perfectly however a move to Old Trafford for Nasri seems unlikely.

Previously I stated that I thought United needed a winger but with the return to form and fitness of Antonio Valencia and Nani having his best ever season United are not lacking in this position especially considering Giggs and Park are both also very good  out wide as well as in the middle of the park.

Chelsea:

 Following the star signings of Fernando Torres and David Luiz Chelsea’s squad does look very complete and maybe who ever is brought in to replace Carlo Ancelotti can get the players to gel and Chelsea will once again be a threat throughout Europe.

Despite originally being a centre back Ivanovic has proved to be a very good right back but I feel they struggle when he is either out of the side or needed to cover at centre back, Bosingwa and Paulo Ferreira may be good full backs but both seem unable to cut it in the Premier League.

Whilst they don’t need a first choice right back good, quality and dependable cover for Ivanovic is needed.

 Should Torres and Drogba be able to form a partnership upfront it would appear it would only be in a 4-4-2 system should that be the case you would assume that first choice centre midfield paring would be Essien and Lampard with Malouda playing as a left winger, which leaves a hole on the right, Nicolas Anelka is ok on the right as part of a three but in a four man midfield he would not be the answer.

Who to sign in this position is a difficult decision no outstanding right wingers on the world stage come to mind, knowing the way Roman Abramovich likes to work I would not be shocked if he makes a marquee signing probably upfront such as Neymar or Aguero and just tells who ever is employed to some how fit the players into a working team, this unfortunately has long been the problem that Chelsea managers have suffered.

Manchester City:

 This is a tough one for me to call, with seemingly unlimited funds the World is City’s oyster.

Noises from Carlos Tevez suggest he is set to leave the Eastlands club which will be a huge blow for the club, although they currently have players in the squad capable of replacing him and the funds to bring in others if necessary Tevez is clearly the focal point of City’s attack which makes replacing him a lot more difficult.

Due to the big signing of Dzeko inJanuaryCitycould potentially not replace Tevez however it seems unlikely.

A whole in the City first 11 seems to be at left back where Kolarov just hasn’t cut it defensivly and although Zabaleta has done a decent job there he is by trade a right back. Big noises are being made that City are after Portugal and Benfica left back Fabio Coentrao, I must admit I have seem limited amounts of Coentrao but he looks very good and would be a good signing for City.

Another player it is apparent City are after is Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez, I think this shows Mancini is trying to add creativity to his squad and a player of Sanchez’s quality would give them another option in there already talent packed selection of wingers.

Again I would not be surprised if a marquee signing was made just so City can announce themselves inEuropehowever with the prices being touted for Sanchez it could be him.

Arsenal:

For a long time now many fans have been calling for Arsene Wenger to invest in a new spine but it has long been my opinion that besides some changes at the back Arsenal will find it very difficult to improve with Cesc Fabregas in the side.

This is not me saying Fabregas is a bad player far from it for me he is in the top three midfielders in World football but he also causes a problem for Arsenal.

As in their attacking unit who would you replace no one is going to come in and replace the likes of Nasri Walcott, Van Persie, Song, Wilshere or Fabregas from the first team meaning any high profile signings become unlikely, should Fabregas depart the squad would shuffle around a bit allowing star names to be signed.

Back to who the side need and who I feel they need to sign, at centre back I feel both Vermaelen and Djourou are both good defenders however I am unsure if they are a good pairing, form what I hear Jagielka is being targeted by Wenger but personally I would like to see a towering presence at the back such as Chris Samba, Jagielka has all the hallmarks of a typical Arsenal defender but it is clear Arsenal need a change from their typical players.

  I also feel Arsenal do need a striker because despite Van Persie’s unbelievable goal return in this season he is a) known tobe inury prone meaning you can never rely on him and b) so creative but currently Arsenal have no one else on the end of his creativity, there are strong rumours that Karim Benzema is being tracked, I think he would be the ideal signing as he is a poacher but can score all type of goals and also link up with the rest of the side in general play.

I no longer think a goal keeper is a necessity, Szczesny whilst being far form the finished article has shown enough potential and enough current ability to be considered number 1.

Tottenham:

Who Tottenham need will largely depend on whether any of their current squad jump ship due to not having the opportunity to play Champions League Football at White Heart Lane.

I am of the opinion that the likes of Van Der Vaart, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale will stick around for another year at least, which gives Tottenham a solid base to build around.

It is clear to all that Tottenham have two areas they need to largely improve in. The first being in goal where despite being an unreal shot stopper at times Gomes has often proved to be a liability and made some high profile point costing mistakes.

It is rumoured that the likes of Manuel Neuer and Ajax keeper Stekelenburg are both available in this transfer window however it is very unlikely that either will move to a side who is not involved in Champions League Football.

The favourite to start the season in goal for Tottenham and I believe to be the most likely isBirminghamkeeper Ben Foster,Birminghamwill require the funds having been relegated and Foster could command a £7 million plus transfer fee.

The other problem area for Tottenham is their complete lack of goals from strikers Defoe and Crouch have barely troubled the Premier League scoring charts and Roman Pavlyuchenko does not seem to get the chances the others do despite scoring more, however he is not the answer, the problem is for a striker who guarantees goals you are looking at paying top notch prices as proved by Darren Bent’s January move to Aston Villa.

It is widely reported that Tottenham are looking to take a gamble on one of two strikers that are unproven in the Premier League. Both Kevin Gameiro and Gervinho have had strong seasons inFrancewhich has led to them being linked to a whole host of clubs, they could be ideal for Tottenham as they would not command crazy transfer fees but could be the answer to their strikers lack of goals.

Liverpool:

Liverpoolspent big in January to try and find a replacement for Fernando Torres and bring some goals to a side that overly relied on two men to get them.

Unfortunately for them since the signings of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez talismanic captain Steven Gerrard has been absent a lot of the time meaning the trio have rarely been played together.

Despite the signings Liverpool seem to need the same players year in year out and never seem to fill the voids, a left winger has been needed pretty much since Steve Mcmanaman departed for Real Madrid, Maxi Rodriguez has played his part in the last month or so notching a few goals but I personally don’t think he is up to the job especially not over a full season.

They thought they had filled the void with the signing of Joe Cole but that has not worked out and they will need to rethink, the are rumours the club are keen to make an approach for Valencia’s Juan Mata, although he would be a good signing he would cost the club over £20 million and I’m unsure if the club will spend that considering the amount they spent in January.

The only other major problem I see is at left back, unless Dalglish is intent on keeping Martin Kelly at right back and shifting Glen Johnson to the left a full time left back will need to be signed, similar to Manchester City Liverpool have been linked with Fabio Coentrao but similar to Mata he would cost over £20 million.

The more sensible and more likely option seems to beNewcastle’s Spanish left back Jose Enrique who has been linked with the Merseyside club all season and it was even reported that a deal had been agreed in some sections of the press earlier in the season.

There are other areas where Liverpool are not particualry strong but no team is strong in every position and with 2 signings on the left who can gel with the rest of the side Liverpool could be a real forced to be reckoned with next term.

 What are your thoughts? Do you agree with the players I have said are needed for the particular clubs? Leave a comment and let us know who you would sign for the clubs mentioned above and check back regulary to see who I think your club should sign.

Is Wilshere’s inclusion in the under 21 squad the correct decision?

By Tony Alvarez

Many of you whom keep up with sports news will kn

ow that yesterday the provisional squad for the under 21 European championships was chosen and included some full internationals such as Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson and despite much debate Jack Wilshere.

I will start off by saying the views in this article are in response to those posted by a drive time radio station with in my opinion two of the most biased and unknowledgeable presenters in the media, I will not name this station or the presenters because who knows one day I could find myself in their offices.

The debate is centered around the fact that Arsene Wenger said he would not stop his teenage prodigy being part of the squad should he be selected but he would of preferred Wilshire to of been given the summer off as he has played in what essentially is his debut full season and he did not want fatigue to be a factor in the midfielders development.

The lead presenter on the radio show in question in response to Wenger’s comments about fatigue that Arsenal should use Wilshere less as their season is over in terms of honours he also continued to say Wilshere is at more risk of being fatigued due to the amount of games he ahs played in an Arsenal shirt which is down to a lack of quality in the Arsenal squad which means Wilshere is having to play above his age group.

I have two problems with this statement the main one being that the club pay his wages so can use him how they feel best there is also very few people in football who can question the way Wenger develops young talent, so its comical that this radio presenter has done so.

Another thing the presenter called into question was Wenger’s statement that Wilshere would certainly miss England’s friendly in August and possibly the qualifier in September as Wenger would treat Wilshere the same as the rest of his players and give them 4-6 weeks off in the summer.

Both of the radio “experts” questioned this saying who needs 4-6 weeks up give him 2 and he will be fine, to the best of my knowledge FIFA laws state that a player must be given at least 4 weeks break in the summer rather than accusing Wenger of provoking a club vs country row they should learn the rules and give fair impartial comment.

Another factor that needs to be considered is that Fabio Capello has made it quite clear that for the rest of his time in the hot seat he is going to build the side around Jack Wilshere, which means a fully fit Wilshere will be vital should England qualify for Euro 2012, many fans will know first hand from watching their sides first hand will know that a full pre season often brings a player on leaps and bounds look at Nasri and Nani in this current season for proof of that, so if England are expecting Wilshere to be firing in summer 2012 despite having barely any rest since 2010 the nation could be in for a massive disappointment.

For what its worth I think the player should decide whether they go to the tournament or not, Wilshere has made it clear he wants to go and play so he should be allowed to do so, its brilliant to have a player who is proud to wear the England shirt rather than years of pre madonna’s who pull out of an international at every opportunity unless it’s a vital tie where they can be a headline maker or it’s a glamour tie.

However, its not just my Arsenal biased but I don’t think Wenger has done any wrong he would of preferred to give possibly the future of his club a rest but if he is so selected Wilshere would be sent with Wenger’s blessings, however the attack received from the radio station for simply looking out for his player was in my view scandalous.

What are your thoughts? Should Wilshere be in the squad for the under 21 Europeans? Is the radio station correct to question the way Wenger deals with his players? Are you as sick of clueless “pundits” across all formats of the media as I am?

Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts

Should managers be punished for not shaking hands?

Arsene Wenger has had some less than gracious moments with fellow managers in recent weeks

By Laurie Fitzgerald

It seems that Premier League managers have found it difficult to be gracious to one another at the end of a match in recent weeks.

The traditional handshake of managers at the final whistle has come under considerable scrutiny after some heated confrontations.

The chief culprit seems to be Arsene Wenger. The Arsenal manager has seen observers questioning his respect for his fellow peers.

The Frenchman refused to shake the hand of Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish following the Gunners‘ 1-1 draw with the Reds on Sunday, while he gave a less than impressive handshake with Spurs manager Harry Redknapp following the 3-3 thriller at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night.

There’s no question that the 61 year-old is an outstanding manager. However, it’s difficult to argue that he’s less than graceful when his side do not get the result he desires.

While Wenger seems to be the manager most guilty of this, he’s not the only one to have issues with other bosses at the end of a match this season.

Following Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Fulham in February, Roberto Mancini and Mark Hughes showed there was no love lost after the Italian took Sparky’s job last campaign.

At the final whistle, there was a quick handshake that Hughes finished off with by letting go violently as Mancini stormed down the tunnel.

Not all managers are going to get on with one another. But the issue surrounding this is the example that it sets for their players.

Samir Nasri has made it clear that he doesn’t intend to shake the hand of William Gallas whenever he comes up against him due to the disdain he has for his former Arsenal team-mate.

But the handshake isn’t about that; it’s about setting the tone of respect before a game, and for the managers to shake hands after, it signifies that despite having battled to beat one another, the respect is still there.

A refusal of handshakes can create the belief that being ungracious, whether its in the heat of the moment or a sign of a bitter feud, is acceptable.

Maybe the introduction of punishments, even if it’s a fine for the guilty party, will ensure that more is done by those involved to put petty squabbles aside and ensure that the respect in the game is maintained at the highest level.

So what do you think? Should there be punishments introduced for a lack of respect shown at the final whistle? Is it unfair to expect people to put differences aside for a mere handshake? Have the recent incidents been a storm in a teacup? Let us know your thoughts.

Does a touchline ban on managers have a huge effect on a match??

By Tony Alvarez

Following the FA and UEFA handing out touchline bans to the Premierships most high profile managers in Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger respectively and UEFA also handing Tottenham assistant Joe Jordan a touch line ban we look into if this has any real effect on the side performance.

 Although the bans have the same name they are in fact quite different, a European touchline ban means the manager must have no contact with the playing squad before or during the game and must also have no contact with the dugout, basically leaving the assistant as manager for the day. A Premier League touchline ban is very different in that the Premier League ban is literally a touch line ban the manager Alex Ferguson in this case will still be allowed in the dressing room and can have contact with his members of staff on the bench.

Ferguson as I’m sure you will know received his ban which is the longest ban that will ever be served by a Premier League manager for comments about referee Martin Atkinson after his sides 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.

Wenger’s European ban is for comments made to Swiss referee Massimo Busacca after his sides controversial defeat to Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Joe Jordan’s ban which has somewhat evaded the headlines  is for a flare up with tenacious AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso in Tottenham’s champions league last 16 victory over the Italian giants.

Whilst Jordan is one of the most vocal of assistants I can’t see that a touchline ban would have a huge effect on the side as the manager is the brains behind the performance but Tottenham could miss Jordan’s motivation from the sidelines.

In the case the punishment of not being allowed any contact with the squad once they arrive at the ground is very harsh a similar ban was handed to Jose Mourinho during his time as Chelsea manager, lucky for Arsenal the fixture should be the first group game in a group where they will be the seeds so shouldn’t be too difficult and even if they do lose in Wenger’s absence they have 5 games to recover from the result.

 The case of Alex Ferguson is the most intriguing one, banned from the dugout for 4 Premier League games and the FA cup semi final against their local rivals Manchester City. This is the only ban that could have a real effect on the sides season as if the ban does have a huge effect on the sides performance then United could be left fighting on only one front by the time Ferguson is allowed back in the dugout.

But what effect do these bans truly have on performance? Whilst Ferguson is an inspirational manager and the greatest manager in modern times how much influence can he have once the side take the field, from what I understand, I may be wrong Ferguson is still allowed contact with the dugout so can still have substitutions made as and when he wants and who ever he is in contact with (presumably Mike Phelan) can still shout out the instructions he wants so all the side is missing is his voice which I could not see as having a major effect on the outcome of a game.

If however I am wrong and he is not allowed contact with the dugout this could have a big effect, whilst Manchester United should have enough to beat most sides without the need for substitutions or tactical tweaks we all know this is not always the way things work in Football, there can be no doubt that subtle tactical changes by Ferguson has often been a feature in United picking up points, one he likes to use is to shift Wayne Rooney to the left wing to sure up the midfield. If he is unable to be in contact to make changes like these then it could cost United points which in turn could cost them the title.

What are your thoughts? Can a touchline ban really effect a side? Are they a little bit pointless? Who will be more effected Wenger’s Arsenal, Ferguson’s United or Joe Jordan lacking from Tottenham’s touchline? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts