MOO #16 – PREMIER LAGUE 23/24
Matter Of Opinion
#16
PREMIER LEAGUE 23/24
It has been another quite “epic” season in the English Premier League as I like to use the word. I did not watch all 360plus games but I surely kept up with what was happening. Nobody ever watches all 360plus games at least I don’t think so. Always dramatic. Highs, lows, expectations and disappointments all year round. Its usually edge of your seat stuff and it’s the very reason in this part of the world we are literally addicted. Men default their leisure time at work, stay out late on their families just to keep up with the drama. Here in Uganda we absolutely adore English football. Sufficiently brought to us by South Africa’s DSTV. Its Africa in the 21st Century. There is a transition going on in the English Premier League. People/Fans are having to get used to Manchester City’s dominance something that was unheard of 20years ago and at the same time getting used to the fall of giants like Manchester United and Chelsea who are continually finishing out of their usual top 5 spots. English football fans who are a little older than myself at 33 have probably seen these alterations before. New eras coming in and old eras phasing out. It’s a first for me I must say. I certainly enjoyed Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United days so much but I was too young to even think of what happens when he retires. Similarly, a bunch of buddies of mine enjoyed Arsene Wenger so much without any concern of what would go on after he leaves. So here we are post Sir Alex and post Arsene Wenger era. A period where the platform is being taken up by some new names and the fans are learning to respect a new era. Yess things do change. Manchester City have secured a fourth consecutive title; a feat that had never been reached. The citizens are very humbling and they leave you speechless led by captain of the ship or pilot if you may Spanish maestro Josep Guardiola. Maestro because Manchester City are a well-oiled machine. They get the job done and they do it with excellence. It’s a well-run club. A club that possess a balance in every department. Great players exit and even better ones come in. when they falter in the UCL knockout stages, they learn from their mistakes and always perform better the following season. English football has seen greats like Ferguson, Wenger, Benitez, Mourinho but now it’s Guardiola. I do endeavor to take a good look around every season to see if theres anybody competition and am almost sure after this 23/24 season that its very minimal. City beat Arsenal by only 2points this season but the gap is much bigger than that in reality. He is that good. He pushes the bar so high. Jorgen Klopps Liverpool did give Manchester City a good fight for some years until marks man Sadio Mane exited. Liverpool have been a shadow of their strength and have over time looked like a team that was centered around the Senegalese superstar. Since his departure, they have not exhibited the grit and determination to possess any silverware. Arsenal have also looked pretty with Mikel Arteta attempting to outdo his former boss but have also fallen despairingly close. To me Arsenal look like a team struggling with confidence. They looked so good in the World Cup season and the unwavering pressure from City caused them to collapse in the months of April and May. They looked even better this season as Arteta’s squad pushed Pep all the way to the final day. Not to be so critical but I made several attempts to watch Arteta’s Arsenal this season and never understood how and why international icons like Jesus, Jorginho, Zinchenko and at times even Havertz were constantly being left as substitutes on several occasions. The Arsenal manager on a number of occasions did look like he was not really interested in beating Pep to that title. Am no manager but I know that you don’t leave your best assets on the bench and expect to keep up with the best around. I believe Mikel Arteta mishandled the Arsenal squad a little and in my view they could have performed much better maybe even lifted the title. The key concept here is competition and competitiveness. I have never met Pep Guardiola but the look on his face after every season and even during some of his press conferences is that of “am here to compete and if you want to give me a challenge, you are welcome.” You can see it in him. Every great competitor loves challenges no matter how big and right now in 2024 in the English Premier League there are not many managers there are not many managers that can match up to the level of Pep Guardiola. Erling Haaland is still scoring for fun and top scorer again in only his second season with the club. Even though I think this season he was a bit mediocre, he’s still the best around. Big, tall, strong, talented and young. New signing Gvardiol looks like the best left back in the world. Full of confidence and reminds me of Ashley Young and Patrice Evra in their Premier League days. Securing a fourth title in a row is a record and City are still the team to beat by far. Arsenal story is different. Yesss they pushed City all the way to the last day this season but were still not good enough. City were always the pundits favourites. Arteta has looked like nothing but a shadow of his former boss. It’s difficult to see him get one on his former boss. Very difficult. A few pundits will look at Pep’s four peat between 2020 and 2024 and think it’s a little too much, maybe not good for the English game but hey the man has got a job to do. In the English Premier League when you put your foot on the gas, you don’t let off for anybody. We are living in the Manchester City era now and English football must adjust around the Spanish maestro. He is no joke. Arsenal inside guys need to do some revision. Something has to change if they are going to keep up with Guardiola or maybe even top him to a title. If Mikel Arteta needs to leave for a more grit minded, more experienced European manager then so be it. I personally feel captain Ordegaard who had a pretty season is a bit too young and inexperienced to lead the squad to Premier League glory or maybe even that elusive Champions League berth. I disagreed with Arteta’s entire backline selection or makeup all season but generally the Arsenal camp looked like they lacked some ferocity. At some point they look like they are sure going for the title but when it comes to April and May something lets loose. Thy cannot finish the job. If you watch Pep Guardiola’s teams and watch Arsenal theres a difference. The desire, the hunger for glory, the body language. Anybody who knows Sir Alex, Jose Morinhno or Arsene Wenger knows that this is not right. Arsenal is a very important brand world allover and massive here in Africa. Very beautiful and expensive stadium but all of this for what reward. We are witnessing the City era and as long as they keep making it easy for Guardiola the English game is at loss. He is already one of the best managers in the world and if at all he stays in England he is capable of retiring with about 30 English Premier League titles. For all of their success Arsenal has still not lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy falling behind Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest. All of this to say that in 2024 when I see an Arsenal lineup at the Emirates stadium something about me expects more and I would love to see better but maybe some other people think otherwise.
Elsewhere around the league 3rd place Liverpool’s Jorgen Klopp came close to the title but fell short. Maybe a championship could have been the perfect way to say goodbye to a club he has served so well. Aston Villa and manager Unai Emery were probably the story of the season. They put up a heroes’ performance setting such a high standard for the franchise by securing a champions league spot. The London teams Totenham and Chelsea also looked decent even though we are still looking at a Chelsea that is still the shadow of its recent past under the Russian era. Youngstar and England International Cole Palmer carried the Blues all season and impressively so. He ran a one man show at Stamford bridge scoring a career high 22goals and only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland was good enough to beat him to the much coveted golden boot. Newcastle drooped a little lower this season finishing in 7th spot and Manchester United too falling far from the accustomed European places. We hope that the boys and their bosses do have a rest filled summer because they surely need it before August. Otherwise if you have not figured it out yet, here’s another reminder that we are living in the Pep Guardiola era at Manchester City and perhaps one of the most impressive eras English football has ever seen. He’s tough and he presents a fair challenge to everybody. Club owners and managers must shuffle their cards otherwise he is capable of going 10 in a row. The Spaniard is a man on a mission and am a big fan but we all love a well-balanced, a well challenged and adrenaline filled English Premier League!
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