Ahead of every weekend this season I will give you my three thoughts on what’s going on in the Premier League and the soccer world at large. These might not always be the biggest stories, but rather my personal observations as the games approach each Saturday.
Wenger’s future a big distraction
Really? It’s come to this? Arsene Wenger teased the football world following Arsenal’s loss to West Bromwich Albion just prior to the international break, telling the assembled media that he had decided on his future, and that we would all know very soon about his plans.
Two weeks later, we are all still waiting to discover whether Wenger will return or not. On Thursday, the Arsenal manager mused that if reporters keep asking him about his future, then perhaps one day he will give them a definitive answer. It is all getting a little tedious, as rumours are swirling that Wenger intends to stay for two more seasons, and that the club will acquiesce.
So why the delay? This is a huge distraction for the club. If it was all agreed upon then announce it! If it is not agreed upon, then why? Is the club having second thoughts? Surely the details of any potential contract would not be difficult to iron out. The silence is deafening.
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Everton looks to end Anfield drought
The Merseyside derby goes Saturday (watch it on Sportsnet World at 7:00 am ET), with Everton looking to beat Liverpool at Anfield for the first time in almost 18 years. The Toffees have become one of the teams to watch this season under Ronald Koeman—the club is far more defensively organized compared to last season, and the Dutch manager is blooding some truly exciting young talent at Goodison Park.
Koeman can be forgiven for still feeling nauseated following last weekend’s international break. It began with Ireland’s James McCarthy re-tweaking a hamstring injury in the warm-up against Wales, then continued with the genuinely grotesque and devastating double leg break Seamus Coleman suffered in the same match. Even more salt was rubbed into the wound with the news that defender Ramiro Funes Mori is out for the season after suffering a knee injury in Argentina’s loss to Bolivia.
All of this coming just a week or so after star man Romelu Lukaku suggested he is not ready to sign a new deal with the club. Everton have been a breath of fresh air this season, and their luck needs to change.
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Bleeding Red: The Oral history of Toronto FC
I devoted a nice chunk of Thursday to reading my Sportsnet colleague John Molinaro’s epic Bleeding Red: The Oral history of Toronto FC. It is must-read material for all TFC fans, providing some fascinating insight from within the club, from the early days to present.
Here’s three quick thoughts within my three thoughts column:
• It still astounds me that MLSE didn’t hire a “soccer guy” for advice ahead of the club’s birth.
• Mo Johnston was conspicuous by his absence. Where is Mo these days? Surely the fire still burns inside? Will he make a glorious return to the public eye?
• Aron Winter still garners respect from within the club. His tenure was a failure, but it just shows that when you’re a decent human being, you’ll be forgiven.
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