Some big questions loom over Sunday's North London Derby, writes paulfennessy21 -
Paul Fennessy IT MIGHT be tempting to suggest this weekend’s North London Derby is the biggest and most important one that has taken place in a long time.
Therefore, just eight months ago, it looked like Tottenham obviously were the North London team on the up — if you were to ask which of the two clubs would be title contenders for the 2022-23 season, neutral observers would predominantly say Spurs. Arsenal’s most recent Premier League fixture — a 0-0 draw at home to Newcastle — was just the third time they have dropped top-flight points this season .
And do they have less impressive squad depth and experience compared with, say, Leicester’s 2015-16 champions? Consequently, a surprise top-two of Arsenal and newly mega-rich Newcastle is not beyond the realms of possibility. Their dramatic improvement since then has shown how simple success in football can be if there is enough money at a team’s disposal.
So in the 1990s, if a team was struggling, supporters might call for a change in manager, a few new signings or lament the fact that a certain player either is/isn’t being picked. Owners were seldom under the same level of scrutiny.It is the owners, rather than the managers or players, who increasingly bear the brunt of supporters’ frustrations.
At times, it seems that near-relentless success — the kind Man City have experienced of late or that Newcastle may soon become accustomed to — is the only solution to stemming widespread fan disaffection.
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