ARSENAL FANS ARE AFRAID! - JAMES & RORY OCTOBER PREDICTIONS

Hello everybody, welcome back to the James Lawrence Alcott channel and look who's with me, my boy Rory. We are back for the second month of whatever this is called. Maybe we should call it that. I don't know. But Rory, thank you for joining me. We have just done the first part, which is on Rory's channel right now, where we're looking back on the month so far. We nearly went down the Southgate Road. We just about got back on track and we'll see if it pops its head out again. But this video is about the month ahead. So we're going to put forward some big calls, small calls. We're going to talk about who has pressure on them going into this month and who to look out for. Get involved in the comments down below. If you're new to the channel, make sure you hit subscribe and make sure you check out Rory's channel and subscribe to him as well. Rory, let's begin. Big month, October, because there's just so many games. You know, as a Chelsea fan, you've got the Champions League within that as well. I think Man United and a lot of teams have got, you know, it's championship fixture list, really. You've got Monday, sorry, Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, whatever it might be. In terms of big calls, what do you want to go for? I've got a massive one. I've got a massive one straight in. I think that by the time this month ends, so for every single day of October, Arsenal will be top of the league. Okay. They will maintain their top of the league status for another month. And I think that's how they should be looking at it. You know, we're there now. If we match their results from now to the end of the season, we will win the league. And I think that the mentality at Arsenal needs to change. I don't know if you've noticed it changed. I find it very weird because firstly, I'm from North London. Secondly, I know Arsenal fans more than any other in my life. I've got so many Arsenal fans. And historically, you know, the club that wins a double, the club that takes Tottenham's best player, the club that has the traditions of the marble halls and Charlie George lying down when he scores a goal at Wembley, they were arrogant. And so they should have been. They were brilliant. Do you know what I find so weird now about Arsenal? They're not. Timid, aren't they? Timid. They're timid. Do you know what tells you the story? You know the song that they sing, and the song historically goes, and so-and-so, whoever you support, are going to win the football league. They've changed the words. They're singing and Arsenal are going to qualify for the Champions League. Are you serious? They're going to make the Champions League. Arsenal are going to make the Champions League. Yeah. And you're like, hang on a minute. You know, I think now that the belief among Arsenal fans should be, we're going to win the league. And if they can end October, going into November, World Cup month, top of the league, that will, I think, start to have an impact on the belief levels at Arsenal. Yeah, I'm intrigued to see when... Yeah, I think you're right. Arsenal fans are very, very timid about this. And I get it. It's eight games, right? But a question I have is like, first of all, I think you've done a video on it. It's an obvious video to do. Like, are they title contenders or not? Yes. Yes, they are. Yeah. And I think in particular, for me, once they... If they play Liverpool and beat Liverpool, you have to say it with your chest. Because here's the thing. Here's the thing that people forget, right? You can only get three points when you win a game, okay? And for Man City, Man City can be miles better, if you want. And they can pump Arsenal and pump Man United and whatever. You only get three points. And Arsenal... It's funny, isn't it? Because we've all given up on the league, or there being a title race, haven't we? We all go, you said it a month ago. I completely agree with you. This is going to be a procession. We've said it. We've all been consistent with that. They're second. They're still second, right? And that goal difference of plus 20 to plus 12 does tell a story. It really, really does. But the points is the one that matters. And so I think the one thing I think you're right in terms of it's a huge month for Arsenal is because of that game against Liverpool. But also, I think the sad thing for them is that the momentum, it can't be retained really. Because you've got this problem where you've got a World Cup in the middle of the season. And so that's going to be the tough thing, is the coming back and going, oh, oh God, yeah. Sorry, I forgot about this. We're in a title race. It's applicable to everyone that. And do you know where I think Arsenal could... If all I can say is, if I were an Arsenal fan, and look, my cousin, who's a black cab driver, who I see a lot, is an Arsenal fan. He's doing what I would do. He's now saying, it's ours. It's ours. We're going to do it. It's in the bag. First one foot, like he's doing that. But I just find his mentality, the minority by far. I think they should be looking at this going, we're top. We've done this. We've done that. We haven't got to worry about the European Cup, which is an embarrassment for a club the size of Arsenal. But every cloud has a silver lining. They haven't got to worry about the European Cup. They should probably forget about Bodo Glimt or play the kids or whatever it is, you know, like go with the... And I don't see why they can't win it. And if they are top, if my prediction here is correct, and we're doing this video around Guy Fawkes night, James, imagine, imagine if they are top and we will have played what by that point, 12 games, something like that. Yeah. And you're what's interesting here as well. So I'm looking at it. So Arsenal got Liverpool, Leeds. They've then got, they don't have a game, but neither do Man City that week. So, you know, in terms of a team going above them, that's probably not going to occur. Then Southampton and Nottingham Forest. So really you would expect the Liverpool game is at home. And then you've got Leeds, Southampton and Forest. So you would imagine, come, you know, the November 5th game against Chelsea. I think, I think it's a good call. I think it's a fair, fair call. And actually this will be interesting. Liverpool play Arsenal and then Man City and then West Ham. So it could be fascinating to see how far ahead Arsenal currently on 21 points are as opposed to Liverpool currently on 10 points with a game in hand are when we get to that point, it could be crazy. Well, do you know what's going to happen? And I think this is, this may have happened already. I think, I think it's probably just that little bit too early, but what we are going to enter if my, and I think potentially our prediction is true here, we're going to enter a stage of the season where it is only a two horse race. Like Liverpool will not be able to win the league. And depending on what happens with Chelsea, not necessarily because of points tally, but because of circumstance, it will be Arsenal or City. I still think City will win the league. But I think if I were an Arsenal fan, I would be screaming it from the rooftops, almost speak it into existence. Yeah. I think that's it. Things though you need, it goes hand in hand, doesn't it? Like I remember when Leicester won the league, no one was, no, no eight games. No one's saying they've got a chance because of course you're not doing that because you know, what precedent do we have to suggest that that could happen? And I actually remember, I remember it was Man City away in March. Mahrez. Mahrez with a step over and right foot. Mahrez as well. Right. So it was March by the time it was like, oh wow, they're not going to fall away here. They're going all the way. For Arsenal, this is a different club, right? This is a different squad. So I think it's, so we've played eight games, right? I think it's fair to say, to be reticent at this moment in time. But if you're getting to, what is the number of games where you've got to go stop it? 12. 12. You're a third of the way into the season. Whatever formation the Premier League table has after 12 games, it will be not necessarily a complete replica, but the shape, the shape at 12 will be similar to the shape at 36. That's interesting. Yeah. That's a video you put there in my head now, but it'd be interesting to see if that, that is the case. And because I think I had 12 in my head. I think if you go 12, 12, you know, 12 games in the top of the league and they're six points clear of third, you know, you have to, you have to chuck them in there. You have to, because it's just one season isn't it? I'm already doing it. I'm already chucking them in there. Like I say, I don't think they'll do it, but I think they'll do it more than anyone else. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They're the best of the rest for sure at this moment in time. So here's my big call. Chatted about that for a while. My big call is so Forrest to have less than seven points by November the 1st. They are currently on four points and they've lost their five. As you can see in front of you now, one win, one draw, minus 15 goal difference. The next worst is Bournemouth with minus 13, but of course they are one 13th in the league to lost nine nil to Liverpool. How many points did you say? Seven. Seven. So you can speed them getting one win. Can you? I think they'll have less than seven. So I think they'll have no more than six. So their games coming up, they've got Aston Villa at home, which feels like a must win with the, you know, the feeling around Gerrard at the moment. Then they've got walls away who have a new manager by that point. And so as we know, we'll succumb to the new manager bounce then brighten away tough game. Then you've got Liverpool, then you've got Arsenal. Yeah. Do you think then is your prediction then going to evolve into a Derby County conversation? Oh, I mean, are you seeing it as that? I think you then, so the next conversation for me is, and we can skip forward here because this is my, who won't make it to November. So we could do yours a little bit later on, but my, who won't make it to November is Steve Cooper. This is, this club, I guess it's not trigger happy, but it's transfer happy and they can't buy any more players right now. And so Steve Cooper is the next thing that they can change and twiddle with. And it looks like they're going to be, uh, they're linked with, is it Rafa Benitez? Um, Sean Dice as well. Yeah. So I think I can't see how he makes it to, to November at the moment because I keep thinking of the, um, Wyclef's song about making it to November. Yeah. Gone to a good year. It'll be gone by November. It'll be gone by November. Yeah. I've been telling my January, February. Yeah. I just, I like Steve Cooper. I just think he's going to struggle here. And the, yeah, it's a funny feeling. We spoke about it a month ago. The funny feeling continues. And I mean, wow. Then it's not even a, it's less a Derby thing. It's more a QPR thing when we spent too much money. It's that. Chris Samba. It's the spirit of Chris. Chris Samba is the modern day Jesse Lingard. Exactly. It's that it's the Basingway era. Um, so yeah, that is, that's my, that's my big call. My small call is for, um, Chelsea to leapfrog Tottenham in by November 1st. Uh, so currently it's four points difference, but Chelsea have got a game in hand. I think it was just, this isn't a huge, that's what it's not really a huge call Tottenham in terms of the games that they've got, uh, and Chelsea as well. Chelsea have got Wolves, Villa, Brentford, Man United at home and Brighton. So not that easy. Tottenham, uh, have got Brighton next up away. Then Everton, Man United, Newcastle, Bournemouth. So it's up for grabs really, in terms of that month. I just, I'm not totally feeling it with Tottenham. I've got to be honest. And the UV, the, the looming UV job for Antonio Conte has got to be burning a hole in his pocket, hasn't it? It's got to be there all the time driving him mad. Yeah. I, I, I agree. I think, do you know, do you know, I rate context so highly and I've, I've almost had to pay a price because I've constantly said often I've been right. I said that he, I said the second that he came into Tottenham last year, I said, they'll make the champions league. Nobody ticked off that. Um, but equally I said, equally, I thought that he would get the better of our Tetra to a hybrid the other day. And obviously he got nowhere near it. And some of his conversations afterwards, I saw, you know, obviously they got a fairly pitiful drawer away in Germany. Uh, the other night, his comments afterwards, just a little bit, just a little bit spiking because I know him so well and annoyingly love him so much. You know how James, I imagine that, you know, if your missus is in a bad mood, like before you know, no, but before, you know, before anyone else would know, you'd know. Yeah. She'll tell me she's fine. Yeah. Yeah. And everybody else will believe her, but you'll know. Right. And you know, I'm like that with Antonio Conte. Here's the question that popped into my head. Do you think he's a loyal person? No, he's a, he's a complete charlatan. Right. And that's not pretty. I mean, you could find that actually find that charming, don't you? He should change his surname to a test. These are big words. I don't know. No, you know, like Judas is scary. You know, you know, think about who he's managed. He's managed Chelsea. He's managed Tottenham, which is like absolutely unacceptable. Look at what he's done. He started that era of UVA dominance over a decade ago. You know, when they won nine or whatever, he started that era. He bloody ended it back with into Milan and ended it like, you know, no principle, but a wonderful manager. It, it, it feels like this isn't, this isn't a fair tape, but I'm gonna say it feels like Marino light. Do you know what I mean? Like he's not, he's not as angry or as Machiavellian as Marino, but all is good. He's not as good either. Like that's crucial here. He's no, he's not as good as if that's a take. Let us know in the comments below is Marino a better manager than Conte? Let us know. I'm fascinated by that one. Yeah. It just, he's just a bit, he's just angry. Just seems angry Tottenham. And I think he's a bit like hurry up, hurry up and win every Tottenham. I don't think he's got patience. I think, I think he really struggles when, you know, when, when things can't be done in his way, like, you know, it's, it's not a democracy around him. He's basically an emperor and you have, but, but he's making mistakes. It's all very well to say, you know, about his traits. If you constantly play Emerson Royale and you constantly concede goals or concede points because of Emerson Royale, ultimately it stops being Emerson's Royale's point and full at some, at some point, doesn't it? Yeah. Yeah. It's not Emerson Royale's fault anymore because everyone knows what he's going to do. Everyone knows he's not up to the job. So the point isn't him, but when he's played well, Conte gets the plaudits, doesn't he? So, but I think you're right. I think in terms of all these players, what's interesting is, you know, you've got to say someone like Basuma, what a player, he's not playing. So, so it's interesting all of a sudden the, the players that they brought in, it's the fact that they didn't, they bought Jed Spence, but he's nowhere near the starting lineup. And Conte clearly didn't want him, but that's a key position, that right wing back position. That's looking like a mistake. It's like, you know, if you're going to buy Basuma, but you've already got Skip and you've got Hoiberg who's playing well and Bentancur, like, would you have been better off going and buying that proper right wing back that Conte definitely wanted? I wonder if that's hurting them. But yeah, we will see. I think it's a, it's an interesting month for both of them. And I'd feel like Chelsea a bit more, I guess we're going to find out very soon. This is being recorded before the Chelsea-Milan game and it's a tough little group there, but I think that that little bounce from Potter, I think more will help. Yes. And they're going a bit of a run. What was your small call? Have we done it already? We can move on. Let's move on. Let's move on because we've spoken for quite a while. Pressure's on. Who is the pressure on? I've got four nominees if you need one. Go on, hit me with your nominees. My nominees are Nottingham Forest who we've spoken about before, Brendan Rodgers, Stephen Gerrard and Darwin Nunez. I think the two latter ones that you mentioned there are both fascinating. Yeah. So I'll tell you what, I'll just very quickly. So I'll go, my pick can be Rodgers and then we can talk about Gerrard and Nunez. Leicester have got Bournemouth, Palace, Leeds, Wolves next four, as we spoke about on your video, your channel. So he has, like you said earlier, he's got to get two points on average out of those ones. Otherwise, you know, is it worth moving on? Or ultimately, I think what we will find out is if Leicester have kind of given up on this season already and if they had done at the start of it and they were just keeping, that's why they're keeping all the transfer funds so they can spend them all next summer. But I'm fascinated to see what happens and if it, I'm intrigued to see if actually there is any pressure on him or is it just like, just stay up with trying to fix this squad and you're the long-term guy. I'm intrigued by that. No, it won't be that. I'm convinced it won't be that. Okay. Do you honestly see a world where it could be that? Yeah, yeah. Really? Because I think they're quite forward thinking Leicester. I think they have been in the past and I think they've sort of got the right decisions, right decisions, right decisions. And now they're sort of looking at their squad and going, I'm not really sure about a lot of these guys and we've had to sell for Farner. So if we're a team that wants to finish fourth, like they have done previously, there's a lot that needs to be done, both with like, you know, the succession to say Vardy, but also retaining or squad building once Tillemans goes, Madison, if he wants to go, all those things. So I wonder if they might be playing the long game. Is Rodgers the man to keep them up? Well, again, we were talking about this on your video. So are certain managers right for certain brackets or can you get a manager like Potter who you can grow with? I think if you believe the latter, I think whatever you want to say about Rodgers, he's had a very strong career as a manager overall, you know, in terms of the, you know, of managers in general. Right. And thus it has run its course then possibly. And that's, I guess, that's the, that's the discussions that has to kind of happen with the owners and also the fans, obviously with a lot of the fans are fed up with Rodgers, but that's why I think those four games are so important for him. Gerard and Nunes then. Yeah. Nunes is a very, like, I think, I think Gerard, Gerard is under pressure. I think everybody watching this video kind of knows why and it's managerial pressure and we're very aware of that and it's acute and it's painful and we know how it's resolved. The Nunes one is different. It's different. It's layered differently. It's built differently. It means it means more on some way and some level, but it means less. I don't really know where I stand on him at all. I don't know. You know, sometimes when a player like of his, of his mould arrives, you know that they'll find like, I don't know, Didier Drogba, big guy, initially, initially people would say that he had an issue with his touch, but the quality was always there and you knew that he was always going to come good. With Nunes, I think I think that, but I don't know if I think that. Yeah, I know what you mean. I think it's a big month for him. It's obviously, it's not started great. I said this in my, I did a reaction to the game yesterday, the Rangers game. And the thing I said about Nunes was that the thing that will follow him around is the fact that he's bought the two top teams, both bought a striker in the summer and the other team bought Erling Haaland. And he's obviously, you know, a joke. So with Nunes watching the game yesterday, he had about three or four good chances that if he's confident he scores, or if a striker is confident, they put it in the corner instead of get it on target. And it's, that's the mindset change that needs to occur here. But in terms of the game, and I think he's a good shout to talk about because is he a great goal scorer that that's what I want. That's what I'm intrigued to know. And we will obviously find out not over the next month, but over the next year, two years, whatever, right. Five years, right. But in terms of kind of getting those building blocks for the confidence of the team, both the team broadly are trying to do that. But Nunes as well, because he's had that stumbling start, you've got Arsenal, then Man City, then West Ham as the next three, which is tough. And so you've then got Forest and Leeds after that, which is might be an area where you can kind of, you know, get yourself back on track if Darwin Nunes has a bad set of two games. But what we do know is that that Arsenal game and that Man City game are ginormous games where the spotlight is enormous. And judgment, judgment on players comes from these games. Do you know what I mean? It comes from these games, then it comes from numbers broadly. Because even if say Lukaku scores loads and loads of goals in the Premier League, he hasn't scored against the big teams though. So with this and with him going up against Haaland, going up against Gabriel Jesus and going up against Arsenal and Man City, the top two teams, it's a massive couple of games for him. Because if you're going to buy him, you've got to play him, surely. And he needs to start scoring. So it's tough. And I think there's a lot of mental pressure on him for sure, which is what happens with strikers. But yeah, it's time for him to start to step up. I do feel like he just gets that first one. If he gets the first one, he could- Do you think that? Because what I was about to say to you, and again, I genuinely, the reason why this is like very interesting for me, which isn't kind of the point of videos, like I'm benefiting from this rather than any audience member. Do you think he's good enough? Have you seen enough in him to say, think of who Liverpool are, think of the player that he's replaced over there, Sadio Mane. Think of what the aspirations of that club are. Is he the man for that job? My gut says no. So does mine. But I don't know the answer. I'd happily be wrong. I think he's effective though. I do think he's very effective. But will he end his Liverpool career and be thought of as a better player than Mane? Absolutely not, in my opinion. Those are the expectations though, right? That's what you're looking for. This is Liverpool. This is Liverpool Football Club. And you're expecting them to be like second or top. And so the number nine, or whatever number he is, should be scoring 20, 25 goals a season. Is he capable of doing that? Maybe. But my gut says no. Yeah, so does mine. And you are right. The pressure is on him because you know the other thing that is so linked to him. Everything that we've said about him as an individual is applicable to Liverpool. So he needs to get it right. He needs to do this. He needs to do that. We need to see improvement from him. He needs to elevate his performances. It's all applicable to the club. And if he does it, I think the club will improve. If he scores goals, Liverpool will win games. If he doesn't, Liverpool are currently languishing in what, eighth? Ninth. If he doesn't start scoring, I don't know where Liverpool are going to finish this season. It's so linked to him. Yeah, it's tough, tough. But I mean, that's, you know, you're a striker and you're going to big clubs. This is just part of it. You just got it. That's something that sadly you have to deal with. In terms of being on who to look out for this month, I'll go first. Crystal Palace. I think this is a huge month for them. I think there's a lot of good feeling around them as a club. I think people are excited about how they want to play and the players they want to play. And if you saw against Chelsea, actually they played, Eze was playing in midfield, a part of a midfield too, which was ridiculous, which I love. You want to see all that. And you want to see these young English players playing as well, which is great. It's great to see. But in terms of their games, I was looking at their fixtures. Leeds, Leicester, Wolves, Everton, Southampton, all in the month of October. Huge, huge, huge month for them. Because if they go on a huge run and get 12 points from those games, they could hit seventh. But if they don't, then they're going to sort of not hit the heights of what I think tentatively Crystal Palace fans want to. They want to be excited and they feel like they could be with this squad. And so I think they're a team to look out for in terms of that cluster of games this month. Do you think they, do you think they pull away from the relegation zone palace? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I do. I like them. I like them, but they haven't, they haven't proved it to the world yet. So me, do you know who I think we need to look out for? Harry Kane. Like Harry Kane's had a decent enough start to the season, but he's, he's currently languishing in second in the top goal scorer chart. He is, like Harlan scored double, double what Kane has and Kane's had a good start. That's over though, isn't it? Like it's a top goal scorer is over, isn't it? Yes, I think it is to everyone apart from Harry Kane. I don't think Harry Kane will be looking at it that way. Sure. So I think, I think that Harry Kane will really burst into life this month. Put the afterburner on. Ahead of a World Cup as well. That's kind of part of the rationale. Okay. Last one. I said Steve Cooper for who won't make it to November. Who do you think won't make it to November in terms of managers? Because we are still in second season. Tis the season. I mean, Rodgers. He's just going to stick with Rodgers every month. Yeah. This is the last month. Like he'll be gone by the end of this month. I'm convinced about it. He'll be gone. Do you, who have you gone for here? So yeah, Steve Cooper, I think is, you're going for Cooper. I'm going Rodgers again, man. No, I get it. I, I just, if he's not, he's not gone in a month's time. Obviously, obviously the, you know, the result and the results have been so-so. Then I think that what I was saying in terms of that ownership strategy, I think that must be in place then. If that is, if that, you know, if he does hang in there because you know, Leicester City generally should be hoping, but I just feel like they, I think that whole club is aware enough to understand that the squad's at the end of a bit of a cycle here. And I wonder if that's what they're, what they're doing, because that does make sense to me because I think sometimes that, you know, finishing ninth and finishing 17th, like I get, obviously from a money point of view, there is a bit of a difference, but overall, if you're taking a step backwards to go forwards and you think Brendan Rodgers is that guy, then if he's still here in a month and the, the results are so-so then that's why, that's why I think. Yeah, that I would agree with. So we will see, I think big, big month ahead though, this is going to be good, isn't it? Just before the world cup lands, everybody's going to be getting, doing as much as they can now to make as much impact as possible. Absolutely. Mate, thank you so much. It's easy, it's fun, it's enjoyable. So Rory, of course, has done a video on his channel talking about the month just gone. So go check that out. I thought it was decent. So great, I loved it. Guys, subscribe to the channel, subscribe to Rory's channel, hit the like button on both of those videos. Just use your fingers. Okay. Enjoy. And I'll see you next time.