[New post] SIMON JORDAN: Arsenal story of the season but title doubts remain, Man United long way from back and Newcastle nowhere near top clubs
talkSPORT posted: " talkSPORT's Simon Jordan has his say on sport's biggest stories this week... There has been a lot to get through from Manchester United winning their first trophy in six years, Graham Potter under increasing pressure at Chelsea, Arsenal contin" talkSPORT
talkSPORT's Simon Jordan has his say on sport's biggest stories this week...
There has been a lot to get through from Manchester United winning their first trophy in six years, Graham Potter under increasing pressure at Chelsea, Arsenal continuing their Premier League title charge and Conor Benn hitting out at the drug testing system in boxing.
Jordan has delivered his verdict on some of the week's top football stories
Man United can close the gap on Arsenal and Man City, but still have long way to go to be truly back
Jordan's verdict: "It's one thing winning the League Cup, another thing winning the FA Cup, it's an even further thing by saying you'll win the Europa League.
"But when you're talking about Man United being back, you are talking about Man United winning the Premier League.
"Ask yourself, are they close to Manchester City, are they close to Arsenal? Possibly they may well be, but I still think there's a journey they've got to go on.
"But what they've done is they've started in the right fashion and it is encouraging, and I think it is good for the Premier League too.
"Let's be clear, despite the constant harking of United fans, they have spent an inordinate amount of money.
"The story of the season undoubtedly is Arsenal. For him [Mikel Arteta] to have rebuilt this side and potentially win the Premier League... the team of the season for me is Arsenal and the story of the season is Arsenal.
"The big noise in the Premier League is not the League Cup, it is who wins the Premier League. Man United were built in this era to win Premier Leagues.
"They haven't won the Premier League now for a third of the Premier League's existence, so they still have a way to go."
United have finally won another trophy, but their last Premier League title came in 2013
Arsenal have been brilliant but doubts remain whether they will beat Man City to title
Jordan's verdict: "I've been folding like a cheap pack of cards because I've gone one way, then the other, because you are trying to pick the narrative that you wish to follow and stick with it.
"Then you think, well actually there is no point just sticking with it because I said it, if new information comes to hand I might as well bend and twist with the breeze.
"But the point is, I still think there is such a small margin. If they match each other's results and get to that game [on April 26] and Man City beat Arsenal, I still think there is a possibility Arsenal can blink.
"Man City are in no rich vein of form. They aren't the Man City of old. But they are still compelling... I still think it is a 50/50 run in.
"If Arteta wins this Premier League, no one would have seen it, no one would have picked it when they got pipped to fourth spot by Spurs last season. No one would have picked them to go into the ascendancy like they have done.
"It is remarkable because if you look at the component parts of Arsenal, they do not have a squad on a pound-for-pound, player-by-player basis comparable to Manchester City.
"Manchester City have a better, deeper, more coherent playing squad than Arsenal have got, so it is remarkable what they are achieving."
Arsenal are currently five points clear at the top of the Premier League table
Newcastle have a long way to go to be a 'big' team
Jordan's verdict: "Newcastle have got 20 years to catch up with the brands of clubs like Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League. They are going to spend a lot of money to do that but they are nowhere near.
"Right now, Newcastle are doing very well in the league but as a commercial operation with global eyes on the prize, they aren't anywhere near the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Arsenal.
"I maintain this view and I don't care how many Geordies want to have a go at me. The bottom line is, you are a big club in Newcastle.
"You're not a big club on the world stage, you will be. They are a big club in Newcastle but they will be a big club on the global stage."
Newcastle reached the Carabao Cup final and are fifth in the Premier League right now
Graham Potter should stop moaning about criticism and focus on doing his job properly
Jordan's verdict: "I don't want to diminish how it feels when someone says something mean about you, and anything with a threat in it is not necessary, but that goes with the tribalism and emotion of football.
"That's why you're in a job getting paid £10million a year, because if there was no emotion and no fever pitch, then these guys in football wouldn't get the rewards that they get.
"I really do get tired of the mental health card being played every single time someone gets put under pressure.
"This is the business that you're in. You're a big-time manager and you have to have resilience and fortitude – that is my opinion.
"The challenges you have to take on board are to ignore the background noise, ignore the noise of total strangers and focus on the core product of what you're supposed to be doing, which is winning football matches.
"So ignore the rampant lunatic who sends you an awful message, because they are irrelevant. They are not someone who is in your life and if there's real jeopardy behind it and you really are fearful for your life, ultimately you will get security… although you shouldn't have to have that.
"But it goes with the territory and when you lose football matches in the manner Chelsea are, and consistently turn out a side that doesn't look capable of winning, you're going to come under pressure.
"I get tired of this weakness in football that only praise will suffice. He's damn sure not going to get any, because he's not entitled to it."
Chelsea have won only two games from 12 since the World Cup
Conor Benn needs to prove his innocence after failed drugs test and stop blaming others
Jordan's verdict: "Nobody wants Conor Benn to be in this position. Nobody wants anything but the best for Conor Benn. Nobody wants Conor Benn to be the victim of a witch-hunt and in a situation where his career is ruined by a set of circumstances.
"But that being said, people do want some transparency about the circumstances and they do want to understand the principles of what is being said.
"We are getting a lot of people saying a lot of things, 'don't look over here, look over there, don't worry about that test, worry about this test, don't worry about VADA because it was a voluntary test'... and all of this subterfuge forms a back story.
"The WBC as a sanctioning body have no jurisdiction whatsoever. The obligation upon Conor Benn with the WBC is vastly different than it is with the British Boxing Board of Control and the terminology used by the British Boxing Board of Control was very clear - strict liability. What that means is what you have got in your body, you have to account for. You have to prove your innocence.
"An athlete in America called Shelby Houlihan - a sprinter - she got caught with a substance in her body. That substance was nandrolone. That got her a four-year ban. She investigated it and found it to be some boar meat in a burrito yet because she couldn't prove the chain after getting a private investigator in, she was still banned.
"Here's the thing with the WBC, the burden of proof was, you tell us a story that is plausible and we will look at it and if your guilt is not beyond reasonable doubt, we are going to potentially clear you.
"So Conor questions the integrity of VADA testing, questions the sensitivity of machines in VADA labs, and produces a report which has nothing to do with diet. At the same time as the idea of diet suddenly comes into Conor and his team's mind about potentially he may have eaten eggs.
"We don't know if he has eaten eggs or not. What he did tell us in an interview in November was his diet consisted of a variety of things and maybe the occasional omelette. So we didn't get to hear back then about this huge egg consumption that has now formulated part of his defence against the allegation.
"What the WBC have said is, OK we have had a nutritionist in, we have investigated, it is entirely plausible. But I'm not entirely sure the WBC have then gone, OK where did you get these eggs from? Who was the supplier? And follow the food chain to its natural conclusion so he can exonerate himself.
"He has put together a plausible story, plausible deniability and the WBC have said, OK, fine it is not beyond reasonable doubt you are guilty so you are exonerated.
"Now here comes the British Boxing Board of Control over the hill - strict liability.
"The dietary argument - I'm not suggesting that it isn't true. What I'm suggesting is, prove it. Don't just say it, prove it."
Listen to Simon Jordan on weekdays with Jim White from 10am-1pm on talkSPORT and catch him on the talkBOXING show every week on YouTube
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