In return for a taste of his whisky, no less, singer-songwriter Kenny Rogers was once given some awfully vague advice: “The secret to survivin’,” the Gambler told him on a train bound for nowhere, “is knowin’ what to throw away and knowin’ what to keep.” Thanks for that, Gambler, care to elaborate? “You’re got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em.” Yes, Gambler, but how?
The boards of Leicester and Arsenal may have found themselves humming that tune earlier this season when they heard calls to sack their managers. The cries for Brendan Rodgers to be strapped into a train bound for Mutualconsentville never got as loud as the ones aimed at Mikel Arteta but there were mumblings among some fans, nonetheless, that he may have reached the end of the line with Leicester. Giving up the FA Cup by losing 4-1 to Nottingham Forest in February was a low point from which it was hard to return. But Leicester, like Arsenal, knew what not to throw away and as the clubs prepare to meet at the Emirates on Sunday, each can be satisfied that they are now stronger.
