It started as a little joke – but got more comments than most posts on this site: a list earlier this week predicting that everyone would leave the club this summer. Exactly the sort of rubbish the charlatans who write newspaper football columns write.
And would you believe it, the News of the World jumped straight in and have today (29 March) run a story which says that serious doubts have been placed on the future of Cesc at Arsenal and that he is off to Spain – exactly as we said.
Well all right not exactly exactly, but not far off.
Being a little child at heart I have left a comment on the NOW page thanking them for running the story (which happened to appear on Untold Arsenal first). They apparently moderate everything so the question is, is there anyone at the NOW who understands irony (the concept that has been so much on the minds of some of us of late). But if you think it funny, you might care to comment on their site. If enough of us did it, it might just make them think before doing such a story again.
Anyway, moving on, so far there have been no suggestions regarding injuries to Arsenal players on Insanity Day – although one of the big problems is that international managers tend to hide injuries in order to keep players going for the mid week game.
This arises in part because they know they can hand the player back to the club and say “here you fix him – make sure he is ready in time for the next round of internationals” and also because managers of countries are on fixed short term contracts – so they have no long term interest in the well being of the player. If a player comes back and does well for the next manager, no one looks at the last manager and says, “it is all down to you”.
(There is also the fact that FIFA have rejected the proper drug testing systems of WADA so I start to wonder what drugs international managers are using when the players are away from their clubs).
Last thing today, I am struck by the change in mood among some Arsenal fans of late. The change from “Wenger has lost it” and should be replaced to “we are on the edge of seeing Invincibles II” has been extraordinary, not just for the size of the change, but also its speed.
Of course many people still take the view that the Lord Wenger is destroying the club, and should be removed, just as there are some who, like me, believe that he is by far the greatest manager since the 1930s and that he is about to bring us a new team that will surpass everything seen before – while around us clubs go bust.
But I don’t think I have ever seen such a fast change of opinion among some fans as we have seen between the 0-0 draws and the current run of success. It’s all rather good.
(c) a rather amused Tony Attwood, 2009.
i`ve just read that lot of crap, they seem desperate to sale their toilet roll paper. but can any one tell me why when arsenal is doing well a lot of people doesnt support it? especially bbc the sun and NOW.
The NOTW story is quite pathetic, but so is most of their stuff. If I can find NOW, I’ll comment, but their agenda won’t change I fear. I enjoyed your “All of the Arsenal Team leaving in the Summer” story. Good laugh.
Loved the post! I duly left a comment with the NOTW warning them of the oder of things.” Tabloids are supposed to make up stories which allows some lesser blogs to spread them over the net. If Tabloids were to steal their stories from Blogs they are in genuine danger of inadvertantly printing some truth!!”
Its unlikely that it will make it past censor…. I mean moderation but it’s bound to annoy somebody eh!
satan ta has this story
http://www.setanta.com//uk/Articles/Football/2009/03/29/World-Cup-Bendtner-injured/gnid-46359/
the first domino has fallen
I’ve been saying for a couple of years now that the media are trying anything to destabilise Arsenal – or am I just paranoid?!?!?
The NOTW article is shameless crap and what’s worse is that this time and in the past, I’ve tried to post a comment disagreeing with the writer, but it’s been edited out and is not shown. The posts have not contained any swear words etc and so I can only believe they don’t print comments that contradict their point of view.
I have no idea why the media seem to hate Arsenal so much, but I agree with the writer that states it only happens when we’ll doing well.
wenger is the best manager in the world right now. you could argue others but the man has influenced almost every facet of the game not only in england but across the world. he is concerned for the well being of the players and their careers. if arsenal lose wenger it will be a massive backwards step for the club. and the dip in form and change in style of play would be shocking.
people calling for his head are the same fickle fans that so often change their minds, and probably clubs.
watch football not the media and you will see that arsenal are on the cusp of having an incredible team, at a very young age.
cant see fab leaving until he has won something with the club, i feel he is the kind of person that will want to achieve that before he thinks about other challenges.
wonder if that article is part of hulls smear campaign…fab arrogance and the players not liking him cuz hes arrogant what a load of rubbish. he is the heartbeat of the team, agian if you watch them play you can see the friendship, particularly when the team celebrates wins.
wenger forever!
I think the journo must be a Hull fan and it is part of a smear campaign to discredit Cesc prior to the FA receiving the work of fiction masquerading as a ‘statement’ from Brown and Horton. If you fling enough mud, some will stick and I’ve already seen some Arsenal fans agreeing that Cesc is arrogant and always has been! To me he has always come across as surprisingly modest given his prodigious talent. Or maybe it’s an Arsenal captain thing? They think Gallas was demoted because of them so now they are trying to remove the next one?
News of the World is the most unreliable paper in the UK – they always talk crap – I’ve left a comment on their stupid article about ‘Cesc’s arrogance disrupting harmony in the dressing room’
I agree wit you i tried to leave a comment, but they refused to show it…because i was disagreeing with them…but one thing is that they will never rest till they see arsenal stars out of the emirates stadium…
I notice that Bendtner got subbed out on the 30th min in the Denmark game on Saturday. Do any of you have an idea why?
To NoW:
Is it almost summer then coz NoW along with their merry band of men have cranked open their recycle bins to re-print this same old “everyone’s leaving arsenal this season” stories again. Seriously, whoever writes this stuff, how do you live with yourself? Wake up and all you do is ctrl+c then ctrl+v rubbish. People, that actually contribute to the economy are unemployed due to the global econ crisis and then we have these guys feeding us garbage and staying afloat? I’m going to speculate here that all the “writers” of NoW are going to transfer to the Sun, well because, they print out tosh a lot faster and they have more images and brighter colours and these guys are attracted to shinny things coz they are bugs you know.
The hacks don’t necessarily have an anti-arsenal agenda. It just sells papers.
If they write about Cesc wanting to leave we will read it, even if we just do so in order to dismiss it as rubbish.
If the papers write about Lampard leaving Chelsea, we read it as we want to believe there is disharmony in the Chelsea ranks.
Chelsea fans will do exactly the same in reverse.
Sports editors are under a lot of pressure to have a big headline every day, even on day when nothing has happened. They have to conjure a story out of teh air every day, so cue all kinds of transfer rumours.
The important thing is that Gooners only take any notice of direct quotes from players, not interpretions of what the players may be hinting at. eg the twisting of Bendtner’s interview a month or so back.
The tabloids are fun as long as you just treat them as a bit of fun
Without injuries Arsenal can compete with any team in the world, winner all competitions, i think Prof, wenger has been very unlucky due to injuries. emagen, a team with Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Cliych, Fabregas, Rosiky, Eduador, Ebuoe, Adebayo, Van perser, Sammy Nasri, Abou Diaby, Nicko Bendtner Denilson, Ramsy, Vela, wlisher Song, Gallas with less injuries in this team can role the world, give Prof the chance, who the cap fit, let him waer it. Gunners for life
Ian you are right, but I think the problem is that a lot of people do not question what is in the papers. They believe what they read and it shapes their perception of the player and the club. Not every one is intelligent enough to avoid that.
Surprised you haven’t heard about Bendtner’s injury, Tony. He was subbed in the Denmark game because of it.
Best ripose to the NOTW idiocy about Cesc is from arseblogger:
http://www.oleole.com/blogs/arseblog/posts/the-news-of-the-world-are-stupid-cunts—sunday-round-up
Every single time a story comes out about Cesc going to Barca or Real Madrid, Cesc comes out immediately with a strong, clear denial, published very quickly on the official site. Cesc has never “flirted” with other clubs, it is THOSE CLUBS who constantly leak false stories about him.
Speaking of deliberate media mischief about our players…remember that badly translated interview with Bendtner, originated from the Mirror? That paper has come out with a public apology for their mistaken translation:
http://www.arsenal.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=513828
They didn’t even use the simple babel translation of his words, they deliberately twisted his comments to make him look bad.
Wonder what made them come out with an apology…maybe hints of legal action from Nik’s dad?