By Tony Attwood
Let’s start with headline of the day:
Arsenal vs. AC Milan: Be Weary of These Rossoneri
Now you do need to know the difference between “weary” and “wary” to get this one, but once you do, it is rather amusing.
However let’s move on…
Fake News is odd. I mean I can understand why people do it when it benefits themselves or their political viewpoint but why people do it when there is no real gain to them, takes us into rather deeper psychological waters.
For example on 1 October 2017 the Las Vegas shooting took place with 58 people dead and and hundreds more injured, loads of videos appeared on You Tube claiming the attack was a “hoax”. Now with each new mass killing videos go up at once claiming that actors were used to mock up the claim.
I guess this is all done to help protect the 2nd Amendment and make guns easy to get hold of, so gruesome and awful as it is one can understand why the fake news is created. Also since each of these fake videos goes viral You Tube earns a fortune in additional advertising revenue, so it has a good reason either to do nothing much, or to do little but pretend it is doing a lot.
But when people bother to spread fake news about the people who run Untold, I have to wonder why. I mean it is awfully nice of these people to keep coming on Untold because that suggests they think there is something significant here, but actually posting the stuff about it being run by people who either never go to games or don’t live in England or both seems really odd. If we are as insignificant as they say, why bother?
I guess it is only when fake news is directed at you personally you get to feel how odd it is. I mean I know that of the four of us most closely associated with the running of the this blog, three are season ticket holders and the fourth president of one of the official overseas clubs. As I am sure you can imagine it seems so strange to read a whole stream of people (including a couple writing in as if different people) writing that this is not true.
I know I am old, but I still have some sort of grasp on reality. So what’s the point? Although in a sense I feel rather good about anyone bothering to create fake news about myself and Untold, it sort of suggests that we have a certain importance – otherwise why bother?
And mostly the fake newsers seem to be fairly harmless – the ones who do cause concern are those who threaten violence against myself and my family and I just have to trust in the police and the club to deal with them.
But anyway fake news rambles on, and is after all the focus of most of what is published these days about football. So let’s have some… because one day one of these tales might actually be true. I know that is not likely but…
1: The manager: According to the Daily Star, Arsenal have been convinced that Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri is the man to take over from Arsene Wenger. Football London bloggetta has this too so it must be invented. Other sources say that immediately after the end of the season Mr Wenger will stand down.
2: Everton want Jack Wilshere on a free at the end of the season. (Sports Mole). Now this interesting because the fake newsers all used the tales of Alexis and Mesut to create whimsical scenarios about those two leaving, and indeed last summer about every single player in the first team squad departing. Of course Alexis did go and we got a player who, to me, looks rather good: Mkhitaryan. But no this was going to be disaster. However…
3: Alexis Sanchez is neither delivering the goods nor proving very popular at Man U at least according to that old fake news source, “Reports”. Indeed that tale is just about everywhere, but the question no one is asking is, “Did Mr Wenger realise his time was up?” That is what some have said: it was all a con trick on Man U. Or is that more fake news?
Well, journalist Raphael Honigstein told the Totally Football Show Podcast: “It has become a bit of a joke to laugh at Arsenal because they made the noise ‘finally we got rid of Alexis Sanchez’, but I think it’s been under-reported just how badly the whole Arsenal dressing room hated Alexis Sanchez. They really felt that he was just playing up to the camera doing all these things like ‘Oh I’m trying but nobody else is! What am I doing here?’
“Arsenal would put up stats inside the dressing room last year after every game showing the amount of kilometres run, the passing, and Sanchez would regularly come out with the lowest mileage by a big distance.”
Fake or true? The Mirror thinks that what Honigstein said is true.
4: Arsenal open to selling Bellerin for €56m, and he is liked by Juventus and “Give us your money” also known as Barcelona. This is from
5: Mkhitaryan: “We’re always playing for those who come and support us; [those] who are really coming and supporting us are real fans. To those who are coming to the stadium just when we are winning we have nothing to say. Just thanks to the fans who were supporting.” Did Mkhit say this? Sports News AM thinks so.
6: It’s not Malcom it’s Maycon: According to UOL eSporte, Arsenal have opened talks with Maycon’s representatives and the Corinthians midfielder wants to move to north London this summer. Is your judgement of this story affected when you hear it comes from Arsenal Station?
7: The curious tale of Tottenham’s survey
8: Nelson
Those old basket cases who endlessly report Bellerin going back, Don Balon, now claim Monaco have made Reiss Nelson their prime target for this summer, as a replacement for Kylian Mbappe – who went to PSG in a fraudulent loan deal which Uefa fell for. Gunnersphere has this one.
So it goes. Fake News Rules. Who knows what’s true?
Not me.
Kepp up the good work. It’s so refreshing to see honest articles 🙂
My friend was down the other day after receieving abuse from a fake news story that actually had nothing to do with her and this was my response:
People don’t care anymore. Everyone is far too obsessed with playing God and making their own judgements on people without a care for the context of a situation or the details that explain the story. The media actually promotes this kind of attitude so it’s not so surprising really I guess.
Negativity is a catalyst which sparks conversation in the modern world and it’s plain disgusting, yet no-one is talking or doing anything about it and thus it becomes normal. People actually like to talk shit it would seem.
My story of the day is the one that comes out of Sky which claims it is Arsenal’s fault that Sanchez isn’t playing very well at Man U………I also suspect Wenger caused the 2008 economic crisis and was actually behind the plot to assassinate Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo thus igniting the blue touchpaper for WWI.
So what fake news is it that’s directed against you personally? You don’t actually give details for your readers.
OK, I get it. People are saying that you don’t go to matches.
Fake news or not. Or weary or wary. Truely, the Gunners MUST be wary of the Rossoneri to avoid been caught off guard again in this competition as they were caught by Ostersunds FK last time out at the Emirates Stadium.
Tomorrow night’s ELC match between Arsenal and AC Milan at the Ems could be tough because AC Milan will try by hook or crook to alter the final equation of the match to their greater favour.
Therefore, the Gunners MUST play a kind of game in this match that will void the Rossoneri equation altering game by playing a superior game in the match that will not only stop the Rossoneri from scoring in the match but hammer them by 3 goals to nil home win at fulltime plus the added time. Save, Alexandre Lacazette who is sited today to be missing from full training but is individually training at London Colney, Shkodran Mustafi, Hector Bellerin and the very short term team absentee, Ignacio “Nacho” Monreal Eraso are all also seen today trained at Arsenal London Colney training ground to give Le Boss a boost in his defenders selection for the match. But what I don’t know is, would Le Boss goes for a back three or a back four defense-line formation for this match? (a back five will be unecessay since AC Milian were delt a blow in the first leg despite that they’ll come out to attack at the Ems) But since the pacey Bellerin is reportedly back for this match and if any of Maitland-Niles and Sead Kolasinac is available to start the match in the opposite direction to Bellerin stating the match as well. I think Arsenal wing backs are back for the match. Thus, making a back three defense-line a preferred option by me.
My Arsenal 3-2-4-1 starts and 7 on the bench Gunners for the match.
Starts:
Ospina—————————————————
————————Mustafi————————–
—-Koscielny————————Monreal—–
Bellerin———————————-Kolasinac
Ramsey—-Oezil—-Xhaka—-Mkhitaryan
———————–Welbeck————————-
Bench:
Cech Chambers Holding Maitland ElNeny Wilshere Nketiah.
Let me wait till tomorrow night to see if Le Boss will again beat me to his starts and bench for this match.
Gooner Mikey
Rio Ferdinand on Mourinho:
“Once the team have a rocky patch and you’re playing like this, then I think the pressure and the focus would maybe be on him.”
Since Fergie left:
Net spend of £400 Million
No titles.
1 Europa League Cup
1 FA Cup
1 League Cup
Funny how 3 non trophies for Mourinho is just a ‘rocky patch’, but 3 non trophies on less than half the net spend for Wenger warrants a piss take on twitter.
Funny how differently he judges people.
@ Nitram
Quite!
Half time in Wycombe and our Women are one nil up against City. A deserved lead. We nearly took the lead in the 14th Minute but a powerful drive from Danielle van de Donk came back off the bar with the keeper well beaten.
Our goal came came in the 32nd Minute when we had an attack down the left side of the pitch. DvdD crossed, the ball went to Miedema on the far side of the area, she drove past two defenders and finished with an unstoppable low shot..
City haven’t looked their usual dominant selves so far I hope that continues for the second half as well
Gooner Mikey
Fabregas just gave the ball away, Barcelona breakaway and score there 2 nd goal against Chelsea.
You know who’s fault that’s going to be !!
Nitram.
Baby brains don’t go back that far.
No further score at Wycombe so Arsenal win the Continental Tyres Cup. We have regained our trophy. Five times winners in the seven years of the competition.
City were the more attacking team in the second half but rarely threatened our goal and good keeping and calm defence saw us through.
Did we really expect Chelsea to win against Barcelona at home? Just desserts all round I’d say. But first this line about Communists and your neighbours. The story goes – The Communists came every night, first for your next door neighbour and took him away. You kept quiet and did not speak out because you thought ‘Good for him he had it coming for being such a busybody’ . And for several nights others disappeared and still you kept quiet for ‘it wasn’t your business’ you said to yourself.
One fine night the Communists came for you and took you away also, of course there was nobody left to speak out for you for they had all been taken away by the Communists.
We may all recall one of those mad Champion’s League nights with Arsenal pitted against the mighty Barcelona at home. The Club looked all set to deliver a sucker punch but the ‘Communist’ referees from UEFA intervened – issued a red card to one of our players, even though he (the referee) was in clear view of Van Persie being throttled by an irate Barcelona player. Long and short, we lost the match and came back feeling robbed.
The English Press’ reaction? In summary it was ‘Arsene tactics and stupidity’ that made us lose to Barcelona, besides ‘they didn’t deserve it’. Now who will speak out for Chelsea, Tottenham, or Manchester United? This blog has been saying it for about a decade now that refereeing standards aren’t what they are supposed to be, neither in England nor during those UEFA matches but because this is an Arsenal supporting blog it is ridiculed and ignored when convenient.
The chickens are coming home to roost and unlike the man in our story I will not remain quiet even though I feel like saying ‘it is not my business’ for that would not serve justice and equity. This doesn’t mean to suggest that those teams lost because of poor refereeing alone – surely there was more to their losses apart from the ‘communist’ referees!
Jack’s contract, wtf, who’s not releasing funds! Kroenke out!
Congratulations to our ladies, sorry women!
The amazons avenged our tribesmen, again!
Are Barca such a supreme quality team to the extent that they’ve not been beaten in all competitions thus far this season? Or is it the having of the talisman Lionel Messi in their team that has made them almost unbeatable team all times by all teams who came against them.
The way at 82 minutes into the game that Barca dismantled Chelsea the PL Champions tonight in the CL at Camp Nou with 2 goals by Messi and 1 from Dembele have me thinking if Conte had eschew pride and kept Diego Costa this season and also not allowed another Chelsea top goals scorer, Batshuayi to go out on loan to Dortmund last January window, perhaps the Chelsea attacking machine may have remain alsome that it was last season and could be having a different PL and CL campaign to the indifferent season they are currently having now this season. And unfortunately, for the first time this season, a top six Premier League manager could be seen on his way out of the office as the club owner axe looks raised up dangling to strike down.
Well, here’s a piece about Boorinho that is more in line with reality.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2018/mar/14/jose-mourinho-manchester-united-champions-league-methods-no-longer-work
I am quoting from the article :
“At the end of which, under the De Boer formula, you could make a case, factoring in millions spent and clubs managed (all three winners in recent years, just not under him) that Mourinho is unusually bad at negotiating the sharp end of this competition. That he is, with two wins in 10 and everything from funds to pedigree in his favour, the worst manager in the past 10 years of the Champions League knockout stages.”
Well well, reading the UK (so-called) press, I was under the conviction that Mr Wenger was the worst manager in the CL knockout stages. I must admit, I do not know his score in terms of W/L.
Wonder how long Boorinho will be in charge at Old Trafford…
Okay Bobome, 3 PL teams of Tottenham Hs, Man Utd and Chelsea FC have all been knocked out of this season’s Champions League campaign. But Man City and Liverpool are still in the competition flying their clubs and the Premier League flags with Liverpool already advanced to the quaterfinals stage. For the sake of the Premier League, despite that our beloved Arsenal are not vying for honour in the CL this season but in the Europa League. Let’s therefore rally round Man City and Liverpool to give them our supports to them for one of the duo club sides to win the CL for club and for the Premier League this season. Because it has been long since Manchester Utd last broke the strangle hold of the 2 Spanish club giants, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona on the CL to win it for Man Utd and for the Premier League.
Samuel.
I would not ‘rally round’ Liverpool if they were the last team on earth. (Which they would probably like to be.)
AllanC
Older supporters will remember a time when most UK football fans would ‘rally round’ all UK teams involved in European competitions.
Q.Which of the following will NOT be at their present club for the next season?
A-
a) Jose Mourinho
b) Jurgen Kloop
c) Mauricio Pochettino
d) Arsene Wenger
e) All of the above
f) None of the above.
No explanation of any sort nor any elaboration is required.Just go with your gut.
But in keeping with the gist and spirit of this article , fake and fanciful stories are most welcome.
Sorry for error above . Note to self – never post questions when giggling uncontrollably !
Q.Which of the following will NOT be at their present club for the next season?
A-
a) Jose Mourinho
b) Jurgen Kloop
c) Mauricio Pochettino
d) Arsene Wenger
e) Antonio Conte
f) All of the above
g) None of the above.
Has AW weakened the other leading clubs by selling them duds this season?
Are Man City the only club to avoid this minefield ? Did they know something about Alexis Sanchez ? Or were they just lucky? Or did they learn their bitter lessons after the signings of Clichy , Nasir , Kolo Toure ,Adebayor and Bacary Sagna ?
Did not anyone suspect this rather elaborate deception ?
Why didn’t anyone learn from all those duds AW sold to Barcelona ? Which of these would you consider as an overwhelming success at Barca ?
a) Thierry Henry
b) Giovanni van Bronckhorst
c) Cesc Fabregas
d) Marc Overmars
e) Alex Song
e) Alexander Hleb
f) Emmanuel Petit
g) Thomas Vermaelen
Tony,
see the Guardian can say it – when it fits into their narrative. He’s a paragraphe from the Gaurdina this morning….
“Yet a principal subplot of Milan’s visit will be the Emirates Stadium attendance and, specifically, how many Arsenal fans actually want to watch their team. It is worth noting they have paid for their seats as part of season-ticket packages.”
So there is more to the price of a PL seat then PL games…
Sorry, from the Guardian…trying to type quick…
Bobome
That quote was never about communists coming for people. It was about fascists. Get it right.
As always I like to be objective. Jose is a good manager, his tactics may not be ones I prefer, but they aren’t affective, to the point where I believe wherever he ha failed to win the CL, it has in fact been his fundementals that lead to the victories shortly after.
He is the right person for United, they are simply suffering from having too much money. Lukaku has gone backwards, his goal ratio has remained effectively the same, but he is at a better club with better players performing better in the league, so if he were consistent his numbers would have improved.
Pogba and Alexis I feel are indicative of the insider trading and artificial propping up of the club share value. Jose likes quality but prefers the vast majority of husband team to have a workman like attitude.
If Pogba, Isn’t performing he can only not play him. If Lukaku isn’t performing, he doesn’t have a second choice striker, well in his mind. Rashford was effective because Ogbomosho Zlatans ability to hold up play and pick out his team mates.
If Alexis doesn’t perform he takes the flack for a purchase sanction designed to destabilise us and share the value of contracts which were of a diminishing value.
Alexis just doesn’t fit in and doesn’t care because simply once a Gooner always a Gooner. Love to see his hurt, he made the wrong decision, now back to humility. But it could prove worthwhile, come back keepbthe high wages, learn to not care, then fall in love with the game again.
Brick – I suspect Klopp is safest, along with Pep, but they will Niebuhr be awarenyou need enthusiastic break through players for Wigan away in the FA Cup. They will address this with a few U.K. Home Grown players, Resmond could feature, and they’d will supliment with development players such a Zinchenko, before seeing what space Ian left, but he has to Aalborg about Aguerro and Silva, but both will be after CL trophies. Fernandinho will be key.
Real make CL semis which I expect and seals top four, Zidane gets his war chest, People speculate but 0 noise out of the Board and Mr B. that team needs reinforcing similarly to City. Some of their fringe players aren’t what hallmarks Real Madrid, similar to the situation a year or so ago at Barca, who still have weaknesses. But without Real available and all of the top clubs in Spain unavailable, similarly a U.K. Move off the cards, Poch can’t get better and Spurs will be keen for him to add another winger, possibly a CF and LB.
Arsene has to Ben pushed, he knows what he’s doing, but the team have rallied once again, they have taken responsibility and with a lot of the players who were letting him down gone. We see Xhaka stepping up, Mustarfi also and unfortunately Danny, looks to be the only no loan player not quite up to the overall squad standard.
Similar to the situation at Real, expect Wenger to recieve his funds, given he managed to save a transfer budget and will recieve a second one early due to the change In the window. With most other top clubs having to complete sales before purchases, where as we shouldn’t be able to go early and offload those loan players during the WC, with interest already gathered. I’d like to seen Asanonget his permit for pre-season, with the Nigerian U17 WC winners also returning with their height Andrew pace.
Conte, well it looks a foregone conclusion. He’s done. Being respected in his home nation he will have nonend of suitors, although Alegri is likely to make inroads both domestically and has made the CL finals proper so Juve may be off the cards, along with anapolo. But apparently both Milanese clubs are interested.
I have to ask Sam, if he gets genuinely thinks Conte has sanctioned nature loan of Bashuyi, purchase of Giroud or release of Matic?
He publicly explained what was going on, true Italian, and you think he weakened his own squad. He then said recently Hazard need to go where he can win important trophies. No expect him to be looking to raid Chelsea, especially if the PSG has credibility and Inexpect it does. They already want Kanye, who is a perfect fit. Azpilexuerta should be on everyone’s radar. And ifnyou take those two, yoynleave begins an unfortunate pairing in Willian and Morata. The former wanted by Jose and the latter needing someone’s with money to blow unfortunately for him, he’s going to have to become a very good player without so much support. Sometimes the best way, unless they want to swap Lacazette, Lewandowski, three way swap with Dybala going to Real, Real letting Benzema join Chelsea and they in term taking money from Juve to allow Morata to return. It’s hotness so far fetched, huge would make a penny’s from Dybala, use it on a Morata and Chelsea would recoup their funds and get a striker with distinctly different qualities to Giroud.
But Chelsea look certain to miss the CL. And if Liverpool progress in CL, I could see them losing 4/8 and I think Hazard and a Frenchman others won’t fancy staying, another new manager and a lack of investment. They can Ben passed.
Can we make the top four, yes for certain, and that would give me the top four I suggested, and the two I though missing out.
Spurs Inthink may take the he FA Cup, Liverpool will over reach lookingnfor the CL, and United, Chelsea will take nothing along with them.
Bayern v Liverpool
City v Juventus
Real v Sevilla
Roma v Barcelona
IWIT
Brick all of the Sales did what they were designed to do, with the exception of Nasri and Adebayor.
They were meant to either weaken us or ensure medals for a year or two.
But it proves once a Gooner, always a Gooner!
We played very well, let’s finish the job
Who the hell cares what ‘bloghettas’ write?
Hardly anyone reads them and those who do, take them with a pinch of salt.
Hello again Alexander Henry. And always the same: a straight assertion. “Hardly anyone reads them” is I think, not true. Certainly looking at the increasing complexity and similarity of these sites they are massively different from how they were ten years ago when you assertion might have been true.
As for those reading them disregarding them, I think that is possible, but unlikely. Yes there are people like me who read them to discredit them by making fun of them or pointing out how many follow a similar view all at once, suggesting editorial collusion. But I suspect they are growing reader numbers. You might be right, but given your assertion you now should provide the evidence.