An Arsenal manager’s guide to how to stay out of the Sun

 

 

• There is a growing number of clubs that are making a bit too much of a loss
• Why is the media ignoring Arsenal’s dramatic tactical change?

by Tony Attwood

There is an article in the Sun  which tells us that  “Arteta may have to rethink his tactics for the next match at Bournemouth.”

The reason for this we learn is that Mikel Arteta, “loves to make scribbles on tactical plans before and during matches.   And unfortunately for Arteta, his latest notes were caught in broad daylight at the Emirates.”

OK this sounds interesting.  First yes, I have noted the manager writing notes – some do it some don’t – it is obviously a personal thing.   And yes it would be interesting to know what.   Of course I don’t want his secret instructions to be given away to other managers, but then on the other hand, Arteta is clearly clever enough to be able to vary whatever he is doing.  So actually having the inside story revealed to others, he could then get them ready to defend in one way (for example) when in fact instructing the forwards to do something else.

And this sounds possible because taunting us the Sun says, “One piece of paper, with a red header and footer, appeared to show positions on the field with various instructions.”

Yes this is getting good, and despite myself and despite this being in the Sun, I do read on only to find that it then says,

“However, it was difficult to make out what exactly it said, with the black ink written on the other side”

Oh!

However, all is not lost because the Sun then tells us “Yet another note was clearer to see.  And they go on to say that, “it appeared to outline Arteta’s three ‘principles’ to beating Southampton.   So come on, tell us what did it say?

“The first note read: “Force AR 6 yard.”  And then “one piece of paper was hard to decipher.”

Oh! (again).  But surely that can’t be it.  And no there is more for  “the other showed several instructions including one that may have targeted Aaron [Ramsdale].”   But “It is unclear what exactly his meant.”

But come on there must be more to it than this.   However “Arteta’s next two “principles” were harder to gauge due to his fingers blocking the final words.   One read: “Force our…”   And the second added: “Avoid switch…”

Below, there was another section to Arteta’s master plan.   One note said: “Throw-ins. Who takes it?”   While the second said “right” before being cut off by Arteta’s fingers.

And that is that.

Now OK that is a load of nothing.  Arteta makes notes as many of the more literate managers do, but the Mirror photographer and reporter can’t actually make out what they are, or what they mean.   Total tripe.

And yet the Mirror publishes this.  Why?

Well of course one reason is to get gullible sods like me to click on the website and take the webpage numbers up a bit, for the higher numbers they get the more they can charge for advertising.  

But there is something else, for the fact that the publication used this shows that it will go to any lengths for any story that suggests that Arsenal is doing something underhand.  That Arteta is making notes on ways to cheat his team’s way into beating whoever they are playing.

That, in fact, Arsenal are unable to go onto a pitch and win the game by playing football, for instead the team will use every trick in the book to get an advantage.

So what is the implication of this?

I think it is fairly clear, given that the story is about Arsenal and not about Manchester City – it shows that the real cunning bastards in all this are Arsenal with their tricks and their utilisation of methods that are probably against the laws of the game and most certainly against the spirit of the game.  A good honest manager would not resort notes, is the implication.  Good honest ManC do not do this.

And this matters because this is the basis of most football journalism.  Indeed it could be argued that this article was based on more facts (ie snippets of scribble) than most media tales.  Certainly more than the daily transfer gibberish.

The problem is that many fans don’t see what journalists do as utter twaddle, and don’t recognise that it is perfectly likely that some clubs and some managers are doing all they can to influence journalists to write things in favour of one club while seeking to undermine another.  So that if the club they don’t like, then actually does win things the argument can be “but they cheated, and didn’t really win.”