- How the media create fantasy stories in order to talk down Arsenal
- Why some people just can’t understand what pre-season games are all about=
As I have already pointed out, pre-season matches are not about winning, but about bedding new players in and making sure that the new players start to get used to the tactics that the team employs, and just as importantly, the ethos of the club they have now come to play for.
And surely as everyone who really watches what Arsenal are doing will have seen that the club is going to emerge with new tactics in the new season. As one reporter put it the defeat against Tottenham made Arsenal look like “work-in-progress.” Which of course they are, because the season has not started yet, and not everything is given away before the season has even started.
Indeed, imagine if each club revealed all its tactics to the rest of the League before the season started. No one would have any surprises to spring.
Which is also why the Arsenal squad spend time pre-seaon away from the media, and only have media activities at key times – and why the club travels with a 30 man squad. And indeed, why they take along their up-and-coming youngsters – and why there is such a strong commitment to everyone getting to know each other.
What the public didn’t see however, were any new tactical ploys – because of course that is the last thing the clubs wants to reveal before the first game kicks off. And indeed, even then there will be variations being worked on, in order to spring a surprise or two in games that are not going to plan.
Among the crowd at the open training session in Singapore, the club welcomed children who had taken part in football clinics led by Arsenal coaches and club legends Ray Parlour, Gilberto Silva and Bacary Sagna. At the end of training, some of those children were invited onto the pitch for a kickabout with the squad, and later took part in a Q&A with Arteta and his coaching staff.
There has also been the issue of integrating Gabriel Heinze, the new member of the first team coaching department, what with Carlos Cuesta having gone to Parma. Heinze and Arteta were both in the PSG team (while Arteta was on loan from Barcelona) so it is obvious that the two have known each other and got on for a long time. Heinze was a left-back and is said to be working on defensive situations, particularly with Lewis-Skelly.
And of course, there is always discussion about who should play in friendlies when everyone knows some clubs and some players within clubs have no idea what the concept of a “friendly” is. That however, didn’t seem to cause any worries to our younger players.
But personally I was also delighted to see that Kai Havertz and Kepa Arrizabalaga went off to visit a football school for local children, and then took the children back to meet the full squad. This is all part of Arsenal having a series of football schools across Asia – we don’t hear about it in England, but they are there, doing work on behalf of the club, and spreading Arsenal’s good name.
There are articles about Arsenal’s football schools in Japan on the internet and all of this just goes to expand the awareness of Arsenal and the vision of the club. It is of course, a billion miles away from those people who felt it a clever idea to sign a petition protesting against Arsenal signing a Chelsea footballer. It is in fact a completely different vision of what football is. As the reports say, “Over 10,000 children across Asia have passed through Arsenal’s football schools in the region.”
And the reaction was “Frustration in the fanbase… bubbling just under the surface,” because Arsenal lost to Tottenham.” And it is claimed “anger” too. Because this was Tottenham.
So while a lot of people thought a lot more of Arsenal, and good will was established everywhere the club went, back at home, there was a big reaction, and calls for the manager to go. And once more, I find myself thinking that some people just are not seeing the game as I am.
There’s no point my asking if beating Tottenham matters more than spreading goodwill, because some people will answer “yes, beating Tottenham does matter more.” But at least those people don’t run the club.
