- The Arsenal team and the responsibility of supporters
- After the first six games, we can be fairly sure what the final table will look like
By Tony Attwood
Manchester United’s story is a little bit confusing, which is why I am starting to look at it a week before our match with them – my thought being that I might have made sense of it all by the time the game happens next weekend.
For example we know that last summer they made 250 members of staff redundant – and let us remember what “redundancy” means – it means the job no longer exists. This suggests that 250 people were doing jobs that ended, which is a little curious to say the least. I wwonder what they were.
But that was by no means the end of it all because then there was another round of redundancies with another 200 people going (ie 450 in total). So let’s try and think of this. 450 people who were doing jobs that didn’t exist, according to figures from the BBC. That’s a lot of people doing, what in the trade I believe they call “bugger all.”
I mean, how could the previous owners employ 450 people who had jobs that didn’t exist AND NOT NOTICE? The Corporation doesn’t go into that, but do confirm that in December 2023 250 staff went, and that was followed up with another 200 later.
I imagine the redundancy bill was quite large, as was the level of anger among staff.
As the Guardian rather amusingly put it, “Premier League football is played at the edge of sanity,” and seemingly in places some clubs do fall over that edge. I mean how can you have 400 people doing jobs that don’t exist???
But still the media are constantly trying to push Arsenal over that edge. With Arsenal having bought half a new team already, we have a headline today saying Arsenal plot late £39m bid for “one of the best forwards in Europe”, he’s Alexis 2.0
Now in fact that headline has the word “opinion” after it, which is odd. I mean, how can you have an opinion that Arsenal are plotting? It suggests there is no evidence, because plots are by definition secret affairs, only known about after the event (see the Gunpowder Plot for example).
But no, it seems “that the deal is already done – at least according to Team Talk who tell us that Arsenal have agreed £55m deal for another signing.” And yes there is elsewhere just such a story: Arsenal ‘agree’ £55m deal.442 are in on the same story with Arsenal agree deal. Oh yes, and also Cambiaso is of current interest. Football Fan Cast feel that there is a “Deal progressing: Arsenal closing in on “untouchable’ star, financial terms now agreed.” (It’s Eze again).
Which leaves me thinking that if “Premier League football is played at the edge of sanity and acceptability” football journalism long ago slipped over that edge and tumbled down the ravine, where it is left thrashing about in the stinging nettles and rock 200 feet below.
But of course, so frantic is the speculation now that no blogger or newspaper hack dare be left out of the running even for five seconds. Thus each Fleet Street rag has to outdo the others, and so the Express has, “Arsenal can complete three transfers this week including Eberechi Eze and £37m double deal.” Three!!!!!!
But the Express are rarely positive about Arsenal so that we see that “Even though Arsenal have worked hard to improve their squad, there is still room for improvement in a couple of key areas. Mikel Arteta will be desperate to get things done sooner rather than later, as opposed to waiting until the final stages of the window.”
Ah yes. Of course. “Desperate.”
While other clubs plan, Arsenal are always desperate. Perhaps because the Express tell us Zinchenko is going to Fulham.
Of course, the whole point of this tittle-tattle is to make Arsenal sound like a frantic club that is out of control, buying and selling at a whim, falling over their own feet and then not buying the players they could have bought.
But to be fair ManU do get a fair amount of this too, with the Manchester Evening News proclaiming that Manchester United have just two guaranteed starters for Arsenal fixture
It appears their manager, a Mr Amorim, has an “idea” of what his starting XI will look like, although his selection in pre-season suggests there are only two guaranteed starters. Although they are also said to be short of cash – hence the 400 redundancies.
I’m obviously missing something, but how can you tell that these jobs didn’t exist? If they had 1140 employees in 2024, sacking 450 is simple enough, and I’d doubt if they were full time employees anyway.
Nonsense.
I guess one of the reasons why I keep running Untold Arsenal is that comment from Andrew Banks. There is no logic, not debate, no reasoning, just a statement. And that really does sum up a lot of what is going on in football commentary today. A position is taken and evidence is deemed to be unnecessary. Of course I am not in America, but looking at that country’s government from the UK, it does seem to me that they have adoopted the same approach, although by using more words.
Andrew Banks – Idiot
See, we can all say it in one word.
The difference is though, that a response to Tony’s appraisal requires more than just one word to give it credence, where as in Banks’ case ‘idiot’ is more than enough.
Tony, am I misreading you? You say 450 people were made redundant from posts that didn’t exist. But, surely, redundancies arise from posts that have been discontinued, which may be the case, however strange that situation is.
Nitram,
“Redundancy” might be too hard a concept for them, lol. Also, ‘satire’, ‘humor’, etc.
Peter, sadly in trying to keep all aspects of the blog going I do often trip over my own words