By Tony Attwood
The penalty shoot out could have gone either way – as is so often the case. But Arsenal lost and that is enough for the negativists who now effectively run Arsenal’s future.
Arsenal for Life blog summed up the situation with the headline “Arsenal collapse once again in Unai Emery’s last game”, an article that was one of the most read of the blogs for a while.
Of course the article has no mention of it being Emery’s last game, but that is now hardly surprising because the actual situation at Arsenal, and Arsenal’s future, is the last thing most blogs and newspaper scribblers care about. Readership numbers are everything. Arsenal is just a method for getting people on the site. Truth and reality are as irrelevant as old-fashioned support. All are simply notions of a by-gone era.
Mourinho is “open” to becoming head coach at Arsenal according to Football.London working as ever in the desperate hope that if they publish 40 Arsenal articles a day at least one of them might turn out to be correct in the end. The Express has even gone so far as to tell us who he is going to buy, and how the team will line up under his management.
And oh yes, and apparently Torreira put out a ‘bizarre’ tweet. As if that mattered, even if it were true.
Meanwhile I can’t find a single article reflecting on the fact that the treatment being given to Emery at this time is the same as was given to Wenger. Or the fact that due to this sort of treatment Wenger went and was replaced by… Emery.
What no one seems to realise is that just naming a man as the next manager of Arsenal does not make it happen. Yes every knock and criticism helps undermine the current manager, but none of it means that the name put forward as the next man will somehow automatically become manager. And given the half baked commentaries and semi-skimmed prophecies circulating at the moment, I rather suspect most out of work football managers would probably rather continue to rake in the dosh by being pundits rather than deal with a club run by the so-called Arsenal fans.
Just consider the reality. The present and last Arsenal manager have both been mercilessly mocked by bloggers, pundits and journalists alike. Arsenal spent £100m in the summer on new players and are unlikely to want to spend much more in January. The crowd at Arsenal is booing players, and some members of the squad now cannot be used in home matches because of the reception they will get. The entire media is united against Arsenal.
And just in case that was not enough, Uefa puts out a statement that match fixing has become so rampant that it cannot cope with the situation – something that is followed by an Arsenal goal against Palace being disallowed by VAR (not shown in the stadium) which when revealed on TV showed no reason for the goal to be overturned.
In such a scenario who would want to be Arsenal manager? In such a situation will the Kroenke’s fork out the money to pay off the current manager? In such a situation will the Kroenke’s go out and buy another £100m worth of players? In such a situation what players will want to come to Arsenal?
I am sure that the journalists and pundits in the mainstream media know exactly what they are doing in ceaselessly knocking and mocking Arsenal: they are reducing Arsenal’s ability to sign players, because players will think, “I’ll wait for one of the more peaceful clubs to put in a bid for me.” But I suspect most of the bloggers on the other hand don’t care about Arsenal at all. All they want is readership and a few more clicks on the adverts.
And the reason for this conclusion is simple: there is no possible way that their articles can be helpful to Arsenal. After all if you were a top player would you go to a club getting these headlines?
- Arsenal face exodus of star players if they fail to secure Champions League return (
- Unai Emery fears backlash from Arsenal squad over Granit Xhaka’s situation (
- ‘We can’t have that again’ – These Arsenal fans react to twitter post by Ornstein (
- Manchester United have a plan that’s helping them overtake Arsenal (
- Charlie Nicholas names who he thinks must replace Granit Xhaka and be next Arsenal captain (
- Jermaine Pennant claims Arsenal player was ‘hiding’ from the ball on Sunday (
- ‘Mayhemirates’ meltdown: Arsenal boss Unai Emery facing sack (
- Unai Emery ‘fears dressing room revolt’ if he strips Granit Xhaka of Arsenal captaincy
- The Xhaka situation shows a spineless side to Emery (
- ‘Double standards’: Michael Owen defends Arsenal star and criticises Gunners fans (
- Dark Days for Club, as Arsenal seems to lose its Way (
- “God help us all” – These Arsenal fans react to being linked with January bid for Juventus star (
- Did Zaha prove that Arsenal made the wrong decision this summer? (
- “Will do wonders with this Arsenal team” – Many Gunners fans all want one man to replace Emery (
- Arsenal hero Ian Wright wants Granit Xhaka apology after Crystal Palace strop (Star)
- Bizarre Emery decision backfires as Arsenal man produces feeble display (
- Arsenal hero claims Granit Xhaka will not play for club again – ‘You’re not a footballer (
- Emery Hanging On By A Thread (
- “Only person I see fit” – Loads of Arsenal fans are saying the same thing about Guendouzi (
Now that selection of headlines was published within a two hour period. And the knocking goes on 24 hours a day.
Really if you were a top football manager, would you walk into a situation like that, knowing that 18 months ago it had been much the same except with a different manager under attack, and knowing that before last night Arsenal had lost one game in the previous 11?
Think there will be managers who want to come whenever it is Emery departs, but take your point in this article.
Think Arsenal have a problem, there is a perception amongst the more negative fans that the board are in a permanent state of stasis, inaction, and that they will only do anything if the fans take direct action. The removal of Wenger probably magnifies this perception. “ if Kroenke won’t act, we will make him” The media of course latch onto this and magnify it.
As for Emery, he does need to improve things, but he is in a very difficult environment, issues with players, injured players coming back, some negative fans, entitled fans, behind the scenes issues we won’t even know about, and of course VAR and the PGMOL which regularly seem to work against this club – costing at least three points in the last two games for starters.
As for Emery, I believe the situation will resolve itself one way or another, probably with a summer departure unless things really pick up, replaced by an ex player with ridiculous expectations placed on him.
Tonight I’m going to enjoy some sanity in the Arsenal world. I’m going to watch the second leg of our Women’s Champions League game against Slavia Prague. We bring a 5 – 2 lead into the game thanks to four goals from Viviane Miedema and a Kim Little penalty so qualification is virtually assured.
There will be no booing of players, the manager – ‘bloody impressive’ Joe Montemurro, won’t make any bizarre substitutions, the players will work their socks off to support one another and at the end of the game will happily do autographs, selfies etc with the fans.
The cost to me for the evening? £3.50 as an over 65, less than the cost of one of the excellent jumbo sausages and a cup of tea.
The match is at Meadow Park Borehamwood and kickoff is at 19:30. Tickets are available online and also at the stadium. Do come along if you can and cheer Arsenal into the next round. I can pretty much guarantee you will have more fun than at the Men’s matches.
And no VARce at the women’s match… I think..
The comments about Kroenke reacting to ‘fans’ revolt to ask Wenger to leave may as well be an underlying reason for the boldness in asking for Emery’s premature departure from AFC by the very hostile media and the blogs that repeat their drivel.
The coach is intelligent and can do very well if there is less of these apparently coordinated attacks on the Club that seem to distract him. He could learn a thing or two from Arsene by limiting his social media Interactions and internet surfing to only neutral outlets or just Arsenal.com. A lot of blanking out of the media by players and staff of the Club, as much as is practically possible might also help.
Friends and relations could also be influenced by the ultra negative media comments but it is all getting so obvious that the agenda for AFC is not entirely noble from them hacks and the so-called pundits. The boys and their coaches need to see the situation for what it is and start treating it as enemy attacks. The hostile words and actions can hurt but let the Club retain their capacity to control and only respond, and not react, as best as they can.
Good football, such as we witnessed last night in spite of the defensive errors, and that desire that communicates the will to win should in no time win over the doubting
’Thomases’ and turn the tide in favour of AFC. This will all take time but it is possible.
the attack just keep coming, and the fans who boo do nothing to help the club to move on,i have had arguments with fans at the ground over the negative reaction to any precise wrong committed by one of our players the abuse they all get at some stage is unhelpful what we need is a fan base that supports the team through thick and thin not consistently putting the club and player down maybe the club could help by bringing in a singing section that will lift the player and hopefully drown out the boo boy,s.i for one am sick of having to defend our team against other so call supporters who just repeat the mantra of the bias media and corrupt official.
Bobome, Mandy,
who says that Kroenke fired Wenger….
As far as I am concerned, Mr Wenger can also have decided that he gave Arsenal the best years of his coaching career and that football as it is today did not justify more sacrifices….The fact that he has not taken up another team, to me, speaks volumes.
As for your last statement, a few of my friends have stopped following Arsenal, mostly fed-up with the ref decisions. And they have not turned to Manure, Pool! or Spurs. Just stopped watching football.
Guess UEFA is right in worrying about viewer depletion after all. As said, if a ground swell accross PL club fans would result in a few week-ends with half-empty stadia, the club owners would convene an urgent conference and have the PL fire the PGMOB and start looking for another solution. But as long as the club owners rake in money the way they do, why change the system even if you don’t win trophies….
As we are still 3+ hours from the women’s game time, there isn’t much at the UEFA page for today’s game. The last 5 games form factor for both teams is the same. Where Arsenal lost of Chel$ea, Slavia lost to Arsenal.
The officials for the game today are from Germany.
COYWG!
Lineups are out
XI: Peyraud-Magnin, Veje, Beattie, van de Donk, Little, Miedema, Roord, Quinn, Evans, Maier, Mead
Beach: Zinsberger, Mitchell, Williamson, Waiti, McCabe, Schnaderbeck
COYWG!
@Chris,
You wrote: ‘who says that Kroenke fired Wenger….’ ? My immediate answer is: Jack Wilshere an ex-AFC footballer now with Westham. Whether that claim is true or false, we don’t know, as neither of the two sides – Arsene nor the Club – have denied or affirmed it. As to Arsene having given his best years to the Club and has decided to stay out of football club management is an opinion.
To stay out of watching football is personal to your friends who have chosen to do so. Ref decisions, especially in AFC matches are, putting it mildly, very appalling. As I have heard from an old saw “…severing your head from the neck is not a cure for headache..” Until we can find acceptable solutions/cure to bad ref decisions I have chosen, personal to me, to continue my support for AFC regardless of what those refs do or choose not to do.
Arguing about referees impartiality and competence are 2 completely different things.
As far as I can see it is the referees lack of impartiality rather than their lack of competence that underpins the discontent of so many Untold regulars.
Personally I do think they are shit, but even that wouldn’t be so bad if they were shit equally across the board , which to my eyes they clearly are not.
Chris, even Wenger said he had to leave before he ideally want to.
Call it fired, pushed, or whatever, Wenger was made to go before the end of his contract, in my opinion at least. No way it it were purely Wenger, he would have timed it just before a Europa league semi
With 5:2 away, there was the chance Arsenal would score tonight.
21m van de Donk from Maier.
24m Little (pen) from Mead.
33m Roord.
45+1m Miedema from Roord.
59 van de Donk from Roord.
70m van de Donk from Mitchell.
74m Midema from Mead.
86m Miedema from Maier.
From 13 shots on target.
How to go Gunners!
I said the Women’s match would be more fun than the men and I was certainly right. The German referee Riem Hussein was excellent. Into the quarter final!
I am happy to hear that you enjoyed the game Andrew!
I’ve been planting trees today. Ten of 19 done. Tomorrow was supposed to be near zero, latest forecast is warmer. Maybe I will finish this tree planting tomorrow?
In the news today, is word of a new facility (they call it a portal) of FIFA meant to be a storehouse of information on FIFA legal process. The one article (Inside World Football?) mentions the portal, but gives no link to it.
FIFA has a news release on this new portal, and shows people that the portal is called legal.fifa.com, but the actual link associated with that title is _NOT_ to legal.fifa.com. Why can’t they put up the proper link?