By Tony Attwood
Journalists write negatively about most clubs. Their prime aim is to fulfil their contractual obligations by writing about football , even when there is nothing to write about that they are allowed to write about. So they can’t mention PGMO in anything other than a positive way for example, and merely repeating news stories that others have run is only allowed if one can find a slightly different angle.
So we can feel sympathy for Simon Hughes, writing in the Athletic, as he struggles to find some new way of beefing up Liverpool and knocking ahead, given that there is not much more to be said about tonight’s Euro games.
Now Simon Hughes was previously with The Independent, and is known as the author of no less than seven books (to be clear, 7,) about Liverpool FC. He also wrote (or so I am told as being a Londoner I haven’t read it) “There She Goes”, which is apparently “a modern social history of Liverpool as a city.”
Now, according to The Athletic, “He writes about football on Merseyside and beyond.”
Which is why it is a bit odd that on the New York Times website we find today the article “Why Arsenal must be wary of giving Mikel Arteta too much power”.
Odd, not because it is on the NY Times site (all Athletic content goes up there) but because quite logically the parallels and examples that Simon Hughes brings to his writing, all come from Liverpool. Except he writes as if he hasn’t quite noticed that Arsenal are not only not Liverpool, it is a club not run in any way like Liverpool.
His article does pose an interesting question. A question to be answered perhaps by someone with a lot of insight into how complex organisation run (a topic studied in social psychology, rather than by someone who once wrote a book about the people of one city with which the author has a close affection and affiliation)
In short in this case we have an author who is clearly utterly biased in his approach, straying beyond the confines of his very, very specific area of study.
He opens by saying that the departure of Edu has “left manager Mikel Arteta as the dominant figure in the club’s football structure. While nobody is doubting the Spaniard’s coaching or motivational acumen, it is not necessarily to anyone’s benefit for that situation to persist in the long term.”
Now herein is a trick that many disreputable journalists use – turning Mikel Arteta from being a man of obvious singular talent as a manager (having taken Arsenal from 10th in the league, 27 points behind Liverpool when he arrived on 20 December 2019 to a mere eight points behind Liverpool by the end of his first complete season at the club, to 17 points above Liverpool by the end of the season in 2023 – oh how that annoyed Liverpudlians).
And of course we know that Arsenal are seven points below Liverpool at this moment, but there are still 84 points to play for so this might change – and that might just explain what is going on in the Liverpudlian’s mind right now.
For the trick here is that Hughes has invented a new idea just to fit the issue he is writing about: that of “the culture of mutual challenge.” That sounds like quite a clever idea for a Liverpool fan to think up. Except he hasn’t. The concept of mutual challenge is one that is often discussed by social psychologists in relation to organisations, and in essence represents creating a supportive environment where people can feel happy to share ideas and views, even if they are against the dominant thinking in the organisation.
This then raises the point, how does this journalist know that a) that existed with Edu at Arsenal, but doesn’t exist now? and b) how does he know that Arteta will not bring in another colleague to take on Edu’s role? Indeed, how does he know that Arteta doesn’t already have someone else in place?
These are valid questions because we have had multiple camera shots of Arteta discussing matters with Albert Stuivenberg during matches, (he’s been at the club since December 2019), and with Miguel Molina (since August 2020) and Carlos Cuesta (likewise since 2020).
Those people aren’t even considered. With the supreme arrogance of journalists, the writer simply ignores these (and undoubtedly others who might be thought of as people who Arteta shares information and ideas with) and says because Eu has gone, that’s that.
It is a very football journalist approach, and I feel a very Liverpudlian approach to take one thought or example, and then not only to generalise, but from that generalisation to say, “therefore Arsenal are in trouble.”
It reflects also something of the Atheltic’s decline in the past year or so, that no editor saw fit to challenge this obvious failure in the article. It might be going too far to call the article pompous balderdash totally lacking in all evidence, but on the other hand, it might not.
Footnote: Next season is 100 years since Chapman came to Arsenal and turned the club from being relegation favourites to multiple league and cup winners. The story of this transformation is being told on the Arsenal History site.
- 1: Taking over from failure
- 2: Approaching a 100th anniversary at Arsenal of mega-importance.
- 3: The Arsenal that Knighton left behind
- 4: Knighton is removed
- 5 A new manager
- 6: What happened to Chapman at Leeds?
- 7. Chapman: success at Huddersfield, and concern at Arsenal
Dodgy first 10 minutes then playing well , unlucky penalty .
Should we have had a penalty when there goalkeeper punched Merino from a crossed ball ?
I bet the PGMO have already sent a job offer to this ref. If he ain’t biased, he’s gotta be one of the most gullible/inept refs I’ve ever seen. He really hasn’t got a clue.
@ Steve
I don’t believe it the Merino incident was a penalty…….but the penalty against us was utterly absurd.
You should read some of the comments from Romanian fans about this ref – quite eye opening!!!
I have always had my doubts about his competency.
Has an Italian team ever had all eleven players booked for diving? It could easily have happened tonight! I just can’t believe professional referees can be this naïve.
Just to put things into perspective, Ally McCoist thought Inter bossed this game. The evidence to support this view is (Inter first):
Possession 37%:63%
Shots 7:21
On target 1:4
Touches in opponents box 10:40
Corners 0:13
Dives 20:0
Ok the last one can’t be proven…..but I’m not far off with that shout.
I’m really proud of how we played tonight. It was away against the Italian champions and we played ten times better than our performance on Saturday. If we play like that on Sunday (and have Martin back fit) (and don’t have a completely biased ref) we’ll win comfortably.
Just watched highlights on Swiss TV.
Arsenal should have had a penalty according to the commentator for a pumch from the goalkeeper.
Why are they so many errors by Uefa refs?
It really makes this tournament a joke. The winners are invariably the team who benefit the most from bad decisions.
Mikey
“I’m really proud of how we played tonight. It was away against the Italian champions and we played ten times better than our performance on Saturday. If we play like that on Sunday (and have Martin back fit) (and don’t have a completely biased ref) we’ll win comfortably.”
You took the words out of my mouth.
Agree with every one of your comments.
Just watching Match of the Day and wondering exactly why stephen warnock is introduced as “a champions league analyst”!! This is a bloke who had an extraordinarily average career with less than average clubs and, although he was a good premier league footballer, knows nothing about coaching or managing a market stall let alone a top European club.
He has just come up with an “analysis” of a game where he draws lots of lines and proves that three players on a field actually “form a triangle”. FFS, this is what we’re paying a licence fee for!!!
This is actually a complete insult to anybody with an IQ which is above 90! (Which possibly includes one or two football pundits but excludes the majority!!)
That penalty against was very debatable . It came on to his hand , without him making any movement towards the ball. While their keeper got most of his head , and none of the ball . The ball was nowhere near !
But was satisfied with the level of commitment shown. Much better than which was exhibited recently in our EPL losses .
After their goal , they just stayed back and ran the time down.
Up the Gunners !
Further thoughts , as we try to control games we are not having players arriving into the penalty area when we attack . Trossard scored a lot of goals last season being in the opponents penalty area , he’s playing in various positions and not arriving in the penalty area . Lastly we’ve missed Martin Odegaard creatativity .
What an odd game. For Inter to come away with 3 points was miraculous. At the end, they were jubilant because they realised they got away with one, big time. Yes statistically, before this game, they had perhaps the best recent stats in Europe. We turned the tables on all that at their place. It was men against boys, let’s face it. Except for the 36-year-old substitute, so men against boys with an old man (in football terms).
How many times have we noticed that the TNT Sports commentary was so incredulously one-sided that it in no way reflected the game? Almost always when Arsenal are playing. That is worrying. I got very annoyed with all the commentators but then I got thinking. There could be only two reasons for the commentary to be so anti Arsenal and so pro Inter. Either the pundits were getting paid to big up Inter and put down Arsenal or it was in their notes to do so or was part of some briefing. I laughed when they extolled Inter’s substitutions, including the 36 year-old ex Arsenal man Mikhatarian. That he was an ex Arsenal player was never mentioned, considered surplus to requirements for us, they thought he was amazing for Inter, even with him hardly touching the ball. The commentary was the exact opposite of what was actually happening in the game. If a TNT sports subscription was a solid object, you would have sent it back after 5 minutes as faulty goods, like a clock that went backwards. Utterly useless.
It would be impossible to be so negative towards Arsenal and so positive towards Inter, given that we had the majority of everything, possession, shots, shots on target, blocked shots, corners, clearances off the line, etc, without being told to do so. So there we go, TNT sports have an agenda and it was confirmed clearly last night. We have already added them to the list of corrupt football related organisations. The only relief was that Michael Owen wasn’t there to bore us all to despair.
At the end of the day, judging by our performance last night, it looks like this could well mark the end of our slump. Sunday’s game away to Chelsea is big. With Rice and Odegard back, we can give them a footballing lesson. I’m sure we will, if the refs aren’t being corrupt again. If the refs and VAR are bent again, expect some more petitions and action from the owners.
Barring our 3 ridiculous red cards, disallowed penalties for and dubious penalties against and a whole lot of bad luck, we would be in the top 3 of the Champions League and within a point or two of the top of the premier league table, having been top of that for the best part of 2 years and with the best stats of any team in Europe until 3 or so weeks ago. Looking at who we have played, that may not be nearly as bad as it seems.
Contrast that to Liverpool, who find themselves top of both tables after a huge dollop of good luck and some dubious decisions for. Liverpool fans I have spoken to have said they can’t believe where they are, considering they have played so badly this season. That they have been incredibly lucky. But having had the easiest run of games imaginable so far, things are probably not nearly as rosy as they seem.
Imagine a season where we had a little good luck and honest referees. Here’s hoping we get those things soon…
No nee d to worry about our ref for Sunday?
It’s only Michael Oliver.
Just as it it coming to be recognised that teams can and will walk off the pitch in response to racist chanting, I look forward to the time when Arsenal walk off the pitch in response to blatant corrupt refereeing. Yes, it would be high risk and could invite major sanctions against the club, but it would really force the issue into the open and could be the start of a movement to clean up the EPL and root out the cheats. Support and solidarity from other clubs could be the key.
In my dreams!
Sally Pally
Good analysis.
“Looking at who we have played, that may not be nearly as bad as it seems.. Contrast that to Liverpool, who find themselves top of both tables after a huge dollop of good luck and some dubious decisions for”
Not sure if you’ve seen but over the last week or so I’ve done full comparisons of Liverpool’s, Tottenham’s and Arsenals PL opponents so far this season, and the difference is startling:
Just in case you missed it:
LIVERPOOL
Liverpool have only played 5 top half teams where as we have played 7.
Liverpool have played 3 of the bottom 4, we have played 2.
And of course the mighty Spurs who even with the following ‘cake walk’ still languish 2 points and 2 places bellow Arsenal:
SPURS
Home and Away Spurs have only played 4 of the top 10 teams and have lost 3 and won just the 1. They’ve visited none of the top 6 and just 2 of the top 10, and they lost both of them
On the other hand:
ARSENAL
Have played 7 top 10 sides, 5 away and just 2 at home for 2 wins, 3 draws and 2 defeats, and one of those defeats was with 10 men for over an hour and 1 of those draws was at Man City with 10 men for an entire half.
Take in to account injuries, suspensions and reds, and all in all we are doing okay. Not great, okay. But as I suggested yesterday, just without those ridiculous reds we would still be top 3. (Just as you suggest Sally)
I know what some will be thinking reading our analysis but these are not excuses they are facts. Facts that contextualise why we are, where we are.
This doesn’t mean some players are not at their best. It happens, and it’s called ‘form’. But form is temporary and class is permanent, and these players are class, so they will comeback. I, like your good self, saw last night as a step back in that direction. We totally dominated a top European club on their patch, and the very least we deserved was a goalless draw.
I didn’t listen to the commentary as it is always anti Arsenal. What’s the point? At the end, and quite by accident (the wife thinking it was HER tv remote whilst I was making tea!!!) I heard a comment along the lines of ‘huffing and puffing’ and ‘Arsenal were poor’ and ‘boring game’, but then, and much to my surprise I heard Keown jump to our defence, actually saying ‘I disagree’ (There’s a first). He said, in not so many words, what we said. Better team. Much better performance than at Newcastle. Just didn’t take our chances. Unlucky with penalty’. Etc. Which is a fair reflection of what happened.
As for the weekend.
It really is the PGMOL sticking two fingers up at us.
Gillette on VAR last weekend.
Everyone knows how many poor decisions he’s made against us. The media themselves pointed it out.
Oliver as referee this weekend.
Again, everyone knows how many contentious decisions he’s made against us. This is the guy that doesn’t want to send players off for red card offences because he doesn’t want to spoil a game, except of course when it comes to arsenal, when he cant wait to do it.
By everyone, that includes the PGMOL, which is how we know that by doing so they are in effect saying , ‘good lads’, we are with you all the way. The media are with you all the way. Just keep screwing them as you have been and we’ll all back you to the hilt.
Others will deny this of course, but they won’t be able to explain away the extraordinary double standards applied by these 2 officials in particular. They will just use terms such as ‘conspiracy theory’ and ‘paranoid’, but they wont have any evidence or facts to support this..
Nitram,
I have read your posts and most on here but wasn’t previously aware of the referee for Chelsea. Just great. So we can expect more of the same…
They may think they are clever and only take points from us when necessary. But corruption is blind and even though they may think no one is really on to them, these people always make too many mistakes too many times. Eventually it all comes out and they get their punishment. We can all enjoy a drink on that day and look forward to making up those 4 titles which were robbed from us. But there must be some kind of pressure on them to behave like this. We should maybe spare a thought for them, nothing is ever as black and white as it seems. Chances are, the real baddies will get away with it a while longer and some of these people will take a fall.
The last seasons, it was not as blatant and even seemed to finally be getting neutral for large swathes of the season. Maybe they just got greedy this year. Who knows but the truth will out eventually.
But also I am looking forward to us putting on a statement performance on Sunday, one that even the referees can’t affect, as happened so many times last year. And then many more until we are back where we belong.
It was pretty blatant last season at Newcastle