- It appears that if you are an Arsenal fan you are not enjoying this season
- How Arsenal’s rise is based in part on the success of the Academy
By Tony Attwood
Obviously, all clubs have the team they are playing as an opponent – that’s a given. But in the case of Arsenal, quite often we seem to be playing the referee as well, and then invariably we are also playing the media who, no matter what, are bound to come out with something crazy after the match (or in terms of radio and TV, during the game).
Fortunately, I think most of the players have had more than enough of the media, so Declan Rice will undoubtedly have ignored the suggestions that he was involved in a “tunnel bust-up” of any significance or difference from anything that normally goes on. As for the outburst against the media, he probably said “boo”. But of course the accusations will always be there because the media maintains the view that they can make up anything, but players must tell the truth. Is that fair? I mean 97% of transfer stories are untrue, so what’s wrong with 97% of what players say being untrue?
In fact, this making up of anything has been going on for years, because these media people think we are all so stupid, that desepite there overwhelming failure to get over 3% of the transfer news right, they come out and do the same thing again, window after window, while accusing everyone else of “foul-mouthed rants.”
For me, the transfer rumours are “foul-mouthed rants” because they are con tricks. If one player tells another to f off we know what’s what. But the transfer stories are all dressed up as truths, and that is what makes them so deceptive.
The fact is that most of us have the occasional outburst, but if a player does it then it is news. If a player says “fuck” then it is a “foul mouth outburst”.
But what makes all this a lot worse is the failure to celebrate success if it does not come from one of the clubs they support, and the failure to condemn illicit moves made by a club they are in hoc to.
After all, how else can we explain the fact that Manchester City have still not had their case between themselves and the rest of the league resolved? And does the media mention it? No! Why not? Because they say it is “old news” and “no one is interested anymore”.
Well, I can tell them that quite a few thinking fans are interested, and are waiting for ManC to be expelled from the Premier League, or for the Premier League to set up a new league without ManC in it,
There is also not much attention given to the last six games table, although it is the best possible guide to the current form of clubs. Here is the top and bits and pieces thereafter in case you are interested.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 14 |
| 2 | Brentford | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 5 | +8 | 13 |
| 3 | Newcastle | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 11 |
| 4 | Fulham | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 11 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 10 |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 10 |
| 9 | Man City | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 9 |
| 13 | Chelsea | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 6 |
| 16 | Tottenham | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 5 |
Or come to that, what about the Champions League – you probably know that Arsenal are at the top, but we can also now say that no one is commenting on such things as their goal difference of +18 and a guaranteed qualification to the next round proper without any sort of play-off shenanigans.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 2 | +18 | 21 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 8 | +11 | 15 |
| 3 | Bayern Munich | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 7 | +11 | 15 |
| 4 | Tottenahm Hots | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 7 | +8 | 14 |
| 5 | Paris SG | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 10 | +10 | 13 |
| 6 | Sporting CP | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 9 | +5 | 13 |
| 7 | Manchester C | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 9 | +4 | 13 |
| 8 | Atalanta | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 13 |
So top of two leagues at once – that is the sort of thing that only used to happen to Real Madrid, who are incidentally second both their leagues.
But now on Wednesday 28 January at 8pm Arsenal are playing Kairat Almaty who have also won their league for entry next year, in that their league is a spring-to-autumn league. The only football they play in the depths of winter is the Champions League, which seems a bit unfair.
Arsenal might be tempted to put out an under 21 team to give them some experience of foreign food, but it must be remembered that Arsenal also want to win the group, and although Kairat have lost all the games save one, they did draw that one game, and Arsenal don’t want that to happen. Just think of the fuss there would be in the papers.
But without any league matches going on, Kairat Almaty find themselves playing Arsenal on 28 January. Thankfully, it is in London and not in Kazakhstan. The round trip for this completely pointless match, in which Arsenal might well put out their reserve team, is 4349 miles to Heathrow, and then the bus trip to the ground.
I do hope they get a bit of time for the shopping.
