by Tony Attwood
- Arsenal v Everton: the referee, fouls and the king of the yellow cards
- Arsenal v Everton. Saturday at 5.30. Everton’s problems explored.
The constant criticism of Arsenal seems to have run a bit off course. We had all that talk about “their apparent dependency on set-pieces, earning them the nickname ‘Set-piece FC’ from rival fans.” But now that is yesterday’s news, not because it was true and now it isn’t (it actually never was true) but because media tales only last one day.
The fact is that such criticisms come from journalists and those who used to be in the game and now get paid if they come up with some sort of criticism. Fans of rivals then jump on the message, but find their talk a bit out of date, as the journos seek a new story each day, as those quoted deny they ever said anything untoward.
For example, Fabian Hürzeler, the coach of Brighton, went out of his way to say that he and Arteta were on good terms, after the media went beserk quoting alleged comments about Arsenal “making their own rules.” Now of course, he was on dodgy grounds, because the implication of that was that somehow Arsenal were conning referees, and as we know, any and all criticism of referees by managers is forbidden.
So he quickly announced that “It’s nothing personal and I have said it before that I have huge respect and I see him as one of the top managers in the Premier League, I love to see them playing and I also admire a lot of elements of what they’re doing.
“I texted him and I said the same thing to him as well, that I have huge respect for everyone from Arsenal and that I will be the first person to congratulate him when they win the Premier League because if they win it, they definitely deserve it.”
Not too much of the media quoted all that because, well, by then it was (literally) yesterday’s story, and we find the media made it all up. Well I never.
What actually now seems to be happening is that if Arsenal do get a free kick near the opposition’s goal, or indeed a corner, the opposition defenders start looking to see what new trick Arsenal are going to pull. And while they are looking, Arsenal score.
So the media move and looking back we can see that the line, “One of the main criticisms aimed at Arsenal is their apparent dependency on set-pieces, earning them the nickname ‘Set-piece FC’ from rival fans,” was in fact just something made up by men who used to be in the game and now get paid if they come up with some sort of criticism. In short, it is players start looking for things that aren’t there.
Of course, journalists do realise they have been made to look like mugs, which is why they move on to new tales so quickly. Today we have “‘Every time I lose, boom’: Guardiola offers feisty defence of City’s tactics” And there is also, ” You can cry or fight’: Igor Tudor orders struggling Spurs to stop playing the victim.”
Yes, it is a new day, a new story. But what might just happen is that the players who are playing against Arsenal today are quite possibly are still focusing on yesterday’s fantasy tale and getting the wrong message.
For it is true that Arsenal are scoring more set-piece goals than anyone else this season – but then one club does have to be top of the “set piece league table,” and it happens to be Arsenal. That doesn’t actually mean anything, except that the headline writers have earned their salary for another day.
And todeay, seemingly suddenly out of the blue (ho ho), the Metro is saying “Arsenal could be 10 points clear at the summit by the time Manchester City kick off in Saturday’s late kick-off.”
Mind you, you can tell it is going to be a bit of a naff piece when it opens, “The race for Champions League qualification is hotting up,” (oh for goodness sake!) although I did like the later line “Spurs start the weekend one point above the relegation zone”
Of course, I don’t have much time for the public pronouncements of Pep Guardiola but he was more or less right when he said, “If I win I am a genius, but when I lose you destroy me,” and it is good to see someone else suffer at the hands of the media.
Although there are still injury issues. As Football.London says “Arteta has yet to receive clarity on Odegaard and Trossard’s chances of being involved. When asked if the attacking pair could play, the Spaniard replied: “Let’s see. We will have to speak to the doctors to see whether they are involved or not.” And just for good measure and clarity, the website adds the quote, “if you’re not 100 per cent then you cannot play.”
OK I think we got that sorted. I’d never have known otherwise.
