By Tony Attwood
This morning ex-Arsenal player Stewart Robson made a very strong attack on Arsene Wenger on BBC Radio 5 Live’s breakfast show. His point was that all the problems at Arsenal were down to the manager who had completely lost the plot.
Unfortunately I was driving at the time the broadcast came on so I was unable to record it or make notes, but what struck me about the piece was that Robson made no justification for his comments (in that he did not give any specific incidents or issues that Mr Wenger had got wrong) but he simply spoke in a style that might well be called a tirade. By this I mean that he pointed to no specific occasion, or explained how the manager might have worked otherwise in this specific football and economic environment. He simply put the blame on the manager.
What I am wondering today is whether the BBC knew he would do this, and so thought it a clever idea to put in a one-sided report, or whether they simply looked for who was available and didn’t bother to check what he might say.
Certainly there was no mention that Robson had previously worked for Arsenal TV but had then been moved on. It is interesting incidentally that Robson’s Wikipedia page makes little mention of this, casting it in passing alongside his appearance on Absolute Radio’s Rock’n’Roll Football. It is as if this element of his past is being slowly whitewashed out.
Now obviously I have no inside information on why Robson left Arsenal TV, but I do know that just before he left there was a considerable level of pressure on the club to remove him, because of his persistently critical view of the team, again without much in the way of explanation as to what he would do if he were the manager. This is something that would have been interesting, given that he was assistant manager of Rushden and Diamonds at one time, along with several other clubs.
The point I would make is that in the build up to Robson’s appearance on the radio there was no mention of the fact that Robson had left Arsenal under what we might generously call “a cloud” or that he has a long history of being critical of the club for which he played 150 games over five years.
Of course we do live in a world where ex-footballers come on and give very biased views without any background or explanation as to how they would justify their views. But the BBC surely has a duty of balance given that they are the national broadcaster paid for by households in the UK with a TV. I have no problem with Robson being on, any more than I had a problem with with IRA being given air time, or a member of UKIP, or a member of a fascist group being on. Indeed such people should be on TV and radio so that we all have a chance to hear their views, even if we profoundly disagree with them
But we also need a context and a balance, and what the BBC is certainly failing to provide is any sort of balance over the issue of Arsenal and Mr Wenger.
To give but one other example, I recall a day or two ago hearing Perry Groves being interviewed in which he made the point that Arsenal had recently sold all their best players – mentioning in passing Nasri and Song.
OK that is a point of view – and I have to admit that I do find Perry Groves (unlike Robson) an enjoyable and amusing speaker at times. His speech to the Arsenal Independent Supporters Association’s AGM last year for example was great fun and occasionally insightful in terms of Arsenal in 1989.
But on the issue of selling our best players, there is another side to the coin – not least one that puts forward the point of view that Song has been voted one of the two worst buys by a Spanish club last summer, by Spanish supporters.
As for Nasri – well, he was one of the players strongly criticised by the management after the 3-1 defeat of his club at Southampton. He was dropped for the next game, and his contribution to Manchester C this year doesn’t look that promising. He scored on the opening day, but not since in the league, although he did get one other goal against Ajax in the doomed Champs League campaign. His performances have been called (in some quarters – I admit not by everyone) “tame” and not at all “match-winning”. And yet he cost £24m. He is not a bad player, but hardly a £24m player now, and there is a feeling in some places, I think, that City were conned into paying far more than the player was worth.
Arsenal have made a habit of “letting go” players who look good, but actually are over achieving. Hleb is a prime example. Flamini, who commanded no fee but got a sensational salary on leaving Arsenal, is another who slipped away, and found he could not repeat his one season of brilliance at Arsenal before ultimately also finding that he couldn’t get a transfer on after his time in Milan. Even Henry ended up costing Barcelona £250,000 a game because he wasn’t used that often.
These are points worthy of inclusion in the debate. Of course we don’t expect someone like Groves to have such facts at his finger tips, because that is not his style or approach. He is very amusing on George Graham and Arsenal’s history – we don’t look to him for insights into the present day.
But when the BBC have on one, and only one person to discuss today’s game, it seems odd that they should give airtime to such a biased point of view without then putting in a bit of balance. A blog like this one can put forward one point of view only in its pieces, because we are hardly a national institution paid for by the populace, but the BBC really should do better.
The books…
- Woolwich Arsenal: The club that changed football – Arsenal’s early years
- Making the Arsenal – how the modern Arsenal was born in 1910
- The Crowd at Woolwich Arsenal FC: crowd behaviour at the early matches
The sites…
- Referee Decisions – just what are the refs up to this season?
- Parent News – what is going on in schools these days?
- The weight loss programme: The only guaranteed way to stay fit
- The Arsenal History Blog from the AISA Arsenal History Society
Stewart Robson aka
par·a·site
/ˈparəˌsīt/
Noun
An organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host’s expense.
derogatory. A person who habitually relies on or exploits others and gives nothing in return.
Always a insightful angle Tony.Robson for all his usual bombastic tone was stating what the VAST majority of fans are now thinking even though it is unpalatable to some.
Fully agree. Robson clearly has an agenda and is now getting to be the guy who so many media outlets call up for his take when there’s another “crisis” at Arsenal. See the video clip on this ESPN page for another one of Robson’s interviews yesterday:
http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/193834.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Wonderful ,piece. Thank you !. Oh, that all the other blogs were so grown up
Sensation is all the media are concerned with ( a la USA )
We all know that Wenger has not been offered a 2 year extension, but as Wenger says “it was intended to do harm”.
As Fergie has said “be careful what you wish for !”
I believe many Arsenal blogs are simply being made to attract adverising payment, the more outrageous, the more “hits”
Please stay with sanity
Thanks
Robson was FIRED from Arsenal Media for his consistent Slamming of players like Theo Walcott. He was so agro against Walcott that it was funny he was employed with ARsenal itself!
He is just bitter at the way he was kicked out. Us Arsenal fans are aware of his antecedents. Its the neutrals that buy his crap!
Our Worthy leader keeps marching on!
After all what contribution Robinson made arsenal during his time at arsenal. He is nothing, these are the people making England ball team useless. They think football is played in the press propaganda.
My God! I sometimes feel unlucky because I live in a foreign country and cannot visit Arsenal more then I do now.
But man do I feel lucky that I don’t have to endure the media campaign all the time.
And about the media: Arsenal are very well aware of the fact that the media are driving a campaign against them. The problem is of course that it is almost impossible to counter such a campaign unless they break the law.
Of course they are clever enough to not break the law.
Nice article. Agree with almost everything. However, on the topic of selling our best players I think you’ve tried to put a positive spin on it. Yes these players have gone on to do nothing at the clubs they moved to, but at the time we sold them they were amongst OUR best players. Worth mentioning in my opinion.
Robson also applied for a coaching position at Arsenal and was flat out turned down by Wenger, the bitter excuse for a man has not had a good word to say about him ever since. Coincidence? Hardly!
Perry Groves is very knowledgeable and puts a good point across very eloquently.
Stewart Robson always seems to have an axe to grind with Arsenal and nothing positive ever to say.
He left Arsenal for West Ham and was a Hammers fan.
Mr Robson was quite interesting to listen to when he first appeared on talk sport with Danny Kelly on a Thursday night. His views were opinionated but with good grounds especially when talking about tactics of clubs and the way all managers managed. At this point he was still employed by AFC TV.
The change in his style of discussion and his vitriol towards Arsenal and in particular Mr Wenger is notable. Instead of the general tactics he discussed on the Kelly show he narrowed the target to individual’s criticizing all aspects of their game. He rounded on Mr Wenger laying the blame at his feet and his feet alone.
He has in my opinion been sucked into the shock jock style of the media championed by talk sport. I feel he says things for effect and this will get him more coverage than the balanced style he used to have. He is now feeding his ego rather than a balanced view of the problem as his radio 5 interview this morning just showed this even more.
Sorry…Am I missing the point ? Are you saying that because
Stewart Robson doesn’t list Mr Wenger’s faults he doesn’t deserve to be heard. Or is it because he is negative and that will never do ?
You list the players that have left and failed.Are you telling me that, although you are correct,we are better without off them ?
Although for different reasons I dislike the BBC, you cannot blame them for our current position.To liken Stewart Robson to fascists or terrorists is in my opinion very poor taste.
I saw him play for us.I wish our players would show the ‘commitment and desire and belief’ (Wilshire is the exception)that he showed when he wore our shirt.
Just listen to Robson co-commentating on ESPN etc and you will hear the comments of an absolutely frustrated coach.He genuinely believes that he should have a top coaching job and comes across as a very bitter man because he is not working in the game.His mediocre playing career hardly justifies him sometimes being introduced as ‘former Arsenal legend’Stuart Robson and his agenda these days is to undermine all things{particularly all things Arsenal}in an attempt to justify himself.
What u hav also failed to understand about your analysis is having a fixed mind on only wenga’s achievements, maybe u need a million yrs to realise his shotfalls. By the way u can never know there are better managers out there til they are given chance, the same way wenga was given! would u know he was better if Afc was not to make achange by giving him wenga achane? Plz enough is enough, change is enavitable.
Robsons spouting off at ESPN, check it out through Arsenal News Now aggregator.
He has so many issues, its time to see a shrink!I suppose he has to make money somehow.
I laughed out loud yesterday whilst looking at the the BBC footage of the PC yesterday, when Wenger was asked about commitment to today’s game. He replied (Im paraphrasing) ” No we dont want to win the Champions league and we want to lose tomorrow”. Its was hilarious!!
COYG!
A very good article Tony.I totally understand why AW said what he did.It is long overdue.For sometime he has always been helpful and respectful to the press and what has he got for it.Sweet FA.Can you imagine any other British Manager having to answer questions like AW has had to.It would not happen.The media want AW,Mancini and Bentitiz out.He was correct that there was another story to come out after the lies about a contract.You have just lost to Blackburn and they give you a 2yr deal!Regarding Robson,Wright and Adams they all have a agenda.How many other top European clubs would want AW,ALOT.
I consider myself lucky, among other millions, who barely remember Robson as a fringe player at Arsenal and have never heard him on radio OR seen him TV.
Any student of human behaviour though, will tell you that there is no-one more vicious than an ex-footballer pundit with a long memory.
The BBC,Robson, Sun Mail – they are all desperate for Arsenal, and more specifically Wenger to fail. Reports all over the place Wenger lost the plot in the press conference yesterday, if you read the transcript, he did no such thing, he just reminded some he knew well what they are up to. The media love the likes of Fergie and Jose so much – so maybe Wenger would get more respect if he behaved like those two and started banning some from the press conferences and stopped talking to certain hacks. Do not forget , these hacks have their own club loyalties, and apart from a few declared exceptions, Arsenal are a very long way from these loyalties. Then MOTD – a certain Spud / Liverpool influence there….an agenda? But in reality club loyalties are a bit of a side issue here. The agenda is much bigger, there is a would be owner, there are those parasites of the game who have a vested interest in our model not succeeding, let alone teams we could potentially rival – the media, PGMOL and unfortunately some of our fans buy into all this, mainly out of sheer laziness. Bad news is so much more interesting. If we were to succeed, nobody could claim FFP prevents success. The forces against this club are more numerous and disparate than those against any other top club I can think of. An Arsenal blog yesterday called for a protest 8 mins into the games, the number some obsess about since our last trophy. I am sure these guys were or are passionate fans, now they just sound like spolied glory hunters, possibly however inadvertantly risking citing violence. Some will forever be separated from the club, even when the good times return. No loss, as people with such attitudes are a major part of the problem, some will undoubtedly live longer and more productive lives away from anything to do with this club. Everyone is angry and frustrated in varying measures, many including myself at times shoot from the hip. This club does not always help itself, Bradford / Blackburn…not great at all. Mistakes have clearly been made, but as pointed out, some of those players we have let go are not exactly pulling up trees. But seeing what is levelled against this club should make any true fan want to defend it, and our most successful manager.
Mr. Attwood, Millz,
As one who advocated that Robson be sacked, I found his narcissistic one-sidedness against his own team insufferable. I don’t cotton to analysis-free one-sidedness and you are so spot on to slate him and the Beeb as his enabler.
That said, you have given cover for the Alex Song clearance from the days before he was finally sent off and we two had a debate going which you then got too busy for. Along the way you’ve used various rationalizations, such as how AFC/AW have conned (today’s word) Barca and unloaded our players on them and gave as a reason )in an entire article, not just a quip) that we would have intended or contributed to their bankruptcy by doing so. Well they haven’t folded financially or on the pitch as anyone knows. But while not advocating for AFC to keep Song (a choice you declined), you continue to grasp for straws as a rear-guard way to justify that transaction – even as we have not yet replaced what he did successfully in our midfield.
This time you come up with – and with no specific citation – that “Song has been voted one of the two worst buys by a Spanish club last summer, by Spanish supporters.” Which supporters? Where? Give us the same context on the Song trade that you demand of BBC and the detestable Robson. Give us Song’s achievement here and cite whether or not his skills have been (a) needed and (b) replaced. While you take pleasure in Song’s diminished play at Barca, we don’t know how many appearances, when he’s played, whether that’s the right system for his talents, etc. etc. That would be context. So would a word or two on whether the hallowed transfer policy in effect (then and now) was zero sum balance no matter what. (Which is why he was unloaded this-fast).
Millz (just above) is right to conclude” on the topic of selling our best players I think you’ve tried to put a positive spin on it. Yes these players have gone on to do nothing at the clubs they moved to, but at the time we sold them they were amongst OUR best players. Worth mentioning in my opinion.” Indeed. So while I back you fully on the likely Robson-Beeb chicanery, your continued rear-guard defense of the mistake that was ridding ourselves of a STILL-needed midfield skill-set – and to balance the transfer books (and, imo, to ensure the bean counter’s christmas bonuses) – remains as one sided an analysis as does Robson’s attack on all things Wenger.
Robson often has some good tactical criticisms to make about Arsenal, and indeed so do most of us 🙂 But he doesn’t have anything like Wengers management skills, AW has consistently got the best out of players, and as you point out, most of them have not reached their best level of performance after leaving the club.
With regard to the Beeb, the media want a story, the papers and broadcast media are competing for an audience, and they need to big up any story they can run with, whether it’s a fictitious transfer rumour, or a “manager in trouble” story. They don’t want someone to come on and give a reasoned, balanced view, they want Sun-style sound-bites like “Wengers lost it”
In pursuit of these stories they dredge up anyone who’s prepared to throw mud and stir things up, like the self-styled “fans spokespersons” who, by and large, tend not to remember the days when there was hardly anyone at Arsenal who could trap a ball, let alone pass it to a red shirt.
I admired Robbo as a player, and was sorry when he left, I’m happy to hear his views, but I feel they should be tempered with respect for a man who, in my opinion, will go down in Arsenal history as the greatest of all time, even should he never make another addition to our trophy cabinet.
Steve,
Robson’s feeding more than his ego. As the reliable AW hating ex-player, he is also feeding his face and paying his rent. Each of these appearances is a paid performance. They are not public service announcements. He’s trying to corner the market on being the go-to guy to deliver these very one-sided rants. And not just on the BBC, but TalkShite and the rest. In his last months on Arsenal Player, many people (writers and the commentariat here) at UA were slating him for his nasty post-game summaries that undermined AW at a point when he and the club were under serious media attack. He got his comeuppance by getting the sack here. And that bruised ego is a gift to AW-haters that keeps on giving, and Rob$son is very clear on his role, that it pays, and why he is being asked on the airwaves to predictably pontificate as if he had some inside track to the inner sanctum because of his 150 games of service to the badge.
Nice TONY.
AND those ‘bust up’ news he comes up with every now and then. Also that ‘Bould is not allowed to do defensive training’ news.
p.s. Robson is doing now what he’d been rehearsing and doing to an extent when AW/AFC were under severe attack on all fronts, all the time by all the media only two seasons ago (in the summer of x-Cesc).
Anyone going to the game tonight, its up to you to make some NOISE. Create an atmosphere like never before. Support the team. Be the 12th man. Turn the Emirates into a wall of positivity. Stand up and be counted.Yes we have issues but for 90 minutes make the players believe. Tell everyone, spread the word. We’re STILL By far the greatest team the world has ever seen.
A lot of these ex players, though some complete legends have serious axes to grind. Robson…well documented. Think his constant criticism of Walcott was the final straw. Adams wanted a job, Bould was chosen. Wright – wenger called time on his Arsenal career…and did not sign his son (thank God)…and Merson, lets not even go there. if you want untainted views, listen to what the likes of Carragher, Beckham and even Gary Neville say about Wenger
Mandy Dodd,
Yes, even Neville (he of the dastardly duo that dashed our unbeaten streak at the old toilet crime scene) can spare a few words that credit AW. Hell hath no fury like an ex-gunner spurned.
@bob,
About Song thing. If the reports are to be believed , Song was throwing up some tantrums as the interest of Barca in him increased. It was wise to let him go. As for not replacing him. Do you think Arsenal need a player like Song in the system we play now.
Robson was a commentator when Arsenal played the FA cup game last Saturday. And you could hear his delight when ARSENAL conceded. He was over the moon, he was sooooo pleased to see ARSENAL fail.
Mandy Dodd
February 19, 2013 at 12:54 pm
…………if you want untainted views, listen to what the likes of Carragher, Beckham and even Gary Neville say about Wenger
May i ask what makes them untainted? Is it because they don’t criticize Wenger?
Once upon a time Wenger used to win trophies and was the enemy of a certain man called SAF but now SAF has only nice things to say about Wenger. I’m thinking SAF believes he should not kick a man when he is down.
Moral of the story, those people who you claim are fair have not attachment to Arsenal and are only being nice.
** Do not have
Question for Tony and Walter
1)What was your reaction when it was announced that a certain Arsene Wenger was going to take over the club.
2)What makes you think we cannot get a better manager than Wenger right now bearing in mind that AW was not a top name back in 1996.
asd, those three have never been turned down for a job, sacked or had their son refused at Arsenal. I would not have Carra or Neville down as types who would be nice for the sake of it.
On your other point addressed to Tony and Walter, I am certainly not trying to speak for them, but I will add, when Wenger was bought in as a relative unknown (I say relative, as this evenings opponents had also looked at him) – we did have David Dein. I just hope our current board have access to the footballing knowledge he has…and for all I thow they have, but until that day I am proven wrong on this, I remain unconvinced
Link to the at least some of the audio http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21502920
Messrs Chapman, Allison and Co must be chuckling away in that corner of Heaven reserved for football managers, not at our recent results, but rather at the PUBLICITY surrounding Arsenal FC. Ex-Players are coming out of the woodwork, the BBC is giving full cover and even the odd Wenger press conference is being publicised!
ARSENAL IS IN THE NEWS (that’s all that matters!!)
Asd,
maybe not for you or for the English media. But in Europe he was known for making Monaco a top club in France and bringing them to a European cup final.
Look i’ve long supported Arsenal and Wenger but he does manage to turn good players like Arshavin, Reyes and Chamack who lets not forget were brilliant initially into shadows of their former selves either by playing them out of position or…. well its got to be poor training hasn’t it? theres nothing else unless they were unhappy in london.
He’s also taken on lots of “star” players who have then just been mediocre like Rosicky,. (although played well last weekend i thought and i do like him a lot)
then the players that are so poor we cant actually sell them and have to make do with loaning them out until there contracts expire like Denilson Bendner and Doujourou and really someone tell me whats the issue with “Park ju young” he played one game, (scored a blinding goal) never to be seen again?
Remember he panic bought last January window out of 5 players i think it was only 1 has made the grade consistently (Arteta)
His early succeses were solely because he inherited an already great team but was admittedly able to prolong their playing careers with sport science (other clubs have now caught up with that technique)
Also dont forget Flamini was a mediocre squad player until his last season where he either started trying or was played in his proper role. and Hleb – dont get me started he always flattered to decieve he was just an OK player.
HES NOT A GOOD COACH!
why else do we constantly concede from deadball situations where good habits could easily be trained into good defenders.
Melmarks I thought I was fairly clear. I am saying that along with everyone else Robson should be allowed to have his say, but given that he gave no analysis, only an opinion, the BBC should have explained that he was employed by Arsenal TV before being moved on. It would be nice if they also occasionally brought in someone who can offer a different perspective from the normal negativity.
Goonerbeau it is difficult to know how you can claim that the vast majority of people think in a particular way. What evidence is there?
Nigel B,
please get a few facts right.
He bought 5 players in august not january.
Arteta and Mertesacker are players that have been playing most of the time when not injured.
Chamakh was never played out of position. He was put on the bench when RVP was fit. Unless you say that Chamakh was/is better than RVP you have a point of course but I think I would have done the same thing: play RVP.
Rosicky his career has fell apart because of his long injury. When he was fit again last season he played an important role and then got injured again making him miss the start of the season and only the last weeks he is back to full fitness. It will probably be Wenger his fault that he damaged his knee so badly all those years ago I think?
Could you give me a % on how many goals we concede from dead balls?
It’s funny how when Robson is involved in a story, he ends up bigger that the story itself, there is obviously a non story here.
I can’t believe any media outlet could fall for this twaddle, they are losing readers.
Nigel b
HES NOT A GOOD COACH!
If true, that might explain why he has coaches working for him.
ARSENAL 2 BAYERN 0 AND THE PRESS TELL’S US HOW MONSIEUR WENGER IS THE MAN.TALK OF THE TALKS OF LUNATICS
To Grimey wake up man,we are out of the league cup,out of the FA Cup,out of the PPL,with this team also out of the Champions League.we all love Arsenal in our way,no matter if we are in England or in another country,young or old,season ticket holder or TV fans.if you are satisfy with this Arsenal team well my friend I don’t and many other fans around the world are not happy with this team.Robo too feel the same about our club,he may have wrongly attack our Arsenal but the issues are there.8years without a trophy man 8 long years with false promises.man if you are satisfy with that I admire your patience.
Hi WalterBroeckx
yes i rattled this off quickly off the top of my head,
ok so 5 players (4 i think on the last day in August) when he had the whole summer – i mean, come on! panic buying with all his experience
although i suspect the good or good(ish) players probably dont want to play for us anymore as we look a bit like a spent force
if Chamack wasnt being played out of position (i used that as an excuse to help him) then he went from nearly a goal a game to when RVP came back from injury to being a quivering mess (bit like Gervinho) could this not be down to training or coaching or have they suddenly become crap players
RVP by the way – who is much better – who can blame him for leaving to try and win something!
Could you give me a % on how many goals we concede from dead balls?
No but we USED to score plenty also remember that rush of adrenalin why the ARSE got a corner – now days i go and get a drink!
Arsene give 70 million pounds to buy for the coming season does that sound as someone who is gona be fired?
The board is preparing for next season and if you hear Hansen saying that we wont have first class players next year you laugh your lungs out,if Everton and Swansea can get players why not the world’s top 8th Club??
Tony,
Likening Stewart Robson to the IRA, UKIP or fascists is defamatory and you are fortunate his lawyers don’t read your blog. It is also indicative of a lack of perspective when it comes to criticism of the manager. The only explosion has been Arsene at his press conference.
There seems to be an assumption on this site that if you are fired from somewhere then anything you say will be lies. It is just as likely that he is telling the truth – a whistleblower – after all he has a better view of what Arsenal under Wenger is like on the inside than any of us do.
Maybe the reason we don’t hear much from other insiders is that they want to leave their options open to work with Arsenal in the future. Robson clearly has no plans to do so ever again – which would free him to speak the truth.
All I’m saying is: keep an open mind, weigh up the evidence and look at things from both sides.
Jed, if Robson ever had something good to say about someone who has done as much for the club as Wenger, I would be more sympathetic to your point, but everything he says is barbed and tinged with bitterness. He is now just an anti-wenger rentaquote anyway. Maybe one day, he will manage an invincible team…
How odd to hear someone like Jed lecture Tony for his Post being biased, when he was simply retelling what he heard on the radio, and gave some background on why Robson might have resorted to such histrionics.
Jed, you trotted out the most one sided, biased and ill informed comment I have seen on here today. Do you have your own agenda?
Now, I wonder what it could have been?
http://www.o-posts.net/news/teams/uk/arsenal/arsenal-placing-gunners-current-situation-context/
Mandy, I agree with you that he’s an unattractive character, my only point was that being vile doesn’t necessarily make him wrong.
Red Arse, you don’t know what bias means. Suggesting that you look at both sides is the opposite of biased, it’s called balance. BTW I did not say that Robson is right, I said that the assumption he must be wrong is a flawed assumption.
Most of these replies are focussing on Robson. Robson is simply a symptom of media excess, say stoopid things and people will talk about it, speak intelligently, and people switch off.
Like the Sun newspaper far outselling the Financial Times,Telegraph or Times. Nobody could honestly say that the Sun is worth reading, but most of those who buy it would be lost on the Pink FT.
Talk sense and nobody listens; talk out of your backside and the whole world will argue about it
Wenger is the 2nd most succesful manager after Fergie. The sugar daddies funding Man City and Chelsea will be restricted soon and Man U have a crowd capacity of almost 20 thousand more than the Emirates. Man U`s commercial selling machine is where their cash is although many analysts are suggesting that Man U`s debt is going to cause them problems.
Cash is where success is in football
Building the Emirates whilst correct was financially crippling due to bad financial management(not Wenger), Wengers management has restructured Arsenal`s finances and we are financially 2nd only to Bayern Munich who leave us for dead in their commercial sponsoring success
There we are, I`ve just proved the point, talk facts everyone switches off as their eyes glaze; talk rubbish like my dad is bigger than your dad, or woble your boobs on page 3 and whoopee you have an audience
If we all got behind our team and became the 12th man, boy what a differnce instead of being so negative
I`m convinced many Arsenal blogs are written by Spurs fans, they are so negative
I’ve got no problem with Robson expressing his opinion,free speech and my grandad died in the war to protect those rights etc etc,but he says the SAME thing over and over ad nauseum.If i could have a tenner for every time i heard him say”Arsene wenger is a dictator” or “Wenger does no defensive coaching” i could flipping retire! He has become a parody of himself,the first person radio stations contact for a quote.I know what you think Stewart,change the record will you its getting boring.
Very true words terry. I remember reading Ivan was quite shocked at how poor some commercial deals were, but he is now clearly making his mark on these. We jumped in with stan offering what he wanted to keep others out, only time will tell how right or wrong this was. But all the while, wenger has signed up to whatever this extreme financial climate has thrown at him. In return, he has been well rewarded, and possibly, if some reports are true, given more power than your average manager. He has kept his council, not let on issues, kept optimistic and believing even in the darkest hours . He withstands character assassinations from friend and foe alike, but still does not break ranks or waiver. Impressive for some, frustration for others. But as you say, our lack of success is ultimately down to finance. I know we have more money than Bradford Blackburn and Birmingham, but where we have been has had it’s costs. We have a squad with several who for a number of reasons are no longer performing. Utd, city and Chelsea have up to four internationals in several positions, we do not . Not sure the blogs you refer to are written by spuds, but there are plenty of spud sleepers on them, say a word against their team and they reveal themselves very quickly.
A few minutes ago on the BBC general commentary for football today
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21508986
We have:
> 1920: Former Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson on BBC Radio 5 liveArsenal v Bayern Munich (1945 GMT)
> “Obviously Arsene sounded very tetchy. I’m sure if he listened back to that press conference, he would regret the way he conducted it. But I would like to put a couple of things straight. With the contract situation, I’ve checked with the press office, He was trying to say there was a story in the national papers yesterday, and not one corporation checked it out with the press office. The truth is that story is not true.
> “I didn’t like what I heard today. Every half-hour on my drive here, I’ve heard Stewart Robson quoted criticising Arsene. Stewart is a guy who worked here, and is obviously a bitter guy because he’s no longer got employment here. You have to take into account why Arsene is feeling like he is.”
Arsenal 0 – 3 Bayern!!
Damage done in the 1st half. Why the hell we cannot play like we did in the 2nd half is beyond me. We seem to love to kick ourselves & then try to chase the game. Well at least we are out of our misery and chase the final remaining trophy.
Now for the final trophy
I think anyone would admit that we were beaten by a much better side tonight. The team did put in the effort and had a few good moments but our defensive failings cost us again. Bayern are one of the top 3 or 4 in Europe and it showed. Are we even one of the top 4 in England? For me the season now rests on how the team and the fans can at least stay together and give all of the remaining games their best shot. If it is to be two months of negativity, booing, and vitriol then my season is effectively over. Obviously there must be changes in the summer, but the Stewart Robson/Piers Morgan type sniping from behind the barricades contributes nothing to the rational decisions that the club has to make.
@Mandy at 12.23.
Thanks for that!
Terry White
Well said, and I didn’t switch off.
I’m convinced people would be more receptive to the truth if they got it more often.
The only players who would get into the Bayern side from the Arsenal team are Jack the lad and maybe Carzola.
Other than that forget it!
Wisdom of the ancients
Tacitus c.56 – c.177 AD –
“It is part of human nature to hate the man you have hurt.”
Marcus Aurelius 121 – 180 AD
1)”Mankind have been created for the sake of one another. Either instruct them, therefore, or endure them.”
2)”To change your mind and to follow him who sets you right is to be nonetheless the free agent that you were before.”
Pat,
I hope I solved whatever problem kept you in moderation
Dear Stewie ,
For your perusal .Enjoy ! Be enlightened !Repent !
John Locke 1632 – 1704
1690 – Essay concerning Human Understanding
“New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common.”
“No man’s knowledge here can go beyond his experience.”
“It is one thing to show a man that he is in error, and another to put him in possession of truth.”
“Reason is natural revelation.”
“Crooked things may be as stiff and unflexible as straight: and men may be as positive in error as in truth.”
“All men are liable to error; and most men are, in many points, by passion or interest, under temptation to it.”
Good Afternoon Gooners, As you may guess from my user name I am not a Gooner, but I do listen regularly to Stewart Robson and I believe he is one of the very few who have seen the “Emperor with no clothes” He has been consistent on banging his drum about the dictator. I remember that Matt Busby was a God at United but any Red with a long enough memory will confirm that he also stayed too long. The result was relegation and a realising that any man has a shelf-life. It is plain to see that AW has reached this point. I listened to Bob Wilson, denegrating Stewart Robson on Radio 5 implying that because he was no longer employed by the club he had gone all bitter. That is patently NOT true, whatever SR’s faults might be he has been consistently been a lone voice in the wilderness on the theme of the “Dictator” I find it insulting, as a football fan, that Bob Wilson was allowed to spout his “Bitter Man” rant without any challenge from Mark Pugatch concerning the facts. The fact is Stewart Robson has been saying this about Wenger for at leeast the last 2-3 years. Are you still on the club payroll Bob ?????
Very good Brickie but bitter twat is good enough for me. I’ll remember him as a fantastic player whose career was sadly cut short by injury.
Re Jed @ 4.14
“Tony,
Likening Stewart Robson to the IRA, UKIP or fascists is defamatory”
I imagine the IRA and UKIP would be extremely annoyed at being quoted in the same sentence as Stewart Robson.
The twat’s all over Sky now chucking stupid shit around.
@ GranadaVillian – Being one of those of long enough memory , Matt Busby resigned in 1969 but ManUre were only relegated in 1974.
You may have indavertently ( or conviniently) forgotten the ‘contributions ‘of those managers who tried to replace him – Wilf McGuiness ,Frank O’Farrel and Tommy ‘Doc’ Docherty .But Busby did cast a very long shadow then.
As for Bob Wilson ,most of us regard him as a kind ,soft spoken and unassuming gentleman .For him to ‘rant’ could be due to the fact that even he couldn’t take the shite being sprouted by ‘ the lone voice in the wilderness ‘ !