By Tony Attwood
When I used to play football (in a team somewhere near the foot of the 19th division of the local pub league) occasionally we didn’t have enough men and we might borrow one of the spectators.
These days Newcastle is a bit like that. Well almost. They’ve got 13 fit outfield players for the game. “Oops” as one might say.
The manager, a Mr Carver of Newcastle, said, “I’ve spoken to Lee Charnley [the MD] who has obviously spoken to Mike Ashley [the owner and shareholder in Rangers] and they acknowledge the fact that we’re a little bit short at the back and particularly at centre back….
“The good thing is I haven’t got a selection problem for Arsenal because I’ve only got 13 fit senior players, plus two keepers so that won’t be too difficult,” he said. “I keep hearing crutches coming down the corridor outside my door”
Which is a fairly odd image. But speaking of the board, Carver also said, “Who knows what they’re thinking.” And yes, I think we’d all agree.
Carver’s also had a bash at the entity known as Phil Neville, a Match of the Day “pundit” who said that Newcastle played with “their flip-flops on.” Carver said it was “insulting and it’s wrong. Now it’s down to us to show people we haven’t got our flip-flops on,” and you can’t say fairer than that.
As for Arsenal, some of the media tried to say that after the home defeat to Monaco it was business as usual, as Arsenal always fade at the end of the season.
This is not quite the case, as in 1999 we had an unbeaten run stretching from 20 December to 5 May, in 2004 we had an unbeaten season, and in 2010 we went top on 20 March after six straight wins. A year ago we only lost two of the ten games after going out of the Champs to Bayern M. Then we had the second and third double seasons, in which we went on very long runs to secure the title: 1998 and 2002. Or back in 2011/12 when after a defeat to Man U we lost two in the last 16.
Then in 2013 after Tottenham beat us 2-1 at their place we went the rest of the season recording eight wins and two draws in the last ten.
So 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014. And that’s from memory – there’s probably a few more examples in between those two groups, but even if there’s not, the notion that Arsenal fall apart at the end of the season, or fall apart after losing in the Champions League is so utterly removed from the truth you wonder how the writers found the facts.
Unless they made them up!!!!!!!!!
Anyway Newcastle are ok because Carver can “communicate with players” which has been said in the press this week because, presumably, Mr Wenger can’t. (Incidentally our old boy Rémi Garde was in line for the job when Carver got it – it must be a relief to Rémi not to have got it.)
But then Carver must have known in advance because nothing much has changed since Alan Pardew left. He had wanted to buy a centre forward and a centre half, and the board said no.
Perhaps the board were influenced by the fact that the children of the press had kept saying for months that Arsenal needed a new defensive midfielder, a new centre forward and various new defenders, and then it turned out we already had them. Quite amazing that.
Coquelin was the man for the moment (as Untold predicted about six years before, or have I mentioned that before?), we already had another full back in Bellerin, Monreal was not a dope who should be put on the first boat to Spain but actually rapidly maturing into a superb full back, and Chambers is coming on nicely. Giroud, meanwhile, far from being so useless that Arsenal played better off without him, went on a scoring run and has now managed 11 goals in 18 league games this season which is a 61% ratio.
Not bad, so they probably thought they could “do an Arsenal”.
But Newcastle do things in their own unique way. They had a shortage of players so they loaned Davide Santon to Internazionale in January. Nice one.
Injuries and poor purchases subsequently seem to be at the heart of the problem, but there’s also the issue of the “Rangers 5”.
With the owner also being a shareholder in Rangers it was obviously a good call for him to loan his mates north of the whatnot a few odd legs.
Former England Under-20 midfielder Gael Bigirimana had made 28 appearances for Newcastle so he went. He hadn’t played for the club in the past season and a half, true but he could at least have helped make up the numbers or sat on the beach.
Slovenia international Haris Vuckic, Swiss defender Kevin Mbabu, English defender Remie Streete and Northern Ireland international Shane Ferguson also moved to Rangers at the same time.
And yes it is ok to ship out players on loan when you don’t need them, but when you are slipping down to 13 fit first teamers…
So this is what Newcastle have got so far this year (what Arsenal have done since we last met will be in the final pre-match article).
March 2015 – 2 defeats
| Competition | Fixture | Date | Res |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | Everton 3 Newcastle Utd 0 | 15 Mar | L |
| Premier League | Newcastle Utd 0 Man Utd 1 | 4 Mar | L |
.
February 2015 – 1 defeat 2 draws 1 win
| Competition | Fixture | Date | Res |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | Newcastle 1 Aston Villa 0 | 28 Feb | W |
| Premier League | Man City 5 Newcastle 0 | 21 Feb | L |
| Premier League | Crystal Palace 1 Newcastle 1 | 11 Feb | D |
| Premier League | Newcastle 1 Stoke 1 | 8 Feb | D |
.
January 2015 – 1 win 3 defeats 1 draw
| Competition | Fixture | Date | Res |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | Hull 0 Newcastle 3 | 31 Jan | W |
| Premier League | Newcastle 1 Soton 2 | 17 Jan | L |
| Premier League | Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 | 10 Jan | L |
| FA Cup – Third Round | Leicester 1 Newcastle 0 | 3 Jan | L |
| Premier League | Newcastle 3 Burnley 3 | 1 Jan | D |
- .
- Coming next: the teams
- Already published: the ref preview
- Also dont forget: Untold on Twitter: @UntoldArsenal
Anniversaries: the good and the bad
21 March 1913: Man U 2 Arsenal 0. Start of an eight match run without a win which relegated the club for the first and only time.
21 March 1979: Arsenal 2 Southampton 0. FA Cup 6 replay, with both goals coming from Alan Sunderland (who also scored in the semi-final and final).
All today’s anniversaries are on the home page
We also got loaned Yanga Mbiwa to Roma who put him straight into their European squad and helped them to 2nd in the league so clearly not a good player.
11 years ago Newcastle sacked one of the most honourable men in football for finishing 5th. How wrong that was indeed.
I’d be surprised if you do drop out of the champions league positions but to those at your club who want Wenger out be careful what you wish for.
We are proof of how bad things can get … even if we are set to make record profits of over £50m.
@julio laker
Newcastle are a team who lots of fans from other clubs have a soft spot for. I certainly would love to see the Toon fans rewarded for their loyalty by winning a trophy in the near future (as long as it did not deprive the Arsenal), you have waited a long time for silverware. Good luck for the rest of the season, after today of course.
Regarding our manager you will not find many of the ‘Wenger out’ brigade on this site.
Good work Tony
“As for Arsenal, some of the media tried to say that after the home defeat to Monaco it was business as usual, as Arsenal always fade at the end of the season.This is not quite the case,
(as these seasons attest to)
So 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014.”
Lies lies and more lies.
It’s propaganda. No more no less, and it has a purpose, and that is to create an ‘expectation’ that this is when Arsenal ‘Collapse’.
What that means is in practicality is that if we do lose a match in which we where stitched up by the ref, yet again, our protests are completely ignored because ‘Arsenal always do this’. Which in reality we don’t of course. Anything else is irrelevant because, ‘Arsenal always do this’
The same as the notion perpetuated by the Media that we are a soft team that don’t like it up ’em.
More propaganda, and this also has a purpose and that is to undermine any genuine complaints we may have about being kicked off the park, yet again. Everyone just ignores us because we’re just a bunch of Southern softies’. Which again, is just not true.
Some people believe we should just ignore these lies. Just ignore this anti Arsenal agenda as irrelevant.
I completely disagree and think that is naïve in the extreme.
Surely the author of the article MUST know the facts Tony reproduced, yet he blatantly just ignored them and LIED. Why would he do that for no reason?
To those that think there isn’t a purpose behind these media lies please explain why they do it then.
I see Scholes has AGAIN decided to put the boot into Ozil blaming him for our CL exit and saying he would have dropped him for the game because he is not good enough. Really unbelievable stuff. Ozil was one of our best players on the night. Scholes is starting to look really stupid, as stupid as Stewart Robson and his wild attacks on walcott.
jayramfootball
I assume he was allowed to spout his shit unchallenged ?
Not that I put much stock in them, but nearly all of the player ratings I saw where good. MOTM in some.
The exception was, surprise surprise, the SUN, whose commentator said this regarding the accusation that Ozil doesn’t work hard. He said:
‘I know the statistics show that Ozil runs more than any other Arsenal player but just running from one side of the pitch to the other whilst actually doing nothing hardly qualifies as hard work.’
Not verbatim, but pretty much.
What chance has he got when people apply that kind of interpretation?
‘I know the statistics show that Ozil runs more than any other Arsenal player but just running from one side of the pitch to the other whilst actually doing nothing hardly qualifies as hard work.’
@Jambug,
hahahahahahahahahahaha….
that is hilarious. Wow so insightful comment that. And they call themselves SUN!!!
Scholes comments have actually come in his rag column form yesterday. So even after Coty going out and played like Silva doing nothing. He harped back to Arsenal and Ozil.
Serious media agenda going on and I can only assume that ‘pundits’ are briefed clearly on what the agenda is.
Some wise words Julio. As an outsider looking in, Newcastle are actually quite a well run club, pretty safe in the EPL, good at buying bargains, developing them and getting good prices in many cases.
But I can see the frustration the fans have with an owner who seems happy with the status quo until he sells, he clearly will not invest to go to the next level, or provide a squad to have a real go at one of the cups which would seriously boost fan morale. Then there is the selling club perception, as Arsenal fans, we at least in the past have been aware of how that can feel.
He clearly has a few issues, but still think Pardew was a decent manager for you considering the conditions he worked under.
Still, seems like Mike Ashley, for better or for worse won’t be there for too much longer.
Scholes…..was a decent player, but doesn’t make him in anyway smart.
He is rapidly becoming a parody of himself, straying into Phil Neville territory.
His obsession with Ozil is bizarre, perhaps unhealthy?
He needs to go away on a retreat to spend time contemplating the likes Di Maria, Luke Shaw, Falcao, RVP and Rojo ,their performances and work rates relative to those of Ozil to regain his perspective on the reality of football.
Maybe then he will be fit comment on the game.
Let them play some youths like we’ve had to do on occasion.
They may turn up some gold (or at least bronze/silver).
Jayramfootball
“Serious media agenda going on and I can only assume that ‘pundits’ are briefed clearly on what the agenda is.”
100%
It is pre meditated. Orchestrated.
It is aimed to undermine our Manager, our team and individual players.
It is aimed at creating fertile ground whereby we can be physically assaulted by thugs and screwed by refs, and it will all be our own fault.
Newcastle may be making a good business decision. They have 35 points, and are safe for the season. Why should they spend money when it won’t make any difference.
That’s the problem with EPL, most decisions are being made with one thing in mind: MONEY!
Sammy The Snake
You make it sound like making most decisions with money in mind is somehow wrong.
Tell me, how many decisions do you make in your life without “money in mind”?
Leeds and Rangers are just 2 high profile examples of what can happen when you make decisions WITHOUT money in mind !!
The main reason why Scholes is getting away with his unhealthy obsession with Mesut is the same one behind the campaign media had had against Veron when he was supposed to kick Scholes out of the team. The Argentinian was a world-class playmaker, arguably the best one in Europe. He was forced out of United to keep Scholes and xenophobes happy. Now the German, the best passer that has played in Premiership, is there to prove Scholes’ passing wasn’t the best possible.
Never liked Scholes in any way when it comes to football. Don’t know him any other way.
Newcastle set to make record profits with 13 fit players – says it all. Yes, I remember when Bobby Robson got sacked – absolute disgrace.
Nice points about us ‘fading’ at the end of the season, Tony. But when did the gentlemen of the press let the facts get in the way of a story?