By Tony Attwood
Situations are complex. Virtually all situations are complex. Some are incredibly complex.
Of course the brain simplifies them by putting habits in place and skills in place so we don’t actually have to think how to move the muscles to put one foot in front of the other, but that just hides the complexity of what we are doing.
Because I learned how to touch type as a teenager I look at the screen as I type this and my fingers do the business, without my even having a thought about it. Anyone can learn to do it, but it is a phenomenally complicated operation. The benefit is of course it doubles the speed of your typing.
Same with footballers – they don’t think before each move and each kick – if they did they’d probably fall over before getting anywhere near the ball. And because they don’t have to think, there is less chance that the defender will know either.
And where is this leading? To the simple fact that when you ask anyone to change a part of their behaviour it is difficult. Ask eleven people to change something that they do for a living all day long and have been doing for quite a long time, and you get chaos.
The question then becomes, is the chaos worth it? The answer is yes if it leads to us shooting up the league, and having the sort of 10 match unbeaten run that was commonplace in the last 22 years, and ultimately win a cup or three.
Thus if we take it that there never has been a chance of Arsenal going from 6th to 1st in the Premier League in one season, then a fair bit of changing and mucking around with the system and the way the squad is used to playing, could be the sort of pain that in the longer run is worth it.
And maybe loyal supporters will take that and stay with it, knowing that booing the team, and writing negative articles about them, will most certainly not make anything better happen. (Incidentally there is medical evidence that people who moan a lot are more likely to get cancer, so there is a benefit in being happy). (Actually I just made that up – sorry slipped into journalist mode there for a moment).
Anyway, change takes time and during change lots of things go wrong. Try getting an emergency plumber on a Saturday morning in time for you to make it to the train to get to Arsenal.
So, you’re just lucky then (or you’ve never tried to get an emergency plumber). But change for most of us is chaotic because our habits are broken. It’s a bit like me trying to type on Walter’s computer which is set out in the Flemish style. After the first words came out “cialmb 0 kekj= 2kx” I knew this was going to be hard work.
In a changing situation managers tend to be quieter than normal, especially those who don’t speak the language very well. Mr Wenger always spoke to the journalists and answered every question with humour and grace, took the abuse, and moved on. Mr Emery is still learning his way around, but he did a good one when asked, “When you spoke to Özil on Thursday about what you wanted to see from, did you plan to play him in a different position?”
Mr E replied “Maybe,” and in my book that is 1-0 to the boss. But of course the press decided that a hand movement made around about the same time spoke volumes – in particular the volumes they wanted the gesture to speak. They could read the boss’ mind. The hand spoke of tension, breaking points, arguments, screaming. Oh yes and unnamed sources.
So when do we know journalists are making it up? Well, most of the time, but particularly when they interpret body language like that. Mr Emery is being set up by the media as the fall guy, the man who can’t handle the top player. And yet this is the man who handled Neymar. Odd that.
The fact is that at Arsenal the manager is changing the style, and we have problems with two leading players: Özil who is missing games and Ramsey who won’t sign a new contract. Put those three together and life is going to be difficult enough without snide journalistic comments like, “Özil may want to leave his sickbed as soon as possible,” and comments which actually when you work on them a bit make no sense at all such as “Unai Emery adds to uncertainty over Mesut Ozil’s Arsenal absence with hint of positional change.” Mr Emery said the man was sick – which removes uncertainty not the reverse.
I think the change to the pressing style will take a couple of months to get sorted which means that we should have it done by the time the major cups come along which in the broader context of new manager, new approach, new style, new players and rabid journalists, is fair enough.
But that’s just me. I find being positive makes life, well, just a bit nicer.
Finally back on line after a great weekend in England and a great match of football with an Arsenal win to make it even better.
Live can be great and not even an unpredicted spat of rain can change that…
Gord, the issue that Untold has with random switching from PC to Android format must be in the basic rendering of the screen where an incorrect switch is being selected. I’m sure within your coding expertise you must be able to figure what the solution is.
Although I have no tech knowledge of this I have been told about it. But we are still trying to move Untold to a new server and move across to https:// The techs don’t want to do anything until we have got those things sorted, and then it is top of my list.
Tony
Arsenal might be in for a really rough ride this season with some more patchy performances to come. Having said that, if the players are mentally ready and can manage to stay fit they would surely master Emery’s formula (he does have one right?) for dispatching the “up and comers” and getting decent results vs the “big five” (….er right now we are the 6th of the big six… in principle, not on the log)
We could actually make 4th place this season but who would switch places with us?
*-Liverpool really really think this is their season…so obvious!
*-As usual Chelsea have another “new” new coach
*-And Spurs just grew a few more chest hairs
*-United could come to life at any time….any time
*-And City think they can swagger to another title.
What good is the Premier league if I can sit at home and list the top five for this season?
What a time for a surprise team to sneak in. There has got to be a surprise in store… right?
Good one Tony. Unfortunately the World Wide Web age has reduced so many things to the click of the mouse or the ‘send’ button on the handset. You can hail a cab without being on the street, but you better be on the street to meet the cabbie or your intention to go somewhere remains a wish. You can buy an airline ticket, check in, get a boarding pass and log your luggage all online, but you better haul yourself down to the airport/boarding gate or you aren’t going anywhere.
The common thread in all of these is the instant gratification they produce in the consumer – yes, that’s what we are to them – not human beings who have individual, unique and differing abilities that cannot be found in any of the other 6 billion persons in the World. When we bring it down to the level of the 25 or so EPL players of AFC you can see how you have to deal with 25 different characters who have been used to playing in a certain way over many years. ‘Old habits die hard’ – this is still true.
The media continues to propagate an agenda that is so stereotypical about AFC – that the Club is in perpetual decline – which, many supporters swallow ‘hook, line and sinker’ and do no thinking on their own. Unai and the players will need all the support yours and similar media outlets can offer to pull through the changes they are implementing successfully. The haters can continue the way they wish but will eventually be denied the satisfaction they seek in denigrating AFC relentlessly.
Bobome you said -The media continues to propagate an agenda that is so stereotypical about AFC – that the Club is in perpetual decline – which, many supporters swallow ‘hook, line and sinker’ and do no thinking on their own.
If you look at the facts which are the results and league tables from the last 3 years ,you cannot deny that the statement is true.We look to be moving as a club further from the top teams not closer.This is down to a manager who had stayed too long at the club combined with an owner that has showed no ambition whatsoever and hasnt invested a penny.Uni Emery is a damn fine manager and I just hope that he can get to grips with the players and change their attitude and workrate and concentrate as much on the defensive aspect of the game as the attacking.
“WE ARE INTELLECTUAL PROSTITUTES”
One night, probably in 1880, John Swinton, then the preeminent New York journalist, was the guest of honour at a banquet given him by the leaders of his craft. Someone who knew neither the press nor Swinton offered a toast to the independent press. Swinton outraged his colleagues by replying: There is no such thing, at this date of the world’s history, in America, as an independent press. You know it and I know it.
There is not one of you who dares to write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinion out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you who would be so foolish as to write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another job. If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my paper, before twenty-four hours my occupation would be gone.
The business of the journalists is to destroy the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fawn at the feet of mammon, and to sell his country and his race for his daily bread. You know it and I know it, and what folly is this toasting an independent press?
We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes. We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes.”
“WE ARE INTELLECTUAL PROSTITUTES”
One night, probably in 1880, John Swinton, then the preeminent New York journalist, was the guest of honour at a banquet given him by the leaders of his craft. Someone who knew neither the press nor Swinton offered a toast to the independent press. Swinton outraged his colleagues by replying: There is no such thing, at this date of the world’s history, in America, as an independent press. You know it and I know it.
There is not one of you who dares to write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinion out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you who would be so foolish as to write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another job. If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my paper, before twenty-four hours my occupation would be gone.
The business of the journalists is to destroy the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fawn at the feet of mammon, and to sell his country and his race for his daily bread. You know it and I know it, and what folly is this toasting an independent press?
We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes. We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes.”
http://www.alamoministries.com/content/english/newsreleases/prostitutes.html
Nick, quick send in your CV you are clearly a football genius who knows more than Arsene Wenger.