By Tony Attwood
There is an article in the Daily Star which basically says that if Arsenal do not get off to a good start next season, supporters will be calling for the manager to be sacked.
I don’t know if that is true at any level. A terrific run this season, after the first two games, got people excited but as soon as the defeat to Southampton happened, then the worries started – and of course results since then have not been so good. Supporters can turn after just a couple of bad results, whenever they happen.
Also the issue with Ozil had nothing particularly to do with results, but it has caused a lot of concern among some supporters, showing that results are not everything.
But what both issues have done is given the rancid media a chance to run anti-Arsenal headlines, and that is always the great desire of the media, simply because Arsenal are historically the top London team.
I make that last point because a number of Tottenham supporters wrote in recently noting that we wrote about Tottenham while Tottenham blogs didn’t write about Arsenal. One might argue that this is because we have a broader perspective than they do and so write about lots of teams, but also because historically Arsenal is by far the most significant London club. Thus comparing Arsenal and Tottenham is never something Tottenham fans like to do.
Indeed this historical perspective is often completely lost on some supporters – but it is worth noting. Here are the winners of the First division and the Premier League.
| Club | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | ||
| Liverpool | ||
| Arsenal | ||
| Everton | ||
| Aston Villa | ||
| Sunderland | ||
| Chelsea | ||
| Manchester City | ||
| Newcastle United | ||
| Sheffield Wednesday | ||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
| Leeds United | ||
| Huddersfield Town | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | ||
| Preston North End | ||
| Tottenham Hotspur | ||
| Derby County | ||
| Burnley | ||
| Portsmouth |
Only three London clubs have ever won the Football League Division I or the Premier League, Arsenal with 13 titles, Chelsea with six and Tottenham with two. I guess that does make writing about football in a broader context, particularly a historical context, difficult for other London clubs. And of course it shows why the London based media love to bash Arsenal.
But the issue of the fans possibly turning on the current manager if things don’t get off to a great start next season, is one that could well tempt the people who like to hold up two word placards to dig them out again, cross out “Wenger” and write in “Emery”.
And that would mean that they have still not understood that simply changing the manager does not always work. It can do for a short or long while, but much of the time it makes no real difference at all.
Looking at the table above should also remind us all that whatever we thought about Ferguson and his tactics, he was a very successful manager. But we should also not forget the two stories that constantly circulate about his early career.
The former chair of Manchester United, Martin Edwards, said that having replaced Ron Atkinson in 1986, Ferguson would have been sacked in 1990 if he had not won the FA cup that year. Others have varied the story and said that if he had lost the game against Nottingham Forest that season he would have gone. But it is a similar point: managers not only need to bring success to big clubs, they need to bring it within a short amount of time. And that amount of time is getting shorter each year.
In that interview Edwards added, “When you think about it, he came in in late 1986 and we didn’t win the league until 1993, so we gave him six or seven seasons to win that league. It is important that you give managers time to build and look at how we have benefitted from that decision.”
But time of course is not what managers are given these days. But I think there is a second attribute that is lost – and that is historical perspective.
The Tottenham fans crowing that they don’t think about Arsenal, while Untold carried a piece that mentioned Tottenham, makes this very clear. Tottenham, can’t have a sense of perspective because history is with Arsenal. But in looking at our own history we have to realise that we have been in the first division since 1919, so we are coming up to 100 years (although not 100 seasons of course, since the league shut down for the second world war).
We have won the league 13 times in those 100 years. Or put another way we have won it once every seven years excluding the war years. Yes it is time to win it again, but we are not that much overdue.
(Incidentally if any supporters of other clubs want to seize on the issue of the promotion of 1919 and suggest it was fixed, they might care to have a brief look at the definitive history of the era rather than take the word of an embittered ex-manager.).
I think it is worth adding* that Everton have won the league FIUR times since Sp*rs last did so. In fact Ipswich, Leeds, Derby, Nottingham Forest, Villa and of course ‘and’ Leicester have all won the top league title since the Tinies last did so (so it’s not simply about being a ‘money bags’ club). Even Chelsea (with their deep pockets) have a long way to match our post war trophy record and the Spuds are a distant blip on the horizon. This is their best team in a generation however, and we may have to accept that we will be playing second (or third) fiddle to them for a while as London’s top postponed club. They have a great squad, a good manager, and (soon) they will have a stadium to rival ours and United’s.
But football is cyclical – just look at United’s fall and rise and Liverpool!!’s resurgence. Leeds might even be back the in top flight next season and where are some of those names on the list today (Preston NE, Blackburn, and Sunderland)? We might go a few years in the wilderness but we’ll be back. I’ve been watching Arsenal for 30 years, Andrew for more than 40, and Tony’s been a ST holder at the Ems and Highbury since 1920. So we do need some perspective folks.
* because it’s funny, if nothing else
once more (with spelling corrected)
I think it is worth adding* that Everton have won the league FOUR times since Sp*rs last did so. In fact Ipswich, Leeds, Derby, Nottingham Forest, Villa and of course ‘and’ Leicester have all won the top league title since the Tinies last did so (so it’s not simply about being a ‘money bags’ club). Even Chelsea (with their deep pockets) have a long way to match our post war trophy record and the Spuds are a distant blip on the horizon. This is their best team in a generation however, and we may have to accept that we will be playing second (or third) fiddle to them for a while as London’s top postioned club. They have a great squad, a good manager, and (soon) they will have a stadium to rival ours and United’s.
But football is cyclical – just look at United’s fall and rise and Liverpool!!’s resurgence. Leeds might even be back the in top flight next season and where are some of those names on the list today (Preston NE, Blackburn, and Sunderland)? We might go a few years in the wilderness but we’ll be back. I’ve been watching Arsenal for 30 years, Andrew for more than 40, and Tony’s been a ST holder at the Ems and Highbury since 1920. So we do need some perspective folks.
* because it’s funny, if nothing else
Blacksheep
Exactly.
Spurs are a good side with a good manager and may win something at last this season, but equally they may not, and if they just manage a top 4 finish and say runners up in a cup, will their fans turn on them like ours do on us?
Will the media criticise them remorselessly?
I doubt it.
But having a bunch of whinging fans that are not happy with 3 Fa cups and a bunch of top 4 finishes is the price you pay for being so successful for so long.
Having fans that wet their pants at the mere sniff of a trophy is the luxury you get when you’ve been so shite for so long.
That being said I think Pochettino has done a great job and if he does win something good luck to him.
Off topic but I’m on my way to Borehamwood for this enening’s WSL fixture against bottom of the table Yeovil Town. Anything other than a win will be a real shock but it does depend to a degree as to who is fit. In the FA Cup loss to Chelsea last Sunday we could only name 5 substitutes, two of whom were 17 years old and ideally we would be rotating other players to ensure they are fresh for the Continental Cup final on Saturday (06:30 coach from the Emirates which will be a shock to my system).
Updates later as the game progresses
Plus it has to be said my Spurs mates and colleagues are a much fairer lot than most of the Arsenal guys I know, bunch of whinging ingrates, so they will get a beer from me if they do win something 🍺
Arsenal fans should not before this season comes to an end start to bother about what next season’s campaign will hold for the club. But instead focus and continue focusing on Arsenal contending to get the top four place finish this season as they make exploits in the PL and in the Europa League Cup competition to win the Cup. So, let us Gooners start to pray for Arsenal if we haven’t been praying and continue to pray for the club without becoming hesitant in our prayers for Arsenal to achieve what remains of their aims and objectives this season to win titles this season but to still make a top 4th place finish and also win the Europa League Cup as well. Even though they’ve missed out on the the League Cup, the PL title and the FA Cup wins in my unlikely wild ambitions for the club to win the fithruple this season. But if the club achieve one over five of these title wins and make the top four, I will take that with satisfaction.
We don’t know how the start of next season’s campaign in the Premier League campaign will pan out for Arsenal. But nevertheless, Arsenal could start their campaign in the PL next season on the front foot winning their first 10 games to strongly positioned themselves on the top of the table and have a good chance to win the PL title but if they sustain their early charge in the season with a sustained winning performance. More so as the club is said to be due for another title win in the PL as it has been winning it on the average of 7 years in the 100 years the club has been in the top flight of the League playing there. But let’s hope the club will sign at least 4 top quality players of, a goalkeeper as replacement for Cech. But what of Martinez? Is he no longer coming back to the club? For how long will he be on the apprenticeship? Even Matt Macey too is still on the apprenticeship. But when will these 2 Arsenal goalkeepers finish learning work and come back to the club to start working? A right winger, a left back and a striker next summer window to reinforce the first team squad should be on the cards at Arsenal but if there is funding to do these 4 signings. Or on the alternative, an internal solution could be embraced to bypass doing some of these signings by promoting one or two matured youth Arsenal players from the club’s U23 squad to the first team squad. As for centrebacks signing by the club next summer, but do Arsenal in all honesty need centrebacks signing next summer as Holding will hopeful come back to the club at the start of next season? Chambers will return to the club from the loan market. The youth midfield player Nelson will be back to the club to bolster the midfield options in the squad. The highly rated Smith too will be back to the club next summer. But what of Ospina? Will his contract at Arsenal expired next summer?
Half time and no score. Yeovil with ten players behind the ball. Pushing and pulling the whole time unpenalised ny the referee. An entirely forgettable first half.
We need to get the ball forward more quickly before they get the bus parked. We should have had two penalties so far as well which would be normal for a Yeovil game.
Definitely a tilted pitch so far.
A better second half saw us win three nil. Only when they were two goals down did Yeovil have more than one player in our half
Our first saw Kim Little score from inside the six yard area when at last we had a presentable chance. Our second a couple of minutes later when the referee couldn’t ignore yet another penalty shout and also booked the offending player. Kim Little again making no mistake. The third was a delightful curler from Beth Mead over the keeper and into the top of the net,
Thanks Andrew!
Who was the last Spurs manager to win a trophy of any importance ?
How many trophies has Pochettino won in his career as manager ?
Do we really care ?
AMEN Brickfields!