By Sir Hardly Anyone
So here we are third in the league, the top team in the southern half of the country, one point behind last season’s champions.
You might, if you were perhaps a believer that there are Arsenal fans who support their team, who like their team, who actually want their team to win, think this is a good thing. But what do we find in the headlines?
“‘Wow’, ‘Get out of my club’ – These Arsenal fans have had enough of £16.2m-rated player” (
Of course in that case one might blame Mr Wenger and the transfer staff who brought him to Arsenal, for not explaining that abuse of players was the norm at the club, but then if that were made public by the club we’d never bring in anyone.
All teams can improve of course but the notion that despite their position Arsenal uniquely needs a completely new squad is going a bit far. But that is what the Boot Room suggests with “19 players Arsenal should target; one from every PL club.”
Of course for some of these sites nothing is ever good enough, as can be seen with another Transfer Tavern headline ‘Hope you don’t turn out to be another Sanogo’ – reporting that this was said about a statement of ambition about becoming a legend at Arsenal from Martinelli.
I mean to say, the guy has given us everything, he is very young, he spoke very respectfully and a group of morons come up with that – that is bad enough. But to then publish it as a headline really is awful.
Of course these are moments when supporters who actually believe in support are relishing the return of our defence with Bellerin, Tierney and Holding all back and fit, while Chambers is showing a return to form that seemed to be lost before and in his loan spells. But no, they want to be negative about a youngster.
Meanwhile we have had loads of headlines saying Ceballos wants out and that notions that he ever said he wanted to stay are not true. With Arsenal blogs and reports like these you can’t blame the guy for wanting to get out, but it is sad. “Dani Ceballos “fully intends” to return to Real Madrid once his loan spell at Arsenal is over – and says quotes claiming he wanted a permanent move to the north London outfit have been misunderstood,” says TeamTalk.
So with the notion that Arsenal have multiple problems all over the place, it is not surprising that the main new game in town then becomes “Arsenal’s biggest problem.”
One drainpipe (I really can’t call these idiots “outlets” any more) has even run an online voting scheme in which you can vote for Arsenal’s biggest problem – although of course they don’t include themselves.
Pepe, Ozil, Ceballos all feature as well.
But most of all there is the point that “Arsenal’s biggest problem?” is now a constant headline and a search for the phrase “Arsenal’s biggest problem” on Google gives nearly 2.5 million articles to choose from.
Here is a selection…
“Michael Owen names Unai Emery’s biggest problem” (Metro)
“Why Granit Xhaka is emerging as Unai Emery’s biggest problem” (Metro)
“Five of Arsenal’s biggest problems…” (Goal)
“Arsenal’s biggest problem remains unsolved” (Football London)
“ESPN pundit highlights Arsenal’s biggest problem this summer” (Arsenal Mania)
What makes it particularly interesting is that go back two years and we had the headlines such as “Arsenal’s biggest problem is Arsene Wenger” (that from 90 Extra and many other places).
That headline was published on 7 November 2017. And we still have Arsenal’s biggest problem headlines running all the time.
So it goes on. Except that the biggest problem remains the reporters and the supporters who follow them – and yet they will never admit it.
‘So it goes on’
Yes, it does doesn’t it!
How do you manage to make it through the day Tony?
I have said it before and I will say it again. Arsenal’s biggest problems are their plastic fans who are on welfare, disgusting and play Championship Manager all day. None of their rants backup by facts or sensible details. And I know these lazy bums started follow Arsenal when we were the best in the land. It’s just too easy for such fans for fake self glory. We are starting to see the same trend among Man City and Chelsea fans. And social media is the land of opportunity for these morons. Off script; I blame a lot on foreigners who think they understand English football but they shamefully don’t. Probably because we have over the top pride from bias, emotional and senseless English failures among pundits.
Arsenal’s biggest problem? Listening to those people who wish to tells us what our biggest problem is. I do wonder when we will see the same stories with the spuds biggest problem or Ole’s biggest problem. Oh thats right we wont because we have spuds and Mancheatster uhated ex- players proving their managerial incompetence on our television coverage. As to newspaper and online reporting, I feel they show the negative impact of media access for all and reflect the desire to make a quick buck with the least possible effort. Thankfully they are all victims of the decline in attention span so they are unable to remember they have run the stories and headlines so many times previously so therefore think the public at large as dumb as themselves. There are some hopeful signs out there as I regularly read some sites where their articles start by stating they are opinion and offer reasons for arriving at that way of looking at the subject matter. Sadly a minority in a world that is becoming duller and duller by the day in all aspects of life, not just sports journalism
Very easily Masterstroke. I do research and look at the results, and have a wonderful group of friends all of whom know that the secret to being happy is within oneself, and extends outwards through friendships.
@ Michael Ram
Nice speech until you got to “Off script; I blame a lot on foreigners who think they understand English football but they shamefully don’t. Probably because we have over the top pride from bias, emotional and senseless English failures among pundits.”
These so called foreigners were not at the stadium calling for Wenger’s Head, that was the english fans.
These so called foreigners were not carrying placards, staging protests in home and away games and flying moronic banners on airplanes, that was the english fans.
These so called foreigners are not Sky and BT sports studios claiming to know the all about arsenal’s problems when they can’t even coach a sunday school league in their neighbourhood.
No matter what you say, foreigners are not arsenal’s problem. Ipso facto, foreigners are more tolerant than english fans. And if you really think we are the problem, then you are obviously part of the “Get out of My club brigade” Sir Hardly Anyone was referring to.
Arsenal fans are basically in a war against the tabloids. The tabloids amplify the tiny slice of the most negative fans until they are by far the loudest faction. They want to stoke animosity between fans and players, sabotage us and cause chaos all in the name of getting good headlines. Arsenal fans have to try not to take the bait and decide in their hearts that they’ll support the lads as if we’re the 12th man on the pitch. We’ll will our players into top form and victory and help propel some victories and silverware. They want us to fall apart. Let’s not. COYG!!!
All these anonymous poisonous scibblers are shamed by Mustafi who has shown real class by going public with his views on the vicious treatment he has received from certain “fans” and bloggers, including being blamed for losing games he didn’t play in.
He played well when he joined in 2016, and 2017, and is now working his way back into the team. With key players returning from injury, we now have two very effective defensive units to cover the different competitions we’re in. Can’t wait for the interdull to end
COYG
OT: Arsenal Women playing Chelsea Women
I think the lineup on the twit feed was given via a picture, so I can’t see it. But the bench was inserted as text:
OT: Chelsea Women v Arsenal Women
Okay, that drainpipe in Manchester had the starting XI:
COYWG!
OT: Chelsea Women v Arsenal Women
Miedema sets up Van de Donk for the first goal of the game.
I wonder if Andrew or any other Untolder’s are watching the game?
COYWG!
OT: Chelsea Women v Arsenal Women
That manchester drainpipe continues to just gush over Chel$ea, but for Arsenal it is how with we are dithering all over.
COYWG!
OT: Chelsea Women v Arsenal Women
Arsenal give up a goal, and the game is now 1-1. That manchester drainpipe is still gushing all over Chel$ea.
COYWG!
OT: Chelsea Women v Arsenal Women
The manchester drainpipe has this in their commentary:
If Chel$ea are playing with violent intent, how come they are getting fouls and cards?
COYWG!
OT: Chelsea Women v Arsenal Women
Most of the machester drainpipe gushing was over Ji. It appears she hurt herself taking a shot on 79 minues, and is substituted at 81m.
COYWG!
OT: Chelsea Women v Arsenal Women
Chel$ea score on 86m. Gunners, we need at least 1 goal in the next few minutes.
COYWG!
OT: Chelsea Women v Arsenal Women
So far, the Arsenal twit feed consists of 5 comments, and they haven’t mentioned the 2-1 Chel$ea goal yet. Machester drainpipe last whoed 90m, so we are in extra time now.
COYWG!
OT: Chelsea Women v Arsenal Women
BBC has the stats. Possession was about even. Chel$e had about double the number of shots and shots on target. Corners were about even, d Chel$ea had double the fouls, and we got double the cards. No surprise there.
That sees us drop into 3rd, 3 points behind Man$ity, 1 behind Chel$ea and 3 ahead of ManU.
Nice try Gunners!
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We have a clutch of English ex-players that lack the spine and integrity to defend the club against many of the unjustifiable attack triggered by ex-players of other clubs. Players like Keown are so pathetic, they would rather join in the chorus of negativity rather than point out the blatant bias and spurious and incessant criticisms. They are often so worried about being seen as biased towards their former clubs, they will bend backwards as to be as critical of the team and club befitting the most extreme anti-arsenal blog or pundit. When you put these on top of the biased media, obnoxious arsenal bloggers and some retarded fans, it seems like open season on Arsenal. Arsene Wenger showed how you handle the media when they are keen to generate negative headline.
@King2
I don’t think Keown lacks spine. Merson, Smith, … I don’t know. I suspect all have them were hired on the basis that they would continuously bad mouth Arsenal.
So, they are all mercenaries.
From the evidence so far, I think that they are hired as pundits , as they make fine puppets , and don’t mind having a hand up their arses.
Also they all useless as managers, and probably in any other job too.
Would do hire any of these clowns , well other than clowns for your kids’ parties?
Or as a pinata ?
@ Gord
I can’t imagine an international broadcaster inserting an explicit anti-arsenal bias into their terms of engagement. More likely, that the culture in the organisation is so transparently biased against arsenal that it is better for their career prospects to adopt an aggressive anti-arsenal tone. I wouldn’t put Merson in that group though, he is simply an utter moron.
Bad
Last season Arsenal set a new record by allowing 13.1 shots per game.
This season it is 17 per game so far.
The worst under Wenger was 11.9 in 2013-14.
The Invincibles allowed 9.9 per match https://
@Brickfields Gunners -14/10/2019 at 12:51 pm I can see a great opportunity in providing pundit shaped pinatas for all kinds of parties. There is surely an untapped demand for this. I would definitely take a swipe.
@ King2 – 14/10/2019 at 4:31 pm Couldn’t agree with you more about Merson.