By Bulldog Drummond
Two bits of fake news have dominated the media; one that the low crowd on Thursday was somehow Mr Emery’s fault, rather than being a wholly botched attempted by Arsenal FC to manage the number of people arriving without a ticket, and the second that Freddie could not manage Arsenal because he does not have the right coaching licence – or alternatively that Freddie does have the licence, or that the licence doesn’t matter as he’s allowed to carry on managing without it, as long as he is studying to do it, or as long as he does it in the summer.
I tried to look up the definitive rulings on the FA website (the FA being in control of such matters [I use the word “control” in its broadest sense – as in “not having a clue about”] across the whole of English football, but on “Coach – The website for the English football association” I got the message
The PFA site is a bit more helpful in that it outlines the Uefa Pyramid of regulations for coaching including
- Level 5, UEFA Pro Licence (focus on how to manage)
A mandatory qualification for managing in the FA Premier League and UEFA competitions.
Most candidates complete in 12 months - Level 4, UEFA A Licence (focus on phases of play, 9v9 games and 11v11 match play)
Work as a manager/coach in the professional game, or Academy Manager. - Most candidates complete within 2 years.
Those who doubt Freddie’s legitimacy to take over at Arsenal suggest he only has a Level 4 qualification.
I can’t find a definitive statement (as in a list from Uefa as to who has the qualification), but if he doesn’t have the qualification Freddie is going to have difficulty doing it locally. For as you may know if you are a regular Untold reader, the FA runs very few such courses, and they are far more expensive (largely because the FA is nigh on bankrupt and totally dependent on government handouts, meaning the hard working souls at Untold Arsenal are helping to pay for the FA through their taxes!) than in most of the rest of Europe.
Many just give up on the FA and take their qualifications (or “badges” as they are rather sweetly known in the press) in Wales. But of course they can be taken anywhere.
So, we have no answer on whether Freddie can carry on, or for how long. Some say yes, some say no, some don’t even acknowledge the question, and some say bananas.
Gilberto Silva as part of the staff?
As the invisible wall Gilberto was low profile on the pitch, and has been low profile ever since, although reports (stop laughing at the back – it is all I have to go on) suggest that he and Edu are very much in touch – what with Gilberto still living in England.
Gilberto was quoted (when Edu came to Arsenal) as saying, “It’s worrying when you can’t compete with other clubs for good players but Arsenal need to sign around three or four players. A big difference from the national team, he will now face daily pressure. You play every week and you are tested every day. But little by little he will adapt.”
Gilberto was also quoted as saying Edu has the same style as Arsène Wenger, “Arsène doesn’t like to rush decisions. He had his own style, he took care of everything. All was very measured, despite having so many things to consider. I see the same in Edu. He is very careful and calculates every step.”
So Edu first, now Freddie, next Gilberto?
The problem with this tale is that Edu worked with Unai Emery at Valencia, so it could just be a bit of background chit chat derived from a newspaperman added two and two together and getting π. (That is a mathematical joke, but not a very funny one so just ignore it if you don’t know what I’m talking about).
But of course just a couple of days into the job and the knives are also out for Freddie saying he is too close to the likes of Joe Willock and Bukayo Saka, too friendly with the team by half, and the “senior players” to use the in phrase of the moment, do not take to him.
In short, Freddie’s honeymoon is over, and the knives of Fleet Street are out, with new names being circulated. Freddie’s probably got about two days to prove himself with a 6-0 win at the concrete pit before he’s being lambasted by the anti-Arsenal Arsenal.
Nuno Espírito Santo, which is not the embodiment of the Holy Spirit at lunchtime, but the name of a manager, is one that is kicking around as Freddie’s successor, but others claiming to be in the know say “no”. Or “nihil” if my memory of schoolboy Latin is correct.
So, normal service is resumed. Endless rumours, mindless gibberish.
More anon…
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Very pleased that Freddie is being given a chance to revive us. Hope he can do really well and make the job permanent.
What a wonderful message Unai Emery has left for the fans and the club. No bitterness and a sadness it has not worked out for him. It shows we must always remember that coaches, and players, are human and do try their best even if falling short of their ambitions. How many so called supporters hound them and make their job so much more difficult is disgraceful and not productive.
Also may I make a statement I am NOT the Nigel who posts on another Arsenal site who because of their attitude I have no time for. I recently had a look to see if they were still as aggressive and sadly found they still are.
brave lad, Tony. I would put the camera on a stand so it points straight at you rather than up your nostrils. LOL.
Yes well it is gradually being sorted – new position, new location, others telling me how to do it, what to wear. It just started as an idea, as I did used to do some TV work years back, but I can’t believe the audience figures we are getting, nostrils or not.
The AAA and the medja forced out Wenger, and now UE. If change was needed, this is the time to do it.
I think that all members of the medja who come to Arsenal Stadium to cover a game, and all members of the medja who attend an Arsenal Press Briefing, should sign a covenant to be fair and they should be graded on what they report. If they become overwhelmingly biased; they should no longer be admitted.
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OT: Early game Newcastle 2 – 2 Man$sity
Man$ity had most of the possession, corners, shots. Fouls were approximately even at 4:6; yellows were 1:2. Man$ity inflicted a treatment on 44m.
Chel$ea 0 – 1 State Aid (64m or so)
No cards at the moment, but the fouls are 1:10. I guess Moss has forgotten whee his cards are. Chel$ea slightly leading on shots and possession. Chel$ea inflicted a treatment on State Aid at 12m, Moss sees nothing (or is it, Sargent Schultz sees nothing?). Chel$ea inflict another treatment on 36m, Sargent Schultz in the middle, “I see nothing”.
Liverpool!! 2 – 0 Brighton 71m
Livescore refuses to show statistics, even after multiple reloads. Liverpool!! might have 10 fouls with no cards, no cards for Brighton either. Nope, fouls now 2:10, so Brighton fouling away and Martin Atshitson is following Joohn Moss. Liverpool inflict a treatment on 56m, nothing seen.
Spuds 3 – 1 Bournemouth 77m
Dele Diver with the 2 first goals, Kane Diver yet to score. Fouls are 7:11 and cards are 0:1. Most other stats equal. Bournemouth inflict a treatment on the spuds at 54m, Mason sees nothing.
Man City played on a sloping pitch – nothing new there Pigmob have an agenda.
Chel$ea – State Aid
Screwy stats data, Chelsea had 1 foul, but end the game with 0? Zero fouls? Really? Moss hands out 2 yellows to State Aid in the dying minutes, probably to reduce their chance of increasing the score. In extra time, Chel$ea inflict yet another treatment, and Moss sees nothing.
Does 😈 Mike Riley look like Colonel Klink?
Liverpool!! 2 – 1 Brighton
Livescore has a player ejected on 76m, and Brighton score a goal 3m later. Fouls end 3:12, no yellows.
Spuds 3 – 2 Bournemouth
Fouls end 10:12, but all the cards go to Bournemouth. Other statistics are about even. Apparently no more treatments. But, the game ends with the Dele Diver getting two goals and Kane Diver getting none. Oh woe is me.
Some concerns ; 18 months ago the general view was that Emery Needed Time some were saying 3-4 Summer transfer windows . Of course he got half the time needed. The Ramsey situation was a problem he inherited . And who knew that Koscielny would leave ?
Will we now see a resurgent Özil ? Or defenders playing well and not as if they just met in the players tunnel ?
We know for a fact we’ve got a serious uphill climb : Like you say nothing less than 6-0 wins from now to the end of the season will shut the many negative news stories down a fraction. Meanwhile we have Riley’s VAR PGMO shenanigans to contend with .So I see The Arsenal having just a few months to do the impossible. We might have to employ hypnotists to influence the PGMO
All the same all the best to the Gunners .
NEVER GIVE UP.