By Tony Attwood
OK it is true we haven’t just beaten Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham, and Manchester City.
But we have just won four in a row, which considering that in November and December we went eight domestic games without a win is something of an improvement.
Plus we also knocked in a couple of goals again, when in those eight games between 8 November and 22 December we scored just four goals.
This time it has been 10 goals in four domestic games. Our average for the whole season in the Premier League has been 4.5 goals in four games. Another sign of improvement.
So have people really forgotten what that run was like, losing and drawing to Villa, Leeds, Wolverhampton, Tottenham, Burnley (yes Burnley), Southoutampton, Everton and Manchester City? One after the other after the other.
The solution we were told over and over again was to buy more and more players and get rid of more and more players. We couldn’t of course because the window was shut. Now that we are winning the answer (if there actually is a question) is still the same: buy more and more players.
But that was what we did last summer, and the summer before; in short that is what got us into this mess – that and changing managers of course. Following this logic we will soon see the argument that Arsene Wenger oversaw 1235 games with Arsenal but that was too many, and we got rid of Unai Emery after 78 games and that was too many, and well Mikel Arteta has been with us for 55 games – maybe it is time for a new manager. 55 games – that’s quite a lot. Probably too many.
OK the last four games were not against the greatest teams in the league: Chelsea are the best of the bunch we’ve played in this run and now they are just 9th, but four wins is a damn sight better than what we had before.
So are the headlines reflecting this upturn? Not a bit of it. Just look at this…
- Ian Wright says two Arsenal players were ‘very poor’ tonight (
- “Crocodile tears” – Pundit slams Arsenal star for “conning” the club ahead of likely transfer (
- ‘Could move to a big club’: Pundit sends tweet about brilliant £25m Arsenal player (
- ‘We’ll keep trying with him’ – Mikel Arteta defends struggling Arsenal star (Saliba left with egg on his face as unconvincing start to loan at Nice continues (
- Hunger Saves Arsenal, Again. (
- Kieran Tierney rapidly outgrowing misfiring Gunners (S
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‘About time’: Mikel Arteta sends message to underperforming Arsenal player after last night (HITC)
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Mikel Arteta speaks out on Willian form as Arsenal struggles continue (
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What’s happened to William Saliba? (
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Arteta defends Willian after struggling Arsenal star slammed by Piers Morgan (
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Wolves told why Diego Costa would choose them over Arsenal (Birmingham Live)
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Ian Wright criticises ‘very, very poor’ Nicolas Pepe and Willian (Mail)
And that is just the start. It is a media technique that goes on and on and has been going on for a long old time. Knock Arsenal. Knock Arsenal. Knock Arsenal.
Indeed it carries on even when we are winning. In fact even when Arsenal were at their all time greatest this was going on, with a general theme that “if it wasn’t for Henry, Arsenal wold be sinking.” But the simple fact was that Henry was there. And so were the rest of the squad at that time, but look back and you’ll find the negativity.
Even to the extent that on 31 August 2003 (the start of the unbeaten season) the Times reported the league match against Man City as containing “the worst 45 minutes [by Arsenal] that any of their fans could remember”. It ended Manchester City 1 Arsenal 2.
The table at that point read…
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 12 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 9 |
| 3 | Portsmouth | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| 4 | Manchester City | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 7 |
Yep. That worst 45 minutes ever by an Arsenal team came in the Unbeaten Season.
So why does it go on? Why do the media go on and on knocking Arsenal no matter what? I’d really like to know, but I guess to find out one would have to get inside the minds of the bloggers and journalists who write this stuff, and those are not places I really want to go.
I think the media are right making an issue of willians form.
He goes down as maybe the worst transfer in premiership football history. He looks far too slow and Arsenal are stuck paying him £200k a weeks for another 3 years which further cripples Arsenal ability to but more players in the future.
Who’s responsible what is the worst decision in the clubs history?
Grow up. What is the matter with you. Write something about football, not the press. You are a fruit cake. It’s so boring when your articles appear because every one is the same. Don’t you have anything else to say?
Bad news sells and that’s not really news is it, we’ve known it for years.
Just ignore them…
Well Ab I will try and explain it to you, although I do find your commentary on the issue of the media rather strange.
You see, the point is that the way most people think is influenced by the opinions and ideas that they hear around them. And when there is a dominant line of thinking behind the ideas, then a fair number of people can find themselves believing that this ideas-stream is in fact the way everyone is thinking, and is in short, the truth. When it fact it is just one way of thinking.
That seems to me quite a bad thing in itself, but it also raises the issue of why are so many in the media pushing the same idea over and over again – which is again worth questioning in my view.
But there is a much bigger point. You, for example, are clearly stating that you think there is something wrong with my mentality and view of the world. OK, that’s fair enough, each to their own opinion. And yet despite this you have also self-evidently been reading what I write – and reading quite a lot it seems since your question at the end suggests you are sure you know about the range of my writing.
Now I would ask, why are you continuing to read something that you think is childish (as in “grow up”) and has nothing to do with football, and is insane (“fruit cake”) and dull. And yet (and this is the amazing thing) you keep on reading them – as you obviously must have done, to know (as you suggest) they are all the same.
It is because of this strange state of affairs that I keep writing.
Ab – allow me to tell you something about football. The media report on the game and supporters watch it and the PGMOL abuse every Law ever written on sport……and you my friend are an example of what is pumped into the ball.
Stay safe and read untold with an open (yours being empty) mind.
Allezkev
“Bad news sells”
Since when is slagging someone/something off ‘bad News’ ?
The local paper reporting that your favourite restaurant is closing is ‘Bad News’. The local paper insulting every dish on the menu, the service and the prices, is ‘insulting’ your favourite restaurant. Spot the difference ?
Don’t you think that before commenting perhaps you should understand the difference ?
Jonny Arsenal
“I think the media are right making an issue of Willians form. He goes down as maybe the worst transfer in premiership football history”.
I agree that Willian isn’t playing well and has been a disappointment, but that’s it. Why do you have to add “the worst transfer in premier football history” ? That is simply ridiculous.
Firstly he was a free transfer. Secondly we are only just half way through the season. Thirdly he has a joined a team low in confidence. But typically of so many Arsenal fans you seem intent on over criticising your own club and or player. Why would you even want to do that?
Okay, as I say, thus far he’s been a disappointment, but no more, no less.