The Arsenal story about today’s game that is so bonkers it had us all laughing

By Bulldog Drummond

We are often asked why, when we are so much against what the media does, we keep giving the media coverage and thus publicity on Untold.

Two reasons for this.  The big one is that so many people still seem to take what the media says seriously, even though most, when challenged deny this.

The other one is that some of what the media puts out is so silly that although it is utterly misleading and outrageous it does make us laugh.  Do they really think anyone, and I mean anyone, is going to take this seriously?

Take this for example

Pundit fears Arsenal v Villareal could be called off amid ‘disgusting’ development

The storyteller is Football Insider and their notion is this

“Thursday’s meeting between Arsenal and Villarreal could be called off if fans decided to take inspiration from events at Old Trafford at the weekend.

“That is according to ex-Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny, speaking exclusively to Football Insider ahead of the Europa League semi-final second-leg.”

Now some exclusives are exclusive because the story is so big the person with the story can make some money out of it.   But others are exclusive because the story is so daft no one would touch it with a barge pole.

It continues, “Arsenal supporters are similarly disenfranchised and recently launched a wave of demonstrations against their own ruling regime, KSE.  Kenny called the scenes at Old Trafford “disgusting” but feared there could be a repeat on Thursday evening at the Emirates.

“I hope not but it could happen,” he told Football Insider correspondent Adam Williams.”

So first off, who is Paddy Kenny?  Well a respected goalkeeper who played 619 games for clubs such as Bury and Sheffield United, plus QPR and Leeds, between 1998 to 2014.  A man of experience who has been there and done it, and thus his opinion has some merit.  Indeed in 2006 he won the Championship runners’up medal and then in 2011 actually won the championship with QPR.

But does he have inside information?  Well we have no details of a job since 2018 and I am not sure he has any insight into Arsenal.

And Arsenal’s situation is not the same as Man U where the owners refuse to discuss matters with the fans.  Arsenal are engaging in discussions with fans groups, and indeed the fan organisation that Untold works with (Arsenal Independent Supporters Assn) is getting on very well with the job of discussing with Arsenal in meetings.

Now it is true that there is also Black Scarf, who claim to be the largest Arsenal supporters group, and Arsenal Supporters Trust who… well, claim to be the largest Arsenal supporters group.  I can’t say what’s going on inside either of those august organisations, because I am not a member but judging by their previous actions (AST accusing the directors of taking money out of the club for their own purposes instead of spending it on transfers, Black Scarf promoting various anti-Wenger activities) I doubt that much is going to be very positive.

But Football Insider wants us to be alert to a possible crisis or maybe even revolutionary action.  I don’t expect it, but … maybe they know something.  Sky Sports have a lot of stuff from Mr Arteta that doesn’t say anything new, and concludes that it is “crunch time for Arsenal as they prepare for their Europa League semi-final second leg against Villarreal as their European hopes for next season hang in the balance.  The Gunners trail 2-1 from the first leg in Spain last week, but Nicolas Pepe’s penalty handed Arsenal an away goal lifeline that seemed almost impossible after an hour.”

I think we knew all that didn’t we?

What I didn’t know was this – from Mr Emery’s chitchat about Pepe.  ” I met Zaha and he wanted to come. The club decided Pepe was one for the future.”  Hmmm.  Who decided I wonder.  Interesting though that Mr Emery was not in charge of transfers.  That’s a warning for whoever comes to the club next.

Anyway, here’s the Opta stuff.

• Villarreal have gone through in 15 of their 16 two-legged knock out ties in the top European competitions after winning the first leg.
• They are unbeaten in 13 games in European competition, winning each of their last nine.
• Arsenal have lost just one of their 11 knockout clashes with Spanish opponents at home (W7 D3), The only defeat was against Barcelona in the 2016 Champions League round of 16.

Nothing to worry about there.

Next up, the team.  In the meantime…

The videos

• Arsenal against Villarreal. Videos from all the past matches

What Arsenal need to fix

• So what can we do about Arsenal next season?
• What has happened to two of last season’s goalscorers?
• Proof that the media is inventing statistics to show there’s no ref bias.
• It is from this moment that football’s future will be decided