By Tony Attwood
Arsenal are in trouble because of their remaining away games, says Martin
There was an insight into what is wrong with Aston Villa after the Mirror published a piece that suggested that Ashley Young has “slammed” Arsenal players for celebrating “like they won the league” after they secured the one-goal victory over Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.
As anyone who has studied group behaviour will tell you, when a group has success, no matter how modest, it is important for the group to bind together in some way. As long as that celebration does not inhibit proper performance thereafter, it is actually a really positive thing to do, rather than being something worthy of negative comment.
Hence the celebration which Young singularly failed to comprehend.
Indeed Young’s suggestion (if it is true, and this being the Mirror reporting the matter, that is of course open to doubt) shows much more about what is wrong with Villa than Arsenal. They are not bonding together. The club has only won four of the last dozen league games they have played, and as we saw once again at their stadium, it is still decorated with a tribute to their last major trophy – the European Cup 40 years ago. Fair enough, they won the pot, but to stretch that along the whole of one stand, seems a trifle over the top.
They did incidentally also win the League Cup in 1994 and 1996, but that’s about it – some runners’ up medals too, but no trophies this century.
Their bitterness is understandable, but still not very gallant.
“Villa players singled out the talented England international with tough challenges which weren’t always picked up by referee Andy Madley,” the Mirror website announced in a total transformation of its previous approach to Arsenal. Saka himself said on BT Sport that he asked the referee for a little more protection, “when players are purposefully trying to kick me.” Which seems reasonable. Do clubs have a way of communicating their concerns to the ultra-secretive PGMO? I’m not sure if they do, but they should have.
Indeed the Mirror seems to have done more than turn over a new leaf when it comes to Arsenal, doing instead a 360 degree turn (the new leaf turning being just 180 degrees), and then shooting off at 90 degrees upward in their thinking. One part of this is their attitude to Philippe Countinho who they claimed Arsenal were courting but then didn’t sign. At the time, the issue was another Arsenal failure due to Edu’s inability to get out of bed in the morning, but now the media are generally saying that Countinho was “outshone by Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe, the young Gunners again delivering the goods which showed why boss Mikel Arteta knew he could do without the Brazilian. Odegaard, in the No.10 role, in particular had a fine game.”
In fact, Arsenal is being thoroughly praised by the Mirror, just a couple of months after everyone was being criticised, from Arteta to the guys who wave the flags as the teams come out. And yet there is no admission of their past commentaries existing.
Ian Wright also came up with a good line commenting on how Saka, Smith Rowe, White, Gabriel Martinelli, Odegaard, Kieran Tierney and Aaron Ramsdale had all impressed him this season, and noting how young they are. Which is something it is easy to forget. With a bit of luck these guys are going to be with the club for a number of years, just as Thierry Henry was. And that’s what we want.
Our Ian also laid into the media (another reason why I like him so much), saying, “A lot of pundits have been very joyous in talking about Arsenal and how weak they are with no leaders. Look at them now… this Arsenal team are a young side, we’re starting to see characters grow in the side.”
Yep, I’d go with that too.
And there was one other little event of note: Saka scored Arsenal’s 2000th goal in the Premier League with that win against Villa. Another something special for him to be known for.
The 1000th goal was scored on 11 September 2010 by Alex Song in a 4-1 beating of the infamous Bolton. It was the third of the four goals, just 10 minutes from the end of the game, after Gary Cahill had quite rightly been shown a straight red for an utterly disgraceful and dangerous assault on Chamakh.
And one more thing: after 28 games in 2002, Arsenal had 57 points. We went on to win the title. This season after 28 games we have 54 points – just one win behind our total as the title winners 20 years ago. I don’t point this out to suggest that Arsenal are going to win the league – of course not – but it shows the incredible progress that Arteta and the squad have made.
No wonder Mr Wenger, looking on from afar, is rather pleased with what he is seeing.
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Arsenal 2002 | 28 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 57 | 31 | 26 | 57 |
| 4 | Arsenal 2022 | 28 | 17 | 3 | 8 | 44 | 31 | 13 | 54 |
Surprise! Surprise! Ashley Young another bang average footballer feeling the need to validate himself by adding a comment?
Gets airtime cos he’s English & exManure so has an axe to grind.The fact that he’s upset & throws in a salty comment is a bonus.Glad he’s gutted.The amount of times over the years I’ve seen opposition teams high fiving & almost doing laps of honour after nicking a win or draw after being played off the park it’s hypocritical.All teams do it.Just look at Liverpool’s reaction on Wednesday past.That tells you all you need to know.In a nutshell these sides,players hate to see Arsenal back & doing well & can’t be kicked off the park.That’s what’s killing them.
Tny
Ian Wright is a 2 faced disloyal, disrespectful……I best not say any more.
When we needed media support, which has basically been forever, he was nowhere. During the austerity years he never stopped criticizing everything about us. Never an ounce of understanding for our financial situation.
You yourself have claimed how it was the ‘media’ who hounded Wenger out of Arsenal, and guess what, Ian wright was a major part of it.
Ian Wright: “I want Wenger Out”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjijjVMAubQ
He endlessly criticised Wenger and Arsenal. He urged our stars to leave us ‘if they want to win anything’.
It’s a personal opinion I know, but I cant stand the man.
I recall a suggestion that Ian Wright was resentful of Arsene Wenger decision not to sign his son.
what a lot of tosh from Young. like i said previously, our team can’t even celebrating a win as they always try to find fault when it come to Arsenal. that was a good come back win and a massive 3 points after disappointing match against Liverpool. we manage the game well, another clean sheet and solid performance all around
As one of my favorite bands once said:
And Then There Were Three
If it wasn’t already, surely now the fight for 4th is down to Arsenal, Spurs and Man Utd.
Without a doubt, if we really fly to the end of the season we can give Chelsea a scare for third but personally I think that is beyond us. I hope I’m wrong.
@Nitram
I wouldn’t really blame Wright for wanting Wenger to leave,we all saw what was happening with Wenger, everything was just so bad,the club was in shambles,players didn’t respect the Arsenal badge anymore,the rot was so deep and it overwhelmed Wenger. Wanting Wenger to go then was going the right choice and thank God we’re no longer in that mess,we should just move forward and support the team and the manager.
Stephen
“we all saw what was happening with Wenger, everything was just so bad, the club was in shambles, players didn’t respect the Arsenal badge anymore, the rot was so deep and it overwhelmed Wenger.
Absolute rubbish.
Anyway it’s not about what you think, it’s about what Tony thinks, or thought, and Tony constantly derided the media for hounding Wenger out, and Wright was one of them, yet Tony says “another reason why I like him so much”. !!
I want to know what Tony means by ‘Another reason’, when as far as I can see, all Wright ever did was undermine our club for over a decade.
We can all love something/one when it’s going well, that’s easy. It’s when times are tough that true love and loyalty count.
This site, I, and many others, stood by Wenger and Arsenal during those difficult times, unlike Wright, who regularly stabbed Wenger in the back.
I’m not really sure why Tony would say such a thing but I for one find it very odd, and not a little disappointing.
I think what Young did not understand was that the whole team banded around the hero of the moment, Leno, for making that last second save.
Yes it was not a WC level save, but it was an important save and he made it.
And to see how the whole team was happy for Leno was a testament to Mr Arteta’s team (spirit) building. This is a bunch of players who are having fun, who are a unit, and who have a common goal.
The other thing I am really enjoying is the way our game has become vertical. We pass the ball, triangulate, and at some point, we suddendly see Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Partey, Lacazette going directly to the goal, ‘up in their faces’, like rockets, daring the opposition to stop them.
This all bodes well for them months and seasons to come.
Chris
Exactly
Of course it was about bouncing back after the Liverpool defeat but more than that it was about embracing Leno. It was with him in goal we had finished the last two thirds of last season as the best team in the premiership. You could see what it meant to him, the team, and to Ramsdale.
Young said what he said because he thinks it’s exactly what the media want to hear, and considering how similar derisory comments from Wolves players were endlessly repeated in the media, is hardly surprising.
As we all know, Arsenal bashing is par for the course, but at the moment, and I mean ‘at the moment’ it is not quite so De Rigueur, hence the slightly derogatory tone towards what he said.
Mark my words it wont last.
NB: I noted with interest how the goodwill towards Saka had strangely evaporated yesterday. Didn’t take long for the hatred of all things Arsenal to return did it ?
Nitram,
As far as I am concerned I don’t mind sore losers being upset about Arsenal celebrating because it means that Arsenal have won the game….
My answer would be ‘go frack yourself’.
What is it about teams from the Midlands and celebrations? Is life really that miserable there? I’m trying to ask this diplomatically, in order to not upset Tony 🥂🍺🍾
@Nitram
Ian right makes me sick with his fakeness you are indeed correct. And defo resentful of Wenger about his son and even being more popular than him.
@Nitram
I don’t think there was any hatred for Wenger from Wright,just like he’s passionate about Arsenal now,that was how it was then but because things were looking so bad then and him wanting Wenger to go,you decided to take it as if he hated Wenger, Wright wanted things to change just like every other Arsenal fan wanted changes at the club then but the changes wasn’t coming under Wenger. When Arsenal was going through the bad patch under Arteta,he supported the team and the manager (although I don’t know what his stance was under Emery). So I think you should cut him some slack,I’m very sure he adores Wenger just like all Arsenal fans do.
Stephen
“just like he’s passionate about Arsenal now”
No he isn’t, it’s fake. As I said, it’s easy to ‘love’ when things are going well.
“because things were looking so bad then and him wanting Wenger to go”
SO BAD. What are you talking about ? That video clip was from August 2017.
Season 16/17 we had just won the FA Cup for pitties sake! Ok we did drop out of the top 4 but by ONE point. We finished the season on 75 points, a total we had only bettered 3 times in the last 12 seasons since our last title. That amount of points or less had been enough to achieve top four 9 times over those 12 seasons.
The previous season we were runners up (71 pts) and won the CS.
The season before that we were 3rd (75 pts) won the FAC and the CS.
The season before that we were 4th (79 pts) and won the FAC.
To suggest that little lot is SO BAD as to want to get rid of the manager is ridiculous. Any team, barring those sponsored by the oil Billionaires, would bite your had off for seasons that bad.
“Wright wanted things to change just like every other Arsenal fan wanted changes at the club then”
Who are you to suggest that’s what ‘every’ fan wanted ? Tony didn’t (which is why I find his admiration of Wright so odd), I didn’t. Overall, a majority of the regulars here on untold were still in support of Wenger. During the trophy-less austerity years we paid for a banner to be displayed at the Emirates in support of him, that’s how much Untolds regulars were behind him, and that’s when we were winning nothing.
One of the reasons there were groups of fans with an anti Wenger narrative in the first place was thanks to likes of Wright and his endless criticism of everything he did.
“When Arsenal was going through the bad patch under Arteta, he supported the team and the manager”
And why is that do you think ? I’ll tell you shall I, it’s because Arteta was the man that Wright wanted to replace Wenger with. He wasn’t backing Arteta he was backing himself. And frankly, when it comes to Ian Wright, backing himself is what he does best.
The mans a two faced traitor and I haven’t got a second for him.
Stephen
“When Arsenal was going through the bad patch under Arteta, he supported the team and the manager”.
Shame he didn’t do the same when it came to Wenger.
Back around 05-06 we moved into the austerity years on the back of our financial commitment to the Emirates stadium. The following 7 seasons, leading up to December 2012, Arsenal finished 4th, 4th, 3rd, 4th, 3rd, 4th, 3rd, obviously achieving Champions league football on each occasion. Our absolute primary objective. He did this whilst achieving a net PROFIT of £41 Million in the transfer market, whilst competing against teams with infinitely higher transfer budgets.
Despite this absolutely remarkable achievement by Wenger, this is what Wright had to say about him in December of 2012:
IF YOU TRUST IN WENGER YOU’RE DELUDED! WRIGHT JOINS OTHER GUNNERS LEGENDS AND TURNS ON WENGER.
By ADAM CRAFTON FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 17:44, 14 December 2012 | UPDATED: 17:44, 14 December 2012
Ian Wright has labelled Arsenal fans ‘deluded’ if they still support Arsene Wenger as manager, joining a host of Arsenal legends in rounding on the Gunners’ boss.
Speaking on Absolute Radio, the former Arsenal striker said: ‘There’s a lot of deluded Arsenal fans, who are out in the wilderness, still saying “In Arsene We Trust” and all that.
‘It is a unique position that Wenger is in – I think that any other manager in any country, in any world, with a record like this and no prospect of light at the end of the tunnel – they would have been gone by now.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2248248/Ian-Wright-says-Arsenal-fans-trusting-Arsene-Wenger-deluded.html
“So I think you should cut him some slack, I’m very sure he adores Wenger just like all Arsenal fans do.”
Are you sure, I mean really sure, because that doesn’t sound to me like someone who ‘adores’ him.
I’m sure you’ll understand why I wont cut him any slack at all.
Oh and Tony, this is the man you ‘have always liked so much’.
As I said earlier, for someone who is so often critical of those that hounded Wenger out of Arsenal, that seems very odd.