Untold Arsenal: Supporting the club, the manager and the team
"I believe the target of anything in life should be to do it so well that it becomes an art." A Wenger
By Tony Attwood Thank goodness – the interlull is just on over. And what a ghastly interlull it has been. Daily attacks on Arsenal by the media, the most appalling news on the terrorist front, and my super whizzo car has gone plonk and will not function at more than 20mph (30mph going downhill). So …
Read More “The rampage against reality and why having a nice stadium matters”
By Tony Attwood According to Wikipedia G Neville is one of the most decorated English and European footballers of all time, having won a total of 20 trophies, including eight Premier League titles and two Champions League titles. After retiring as a player he went into the world of the pundit with Sky Sports and …
Read More “Gary Neville’s experience should teach everyone lessons but of course it won’t.”
By Tony Attwood Some chanting in football grounds is appalling, but with concerted effort it can be stopped. And indeed over the years Arsenal have made that concerted effort to get rid of certain chants at home games. My perception from afar is that Liverpool and Man U have made less effort, Man U notoriously …
Read More “What is illicit chanting? Uefa in its eternal muddle.”
By Sir Hardly Anyone. Here they are, and just to be helpful I’ve numbered them 1 to 10! 1: Granit Xhaka! This is in Soccerlens and quite a few other places. Granit Xhaka set to join Arsenal from Borussia Monchengladbach. You have heard it before, but you can’t blame me for that. Besides there’s only …
Read More “The Ten Biggest Arsenal Transfer Stories of the Day complete with exclamation marks.”
. By Tony Attwood As you will know if you are with us regularly, ex-Arsenal player and Arsenal scout Danny Karbassiyoon has written a series of articles for Untold (there is an index back to them in Danny’s last piece for us in which Danny answered questions posed by Untold readers.) And you’ll also know (if …
By Tony Attwood A little while back I wrote a piece about the contractual details involving the transfer of Bale to Real Mad from Tottenham. The information provided suggested that there were some very very dodgy dealings involved in this transfer, which, if the European Commission does its job, could come back to slap …
By Tony Attwood You might recall that I have pointed out one or two errors in the way football has been reported by the media over time: such as the long-term story that Arsenal had more injuries than anyone else, and it was all Mr Wenger’s fault. Or the earlier “fact” that Arsenal got more …
Read More “How Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd and Man City became lazy. Or did they?”
By Tony Attwood Go back a few years and no newspaper would have published an article on referees other than to say what fine fellows they were and how foolish football fans are to barrack them. Over the years Untold has tried to change that, particularly by focussing on the highly secretive organisation that runs …
Read More “PGMO will fall: all it needs is for one decent journalist to stand up to them”
by Danny Karbassiyoon As a kid, I’d always dreamed of being a pro. Growing up in the States during the 80’s and 90’s meant there was never going to be that much footy on television, but the few games (mostly Manchester United and Real Madrid) and Premiership highlight shows they did broadcast, were always guaranteed …
Read More “What is it like to get a call from Arsenal to ask you to come for a trial?”
By Tony Attwood The point that I have been trying to make in my articles on Untold of late is that we are all being fed a conception of football which is simplified to such a degree that it becomes removed from reality. Football as a game is complex with so many combinations of possible …
By Tony Attwood As you may have read Thierry Henry has been working his way towards completing his Uefa A licence, and having that means he can manage professional clubs below the top league level, and can manage a top flight team at academy level. There is one more licence to be had before he …
By Tony Attwood In the old days – the very very old days – there were myths – stories of giants, gods, magicians, demons and the like. Then in the not quite so old days these stories were codified into more coherent stories which became known as religions. They contained stories of simple changes to …
By Tony Attwood Alex Iwobi appears to have shaken off the illness which (according to the Metro) had him “rushed to hospital” and has chosen to represent Nigeria rather than England in his future international career by coming on as a substitute in the game with Egypt. Most players these days have a choice of which …
By Tony Attwood Imagine the scene. The football journalist has an article to write. The editor has set the deadline. The deadline has almost approached, appeared, past by and gone. No article. In time honoured fashion the journo goes to the pub, has a few with other journos facing the same problem, and looks aghast …
Read More “How to be a top journalist without leaving the pub”
Can Leicester hang on? by Tim Charlesworth One of the (many) things that winds me up when I am listening to people talk about football is the accusation that the team is not ‘motivated’ or ‘trying hard enough’. The observation that players should be trying harder is generally up there with the idea that people …
Read More “Can Leicester hang on, or is the great tiredness about to set in?”
by Tony Attwood On June 30 2015, Uefa’s then General secretary Gianni Infantino now head of Fifa announced that Olympiakos would be allowed to stay in the Champions League. As we know they went on to play Arsenal. Immediately questions were raised. Uefa was asked whether Infantino had removed his deputy, Theodore Theodoridis, from any discussions or …
By Tony Attwood We blow the starting whistle on transfer stories yesterday with “Arsenal looking to hijack Man Utd move for Mourinho” The new rumour season is off with a plop, and wouldn’t you know it, the next day the newspapers are there joining in. I didn’t mean it seriously guys! And I don’t just …
By Tony Attwood It’s been a little while since I looked at the table we drew up near the season’s start, showing how much money clubs had spent (less the money received) both over five years and over last summer. It became clear very early on that the suggestions made in Untold that buying players …
Read More “The limit beyond which I cannot go in offering Arsenal my support.”
By Tony Attwood There is an article in the Daily Telegraph that says, “This is no blip – the Premier League has changed forever” by Jason Burt, the Chief Football Correspondent. It is in fact primarily a report of a natter with Slaven Bilic, and the claim to the portentous title comes down to the …
Read More “The five ways in which the media are treating us like idiots when they debate football.”
The view of the Untold editorial board has never shifted – we don’t want Mr Wenger to leave. Indeed that is why Untold was set up. However one day he will go. So for when he does, here is THE SHORTLIST by Don McMahon This is a speculative article in response to the whining aaa …
Read More “If Mr Wenger were to leave, who might replace him.”
I may be nuts but I’m not crazy: Crying foul – the league table that will amaze all Arsenal fans By Proud Kev Whenever we mention referees, there are certain people who roll their eyes and believe we are all conspiracy nut jobs. For what it is worth I may be nuts but I do …
By Tony Attwood For the last two away wins two different banners have been produced at the end of the match saying that it is time for Wenger to leave Arsenal. Seeing these on display I started to ask some simple questions such as a) why would you make such a banner and pay £35 …
Read More “BT Sport implicated in creation & display of anti-Wenger banners at away games.”
By Bulldog Drummond And so now we know. Leicester will win the league and that is jolly good thing. Man City will win the Champions League and Liverpool the Europa because they are English, and the foreign clubs don’t like it up em. (The fact that Man City is a Chinese-Abu Dhabi corporation …
Read More “Everton v Arsenal: a preview, an analysis, a rant, a funny picture.”
. During the past few months Arsenal scout Danny Karbassiyoon has contributed an occasional series of articles about being a scout for Arsenal. Now, as publication of Danny’s new book, The Arsenal Yankee, approaches publication, Danny answers some of the questions that have been put to him in the correspondence following each article. (More details …
Read More “Danny Karbassiyoon answers Untold readers’ questions on being a scout for Arsenal”
By Tony Attwood Fifa has lodged a claim in the US courts for tens of millions of dollars for damages and compensation from the former executives who have been found guilty or accused of fraud. The reason is that they have “deeply tarnished the Fifa brand”. I bet the court case is going to …
