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
I read an article on a blog yesterday in which the writer (who claimed to be writing one of the most highly read of all the Arsenal blogs) said that this was the time when Arsene Wenger had to prove himself. It struck me as one of the most crazy things I had ever read, …
I write this in reply to a detailed letter that has been published on this site, which says why we should no longer support Arsenal. I believe the opposite. Partly, because I am a naturally cheery guy (except when I am not) and partly because I am currently writing the history of Arsenal in 1910, …
We’re not playing well, it was a lucky escape, and we’re further behind Aston “if you fall over hold your head” Villa. So all bad news then. Except… It is nine match unbeaten run which has included games against a number of clubs near the top or at the top Three of the four players …
The image of the band playing on the Titanic while the iceberg joined in with the percussion is so hackneyed that I always try and avoid it, but after half an hour of sitting here I can’t find anything better to describe the news swirling around football. While most of the media focusses on the …
Tomorrow or the next day it will be known. 25 hours ago (that is around 7am UK time on Monday) I made my wholesome and exciting prediction that a certain Russian was on his way to us. At that moment virtually no one else was running the story, so I felt rather good (or rather …
I’ll confess straight up that I don’t have a hot line to Leningrad, nor do I have the ear of Mr Usmanov. In fact I don’t even have his email address. But I think we are going to sign Arshavin, today or tomorrow. Here’s why… First, the whole saga has been full of deadlines – …
The time wasting at the end of the game at Cardiff, with the home side holding on for a draw, rather than going for a place in the next round, sums it all up really. If Cardiff do get into the EPL they will fit there perfectly alongside clubs like Bolton, Blackburn, Fulham, WBA, and …
Last time I saw a game at Ninian Park I found the most interesting thing of the afternoon was the police tactics – but I thought that was a one off. This time it was crazier, more bizarre, more insane. Even in the wild days of the 70s it was never quite like this. As …
I’ve been in Cardiff for a couple of days, having managed to tie together a couple of meetings with today’s game. I’ve driven past the hotel where the lads are staying, and if I were writing in the pop press or for ITV or BBC I’d be “sampling the atmosphere”, but in truth there hasn’t …
Read More “From your man, on the spot, sampling the atmosphere, interviewing the locals.”
That most disgraceful of clubs, Liverpool, are en route to join Manchester Money as the laughing stock of football, as the long-predicted changes in the way football is financed, finally appear on the horizon. I’ll try and cover the changes to football finance in a moment. First, Liverpool. Al Kharafi, the Arab, has offered to …
Read More “Football finance collapses; Liverpool face disaster”
If we take a look at what a few clubs in the EPL are doing just now, it gives a good insight into the options on offer. Manchester Bankrupt: not just bankrupt, but even with their mega sqaud they have injury worries and a crisis meeting going on. Yes they are 6 points ahead but …
I am out of touch – I admit it freely – travelling here and there. So I was really grateful to receive a link to the goal Jack Wilshere scored for us against Stoke reserves. Just take a look at the link at the end of this piece. But also consider the team… Francis …
Read More “Did you see this sensational Arsenal goal. Watch it now”
It is rare to find a day when virtually everyone is having a bad time of it: but that is the day we have today. Starting with the Tinies – you might recall that this time last year they celebrated wildly by getting into the Children’s Cup Final, and then promptly managed to go 10 …
Read More “Totts, Man Money, KGB Fulham, trouble everywhere”
Everyone is telling different stories according to the always believable and generally truthful British press. (That statement is ironic). Dennis Lachter, agent to the man most of us had never heard of a year back, said on www.newsru.com: “Andrei wants to move to Arsenal, and Arsenal wants to acquire Andrei. All that remains is for …
Read More “Arshavin: we might sign him, but he won’t play (yet)”
I love the notion of the charming cockney character Harry Houdini being in charge of the Tiny Totts. It is not just that he is not much of a manager, which he isn’t (his best is mostly moderate at Bournemouth, WHU and Portsmouth, and his worst is Southampton) it is the way he is not …
The headline suggests (in the way that journalists do) that there is a connection – although of course there is not, unless I really start believing that the Curse of Arsenal can be put on banks as well as on players and teams. I wrote a slightly amusing piece (well I thought it rather droll) …
Read More “Bank shares fall after Arsenal blog issues warning”
It has been a while coming, but now Mr Usmanov is making his move. And the moral question is, is it possible to be against Mr Usmanov the shareholder, but in favour of the arrival of Arshavin? Russian clubs are owned by big companies for the most part. Zenit Leningrad (now known by the politically …
Read More “Mr Usmanov starts to wield his power and influence”
If you have followed my ramblings in the past you’ll know I am rather critical on occasion of my fellow professional scribblers who, I suggest, have been known to take a list of players and a list of clubs, slide them up and down, and come up with links. It is easier than working. My …
Read More “Invented player to sign for Arsenal according to The Times”
When Chelsea wanted to join the Football League sometime around 1905 it didn’t do so on the basis of the football it had played so far – because there was none. No club, no team, no stats – just a ground on which the terraces were unsafe and crumbling even before the club opened. Chelsea …
Companies, like individuals, that are in trouble tend to be a bit circumspect with the truth when debating their situation. And so we have seen with the situation concerning Liverpool FC – and it looks like there is more to come. I reported that Liverpool’s finances are so awful that the banks that have loaned …
Dear Sirs, It has come to my attention that RBS is one of two banks that is lending hundreds of millions of pounds to Liverpool FC – a loan that you have just renewed. I wish to express my concern about the risk that you are running. As a taxpayer I am a partial owner …
Read More “Open letter from Arsenal supporter to Royal Bank of Scotland”
On 25 February 2001 Manchester Utd (later to become Manchester Bankrupt) beat Arsenal 6-1. Manchester went 16 points clear at the top of the table. Since 1991 we had won the league just once. In those days we hardly had blogs at all, but the fanzines were hugely active in calling for Wenger’s head. Had …
We’ve just had seven league games unbeaten, including three matches against teams above us in the league. And this has been achieved while we have injuries to virtually all of the players whom we would expect to do everything they can to drive us forward and create the goals. And yet according to the majority …
Following his outspoken comments to the press about Sir Alex F Word I thought it might be good to get further insights from the Liverpool manager on the state of the game. Here he speaks about yesterday’s tedious and dull goalless draw against Stoke City. I had to make a selection of players for the …
And so we come to see the solution. At least the handful of us left who do not occupy their time, supporting professional journalists, writing articles about “Meltdown” and calling supporters who believe in Wenger “extremists”. I speak of the new process, forced on us by the incredibly awful run of injuries to Eduardo, Theo, …
