Today’s post is by Muppet
It’s not too hard to find anti-Arsenal sentiment in any given week of the season.
The narrative in the press after the Bayern defeat was indicative. It told us that Arsenal were simply not good enough, whilst plucky City deserved better.
In the backdrop of the Stoke defeat, we have also been condemned to 4th place, veritable also-rans in the title race. The bookies followed suit, condemning us to long odds of 16/1 despite being on the same number of points currently as Liverpool.
The Daily Mail’s infamous Neil Ashton, presenter on Sky Sports’ Sunday Supplement, on Twitter @neilashton_
Incredibly, Neil Ashton of the Daily Mail has written a piece, steeped in unbelievable hypocrisy, where he comes out with the risible claim that Spuds have overachieved in the Redknapp years and this over-expectation is now causing unrest amongst fans. Even if we were to entertain these falsehoods – which they are, given their £280m+ transfer net spend – they reek of huge hypocrisy, a bare-faced attempt by a journalist to stick up for one club whilst happily sticking the knife into another; in this instance it’s us, despite the reality of the comparison being much more in our favour. Indeed, our zero net spend in the transfer market is never mentioned in the press. It is not convenient. And how the piece actually has truer parallels amongst Arsenal fans is an irony lost on Ashton.
Neil Ashton’s recent form in the last 2 weeks is to say that Ozil was “Nicking a living”. In tandem, the Mirror produced a back page headline, at half time, castigating Ozil’s 1st half performance against Bayern, not knowing he had a hamstring problem:
Daily Mail’s disgraceful headline from 11th March 2014 – http://dailym.ai/Ojlqq9
The Daily Mirror’s John Cross, too, got into the act, redacting statements on Twitter hurriedly, in the face of a huge backlash from Arsenal fans.
Adrian Durham, another staple of the gutter press. regularly espouses arrant nonsense on TalkSport. Durham claims to like Arsenal, which is quite bonkers, given his notorious “Daily Arsenal” show, which gleefully rejoices at whatever misfortune comes our way, and sneers at any Arsenal fans who go on the radio station to defend the club.
Sneering TalkSPORT radio presenter, Daily Mail columnist and published author, Adrian Durham, on Twitter @talkSPORTDrive
The only saving grace of Durham, is that he has correctly targeted Spuds incompetence in recent times, making him a hate figure across North London. Durham loves to champion moral causes, but fails to mention financial fair play or excesses by huge clubs. When you confront him about the pathetic lack of progress of Manchester City in the champions league, you get the reply, as I did:
“That’s strange, one supporter talking about another club.”
“Amateurish” Andy Dunn – Sunday Mirror sports columnist and Chairman of the Football Writers’ Association, on Twitter @AndyDunn_SM
Another anti-Arsenal sceptic is Andy Dunn.
Despite us being competive pretty much all season, our title challenge was dismissed back in November, even following our recent 2-0 win over Liverpool at home. Forced to backtrack on his claim that we couldn’t win the title, he said we wouldn’t win it. Dunn doesn’t seem to miss an opportunity to put the knife into the Arsenal management, be it Wenger or the board. In August he claimed that the way we were going about our business was “amateurish”.
On September 29th, he pens an article attacking the “lack of ambition” of Stan Kroenke, saying:
“You sense trophies would be a nice bonus on top of the real business – the smooth running of a financially-successful franchise.”
This is all very interesting, but Amateurish Andy offers no context about the competition and environment that we find ourselves in. Sneering at Kroenke is all well and good, but this is just another example of a journalist who doesn’t understand economics.
It’s very simple.
Arsenal refuse to inject money into players wages or transfers that is not earned by the club. Other clubs continue to do this.
A Mirror hack to watch out for is Darren Lewis.
Darren Lewis, another Daily Mirror journalist – this one describes himself as ‘a football fan’, on Twitter @MirrorDarren
Almost certainly a Spud.
With statements like “Why Spurs now have bigger fish to fry than Arsenal”, he suggested that the gap was narrowing in 2012. Other articles include asking Arsenal fans to admit why Spurs were no longer the poor relations. Darren Lewis made a fictitious claim that Joachim Low told Ozil that he would miss the World Cup, which is complete nonsense. After reviewing a selection of Lewis’s articles, it is pretty clear, that like Andy Dunn, he does not have a good word to say about Arsenal.
Pundits and Commentators
Understandably there is a lot of anti-Arsenal sentiment amongst pundits, a lot of them ex-Chelsea, Man Utd and Liverpool players. Michael Owen, Tony Gale, Tony Cascarino are the worst perpetrators. Gale in particular just hates Arsenal and makes no attempt to hide it. How he gets away with commentating for Chelsea is beyond belief.
Cascarino is so stupid he said that “Chamakh was having a holocaust”, which almost finished his ‘career’.
Owen? He is too stupid even to comment on.
Apart from the individuals, more worryingly is the on-going stupidity of the narrative about Arsenal. Every competition we enter there is always a reminder that it’s 9 years without a trophy. Never mind that our Champions League progression in each and every year has eclipsed Manchester City since 2005.
Other annoying examples are that we don’t have a striker, when we have Podolski, Walcott and Giroud.
The questioning of a weak bench when we have eight to ten 1st team players injured.
The lack of acknowledgement of the significance of the absence of Ramsey and Walcott.
The continuing pressure to spend money, particularly in the January transfer window.
My question to the press and pundits is this – City have spent £1 billion, and their return is 1 FA Cup, 1 League title and 1 Carling Cup – is that a good return on their investment ? I would argue no. The narrative of spending money is very rarely directed at Real Madrid, a club and a team that I don’t particularly rate, who have spent similar money over the last 10 years, but have only won 1 Champions league trophy. Real Madrid are the most egregious example of media hype, considering their lack of relative achievement to their net spend.
This is not an attack on Real Madrid, but on the media.
Alan Brazil this morning was trumpeting Ronaldo and Bale this morning. But so what ? A fully fit Arsenal team would match them in my view.
The media narrative and anti-Arsenal bias continues to be self-serving and is part of the entertainment game that is being played out.
Nobody wants to question the vast sums of money being circulated, because they want to be part of it. The media talks up the need for Arsenal to spend and get in on the act. How they still do this following the embarassement of Spuds £100 million pound spend, as former owner Lord Sugar put it: “Like kids in a sweet shop”, is baffling.
If anything, the Spuds debacle shows that patient value acquisitions, achieved over time by Wenger, is the only sustainable model.
But we won’t hear of this.
The “industry” will continue to produce sensationalist headlines for the reactionary wing of the Arsenal fan base to gorge on. The same press that calls for Arsenal to spend money, and when we do, try to label them a flop.
Right now the tide is turning in our favour, and the media know this. They cannot cope with the narrative as it stands, so expect a lot of revisionism and a change of emphasis. Now that we have more money the attacks will come now about what success we should expect, and what “big” players are underperforming.
It will probably get worst.
You can discuss the headlines and more with Muppet on Twitter @MuppetGooner
Positively Arsenal 
@double canister
And once we get back to winning ways these very same hacks will (through gritted teeth) dish out fawning praise to Arsene, for his principles and prudence and all the same qualities they criticised him for before. Then the real shame will be how many Arsenal fans with short memories lap up such articles.
LikeLike
An excellent piece from Muppet….name and shame the bastards…..
LikeLike
Something worth reading for a change
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/10712810/Arsene-Wenger-can-lead-Arsenal-into-a-new-golden-era-says-Peter-Hill-Wood.html
It’s good to see PHW on the mend too
LikeLike
Passenal you just beat me to it – timely article of the kind most football fans would welcome and pay for. Informative, factual, sober and original, and in being so, very entertaining.
LikeLike
Excellent article, Muppet.
I’ve looked on here all day – taking a break after 4pm – and back now. Whilst I read during the day, I couldn’t bring myself to write – because I knew that once I started, I’d go on and on and on (and nobody wants that). Needless to say; the whole meedja really piss me off (and that’s the nicest way I can put it).
This stirring up of Arsenal hatred hasn’t started a couple of years ago. We’re looking at a couple of decades. It’s just that the Invincible’s, followed by the FA cup final win against Manu, really rocked the football “establishment”. ITV Granada sold off their Arsenal shares at some point. Then Arsenal built a new stadium, which they funded themselves – along the way building social and other housing. And when it was completed the financial world went into meltdown.
Arsenal won’t get involved in the money laundering and other plentiful corruption. Instead they continue their model of ‘living within their means’, and worse still, playing excellent football. Those clubs prepared to gamble their futures, or bring in ‘fit and proper persons’ with their dubious funding (I just got my gas bill) are lauded, no matter what they may be doing or how.
The meedja pour scorn on everything Arsenal. They say nothing about Arsenal not winning pots due to be constantly kicked off the park. Nothing! Any ideas (other than the meedja’s) as to why player’s like Hleb, Flamini, Henry, Fabregas, Eduardo and so many others – left the club? Clue: They knew they couldn’t win anything or even be able to walk after retirement, because the whole system is bent – enabled by the meedja, who can see the same game as I.
Whether it’s Newc4 4 Ars or Tott0 1Ars, not only do they not talk about the sheer violence meted out to Arsenal, they mock them, time and time again. And LIE!
Watch the game from the WHL. All of it. Listen to the commentary. Watch the totts smash up against Arsenal player’s every limb (well, those below the ribcage). See how Mike Dean manages the match, only carding totty players near the end. See how the meedja trumpeted Arsenal’s 100th card under Wenger, whilst failing to mention the intimidation everpresent from their opponents, usually unpunished.
Note how ex Arsenal players employed by meedja have only negative things to say. Note also that many are drunks or alkies, and even if they aren’t – the money and employment clearly comes only if they trot out the same old shit – 9 years I say. 9 long years. How come they don’t say: 9 years they’ve been kicked to shit – multiple broken legs – continuing… (there was a little summat from Gary Neville, true, but keep that up Mr Gary, and you’ll find yourself on the scrapheap). Nope, instead, we’ll wheel out anybody who’ll say that Arsenal are shit at anything. Witness the rolling out some old dude that says Arsene trains ’em like marines, hence the injuries. Fking LIES. Relentless LIES.
Did you listen to Parlour and Winterburn talking about how Arsene introduced short and sharp stuff into training in order to build up player’s fitness?
For the first time I listened to Bergkamp Wonderland podcast, the other night. They had a guy on the phone from Australia, who’s summat to do with fitness??? This guy tried to explain the various complexities of injuries, but I got the impression the presenters weren’t as interested in his comments – as just saying – there’s summat wrong at Arsenal. “They’ve got £140M in the bank”. Have they? How do you know? How about cashflow? What do you know about ANYTHING? I stopped listening.
Nothing is ever good enough. Not spending enough. Too soft. Too expensive. (ah I could go on all night, and that’s why I didn’t write earlier).
On UA I described the play in the first 30 seconds after kick off. 4 fouls by BM including a left foot, right foot attack by Ribery and BM27 – that left Ozil on the ground. (ozil later said he’d picked up the injury within 2 minutes. What did the meedja say? Oh he’s lazy. Oh he’s a waste of money. Oh, oh, oh. (The first foul got called – that was it. You know the rest, or do you?) What did the meedja say about Ars’s result over the whole tie?
What did the meedja say about ManC’s result over the whole tie?
What did the meedja say about Walcott being stamped on by Chabli of the tinies, and being taken out by Rose, unpunished (or even mentioned as a foul)? You know it – FUCK ALL. Because that’s what they so desperately want – The failure of Arsenal, and they know it’ll be inevitable without the guidance of Arsene Wenger.
What do the meedja say about one of Wilshere’s first league matches, when having been assaulted by whichever orcs we played, he made a bad tackle himself and got sent off? What do the meedja say about Ars’s opponents relentlessly trying to cripple our players, and how it affects our tin pot count? FUCK.ALL.
Just HATRED.
‘Come here with your new stadium, players who’re largely good human beings, financial acumen, et al. WE’RE NOT ‘AVING IT!
You’ve done selling your soul to the devil (Not that you’ve finished, eh?)
By the way, I enjoyed seeing Porto knock out Napoli (at the pub). “They went out of the CL on 12 points, can you believe it”). They got 12 points because they done the old ‘kit-sue-ah, KTSOOA (Kick The Shit Out Of Arsenal). UEFA hate Arsenal for the same reasons as above.
(Note: All new world class stadiums get the CL Final. Wembley have had it 2 or 3 times?? Arsenal, NIL!)
LikeLike
If you really dig deep you can find the odd Patrick Barclay around who will actually write intelligently about the game we love.
objection your honour……paid hack by roman…….he writes on the standard and i read it on the tube every afternoon after work…he follows trends too…disapointed me really…. typical old school rah rah muppet who is afraid to tell it how it is. do you expect me to beleive that barkely doesnt know how to seperate which clubs invest for titles and which clubs invest just enough to repay their stadium?
++++++++++++++
“some day will recognize them in the street and have a short conversation with them.”
in may theyll be hiding not able to explain what has happened. come on Arsenal ! ahhh im going mental i need help this isnt normal
LikeLike
See how the meedja trumpeted Arsenal’s 100th card under Wenger,
haha !!! i would say 70% of those cards were for talking back to refs instead of unsportmanlike behaviour. screw the refs. i wish i see one day one of our players grabbing one of these refs by the neck and throwing him down. Mertesacker.. and after that the captain to escort the team off the field. see how the sky likes that hehehe ……but we are so kind…so kind …
LikeLike
im sitting with a blanket over my head and shoulders drunk since 13:300- 14:00 …this is not really healthy…where is sophia? jessica?michelle? jennie? what are you doing simon? my second name is simon by the way. nice to meet you all
simon says : title !
LikeLike
george im not well. when is the next posd/radio/cast thing show you do with ronana and geoff (??) i want to speak for arsenal. i want the title. i want to disgrace mourinho and city…liverpool i dont care theyre on a honeymoon. give me the microphone!!!!!
LikeLike
gains!!! many are saying to employ both flamini and arteta for the chelsea game. i dont agree. what do you think?
im thinking ….. after wenger has said whatever he has had to say and walks out to get his orange juice, bould takes over and says : ” listen you shits, this manager has never asked you for anything, ive never asked you for anything, stan has never asked you for anything, today you go out and WIN that match for Arsene, ok you little shits? if you dont im brining martin and patrick to the dressing room.
LikeLike
hallo is anyone here ? sorry george i dont want to annoy its just the way i feel …happy jubilant arsenal…yes i am intocixated but dont ban me, yes i talk plenty of offensive shit bu ti do get some things right …some things..the important ones,,,,,where the fuck is steve_i ?
LikeLike
its ok … we are al lhuman ive veen drinking since 1.30 and just got home… suzuki!!!! where are you? roll a fat one. now!!! .. suzuki is a buutler/servant i picked up from vanuatu . he lives behind the sofa . roll suzuki!!! roll!!!! look at us… we need it…
LikeLike
PASSENAL
Thanks for that article.
someday maybe twenty or thirty years from now PETER, DANNY AND YES UNFORTUNATELY DEAN ( for his earlier work ) will go down as one of the most capable group of men that with AW s captainship steered THE ARSENAL through one of the most critical phases any club can go through. Presently they are being accused of being a board room devoid of any ambition and heart to take the club to the next level. Oh how little they know that the club ,the stadium and all that is ARSENAL is set for the next millennium due to these men. The high risk game they played truly could have had a different and oh not so pleasant outcome if any of these men did not make the right moves at the right time specialy AW. time will tell. Isn’t it true the most great men are only appreciated after they have passed?? It seems so. It also seems like they have to suffer and pay their dues over and over again while on earth
RANTTETA
straight from the heart mate. More power to you. And I hope you are feeling a little better after that at 11:24. 🙂
LikeLike
hmmmmm….. gilberto silva ! what a player . quiet. expereinced. loyal. solid. god i love arsenal and what wenger has done for this club 1000 going to 2000
believe!!!!!!!
LikeLike
holy shit im confused.. in that video which depicts the invincibles…i saw cesc? cesc…. can someone help me? was cesc part of that team? really? clichy yes but cesc too? does he have epl medal?
LikeLike
HUNTER 13
bonvoyagee mate……..
ITS GOOD TO BE A GOOOOONER!!!!!!!
ARSENAL ARSENAL ARSENAL…….
now to cook something for dindin.
LikeLike
passenal March 20, 2014 at 11:06 pm
“The first thing he did was to be absolutely horrified by our training facilities. We built new facilities to his design. I went round the clubs of Europe with him and an architect and surveyor. He was asking all manner of questions and making all sorts of notes. ”
hahaha hahahaa thks pass !!!
LikeLike
gk!!!! its fucking good!!! especially when yu know how to appreciate progress and change for the better. lets fuck chelsea. i cant wait. every second its all i think about. id so love to play ,,,, just for 1.30 mins…..
LikeLike
there was an occasion once when one team was punished to play with no fans ….the fans gathered outside the ground with megaphones and speakers and were singing songs for their team…… lets go to stamform bridge , even without tickets, and just sit outside yelling arsenal arsenal arsenal. i know im exaggerating but if the universe has this tendency of course correction then, Wenger in his 1,000th game for Arsenal will beat that fucking duchebag translator who wins trophies with other peoples money
LikeLike
culture
LikeLike
“if the universe has this tendency of course correction then, Wenger in his 1,000th game for Arsenal will beat that fucking duchebag translator who wins trophies with other peoples money”
Amen to that hunter!
LikeLike
lol muppet will wake up and come check his article and will freak out..hehehe muppet we mean good….forgive !!! dont judge !!1 we gather here for arsenal
LikeLike
and for all the great contributors of course !!!
LikeLike
hey pass whats up? we will beat that bastard…we deserve it…he has said way to much and needs a lesson in humility. our players will ensure of that. im positive
LikeLike
Jeeez.. Can’t get a word in edgewise. (0(
LikeLike
H13
You’re coming across all conciliatory, like. No prob. It is indeed, The Midnight Hour.
LikeLike
Goonercam
Thank you.
I’m only now seeing how long my post was. Sorry. There’s so much to say about the meedja, but what’s the point? Too any people just buy it, hook, line and sinker.
I usually offload on UA. They’re doing a series on injuries, presently. But I’m glad to see such a fine article here on PA.
I’m not sure if I’m feeling better or not, or how bad I was in the first place. Maybe I should take up drinking? I’d sure employ the person behind H13’s sofa, for Sucour!
Hope you’re doing well yourself. Take good care.
LikeLike
yeah sorry was lying on the carpet for a while listeining to mdingit hour ..has taken me a good 20 sec s to focus on screen , what is coniclieletely ? ro
LikeLike
Too any people just buy it, hook, line and sinker…. muaha the unworthy…. they never got it
LikeLike
RANT
doing well . Waiting for the weekend Armageddon with breathless anticipation.
An image just popped into my head
Maureenwhore being paddle wiped while bending over to kiss ARSENES arse.
ARSE YOU KISS . translate that puto….
(0(
LikeLike
Are you sure she’d regard that as ‘punishment’?
LikeLike
Hunter
“im going mental i need help this isnt normal”
I was going to ask if you were ok?
Saturday will cure all ills, Arsene1000 will smite the false idol.
LikeLike
RANT
good point. (0(
Make that nail embedded paddles….
LikeLike
Muppet 10.06pm
Yes muppet and that would be his only sensible argument against ffp. So fair play if ppl buy it on that ground, I don’t. Here is one of the articles, from 2013, where he deals with ffp. Or at least that’s how it starts out as. It ends as an all out attack on arsenal.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2261817/Arsenal-Manchester-United-financial-fair-play-plot-ruin-Premier-League–Martin-Samuel.html
As for his general anti arsenal (and Arsene) bias, here is an analysis on it from untold arsenal from as far back as 2011. In the comment section, posted by Anne, you will find some more revealing quotes from him.
http://blog.emiratesstadium.info/archives/14802
LikeLike
Muppet, I know you were just referring to recent offenders. But my aversion against martin samuel and his deep rooted anti-arsenal and anti-Wenger sentiments (as I perceive it) are so strong I had to bring up his name to the shame list. My bad.
LikeLike
On the match tomorrow, it occurred to me whilst sitting at work not working, aren’t Ramirez and Will I An two players that do a lot of running for Chelsea. And alot of kicking. Do you think missing their energy will have a big impact on the tactics of The Dirty One?
I admit to knowing f all about chelsea tactics beyond them being cheating kicking b*rstards. And with a fair ref we would slaughter then 10 times out of 10. But the refs are not fair. Mariner will let them play rough. So just wondering if anybody has an idea how they might compensate for the loss of the two Brazilians?
Also very entertaining rants from Rantetta and Hunter. I’m also an emotional drunk hunter, but aren’t we all? Hehe
LikeLike
I doubt Chelsea have anything to replace Ramires who is a superb machine Sav, I’d guess Matic and Obi-Mikel will anchor the centre as I doubt Jose would risk Luiz against our speedy terrors.
Looking to start with the same energy as against Bayern
LikeLike
Marriner replaces Ramires
http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/256095.html
LikeLike
AK of the Sun.
The Sun goes bananas (even by their own sub-basement standard)
http://blog.emiratesstadium.info/archives/13362
LikeLike
What a star you are, Moopay…and fucking brilliant comments too. You should keep developing and updating this piece so that it grows into a ‘manifesto’ for Arsenal and against these loathsome hacks. Do unto those as they would do unto you etc..
LikeLike
I found Tony Adams tribute to Wenger on today’s daily mail very simple and beautiful. Bit unexpected I must say.
LikeLike
Fuck Tony, why did you have to slag the Club so much. You were such a hero.
LikeLike
I admit I would have been surprised to see Chris Foy with the whistle at the Bridge on Saturday
Probably not as surprised as Jose though
Fair play though Jose – give the referee a right load of abuse – works wonders
As you found in Spain
LikeLike
That’s a good idea Frank – some kind of weekly “MediaWatch” column to highlight the worst of the output.
In some ways I’d be loath to give them the oxygen of publicity but equally a spot of naming and shaming never did anyone any harm, even on a weekly basis.
Tempting …
LikeLike
Eight years of memories by Adi Manjunath
LikeLike
You’re right @anicoll
Start with the right energy and blow them away.
@Rantetta
Lol @ 7.57am
LikeLike
ahhghmm goodmorning … suffering…..happy thoughts…. 1000 games kill chelsea…
LikeLike
you know youre not well when you have work to do but youre on youtube watchign kylie minogue ” im spinning around..get out of my way..tsa tsa tsa nannan
LikeLike
Manure against Bayern hahahaha. Now they will know
LikeLike
Imagine if Arsenal spent £600M on their squad and did not dominate the league for the years in a row, as Gazprom-upon-Fulham should’ve done with that splurge. The same hacks above would be saying more or less the same old rubbish about The Arsenal. The redundant hacks can be seen to be afraid of making any critique of the petro-clubs.
I don’t know of any coaches who listen to these hacks, it’s not often they actually discuss football. Maybe many are taken in by the hacks, oligarch’s have been buying up press over the centuries for a reason I guess. I think a bigger problem then such boring media has been the Arsenal Experts who can’t deny associations with R&W and also write sometimes for oligarch rags. Who have fermented stupidity and serious misinformation about the club.
But fortunately the world is not full of desperate hacks. You also have people like Chamberlain Snr. Former international footballer, father and coach, adviser and agent. And he knew what he was doing when he wanted his son to be coached by Arsene at Arsenal as he made the transition from teenager to adult after time at the excellent academy in Southampton. Who could deny the wisdom of that decision, the path the Chamberlain’s followed? As G69 once said, Game knows Game.
The hacks? They exist in a world created by their own effluence. A world in which their colleagues at the next desk are hacking into a murdered child’s answerphone.
LikeLike