“It is at times like these when, for a manager, the world can seem a dark place. As methods are pilloried, tactics crucified and past glories forgotten, friends can feel like foes and adversaries appear as assassins. When criticism is flying at you from all angles, self-belief is the only solace.”
A well written rare piece of sports journalism. You would immediately think, the article talks about Wenger, but no. It is the Guardian defending Guardiola after Bayern’s defeat against Real Madrid. Sure, defend Guardiola. He is certainly much better than the likes of Mourinho. However, why is there no sincere defense of Wenger?
Wenger has consistently shown remarkable self-belief during plenty of dark days in the past 8 years. Spending figures show that the club has overachieved. Despite all the challenges, many of them unfair, the club is still on track and is now becoming a beast about to be unleashed. So, why isn’t there a defence of the club and manager? All that the manager consistently gets is, “Arsene did some good things, yeah yeah , but blah blah, cliche cliche, spend spend or go go…”
It is not as though these people in the media are dumb. Sure, you have the Michael Owens, but what about those cunning pundits/writers who are professional sports journalists? The likes of Amy Lawrence, Henry Winter, etc.. These people are not dumb. They clearly know what they are pushing and how to sell it.
Many of you here say that we need to ignore the media agenda and think for ourselves. I agree with that. However, the media also has a social responsibility. Not just in sports, but this applies even more so in the general world. We all have a part to play in society, especially voices that are heard by many. When, page 3 girls are pushed ahead and real issues affecting a society are hidden, those driving such agendas must be exposed. While every media outlet should have the freedom to write what they want, there should also be accountability.
For Arsenal, the media has been successful in building this image of a manager who is afraid of spending big, doesn’t know defence or tactics, a board interested only in money, keeping away the saviour Usmanov and last but not least, the poor shortchanged fans. An air of weakness has been built around the club. This mood must be shattered and those who made it shown wrong.
We have made a lot of progress in the past 8 years. The club and manager are highly regarded throughout the world. The media darlings Guardiola and Klopp, look up to Wenger and seek his advice. Players respect him. As much as we have mixed feelings about Cesc, he still calls Arsene boss. Theirry Henry calls him boss even in interviews these days. That, to me speaks volumes about his coaching. The club has been self-sufficient even when it could have taken the easier route, especially during times of financial difficulty and sold it’s soul to Usmanov. Instead, now club is about to burst into a self made super club. There are a lot more points, a lot more things going well for Arsenal that are written, discussed and shown very well by those of you who fight for Arsenal. People like you are needed, to fight back and push away the agenda.
Lastly, I would like to repeat a point many of you here have mentioned as I think it is quite important. As the man representing the club, Arsene is more than capable to handling the media vipers. Just read his responses to some of the media comments and I assure you, you would be enjoying his put-downs. It is the boos, jeers and criticism of the fans that hurt the man.
Please don’t do it.
Don’t be a Piers Morgan. Support the man (people like him are rare) and the club.
Today’s post was by Sensational Arsenal.( @Madras_Periyar )
Positively Arsenal 
As Paul would say . Blow wow. Sorry about the length and a few misspellings. It was the auto correct.
That’s the ticket.
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Hope the guys are ready to take care of some business. In a few hours they will put forth another convincing performance. Every point counts and the confidence should be at fever pitch by the cup final.
Wemberly wemberly . Ready or not here come the ARSENAL!!!!
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I want to see the arsenal keep their foot on the gas today. Keep the momentum up and a strong season finish. UTA
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Looks like it might be Jenks at right back today, he needs a strong performance for all sorts of reasons. It worries me when both our first choice full backs are out but outs important there are no chances taken with little boggles before the cup final. Which by the way I missed out on the ballot so I’m going to have to go black market if im going to be there.
Anyway the full monty breakfast followed by a few pints in the kings head then watching ARSENAL in the sun should make a brilliant day especially if Norwich win as well
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Well said, goonerkam. We can’t compete financially with the oilys but we now – at last – have enough money to be able to compete on the field.
Hear, hear, dc.
Very important to keep up the momentum and West Brom will fight like tigers today.
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Arshavin23 May 4, 2014 at 4:17 am
Hallllooo sir!!
Else, why do you discredit the sanctity of whats seems like entire european football?
and why are you still a football fan?
because im a sports junkie and though i know all big sports are corrupt due to money involved i try to find the teams/set ups that are closer to my idea of how the sport should be played/approached. in football the mature choice is wenger’s arsenal, a respectful recognition to their set-up and sophistication under wenger and how they have become modern ajax. only thing missing are the titles to act as confirmation in the minds of the people and history books.
as for regulating it. wenger squared the circle. took the football and viciously broke it down and analysed to tiring points. if the legal framework had denied the import of sugardaddies and english refs officiated as per the rules and not their culture wenger;s arsenal would have only united to deal with who were pants between 2004-2007. domestic dominance and a different psychology/strength for europe. arsenal has been robbed in many occasions.
“.why we couldn’t win was more down to injuries and in some cases players not being able to step up, more than anything else..and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that..in a sport with such competition winning is hard and sometimes it just doesn’t work out..but we were in the mix.”
and how did these injuries occur? were they not from the mentality ” to beat arsenal you have to kick them” ? how can players step up when their right to a fair and equal competition is mocked right in their faces by the referees on the pitch ?. Of course we were in the mix and some didnt like that. In my eyes it was mostly external factors that prevented us rather than us having a wrong approach.
“and what good is winning anyway? it lasts for a short while and gives us bragging rights (which i dont care for anyway) while our game (& our approach to football) thrilled us week in and week out, for many seasons in a row continuously. ”
no not for the bragging rights but mostly to solidify arsenal and wenger in that elite company of football clubs with highest european honours. chelsea has a champions league, nottingham forrest has two ( in old format). so does porto. arsenal has nothing. just one finalist appearance
“Arsenal under Arsene even before chelsea became the filthy rich club and all this spending began, did not win the league every single season.”
yes but back then manchester was still strong and their generation of players was at their prime…plus we messed up the 02-03 title, that should be ours too. between 04-07 and had abramovic not been allowed in, it would have been only arsenal, even during the massive transition. We were that far ahead from united during that period. and had cesc clichy ect tasted such success with arsenal i dont think the stablishment would be able to “play games” with us. we would have been a very different animal.
“Also, do you realize how tough it is to impose a set of restrictions across entire Europe that would prevent clubs spending more than they are earning? ”
when theres a will theres a way.
“I truly believe there is no point in frustration when we have had so much fun even during the so called “dark period trophies wise” in our clubs grand history. ”
but im not frustrated with arsenal and have always reminded to fellow fans that if get 3-4th plus champions league in the clubs toughest transitional period ( and thats after theyve cheated us or else wed be winning the damn thing) then imagine what will happen when the youngsters matured. but they didnt let us see that happening…for many reasons…mostly im frustrated with fans who get manipulated and end up attacking the club and for the people in arsenal above wenger who did absolutely nothing to protect manager and players when they were getting robbed on the pitch and misrepresented in the media. i can not fault the manager and players for they were being slaughtered. but i will fault the fans for not having their eyes open and the owners/executives who sat back and allowed it to happen.
“to staunchly believe that is the only reason (money) why Arsenal hasn’t won a trophy since 2005 is nothing short of denial and also discrediting Arsene’s genius in my opinion.”
no no no thats not the reason. we showed ability to win it even with 1.3m clichy and 2m song and 450k fabregas and 1.7m eboue or whatever …it was other things that prevented us which i mentioned above.
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They’re the team in red and white and they’re *coughs* dynamite
Come on Arsenal!
Can’t go today*, have fun PA whether you’re at the game or watching a broadcast.
*Booo, hisses, puts a bin liner over head. For shame. For shame.
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We me and billy boots are here so far.
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1-0 to the Arsenal, 1-0 to the Arsenal….
Well done, boys. Hope Nacho is OK. Don’t need any more injuries.
Good news keeps coming:
“FA Women’s Cup: Arsenal beat Birmingham to set up Chelsea tie” Arsenal ladies in the semifinals.
One more piece of good news for the weekend, please, Fate….
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1nil to The Arsenal! Good old fashioned scoreline secured in a good old fashioned way! I’m off for a few cold ones. Catch you later if I can or more likely tomorrow!
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Hahaha. That’s great. CONGRATULATIONS BOYS.
AW.
ALL TRUE FANS.
hell of a weekend. Great results. Ready or not world. Here comes the ARSENAL..
this thing is going right down to the wire.
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Well done the canaries. How you like them apples joezeeeh. They parked them buses right up your alley. (0(
Cheers PASSENAL have a cold one on me too.
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saw this as an AW quote… that guy is just class! LOL
Wenger: “I have just been informed Loic Remy was here, I honestly did not know. I hope he paid for his ticket!
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If Norwich had been given that penalty (a red card too?) we might have been able to have caught Mourinho by the short and curlies.
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TEAM SPIRIT
that’s AW s refined sense of humor. One only wonders what fun we might have had with it if the media idiots hadn’t tried their best to put the man on the defensive most of the time. Same goes for some of our dumbass fans.
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FUNGUN
how’s your greed doing. You wish for CRYSTAL PALACE to take the reds scalp as they have some other top teams. 🙂
Well they told me your wish is their command. (0(
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The team that is and mr. Tiny you know what. Come on you eaglets. (0(
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Maybe some of the media are finally working Maureenio out, he may win cups and grind his way through leagues if he has money but he couldn’t entertain in a testimonial. Fans who pay good money will love the fact their winning….at first but then get really bored which is why many old school Chelsea fans stopped going during the boring one first tenure. Maureenio can actually be their worst manager during the PL era and meanwhile we are sitting across London watching beautiful football but with some fans moaning because of the lack of silverware, perverse when you think about it.
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The lesser pulis is complaining that Norwich didn’t go for three points. Haha seriously they were playing at home, with a team worth half a billion and needed three points to have a realistic chance on the title. And he set up the team to play counter football. Hahah tactical genius indeed.
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@ a_or_b
Quite right. I also note that he is not Mr Teflon anymore. The turning point for his image in the media was that “specialist in failure” comment he made. Paradoxically, given the article above, AW is popular with the journos on the ground. It was such a mean-spirited remark that it reflected badly on the Blue Satan. From then, the tide has turned regarding the perception of him as an entertainer. That and the perceived hypocrisy about parking the bus.
@ double canister May 5, 2014 at 12:02 am
“If Norwich had been given that penalty (a red card too?) we might have been able to have caught Mourinho by the short and curlies.”
Gah. And they came close to nicking one early on, too.
@ goonerkam
So no, my greed was not satisfied, but still hoping to see Tiny Penis take down the reds tonight. To put it another way, hoping to see Stevie Me cry.
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Yes, please — Stevie Me crying because he has come up short, again? — just lovely!! 🙂
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Our best season for years (points wise) and an FA Cup to come, and if the players had been a bit luckier, a bit harder mentally, or whatever and another 5 or 6 points (a draw and a win, or two wins) and we would be right up there in the mix for the title and yet …. some people are still ‘blaming’ Wenger for ‘learning’ nothing.
How incredulous does this make these people sound? Like they can teach one of the greatest managers of all time how to manage. Laughable — yet so sad.
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Post for you on email George
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The Lesser Pulis, hahahahahahahaha!!!!
That fear of failure thing is going to haunt Mourinho until he leaves the premier league. Personally, that’s the most successful piss take I have ever scene. Arsene is a Jedi master. Love him to bits.
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New post is up.
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