It’s hard being a contrarian on Arsenal Twitter these days. Like any strict, self-regulated community, there is a stridency among a majority of posters that demands and enforces conformity. It punishes dissent via the block, unfollow and mute buttons for committing any of the following heresies:
- Not vocally supporting the new manager
- Criticizing any of the mooted new signings
Instead of summer hostilities between the former WOBs and AKBs, which usually reach boiling point during transfer season, both sides for their own reasons are currently wishing and hoping for the new manager, Unai Emery, to succeed, bigly. Obviously the ex-WOBs are delighted that their bête noir, the cheapskate, deluded, out of touch, omnipotent (choose your epithet) Arsene Wenger is now gone. Should Emery succeed, it will be a ringing endorsement of their long-held claim that the club was being held back by the former manager.
On the other hand, it seems to me, the so-called AKBs are on the defensive, not wanting to be seen as mindless acolytes of the old gaffer, fearing they will give credence to the years of repeated taunts by the anti-Wenger crowd that they support Arsene FC rather than Arsenal FC. They too are just as wishful and hopeful that the new manager, who seems to be as modern and progressive as the old, will be able to overcome all the external and internal obstacles that held the club back.
WOBs, AKBs and the Middle-Of-the-Roaders
Strange and as incongruous as it may seem, former WOBs and AKBs are now locked together, singing the same tune; leave Emery alone and he will succeed.
Let us not fool ourselves. While there appears to be two extremist camps in the Arsenal fanbase, there is definitely a large, if not larger, middle-of-the-road contingent which often takes one side or the other depending on results. It wasn’t that long ago, for example, we had the experience on the opening day of a new season at the Arsenal stadium, with the transfer window still open, that a majority were in uproar demanding the club spend some “facking” money as the club was losing to Aston Villa. The fact that Arsenal eventually came 3rd or 4th that year, qualifying for the Champion’s League, at a time when it was still struggling under the stadium-related austerity, stands in sharp contrast to the £200 million spent on transfers these past two years while coming 5th and lately 6th in the Premier League.
So conventional thinking has concluded that leaving Emery alone, rather than the relentless attention to the every move and statement made by Arsene Wenger, is now a guarantor of success. The underlying assumption is the belief that the Wenger years, particularly the most recent, were a failure which Emery must avoid. The problem is this hypothesis is not fully supported by the facts.
Note the “unbiased data”, on which we should rely, is diligently avoided by the mainstream media and most of its cohorts on twitter and in the blogsphere, who are now bloviating with optimism and goodwill towards Emery.
Take a gander, below, on some key performance metrics for the last 11 years of the Wenger era.
| Year | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | Win % | Loss % |
| 07/08 | 58 | 36 | 15 | 7 | 113 | 52 | 62.1% | 12% |
| 08/09 | 61 | 33 | 16 | 12 | 113 | 55 | 54.1% | 20% |
| 09/10 | 55 | 33 | 8 | 14 | 116 | 63 | 60.0% | 25% |
| 10/11 | 58 | 31 | 13 | 14 | 113 | 55 | 53.5% | 24% |
| 11/12 | 54 | 31 | 9 | 14 | 96 | 67 | 57.4% | 26% |
| 12/13 | 53 | 29 | 12 | 12 | 105 | 60 | 54.7% | 23% |
| 13/14 | 56 | 37 | 8 | 11 | 99 | 57 | 66.1% | 20% |
| 14/15 | 56 | 35 | 11 | 10 | 109 | 53 | 62.5% | 18% |
| 15/16 | 54 | 28 | 12 | 14 | 91 | 59 | 51.9% | 26% |
| 16/17 | 55 | 35 | 8 | 12 | 121 | 65 | 63.4% | 22% |
| 17/18 | 57 | 30 | 10 | 17 | 108 | 70 | 52.6% | 30% |
| Mean | 56 | 33 | 11 | 12 | 108 | 60 | 58.0% | 22% |
Main points:
- Wenger achieved an average win percentage of 58% across all competitions never falling below 51.9% and going as high as 66.1%.
- 52% was good enough to qualify for the champions league up to 15/16. But in 16-17 a 63.4% win rate and a FA cup was apparently not good enough for some in the club hierarchy as evident in Wenger’s 2-year contract, which in retrospect was putting him on notice.
- In 17-18, the win percentage was 52.6, not the lowest historically, but it was marked by the highest ever GA, a total of 70, compared to an average of 60 GA over the 11-year period.
- Wenger’s loss percentage while averaging 22% increased by a dramatic 8 percentage points between 16-17 and 17-18 coinciding with the highest ever GA of 70 in the latter year.
The GA seems to be the key. As Finsbury, a long-standing and frequent contributor to Positively Arsenal has repeatedly argued, Wenger’s biggest challenge in 17/18 was maintaining or recreating the defensive stability he had achieved during the four year reign of Mertsacker-Koscielny, which was one of the premier central defensive partnerships in club football. The 2016-17 season-long loss of the BFG and his subsequent relegation in 17-18 to a mere squad player combined with Koscielny’s well publicized chronic Achilles injury coincided with a growth in GAs from 59 in 15-16 to an unheard of 70 last season and the dramatic increase in losses from the average of 22% to 30% over the last two seasons.
Based on the facts as presented, surely it is reasonable and necessary for us to ask Mr. Gazidis and his rising number of busy-bodies (Mislintat, Sanllehi and a Marcel Lucassen who is to become Director of Football Operations on August 1st) the following questions:
- How will the signing of Lichsteiner, a 34 year-old injury-prone right back, improve and stabilize Arsenal’s central defensive partnership?
- In a world where a Virgil Van Dijk costs £70 million, how do Arsenal plan to replace the retired Mertsacker and an ageing injury-prone Koscielny?
At a time when mainstream media, Twitter, Facebook and Google are doing their best to censor and block non-conforming points of view, it is frightening the level to which Arsenal-twitter has engaged in self-censorship to not rock the boat during this transition to new management. Apparently Ivan and his team are now omniscient and omnipotent. They have free reign, without any challenge by fans, to give Emery any players they deem necessary, because, to paraphrase managerial genius Tony Adams, coaching is over-rated, what matters is the director of football and those who do player recruitment.
So “keep schtum”. Don’t rock the boat. It will all work out in the end. Hmm.
Positively Arsenal 
They are assumed to be cartoon characters BK – no matter how much abuse from players, managers, the media, the pundiitti and not to mention us dear fans the referees will just spring back up, unaffected, and carry on.
I wonder how I would feel like to have my life threatened, and that of Mrs N, for a decision that I made at work. I suppose I could ask Michael Oliver how he felt.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Shard – while Atkinson does not say, and perhaps was not asked about the clubs decision to delay bringing in VAR in the PL he does discuss the systems use in the WC and refereeing standards generally.
“Atkinson laughs at the frequent accusation of lack of accountability, explaining how evaluation has changed since he joined the select group (the panel of professional referees and assistant referees appointed to officiate matches in English domestic football) in 2005, when it was a single assessor in the stands to a system of painstaking video review with every little mistake logged and explanation demanded, his own report filed followed by a mark from a panel.
And that is before we get to the angry fans, critical pundits, raging players and self-serving managers. And we would deny them the chance to save themselves (and us) from the worst mistakes, or the instant reassurance that they got a big decision right?
“People wonder what might go wrong at the World Cup,” Webb says. “But if it wasn’t there and something big happened, how many will be saying ‘VAR could have solved that?’ ”
Atkinson concurs. “It’s massive. We have to give it a try. The more we trial the better we will get and the more natural it will feel.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was interesting last night to have the opening game referred by an argentine whistler who had no experience of VAR at all. Can you imagine the FUSS if there had been a cock-up.??
LikeLike
WWB, it’s really unfair of that Saudi official to only pick out 3 players, the whole team were poor, the coaching staff also have to take some responsibility for the game plan and tactics. The scoreline flattered the Russians who were buoyed by a noisy home crowd and the ease at which they were able to play through a weak opponent. It will be interesting to see how they do against a team with a bit more quality and the sly gamesmanship of e.g. Uruguay.
Andrew, you are totally right about how hard the referees job is, so it’s criminal that the authorities here refuse to give them the help they need. VAR may not be a panacea, but it would be a start. I think the pundits don’t want it because then they would be forced to talk about the actual football and not the controversies. Then people would see what unknowledgeable frauds they really are.
LikeLiked by 4 people
It’s a day of late headers and first opening game wins. You have to feel for that Moroccan defender. He would have been proud of that at the right end of the pitch!
LikeLiked by 2 people
The authorities who have delayed the use of VAR in the PL from August are the clubs Pass – by a two/thirds majority – make of that what you will ! Even they must recognise if VAR is a success in Russia then the PL will be in the slow lane compared to the Germans, Italians and Spanish.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That begs the question Andrew, did the clubs in those other leagues vote for it, or was the decision taken out of their hands? It’s easy to hide behind the clubs if the official bodies failed to give VAR a good enough trial, which made them less-inclined to vote for it.
LikeLiked by 2 people
There’s an uncomplicated objecative rational reason why we can and have been describing the pgMOB and Riley as no Dickie Birds but unprofessional clowns.
Because this singular failure to support the officials in favour of instuctions on “game management” in the world’s biggest richest and therefore most pressurised sporting environment these past thirty years is, if we are being kind and considerate:
the conduct of unprofessional clowns.
If we take the p out of the pgMOB it is. Mercy upon the English language.
Conversely how nice it was to see the recent test series between two closely matched squads where the only debate was on the conditions or physical phenomena – whoever batted first of the two teams in these two early summer contests in england won the match! The umpires having been given the right kind of support were recepiants of the kind of respect we all like to see, which wasn’t the case before that support system was set up 25 odd years ago.
LikeLiked by 1 person
First decent game and I’m only going to be able to watch the first half!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Glad the sport has decided to join the twenty first century and the ref in this Portugal Spain game has some support behind him for that difficult on field call on the pen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can’t help but like Diego Costa
LikeLiked by 1 person
https://twitter.com/i/status/1007691097550749698
LikeLiked by 2 people
What a time for such a good keeper to make a mess of his long barrier cricket style save!
Spain fought back but have to go again.
I can only watch the first half of this match too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t understand why the PL clubs – billion $ businesses in several cases – would be told what to do by some unidentified authority who did not give it a sufficient trial Pass. If they decided the time is not right it is surprisingly cautious but that was the clear decision taken. They do exactly what they like the rest of the time.
LikeLike
And I thought the reason you constantly abused referees was because you thought they were all both entirely corrupt and totally shite Fins
I’m glad you’ve clarified your position.
LikeLike
Football eh!
Bloody hell!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I didn’t realise my position had any importance! I have been making the above. Dickie Bird reference for a few years now Andy.
You can continue to ignore it if it so pleases.
LikeLiked by 2 people
“Constantly abusing referees” for having asked for gallant defence of the unprofessional pgMOB to be taken to a site that is set up to debate referees?
Ok!
LikeLike
Ronaldo. Two dive two goals, I fucking hate the narcissistic cunt
LikeLike
You don’t save those
LikeLiked by 1 person
Spain have 11 very good players. But Portugal have 1 extraordinary one.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Unai Emery: “I’m delighted that Granit has extended his contract with us. He’s an important member of the squad and is still young so will be able to develop even more. I hope he has a successful World Cup with Switzerland and comes back fit and ready for the new season.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Don’t think the first goal was a pen and I’m sorry but how can Costa not be pulled up for a foul when he didn’t go for the ball he only went for the man, so first two goals shouldn’t of counted and the third well Harry Redknapps nan could of saved that.
The next three goals were of course all quite good.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Enjoyed today’s football.
Spain Portugal obviously sensational, but I got plenty from the other two with their caginess, good defending, competitiveness and huge physical efforts from the players.
Doesn’t work all the time for me but experience of watching games like Morocco Iran much improved if I think about what it means to the teams to be there; how they’ll feel about a win/loss/draw respectively on the day and therefore why they are playing as they are- for instance not going too gung ho, choosing right areas to try harder passes in,etc.
Looked in first ten like Morocco would have far too much skill for them, Iran weathered it, grew into game, fought tremendously hard in a very physical game, then got lucky at the end to probably give half their country a surge of huge joy.
In another mood, where I’m not willing to put in any mental effort, and perhaps naturally compare it to the football say Spain or top club sides can play…might have got little or no enjoyment, and maybe some football fatigue will come later, but I liked it today.
Spain Portugal doesn’t really need any words. Cracking reminder of different levels in the game though in that Spain’s technique and skill made Portugal’s look almost average at times in comparison.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Definitely one for me to think about with VAR in Spain game. Definite foul from Costa and yet I was very glad the VAR guys didn’t give it.
On the pen as well I’m fairly convinced Ronaldo could so easily have carried on and very likely initiated contact himself- but I was ok with decision to let it stand.
In first case it was partly about how much I liked the goal and what a tit Pepe has been over years; but main thing for both is I believe authorities have to be somewhat tactical in how they use VAR in these early days of it and on such a stage.
Things for me to ponder no doubt.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Great news on Xhaka, thought he has played well , a young player in a very difficult position in a fairly open Wenger system in the last season.
Will be interesting to see how UE plays him , reportedly along with torriera and Ramsey, sounds formidable.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Andy, my point was that the referees, like Atkinson, do not speak when it comes to the PL. Because the Pgmol have imposed a ‘media ban’ on them. Here he’s talking about the role and struggles of refs, of wrong decisions he’s made that have haunted him, and of VAR (though he’s careful to use the word ‘trial’ to coincide with the PL position) and this builds some understanding and trust.
The reason Pgmol are mistrusted is because they treat us fans with a lack of trust and with total disrespect. We are not to be spoken to, only to be dictated to. Their refs never make mistakes unless politically convenient for Riley to issue apologies, in a scattergun, arbitrary manner. They don’t allow refs to tell us about their decisions. TV companies are made to hire company spokespersons to ‘explain’ the decisions and if you’re honest, you’ll admit they don’t exactly do a good job of it. To the point of not even knowing the rules. What are those backroom refs doing if they can’t even do that? Protecting the company’s image I imagine.
And though the PL clubs voted against VAR for now, did Pgmol want it? Did they do their best to trial it? I know they denied Arsenal the right to use Goal line tech in a pre-season friendly before they had approved it. They don’t seem to want to move forward unless left with no choice. It would be interesting to know which clubs voted against VAR. I know that the media has been out to undermine VAR right from the start. Unlike you I guess, I do not believe that the media is either entirely ‘free’ or ‘fair’. It’s all part of the ‘game management’ and crowd management (us fans, consumers)
Frankly, Germany and most of Europe seems to get along just fine without ‘professional’ refs whose livelihood is entirely dependent on Pgmol paymasters. Even an objective analysis would probably reveal they are better at their part time jobs than these full time professionals. And they give post match interviews (at least used to in Germany) and their performance audit in public is not subject to a pre-broadcast censorship. I can’t help but think that’s relevant.
But I’ve rambled enough.
LikeLiked by 3 people
So Granit has a new contract as does AMN. Didn’t Elneny sign an extension recently too? That leaves Ramsey. (And Wilshere but I think he’s gonzo) Get it done, and maybe Torreira and we’ve got ourselves a midfield!
LikeLiked by 1 person
#FRAvAUS: How times have changed? Not even one starter on the French team is an AFC player. Arsenal now priced out of the French tal market.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Agree on Wilshere sadly, but life goes on. Not sure on the Ramsey situation, but he did say something along the lines that he was excited by the prospect of Arsenals future and working with Emery, so hopefully bodes well for this fantastic player.
I would imagine a big wage increase and an armband may help in his case, however I guess a note of caution, positive words mean nothing without a signature, as we found out last Aug with a player who it is said is ” reborn” under his new coach. Allegedly.
What i find intriguing, is where Laccazette fits into the scheme with a seemingly bolstered MFs. Also, glad to see such encouragement for AMN, have been very impressed with him, I await iwobis development with a sense of excitement.
Have always believed team are far better than they always showed last season, with a bit of tinkering from Unai, expecting some very good things, in fact, cannot wait for Aug
LikeLiked by 1 person
No Arsenal players, but hope Giroud has a fantastic tournament, almost view him in the way I would an arsenal player when he plays for France (or when he helps deprive Jose of an FA Cup)
LikeLiked by 2 people
France could do with OG as an impact sub this game by the look of things
LikeLiked by 1 person
Or a penalty!
LikeLike
Good old Giroud with the assist. I still think of him as an Arsenal player.
LikeLiked by 3 people
reports in Italy that Napoli want to sign Cech on loan for the season, their chairman said that they have missed out on Leno, who is off to AFC, and so Cech could be a viable option.
LikeLiked by 1 person
we’ve see VARs used on calls immediately before the incident occurs, no revision of the on field officials judgement on the Costa barge but upon the simple foul for the France pen. With the onfield official conferring with his colleagues staring at the big screen, in front of everyone, and then everyone in the ground getting to see the replay afterwards too. The only think missing from the field hockey VARs model here is the mike, but in international football with a multi lingual audience that is not required.
All actions and procedures to support the onfield official and to not undermine them or their authority.
Almost as if the set up for this WC was made by a quick look around all the other sports with notepad!
It’s not rocket science.
Unless your employed in, and I can quote as opposed to resort to embarrassing insinuation:
“Game management”*
Bellerin or Welbeck could’ve done with such VARs calls away at Stoke. Three or four times. What a demeaning and unprofessional farce that was.
*Phil Neville was taken off the bbc radio because of the large number of complaints, but the hopelessly unqualified England Woman’s manager, most heckled England player ever and hapless clogger to boot (hehe) was true to form with his embarrassing plunditry.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Iceland starting well against Argentina but I’m going to risk my precious reputation and guess that the Argie Bargie coaches will have managed to set their team up to defend the long throw unlike the sweet FA and Bleeb’s anointed Nevilles.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nutmeg (on the Utd player?) beats a long throw!
Argentina much weaker at the back as a. squad with the mascherano sized hole in the squad?
You can’t really blame the coaching there though I’m sure people will, it’s not like they messed up the long throw (which was a well known tactic of a previous and slightly weaker Icelandic squad).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bloody hell they’ve still got Javier on the pitch!
When it comes to CBs Argentina not as blessed as during yesteryear
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ok. Wow. So they’re playing Mascherano in midfield and Rojo at CB alongside Ottamendi.
So that’s one recognised top level defender, two inexperienced FBs, a played who flopped at CB for Utd and Jose, and appeal to bring Xavier out of retirement.
I won’t be betting on the Argies to win the tournament.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Some people probably surprised by Iceland’s first half display – others still seem to hold them in contempt. Argentina have some deadly strikers but they have only managed to create one chance. Iceland have created three. Good game so far.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The referee is adopting a commendably no nonsense approach to the cheating from both sets of players – good man.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Don’t think there are any quotes of contempt regarding Iceland upon these pages. But that never stopped juvenille insinuations on other topics so why stop there, once you’ve popped you can’t stop.
–
There are plenty of quotes about a team that couldn’t beat either them or Costa Rica.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Nice to see to see the field hockey VARs model working so well in the football.
who could have imagined such a thing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Poor penalty and still v little threat from the Argentine though plenty of possession. One slip up and Iceland could be in here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re obviously not watching ITV Fins though the long throw reference would probably fit in. From what I can see they place good possession football and v little up and under style.
LikeLike
“There was contact there” – Hoddle for the umpteenth time as Pavon flings himself to the turf. Mr Marciniak not remotely impressed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“which was a well known tactic of a previous and slightly weaker Icelandic squad”
No need for glasses here Andy, cheers.
Siguardsson’s technical quality should have been appreciated by all followers of the Arsenal, an obvious result of the youth system and investment in infrastructure that’s allowed such talents to incrementally improve the Icelandic team which each passing generation.
No need to misread or misquote to in order to prop up my subjective and subsiding opinion.
LikeLike
Why someone in the VAR control room did not whisper that the ref might want to have a second look only they know ?
I’ve seen them given Glenn
LikeLiked by 1 person
If Sigardsson has been taking the penalty instead of Messi the net would have bulged
5 minutes added on at least ?
LikeLiked by 2 people