WARNING: Embargoed for publication until 00:00:01 on 29/05/2018 – Programme Name: A Very English Scandal – TX: n/a – Episode: n/a (No. 3) – Picture Shows: ***EMBARGOED UNTIL 29th MAY 2018*** Sir Joseph Cantley (PAUL FREEMAN) – (C) Blueprint Television Ltd – Photographer: Robert Viglasky
Yesterday I read that Abu Dhabi FC are considering building a training complex in London. This will be passed off as a genius move by a wonderfully organised football club to give them a marginal advantage when playing in London. They will claim it saves them travelling time and avoids the need to stay in hotels overnight, presumably they will include a residence.
I think it’s far more likely that it’s a move to give them more opportunity to be a player in the economy of the capital and so become more influential and acceptable to the government of our country. Because lets face it, the whole Manchester City project has nothing to do with either football or the local community of Manchester, it’s simply a PR exercise for Abu Dhabi and the UAE. A advert if you will.
Those that say it’s good for the game and the local community have been taken in, exactly as they had hoped. Their greatest achievement isn’t building an outstandingly good football team, with their £2.7 billion drop in an oily ocean spend, it’s been fooling people into thinking it’s good for the game.
Below is an extract of a post from our very own Arsenal Andrew, with sums up my feelings more eloquently than I could.
“I read somewhere (and don’t know if it’s true) that AFC were doing slightly better, points wise at this time last year and yet most fans are either pleased or thrilled at Emery’s start. Personally I feel he has done exceptionally well, exceptionally swiftly; most managers, like most players, take more time to bed in, so well played, Sir.
We’ve certainly scored the best goals in the PL this season, but my question to readers is, how well did we think we were doing by the start of December last year?
We clearly fell away after New Year (if not before) so I guess this is a physical/psychological hurdle Unai has to get over in the weeks ahead.
Again, I ask, what has really changed?
We look a bit more ‘Liverpool’ these days with our energy and physical commitment as well as our potency up front. At the back the need for further improvement is evident to all and Emery at least gives off the impression that he is working hard on all areas of the pitch, not just the attacking third.
Certainly in Leno at the back and Lucas in the middle we have the beginnings of an absolutely top class spine, yet our front players, despite more than a few flashes of brilliance, are yet to settle into a routine of lethal consistency. And we still DO look vulnerable at the back. And in some ways, I quite LIKE that we haven’t changed TOO much; it suggests to me that, contrary to what some say, Wenger was still not SO far from where he/we needed to be.
So I think there is more, much more to come from new-boy Emery’s new Arsenal and one remains optimistic, up to a point.
The fly in the ointment of the future lies in the total domination of the EPL by Manchester City. Liverpool’s challenge is merely firing City up further and we know they have the limitless funds to quickly replace the injured or formless as required. Pep’s chequebook deployment impresses few beyond those paid observers and the sycophantic, eagerly assembled mob on the press and pundit benches. Pep would have to work hard to screw things up given his resources although Jose shows what is possible and success is obviously not a complete ‘given’.
But how exciting is the PL these days, honestly?
What really is the point of Emery and his predecessor, even our neighbours over in Middlesex toiling away for years to achieve incremental improvement when clubs are allowed to pump eye-watering yet illegal volumes of cash into a club with complete impunity to ‘claim’ the league without really having to try. I mean, what is the point of it all?
3-0 to City has little resonance when that is really the minimum expected from them. To be almost nailed on PL winners by the end of November does nobody any favours and I can’t help but think the empty seats at Wembley, at the Emirates and most other grounds is symptomatic of an ongoing growth of apathy which continues to develop unabated. Tag all that to the ludicrous cost of watching someone elses’s choice of live football on tv and you have a recipe for a long-term decline in fan interest.
Certainly I still look forward to Arsenal games and I can’t wait for the introduction of VAR into the PL next year, no matter how flawed or poorly executed that may be, at least initially.
But while City sit at the top of the table having purchased their seat there rather than truly competed for it, forgive me if my excitement in the game can now be described as ‘not what it was’.
And all the while that Arsenal and others are effectively debarred from the top two positions in the league on account of cash rather than credible, authentic ‘merit’, then this more measured interest in the game is unlikely to change anytime soon.
Still, COYGs, eh?”
I hope this blog doesn’t come across like a Judge handing down a ruling, but really, we, and all the other hopefuls , are goosed.
Positively Arsenal 
Ha, you might get Martin Samuel himself trying to post on this later.
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This is a fascinating area and one that throws up so many anomalies and contradictions. I remember Matthew Syed in his freelance days being a stridently vocal opponent of Chelsea and RA and reputational laundering. He now writes for The Times and is all over the magnificence of Manchester City, who many would argue are merely finessing the son of Abram’s model. My knowledge of Gulf economic politics is slight, but I find it hard to criticise City’s owners for crimes against humanity when our stadium and shirts carry their airline’s name. I share Andrew’s concerns (and thanks for his brilliant contribution) but think the empty seats are far more down to the easy availability of everything online and at home, the amount of football games, the rival competitions for leisure hours and the boredom for some of having to sit down and watch a whole 90 minutes (football is so much more exciting in youtube clips).
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“reputational laundering” is a perfect synonym for “d*** swinging contest” with Roman [ta Tim] for which all of us are reduced to mere spectators – irritatingly so. Spare a for José coming up short… or not.
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Syed did slag off Roman in the Times Tim and that is right. Still does.
As for his being all over City I don’t see it – otherwise he would not come out with a headline “Abu Dhabi-owned City merely a pawn in sheikhs’ game of self-protection”
Or Syed’s comment in Pep and his yellow ribbon;
” Or take Manchester City, the club that employs Guardiola, whose owners are involved in an equally audacious bid to use soft power to further their strategic interests. In addition to Manchester City, Abu Dhabi has paid for a refurbishment of the Château de Fontainebleau’s Napolean III theatre, renamed after Zayed al-Nahyan, the leader, and have imported a branch of the Guggenheim. This is a Sunni dictatorship enmeshing itself in western culture for political leverage.”
People know what is going on. What we need to do is knock them off their over-priced fucking perch, and stop moping about playing the victim.
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We are going to need a bigger boat Andy.
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Again, I ask, what has really changed?
Not much, except for much much much less hatred to the club, the manager and team. The Irons know they lost the 12 man power when they left Upton Park. Our 12th man(person) has often been a 5th columnist for years, espeically via the world of social media. One of their ranks believes we are doing so much better than last year because of the new manager.
Dont get me wrong, I really like UE and he has my full support, but many should have listend to what the Wolfman had to say in Pulp Fiction after the Fulham game. But a grind out win is better than a draw or loss even if a bit on the dull side.
But how exciting is the PL these days, honestly?
The least I can recall since the 82-early 86 period. ( I loved and supported those lads, but they were the true wildness years in my time, going to Highbury with low attendances was pretty grim, but still brilliant and personally exciting, (despite York, Oxford etc). I hate the split, The Scatological clubs, us, the Scousers, and the wankers down the road, then the rest except maybe Everton are the “bottom clubs”. Doesnt seem to glam rock to me. But that doesnt mean it isnt.
All things change though, the cat shall mew and the dawg have its day. But this is like no other Ive every experienced, strange water indeedy. When the season first started it was pretty tight at the top, and I thought it would be great but it seems to be settling down into another system like last few years ( will we have a couple of finals and a semi to attend to though?), but it does seem unfair, money has really messed up football in some ways, although many would say its enhanced it too. The Spuds will feel the bite if Kane gets a big offer and sneaks off from the Coop. Something thats been a bane for us since the creation of our new gaff. Will it be seen as a kind of Faustian bargain years?
Being patronised by some of the City fans at the beginning of the season smart a bit really considering without the dangly carrot who of their players would be there? Not even Pep-mint himself methinks?
What to do? Hopefully not become the new Stoke? Keep adapting to the odd process of evolution. Cut down on the fizz around the club .
There is so much pressure on the club now though, it doesnt really seem to allow things to grow without becoming self conscious, and its tough to play football that way. Players have to be highly skilled Saints who give the customer what they want ( five-nil each week). But to rise up and challenge City might need a tighter Arse and a bit more unconditional love from some quarters?
How many of us are really missing the CL, I know I am. I was always grateful to be playing in that competition.
Yes and you AA will always be COYG! unless something nuts happens, but it is frustrating on one level, the EL, ok so we have a show down with the Chickens, but the CC is pretty boring too? I like the way UE keeps playing strong teams though ( even if it means Öz and Rambo not being used, he likes a good change around does our Emery) and it keeps people talking.
I really enjoyed the post and all the natter here and on A5s round up( another great rodeo A5) . Cheers!
COYG!
ps a lot of rumours floating about AW going to Bayern. That lot are tough task masters though –dont do it Arsène!
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pps -I wished we could have the yellow away kit back again. “She wore a mint bile green ribbon” sounds kack. Perhaps its a curse until we go yellow again..?
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Koscielny is Back
Arsenal Academy
@ArsenalAcademy
20m20 minutes ago
📝 The teams are in! Here’s how #AFCU23 line up against @DCFCofficial this evening…
Starting XI: Iliev, Olowu, Ballard, Koscielny, Bola, Bramall, Gilmour, Zelalem, Olayinka, Coyle, John-Jules
Subs: Hein, Omole, Osei-Tutu, Tormey, Saka
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the u23 game is live on Rams TV
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Thanks for putting me right on that Andy Nic: I hadn’t read those articles and should have done. I have an irrational and sulky dislike for Syed born from the time he was wheeled in to give an inspirational beginning of year talk where I work. It was the time he was making waves with his theory of hard graft, a million hours of practice and no such thing as inherent talent. And of course I fell out of favour when everyone was crawling all over him and I pointed out that maybe if he hadn’t wasted so much time playing ping pong he could have been a half-decent speaker.
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Ed. What you make of the pen?
Certainly no touch with feet so if he fouled him it had to be with hands or body. Couldn’t make out whether that was case or whether attacker just took advantage of stumbling defender and chucked himself over.
Felt that bit extra aggrieved as think it was just after ref had ignored a nasty elbow of type you rarely see- a sure red- and then a strong yellow, from their dirty blond bastard in midfield, hacking at Gilmore. English reffing with us. So willing to red our lads for things which pose no threat to opponent health. So lenient with hard fouls against.
Derby don’t look too special, but are helped by the experienced senior players in mid and defence. They’ll keep shape, be aggressive, look to punch on mistakes at back.
Weaker team for us than many this year and certainly most from last year.
Kos seems to be managing ok. Not gonna make any judgements on speed etc at this early stage.
Poor Bola. Few bad moments there.
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* pounce on
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Lamentable reffing not giving us a very clear free kick for foul from behind led to one of ours taking a hard swipe- a yellow offence.
Derby lad grabs our player by face. Our guy gets red, theirs gets a (2nd) yellow.
It’s decent preparation for pgmol is best you can say. Unfortunately means our young lads aren’t adequately protected out there
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Ref utterly lost plot. Another straight red for us. Their team went wild with everyone surrounding ref for no worse a foul than one on Gilmour first half which went uncarded.
Dick ref starting losing control really first half not doing his job protecting players.
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pgmol would do well to appoint this ref for the NLD, it would be a cert spurs would win
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Oh boy. 4-0. Should prob stop watching. Depressing stuff and very little to learn from this situation
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Oh well. Nightmarish night. One plus is if we got out of dodge with no injuries, I think.
Very rare to have a game with us where you can’t pick out one bright spark or positive performance, which points to how lucky we are to be Arsenal fans instead of clubs who quite often have days as gloomy as that.
Also just how much of a team sport it is, and how hard it is to do anything individually when the team is struggling very badly. Derby on other hand got to have their day, with everyone getting to look good once we were down to nine.
Once again,though, at any level we play, refs seem unable to miss any opportunity to send our players off, yet frequently miss chances to do so with opposition.
The red for the elbow should have been obvious with an unobstructed view, and even with our weakened team odds would have favoured us having a decent night from there.
Really don’t know how you go about teaching young players to behave in cases where they aren’t being protected. So natural in those circumstances to try fight back some. You can tell them professionalism is the thing but that doesn’t feel satisfactory to me. I guess it isn’t, but it’s what you have to do anyway, or things can get worse.
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I like Syed as he has a go at writing about sport as a serious thing, not just the usual cliche ridden claptrap. He also led the charge into Jose when most of his fellow footie journos still had their head up his arse. How times have changed.
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Good read in the Guardian from Jonathan Wilson on the Copa Libertadores lunacy in Buenos Aires this weekend. Another planet.
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Firstly excellent post and commiserations to Andy 5 for losing your top slot after only a day.
Next comes the Lucas bit , while he is undoubtedly a good player with loads of potential he is still making mistakes and if Xhaka would have been seen as the midfielder to sit in front of the back four against Bournemouth then he would of castigated for the goal just before half time. I suggest once again that fans favourites are getting away with critism others would have to carry heavy on their heads.
Anyway now back to the post. As many foreign leagues have shown there has to a base for financial corruption and here that base is the Premier League. It is no coincidence manure couldn’t win the league for 30 odd years only to win when the PL arrived with the promise their world fanbase could be exploited and an already massive advantage become even bigger. While we all know old red nose was a great manager, what we don’t know is how great he would of been if the odds weren’t massively stacked in his favour.
When the Russians needed to launder some money they entered the fray but all those who believed the myth Roman wanted to live the Real Madrid dream were saddly mistaken as even their most successful teams have been incredibly dull proving the chelski project was more political than football fantasy.
The battle between rich Jews and Arabs has loomed large in the west for a long time and any form of shows of excellence are always grabbed with both hands. Their are many reasons for the sheikhs to hold on to such influence unfortunately football is not one of them.
What’s the point in carrying on then, well I’m proud of my club that whatever the level of financial doping put up against us we have remained in the whole PL era a great footballing side capable of magic if not over a whole season but definitely in glorious patches like the rays of sun shining through a grey dreary cloudy day.
The PL has brought lots to hate for the average fan and thats what I thought the whole getting our ARSENAL back was about but apparently it’s something different I’m not quite sure.
So although my football has changed and is still changing with all the dirty money sloshing around My ARSENAL never went away and that is largely down to the integrity of one man.
Cheers Arsene COYG.
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God almighty!! I’ve never read so much cringe worthy narcissistic drivel in one place in my life. I’m outa’ here (fingers down throat emoji)
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Well now,what a well thought out and eloquent rebuttal from Self Righteous that was.
Stay out.
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The reason ManYoo failed to win the First Division between 67 and 93, despite being the richest club throughout, was that the football they played was not good enough or consistent enough Ian. Liverpool on the other hand used their resources year in and year out almost perfectly. Wild cards like Clough could turn clubs which had traditionally been a sow’s eat into silk purses, often relying on other clubs discards. Even Bertie and George created title winning sides from a mix of homegrown and bought in personnel.
Did we all sit about worrying about who was the richest ?
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Andy, seriously, it’s different now. Everything,all of it. Come on now, you know this.
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I remember when I used to leave my front door open and buy a pint of Lager for 17 pence. (banned rolling of eyes)
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It does not matter how much money your football club, if you do not use it to maximum efficiency then you will mot win trophies, particularly league trophies.
It does not matter how many expensive players the club has on its books, or how many £zillion they are paid each year, if they do not play together as a team then they will not win trophies.
And I need look no further than Trafford Park for evidence of the difference between resources and outcome.
The difference between MCFC and the rest at the moment is that they have players all over the pitch who can score goals and actually do score goals. At the London Stadium on Saturday Citeh had just nine shots, six on target and won 4-0. On Sunday we had 20 shots against Bournemouth and four were on target. Citeh had one corner over 90 minutes, while we had eight.
I don’t think that efficiency in their disposal of the Ammers is about the Emirati money laundering, or the PGMOL having a conspiracy, or any other excuse. I say it is about their footballers doing their job better than our footballers over 90 minutes.
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So City’s rise to the top (and they are clear at the top) is not a result of their spending?
PSG don’t dominate in France because of their spending?
Juventus ?
Celtic?
Bayern?
Real and Barca?
It’s not because of their spending?
Ok, i’ll run with this, just tell me why they are all clearly the dominant teams over the period since they outspent everyone?
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How do we think City came about having all these efficient £50m+ players?
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So two seasons ago Citeh, who were equally rich and willing to spend finished where in the PL ?
4th – so how does that fit with only the biggest richest club can win a league title ?
Didn’t win a trophy even – disgraceful – although they claimed they’d been cheated in a Cup semi final.
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Lucky they did not have quite enough £ to match their neighbours astute acquisition of Alexis Sanchez – classic waste of resources.
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Well yes, and let us not forget LCFC.
Makes you wonder why there serial winner even bother outspending everyone when clearly you know another way they haven’t quite managed to understand. Stupid spendthrifts.
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No one is saying only the biggest spender CAN win the league, or cups for that matter, but I am saying they usually do. This is not an opinion, it’s a fact . And I give you City, PSG, Bayern, Juve, Celtic Real and Barca in evidence.
I honestly believe that in a few years time, we will look back to 2017, and say” that was when we became a one team league ,like the others”
Of course their might be the odd year where City become complacent or the PL take a hand in matters.
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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-26/arsenal-is-first-u-k-soccer-club-to-install-battery-at-stadium
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Andy my point about utd was exactly that them being the richest didn’t manifest into domination until the PL exacerbated the situation widening the gap.
When you can outspend your rivals in all aspects the management team, first eleven, top class replacements, top class squad players, buying the top youth players and coaches and scouts, having the best facilities including stadia, training facilities, data analysis, psychologist, masseurs , travel facilities, top admin and board members to run your club, well all that will make a difference.
Yes the team could underperform one season but generally your going to do well.
Football is such every now and then your going to get the odd Leicester and teams will over achieve but it is obvious money will always have the advantage.
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So Mandy called it in one. At least we will soon know whether it is Arsenal or Arsene that the inscrutable Mr Dean has the problem with.
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Deano’s appointment. That’ll bring us all back together on here!
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The evidence left by comments on *gollum gollum* would be strong evidence that people find his easy to predict acting *mwah my darlings* to be very easy to predict. For example in advance of the Fix At the Bridge, and his ‘redeeming’ first visit to n5 thereafter, and the return to form after that.
I’d sub on ‘Predictable’ for Inscrutable’ above.
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I’d find even worse words, Fins – even worse.
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Chelsea, City, PSG the only 3 * I know of in big leagues who have had owners pump in gargantuan amounts of money, over an extended period, which see them comfortably outspend everyone else in their domestic league.
Anyway, trophies and titles soon followed. It’s only more complicated here because of the tv money and, especially, a handful of extremely wealthy clubs. Though it would still hold, the principle- If City or Chelsea or anyone relentlessly outspent all domestic rivals, they would be favourites most years, win many titles and could never fall too far.
If Kilmarnock could relentlessly outspend all rivals in Scotland, within a few years they would be Scotland’s PSG.
Thankfully, this aint France, or Scotland; and by accident, design, ffp, circumstances or whatever, City cannot outspend other clubs here to the degree PSG do in France.
But they can, for instance, say, ‘oh mendy’s a bit injury prone, prob best get another 30-50 mill left back in case’, or ‘where the hell will we find another Fernandinho? Well, we’ll try this guy for 40-70 mill, and maybe get this one for 20, and keep an eye on that one for 50’
That is so hard to compete with, especially now they are 10 years in.
We’ll see I guess. Me and the rest with our grim proclamations no doubt will gain little or nothing if proved correct, so the other way is possibly better after all.
*Anzi Mk-something in Russia began the process but stopped after a couple of years and instantly fell away towards oblivion
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That is a disgraceful appointment and further proof the Pgmol is bent.
It has been well documented about deans love of the spuds and his hate for us. Even if that was wrong and Just a perception why would you tempt fate unless you didn’t care because you knew the ref was bent. Watch the dark arts.
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The PGMOL are nothing if not predictable. How many times has he done this fixture,?
Our defenders will have to be very careful, Tottenham have serial divers, protected England internationals, and other penalty hunters in their ranks, and this is a ref sure to oblige them whenever he can.
Stand to be corrected, but I believe since 2010, this fixture has given then 4 pens, us 1, I expect them to add to this total should Spurs need any assistance.
I suspect this is all part of making sure some teams who happen to be media darlings are given an easy ride to make it appear as if they stand a chance of catching City as the season progresses, cannot reveal a one team league to the world.
We will see what happens, hope the crowd, which will include me give Dean hell if he doesnt referee the game with an even hand.
I am not a gambler and even if I was, I would never place a bet against Arsenal, but for someone more detached, a Kane penalty is a strong likelihood in this game, as is an Arsenal early yellow, and quite possibly a red card if that helps Dean.
The Italians have a word for this sort of thing
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Who knows, maybe they appointed Dean and have told him to make sure he favors Arsenal so they can shut down the narrative that he always favors that lot. We could get lucky. *ducks to avoid objects thrown at her head*
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Funny ol’game;
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It certainly worked last season Bama
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There’s a strong statistical correlation between financial outlay (transfer fee + wages) and final league position. The source I have normally used for this assertion has gone missing, but a look at this visual in the Economist will give the notion fair credibility:
Footballing Pay and Performance
Size of the bubble = Wage Bill
Y axis = Final League Position
X axis = Wage Spending as % of League Median
This does not mean the highest spenders are guaranteed to win the league, but the probability of their doing so is much greater than others’.
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And when transfer spend is factored in, it becomes even higher than that 80%
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True 900.
Successful businesses, including football clubs, have the largest amount of revenue within their respective sectors and that is how we identify them as “successful” usually. Football clubs are, I admit, not like other businesses as there is no requirement to maximise profit or directly reward shareholders through a dividend. All football clubs are the same on that point, I think.
In order to maintain that position, and ideally enhance it to put themselves even further ahead of the chasing business pack, these already large big businesses invest significant sums of their already large revenue in plant and personnel. If they spend it wisely, mitigate risk they at worse retain their position among the elite pack. Us for example. If they invest poorly or manage their businesses badly then they slip back, often with dire consequences. Think Aston Villa, Woolworths or Lehman Brothers.
The nice thing about football, and many other sectors is that there is commercial mobility. While former top PL clubs in the mid 90s and 00s have gone like Leeds and Newcastle, a mid table shite show like Tottingham have managed to secure regular CL football. And boring though it is to raise again more trophies have been won by Leicester and Wigan than by much better heeled Liverpool.
It is therefore a long distance between stating that big businesses have the resources to ensure they maintain their position, and the original statement of the post that we might as well all pack in football as Citeh will dominate every competition for the next x years.
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“as Citeh will dominate every competition for the next x years.”
not sure anyone said that. but they will be the dominant team in the league. Just my opinion of course,all be it based on results and historical evidence across all major leagues. Not to mention what our eyes tell us most weeks.
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How is it possible that a ref is allowed to ref any game of the team they support?
I’ll ref it then, put yer bets on, AFC to win 10-0 and 3 Spuds sent off in the first five mins, and their manager sent off in the sixth min, and the rest of the Spuds red carded after the game in the tunnel. Ahhhh nice!
Then I’ll do a bit of dancing like Max Wall much better than Deanos dance. COYG!
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Nice one Dave…
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