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Doubting Arsene
Good Lord, it's going wrong already isn't it? I only hope that Steve McClaren is still crap.
I don't want to be like Steve Martin, the tosspot who writes in, blaming Wenger for everything, but I'm seriously p***ed off with how our summer's gone. As Pete Gill - another one who loves tearing chunks out of us (and Wigan - what the hell happened to you in Wigan that you hate the place so much, Pete?) - says, Wenger has played a risky game with the club and the fans. He's gone back on his decision to sign someone to put the pressure on/cover for Toure and Gallas and has so far failed to snare a midfielder that we badly need.
His constant talk about finances and picking up a bargain has me a little worried that he's beginning to be a little too focused on price when other matters - namely squad depth, and allowing players time to bed in - are equally important to a club wanting the title as well as fending off challenges from big-spending rivals. Fine, our season looked to have an easy start, but he must have realised we were one or two injuries away from a crisis. With the lack of midfield at the moment, any reduction in price that the end of the transfer window might bring will be totally negated by the knowledge among other clubs that we're desperate. The player will be thrown right into the first team even though he doesn't know his team mates and we'll all be left wondering why we didn't just buy him in July. Wenger will probably put it down to bad luck, but the man has to realise that the players we have are either not being taken care of correctly or are complete lame ducks (I'm looking at you Tomas), and that having a decent-sized squad counteracts any 'misfortune'.
Unlike the doom-mongers, I think, if we ride out the storm, we can look forward to a good season. In Adebayor, Bendtner, Vela, Walcott, van Persie and, when fit, Eduardo, we have an extremely talented group of attackers. We have the best full-backs in the league, a central defensive pairing that I believe can still work, and the world's best central midfielder. We also have a manager whose teams play brilliant football and who is fantastic at creating team spirit. If we can add a very good player to pair up with Cesc, and if Song becomes a quality player as I think he might this year there's no reason why we can't play a part in what should be another classic title fight. If Xabi Alonso doesn't play today then there's a strong chance he'll be a Gooner before the end of the week, if he does then this Gokhan Inler bloke looks like the one. It's a shame the Gaz Baz ship looks to have sailed. But whoever it is, Arsene will make the right decision, if not far too late for his own good.
To paraphrase the Smiths, Arsene I still trust you, only slightly less than I used to.
Will (Did Andrew Marr write into this morning's mailbox? I hope so) O'Doherty
...Just reading the email from the Everton fan who was nervous about the new season and them ending up in the sh*t come next season and just wondered if there was any Arsenal fans out there that are as frustrated and nervous as me about this summer's activity and the season ahead?
Tonight we play FC Twente in a qualifier for the Champions league and our squad is embarrassingly short and I can't help but think we're underestimating FC Twente here, in such an important match which is so vital for the club financially and footballing wise.
I'm one of Arsene Wenger's biggest fans, but I can't help but wonder what he has got up his sleeve to help us challenge for honours this season, if anything at all. We are desperate need for a world-class defensive midfielder and it's plain to see that Kolo and Gallas struggle against teams that play the high long ball, a big centre-half would have solved that problem. If Wenger has such a vast scouting network, then why haven't we brought these much-needed players in? Wenger is now claiming he is 'too busy' to sign anyone, maybe he shouldn't have gone off commentating at the Euros then and spent his time looking for players to help Arsenal challenge this term!
This whole money issue at the club stinks of bullsh*t to me as well, anyone who wants to see Arsenal's financial results can go here - http://www.plusmarketsgroup.com/reports.shtml?ISIN=GB0030895238/GBP/PLUS-exn - it's a great read for any Arsenal fan. We make huge amounts of money from player sales, 3 million pounds roughly every home game, the Emirates Cup brings in the same revenue as a tour to the Far East would and we have made a shedload of money from selling the Highbury development, so where is all the money going?
The squad isn't that short, two world-class players would vastly improve our chances of trophies this season, which is why myself and so many other Arsenal fans find it so hard to see why those vital signings haven't been made.
We are massively in danger of wasting years of this squad developing as you can be sure if we end up 4th this year, Adebayor, Cesc, Gallas, Van Persie etc will all be much more attracted to lucrative deals from clubs abroad who have a more realistic chance of trophies...
It's starting to seem that Wenger is more inclined to play beautiful football and make his name through discovering the next big players than actually winning stuff with Arsenal.
Don't get comfortable Arsene, or all you have done for the club could massively backfire.
Matt, Essex
...Let me get this out of the way first...no I didn't grow up a stone's throw away from Highbury so feel free to question my validity as a 'true Arsenal supporter'.
But I have now reached an unprecedented level of frustration in supporting Arsenal and especially Wenger, yes I said it! Great coach, great for football in general, by all accounts a decent, intelligent and likeable person...but far too stubborn..
For the last three seasons Wenger has touted that 'his youngsters' are on the verge of greatness, he has even flatly and outright refused to admit the team was in transition. Not only was that not true, but arguably Arsenal is even farther away from that verge of greatness and now deeper into transition than three years ago! This point has been recycled numerous times, but what motivates him?! What's the point of developing youngsters only for them to leave before even hitting their prime?! Is he simply only motivated by being a teacher and nurturer of the game to young talent, or is he motivated by Championships? I think the answer is somewhere in between but skewed more to the side of Wenger seemingly more motivated as a teacher and nurturer and in my opinion that is selfish and far too altruistic. The Club is nothing I repeat nothing without its supporters, yet their thirst for success seems to be the last thing being considered by Wenger and the board. Moreover there seems to be no hesitation on increasing the financial burden to supporters season after season..Supporters are investors, who's going to constantly make an expensive investment year after year with absolutely no returns?!!
Then they are the constant conflicting statements from the club and Wenger himself, one day Arsenal are one of the richest most financially sound clubs in the world, the next day we are a selling club! One day Wenger says his first priority is to keep the players he has together, the next day many of them leave with seemingly little resistance from Wenger. Call them mercenaries if you will, but if you are clearly valued and appreciated higher by another glamorous suitor, then why not tell Arsenal to f**k off!
Then there is this ridiculous and continuous policy of nurturing and buying players to be played out of position. How many central players are going to be continually flogged out wide?! Is it so radical a thought that instead of converting a central player to a winger, why not...*gasp* buy a proper one?! Last couple of seasons we've used Diaby, Rosicky, Theo, Hleb, even RVP and Eduardo on the wings when their natural instincts are to play through the effing center!? Hence our constant predictability of cutting inside! And this season it looks like we are going to do it again with Nasri!! Additionally, if it's not on the wings we have center midfielders playing defence like Song and Djourou...does Wenger want a whole bloody side of central midfielders?! Ramsey another. Here's a "radical" idea, why not play central players (Rosicky, Nasri etc) in the centre, to give Cesc a rest or even competition for his place, and actually buy proper wingers!
Moving on...Since when a player over 30 is no longer useful?! This archaic policy of telling players to f**k off at the age of 30 has to stop! What's wrong with some experience in the squad?! It's great to have all these promising youngsters but who are they going to look up to for guidance when the going gets tough? Certainly not cry-baby Gallas. Championship-winning teams have experienced players!! The irony of it all continues when Wenger again constantly bigs up the abilities of his youngsters then flat out refuses to play them! Then one must make the conclusion that they...ARE NOT READY! And that Wenger is constantly LYING to us the supporters! Our first 11 is always overplayed, no I am not advocating a Rafa-style rotation policy but our main stars (notably Cesc) cannot be rested because their simply isn't the quality and experience to back them up, this is evidenced by Wenger's actions but clearly betrayed by his words (false promises). Thus burnout!
Then the excuses...we were unlucky last season - NO WE WERE NOT!!! We had an inadequate squad to cope with the pressure, injuries, international absences, questionable refereeing THAT ALL BIG CLUBS ALSO ENDURE!!
Yet the squad looks even more threadbare and inexperienced this season. Which brings me to injuries, if we have a squad of constantly injury-prone players (as evidenced by today's pre-match report) WHAT MAKES WENGER THINK THAT IS GOING TO CHANGE?! And what's the back-up plan? The answer...more 16 and 17 year olds with potential...yet he LIES and says we are not in transition. Is anyone going to be surprised if RVP, Rosicky, Diaby injure themselves in bloody warm-ups and are out for 4 months?! No! Also regarding injuries, there is a problem when a knock that is reportedly going to keep a player out weeks ALWAYS results in months of lay-off. Just be honest!
The only thing he has been honest about leading up to the season is that he isn't going to take the FA and CC cups seriously! Ahm, yes we can prioritise the other two but I think most Arsenal supporters will take any damn title they can get right now! Wake up Wenger! Wake up! Then there is his refusal to address glaringly obvious weaknesses. It's clear that Gallas and Toure individually are great, but collectively they are too similar and the backup is not up to par. Then there's Almunia...enough said. But I guarantee you that Wenger will not address these weakness, rather, predictably if he does spend it will be on another central midfielder either inexperienced, or to be played out of position.
I guess I'll end this rant here. I respect the man and support him and the club, but I think Jose Mourinho is right, Wenger is permitted to get away with constant underachievement because of this God-like genius label bestowed upon him by the fans, the same fans he constantly is dishonest with. I'll leave you with this prediction, Wenger says he needs another body in midfield (yup another one) and preferably with experience. I'm betting he doesn't bring in anyone period, or it's another...yes you guessed it...promising youngster.
I'm tired of the false promises and...lies.
Stewart, Miami
...Arsene Wenger is often ridiculed for claiming "he didn't see the incident", but now I'm wondering if his myopia has spread to his view of the players in his squad!
Since 2004 the side has been gradually slipping. First Chelsea closed the gap, then Liverpool and to be honest even without Berbatov, Spurs have made significant progress with excellent signings (Dos Santos, Modric, Bentley, Gomes) and could well topple the Gunners this year. Don't agree? Arsene's team of kids were walloped 5-1 by them last year if you recall. Those kids are now the first team!
Every Arsenal fan who attends games can see the weak areas...central defensive cover, world-class keeper, defensive central midfielder...why can't Arsene? I'm suspecting the truth is that the football 'know nothings' on the board that are withholding the money rather than Arsene genuinely believing he doesn't need to replace, Diarra, Gilberto, Flamini, Lehman or Hleb!!!!!!
You've all been crying out for someone else to break in to the top 4...well my friends this will be the year! I've already had a bet on the Spuds breaking the mould and I'm set to net £200!
Chris Charteris, Brighton
Arsenal Full-Backs And Panties
Sagna and Clichy in their own right are very good footballers but to say they would walk into any of the other Big Four teams is like saying that my panties are better than yours. Panties' main objective is to add a little extra warmth in the nether regions but also to provide support and comfort. Full-backs enjoy having the least responsibility on the football pitch, if they miss hit a cross everyone has sympathy as they are only a defender, and only really have one man to defend against. If they can master stopping the bloke they are up against and running up and down the line a bit they will be doing a pretty good job. Full-backs are like panties because their main job is to be functional but there is a limit as to how good a full back/panty can be.
The difference between Clichy and Evra is minimal. Sagna on the other hand...half a good season and then get crocked, all of a sudden he becomes the best right-back in the world. I have sympathy with all the Gooner fans creaming themselves over him because there arent any good right backs anywhere but boo hoo. Look at United, we had a centre-back playing right-back for the whole of last season and they won the double. So I would hope that Sagna would walk into the United team as he would only have to oust a centre-back playing out of position.
If I was an Arsenal fan I would be seriously worried about the season ahead, the problems of last season haven't been addressed and have managed to lose their most improved player. They have a defence that when bullied shatters like glass and a centre midfield that is only as deep as Cesc Fabregas. It is probably out of desperation they are making these claims about their full-backs walking into any team but I hope you find comfort in them when your languishing in 4th.
Sam Bench
Cheerio Moody
I am not sure that Lord Moody of Sofia has ever really forgiven the pilot of the Bulgarian National Airlines plane for diverting him from Manchester to London in the summer of '06. Since then Andy Garcia has put in performances akin to the quality of such films as the Untouchables whilst at the same time performances akin to the quality of such films as Oceans 13. So farewell then Dimitar, let's see how Sir Rudolph Red Nose reacts when you don't want to come on as sub or when you throw up your arms up in the air more than times than the Village People.
Still with 48 million crisp notes in our back pocket and with 3 weeks to go until the end of the transfer window we won't be making any panic buys, such as 8.1 million quid for Dean Richards.
Jenas for England captain.
Lord Misery
How Slowly Will He Start?
Last summer I remember reading an interview with Martin Jol stating that throughout his career at Leverkusen, and first season at Tottenham, Berbatov has consistently started the season slowly, joking that he hoped he'd score before Christmas this year. A few months later and a record of something like 2 goals in 14 games and it had happened again, with Jol losing his job along the way.
Will the same be acceptable a 3rd season running in England following a £28m move to a European giant? Let's wait and find out.
Martin (not Jol)
Leave Ince Alone
Enough is enough! How many more lies and bulls**t stories can the media generate to try and undermine Paul Ince at Blackburn before the season has even begun. All summer they have been trying to unsettle the club, constantly generating rumours with no truth behind them whatsoever - the latest being Warnocks apparent transfer request that both the club and Warnock himself have now denied ever happened.
If the Daily Mail had their way half our squad would have followed Sparky to Citeh with the rest revolting over Ince's outdated training methods and arrogant attitude. They're still persisting with the Santa Cruz story despite the fact that a) Citeh are hardly in any position at the moment to splash out 15-20 million on anyone and b) Santa Cruz has more than once stated that he is happy to stay at the club. Oh and add to this them linking us with half the MK Dons squad and it seems to me that the idea of a black Premier League manager doesn't sit too comfortably with those in Fleet Street.
God I can't wait for Saturday and the real action to begin.
Paul, Ireland
Calm Down Johnny...
Just been reading the excellent pre-season predictions, but please F365 and John Nicholson in particular revise your predictions on Liverpool. As much as I'd love you to be right, all this is going to do is encourage fans of other teams with confused memories of what has actually been written, banging on about how us Liverpool fans are all deluded. When in actual fact other than the a few tongue-in-cheek "it's going to be our year" comments, not many of us actually think or say as such.
Also the comments after reminded me what a tw*t Austin Maguire is. Although that said having not seen any of his 'letters' in the mailbox for a while (which I am extremely thankful to the mailbox compiler for!) it is nice to know he is still alive and that his typing hand (the other is clearly kept free at all times for another activity when talking about his team) hasn't been horrifically injured in a freak industrial accident.
Michael (wondering if it's healthy to dislike someone you have never met so much...even if they are a ManYoo fan), LFC
Dissing McCarthyism
Is Kye McCarthy Mark Lawrenson in disguise? His predictions seem well, fairly predictable (i.e. what every other pundit, analyst, fan and random granny on the street have been saying since about the end of May). I'm suprised he didn't finish with a proper Lawro prediction by announcing that Man Utd would win at OT by 3-0, or that any team other that a big four team could ever possibly even think about having the temerity to win away from home!
On a related note, can I suggest a new feature for this season. Last year in Mediawatch you made reference to the league based on Lawro's predictions. You never actually put the league online so that people could see how it unfolded. Can you get someone to keep an up-to-date table and say, publish it on a Monday morning. It'l be intresting to see how well the old lad fairs over 38 weeks!
Iain (Excited about Berba and the 30 he's gonna score for Utd), Manchester
...Wow! Chelsea to win with Man Utd second! And two of Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs to finish in the top 4! The three promoted teams going down! Perhaps the best one - NO surprise team (why ask the question if you don't think there will be one?) Torres, the top-scoring striker last year as...top scorer this year! The League Cup winners as...last year's winners! Crazy!
Move over Lawro, there's a new sheriff in town...
Rob Hudson
...Say hi for me to Mark Lawrenson next time he helps you write an email.
Brian (hate the brackets) Dal, Cork
...Isn't reading someone's inane predictions a bit like listening to someone explaining a dream they had last night i.e. mind numbingly dull?
Still, well done for really sticking your neck on the line - I'm off down the bookies.
Tom Buckland, Sussex
...Re: Kye McCarthy's picks for the season (did he even spell his own name right?), I can't believe how he came up with these 'amazing' insightful predictions but surely there hasn't been a less insightful missive submitted to the mailbox this year (although that's not saying a lot). Kye, we know the answers to everything you have 'predicted', we have heard exactly the same answers to exactly the same 'predictions' on every website/newspaper/podcast from London to Shanghai.
I realise that this season is shaping up to be a very predictable one, hence the similarities in so many people's picks (see the Football365 experts on the front page for evidence). But surely Mr McCarthy won't go taking credit when Manchester or Chelsea win the title, or Johan Elmander is a huge flop, BECAUSE WE ALL KNEW THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN! Or maybe he will...how about having a crack at some interesting topics...off the top of my head; which of England's one cap wonder goalkeepers will overtake calamity James (Foster); how many Premiership stars will be linked with prostitutes (8 in the Sun, 18 in total); who'll be the first foreign billionaire owner to sell (Al Fayed, he's bored and he'd rather do up Harrods than Craven Cottage) or; which team will score the least goals (Hull, can you even count Dean Windass as a striker?)
Even though I know the compiler only listed this to get people like me to slag him off, I cannot except that this is the best of the mailbox. If I wanted to read cliched 'predictions' on hackneyed topics I'd read Soccernet.
Jonathan (if pre-season is this boring, what hope do we have for the season?) Norman
Another Set Of Predictions
Here's my go at predictions for this season. Hopefully I will outshine all your guys and be offered a job by this time next year!
Prem title - It will be one of Utd and Chelsea again if only because Liverpool will have a poor record against them and Arsenal again. I'm going to go with Chelsea as I think they will have a solid settled side early on while Utd will Start the season without Ronaldo and will adjust on his return and also if they sign Berbatov he might take a few games to settle in.
Champions League places - I think Liverpool will finish third and will be in. I think Villa, Pompey and Spurs have the potential to achieve a high points total this year as I think there is a bigger gap now between them and the bottom half of the league. On this basis I think that anyone of these could pip Arsenal to 4th as I don't see Arsenal doing as well this season. I think Portsmouth will get the closest but Arsenal's home record will see them hold on to 4th. It will be close though!
Relegation - Stoke and Hull for sure and a tight scrap between West Brom and Bolton. I think Bolton look stronger at the back and also have Gary Cahill to be solid in the middle so I'll go for all three promoted teams to go back down.
Surprise package - I have invested a lot of faith in Alfonso Alves through fantasy football and various betting slips this summer. I think Boro will replace Blackburn in the top half of the league. West Ham will be bottom half at at the expense of Spurs.
First manager out - I think Mark Hughes will walk from Man City and Megson will be the first sacking. Chester City's boss won't last long either at this rate!
Promotion from the Championship - Birmingham have spent well and brought in good experience to take them back up. Reading started the game at Forest last week with seven of the players that started the last game Reading played at that level, a lot of them are better now than they were then and there is more quality in depth this time around. It won't be record breaking but I think they will be top two. Play-offs - It's guess work to predict a winner but I'll go with one from Ipswich, Wolves, Q.P.R and Sheff Utd.
Relegation from Championship - Blackpool, Burnley and Barnsley.
You heard it here first!
Martyn, Loyal Royal
Some Journos Should Be Nowhere Near TV
With reference to David Purdue's letter about putting journos in the commentary box; assuming that our dear friend Antony Kastaraniskiskksk is a journalist, do you really want him in the commentary box? Or for that matter, any of the red tops' 'journalist'? I would rather go for that bloke Matt Taylor from Warrington who wrote that mail about men being sore losers. Or John Nic. And Sarah Winterburn maybe. Heck, all the F365 columnists. And Pete Gill should commentate on every Arsenal game.
Great site, keep up the good work.
Sharath, Singapore
...I used to think the same as David Purdue. Surely veteran football correspondents like Patrick Barclay and Paul Hayward would make much better analysts than idiots like Shearer and Lawrenson? Surely they would be more likely to criticise, and less likely to patronise the audience?
Then I saw Jimmy Hill's Sunday Supplement. Three hacks join The Chin for 'breakfast' in his suspiciously well-lit 'kitchen' and discuss the previous day's matches. The problem is journos have the same omerta as footballers - they daren't call each other out on stories that are just plain wrong. 'I know this guy and he must have good reason to print this,' they'll say, about some bulls*** transfer rumour based on 'friends of the player'.
The responsibility for encouraging interesting, enlightening discussion lies with the producers of the programmes. Lawro has said on air that he won't get too technical because we might find it boring. I don't believe, having heard him commentate on Radio 5, that he really thinks that - it's simply that TV producers are desperate to appeal to as many people as possible to justify the vast fees paid to secure the rights to the event. They don't want to alienate anyone, but in doing so they alienate us - the people who are actually bloody watching it. On the radio, and in other sports, the sums aren't so frightening and the audience is expected to know more.
The situation won't change until someone dares to be different. If Channel 5's coverage of the UEFA Cup, say, got a name for being expert and funny and its ratings went through the roof, the bigger channels would soon follow suit. The most intelligent, interesting ex-footballers - rather than the biggest names - would get the big-money contracts and the overall standard would improve. Here's hoping.
Nick Hide
It's A Class Thing, You Know...
David Purdue's suggestion is spot on. But it will never happen because of good old British snobbery. Fifteen years after the publication of 'Fever Pitch' and the so-called gentrification of football, there remains a view that watching and liking football is altogether rather oiky. The BBC shares in this prejudice. This is why we get the inanities of Lawro and chums rather than the smoothly articulated insights of, say, Simon Barnes or Henry Winter. Put simply, the Beeb doesn't honestly believe anyone with a half-decent education is watching. That's also why we had to put up with years of Motty instead of the infinitely more articulate and much-missed Barry Davies.
Coming from an upper-middle-class background (not proud, not ashamed) I have been consciously aware of the low regard in which football is held in this country. Growing up, most of my peers preferred rugby and couldn't understand why I was so passionate about a game which, as they saw it, was strictly for plebs. Compare this with Italy or France where football is viewed as something beautiful and life-enhancing akin to opera or ballet. Until we overcome this blinkered, class-ridden view of the world's most popular game, we can expect bland, fatuous, uninspiring footie coverage.
Matthew Pitt
Backing Footy Over The Cops
In response to Andy Marr's response to Nick Miller's excellent article about policing I can only say: What the f**k?!!!!
I don't normally feel the urge to put finger to keyboard either as I'm normally way too lazy but your final comment ('a state which, frankly, needs all the money it can get to protect the people of this country') has made my blood boil, I can only assume you are a policeman yourself or employed by some government agency somewhere to sit about on your fat arse while the public pay your wages.
I object hugely to being told I need protecting and that the government and police are the best people to do that, I have never in 15 years of watching football seen a policeman do anything apart from sit about in a van or annoy people who are happily minding their own business by trying to enforce some form of 'health & safety' rule - asking for more money just to do that is frankly outrageous.
We all pay for our ineffectual and thick policemen to 'protect' us all, every day, match days are no different to this, and if the football clubs are making millions then they're paying huge amounts of tax on those millions (although in fairness I'm sure they do their best not to) which goes towards the wages and gold-plated pension schemes for these uniformed retards. On an average match day the club will pay tax on its income, the players will pay tax on their wages (that can't be small change these days), and I, along with many tens of thousands of others, will pay tax on everything from my ticket to the beer I drink, no one should have to pay any more.
And it kills me to agree with the league officials on this but I just do.
Liam Haywood, Birmingham
...Andy Marr, you are talking cr*p.
1. Football matches are not a new thing, they have been policed for years, what has changed?
2. The amount of tax that is paid to the government, due to the activities of these football clubs (Corporation tax, Income tax, Fuel duty tax of the travelling fans, alcohol duty, VAT etc.) is many millions. Far outsripping the £500k you suggested.
3. The level of tax paid by clubs, the fans and their players, since the 80s will have sky-rocketed, but the level of violence is minute in comparison.
4. Many clubs have installed CCTV and worked closely with the police to make their jobs easier.
As the football clubs contribute such huge sums to the exchequer, some of this should be redirected to protecting the people who have indirectly put their hands in their pocket and paid for much of our nation's policing. Also, getting 10s of thousands of people into 46 seperate buildings around the country each weekend, under the supervision of an efficient police force, should vastly reduce the amount of crime in the country.
So, maybe the government and the police force should get together, use the millions that the football clubs have contributed. Ensure that matches are a safe place to be. Then they should take a small proportion of the cash left over and sort out the real problems in the country, such as teenage stabbings.
Adam (football is not a bad thing, stop trying to blame the world's woes on the sport, just because you are jealous of the players' wages), London
Brace Yourselves...
I'm disappointed that Mediawatch's only memory of Phil Babb is his short-lived affair with Jo Guest. How can you forget this gem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dONtFBuCztM
I still don't know whether to laugh or cry when I see that...
Tom Evans, Ware
