From David Margolis in Vancouver
Hi Myles,
I remember that freezing night back in ’86 and the disappointment after having done so well at Villa Park.
My mum had given me these chemical heating pads to keep warm, and skittish memories come back of Paul Mariner missing a chance at the death from a corner. It’s possible he was taking the corner when he should have been in the box.
Can I correct Kevin Connolly? Don left when the Terry Venables affair became public, and the team which had been playing quite well (other than those cup defeats) then lost 3 games in four days. Spurs, and twice against Watford.
There was a protest after the home defeat against Watford, and I remember this chant, “ He’s fat, he’s round, he bounces on the ground, David Dein, David Dein.”
In July 96 I was at Nice airport stuffing a baguette down my face while waiting for a delayed Easyjet flight.
David Dein sat down v. close to me with a briefcase. I wondered if we had signed anyone. An observer by nature, I wanted to respect his privacy, so I didn’t go up and ask him.
I was also embarrassed by the baguette mess. Later three guys approached him, one of them knew who he was, but I don’t think any of them were Arsenal fans. David Dein charmed them. Fans may not have liked everything Dein did – Wembley and Usmanov spring to mind – but he did have vision bringing George and Arsene to the club. AFC miss that. Someone with vision, but not complete power. I wonder if it was easier to make those kind of judgment calls when the game was less about finance.
Now I watch Arsenal from 6,000 miles away and read ANR, the Guardian, but no other footy blogs.
I wonder when I’ll cancel my Setanta subscription. Defeats against Chelsea and Man City may do it. As an observer I notice trends, like Gooners at one time starting a season with expectation, then starting a season with hope, and this season starting with resignation. It was clear after 5 or 6 games Arsenal were struggling to beat teams who had 11 players for the whole game. I’m not sure they would have beaten Bolton, and the way Blackpool have played away from home this season, fortune smiled upon us when they went down to 10 so early. Arsenal have been found out. Newcastle demonstrated that so effectively. Shortly before Andy Carroll scored, one of the Setanta commentators claimed that Newcastle would be happy to go in with the scores level. That woke me up! I thought Arsenal would be happy with the scores level, because they didn’t look like scoring. After that game I decided to be curious about the rest of the season… and took advantage of an invite to Seattle, so I would miss what I felt would be a defeat against Spurs, although I didn’t expect them to throw a 2 goal lead again.
Arsene’s defense and a little truth. You can go back to 97-98 when they were exposed at the back. It took the Blackburn defeat for Adams to sort it out. I think it’s well documented what happened. The defense got protection, resilience ran down the spine of the team, and with it belief. Champions!
Resilience was present again in 01-02. They weren’t always pretty. The Invincibles? Lucky! The seasons on either side showed their frailty with what was essentially the same team. Their attacking prowess could (and did) kill teams off in 20 mins. They were feared. With the exception of that Champions League run, resilience has been absent. An inexperienced but promising Eboue, and a struggling headless chicken of a midfielder in the form of Flamini, filled those full back positions during that run. The first year without PV4. Unbelievable! A demonstration of how defensive coaching can affect the rest of the team.
Was that really down to Martin Keown? Keown was the last centre back that came through the Arsenal ranks. That was 25 years ago. Are Arsenal the only top team not to have produced a centre back in a quarter of a century?
When Flamini stepped up his game a couple of seasons later, the team were exciting, played with verve, fire in the belly. Flamini’s emergence reminded me of Paul Davis in that 85-86 season, a gifted player who had never really stamped his authority on the game. Paul came out flying, a change of attitude, and took control of the midfield. Arsenal were on the cusp three seasons ago, but no one stepped up to replace Flamini. Had he been kept with a couple of additions to that squad, the following season might have been different. I can see Arsene’s addiction. Why we’re in season six of a five year plan. So close. Almost, almost. Just a couple more players, a couple more years experience. Why stop mining when you’re a couple of feet away from gold. He has changed his policy. It’s only one change, and that’s going for all competitions. It could be a one off. With the CL Final at Wembley, maybe he wants to give them a psychological incentive to go back in May. When I see Arsene animated on the touchline, I think he’s giving us a visual cue that changes to personnel are coming. He’s saying to this team, I expect more of you now, and you’re not delivering.
Goalies: Lukic used to flap at crosses for years. George sold him for a million and spent 10% more on Seaman, who wasn’t that great at corners or those distance shots. After the 91 FA Cup semifinal, my brother rolled out his QPR tape and showed Gazza (as a Newcastle player) executing exactly the same free kick against him. However, Seaman overall was a brilliant decision maker, so rarely got himself into trouble in general play, and allied with his composure was a reassurance to those around him. Those two qualities are missing from our current no. 1 & 2. In fairness to Fabianski, he has made some fantastic saves this season. On a side note, Vito Mannone has kept 4 clean sheets out of 6 for Hull.
Alex Song. I’m going to defend him!
He’s an easy target. For sure he’s getting on the wrong side of players and making clumsy challenges (where the hell’s the coaching). Yes, he can be easily mocked when he miscontrols a ball, and for his attempts to join in the attack, but Arsenal’s style of play can be easily blunted by opponents. Alex going forward (whether we like it, or not), becomes important. In the NHL they count the two passes before a goal is score as assists. If that was tracked in the PL, I suspect Alex’s forward contribution would be noted, and more appreciated. The three goals he’s scored in the League have been important. Unfortunately too much is being asked of him. He’s got to cover those gaping holes which he did so effectively last season, and get forward to support what can be a predictable attack of keep ball, until a midfielder makes a run, or Nasri turns on a bit of magic. He’s only 23. Not everyone is a Fabregas, a Viera, or a Wilshere.
The Emirates is a beautiful, but flawed stadium. I’ve been there once. Last season. The dire 0-0 with Man City. Despite the teams poor form, there was still a sense of fun and a touch of excitement walking out of the Arsenal tube station. Some students were selling cupcakes for charity. I bought one. In hindsight I should’ve bought three and had a good snooze during the game.
However, the energy was sapped by the street entrance to the stadium concourse. The green facade is dour, doesn’t fit the street or visually connect with what’s to come. I sense they were trying to fuse tradition with modernity. It felt disjointed, which was in tune with an absurd day watching players who had just earned a million Great British Pounds in a week, massively under-perform. I was bemused by the lack of a water fountain in a modern stadium. A food outlet manager told me the tap water was unhygienic. I had to purchase an overpriced bottle of water and watch someone remove the cap for me (not so hygienic), so I wouldn’t be able to use it as a missile. The person next to me had brought their own (capped) bottle – he wasn’t the only one. I got to sing the Vieira song – Yay – never thought that would happen again – and was forced to leave the seating area after the game sooner than I wanted (as a visitor from abroad). Then I ended up at the basement, where I could have wandered around the stadium all day to what I suspected would be prohibited areas. A father and son had followed me, and we wondered why the “steward” at the exit level let us walk all the way down. On the way out, I saw Sven. We stopped, exchanged grins, while his girlfriend looked uncomfortable. No doubt she didn’t want to spend a moment more outside the ground. The game looked slow. Slower than on TV.
It had been a while since I attended a live game, but it seems the distance from the pitch plays into this feeling. Fans seemed to be removed from the players. At Highbury (I stood/sat at every vantage point), even in the upper tiers you were on top of the players, involved in the game. There’s a sense at the Emirates you know the players can’t hear you, so you’re not inclined to shout or cheer. On TV, it’s noticeable the Emirates is quiet. Gooners away from home are a different matter.
What Arsenal have so far this season, without what we considered the spine of the team, has been incredible. They may have been found out, other teams may be weaker, but great credit must go to the new spine that has emerged of Wilshere, Nasri and Chamahk. At times their football is mesmeric. I feel for Fab who wants to leave AFC on a high and can’t find form because of this injury, RVP who’s missed yet another large chunk of a season, and Vermaelen, who can only be thinking, “If I was playing we’d be top. We wouldn’t have folded against Sunderland, WBA and Spurs.” Well, okay, if I was Vermaelen, I’d be thinking that!
Myles, when you suggested Owen Coyle as a potential manager, I couldn’t help but think what a wonderful job, what an opportunity it would be to be manager of AFC. It’s the best job in football. A patient board, patient fans, and a lot of talented footballers to work with. A better proposition than Man U, Chelsea, or Liverpool. Better than Real Madrid or Barca. That’s not knocking those clubs. They just come with a lot more baggage. AFC is an opportunity for a manager to build on what Arsene has provided.
Despite that, I don’t believe Arsene should go at the end of the season, that AFC won’t win the league again with him as a manager. I would have a word in his ear, and say, while I agree that a team who come through the youth ranks together can build camaraderie, it can also lead to stagnancy.
Like the team he inherited 14 years ago. They had been together for too long, but he refreshed them, brought in vibrant players and changed the direction of AFC forever. He can refresh again. George Graham came in and built on the young players introduced by Don Howe 25 years ago. Does Arsene want somebody else to do that? AFC have rarely gone and bought the top players in their position. Bergkamp and Overmars are the exception, but players can come to AFC and become the best players in their position. That’s a huge incentive for attracting great players. Use that.
As an armchair fan from thousands of miles away, I want to believe that an Arsenal team can seriously compete for the top honours.
It doesn’t mean that they have to win silverware every year, but they must look like they have a real chance. That they can be contenders.
I’m following this season with curiosity.
The team bottled it at Old Trafford last time out, but Sir Alex, adjusted their line up to win. It wasn’t about looking great for them. They were more professional. The Park header wasn’t a fluke, it was instinctive, sharp, an in-the-moment reaction. On the upside, Arsenal didn’t bottle it at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season. This time they were genuinely unfortunate not to come away with something. They lost to a brilliant play by Drogba and a stunning free kick.
If I was an unhappy season ticket holder, or regular, I’d write to AFC. I did that about 20 years ago when they were raising ticket prices. I wrote it in the form of what can be best described as a terrible rhyme. For my troubles I received an Arsenal catalogue, one they had already sent me.
I hope fans today get a better response. If it does get bad, then protest. The profusion of empty seats must be worrying someone. Participatory democracies only work if you participate, and that means going beyond voting.
Trying to get a question at an AFC AGM is not enough. Bleating on to your mates at the pub is not enough. I’m not sure AFC pay any attention to blogs. It would be interesting if they did. I’m not unhappy with AFC. Arsene’s “messaged” enough about his hopes for this team, I’ve accepted with doubts, and decided to pay Setanta for additional matches. If you don’t want Arsene to go, then belt your lungs out and support the team. Arsenal is only a small part of my life now. It’s 5am for me, oops almost six. I haven’t been sleeping for the last week, but that’s nothing to do with AFC.
Hopefully, I’ll be up for the game.
I hope you and your family had a great Christmas and wish you the best for the New Year.
Your commitment, passion, and honesty has kept me checking out ANR for years.
Myles replies :
David,
Thanks very much. Same to you.
I don’t know what you thought about the way Arsenal beat Chelsea 3-1. But Manchester United’s 1-1 draw at Birmingham means they’ve only won one of their eight league games away from Old Trafford.
I never remember my dreams but I must have been thinking about football while I was asleep. My first waking thought this morning was a strange one. It was also ungrammatical.
I thought : If Rooney keeps not scoring, Arsenal could win the league.
That’s not quite what I think when I’m awake.
But, apparently, it’s what I think when I’m asleep.