From James Reiff : Re: Arsenal’s UK fans hurt the club’s global image?
Myles,
Reference this post, yes, yes, yes, a small number of “fans” have shown the club in a very bad light.
The nature of the fans debate over our club, encapsulated by; Arsenal Fan TV (much of the blather on that channel ironically – given your view of Wenger – provoked by ego-driven, self-serving no-marks seeking their “15 minutes” and justified on the grounds of “passion”), flying of planes during games, marches outside the stadium (marches, about football, seriously?), has been very embarrassing to me and undoubtedly hurtful for the image of the club.
I have no doubt Wenger believes this is one of the factors for his “resignation”, but he is not SO arrogant as to be blind to the primary footballing reasons.
That he doesn’t perform some kind of “mea culpa” at the press conference and discuss his fallibility before a Europa League semi-final is both logical and human nature. Who would do that?
Myles says:
He will never own up, James.
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From Ariel Klein : The paralysis of seeing that the emperor has no clothes
Hi Myles,
It’s been a surreal few days and I’m wondering how my theory will play itself out now that’s it’s become reality.
I think Arsene was right to go mostly with the team that will play against Athletico rather than rest too many against West Ham. He even played Lacazette for the full 90 minutes and what a good call that turned out to be!
The first half looked like more of the same paralysis I described below but I’m hoping, really hoping, that it was more a case of the players needing some time to shake themselves out of the surreal space which must encompass them at the moment.
If, and it’s obviously a big if, my hope is right they may just be able to galvanise and fire themselves up enough to tackle Athletico. I’m not overly optimistic but stranger things have happened and if the footballing gods are listening to the outpouring of (mostly) goodwill towards Arsene then maybe, just maybe, he’ll get to pull this one last rabbit out of the hat…
Here’s hoping!!
Also, I’m encouraged by your intel on Vieira.
On a completely different note – what’s your take on Pochettino and Spurs? It must be an issue now that they have still not won a trophy despite all their progress. I know it’s a different era but I thought he was their George Graham and that they would have won at least a domestic cup by now…
Hope you’re enjoying the surreal.
Myles says:
I’ve heard no more on PV4 . My source has gone silent.
My take on Spurs is that Harry Kane wasn’t fit.
They played Manchester United in an FA Cup semi-final with ten men.
Kane was peripheral, pitiful and irrelevant all through the game. They brought him back too early from his ankle injury. After 20 minutes I was screaming: Take him off, bring Lamella on! I was very annoyed and could see that the inevitable was going to happen.
The Spurs goal was stunning. Where Arsenal sometimes take seven passes or nine or thirteen, this goal took two: a 75-yard pass by Davinson Sanchez that bounced twice before Eriksen took a touch and clipped a sublime cross for Dele All came to volley with the inside of his left boot.
THAT IS EXCITING FOOTBALL!
It’s hard to score that goal and very hard to do it in an FA Cup semi-final.
Then Dembele made a bad decision and lost the ball to Pogba, who fired a ball to the far side of the box. Alexis Sanchez demonstrated his class by hanging in an off–balance position just long enough to head the ball in for 1-1.
Herrera scored the winner in 62.
Then Mourinho killed the game.
The FA Cup Final is on Saturday May 19th at 5.30 pm.
Chelsea v Manchester United will be entertaining and perhaps fiery.
Key player will be the ref.