From Brendan:
Hi Myles,
I’m never comfortable with a “one-sided” truth.
I’m watching Craig Burley and it’s comic. Darkly comic, but comic.
Of course, it’s meant to be provocative, just as your publication of it and agreement with his sentiments is supposed to be provocative.
It’s exactly the reason why I’m increasingly less interested in the Premier League.
He’s saying ‘what’s the point in following Arsenal?’ – I’m thinking ‘what’s the point in listening to you?’- which is increasingly what
I think about most people commenting on football. And not because I don’t want to hear hard truths about Arsenal. But because I think that so much of what people are saying is ill-considered and without any real analytical content, just repeating old tropes but adding possibly a bit more of a ‘scandalous’ dimension to get attention – like Burley.
It’s more groupthink. It’s a decontextualised rant which fails to point out the failings and shortcomings of all the other clubs he lists as being in a ‘superior’ position to Arsenal, and because he leads with the line that Arsenal and its fans are ‘mentally weak’, we assume he means that those clubs and their owners are ‘mentally strong’. This is the stuff of comedy – but the joke’s on Burley.
To somehow make a connection between a perception of the way a team plays and their mindset to the mental strength – or the lack thereof – of that team’s supporters, is absurd.
Burley, it’s a market. If people go and watch Arsenal, they probably enjoy it, and if they don’t, maybe they enjoy not enjoying it. If you don’t enjoy it, don’t watch it. Don’t make judgements about people like that. It’s low, pathetic and ultimately insulting.
I’m actually very surprised that you published this, Myles, and not pleasantly.
Myles admits:
I’m surprised I published it too.
But things happen and not all my decisions are good ones.
Being on ESPN doesn’t make a footballer interesting or credible.
In fact, very few footballers are interesting off the pitch.
Their value is what they do in games, not in what they say after games.
Fans are far more interesting than players or ex-players.
ANR feedback since 2006 has proved that, don’t you think?
Doing this since 1998 has gradually convinced me that Arsenal fans are some of the smartest people in the world – and I’m delighted to be able publish some of you here.
It’s the educated gooners who keep me going, not the unreliable team.