Wenger’s legacy is fundamental. Free flowing, attacking football by a club with integrity and class.

Shocking Revelations On The Sacking of Gunnersaurus: How Low Can Arsenal Go?

“Arsenal will probably blame his attitude, Vinai will say he gave Quy all the chances he could, Edu would say he does nothing for the club and a section of the fanbase will claim it is ALL OZIL’S FAULT. Managers, players and junior staff all at the mercy of men in posh offices” – M¹⁴Arsenal @m14edits

Recently, I have done a series of articles (and podcasts with @Arseblagger) which have been very critical of the way in which our football club is being run, on and off the field. The latest of course was my Aston Villa match report and post-match podcast detailing how negative and uninspiring the football has become under Mikel Arteta.

I have done my best to show this is not simply a one-off but a pattern. Since Project Restart Arteta has implemented a defensive style of football with Arsenal’s primary goal is to stop the other team from playing rather than being a “protagonist” who demands possession of the ball, taking the initiative to create chances and score.

Classless and Uncaring

But it is not merely the style of football. It is the classless, uncaring way in which the club is now acting towards its employees. Top of the headlines was the marginalization, defamation and denigration of the best footballer at the club, Mesut Ozil, to the point of banning him from the both the Premier and Europa league squads, due it seems to his refusal to take a paycut without explanation of where the money was going. Not as sexy a headline but perhaps even more damaging in the long-term was the club’s sacking 55 full-time employees including long-serving scouts with a history of unearthing hidden gems who became star players for the club.

To prove they were beyond Scrooge, the club on October 5th announced they were also sacking the guy who since 1993 had played Gunnersaurus, the club mascot.

PR versus Reality

What a coincidence that on the day when the beloved mascot was being terminated, the signing of Thomas Partey had been announced, it being deadline day. The expected widespread elation by fans, when news broke of the transfer of a renowned player, would surely drown out the spontaneous anger to be expected when a multi-generational symbol of the club is coldly axed to save a few pounds by an enterprise, who that very same day, was boasting of its ability to spend 40 million on a new player.

It took Mesut Ozil, whom the club has marginalized, to expose the utter hypocrisy of the club’s actions when he announced his willingness to pay one-year of Gunnersaurus wages:

“…, I’m offering to reimburse @Arsenal with the full salary of our big green guy as long as I will be an Arsenal player…so Jerry can continue his job that he loves so much.”

Given the image of Ozil’s magnanimity vs the club’s mean-spiritedness, news came out of Arsenal H/Q earlier this week that Gunnersaurus was re-employed and was to appear at an “Under-Something” game. We all left with the impression that Jerry Quy had gotten his job back. Even Mesut Ozil was elated.

But on Friday Daniel Quy, Jerry’s son, blew the lid on the “weasely”, misleading club statement which left the impression that it was a return to normal. According to Daniel:

  • Gunnersaurus “wasn’t a full-time role anymore”
  • ”Arsenal were unable to find a suitable way to include my dad in their “new normal’ part-time plans, or even offer him the chance to hand over his legacy”
  • “To act with class is an Arsenal value that I remember well from my time working at the club, and my dad certainly honored that . however I don’t feel this was reciprocated in how this journey ended.”

In a mere few words Daniel Quy has provided the killer evidence of how low our club has fallen. Despite mainstream and most of social media refusing to discuss the destruction of the club’s traditional values, most fans on Twitter, who replied to Daniel’s statement, agree that our club has lost the value “To act with class”.

Fans may be quiet but the evidence is irresistible and damning as exemplified by the following:

Scores of fans may be reading this in denial and disbelief. Many, like I once did, are still wishing and hoping that Mikel Arteta will transform  the football club on and off the field especially after he won both the FA Cup and Community Shield. We all wanted him to succeed because he was once our player and our captain and should have the footballing values of Guardiola and Wenger. But apart from no longer playing a positive brand of football since Project Restart, Arteta has been knee deep in in marginalizing and defaming our best footballer. He is no longer fearless and positive in his football. Despite this, many still seem willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

How much longer can we keep the faith? How much lower can Arsenal go at this rate?

5 Comments

  1. Sad that it’s come to this Shotta, sad that the club has sunk so low and sad that we are now in the vanguard of critics.

    Reply
    • Unfortunately George most fans are in denial, pretending to themselves that it is just a temporary phase and Arteta will turnaround the ship in short order. Many fans actually believe that we can succeed without our best player, Mesut Ozil and that winning the FA cup or pinching a win at Manchester United is a sustainable way to play.

      I used to think Arsenal fans would fight for the traditional values of the club of acting with integrity and class but now I have my doubt. Until the reaction to the shocking expose of Jerry Quy, most have kept quiet as the Kroenkes and their henchmen have taken a sledgehammer to the once proud traditions of our football club. Back in the day, when we were winning the league, Dennis Bergkamp asked the question of those who suddenly became ardent fans:
      “I really like Arsenal. But you, do you like Arsenal? Or just Arsenal with Trophies?”

      Reply
  2. I suspect that it is not that so many fans are in denial, it is simply that they have become so blinded by their wishful thinking and rose-tinted glasses, that they simply cannot see that things are very wrong there.

    It is the whole shebang, from the club and it andministration to the team and its managing.

    What makes it even sadder is that people like us, who are saying this are regarded as traitors, whilst , in truth, we seek, possibly more than they do, that the club be brought back onto an even keel, in every aspect, and fervently wish and hope that Arteta can do the same with the team, but we simply cannot see it at present, or see how it can possiby happen.

    Reply
    • Yes JJG. Very often I notice even our friends saying we are too too critical of the club. The same club that is mean and vindictive towards Ozil, and before that to Koscielny, Monreal and Ramsey who were let go unceremoniously. The same club that sacked 55 staff post-COVID including key long serving scouts. Now we are learning from Daniel Quy how the club dumped his father as the Gunnersaurus mascot, something he pioneered and developed over 20 years, with not even a proper transition as they handed over the job to a bunch of part-timers. This club is almost sadistic in the way it treats its own people and people think we are mean to criticize them. Which decent, self-respecting fan can identify with such heartlessness and coldness?

      Reply
  3. Frankly, without the class and the traditions of this club, I am not really bothered about results or performances.

    If we’re just a generic football club then what’s the big deal even if we win occasionally. Who are we? I don’t know, but whatever it is, I hate it.

    It’s the decisions and the classless manner of it all. Totally unnecessary to treat Gunnersaurus this way. Totally counter productive what they’ve done with Ozil. I really cannot stand by an organisation that behaves this way just because it bears the name and badge once carried by Arsene Wenger.

    Reply

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