Pet scan of deranged brain via Wikimedia
In the middle of Arsenal experiencing a sure but certain drop into mid-table mediocrity under head coach Unai Emery and his immediate boss Raul Sanllehi, director of football, there are many Arsenal fans still operating under the delusion that the club was worse under Wenger.
Go to NewsNow and scan any of the vast number of “Arsenal blogs” or monitor any of the podcasts. You will observe and may be amazed by the number of fans who preface their analysis of the “Emery Degeneracy” by painting life under Wenger as being comparable if not worse.
The latest We Care petition is a perfect example. There was absolutely no criticism of Sanllehi’s destruction of the squad inherited from Wenger; selling off great players or letting them go for free, replacing them with inferior often more expensive transfers. No wonder the football currently being played by Arsenal is so hard to watch; it is horrendous and getting worse.
Instead, according to the combined wisdom of the big accounts who comprise the bulk of We Care:
“The last decade, notwithstanding the FA Cup wins, can legitimately be seen as lost years both on and off the field, when the team has not only stagnated but actually regressed. To date that is the legacy of the ‘Kroenke years’.
Notice they had to denigrate the FA cup victories because it clearly undermines the essence of their argument.
Can you imagine any football club in England who won 3 FA cups in 4 years denigrating this achievement?
Only a vain group of persons with a galactic belief in their own importance could so easily make light of winning what is arguably the 2nd most important trophy in English football on such a regular basis, treating it as a non achievement. These were the same people who ranted and raved for 10 years when the club didn’t win a trophy.
Frankly this kind of thinking is bizarre. It borders on derangement. They need treatment. They need to be on a couch somewhere receiving counseling.
Yet some of these people have hundreds of thousands of often well-meaning followers, lapping-up and believing similar nonsense they spew daily. They may be clever with words, feigning concern for us fans but at heart they only care for themselves, not Arsenal Football Club. If I was in Don Raul’s position I would conclude they and the fans they represent are not serious.
No actionable demands
This is evidenced by the fact that their petition lacks any actionable demands which is the first rule of any attempt to seek redress from those in power. Instead we have a vague, nebulous plea for the following:
“We want clear acknowledgement that the board recognises the issues faced by the club, and how severe these are for the future of The Arsenal. As supporters we want actual communication and measurable assurances from the board that actions are in place to address this seemingly inexorable slide.”
Acknowledgement by the board? Yeah right. The board can easily send them a letter signed by Sanllehi acknowledging their issues. Big deal.
Actual communication from the board? More open letters from Josh. More news releases. More carefully controlled media interviews with Raul and Vinai. More dreck from Arsenal Media. Get the hell out of here (expletive deleted).
When you break it down, it is absolutely meaningless, a big “nothingburger.”
Only people who are focused on their follower count on twitter and subscription to their blog or podcasts take this petition seriously. In my opinion it is merely virtue signalling designed to appeal to the current unrest and disgruntlement among most fans.
No wonder Don Raul seems so comfortable, soaking up the pressure, delaying the inevitable and refusing to replace Emery while results go from bad to worse. More ominously the retention of certain key members of the squad (e.g. Aubameyang and Lacazette) falls into doubt as the club’s standing as a permanent fixture in European football recedes week after week, month after month.
Don Raul can equivocate and procrastinate because there is little or no real pressure from the fanbase to radically change course. No demand for the following:
- To not only get rid of Emery but to replace him with a progressive minded-attacking coach who will implement the Arsenal Way.
- The Kroenkes to give real power of oversight to the Board which has had a tradition of experienced persons of the highest integrity with decades of proven loyalty to the club. Example: Sir Chips and Lord Harris.
- To provide the board with access to the expertise of football-professionals loyal to the club so they can truly oversee the activities of the director of football. Example: David O’Leary.
- To stop the sell-out of the club to football agents who are now the chief beneficiary of the transfer activity which is bleeding the club of its best talents and of any stability.
Without the Kroenkes making the changes I propose, Arsenal Football Club will continue its slow but inevitable decline. Don Raul will take his own sweet time to appoint a manager whom he can manipulate while continuing his wheeling and dealing with the agents.
Meanwhile We Care will wave white handkerchiefs of surrender in the Emirates and further denigrate the achievements of our great club.
So Raul’s cunning get out of jail card that none of us saw him scrambling for like some kind of incompetent bufoon is *drumroll*:
Not the Mendez man at Tottenham
But the Mendez man at Wolves.
Fuck me that’s a surprise eh?
What a clown Raul is.
–
In spite of the copious PR in spite of the Blaggers circumnavigating the record we can all see that They’ve got rid of a huge number of staff as they’ve tried to rebuild the Arsenal in Raul’s image. From the Groundsmen to the Physios and also including Doris the Tea Lady (that was the last straw for Sir Chips, he likes his scones buttered the right way up, since Raul arrived the crackers haven’t been cutting it…).
Get
Raul
Out
Of
The
Club
Shotts
As we’ve always discussed The Arsenal Model left by Fizman and in the hands of Wenger was unacceptable to many not least inflated washermen like Raul.
And as we LONG predicted and discussed the sabotage of the Arsenal would entail, the end game is, the Benfica and Porto mafioso model.
You literally heard it here first. Years ago.
Which explains the two names above strongly linked with the club in recent times.
Under Raul Every week brings a new low…how long can this trajectory continue before the club flatlines?
Compare and contrast how the people described in Shotts article will today be reacting to the news that the neighbours beat the mighty Olympiakos,
and then compare that to their reactions described above by Shotta to a great cup winning team. the fourth odd greatest post war spell for the club.
If you thought the way Newcastle treated Bobby Robson was awful and that they deserve the subsequent karma then:
Is Mike Ashley a better owner of his club then the Kronke’s and their washerman Raul.
Well, he’s been appointing better Football coaches then the COWBOYs currently bleeding the Arsenal before they run off into the night with their rustle all the way back to Daddy’s ranch. No doubt about that…
Ah Newcastle! Thousands of fans of that great club believed with absolute certitude, contrary to a factual objective analysis of the competitive environment, that they were better than top-4 or the top-6. Humiliated and hounded out their great manager, Bobby Robson and their decline since then has been spectacular.
I have no doubt that Arsenal is going through the same cycle. The only question is how low shall we fall.
Indeed
Daddy Kroenke is reportedly in the country. I wonder where he’ll stand in all this. With his son, which basically means with Raul and his agent pals, or with the old guard who saw the club through even more turbulent times than these.
Appoint Mendes’ man, and as Fins points out, it will be the Benfica – Porto model where Mendes will be appointed the King of North London. Carrying out his own personal bidding war for his own players, even deciding the fate of the clubs? Quite possibly as long as there’s enough money to be made for key figures at the club, and enough subtlety and grift about it.
Arsenal is at a crossroads. Course correct to Arteta/Freddie now, and we survive and go on to thrive in the future, despite the wasted 18 months. Keep going along the Raul path, and we’re going to lose everything that made us the club we are.
Over to you, Stan.
Best blog on the web.
As George said.
I think in the end Wreck-it Raulph will annoy the Krankies (wheres my dollar?) and he will be off to wreck somewhere else. Instinct (in this case probably worthless on my part) says that Hey! Nunny Nunny! of Wolverhampton isnt the man. But will just confirm more mediocrity, more seasons in the EL, and the Mothercare gang trying to sit on the board, pretending to represent the “people”, not understanding their part in the downward spiral, and they that dont represent the people.
Looking around seeing the lies and corruption that go unchecked and unpunished in the wider world what hope will Arsenal have to get back to the values that were established?
Luckily the Womens team remain( for a while) uncorrupted. Nice win the other day against Livercrutches, the 1-0 scoreline didn’t show how well the women played, and on another day they could have scored 7 or more.
Cheers to everyone at UnA as always.
what really makes me puke is how dumb we can be as people.We dont own anything, nor can ever. We look after it for a bit, and thats it.
So why choose to do the worst with what we have? Our lives, our environment, the future of our kids and their kids, the eco system and how delicate it is, the idea of PM or premier presidentialship, electorate, Arsenal, as owner, as middle management and fans, groundsman and tea lady ( Doris).None of these things operate in solitude, all of them are part of it. Their is no other, there is no ownership, there is no uselessness, but there is always a choice, to choose relativity and the best as can be, or greed, a sense of other, ownership, narcissism and believing you are bigger than relativity and claim absolutism.
This is no cloud 9 bullshit, its the state of things. SO far we are seeing the outcome of such greed and insanity ( in that its anti long term, anti understanding, and mostly based on grabbing the cash). But the fans hold the club by its nuts. Not fans at games, Athen is bye Wreck it Raulph, bye Krankies and bye Arsenal.
ps did you see how Sir Chips was calling out to the fans to back him? Why else was the story “leaked” about him “considering” resigning?
Well spotted about Sir Chips. I just made a tweet pointing out that Sir Chips and Lord Harris have made more actionable demands on the Kroenkes than that god awful useless lot by the name of We Care. These old chaps, Arsenal through and through, have made it clear (1) No more being figureheads; and (2) Give us the power to appoint a real football-man to be an expert, someone who is proven to be an Arsenal-man.
Way to go Sir Chips. You might well save us from disaster now being inflicted by strangers and newcomers; Raul and Josh.
Indeed Shotts
We can ALL observe and simply conclude that Sir Chips is actively questioning the role conduc ethics, competency and direction of the club under these COWBOYS.
Why then the silence from the black scarf bin dippers?
Where is the online campaign?
Was this decade long media attack on The Arsenal a rebranding effort in advance of the hostile corporate takeover that was retarded for a time by the deathbed haggle and the preseance of AW being the only thing protecting the club from the fleecing we’ve witnessed over the last 18 months:
E.g.
the Swiss RB signing
The Suarez signing
The inexperienced LB signing to replace Nacho (only scored a league determining goal on debut back in la liga)
The Pepe signing (apparently no one else was ever in for him…)
Etc
Etc
Etc
What a record!
In such a short time.
Ignoring Emery which takes a big effort Raul’s record is already so crooked hat the silence from the bin dippers is INCONGRUOUS.
we always knew what their game was:
Mafiaball.
If Stan’s in town he’s probably flown in with the Glazers to party with Woodward and Raul, to fuck dead pigs’ heads, that kind of thing. It is what it is…we know the score.
I think Chips was testing the water and wanted to get a lot of people behind him to stop him from resigning and show the board that Wreck-it Raulph is the wrong way, and to show us as fans that its the wrong way and that he and Bomber Harris know whats happening- I know you guys know, but loads of others dont. One thing is for sure he doesnt want to resign.
What people fail to understand, is that this site is about as positive as it gets.
Piers proving he knows bugger all about football by saying we should get Poch in as manager in an interview with aftv ( which sums it all up). Piers supporter of Leave. The biggest corrupt lie since who knows when. The biggest manipulation/hoodwinking of a generation since Shitler. Piers should have stuck with Wugger or wowing or whatever the spiffers do, erm, lie to people and send them to wars after taking all their cash that they earnt doing dead end jobs? No wonder hes latched onto aftv.
“a vain group of persons with a galactic belief in their own importance” is a fantastic turn of phrase.
When you have anything in excess of 25k followers and up to 300k in one case, you begin to believe in your own infallibility. Regretfully most of these people are followers, not leaders, unable to take an independent stand on any issue. Followers will feel the heat coming out of Arsenal but refuse to blame Raul and Josh for the fire.
More dumb football world: the person who asked Mustafi whether he will be staying or going in January. Mustafi stonewalled the question, I mean how is he supposed to answer it? “yeah guy, aftv moan their backsides off about me therefore I should leave, plus Piers doesnt like me so I should go. And when he says Leave, we know its the truth”.
Bbc now leading with Nuno rumour.
**** me.
After bringing in Jose Lite the first time and then FAILING to bring Jose himself after Levy gazumped him the CLOWN running the club sets his low sights on Jose Lite II.
Who could have predicted such an unedifying club demeaning **** up of even a sacking of he worst coach in the league (Ok he is not a coach! Apologies to all the coaches…) from the CLOWN in charge of the club given the recent record with Rambo Ozil Koscielny Xhaka Torreira, Auba etc etc etc
Eh?
Yes, unlike Unai, Nuno knows what a Football is. Just about. He’s not a good coach but at the least: he is a coach.
But. He is also a coach who was called out by other coaches in the Championship for being willing to work for a club that is a lickspittle laundrette for super agents, their comments are easily available.
Raul’s kind of coach.
Just like Emery
I hope that Sir Chips has been taking notes from Ozil’s agent. And the other unflavoured agents of all the other players at the club. As they’ve been running PR circles around this inflated head of Football Relations (PR)
When will the Blaggers join Sir Chips and act to protect the club that provides their livelihoods and call out the crooked CLOWN for the clown he is? Or even just simply point out that an unqualified PR man with a dodgy record is running a Football Club?
Will they be able to muster the Footballs?
Get
Raul
Out
The
Club