A bit of British sport

[Guest Passenger]

So Arsenal knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup last night, and I'll begrudgingly admit they were pretty good. But, am I the only one who is completely sick of everything about Arsenal, from their cocky prat of a manager to their arrogant obnoxious players and even the way they are heralded as some kind of Godlike team in the media.

 

I turn off the commentary in Arsenal games now, because I AM SICK of hearing verbal blowjob after verbal blowjob for the likes of Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieiieieiieira. Both I admit world class players but c'mon...Henry gets more than his share of championing, but for Vieira it's beyond belief. He automatically wins Man of the Match in every match he plays, unless some other player does something that can't be ignored, like scores a hat-trick. Whenever Arsenal score a goal, the commentators are usually too busy salivating over a simple pass Vieira played at the start of the move, to even acknowledge the goalscorer. It's not even just one set of commentators, the BBC does it...Sky Sports does it...ITV isn't as bad but still.

 

It's the same type of blind worship that Steven Gerrard gets. Gerrard is a mediocre player...I don't care what any biased media propoganda tells me. He has a good long range shot and can spot a pass, but that's it. He is nothing like as good as Roy Keane or Patrick Vieira and never will be. Back to Arsenal anyway...last night for example Vieira got the ball and ran sideways for about 30 seconds, didn't actually take anyone on and then proceeded to lose the ball and put Arsenal back on the edge on their own penalty box with a throw in. Of course this resulted in more verbal blowing from Trevor Brooking and co. Honestly it won't be long before they marvel at the way he drinks his little sachet of Lucozade when the drinks come on. He is a good player, but he is not the god-like being you would think from the way commentary teams babble on.

 

It's the same deal with Arsenal, they are NOT the best team in England. They won the title last year. WOW one year..what about the previous 9 years when Man Utd won it 7 times...not forgetting multiple FA cups and the Champions League. Arsenal are not a dominating side in Europe, and that counts as much to determine who the best English side is. Man Utd are 2 points behind them...and have strolled into the Quarter Finals of The Champions League without breaking a sweat...Arsenal's godlike status was exposed as complete rubbish as they huffed and puffed their way out of this seasons competition...I just hope Man U don't let everyone down and leave Wenger with nothing except the FA Cup this season...It's all he deserves.

[Guest Anorak]

Are you a Spurs fan?

 

I agree to you to some extent regarding Arsenal although after the Valencia defeat most people have rightly begun to question whether or not this Arsenal team is all its cracked up to be. Surely this year was the time when they should have made their mark on the Champions League but they went and blew it again. What has done them yet again is their lack of ability to grind out results or finish teams off when they are there for the taking. In the Premiership they only need a good 20 minute spell in either half to kill teams off but quality European opposition is a tougher prospect and Arsenal just can't seem to sustain the necessary momentum they need throughout a full 90 minutes. 1-0 up against Roma with Totti sent off after 20 minutes and they can't capitalise on it, 1-0 up against a young and inexperienced Ajax team inside 10 minutes and they let them back in it. Considering the players they have you have to question whether or not they have the character or killer instinct to ever become a truly successful European team. I they could somehow strive to combine their current quality and flair with the resiliant backbone of the George Graham era team they would be on to a winner. A Man Utd player (might have been Giggs or G. Neville) were questioned on TV in the tone you described about how 'wonderful' the current Arsenal team were and they responded by claiming the 98 Arsenal Double winning side were actually better, this of course was a side that combined the flair of Wenger's French players with the old rearguard of Adams, Bould, Dixon and Winterburn.

 

I don't altogether agree on Arsenal being 'obnoxious' or 'arrogant'. Wenger has admittedly become more of a whinger as time has gone on and is becoming an annoying and tiresome character. He's too quick to point the finger at others instead of taking into account the faults of himself or his players. Some of his outbursts have become ridiculous, not on a Gerrard Houllier type level but daft all the same. Too many Arsenal fans have become like the Man Utd fans they despise in adopting a very exaggerated form of condecending arrogance which does them no favours. I must disagree on the players arrogance though, I don't think for a minute they are as bad as David O'Leary's Leeds team of a couple of seasons ago or Man Utd (although they aren't as obnoxious as they used to be, just a handful of them). The next time you see Van Nistelrooy, Neville, Keane etc mob the ref in petulent fury at a descision (pathetic is the only word for it and they do it like no-one else) ask yourself honestly whether Arsenal are really the most obnoxious or arrogant team in the Premiership.

[Guest Passenger]

Its not so much mobbing the ref after every decision that annoys me, as most teams are guilty of that on occasion. Arsenal are now the main culprits as Man U have calmed down in that area.

 

I don't know what it is but some of Arsenal's players have just an arrogance about the manner in which they conduct themselves. Thierry Henry is the main one, i'm sure he honestly thinks he is above everyone else, not just as a football player but as a person. And Arsene Wenger said at the start of the season that Arsenal wouldn't lose a game, surely that is an arrogant remark if I've ever heard one. That remember is after ONE title winning season. Alex Ferguson has never been so crass to say such a thing regardless of whether he believed it or not...All this just begs the question, what will Wengers ego be like IF they achieve some sustained success ala Man U in the 90's?

[Guest Passenger]

It might just be beacuse they're French and they are naturally arrogant. But either way its annoying.

[Guest Anorak]

I don't know why you've got such a downer on Arsenal, I can't think of one specific match or incident where they conducted themselves in a terrible way as a team. Your beef with Henry is puzzling too, all the best players in the world display a certain cocksure compsure/arrogance when they are on the ball. Just watch players like Zidane, they play with the same body language because they are players who are special enough to dictate the pace of play effortlessly. Cantona would be another classic example of a player who possessed a similar degree of supreme self-confidence and belief which bordered on the arrogant, he simply knew how good he was and took centre stage. I don't see how Henry conducts himself badly on or off the field to be perfectly honest and I don't know where you're coming from.

 

If you want to talk about a team conducting themselves disgracefully or unprofessionly then Man Utd's display against Arsenal at the end of last season takes some beating. Faced with conceding their title on their own ground they pushed, shoved and kicked the opposition for 90 minutes in a pathetic display. It was the footballing equivalant of a bunch of toddlers throwing a tantrum and chucking their toys out of a pram. I would have been embarrassed to have been a Man Utd fan that night quite honestly.

 

Wenger is paid to win things, not to be loved and respected as a great guy but I wouldn't say he was that arrogant in all honesty. Brian Clough and Alex Ferguson aren't worth a shit as people but they delivered unbelievable success and that's all any clubs board or set of supporters want. Wenger was actually misquoted regarding the 'season unbeaten' remark but he was daft to even address the question without dismissing it out of hand like he should have done.

[Guest Passenger]

Fair points made there. I think my main beef with Arsenal is the way the media act like they're godlike. When they clearly aren't. And the way certain commentators always have their favourites, and they all seem to be Patrick Vieira. I don't really follow a Premiership team, I support Hartlepool. But it's just something I've noticed from the recent BBC FA Cup coverage.

[Guest Anorak]

I agree with on your general point that Arsenal haven't achieved enough to be be labelled a truly great team. Despite the over the top plaudits they currently recieve in years to come they won't be mentioned in the same breath as the Man Utd treble winning side unless some back to back titles and genuine European success is in their future. I'm actually a Leicester fan myself so I don't have any real bias either way. As a neutral I'm just happy when there is a genuinely exiting title race on and with Newcastle doing so well its not even a 2 horse race this year.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Wuick question: You guys seem so hostile in England over who you love in terms of a club, like with Man U., Arsenal, etc. But what do you do about guys that you despise who play for the national team as well? I always figured soccer fans were much more dedicated to both whom they love and hate.

[Guest Anorak]

To some extent the usual full on hostility fans have for certain players is slightly tempered by them wearing an England shirt because we all want them to be on the winning side. However, the minute something goes wrong for England (and it frequently does) fans will hatefully curse their least favourite Man Utd/Arsenal/Liverpool players for it being 'their' fault.

 

If an England player was seen to be guilty of costing England a vital result in a very big game (e.g. David Beckham getting sent off against Argentina at the 98 World Cup) his life would be made miserable by all but his own teams supporters. He would get crucified in the tabloids and suffer abuse at every other ground he would visit for a good period after. Some of the chants, taunts and personal abuse levelled at Beckham after France 98 was awful (stuff about his wife and kids etc). To his immense credit Beckham managed to win over the fans again (England fans) by giving vital and dedicated performances as captain of the side.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

To be honest, that was a bullshit call, and he didn't deserve to be ejected. The other guy (don't remember his name) took what looked to be a dive to me.

 

Does anyone else see the parallels between England's search for a World Cup victory and the Leafs for an Stanley Cup?