Mails: Arsenal asked for these protests, remember
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Arsenal asked for protest, remember
There have been some reasonable points on the right to protest a football club and I personally, in general, tend to agree that you should be able to, whilst also thinking anyone spending that amount of money on a plane is a drizzling s**t of a human being.
My opinion, of course, is of interest to precisely none of you so instead let me introduce you Ivan Gazidis, chief executive of Arsenal:
“Ultimately Arsene is ultimately accountable to the fans — they ultimately make judgment. If you are seeing the relationship between the fans and the manager break down over time that is unsustainable”
So whatever your opinion of a fans right to protest in general , at least in the case of Arsenal, where the guy supposedly in charge of hiring and firing the manager abdicates that responsibility and places it in the hands of the fans, then protest is valid.
Just lay off the f**king planes.
Robert G
And the last we’ll have on protests, because it’s good
The question in the mailbox should not be ‘Why do fans have the right to protest?’, but ‘When do fans have the right to protest?’
I, for one, support forms of protest, and in regards to the circus surrounding Arsenal, I would say that these ‘Wenger Out’ fans have the right to protest, so go for it. However, can I ask why are you protesting? What do you want from your club? And finally, are these protests actually warranted because you feel the team in underperforming?
Before I continue, this isn’t (intended) to be a flat-out defence of Wenger, and gun to my head I would have to place myself in the ‘Wenger Out’ club, but not for the reasons that are being articulated by the protesters. I want change because I’m bored. I’ve only ever known Arsenal under Wenger, and he has never really disappointed me. But I see what other clubs have; other exciting managers, players that wouldn’t fit into Wenger’s system, the dizzying highs and the terrifying lows.
I want all of that, because it is different. But if Wenger stays, I wouldn’t protest because is it really a protesting matter? And this is not one of those “there’s so much else going on in the world” letters, but in the world of football, what are you protesting over?
Is it the lack of league titles? The lack of challenging for the league? Not winning the Champions League? Not getting past the round of 16? Or are you, like me, curious as to what else is out there coupled with the tiring predictability, but you feel vitriolic protesting and planes are better than waiting for the inevitable?
In regards to the domestic front – I understand Arsenal have not been title challengers for a long time, and when they have, they stumble at the same hurdle every year. Familiarity breeds contempt and all that – but in the grand scheme of things, Wenger is still faring better than most.
A quick google search has shown that Arsenal have won 12 league titles in their history, 5 of which came prior to the Second World War. Of the remaining 7, Wenger has 3. Furthermore, the same search showed me that Arsenal have only finished 2nd on 10 occasions, Wenger being at the helm for 6 of those. Arsene Wenger effectively turned this club back into title winners/challengers of the glorious 1930’s before undoing said work.
So, should he be protested against for not reaching his own lofty standards? As far as Europe goes, this one is slightly more understandable – seven consecutive round of 16 exits shows no signs of progress – but is that really a stick to beat him with? Arsenal have competed in the European Cup/Champions League 21 times, Wenger being at the helm for 19 of those.
Granted, I think 19 years having a go at one trophy should have gotten easier and not harder, but where does this entitlement that Arsenal deserve to do better in Europe than they currently do come from? Arsenal are not a major club within world football, and to be honest, most of the reputation they have was built (earned?) by one man.
So, to all those protesting fans that argue it’s their right, while that might be the case, do you actually feel that the current protests are warranted? Why is Wenger your target? What has he done so wrong that needs to be protested? He has given twenty (20!) years of his life to this club, and while I don’t think this gives him a clean slate to do whatever he wants, I trust him to always try and do his best for the club.
I assume Wenger is not happy coming fourth year after year, nor is he happy failing to progress to the latter stages of the Champions League, but regardless of whether the task of rectifying these is beyond him, you’d swear the club is in absolute turmoil with the way you carry on. Wenger will leave one day, and whoever the next manager is, will you protest against him should he fail to achieve higher than fourth? How long before the plane flies above asking for his head?
Your targets should be the board for failing to be a proper board. Your targets should be the high-ticket costs and lack of reinvestment into the players/coaches/youth team. You should be flying planes for Kroenke, not Wenger!
Néill, Ireland
Farewell, Basti
I would like to wish Basti S. all the best in his future career and life. Really disappointed that things didn’t work out for him at United as he seemed to have a genuine interest in the club and he came across as a thoroughly professional winner and decent guy.
I don’t think LVG helped his cause (Arsenal away??!!) whilst most sensible observers were hoping he would be sit in the midfield and bring protection to the defence, a winning mentality and a calmness that was sorely missing.
Plato, MUFC
I have been a referee, but abusing referees is the way forward. Sure.
I have refereed and I know how difficult it it….However, what excuses do you have for the referees who clearly (they are blind, if they don’t) see the ‘stuff’ that happens on most corners and free kicks and is an automatic free kick everywhere else on the pitch? Start calling them and it will quickly die out.
Bob Hirst, Texas
Kinda saying the same thing, but more calmly
I too am a referee with several years’ experience under my belt, however I do not agree with your email at all. The reality is that the standard of refereeing in the premier league has been, and is, very poor this year.
Trouble is, whenever a fan complains about dreadful refereeing he is inevitably shouted down by someone like you, saying that he is only complaining because his team was hard done by. In fact the fan in question usually has every right to complain about terrible decisions. No one team gets more bad decisions than any other but, quite naturally, fans tend to be most riled by the ones that effect their own team (derrr…), so what do you expect them to complain about?
Refereeing has undoubtedly been poor this year. We’re not talking about instances where the ref can’t see because something’s in his way, or whatever. We’re talking about the numerous instances in almost every game where a ref clearly sees an incident but chooses to act in a way entirely inconsistent with his own (or other referees’) previous decisions. Fans of all teams will be able to recall such incidences of inconsistent decision-making and poor application of the laws. Some referees are so clearly (albeit subconsciously, I’m sure) influenced by the atmosphere/fans/context that they struggle to make any good decisions at all.
I get it. You’re a ref and you don’t like to hear fans complaining about other refs. Particularly not United fans (who likes them, right?). But let’s be realistic. It’s time for a change in the way that the game is officiated as there’s currently far too much scope for error and the stakes are too high for poor decision making to effect big games.
RQT (MUFC – sorry)
Time for the ‘B’ team World Cup?
Fun game coming up with country B teams. The team that probably can most closely compete with France’s squad depth is Spain. I chose players who weren´t called up this international weekend and have fewer than 20 caps. I came up with this B team (23 player squad):
GK: Sergio Asenjo, Diego Lopez, Antonio Adán
RB: Hector Bellerín, Mario Gaspar
CB: Victor Ruiz, Álvaro Gonzalez, Marc Bartra, Iñigo Martinez
LB: José Gaya, Marcos Alonso
DM: Saúl, Bruno Soriano, Manu Trigueros, Dani Parejo
AM: José Callejón, Lucas Vazquez, Samu Castillejo, Borja Valero, Marco Asensio, Iñaki Williams
ST: Aritz Aduriz, Lucas Perez
Lineup:
Asenjo
Bellerin Ruiz Gonzalez Gaya
Trigueros Saul
Callejón Valero Castillejo
Aduriz
It’s heavy on Villarreal players which would probably help chemistry as well as defensive solidity (they are the best defense in La Liga), and has plenty of talent all around. Surely lots of these players will be a fixture in the future of the team.
I’m not sure if some of these players are injured/suspended but surely you’ll concede that they aren’t regulars in the team. I hope i didn’t leave any big names out.
RD (i can’t believe you left schneiderlin out of France B) Mexico
…Guillaume (Benzema is technically not suspended) Paris, you’re telling me you’d put that 11 up against this roaring pride of Lions and think you’d stand a chance.
Butland, Milner, Smalling, Dann, Gibbs, Walcott, Huddlestone, Cleverley, Lennon, Crouch, Austin.
Lining up in a proper 442 formation (none of this mucky foreign 4231 nonsense) and full of pashun.
Matt, AFC (depressingly think this team might give the actual England team a good game)
Selective memory from Redknapp? We won’t believe it
I just read an irked Harry Redknapp’s comments about Chelsea’s successful tactical switch this season.
He explains that he used three at the back at West Ham and Portsmouth nearly 20 years ago, but he didn’t mention a far more recent example in QPR. Redknapp, with Hoddle in his backroom team, had great success getting promotion with QPR, then memorably played three at the back in the Premier League.
Perhaps it was modesty that prevented him from listing a third example of his tactical foresight?
Tom, Eastleigh
And short but sweet
For that Cloughie piece, Daniel Storey.
Thank you
Paul Murphy, Manchester