Untold Arsenal Media Review: The Sun goes bananas (even by their own sub-basement standard) « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News, supporting the club, the players and the manager
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by Anne
I’m in the process right now of doing final edits on our first combined Untold Arsenal Media Watch report. However, because the Sun’s match reports on Newcastle-Arsenal and Arsenal-Liverpool are so interesting in and of themselves, I decided that it would be preferable to do a separate post so that I could provide the articles in full.
Having read so many of the Sun’s articles in the past, these two match reports stand out to me as being decidedly different from their usual tone, in the sense that they’re much more overtly negative. I’m going to post each article in full, with the most interesting parts also highlighted at the top. And I’ll be very interested to hear your opinions.
-Anne
MATCH REPORT 1
HIGHLIGHTED QUOTES:
1) “But when it comes to Wenger, it’s no surprise he is finally beginning to look old and weary. If the Frenchman is starting to show signs of wear and tear after a nightmare start to the season, fast forward seven days and he could be the wrinkliest swinger in town.”
2) “Wenger can moan and groan all he likes about the media being too negative about his babies. Yet unless he goes out and spends some of the expected £60m banked by selling Fabregas and Nasri, the natives will continue to get very restless.”
3) Arsene Wenger quote: “Just spending the money is not the target we want, we want to find the right players and if we find the right ones it can be for £2m or £20m, we will do it.”
The Sun’s Response: “Fair enough but something most Gooners are shouting for should be smacking Wenger right between the eyes though.
He needs to spend. Or he may be spent.”
———–
Newcastle 0 Arsenal 0
By STEVE BRENNER
Published: 13 Aug 2011
ALAN PARDEW could not believe his eyes when he saw a picture of Arsene Wenger in the papers last week.
The Toon boss says he was shocked at how the Frenchman, 61, had begun to show his age.
He said: “I’ve had a look at some pictures of Arsene Wenger ageing in some of the papers this week and it was a little bit disconcerting.
“I will be putting on my baby lotion tonight and trying to keep young. I’ve been ageing rapidly in the last few months, that’s for sure!”
A silver fox like Pards could certainly follow suit after putting up with the typical madness of being in the St James’ Park hotseat.
After all, just looking after Joey Barton is enough to make any gaffer age 20 years while the Toon army still await a striker to replace Andy Carroll.
But when it comes to Wenger, it’s no surprise he is finally beginning to look old and weary.
If the Frenchman is starting to show signs of wear and tear after a nightmare start to the season, fast forward seven days and he could be the wrinkliest swinger in town.
This coming week could pose him enough headaches to last a lifetime.
Confirmations of the departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri will be one kick in the teeth.
Then there’s a decidedly tricky-looking Champions League qualifier against Udinese to overcome.
And even then, as the dust settles from a game which exploded after yet more needless shows of indiscipline from a Wenger side, there are more problems flying his way. Alex Song, a rock in midfield here, is sure to be hit with a FA rap for a cowardly first-half stamp on Barton.
Gervinho, who looked lively until he decided to slap Barton across the head after being accused of diving to win a penalty, will now be banned for crunch Prem games against Liverpool and Manchester United.
And Wenger must find a way to get a team clearly rocked by losing Fabregas and Nasri into gear while missing the crocked Jack Wilshere.
He needs to do it pretty sharpish, too. This wasn’t a display of a team looking good to end a run of six years without any silverware.
It was more a performance of a side who seem to have lost their way and aren’t sure where they are heading next.
There was no cutting edge. This a young team and it showed.
How they need some experience flooding through the ranks. Some steely ruthlessness in attack wouldn’t go amiss either.
No wonder the travelling Gooners were eloquently telling their boss to “Spend some ****** money” as they huffed and puffed without ever looking likely to blow down Newcastle’s door.
Credit must go to the home side.
They may have hardly created a chance of note but, thanks to the twin rocks of Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor, they stood firm in the face of anything the Wenger boys threw at them.
To be honest, this was an opening-day game which was played like a pre-season kick-about until Gervinho and his bizarre barnet decided to liven things up.
Typically, and predictably, Barton was slap, bang in the middle of it.
Love him or loathe him, the Scouser can never be accused of being dull as dishwater. He is the Prem star everyone loves to hate.
Gervinho, the £10.5million summer signing, certainly took an instant dislike when he went down in the box on 72 minutes only to be confronted with a raging Barton.
Yes, minimal contact or not, it should have been a penalty.
But the way the Ivorian lost his head and gave Barton a clip round the ear was needless ? even if the Toon firebrand went down like a sack of spuds.
Wenger can moan and groan all he likes about the media being too negative about his babies.
Yet unless he goes out and spends some of the expected £60m banked by selling Fabregas and Nasri, the natives will continue to get very restless.
But Wenger insisted: “We are not scared to spend money if we find the right player.
“Just spending the money is not the target we want, we want to find the right players and if we find the right ones it can be for £2m or £20m, we will do it.
“We have scouts all over the world and at the moment we are looking everywhere and if we find someone we will do it.
“I feel sometimes the credit players get is linked with the amount of money you have paid for them.
“For me when I look at Gervinho I think he is a great player and I forget how much money he cost.
“It is frustrating sometimes because it looks like players are judged just through the amount of money they cost.
“I understand every criticism and I accept every criticism but I try to do the best for my club, I take everything else on board but not necessarily listen to everything.
“If I listen I don’t necessarily believe everything.”
Fair enough but something most Gooners are shouting for should be smacking Wenger right between the eyes though.
He needs to spend. Or he may be spent.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3750823/Newcastle-0-Arsenal-0.html
MATCH REPORT 2
HIGHLIGHTED QUOTES:
1) “And you thought this was as bad as it could get for Arsenal. Well, it can turn even uglier if Arsene Wenger continues with his destructive, stubborn ‘I know best’ routine.”
2) “So what now for Wenger? Get that chequebook out. It’s not your personal property, Arsene.”
3) “This time next week Arsenal could be propping up the Premier League and out of the Champions League following trips to Udine and Old Trafford.
And Le Prof will have no one to blame but himself. Stubbornness is not a bad quality when things are going your way. When they’re not, it’s one of the most destructive forces around.”
By STEVEN HOWARD
Published: 20 Aug 2011
AND you thought this was as bad as it could get for Arsenal.
Well, it can turn even uglier if Arsene Wenger continues with his destructive, stubborn “I know best” routine.
This time next week Arsenal could be propping up the Premier League and out of the Champions League following trips to Udine and Old Trafford.
And Le Prof will have no one to blame but himself.
Stubbornness is not a bad quality when things are going your way.
When they’re not, it’s one of the most destructive forces around.
I said last season if Wenger does not want to dip into the club’s transfer kitty and spend the going rate on the players he needs, then Arsenal should get someone in who will.
Now, though, he has run out of excuses. The latest of a series of injuries ? this time to Laurent Koscielny ? means Wenger HAS to bring in a centre-half before Sunday’s trip to United.
If he doesn’t, he will be letting down every Arsenal supporter at the Emirates on Saturday, many of whom had drifted away some time before Liverpool’s second goal.
As it is, he has waited two months too long. As for the players he has bought in, you have to ask WHY?
Costa Rica striker Joel Campbell, he openly admits, is a gamble ? and a totally unnecessary one ? while Carl Jenkinson is nowhere near a first-team player.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is exactly what Arsenal DON’T need right now ? another player for the future ? and Gervinho is a luxury item when more basic requirements like a couple of reliable defenders should be the priority.
This transfer policy is misguided and in danger of wrecking the outstanding reputation Wenger worked so brilliantly to create. Now he seems a man alone ? the look on his rainswept face as he stood isolated as Saturday’s final whistle heralded Arsenal’s first home defeat by Liverpool in 11 years said it all.
Here was a man approaching the end of his tether. A man who had run out of ideas when, in fact, the answers should be blindingly obvious.
The mental block that seems to have immobilised Wenger since the apocalyptic Carling Cup final defeat by a Birmingham side, who would go on to be relegated, has been translated into a total lack of confidence among a set of players.
The Gunners have now won just two league games in 13.
Andrey Arshavin hasn’t kicked a ball in months while Theo Walcott can hardly have played worse than he did against Liverpool.
These are two players you don’t need in a crisis. Jenkinson, through no fault of his own, should have never been in a position where he is asked to perform for the first team. The same goes for Ignasi Miquel and the other two 18-year-olds on the bench.
As for Aaron Ramsey, he looked shot to bits by full time. Yes, Arsenal have been unlucky with injuries.
Then, again, Arsenal players are ALWAYS injured. It makes you seriously question their injury prevention and treatment programme.
Yet there is nothing unlucky about their continuing indiscipline. You would have thought the penny might have dropped after the suspensions of Gervinho and Alex Song from the league opener at Newcastle.
And yet Emmanuel Frimpong still became the 88th player to be sent off in Wenger’s time at the club.
It can’t all be down to bad luck and youthful enthusiasm. In fact, the potential leg-breaker on Lucas in the 70th minute was a red card in itself.
Down to 10 men again, Arsenal were rocking some time before Miquel’s attempted clearance hit Ramsey on the chest and rebounded into the net.
Yes, it was unfortunate. Then, again, this sort of thing is ALWAYS happening to Arsenal. As for Liverpool, there was only going to be one winner once Kenny Dalglish’s side cottoned on to just how poor Arsenal were.
The big difference was the Reds boss could summon Raul Meireles and Luis Suarez, who scored the late second, from the bench. So what now for Wenger and a team as the Gunners face the most pivotal week in the Frenchman’s 14 years at the club?
Get that chequebook out ? it’s not your personal property, Arsene.
His backers rightly acclaim his success and the football that has had us all swooning down the years.
The teams that had a wonderful mix of youth and experience, that caressed the ball and oozed confidence in their collective ability.
What we had here was a raw, vulnerable team which could hardly string a worthwhile move together.
The Wenger faction also ask who could possibly replace Le Prof.
The name Carlo Ancelotti, a man not averse to signing and playing mature and established performers, would seem to trip easily enough off the tongue.
From the media archives…
Know Thine Enemy – from a long weekend in the Untold Media Trenches
Transfers latest
Beyond Yann M’Vila: Ignasi Miquel, Francis Coquelin and Marvin Martin
Yann M’Vila + Jack Wilshere = Wow! (Plus Martin and Coquelin)
The Champions League, and onwards
Revealed: “The Busacca Moment” when referees move to fix the match
The Untold Ref Review: Udinese/ Arsenal (other Untold ref reviews listed below – just scroll down)
The biggest problem with many Arsenal bloggers is they don’t have a winning mentality