Morning all.
Imagine you’re Mauricio Pochettino, going into work each day wondering whether or not the rumours are true. The only reason you’re still employed by Chelsea is because the club cannot afford to sack you. Yep, that’s the story in the newspapers, Chelsea are so close to breaching the FFP rules, paying off Poch would land them in financial problems.
Life in professional football must be great. Everyone gets paid way above and beyond a ‘real life’ wage and yet no one has to be a world class player to rich. Contracts mean everyone will get paid regardless of whether they’re successful or not. A lot of footballers don’t even have to play to be paid either as all they need to do is turn up for training. Basically, they’re being paid to keep fit. Yes, I’m thinking of Cedric Soares and Mo Elneny at Arsenal.
Football clubs have their hands tied when transfers don’t go the way they’d hoped, or they get stuck with players who simply can’t be bothered to work hard. Arsenal know that only too well which is why a number of players were paid off. At least now every player who puts on an Arsenal kit on a match day, works their absolute socks off. They might not always get things right on the day but I cannot think of one player who could be accused of simply turning up. I’m pretty sure that should Soares and Elneny be called upon, they’d be the same too. That’s on Mikel Arteta, that’s what he asks for and expects.
According to reports this morning, Arsenal set to be fined the standard £25,000 after having six players booked against Liverpool on Sunday but there will be no “over-celebrating” punishment for boss Mikel Arteta.
This whole “over celebrating” thing is totally out of hand. It’s rubbish. Do these buffoons who suggest Arsenal should be cool calm and collected after beating Liverpool, or any club for that matter, even know what it’s like to play full throttle for 97 minutes in front of 60 odd thousand fans? Have they never been so happy with something in their life which makes them want to sing from the roof tops? Clearly not because had they, they’d understand. Carragher is just a bitter and twisted Liverpool fan who didn’t like seeing his old club being beaten I’m sure but I bet if the result had gone the other way, Klopp and his players would have celebrated at the final whistle because like Arsenal, they knew what a big result it would have been. Factor in the fans too because they’ve just spent their hard earned money on watching this Arsenal team fight for everything on the pitch, they were behind them through every minute – imagine being there any seeing no emotion from the players at the final whistle. A quick handshake and walk off does no one any good. Fans want to celebrate and I’m pretty sure they/we want them to celebrate with us. It’s called respect and gratitude for being with the fans.
For what it’s worth, I love seeing Mikel Arteta celebrate the way he did and does too. That was several days of preparation, excitement, stress and then relief and elation coming out of him. No one moaned when Mourinho did all those years ago. No one should be moaning now either. Especially when it’s at our home, The Emirates, in front of our own fans. Away from home it’s different in my opinion. Saying that, when the day comes that we beat Liverpool at Anfield I’m sure there’ll be celebrations aplenty.
The Premier League has moved three of our March fixtures for television coverage. The home match against Brentford has been pushed back to 5.30pm on Saturday 9th for Sky Sports. A week later, kickoff has been moved forward for our trip to Chelsea on the 16th for TNT, although should Chelsea still be in the FA Cup, this match will be postponed. Lastly, the big class at The Etihad will now be a 4.30pm kickoff on Sunday 31st.
Next for Arsenal though is a trip to West Ham this Sunday for a 2pm kickoff.
Catch up in the comments.
Morning Rico and Co.
It just goes to show you that the MSM doesn’t lead the narrative but follows it from social media, because the term ‘celebration police’ came out of the blogosphere, mainly from the Arsenal blogosphere and now the mainstream are using it.
Then we also get neutral sources criticising those that are digging out Arsenal and that’s when the narrative switches away from that that was originally driven by the fat ex-Sky misogynist who has been sidelined on BEIN sports.
Watching and being similarly reactive is the PGMOL and Premier League who also follow and never lead and so Arteta doesn’t get charged this time leaving the Sky shit-stirrers without a cause to narrate.
But don’t worry the ‘Arsenal are too emotional’ slur is just there in the cool box, waiting to be reheated if Arsenal lose again.
We shouldn’t allow it annoy us but at the same time you have to push back or else you end up being penalised for every small transgression whilst Klopp and company can do what they like.
Rico, it feels as if we’ve gone down this road a thousand times with the media. It’s simply the reason so many Arsenal fans switch off from the MSM created product and browse the web for home made sources from whatever end of the spectrum it comes from.
Morning Kev. Must admit, I mute the sound after a game until the players/Arteta interviewed. I’d mute the commentary too but I like hearing the fans in full voice.
Regarding the Chelsea manager I was quite shocked to see him on TV over the weekend. He didn’t look at all well to me Rico, his face looks bloated and puffy. I think that Pooch has really taken on the impossible job. Chelsea fans are like spoiled children, their numbers have been so thoroughly swollen by ‘Plastics’ who don’t have any true feel for the peaks and troughs of football as Man City will discover when Pep leaves.
There is no long-term view only the Todd Bohley ‘I want it and I want it now’ mentality that has filled their squad with a bunch of over-paid, over-rated and under-motivated mercenaries who basically are in it for the fat contract before moving on and re-starting their careers elsewhere. It’s delicious!
Yes, I always found it very interesting that the short experiment on the BBC for live games where you had the choice of TV commentary, radio commentary or no commentary with just the crowd noise, didn’t last long. It was quickly shelved without any debate and never tried on Sky if I recall…
You know what Rico, I imagine that a whole raft of people at the BBC worked tirelessly behind the scenes to see that commentary experiment binned, you know, commentators and analysts who make a pretty penny telling us the obvious and talking bollocks.
Agree re Poch Kev. Why he took that job I’ll never know. Why anyone would want other than to make a quick fortune is beyond me. Chelsea are in a mess.
Good morning Rico.
Football is now as much about entertainment as it is about sporting endeavours. It is without a doubt the most popular, and from a spectator point of view, accessible sport for the general public. People do not just want to be entertained , they need to be entertained. There are enough woke killjoys around without creating more and television does itself no favours when it allows unfettered and biased criticism to be spouted by pundits who are so far removed from genuine football fans that they appear to come from some far flung part of the Universe.
That said I do sometimes feel that goal celebrations are a little too contrived and even rehearsed. However, they do fill up the time between the ball hitting the back of the net and the goal being awarded after the the interminable Var checks.
On the subject of managers and the clubs they work for, I have no sympathy, they are well played and if they have not done their homework on the club they are joining and find that the squad is totally unsuited to their own playing style or, as at both Chelsea and Man U, a rag bag of hopeless under-achievers. They ha e only themselves to blame.
Morning Rico and all.
Could you imagine if Pep called it quits at the end of this season, with so many charges against them and if found guity, no chance to buy players or possible being sent to 1st division who would want that job.
There seems to be more crap written about Arsenal’s cellebrations than the Everton fans holding up little yellow card complaining about the 10 points taken off them for cheating.
Morning Cicero, I don’t feel an ounce of sympathy for Poch, or any manager/player who thinks only about the money. Look at Potter for example, thought the grass was green in west London and he’s tarnished his reputation by going to Chelsea.
Morning Geoff, I’d be sat watching with a tub of popcorn and a big grin on my face. It’s coming I’m sure..
This a direct result of the woke environment being pushed on all of us by people that want to suck the enjoyment out of life.
You can’t turn round for fear of treading on someone’s foot and God forfend that you hold a shop door open for a young woman , the abuse is quite amusing .
Poch took over a basket case with an owner steeped in the American system of drafts where everything is evened up . He thought he could buy success in a different system and it hasn’t worked.
He flexed his muscles to get one over Kroenke with Mudryk .Well APRIL FOOL but then one could argue that he got the best end of the deal with Havertz. It probably is true that Chavski are treading on thin ice , and cannot afford to sack the manager and all of his staff ‘ However I do think
IT’s their problem.
Don’t get me started on our dear world of woke. Live by the rule of being decent to others is all that’s needed in my opinion. I was taught that over 50 years ago and it stuck for life. Pink, white, yellow, black, I don’t give a toss, just be decent…
I was raised with the words, treat others like you would want them to treat you. also respect is earned not a right.
A’noon Rico
Zero sympathy for Chelsea. Horrible set of fans, who got incredibly lucky when the bent Russian money flowed through the club.
If the FA is serious with their investigations Chelsea will be relegated along with Man City. If they don’t do something drastic the government will take the regulation away from them. The FA are nervous.
One way or another Chelsea will get what is coming…and it will be a great day!
Afternoon Pete.
I have zero sympathy too but as much as I’d love to see Chelsea and City relegated, I just can’t see that happening. I’d love to see the government intervene too but who across any of the current parties are likely to show that kind of character? None imo.
I can’t see how the F A could relegate Manchester City without opening up a series of legal confrontations from clubs who believe they were denied their “right” of promotion to the Premiership by the alleged financial misconduct.
I think it will more likely that the outcome of the enquiry will not be announced until the season has ended, at which time points deductions for next season can be put in place without retrospective complications.
It is entirely possible that UEFA will ban City from all European competitions for the coming season or longer.
A fine, whatever the amount, will be ineffective as City will merely announce a new sponsorship deal with some previously unheard of Abu Dhabi business entity to cover the cost of the fine.
https://www.football365.com/news/opinion-highest-ranking-celebration-police-officers-arsenal-carragher
I think you’ve probably nailed it Cicero. The hearing is set for later this year.
New post up.