Morning all.
Fruit juice, loved by so many and previously on the menu at Arsenal has been axed by Unai Emery and replaced with water. I’m not surprised at all really as fruit juice, nice as it is first thing in the morning, is nothing other than a sugar overload. It’s far better to eat a fruit whole than after it’s been pulped. Apparently it’s all part of the plan to increase the players levels of fitness so the hard and fast pressing game becomes easier.
I read an article in one of the newspapers yesterday evening, I actually read it twice because for once there was no anti Arsenal campaign, no agenda and certainly no ridiculing where our club is right now. Not a mention of our defending was made, nor the chances that sailed over the bar or wide of the post in our opening two fixtures.
In a week which saw mourners say goodbye to Aretha Franklin, the journalist decided to link one of her greatest songs together with the latest and somewhat childish outburst from Jose Mourinho. Not only him though as Mark Hughes and Roy Hodgson were mentioned to. Respect, that’s what Mourinho demanded, disrespect was shown by the other two.
This is the article copied from The Mirror, written by Brian Reade.
All these blame-deflecting whines from seasoned managers about a lack of deference deserve the mockery they’re receiving — especially as Arsenal’s new one spent the first fortnight of his English career receiving a hysterical amount of disrespect.
Most of the disrespect has been shown by ex-managers, ex-players, and Arsenal legends such as Tony Adams, who should know better than dismissing Emery’s chances of turning the ship around after starting with two defeats to Manchester City and Chelsea.
Emery was chosen because he ticked many boxes.
A young, ambitious coach with decent values who’s won trophies with big teams (three Europa Leagues with Sevilla, a French title and four domestic cups with PSG), has a record of bringing through youth and plays expansive, progressive football.
Taking over from a legend who had run a huge club as his own personal feifdom for almost a quarter of a century would have been a challenge for any of the world’s greatest coaches in any era. As Manchester United are discovering, trying to replace the greatest manager in your club’s history who essentially built the modern club in his own image, is the hardest nut to crack.
In the final two seasons under Wenger, Arsenal went from finishing 18 points behind the champions to being 37 points adrift. They are seriously off the pace.
Getting up to speed again was never going to take a few new faces (especially when the cash was hardly flashed) or a few new training ground drills (especially in a World Cup year, when there was little pre-season time to be had).The one thing Emery needs is the space to make short-term mistakes, the time to reverse the slide and the backing to succeed over the length of his three-year contract.
Because if the contrasting moods at the two clubs who played at Old Trafford on Monday show anything, it’s that patience with a manager can be a virtue.Mauricio Pochettino has been at Spurs for four years and won nothing, but they believe in him even more than they did when they gave him the job.The same can be said with Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, as he approaches his third anniversary. There’s a belief at both clubs that something special is patiently being built.
Five years and three managers since Alex Ferguson retired, Man United are nowhere near emerging from his shadow because the club as a whole never bought totally into the deal they struck with any of his successors.
If Arsenal need any advice in this post-Wenger era, it’s to take a hard look at what has happened at United since Fergie left… and do the opposite.
It’s to ignore the short-term knockers and give their new manager, and their own judgement, a little respect.
Brian Reade is right in my opinion. The people in the game could and should be far less vocal about their views on what Unai Emery is trying to do right now. Adams disappointed me despite me pretty much sharing his view. Allardyce was just a buffoon as is any other ex player who just sits in their comfy chair telling us all what Emery should be doing when they’ve not even tried doing it themselves. At least Gary Neville has been there, done it and really struggled. Lampard and Gerrard didn’t hang around long in the warm either as they’ve both jumped straight into management but as for the rest, we’ll baring a few, they are simply just ex footballers who’ve never ventured into the difficult role of management. If it was as easy as they all make out, we’d all being doing it.
I know we here and on other football forums have our opinions, suggest x, y and z players to sign or play on a match day but what we do is like sitting around a table in a cafe having a cup of tea together whilst chatting about football and Arsenal. Comments made by ex players, pundits, journalists etc etc get broadcast to the world and ultimately they can have an impact on any managers career. Perhaps if they stopped to think about what they’re saying, they’d keep quiet but the keeping quiet doesn’t earn as much does it?
Unai Emery has one of the toughest jobs out there right now. He’s at a club which is expected to challenge with the best and compared with other top clubs, on a lower budget. Yes, we’re not improving much defensively and our forwards aren’t taking as many chances in front of goal as we’d like or expect them to but it’ll come.
In the meantime I hope the media, ex players, pundits and whoever else thinks they have the right to voice their criticisms publicly, just give Emery the chance and support whilst he does his best to get Arsenal to where we all believe it can be.
Finally, I mucked up. It’s the EFL Cup draw later today, not yesterday as I suggested. See, we’re all human and we make mistakes.
Have a good day guys, the summer is about to return….
Morning Rico and all.
I imagine there was a time in the distant past when newspapers and now, the internet, was a trusted source of news and considered views. No longer. Bad vibes and scare stories are good news now because they get people clicking the sites, buying the papers and it gives those with the reported opinions or the authors of the shock stories, a cheap boost.
Arsenal have always been news. Since I was a kid there was a certain sense of glee I could detect whenever a story about the club or someone associated with it found its way into the public conscience. If it was a bad news story, then all the better. Allardyce is about as inconsequential as an ex-manager can get but Tony Adams, predictable as his outburst was, might perhaps taken a moment to reflect upon his own managerial record before criticising. But, I admit, that this would be out of character for this particular Arsenal legend.
There’s a lot going on at Arsenal and the unbridled euphoria with which the stories of Unai Emery’s bust up with Mesut was reported was just an indicative sign of the stories to come. As the fat, drunken, lazy slobs who form the majority of the football journalists haul their arses onto the Spurs train we are going to witness much more of this stuff too.
I have no idea whether Unai will be a raving success, a slow improver and builder or a complete flop myself. Neither does anybody at the moment, but I imagine that won’t be enough to stem the morbid flow of opinion which is threatening to engulf the Arsenal supporters right now.
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Good morning Rico, Adam et al.
We’ve seen Project Fear de-bunked where Brexit is concerned, The AKBs gave us “Be careful what you wish for”, and can’t wait to say “I told you so”. Give the guy a chance. He’s not the Messiah, he can’t turn water into wine nor raise the dead but, given our support, he might just resurrect our football club.
Superb post, Rico.
Morning all.
Only thing I can disagree with is that Arsenal had a lot of players not at WC who have had more time in training than the likes of Man C, Chavs, Spuds etc`………………..otherwise have to agree with article from Reade.
It`s a grace year for Dick really although I did/do expect with rivals in CL to get 4th place, but that was probably in anticipation of a daring transfer window which sadly never materialised, but you know who I blame for that !
🙂
Morning all,
It seems plenty who are openly criticising Emery were also guilty of criticising Wenger at every turn, so it’s not the AKB’s, Cicero, it’s the people who will take any chance to have their “words of wisdom” heard.
Serial pests, is what they are.
Emery will be fine, I reckon.
I think we will do very well with us, but it is a massive job to get our from under Wengers shadow, and it’ll take time.
He absolutely deserves our respect, and our support.
Are we signing Toure, guys???
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I can’t think why we would want to sign Toure Scott, last time I saw him play he looked slow and appeared to play box to box, probably because he couldn’t run the length of the pitch. Two or three years ago he would have been a good signing, but not now. Besides, it looks like he’s on his way to Olympiakos.
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Another great start by England. Cook 17. Jennings 0. Root 4. Bairstow 6. Butler 21. England 69 for 5.
Hi Rico, and of course to all you contributors to Highbury House.
Although I am new to this, I started supporting Arsenal when Jack Kelsey was the keeper so it’s been rather a long journey.
I have spent most of my adult life abroad but when I was a youngster I lived in North London, Tufnell Park and then Winchmore Hill and made regular visits to Highbury. I still live abroad so, sadly , I have yet to go to The Emirates.
I used to play for a Southern Amateur club who ran several sides on a Saturday called the Norsemen, who have their club in Winchmore Hill.
In 1971 I was at Wembley to see the winning Cup Final against Liverpool, as my best friend’s father had contacts in the club.
Was very disappointed that Wenger was given another 2 years as it was obvious to most of us that his reign was over and the club was going backwards.
His overall achievements deserve recognition and the fact that while Dein was part of the club registered the success he had, but once Dein had left it became obvious he had lost his midas touch.
I like the sound of Emery and his accomplishments in other leagues, so he deserves a good shot at the task ahead.
What’s up with Özil? He didn’t have a good World Cup and I’m trying to recall the last time when he had an influential part in one of Arsenal’s recent games? He’s become flakey and I think that he’s an expensive burden at the moment. Have always liked Ramsey as the alternative. Guendouzi? Has all the qualities of a future star.
I’m not really a cricket fan but Cicero says it all………could do better?
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Could do better? Could hardly do worse. 122 for 6. We have to hope Curran and Moheen can make a stand.
The last time I saw Jack Kelsey he was manning a caravan outside Highbury as the Official Club Shop.
Manchester City draw Hoffenheim so Nelson gets to play them after all.
Nice home draw in the EFL Cup v Brentford….
Evening by the way..
Ciceor,
Fair call on Yaya, but I am more wondering than hoping.
He’d give us some steel in the middle of the park and could be ok in the cup competitions, helping our younger guys along and the price would be right lol
First part one of our world domination of the cups we will win………………………Brentford gives us an easy ride into round 4 and it will be a massive shock not to get through the group stages of EL and the 3rd round of the FA Cup is not untill January ……………………..fcuk the league it`s overated anyway, anyone can win that with an Arab state backed owner !………………………….plus !…we`ve always been a top cup team !
You sure about that Lc, after what happened last season?
I read Toure is heading to Greece…
And in round 4 we’ll be drawn against a resurgent Nottingham Forest!!?
Dark here😎
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Good morning all. Wavy let’s not worry about round four until we’ve got through round three.
Under Wenger, against a lower league side, we would have started seven youngsters and the senior players chosen would have treated it like training session. The result? Need I say more…..
I think Emery will be trying to win every game he can.
In his first season, even a League Cup would be welcomed by him, I’m sure.
Morning all.
I’m just about to watch Usain Bolts first trial game for my local club.
Will he make it?????
Will he get a contract?
To be honest, I reckon the club will keep him as they need a massive lift, as does the A League and it’s getting more publicity than the finals do here!!!
Morning chaps.
It’ll be interesting to see how Emery approaches the EFL Cup. More serious than Wenger I think.
New post up now