Lies, Damned Lies and Headline Writers

Damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t; when Arsène meets the press the answers in his pre-match conferences, the answers are invariably honest, detrimentally so in some cases. Rarely though are they as dismissive as ‘Appy ‘Arry when he was talking of Manchester City’s millions. What he thinks though is rarely relevant.

It is unusual to praise the press but The Mirror deserve some for putting the Q&A from Arsène’s Print Media Press Conference onto their site; you can easily see the context of the quotes selectively chosen and wilfully misinterpreted by both journalist and headline writer. The media’s hypocrisy was so wonderfully exposed,

If Pires once dived against Portsmouth, OK? For six months it was a story in the newspapers. Dyer dived on Sunday and nobody said a word. You cannot say it is exactly the same and it doesn’t matter. If it doesn’t matter when Dyer dives, why does it matter when Pires dives?

There is no argument against that, Pires brought forth a publicity-driven campaign for players to be punished for diving. There was no campaign to improve journalistic standards, no carrot for this stick. Football gets the journalists it deserves and vice versa.

The extent of that hypocrisy is apparent on The Mirror site where the comments regarding referees are utterly misrepresented. There is no conspiracy against Arsenal amongst officials which, for me at least, undermines a considerable portion of the theory that has long been held where Manchester United supporting referees are conspiring to prevent Arsenal success. Nonsense, according to the manager, they are simply rubbish. Well, they don’t get their decisions right as often as they get the big ones wrong which has been in Arsenal’s case, very costly.

On the transfer activity this Winter, the manager was defensive and I am not quite sure how else we should expect him to be. There is a groundswell of opinion that some new faces need to come in; Wenger was not of that view,

You’re resisted so far moving into the market. Are you convinced the squad is strong enough to finish fourth – or better?
Our squad is strong enough, yes [to finish 4th]. If the players come back we are strong enough. If we do not have the players back we will struggle.

Why not tempted to sign a left back on loan, you’ve looked short there?
Football is not a supermarket where you go in there and say: ‘give me a left-back please, and a right-back and a centre-back.’ We have to find the players better to what we have. When Vermaelen plays left-back, finding a better left-back for me is difficult. Vermaelen has missed two games, maybe another game Sunday.

But if you don’t sign cover it could cost you more in the long run. Is that not a concern?
You cannot every time buy a player when you have an injury, where do you finish? England is bankrupt, the whole of Europe is bankrupt and everyone continues to spend like nothing happened.

Some of the arguments are disingenuous. Whilst some are naively proclaiming that every injury needs money spent on a replacement, Arsène is open to a similar accusation with an expectation that the squad will remain strong enough over the remainder of the season. History is most definitely against him on that one. Equally though, what else is he expected to say? Positive comments about signings bring forth a slew of speculation and raised expectations on the terraces; this morning he finds himself chastised for his views on the state of football club finances. We know clubs are bankrupt, they have been so for decades. Despite this, there is no sign of the transfer market abating as Arsenal – either through the manager or board – proclaim. Quite simply, football is not subject to the same strictures of normal economic theory.

The transfer market is changing though with different clubs having financial muscle. Arsenal are a commendable club for managing themselves well off the pitch but there is rarely recognition of the opposite, rarely do Arsenal see their predictions of doom come true and certainly never at the level of the game that they occupy. As much as football needs to adjust its view of itself as a whole, Arsenal need to change their view of the opposition; they are not going bust. They teeter, the stumble but they do not tip over into the abyss.

But vocal sections of the support need to stop spending every penny before it is earned. And when it is earned, recognise that contract enhancements and fees come from the same pot as the transfer spend. So when you mightily proclaim that we have not spent Adebayor’s transfer fee, just recognise that you are utterly wrong.

As for Financial Fair Play, I’d rather pin my hopes on the tail of the donkey than the regulations having any impact. A more toothless sop you will never see.

The most contemptuous question received the answer it deserved,

Is [fourth place] a realistic prospect. It looks as if it could be a bad scenario after Sunday?
It could be as well a good one. In the press you are now educated to see everything in black. And I am not sure it has no consequences on your spirit, be careful! You are not the only people.

But it’s our job to also reflect the fans and that’s what we’re doing.
You reflect the fans’ fear but you create it as well.

Don’t forget to read today’s part of Arsenal history, Arsenal On This Day.

’til Tomorrow.