Category Archives: Arsenal

Thierry Henry quits social media as PL study shows 7 out of 10 abusive posts come from trolls overseas

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For years I have said the racism seen on social media towards footballers is not English footballs problem, but the problem of social media companies.

Last week I blogged that it is time for footballers to stop taking the knee. That I stood with Wilfreid Zaha that it had become a gesture with no meaning.

Two years ago I wrote a blog entitled Racism is society and social media’s problem; not an English football problem.

For a long time I have pointed out that racism in football was no longer a middle aged, white, balding Englishman hurling abuse to black players from the terraces. That the abuse had moved online.

That to label abuse an “English problem” was wrong. That just because it was players in England being abused, it did not mean that the abusers came from England

My take was that when I scrolled through the abuse, much of it came from fans living abroad. And that abuse which did come from these shores was from children and teenagers who thought it was “banter” and would soon learn it was not.

Many of those who have racially abused footballers in England have been arrested over the years. Their stories (where they were of age) making national press. Yet the authorities were always powerless to stop someone from India, Nigeria or Saudi Arabia abusing a footballer.

The Indian actress that racially abused Alex Iwobi summed the sad situation up.

It fell into “more racist abuse in English football” but it ignored where the abuser came from. The fact she escaped punishment showed that English authorities had little to know power against those living abroad.

A football club, The FA or The Premier League can not ban someone who lives abroad and has no intention of going to the game. The police are unable to do anything as the abuser is not living under English law.

They can not stop a man from Nigeria tweeting abuse, or an actress from India putting something on her Instagram or Snapchat.

Social media shows that many places across the globe are less developed mentally than the likes of the UK. Countries where discrimination is the norm, even enshrined in law.

I have been labelled all sorts over the years for pointing out that much of the racist abuse towards footballers comes from India, from Nigeria, and from many other countries that still maintain backwards views and are simply not as tolerant as the UK.

But a recent study by the Premier League showed that Seven out of 10 social media posts abusing Premier League players come from trolls overseas.

Thierry Henry recently quit social media in an attempt to highlight the abuse on platforms.

Henry’s statement is spot on.

Social media is now filled with accounts that abuse people daily. There only goal is to bring others down. Or to say something so controversial it makes them “famous”.

And it is not just racial abuse. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram are cesspits where homophobia, sexism, transphobia and anti-Semitism is rife.

When Henry says social media is “too toxic to ignore” he is spot on.

For those who follow me on Twitter will know, I left it at the back end of last year.

It had become tiresome dealing with those who like to spread their toxicity.

Last year I had someone email my work pretending to be a “neighbour” of mine claiming that I had racially abused them in the street. They used an anonymous Email account and when invited to my office to discuss the matter further with my MD, they failed to respond,

In 2019 I had someone write a letter to my employer with a picture she had doctored demanding they sack me for “racism”. It took my work 5 minutes of going through her timeline to realise she spends all day abusing people that have a different view to her own and continually abuses female journalists in football.

In 2018 I had someone calling me up at my place of work over 10 times one afternoon abusing me. Abuse is not a new thing.

Back in 2016, I have had someone go onto Google images and take pictures of my work place and then Tweeting them to me with threats. “I will see you when you least expect it” they said. This person now spends all day abusing Mikel Arteta on Twitter for clout.

Last year I had someone circulate my name, address, place of work and pictures of me on social media. All an attempt to encourage people to find me or write to my employer.

I am thick skinned guy and have always called out the bullies. I have lost count the amount of times I have said to someone “you know my name, where I live, work and rink. Do something”. And none have.

Because you see, these online bullies. Those that racially abuse footballers on Twitter. Those that threaten to find people. They are the cowards.

They hide behind their anonymous accounts, or sit in a foreign country, tweeting their abuse. They know that little can be done about their actions.

But as Henry said, something can be done. And it is up to the social media platforms to act.

But will they ban the abusers? The racists? The homophobes? Or are they scared that their business model is bult around how many Daily Active Users they have?

They start banning people, they lose advertising revenue. And that is why they do not act.

It is time for the media to recognise that racism in English football is not an English problem. That it is a social media problem.

Until social media act, then people from around the globe will continue to abuse others.

Keenos

Footballers should BOYCOTT Qatar 2022

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Over this international weekend, a number of nations players have worn T-Shirts to make an apparent statement about human rights abuses Qatar.

The Guardian recently revealed that more than 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have died in Qatar since it won the right to host the World Cup 10 years ago.

In comparison, 2 people died in construction of stadia for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and there were 0 fatalities during the building of the 2012 London Olympics facilities.

Qatar are basically using slave labour to build their stadium. A lack of health and safety, lack of concern for workers well being. Workers being underpaid and exploited so that Qatar put on a show piece event.

It is a disgrace that Qatar won the bid to win the World Cup. But they are not the first country to use sport to improve its global reputation.

For years, countries with questionable human rights record have used sport in an attempt to reinvent themselves. It is called “sportswashing”.

From the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing through to Qatar 2022, sportswashing is becoming more common as authorities and clubs put aside their morals and values to sell their sport to the highest bidder.

Last year saw the world title heavyweight clash between anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz take place in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia’s relatively sudden interest in sports can be construed as a soft power tactic to help distract from the kingdom’s ongoing human rights abuses and the Yemen crisis.

The kingdom has hosted the Race of Champions (ROC) motorsport event, secured a long-term deal with the WWE that includes multiple shows a year, hosted boxing events headlined by stars like Amir Khan, hosted a PGA European Tour golf event.

Azerbaijan is another nation using sport as a distraction from what is actually happening in their country.

Despite human rights infringements, a lack of press freedom, a clear threat of terrorism and Azerbaijan being labelled as “not free”; the likes of UEFA, the IAAF and the FIA have all awarded Azerbaijan major events in recent years, including the recent Europa League final.

Wearing a T-Shirt in a qualifier is both too little and too late.

Nations should have been protesting 10 years ago when Qatar won the bid to host the World Cup.

Did the worlds footballing authorise really think the way Qatari’s (and other Arab Peninsula) way of building would suddenly change because they had a World Cup?

Thousand’s of exploited immigrant workers have died over the years across Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia in recent years as states attempt to build the biggest sky scrappers, the most expensive hotels, and attract Western money.

These states and countries are amongst the biggest human rights violators in the world. But the Western world mainly turn a blind eye as they holiday in the Middle East.

Event organisers take the millions (and even more in back handers) to take their World Cup, their Formula 1 race, their Athletics World Championship to these places, knowing full well thousands will die building the structures required to host their events.

What is happening in Qatar to Asian workers, in China to Ughir Muslims and in Myanmar to Rohingya Muslims should be headline news. Every single day. But it is larger ignored with more time spent on what is happening in America.

This is real persecution. It is real slavery. It is genocide. And it goes ignored.

Wearing a T-Shirt is simply not enough.

If those footballers wish to take a real stand, boycott the tournament.

Make it clear to FIFA that giving a global sporting event to Qatar was a disgrace and a death sentence to thousands.

Germany was one of the nations to wear a T-Shirt over the weekend. How about the German football team announce they boycott the World Cup? And then the Norwegian FA also pull out in support.

It will not be too long until England follow. And then France, Italy and Spain.

And then once the major nations have boycotted, sponsors would soon follow. A World Cup without European nations would be pointless.

And FIFA could not punish those countries. It needs Europe. That is where the money is in football.

A collective boycotting of Qatar 2022 would make a clear and obvious statement. Stop hosting these events in countries with horrendous human rights records.

And hopefully where football leads, athletics, F1 and more follow.

Lewis Hamilton does fantastic work highlighting the worlds issues. But that all goes to pot when he lines up with an Arab Prince to collect another winners trophy. Happy to take the glory whilst standing on a track which hundreds died to build.

F1 would change overnight if Hamilton, followed by other drivers, said “no, I do not want to race in Bahrain.

Sport can hugely influence the world. But we need its stars to back up their words with real actions.

Wearing a T-Shirt is not enough.

Boycott Qatar 2022.

Keenos

Odergaard and Smith Rowe CAN play together

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Emile Smith Rowe was in fine form prior to the signing of Martin Odergaard.

Many fans and Martin Keown criticised Mikel Artera for shunting the Smite Rowe out of the side to make space for the loanee.

Keown’s justification for criticism was that Arteta should not be “using key games to blood a youngster, a project. He should play his senior players”. This of course ignored the fact that Odergaard is older and more experienced then Smith Rowe. It really highlights how poor a pundit Keown has become.

Odergaard has had a solid start to his time at Arsenal. But it is important that we do not go over the top in praise and we remember that he is only on loan from Real Madrid. There is a long way to go before we can talk about him being a long term Mesut Ozil replacement.

So say Odergaard does join permanently. What does that mean for the future and for Smith Rowe specifically?

The Sorcerer and His Apprentice

Are Arsenal fans the only supporters in the world that are concerned about having 2 good players in the same position? The only fans who are concerned about signing a player that improves us because he might stunt the growth of a younger player?

We can easily accommodate Odergaard and Smith Rowe in the squad, giving us 2 options at 10.

You have Odergaard as first choice, and then Smith Rowe as his back up.

With Arsenal consistently playing around 50 games a season, it allows us to rest and rotate where required.

Smith Rowe has a niggly injury record, so it would be dangerous to have him as the only option at 10.

Signing Odergard alongside Smith Rowe gives us squad depth and encourages internal competition which would hopefully drive both players to become even better.

Play Both

In recent weeks, we have seen Odergaard play in the middle and Smith Rowe play on the wing – something which Keown has also criticised Arteta for. But playing this way makes a lot of sense.

The Willian signing last summer got a lot of people asking “why” and “what is the point” but it also gave a clue with what Arteta wanted to do (but just did not have the players).

Kieran Tierney is such an attacking threat on the left hand side that you want a left winger who is comfortable dropping inside, dragging the opponents full back in, and giving Tierney the space to get round the outside.

When Bukayo Saka is on the left, Arsenal are easier to defend against as Saka and Tierney go looking for the same space.

Playing a right footed “10” on the left of midfield gives Tierney the space he wants.

What it then also does is create an overload in the middle of the park

Your left winger drops inside to give the full back space, and suddenly Arsenal have two 10s causing havoc centrally.

It is similar to how we played when we had Mesut Ozil, Arron Ramsey and Alexis Sanchez.

Ozil would often play right wing, with Ramsey in the middle.

Mesut would then drop inside giving Hector Bellerin the space to run into and overload the opponents centrally. That would in turn free up space on the other side of the pitch for Alexis Sanchez to operate in.

The invincibles also did similar with Robert Pires.

Pires would often drop inside alongside Dennis Bergkamp. This move created space for Ashley Cole to exploit.

So we could easily play Odergaard in the middle Smith Rowe outside him, dropping inside.

With Saka doing similar on the right hand side, suddenly we have 3 creative outlets centrally, with the width provided by the full backs.

And it looks a little something like this:

Signings

If Arsenal do sign Odergaard, and with the emergence of Smith Rowe, Edu and Artera will still look to sign someone on the left hand side.

With Saka, Pepe, Smith Rowe, Odergaard and Willian, Arsenal have 5 options for the 3 positions behind the striker. We could do with a 6th.

We need to find a similar Odergaard level signing on that left hand side so that we can return to the “sorcerer and apprentice” situation described above.

You then have Saka, Odergaard and a new left winger (who drops inside), with Emith Rowe then being cover and competition at both 10 and outside. With Willian being 6th choice.

Plenty to think about during the international break…

Keenos