No room for racism

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Anyone else at work today? Or is it just me?

I am certainly the only one in my office today. That means the heating is up high, The Rifles being blasted out, and I am wondering how early is too early to have my first beer? It is a bit different drinking at 7am on the Eurostar to Liege to drinking before midday whilst still being in the office.

Putting Arsenal to one side, it is important that what happened at Tottenham does not go unnoticed.

Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger was subjected to ‘monkey noises’ during the away game at Tottenham yesterday. This led to the stadium announcer following the 1st stage of UEFA’s racism protocol being triggered with a stadium announcement reminding everyone that racism is unacceptable.

It does baffle me that people need to be “reminded” that racism is completely unacceptable. What the announcement does do is embarrass the club.

The game was live on Sky, and the announcement came through clear on the TV. Announcements will do nothing to stop these idiots making their noises or singing their chants. Only the fans around them can do that.

I am proud to be English, and proud that I live in one of the most diverse and tolerant countries in the world. Yesterday at Tottenham was a one off. It is important that all football fans do not get tarred with the same brush due to a few idiots.

Last nights incident would not even make the news in Italy, such is the racism in the stands over there.

What now needs to happen is the authorities need to act quickly and strongly.

Unlike in Italy and elsewhere where clubs actually come out with statements claiming racial abuse is not actually racist, Tottenham, the FA and Premier League should all not hide away from what happened yesterday.

Tottenham need to take the lead. Ban anyone involved for life. Make it clear that there is zero tolerance for racist abuse.

Then the Premier League and FA need to punish Tottenham if it is found that it was more than a single individual involved.

Whilst clubs can not be held for a single idiot making a monkey motions or throwing a banana, they do need to be held into account if multiple people are involved.

Spurs need to be punished within the full extent of the current regulations and need to ensure that they do not appeal.

The FA have spoken tough against other nations in the past over racism before. They now need to act tough.

This is not point scoring against a rival. I would fully support sanctions against Arsenal if we had racist elements within our crowd who decide to sing racist songs or make monkey noises at black players.

Luckily Arsenal is the most diverse club in English football.

A history of fighting off the National Front in the 1970s and 80s, Highbury (or the Emirates) has never been the cauldron of hate other clubs in London and beyond have been.

2 years ago a journalist tried to claim that Highbury felt like “no go zone” for black fans. Hundreds of fans called him out as an idiot, especially when it transpired that he was talking about the early 2000s and not the 70s and 80s.

You only have to go in the pubs on a game day, or look at the faces in the crowd. No one cares if you are black, white, Asian, Muslim, Jewish, male, female, straight or gay. You are all Arsenal. And that is how it should be, not just in football but in society. We are all one no matter our differences.

Over the weekend I have seen some label Arsenal’s away support as “racist coke heads” with “right wing undertones”.

I am an away season ticket holder. I can happily put my hand my heart and say that Arsenal does not have a racism problem. And anyone trying to paint our away support as “racist thugs” is clearly trying to change the narrative.

Anyone that speaks about the racism they faced at football growing up is probably talking about when they regularly went to games at a different club. It did not happen at Arsenal.

There is no room for racism in our game. There is no room for racism in society. If you see it, if you hear it, do not stay silent, call people out on it.

Have a good Christmas.

Keenos

Match Report: Everton 0 – 0 Arsenal

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Everton (0) 0 Arsenal (0) 0
Premier League
Goodison Park, Goodison Road, Liverpool L4 4EL
Saturday, 21st December 2019. Kick-off time: 12.30pm
(4-2-3-1) Bernd Leno; Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Calum Chambers, David Luiz, Bukayo Saka; Lucas Torreira, Granit Xhaka; Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith-Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli; Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Substitutes: Alexandre Lacazette, Nicolas Pépé, Shkodran Mustafi, Emiliano Martínez, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Joe Willock, Mattéo Guendouzi. 
Yellow Cards: Calum Chambers, Bukayo Saka, Joe Willock.
Arsenal Possession Percentage: 57%
Referee: Kevin Friend
Attendance: 39,336
And so, the wort secret of the week has been finally revealed, and Mikel Arteta has finally been unveiled as the new Head Coach of Arsenal Football Club. Of course, he is not the first ex-Arsenal footballer to take the helm of our club, and undoubtedly he will surely not be the last; but this appointment is one with a difference. Because he has not managed a club before, the risks are tangible and too obvious to be repeated here, but it is to be pointed out that Arsenal have taken calculated risks at managerial level before; was not Herbert Chapman a risk? Or George Allison, Bertie Mee, George Graham or even Arsène Wenger? Their appointments all paid off, remember, and their impressive haul of trophies are there to be seen and admired.
A new era starts today, ironically in the city that has given us our greatest individual triumph in living memory; so let us stand proud and tall together behind our new coach and remember just who we are, what we have done, and where we are going. To the top!
But today, Freddie Ljungberg is at the helm for the last time, and Mikel Arteta will observe from the stands. We can only imagine what he must have thought of both the team and the performances from high up above the pitch as the first half became scrappier and scrappier as the time wore on. The good thing was that we played some of our youngsters, all of whom impressed and did the best that they possibly could, in front of an extremely partisan crowd on an unforgiving Saturday lunchtime engagement. Yes, there was tough tackling out there, and with it mistakes were made; but overall the first half played out fairly even between the sides. Our possession was good, and there were some good off the ball movements, and it was a surprise to everyone that it took forty four minutes for us to register a shot on the Everton goal.
We can only assume that Mikel Arteta gave words of encouragement to the team at half-time, as we came out of the blocks a bit sparkier for the second half. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was extremely unlucky not to score within five minutes of the restart, whilst Lucas Torreira was instrumental in several of our attempts on the Everton goal that unfortunately came to nothing. What would a Premiership match be without a VAR controversy? Everton demanded a rather tenuous penalty when it was claimed by several players that a shot had struck the hand of Lucas Torreira; quite rightly, the appeal was denied by VAR HQ at Stockley Park in South West London, which, for once, they got the decision absolutely correct. In his last match as stand-in manager, Freddie Ljungberg brought on Joe Willock for a weary Emile Smith-Rowe on the sixty-sixth minute, and a little later, Alexandre Lacazette replaced the frustrated Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang; despite several late chances on the Everton goal, the match finished an extremely exasperated goalless draw on a cold winter’s afternoon in Liverpool.
Overall, we were the better side today, and the defence certainly showed more cohesion in keeping out a lacklustre Everton side. Although the strikers didn’t always get the service they demanded (particularly in the first half), we still managed to notch up two more strikes on goal than the home side did! It was a shame that we were unable to go back to London with three points on Freddie Ljungberg’s last match in charge, but the important thing was that we didn’t lose and the team surely must have give Mikel Arteta some points to ponder when he takes charge of his first training session with the first-team squad shortly. Remember everyone, keep the faith, get behind the team and the manager, as this season is going to be crucial for our future success in all competitions. Stick with the winners. Our next match: AFC Bournemouth at The Vitality Stadium on 26th December at 3.00pm (Premier League). Be there, if you can. Victoria Concordia Crescit.

Steve

Too Dearly Loved To Be Forgotten: Arsenal v Racing Club de Paris 1930-1962 by Steve Ingless (Rangemore Publications, ISBN 978-1-5272-0135-4) is now available on Amazon.

5 things Mikel Arteta needs to be given to stand a chance at Arsenal

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Time

The average life span of a Premier League managers is a little over 2 years. Time to build, or re-build, is something hardly any manager gets.

Jurgen Klopp is the only many in the Premier League to have been given the time to build something.

After finishing 8th, 4th, 4th and trophyless in his first 3 seasons, Liverpool could have justifiably got rid of the German due to a lack of trophies. But both the Liverpool board and the fans kept with him. They could see what he was building.

Despite a lack of silverware in his 1st 3 seasons, Klopp had Liverpool on the right track.

Having failed to make top 4 in consecutive seasons, finishing 4th in his 1st full season was a small success. This was on the back of being losing finalists in the Europa League and League Cup the season before.

The next Klopp took them to the Champions League final which they lost.

At this point Liverpool could have got rid of “loser” Klopp and replaced him with a winner like Unai Emery. Instead they kept with their man and the next season were rewarded with the Champions League. This season they are running away with the Premier League.

Arsenal need to give Arteta time. Understand that he will not turn the club into a title challenging, Champions League winning team overnight. It is all about baby steps, moving the team forward season by season.

The first step would be getting Arsenal back into the top 4.

This will not happen this season, but should be the target for next. Once in the top 4, we can build towards the next step.

As long as the side is moving forward, and it is clear what Arteta is attempting to achieve, he should be given the time regardless of lack of trophies.

Fans Patience

Following the same theme, the fans also need to be patient with Arteta.

It will be very easy for fans to get on his back very quickly, pointing out his lack of experience at the 1st sign things are going wrong. But we need to look past the short term.

Arsenal fans were patient with Emery. Most gave him the time to improve. It could be argued that he was given too much time.

Unlike Klopp who was clearly trying to implement a consistent style of play on the Liverpool team, stamp his authority, Emery kept chopping and changing formations and tactics each week.

We as fans need to realise that changing the manager every year is not necessarily the solution. That the problems at Arsenal are potentially bigger than who is in charge. And as long as Arteta is moving the team forward, we need to be patient with him.

We will lose games we should win under Arteta, but that is no different to under Emery, Wenger, Rioch and Graham. The key is not throwing the toys out the pram at the first defeat. Not screaming for his head when we hit the first bump in the road.

Experienced Help

Daniel LaRusso needed Mr Miyagi. Luke Skywalker needed Yoda. Every apprentice needs a mentor.

Mikel Arteta is just 37-years-old. Arsenal will be his first managerial job. He will need someone who has been there and done it alongside him. Mentoring him.

Whilst the likes of Freddie Ljungberg is clearly a well liked coach, he is also young and learning his way. The same can be said for Per Mertesacker.

Arteta needs to be able to surround himself with his own people, but he needs to be encouraged to bring in experienced help.

Backing to Sell

When appointed into his first managerial job at 37 with Barcelona, the first thing Pep Guardiola did to stamp his authority was to get rid of Deco and Ronaldinho.

The pair were considered amongst the best players in the world at the time. But they also had a reputation for being disruptive, ill-disciplined and enjoying a party.

Ronaldinho and Deco were quickly moved on alongside other senior players Lilian Thuram, Gianluca Zambrotta, Edmilson and Oleguer Presas. They were replaced with the likes of Sergio Busquets and Pedro. Whilst Guardiola was supported in signing fresh younger players such as Gerrard Pique and Martín Caceres.

At Manchester City, Guardiola did similar – quickly farming out Samir Nasri and Joe Hart.

Arteta needs to be backed by the board when it comes to getting rid of players.

If he feels that Mesut Ozil, Granit Xhaka and Shkodran Mustafi need to be moved on, the club should support him.

Even if he comes in and decides that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Alexandre Lacazette needs to go, the board should back him.

Emery was let down by the board when it came to them getting rid of players he did not want. I has created a disharmonious squad and drove a wedge between players and manager.

Any player Arteta does not want to work with, the club should move on.

Investment

Arsenal have invested heavily in the playing side of the club in recent years.

Well over £400million has been spent in the last 4 seasons, with the club breaking its transfer record on 3 occasions.

This has to continue if Arsenal are to move forward.

It does not matter how often you change the manager if you do not give him the best tools available to work with.

Whether it is Dayot Upamecano, Wilfred Ndidi or Leroy Sane, Arsenal need to “go big” again in the summer signing a central defender, defensive midfielder and creative wideman. The club can not be scared to spend big. Arteta needs to be backed.

To have any chance of being a success, Arteta needs time, needs backing, needs patience and and needs investment. If he does not get them all, then he is being set up to fail.

Arsenal is a great club. One of the greatest. It is time to start behaving like one again.

Keenos