Tag Archives: She Wore A Yellow Ribbon

89 The Film – An interview with the stars

Leave a reply

We were given an opportunity to interview Lee Dixon, Amy Lawrence, Alan Smith and David O’Leary before the world premiere of 89, the film documenting Arsenal’s victory over Liverpool at Anfield in 1989.

Andy, from our friends over at The Arsenal History went along, this is his blog.

If you’re an Arsenal fan you’ve probably seen plenty of publicity around the new film “89” that recounts the story of THAT night at Anfield 28 years ago. Today I was lucky enough to be involved in a roundtable Q&A session with some of the stars of the film, along with a number of other renowned Arsenal bloggers.

The session took place at the Renaissance Hotel in St Pancras. If you’re a Harry Potter fan you will recognise it as the hotel from which Harry & Ron drove their flying car from when they missed the Hogwarts Express. It’s a fantastic building, and I expect the rooms are a little out of my budget.

With everyone having arrived on time we were kept waiting for a while, looking expectantly at every movement further along the corridor. Then Michael Thomas just strolled by. We all looked on incredulously as he gave us a smile, leaving us wondering if it was really him.

We were split into two groups, and each group was ushered into a room – Lee Dixon and Amy Lawrence were already waiting for us. I don’t think any of us knew exactly what we were supposed to be doing but having been told we only had 15 minutes we quickly set about asking questions.

I asked Lee when, following a fairly inconsistent start to the season, the team started to believe that they had a chance of winning the league. Lee said that it wasn’t until around Christmas when they were top that they thought “we’re a long way into the season and still up there so we must be doing something right.” That was a culmination of what they had been practising on the training pitch over a number months starting to come to fruition. By then they had become somewhat fearless; this mixture of one group of talented young kids from London and another of “lower league reprobates” who were keen and hungry, and happy to be disciplined by George Graham because it meant that they were winning.

And as a follow up: did they think that they had cocked it up towards the end of the season as we faltered and Liverpool finished like a steam train? “Most days” was the answer. As they got closer to the prize, fear kicked in. The Derby defeat was big but not too bad as we had Wimbledon at home. However, that draw made them think, “uh-oh” especially as that was pretty much the reaction they felt from the crowd as well. It was at this point that they thought they had messed it up because it was inevitable that Liverpool would beat West Ham leaving them with an almost impossible task.

This led into Amy talking about her experience of going to the game. There was a degree of “maybe we can” amongst the travelling Gooners as they boarded the coaches to Anfield, being cheered off by local schoolchildren and people who may not have been to a game in years, if ever. It seemed strange that they were being wished “good luck” as if the fans were actually going to take part in the game itself.

With our 15 minutes up, Lee and Amy departed, and we were then joined by Alan Smith and David O’Leary. After a couple of questions about big names that had left, the number of centre backs that George Graham bought – possibly in an attempt to replace O’Leary – and the change in tactics towards the end of the season, I asked them if the Hillsborough tragedy had affected them in any way, either personally or professionally.

Smith said that, obviously, the events on the day had upset them and he felt for Kenny Dalglish and his team who attended funeral after funeral in the ensuing weeks. There was also a break of more than two weeks before the next game against Norwich which affected them mentally and physically as they were only ticking over in training. Those two weeks also proved beneficial to Smith as it gave him time to recover from a fractured cheekbone which had been sustained in the game against Manchester United.

As our time came to a close I asked O’Leary if it was worth the wait (it was his 14th season at Arsenal). I’m not sure anyone could ask a more rhetorical question, of course it was worth the wait but he thought that they had blown it after the Derby and Wimbledon games. The final whistle at Anfield was the greatest he had ever heard in his life. I have to say that one of my own recollections of that night was of how chuffed I felt for him as he had stayed loyal to the club despite being courted by the likes of Manchester United.

And then it was all over. I would like to express my thanks to Lee, Amy, Alan and David for a fantastic time and being so candid with their answers, and to She Wore for letting me represent them. An afternoon that I will remember for the rest of my life.

89 will be released on November 20th 2017. Pre-order today.

Andy
The Arsenal History

 

A Tale of 2 Spaniards

Leave a reply

Santi Cazorla

I have seen horrendous injuries before. Aaron Ramsey, Eduardo, and more, but the news last week about Santi Cazorla saddens me more.

Even though it was an innocuous challenge at the time, one which did not cause too much stress, the photos that came out last week were deeply saddening.

I think the primary reason why the news about his 8 operations, gangrene, and potential of never walking again, let alone play football was so distressing was because of the type of person Cazorla is.

He is the happiest man in the world. Always playing with a smile on his face. A cheeky little bugger who clearly enjoyed life. And then his career was nearly cut down, his life nearly changed forever.

And then we come to the amazing part.

At no point over the last year have we seen Cazorla not smile.

Despite it clearly being a hard time in his life, every picture of him recovering, or on social media, he and the instantly recognisable smile on his face.

He never seemed to let things get him down. Other players would have been complaining, informing others every second of their distress. Cazorla didn’t. He just got on with things. And did it with a smile.

Even when things got nasty with Arsenal fans calling for his contract to be terminated, he battled on, smiling.

Even last week, when the pictures came out, I saw he fan say “why is Cazorla still contracted at Arsenal. Wenger has turned on him to another Diaby. We should just get rid”.

This type of fan probably also moans that the club has lost its position as the classiest club in Britain.

Sometimes our fans really are classless. Having a go at a man who could have died. Complaining that the club are treating him and helping him walk again.

These fans who moan need to take a look at Cazorla. He had a life threatening injury and is still smiling. What has gone so badly wrong in their life that makes them so angry all the time.

I hope Cazorla does return in the new year. I hope he does play again. And I hope Arsenal continue to give him the treatment he needs to get back on his feet – even if his contract expires.

Santi, I hope that in the face of adversity, I can smile my through it just like you.

David Silva

Great player. Always been a favourite of mine. Proper little genius.

A story came out this week that Arsenal had the opportunity to sign him way back in 2005. We didn’t. He ended up at Manchester City.

People have jumped on this as “another that got away”, yet all it does is prove how easy football is in hindsight.

In 2005, David Silva was just 19. Manchester City did not sign him until 2010. 5 years later when he was 23. It is not like we turned him down and he went straight to City.

At that point in 2005, he had just spent a year on loan at Eibar in the Spanish 2nd division. Arsenal did. It feel he was ready physically for the Premier League.

Valencia also clearly did not feel he was ready for their team either. In 2005/06 they loaned him out to Celta Vigo and it was not until 2006/07 that he started to play for the side whose youth ranks he came up in.

As I say, football is easy in hindsight. For every David Silva that makes it, there are 100s of youngsters who do not make it.

Role the clock back to 2005, Arsenal had Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg in the squad. A 19 year old David Silva would not get a look in.

“But we could have signed him to develop him” you cry. Well at the time we were developing two their Spanish youngsters.

The first was Jose Antonio Reyes, who at the time was considered by everyone as the future of Spanish football. He was just 21 and was already in double figures in caps for Spain. Back to that word hindsight, who would have thought Reyes career would fall off a cliff? He got 21 caps for Spain, the last in 2006 – the year Silva made his Spain debut.

We then come on to the second Spanish talent.

An 18 year old kid called Frances Fabregas Soler. A wonderkid, to use Football Managers terminology.

Cesc is 16 months younger than David Silva, and in the 2004/05 season, had just broken into the Arsenal first team. He was playing Premier League football for the champions whilst the older David Silva was in the 2nd division in Spain.

Cesc would very quickly establish himself to be one of the best midfielders in world football. David Silva was still trying to establish himself in the Valencia first team.

Top clubs scout every top young player. The David Silva story has only come to light due to Arsenal playing Manchester City at the weekend.

In 2005, Arsenal had better players in and around the first team who were better than David Silva at the same age. And one who was a lot better than him despite being 16 months younger.

You would have to be an idiot to try and claim that Arsenal should have discarded Cesc to bring in David Silva.

Keenos

Most honest view of the Arsenal situation

3 Replies

 

City are really good

After 11 games, Manchester City are already 8 points clear. 11 wins and 1 draw. With a goal difference already of +31 (Liverpool finished 4th last year with a GD of +36), they are an awesome outfit with threats all over the pitch, and off the bench.

You would expect a team who have spent £500m on incoming players to not have a weakness, and it is probably a failure of previous managers that they have not been in the hunt for the last 3 league titles.

In recent years, Manchester City have not only spent big, they have spent well. The likes of Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus will be amongst the best in the world sooner rather than later.

In Kevin de Bruyne, they have the best player in the league, perhaps one of the best in the world.

They remind me of Arsenal in 2004. Match winners all over the pitch. For Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Ljungberg and Vieria, read Aguero, Silva, Sane, Sterling and de Bruyne.

What sets them apart from the rest this season is what they have off the bench.

Against Arsenal they were able to bring on Gabriel Jesus, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernado Silva. There entire bench cost over £200m. They spent nearly £200m this summer alone, yet only two of the 5 incoming players started.

Incredible strength in depth. You could make an 11 out of their B team that be a challenge for every other Premier League side (Bravo, Danilo, Kompany, Mangala, Delph, Gundogan, Yaya, Foden, Zinchenko, Jesus, Bernardo).

They have already beaten Liverpool (5-0), Chelsea (away, 1-0) and now Arsenal (3-1) this season.

17 games played in all competitions, they have yet to lose.

City are really good

Arsenal are not as bad as expected

Some fans were expecting (almost hoping) Arsenal to get destroyed.

Whilst it is no doubt that the better team one, City attacked and defending as a team, Arsenal competed for much of the match.

We were not humiliated like Liverpool, and the 3-1 scoreline was boasted by a debatable penalty and an offside 2nd goal.

Arsenal have been heavily criticised and written off by many in the press but, Manchester City aside, there is no much between Manchester United in 2nd and Arsenal in 6th – just 4 points in fact.

Through in Europe, into the League Cup Quarter Finals, and in the race to be best of the rest in the Premier League, the hundreds of words written about our demise are clearly agenda driven and for hits.

Let’s remember we have actually won trophies in recent years. Liverpool and Spurs, who are often written about in positive terms, have been pot less for a while.

With Spurs at home up next, Arsenal must win. And we should win. As we are not as bad as many make out.

Alexis can leave

And you can throw Mesut Ozil into that as well.

If you do not want to be at Arsenal, you know where the door is.

We have had bigger and better players than Alexis Sanchez in the past, and we will have bigger and better in the future. If you think Alexis is too good for Arsenal, that he is bigger than Arsenal, please join him going through the exit door.

Alexis is a terrific player, but he is an individual. Someone who wants the glory. A player who seems to only pass to others who he knows will pass back to him. Someone who throws a strop if he is not passed the ball – even if others are in a better position.

When he is scoring 30 goals a season, and winning us games on his own, you can understand the shrugs of the shoulder and mood swings. But when he is not performing to the high levels, it is detrimental to the team.

Sanchez now reminds me of Thierry Henry in his last year at the club. He does not want to be here, is underperforming, and is blaming everyone else.

Just 1 goal this season, he has given the ball away more than any other player, and only Olivier Giroud has a lower pass completion percentage.

His attitude stinks.

Coquelin must leave

Francis Coquelin’s desire is never in question. But maybe instead of trying to gee-up the away fans with aggressive hand movements, he should concentrate on his own game.

He is average and has been horribly exposed at the highest level time and again.

Against Manchester City, he was playing centre back. Not his natural position, but over the years I have seen the likes of Michael Carrick slot into defence and do a job. Coquelin just does not have a brain.

It is incredible to think that it was 3 years ago, Arsenal were telling him his time at Arsenal was over, and yet he is still our only specialist defensive midfielder.

The fact that we have not signed an improvement on Coquelin in 3 years is misconduct of the highest order. It is disgraceful.

For the B team in the cups, he thinks is a cross between Xavi and Iniesta. He is hopeless.

He will be 27 in May. He should have been shopped out years ago.

Why is he still there?

VAR is needed

The only part I disagree with.

Arsenal have been on the wrong end of some decisions this season – Watford, Stoke and Manchester City – but VAR will ruin the game.

In its current form, it will slow the game down too much. Recently I saw a referee take 3 minutes to come to a decision.

Goal line technology has been brilliant. One reason why is because FIFA demanded it will only be bought in if it was instantaneous. VAR is anything but.

I am not a fan.

Keenos