PLAYING THE GAME
I said in a hot take the other day – and you can damn well check because I am NOT lying – that Arsenal needs to master the dark arts of international breaks. There’s no point in having a Freddy Krueger reputation if you’re not tormenting people in their dreams. We’ve been Europa League level for Dark Arts, but we’ve got a rep for being Champions League winners. We’re like United on the eve of every season. I needed that to change – sure, I like Ben White unfastening rival keepers’ gloves, but I need more. I need some actual purpose in my Dark Arts.
Well… it appears the Arsenal backroom team has listened to my wishes and they are delivering. Jordan Davies of The Sun reckons this is the "Who Stayed At Home FC" starting XI this week:
Neto; Timber, White, Tomiyasu, Zinchenko; Jorginho, Partey, Ødegaard; Jesus, Sterling, Havertz.
Those names, at home, taking it easy? It makes me feel alive.
I’ve been thinking about principles more broadly lately. I feel as though I’m generally quite principled. Not by deeply religious standards, but, you know, basic things like being kind to dogs, never stealing from charity boxes, and avoiding tax loopholes for hair and make-up just in case. But you know what? The older I get, the more I see people cheat and get away with it. Karmic forces aren’t what they were. Too many winners these days do NOT have principles.
Sometimes, I wonder about Arsenal. Is there such a thing as being too principled? Right now, the gotcha moment in the football chattering class is that Arsenal might be in trouble because our owners lent the club money, and we might have broken a rule that hasn’t even been put in place. That’s how clean-cut we are… the only way to get us is to make up a new rule and retroactively punish us. How is that a story?
Then I snap back to reality – Arsenal winning the Premier League, from where we were, up against a monster, would taste sweeter than anything that was not by the book. Winning is no fun if you’re constantly looking over your shoulder to check you’re not about to be slapped with an asterisk. Because, no matter what anyone says, the asterisk will never take away how you felt in the moment, but it’ll always tarnish the memory.
Back to it – seeking more of an advantage with international breaks isn’t about principle. It’s about perspective. If someone has a pain in their knee, is it worth risking three months out? It’s not. Let’s be clear here, Martin Ødegaard fell victim to a problem of his own making. He probably knew he was taking a chance, and now he’s paying the price with 10-12 weeks out. The list of talent staying home is likely as large as it is because Martin Ødegaard served as a warning shot.
After the break, we should have a near-full complement of full-backs. That’ll give us a huge advantage. Thomas Partey won’t have to sit on a long-haul flight, play on tough pitches, or be tempted by Thursday nights at Labadi Beach. Sterling and Jesus can get some one-on-one time with Arteta like the good old days. All of this is good news.
It’s fascinating to see how many MSM tweeters and journalists were quick to call the Premier League FMV case a massive win for City. Now the dust has settled, it’s pretty clear that there were some problems for the Premier League, but 23 of the 25 points of contention went the way of Richard Masters. I don’t like that the Premier League is getting slapped on bits that seem quite basic, but I do like that they weren’t totally wrecked.
A lot of people seem to be rounding on the league for trying to maintain authority over 20 very rich clubs. They shouldn’t be. If there are no rules and no way to enforce the perception of fairness, the Premier League won’t have a long-term future. There has to at least be the perception of fairness. If Premier League clubs were all playing by the same rules, I suspect we’d see more competition, with more clubs able to close the cavernous gap that currently exists.
I think my disappointment with how the news was handled yesterday was either due to the laziness of the reporting – i.e., not reading the verdict they were reporting on – or a knowing partisan spin to set the narrative. This ultimately led to corrections, anger in various fan bases, and an accidental raising of hands by people who are perhaps a little too friendly with contacts at certain clubs.
Anyway, I’m deeply fascinated to see how the next three months will play out.
OK, that’s me done. See you in the comments. Big love xxx