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Re: Arsenal
It felt fitting that the announcement of the European Super League should come on the day Arsenal toiled to a 1-1 home draw with relegation candidates Fulham.
Arsenal are emblematic of much that is absurd about this proposed Super League: the ninth-best team in England (10th best if Leeds beat Liverpool tonight), undeservedly granted a seat at Europe’s top table.
They stand to benefit more than most from the formation of a Super League. Right now they are not, on merit, a Champions League club. Their team is not good enough, and their executive structure and ownership are ultimately responsible for that underachievement. Admittance to this Super League would be a Get Out Of Jail Free card for a badly-run club, a rope ladder to rescue Arsenal from mediocrity.
Arsenal’s trajectory has seen them go from Champions League to Europa League to the possibility of no European football whatsoever next season. They seem incapable of halting that decline on the pitch, so have had to arrest it via clandestine meetings with other breakaway clubs. They are so afraid of their capacity to underwhelm, they have sought to insulate themselves against further demotion.
It is no wonder Arsenal fear competition so much when they are so incompetent.
Josh and Stan Kroenke have been silent so far on the Super League plans (Photo: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Of all the teams who’ve signed up for this Super League, the supporters of Arsenal arguably have most to be concerned about.
Arsenal have shown themselves to be a club lacking in ambition, content with self-sustained decline. What other “leading European club”, as the Super League blurb describes them, would tolerate their underperformance over the last two Premier League seasons? Imagine how that passivity might be exacerbated by guaranteed, exorbitant revenues. Until now, the lure of Champions League money has been the Kroenkes’ only real incentive for success. Without that, how might Arsenal be allowed to drift?
Before the weekend, Arsenal fans were looking forward to the prospect of a Europa League semi-final. They are just three matches away from winning a European trophy for just the third time in club history, and with it securing the bonus of Champions League qualification. For a club languishing in mid-table domestically, it has felt like a precious shortcut to salvation — but crucially, it would still be one earned on a degree of sporting merit. Now those fixtures feel stripped of meaning, stripped of significance. If the Super League gets green-lit, Arsenal can play out the rest of this season content that none of it really matters — a windfall is on the way irrespective of their performance in other competitions.
Arsenal’s high points in Europe — the 1969-70 Fairs Cup, the 1993-94 Cup Winners’ Cup, their appearance in the 2005-06 Champions League final — meant so much because they were earned. If this plan proceeds, they will effectively grant themselves an annual bye into European football. There will be plenty of money, but no value. A competition that isn’t based on merit is not a competition.
Arguably the most disappointing aspect of this has been the poor quality of Arsenal’s communication with their fans.
Chief executive Vinai Venkatesham had been due to hold a fans’ forum event with supporters this week. That has now been cancelled. When the club put out their statement to announce they were joining the Super League as a founding member, there was not a single quote from Venkatesham, the board or the ownership. Instead, Arsenal hid behind generic comments from the likes of Real Madrid’s Florentino Perez, Andrea Agnelli of Juventus and Manchester United co-chairman Joel Glazer.
For Arsenal to not volunteer a spokesperson of their own was a classless, gutless move — one that treats the club’s supporters with contempt.
The Arsenal owners’ disinclination to speak up has, in the past, been framed as a desire not to unnecessarily interfere. Here, it seems far worse. Sooner or later, the club’s chief executive — or perhaps even more cruelly, manager Mikel Arteta — will be wheeled out to recite the party line. It is clear, however, that they are not the decision-makers here. It is Arsenal’s owners who have brought them to his point, who have delivered this latest blow to the relationship between supporters and club.
This has been a difficult year to watch Arsenal.
The football has often been turgid, and off the pitch, supporters have had to tolerate redundancies and cost-cutting. Arsenal negotiated a pay-off for mascot Gunnersaurus as plans were hatched for the Super League. In the absence of fans because of the pandemic restrictions, the football has often felt soulless — now more so than ever.
Many sections of the club’s support are outraged at this move.
Supporters groups have already followed their Liverpool counterparts’ lead and asked for banners hanging inside the Emirates Stadium to be taken down. Others have asked for family plaques to be removed from the mosaic arrangements outside the ground.
Perhaps legal difficulties will mean the Super League doesn’t go ahead. Whatever happens, anger will inevitably dissipate and many supporters will continue to follow their club. They are effectively a captive audience, unable to divorce themselves from the team of their heart. Arsenal’s owners are counting on as much.
If you are prepared to set sporting principles aside and evaluate this from purely a business perspective, you can understand why Arsenal’s owners felt they needed to be on board this train. The timing is also critical. A Super League may have been inevitable, but given Arsenal’s underperformance, their inclusion was perhaps not. If this conversation was happening in five years, would they still be invited to the dance? Arsenal have jumped at the chance while it was still available to them.
This move is not entirely a break from tradition. Arsenal have used their status and influence to leapfrog obstacles in this fashion before.
In 1914-15, they finished just fifth in the Second Division, but were promoted to an expanded First Division for reasons of history over merit, with chairman Sir Henry Norris arguing Arsenal should be recognised for their “long service to league football”.
In that instance, Arsenal were promoted at the expense of Tottenham. This time, they’re included alongside them.
The fact that this Super League is comprised of “12 of Europe’s leading football clubs”, one of whom last won their domestic league title in 1961, exposes this facade of a competition for what it is: one driven purely by greed rather than merit.
From a business perspective, Arsenal’s inclusion in the Super League is a coup. From a sporting perspective, frankly, it is an embarrassment.
Hopefully the beginning of the end of a bad idea. Does anyone actually like the idea of the ESL?ESL falling apart. Chelsea, City and Athletico bailing
Seeing Barca too. Arsenal better not be the last one standing without a chair. Get out now, shouldn't have agreed to be in in the first place.ESL falling apart. Chelsea, City and Athletico bailing
Idea, yes. Ramifications to the game, no.Hopefully the beginning of the end of a bad idea. Does anyone actually like the idea of the ESL?
Well, that was short lived. Back to normal.Super league dead. Man U Tottenham Arsenal Liverpool and Man City pull out.
UEFA threatened any player in the super league could not play for their home country in any competition.Well, that was short lived. Back to normal.
As a BvB fan, just kill me now.Some scuttlebutt on Klopp to Bayern.
Chelsea (55 points), West Ham (55), Tottenham (53), and Liverpool (53) are in a close fight for fourth place (Champions League placement). Tottenham has five matches remaining, the other three have six. It'll be well worth watching this finish. I see that Saturday's match between West Ham and Chelsea will be very important.quite an eventful week with the disclosure of the super league, the fan reactions, and the about face by many of the owners of the teams slated for the super league.
Games on TV this weekend:
Saturday
7:30 am EDT: Liverpool vs. Newcastle United (Peacock)
12:30 pm EDT: West Ham vs. Chelsea (NBC)
3:00 pm EDT: Sheffield United vs. Brighton (Peacock)
Sunday
7:00 am EDT: Tottenham vs. Burnley (NBCSN)
9:00 am EDT: Leeds United vs. Man U (NBCSN)
2:00 pm EDT: Aston Villa vs. West Brom (Peacock)
I think that's all the broadcast games.
Tottenham has Man City in the Carabao Cup final Sunday at 11:30 am only on ESPN+quite an eventful week with the disclosure of the super league, the fan reactions, and the about face by many of the owners of the teams slated for the super league.
Games on TV this weekend:
Saturday
7:30 am EDT: Liverpool vs. Newcastle United (Peacock)
12:30 pm EDT: West Ham vs. Chelsea (NBC)
3:00 pm EDT: Sheffield United vs. Brighton (Peacock)
Sunday
7:00 am EDT: Tottenham vs. Burnley (NBCSN)
9:00 am EDT: Leeds United vs. Man U (NBCSN)
2:00 pm EDT: Aston Villa vs. West Brom (Peacock)
I think that's all the broadcast games.
I'm sure I've said it before (probably in this thread), but I have an irrational hatred for the League Cup. Premier League is great, those successful clubs in the Champions League playing huge games are also great, and I love the FA Cup and everything it represents with giving those lower tier clubs shots to knock off the "big dogs". But WTF is the point of the League Cup? It's like having Duke or UNC, in addition to fighting for an ACC title and a National Championship, also play for the CBI Title on the side. With all of the issues with the number of fixtures these top teams have to play, why is this still a thing?Tottenham has Man City in the Carabao Cup final Sunday at 11:30 am only on ESPN+
Actually, wouldn’t the EFL Cup be comparable to the NCAA tournament? The FA Cup would be comparable to a basketball tourney with all DI, DII, DIII as well as all NAIA & JuCo.I'm sure I've said it before (probably in this thread), but I have an irrational hatred for the League Cup. Premier League is great, those successful clubs in the Champions League playing huge games are also great, and I love the FA Cup and everything it represents with giving those lower tier clubs shots to knock off the "big dogs". But WTF is the point of the League Cup? It's like having Duke or UNC, in addition to fighting for an ACC title and a National Championship, also play for the CBI Title on the side. With all of the issues with the number of fixtures these top teams have to play, why is this still a thing?
Carry on...
I compare the FA Cup to the NCAA tourney as those Round 3 fixtures remind me a lot of the 1st 2 days of the NCAA with the minnows trying to knock off those big teams.Actually, wouldn’t the EFL Cup be comparable to the NCAA tournament? The FA Cup would be comparable to a basketball tourney with all DI, DII, DIII as well as all NAIA & JuCo.
I compare the FA Cup to the NCAA tourney as those Round 3 fixtures remind me a lot of the 1st 2 days of the NCAA with the minnows trying to knock off those big teams.
Based on the lineups that they put out, the clubs obviously see the League Cup last in the pecking order, whereas no team is throwing out a "B" or "C" squad for an NCAA tournament game.
I see that Saturday's match between West Ham and Chelsea will be very important.
I was too disheartened to post the replay of the own goal by the Arsenal keeper on Friday, in a match Arsenal lost 1-0. It was probably LOL funny for anyone who isn’t a Gunners fan.While you might see plays like that any weekend in youth leagues, you just don't expect to see it in the Premier League.
I was too disheartened to post the replay of the own goal by the Arsenal keeper on Friday, in a match Arsenal lost 1-0. It was probably LOL funny for anyone who isn’t a Gunners fan.
Horrible by Leno, however Xhaka did him no favors in defense on the lead up.I was too disheartened to post the replay of the own goal by the Arsenal keeper on Friday, in a match Arsenal lost 1-0. It was probably LOL funny for anyone who isn’t a Gunners fan.
Yeah, Xhaka made two mistakes on that sequence. Those were the worst parts of the sequence, IMO.Horrible by Leno, however Xhaka did him no favors in defense on the lead up.
ManU vs. Ars...I mean Villareal for the Europa.Chelsea v. Manchester City for the Champions League on May 29.
Sad. My 2nd favorite team, Fulham goes down yet again.At 0-2 halftime, Fulham is toast. If this stands, relegation will be Fulham, West Brom, Sheffield United. Nice 2nd goal I saw there.
Sad. My 2nd favorite team, Fulham goes down yet again.
What? No mention of the mighty Reds beating a team 2 - 0 on this past Saturday?
Don't be jealous!!