There was nothing boring about the side that won these
Right, I've had enough of this "boring" business. I'll leave aside Mourinho's nonsense quote about 10 years without a Title being boring - that explains why Stamford Bridge was falling down for the best part of 50 years. I'll also leave aside the fact that Chelsea Football Club sees itself more offended by Arsenal fans singing "boring, boring Chelsea" than it was by clear evidence that their support is still badly infiltrated by overt racists. What I won't leave aside is this utter b******s that Chelsea's current style of play is no different to that which George Graham employed as Arsenal boss.
I've actually seen so called Arsenal fans, at least one of them a multi-published author of very entertaining historical works based on Arsenal (I'm talking to you, Jon Spurling), claim that we were more than happy at the way George's Arsenal won their Football League Championships in 1989 and 1991. Have you ever heard so much nonsense? Let me say at this point that, if George's team had won the league playing that way, I wouldn't care less. If I was a Chelsea fan now I wouldn't care less. They're going to win the Premier League. You can't argue with that. The media, who espouse their desire to see entertaining football however, should be doing more to criticise Mourinho for his style of play rather than trying to use the Arsenal fans reaction on Sunday to make the point - don't forget that "boring, boring Arsenal" was a myth created by the press many years ago. Chelsea are a team with great players, or so we keep being told, yet they are currently playing no football. Eden Hazard (ridiculously) is going to win both player of the year awards - how can that be in a side that doesn't entertain? Frankly there is no need for Mourinho to be bothered, aside from the fact that he has been sacked from Chelsea before for not entertaining Roman Abramovich enough with the football on the pitch. The fact is, however, that George Graham's teams that ended up as Champions were brilliant to watch. Don't let some prats wishing to re-write history tell you any different, whether they're Arsenal fans or not. Things changed after 1992, I will grant you that (none of us cared when the League Cup, FA Cup and Cup Winners Cup came home), but not the sides that won Division One.
Let's dispel this business about George's teams being defensive or purely long-ball. In the seasons of success between 1986 and 1992 George used midfield players and wingers like Steve Williams, Paul Davis, David Rocastle, Michael Thomas, Brian Marwood, Anders Limpar, Paul Merson and Kevin Richardson. In attack we had Niall Quinn, Martin Hayes, Charlie Nicholas, Alan Smith, Merson (again), Kevin Campbell and Ian Wright. We also had top class attacking full-backs in Kenny Sansom, Viv Anderson, Nigel Winterburn and Lee Dixon. Don't let anyone tell you that we were boring with footballers like that on the pitch. Was Anfield 89 boring? Where we were similar to the current Chelsea side was that we had fine goalkeepers and a well organised defence, marshalled by an exceptionally gifted centre-back and captain. The difference is that our defence allowed the midfield and attack to go and get goals. Yes, Chelsea are the second highest scorers in the division, but they are now content to get by doing just enough. It's good for them, and fair play to them, but it's awful to watch for everyone else. Of course, the press don't want to get on the wrong side of good old Jose as he might stop talking to them.
The worst thing about this Chelsea side is that they are the best in the country at the moment. That makes it even worse that they are playing the way they have done. They will probably go out and spank 5 or 6 goals past Leicester tonight because Mourinho has been pulled up lively by the reaction to Sunday. But it won't change the fact that their success is tarnished by a lack of ambitious play on the pitch. Could you ever have imagined the dominant Liverpool or Manchester United or Arsenal sides since the 1970s ever going in to a game with a rival and playing like that? Manchester City did it at Arsenal a couple of years back and Mancini got dogs abuse for it in the media - but they didn't like Mancini so that was alright as far as they were concerned. As I said above, you can't argue with what Mourinho is doing because it's a results business, but don't ever make out he wins Titles in the way George Graham did. And if you want to know just how good Arsenal were in 1988-89 watch this full season review from Youtube.
Quote fron Mr Graham: I was at the Emirates on Sunday and I must say I was a bit surprised by the criticism of Chelsea because they are far from boring to watch.
ReplyDeleteIf I had been the manager of Chelsea, top of the table and playing at Arsenal, who had won their previous eight games in the Barclays Premier League, I would have been delighted with a 0-0 draw.
Arsene Wenger’s team wanted three points, they needed the points and Mourinho’s team set up so that they did not give them away to a rival. That is sensible management and it was all worked out on the training ground.
People are forgetting that the season lasts more than nine months and it is impossible to play with style, flair and panache in every game and for that length of time. You have to be realistic.
Four points in a week, against two teams in the top four of the Premier League, is an excellent return. I would be delighted with that and so would Sir Alex Ferguson or another top manager in their day.
As for them being boring to watch, I would be delighted to be in charge of a team that had only been beaten twice in the league all season. They will be champions and deservedly so.
So in other words 'DvbrisG' your talking out of your Arse.
ReplyDeleteStick to your Chelsea sites. You've totally missed the point, which is not surprising. Talk me through the bit about Chelsea's racists, and I haven't even included John Terry in that...
DeleteHonestly, you were making an arguable point and I had no intention to comment until the very end when you asked that we watch a YouTube video which has usual will have the most exciting parts of the campaign. Kinda like what AVB did when he lavished his Bale money. And this made me conclude that you're not any different froM the regular pained arsenal fan.
ReplyDeleteAs a Chelsea fan, I agree that we were frustrating to watch in matches in the second d half of the season mostly because of the manager's pragmatic approach and also from the point Costa became irregular as the style of play will have to change with an aging drogba or a not as potent Remy (who in his defense has saved our season when called upon). No doubt that Mou did what he had to do to keep his job and make him be around long enough to attempt what has been don by SAF. First half of the season? We were a joy to watch. Just like Madrid was when they won the league under Mou.
Barca lost to Bayern 7-0 over two matches and the latter lost to Madrid side that had 27% possession after 90 minutes. I didn't hear any boring chants by you or the media for Madrid and Bayern. Hypocrites.
Let's put it this way...Chelsea are not boring as arsenal are as naive when they expected success while not replacing legends like Henry, Viera, Bergkamp, Adams, etc while their rivals strengthened and allowing Wenger to instil the mentality that expecting players with their little feet to fill the shoes of these greats was anything short of insanity. Pathetic.
Summarily, mind your own Goddamned business. Solve your problems.
Mind our own business? You're the Chelsea fan commenting on an Arsenal site! As for the YouTube video it includes every goal from every game of that season. Stick to watching your club with a 12 year history, created from the corrup pocket of one man. Your comments on Arsenal replacing players show how little you know about what it takes to run a club that doesn't rely on Mafia money.
ReplyDeleteIt's called a news aggregator. Don't flatter yourself, I did not pick out your site. The sordid thing came up because you couldn't help but attempt to piss on a side that makes you look spineless under a particular manager time after time after time.
DeleteCling onto your 1000 year history as much as you can, but know deep down that that corrupt mafia money was what it took to push you in the direction of approaching the management of your club in a more reasonable manner with respect to the changing era.
And to think that you can defend your youtube video is unthinkable. Did it show the ugly side of your season as well? I think not.
Smh.
Forgive me. I had no idea an Arsenal website appearing on a Chelsea news aggregator forced you to read and comment on the piece. How remiss of me.
DeleteAnd are you seriously suggesting that the arrival of Abramovich and his criminal endeavours forced Arsenal to change in some way? Arsenal's self-sufficiency model has always been the same, whether it be the right way or the wrong way to challenge the oil funded clubs. The inflated transfer fees are a direct result of Abramovich coming to Chelsea - that's the effect he has had on football. He's had no effect on Arsenal FC.
You also seem to be keen to keep coming back to the site to check if the author is replying to you. Yet I shouldn't be flattered? My God.
DeleteOh my God someone tell this grandpa what RSS feeds are before he chokes.
DeleteWhat your problem is is not identifying that change is what makes history. That you're approaching this from a moral standpoint makes you seem all the more desperate to justify the manner in which your club has been badly run from the point of view of someone who once considered it a rival club. That now owes to nothing but geography not unless you fall in line once again next season behind the corrupt billionaire's club and spend millions to get top quality.
Your club played a single manager 13 times and couldn't come up with one win. That, grandpa is also history. Keep throwing tantrums but the point remains that you couldn't beat a club under one manager to its tactics regardless of what they are or have been and youve resigned to blaming these tactics and the club's owner because of your inability to adapt and to evolve on time.
Blimey he's back again!
DeleteGrandpa? You're funny as fuck mate. If only I had your supreme intellect. Like I say, you keep checking back to see if I've replied.
And Arsenal will spend millions to try to catch up, but the difference is that Arsenal will have generated their own money through business, not being funded by one Russian Mafia billionaire.
Still, I'm sure that you were on The Shed throughout the dark days of cars being parked behind the goals at Stamford Bridge so you'll know all about football and how it was.
Now do us all a favour and go to bed, there's a good child. It's clearly way past your bedtime and you've too many artificial colours after school today.
Trying to get all moral again gramps. Oh wait! His first F-word emerges! What a fake.
DeleteFrom a talk about playing style to one about morality and then onto business administration. Classical arsenal flattering to deceive.
The way your club let's its fans face utter disgrace time and time again at the expense of making profit...or as you put it "generated their own money" just about sums it up really. You're well on your way to your 4th place trophy as usual.
And since you call me a genius for the mere mention of RSS feeds, and incessantly continue under the assumption that I 'check' to see if you replied (while you keep replying yourself)....smh
you're just as clueless as I suspected.
It's my website pal, so of course I keep checking back.
DeleteWhen are Arsenal fans disgraced by our club? And I haven't got a clue what "smh" means as I'm not 12 years old.
Arsenal don't flatter to deceive. Thirteen League Championships. I've seen us win more in my lifetime than Chelsea have in their entire history. Chelsea, despite their oil money, will always be a Mickey Mouse outfit that is not respected by any of the genuinely big clubs, whether they be in England, Spain, Italy or Germany.
Chelsea is famous for its racism and its hooliganism. That's all it ever will be to anyone over he age of 25. You're embarrassing yourself by keep replying to an Arsenal website. By the way, you're team are playing tonight, shouldn't you be at the game instead of being a little keyboard warrior?