Are most pundits and commentators right about Arsenal? by Anders
Through the years, I have often been almost infuriated by certain pundits’ and other commentators’ criticism of Arsenal, and I certainly believe we get more negative scrutiny than most clubs.
Jamie Redknapp, Souness and Neville are some of the persons, I usually think are full of biased bull…, and there are several others, where I really can’t accept most of their comments to be worthy to be called expertise.
However, I also have to admit, that the last 5-6 years or more, it seems to having been a general consensus from almost all pundits and commentators before the season, that Arsenal wouldn’t be serious title contenders. Apart from the season before last, it also was the general consensus mid-season, even when we were leading the league or close to leading. Arsenal weren’t considered to be strong enough to go all the way. Only in the season before last, when Leicester were leading, did quite a few believe we would win the league in the end.
As mentioned, I would get really upset listening to pundits and commentators writing us off beforehand or during season, where we seemed to be going along nicely, and when it didn’t happen for us, I would naturally put it down to bad luck with injuries, schedule or maybe bad refereeing.
But could it be, that all the people writing Arsenal off beforehand, actually were right?
Were we simply not good enough?
Were we lacking in mentality as predicted?
Were we lacking defensively and being easy to play against, as often claimed?
It really worries me, that the general consensus among almost everybody, except some fans, is that again this season we don’t look like having improved in the right areas to be among the top favorites for the title. And personally, I tend to agree.
Last season the big difference between the 2 title contenders, Chelsea and Tottenham, and us, was the number of goals we let in. You just can’t win the league without being strong defensively. So one would naturally think, that our defensive areas, maybe especially the defensive midfield, would see changes and improvement. But I really haven’t seen much yet that indicates it.
So will the pundits and other “so called neutrals” be right once again?
I certainly hope it turns out differently, but if not, then what?
Anders