Former Crystal Palace chairman, Simon Jordan says Arsenal is a bit of a joke of a team now.
The Gunners are enduring arguably their worst campaign in the last two decades.
The club has been on a downward spiral since Arsene Wenger’s last season at the helm when they missed out on the Champions League spots.
They have had two managers since he left, but none has returned them to the top four.
Mikel Arteta showed a lot of promise when he guided Arsenal to win the FA Cup and the Community Shield within the first year of his time as the manager.
However, the Spaniard is overseeing a very poor campaign this season despite having the likes of Thomas Partey and Gabriel Magalhaes on his team.
Jordan says he is now losing faith in Arteta, but he admits that it isn’t entirely the Spanish manager’s fault and claimed that he joined an Arsenal team that is a joke of a football club now.
“The fact of the matter is that despite the advancing of the thought that Mikel Arteta was going to be a good manager, by people like me… I’m beginning to think that’s unwinding,” Jordan said on TalkSPORT as quoted by Mirror Football.
“But I also think the reason for that is that Arsenal are a joke football club right now, in lots of ways.
They’ve got an owner who is disengaged, an owner that’s happy with mediocrity. They’ve got a director of football who I don’t think is pulling up any trees, and they’ve gone for a manager who sounds good on paper, but when it comes down to it, I’m not sure he’s got the chops to do what Arsenal need him to do.
“Arsenal have just gone in a self-appointed organisation of the top six clubs… but they’ve worked their way backwards in the league and they are now a big club in image and reputation alone, because they are not a big club in any other department right now.”
Who can argue with a single word he said?
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I listened to the whole program, the man is brilliant and it’s difficult to argue with his comments.
I listened too Declan. He was absolutely right about what has happened over a number of disastrous years.
The truth also hurt’s, but that is reality. Mediocrity at it best. Arsenal now a laughing stock among football fraternity. hahaha
While he isnt an Arsenal lover, he and others outside the club can see all that is wrong with the club. Hoping it is all going to be right next season is folly.
People on the outside have a clearer objective on how they see Arsenal FC. There are too many fans on this sight who find it difficult to deal with cold, hard truths.
I never thought that I would agree with someone who disrespected our club like this, but, from what I have read he said in this article, I have to agree.
In just three years, we have gone from a club that was seen as one of the top six, to the point we are today.
This can happen to any club on the field and throwing money at the problem doesn’t necessarily work – just look at the recent history of Leeds and Sunderland.
It is off the field that, in my opinion, the rot has been most significant.
We have a owner, who has no interest in the game we play – no idea of what our history means to the fans – is not interested in what the fans think – doesn’t care about winning things – tried to take us into the SL and has no intention of selling the club.
This man has brought us to our knees and from the minute he got the controlling interest in the club, it’s been a spiralling downfall off the field.
We have been in similar situation on the field many times, but never has the club been viewed with such contempt and derision as a footballing institution.
Such a sad day for The Arsenal Football Club, when this opinion is aired on a national radio station and the supporters agree with this damning opinion.
to many fans
its about spending big
signing big name big game players
They do not watch the games but follow the media’s calling….
To them if we have a world class big name coach and we spend 500m and signed big name and big tag players
we are guaranteed to win even without kicking the ball….
Too much Fifa21 Fantasy
I agree with you JI, except for PEA rest all big fee signings have flopped big time, wasting on wages & fees. This trend of hiring wannabes against the real requirement, was started by Wenger and now continued by his boot boy Edu.It is a shame that our season was salvaged by Saka and ESR, some improvemnet by Chambers, Holding, some positivity of Martenelli, a goal here and there by Elneny, all fringe players. And we are linked to Dembele, some 18 yrear old French kid, etc. all high value transfers, none of which might click, further wasting more money and deadwood.
Arsenal are not doing well in recruitment, we missed the plot for at least half a decade, last good season we had was when we came second to the foxes 2015/2016. From that point after, they failed.
Blame Wenger, Gazdis, Sven, Edu, the director we got from Barca, they all contributed to it.
what is the origin of the cult like devotion to Arteta?
how can you ignore his negative contribution? he did not inherit a bag of coal.
joe willock joins Bruce at Newcastle and score more goals than any of our midfielders have all season. everyone here says joe sucks, and is not good enough for Arsenal… c’mon.
Arteta is not good enough for Arsenal.
he is definitely not up for the job.
Arsenal have been a joke for over a decade, so I agree with Mr Jordan.
“In Arsenal the fans are more serious than the players”. This claims makes lot of sense!
Well said Mr Jordan.
Jordan is probably correct in his criticism, but , as a businessman, where are his practical solutions?
Judging by the comments in this section it Appears Arsenal have a lot of “ joke” fans.condoning someone like Simon Jordan’s comments, a known Arsenal hater is shameful.Talk about a stab in the back.On the pitch we may be a bit of a joke but to disrespect the “ club” as a whole is insulting to say the least.In his dreams would he have wished for Palace to be a fraction of what we are today.Arsenal have always & will always be one of the worlds great clubs.This is what chokes Jordan & the media.We will turn it around on & off the pitch.whether it’s under Arteta & the krankies we’ll soon find out.
Uwot, the problem is, he is judging The Arsenal as we appear today – not as we were before.
Every fan can say when they think the rot started… last year, five years fifteen years… the fact is, we are where we are today.
I don’t listen to talksport, as I class it at the same level as AFTV when it comes to The Arsenal ((just my personal opinion) but from what I have read, we ARE a joke both on and off the pitch and, if you want an example… how can a team perform so differently in their last three matches AND why are we still the only club in the PL who insisted on wage cuts and then sacked it’s mascot, 55 plus employees and it’s complete scouting staff, while one of it’s top backroom staff resigned after rumours of dodgy transfer dealings?
Oh and of course, letting a player leave for nothing, but continue to pay him a reported £350,000 a week until the end of June!!!
@Ken1945
All the sack is a scheme.
They simply want the legacies and memories of Le Prof out of the window. The man was growing bigger, and the Yank couldn’t handle it. Little wonder Gazidis fled, and Arteta struggles for some 18months now was a trend since 5yrs ago. He didn’t tell us what area of the trend he successful dealt with in 18months
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The truth hurts. If it doesn’t initiate change then that is called ignorance. Ignorance precedes stagnation. Stats talk, watching our team speaks volumes. Not acting to improve and inspire our low grade football….. is criminal. Arteta must leave.
I don’t think any of you are true Aresnal fans! Do me a favour & go support the Spuds. Arsenal are not a joke club! Crystal Palace are a joke club! their sole purpose is to remain in in the Premier league. What did Jordan achieve as a chairman for Palace, at best i guess promotion. Their greatest achievement is getting to the semi-final or the final of the FA cup. Wow!!! Every club will have their ups and downs, that is just the nature of the league, that’s why we love football & the league. We are a great club because we can produce players like Saka & Smith-Rowe. Even at our worst we’ve managed to with the FA cup. Not many clubs can do that! If you agree with that idiot (real Spud, you, know what I mean) You are not intelligent enough to support my great football team, the team I’ve been supporting for the last 30 years. The fact you lot agree with an out of touch EX chairman, is thw reason we are perceived to be a joke.
We will continue to be a ‘joke’ of a club as long as we have an owner who has no real clue and has given a bunch of inept guys the job of presiding over the destiny of Arsenal including his son Josh. If Josh Kroenke had any sense, Arteta and Edu would be fired at the end of the season. But unfortunately we will have this inept duo throwing good money after bad in getting players the apprentice will fail to use properly.