In his last year as Arsenal’s manager Mr Wenger warned us that the club were in danger of jeopardising the proud values he had helped maintain.
Mikel Arteta also noticed this, promising to instil principles on and off the pitch, and not tolerating anyone who wouldn’t follow his ethos.
We once had a reputation of acting with class, even our rivals would acknowledge ‘The Arsenal’ conducted business the ‘right way’.
Legend has it that when Highbury was being decorated, our legenday owner Herbert Chapman paid out of his own money for marble in the entrance hall. The idea being that he wanted any visitors to come into the entrance and know that this institution did everything proper.
Decades later the Gunners got in the habit of paying talent to sit at home, would rip up contracts, the likes of Ozil frozen out for non-footballing issues.
Our fanbase base by association got bad PR thanks to YouTubers who got views, based on who shouted the loudest and swore the most.
The club’s response to the pandemic was to lie to players, telling them a pay cut would prevent day to day staff being sacked.
Once players accepted the wage reduction their employers still made 55 employees redundant.
Oh …..then there was the Super League where Stan Kroenke forgot to consult his customers about how they felt about walking away from the English football pyramid system .
This Saturday the Arsenal once again were doing things the right way. Acting with class, showing the world, we did things the proper way – “The Arsenal Way”
Last Friday Martin Odegaard took it upon himself to go to his boss and offer the captain’s armband to Zinchenko.
It’s been a year since Russia invaded Ukraine, an issue that from his Man City days, Zinchenko has been open about.
Last season when Goodison Park paid respect to his country, the defender was visibly emotional.
As he was when he lifted the title draped in the colours of his nation.
He had tears in his eyes when he led out his teammates at the King Power with his armband blue and yellow.
At 24 years old, it showed great maturity from Odegaard, wanting to show his peer that the dressing room acknowledged what he must be going through.
That sums up the Norwegian. Amazon’s All or Nothing documentary showed that he’s not a shouter but leads by example.
Zinchenko is more vocal and according to our skipper gave a passionate speech before we kicked off at Leicester.
Football is a beautiful game but it’s just that a game.
If anyone knows that it’s our 26 year old who has had to watch his country fight for their independence.
His Arsenal Family support him.
Well done Arteta and Odegaard for a beautiful gesture that kept Ukraine the topic of conversation but also highlighted the spirit within the squad.
It was Arsenal doing things the “Arsenal Way’ again.
Dan
WATCH – Arteta talks about Everton, Sean Dyche, team news, selection choices and the title race ahead…
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