The press went overboard in their criticism of Arsenal. It seems like no other team in the world gets hammered so constantly by punditry

By: Ole Gunner

Just three days ago, the media were almost unanimous in telling us about the impending collapse of Arsenal. Our manager, Genius Wenger, was being cast as a moron who can not count, a serial hypocrite and the death of English football. Our third striker had just had his leg chopped by a hopeless defender but was practically being blamed for it. Our captain was being targeted by the press which was throwing a constant cascade of derogatory words at him personally. The whole squad was being ridiculed for being just 1 point ahead in the league.

The press went overboard in their criticism of Arsenal. It seems like no other team in the world gets hammered so constantly by punditry. They are at once too soft and too thuggish. When they don’t spend money by the bucketful, they get ridiculed for it. The immense quality in the squad, that has basically already been to the Champions League final thumping Real Madrid and Juventus on the way, is overlooked and spat on. They are ridiculed for always looking to play good football. It always seems like the media and pundits have what Tim Rich today called “‘ephebiphobia’ – fear of youth”. When Chelsea, Man United or Liverpool slip, the press hardly notice, but two Arsenal draws is a sure sign of impending implosion. It’s irrational and extreme. Press coverage of Arsenal sounds like a group of babbling toddlers in an echo chamber.

If the criticism of Arsenal is always overdone, so is the praise we get. I was at San Siro on Tuesday night and I am still playing the whole night in my mind. It was a fantastic team performance and pretty close to being perfect as Arsene Wenger said it was. Suddenly the press have reversed in the opposite extreme. Suddenly we are the best thing since sliced bread (ever wondered what was the best thing before sliced bread?) The praise is too effusive. The coverage is too extensive. The bandwagon chugs happily along as journalists and pundits go overboard.

Why do the media and pundits treat Arsenal in this same way? Why is their portrayal of Arsenal always either of us going up the cliff or over the cliff?

Having said all that and by the way: Can somebody tell me why Flamini is not playing for France and that twat Diarra is?