I cannot but shake my head at those who want to see Wenger out. Who should replace him? That squad isn't really title material either, 4-5 top players ain't enough.
Agreed.
Mr Wenger has been by far the best manager Arsenal have had since Herbert Chapman held the reins of managerial power back in the 1930s. That is not to say that the best remain the best forever……
However, this mad rush for managerial heads - almost as entertainment, the old 'bring on the tumbrils' mentality - when players on bloated salaries often fail to perform on the pitch - and shrug when challenged about it - strikes me as sometimes taking aim at the wrong target.
So as Sunderland's chief exec steps down after allowing Adam Johnson to carry on playing while his court case was going on...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35757828
His sister wants people to support him?
http://www.theguardian.com/technolo...justice-for-johnson-facebook?CMP=share_btn_tw
I mean really,
WTF????
Well, I don't really mind his sister supporting him (Adam Johnson) - that is just blind, deliberately blind - family support, really, that is just a kind of clueless manifestation or expression of the old 'blood is thicker (in every way, including wilful ignorance and downright stupidity) than water' mindset.
However, the club really do have questions to answer, and, in the wake of the resignation yesterday of the CEO, Margaret Byrne, they finally - disgracefully late in the day - managed to produce a statement that wasn't utterly risible and actually got around to mentioning the fact that the victim had been a 'devoted' fan.
Given that they actually had the transcripts of the police interviews, and the transcripts of the over 800 sexually explicit texts since last May - attempting to argue that they were 'surprised' that Adam Johnson had belatedly decided to plead guilty is disingenuous at best, and downright deceitful and self-exculpatory. It is a self-serving lie on the part of both the club and Adam Johnson. In truth, it is worse than that. Far, far worse.
Actually, my sense is that they hoped - by having Adam Johnson plead not guilty (that is, until this stance was no longer remotely credible in the face of testimony and stark and damming evidence to the contrary) - they hoped to crush that kid by forcing her to take the stand and give evidence, which, by its nature, was bound to be traumatic and lead to an awful lot of pressure on her.
They must have thought - and hoped - she would crack, and subsequently withdraw her allegations at which point the case would have collapsed. And this is what I think they gambled on, which makes their current attempts to distance themselves from the debacle disgraceful and downright disgusting.
Think of it: A wealthy and powerful club, an idolised local hero, vastly experienced QCs representing him, against a kid who was barely fifteen when this happened. And all this happening in a deprived part of the UK where the club are elevated to a status possibly involving something akin to veneration and worship.
Peer pressure, sustained local pressure (and the kid gave evident that she was on the receiving end of an awful lot of vile verbal and online abuse, some of it threatening), the psychological weight of not wrecking the football chances of the one thing - the Sunderland Football Club - in the entire region which casts a glowing light of slim hope in depressed and dispirited lives in an economically destroyed and annihilated region……
No wonder the club thought they'd get away with it: They knew - and have known - that he was as guilty as hell, since as long ago as last May, but I believe that they hoped that the kid would fold under the inevitable and intense pressure and withdraw the charges rather than face the vitriolic hatred and offensive remarks which would inevitably ensue once she was obliged to take the stand (even via video camera) to give evidence.
She must be an extraordinary youngster, because I remember when reading her evidence what an impressive witness she was. Moreover, she was fortunate in that she clearly had the strong support of a loving family.
