Arsenal, lessons from history and ignoring hysteria
Every ex-pro seems to have a podcast nowadays. Graeme Le Saux now hosts one. I went on it yesterday afternoon to talk England and the forthcoming World Cup. I’ve known Le Saux going back to his Chelsea days, and always enjoyed his thoughtful company as well as his expressive football from left-back. We chatted with his co-host, the comedian and Torquay United obsessive Charlie Baker, in the calm of their central London studio. I then stepped back out into the torrent of commuters hurrying into a mainline station across the road. Workers going places. It reminded me of Le Saux’s Blackburn Rovers in 94/95 as they sweated and strived and reached the title. It also had me thinking about criticism of Arsenal.
Rovers were not particularly popular champions. Jack Walker’s beloved club were accused of “buying the title”: £3.3m on Alan Shearer, £5m on Chris Sutton and Le Saux himself a snip at £700,000 from Chelsea all seems exceptional business (and all were sold on for more, for £15m, £10m and £7m respectively). Blackburn were accused of functional football, being all about the points, the end justifies the means. It was slightly harsh criticism as they could be thrilling on occasion, especially when taking wing and Jason Wilcox, Stuart Ripley and Le Saux serving Sutton and Sheer. Just as Arsenal play some exceptional football, such as against Spurs or Leeds.
The current debate about Arsenal’s football, whether they will make worthy champions and whether they have a duty to entertain, carries echoes of Rovers’ greatest season. I covered their season for the Telegraph which impressed the Ewood Park groundsman on first acquaintance in pre-season until he quickly realised I wasn’t representing the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.
Anyway, that season Rovers weren’t always flying wingers, Wilcox and Ripley, and powerful finishes from Sutton and Shearer, the SAS. They fought hard, worked hard, and won, especially in the second half of the season. Their fans were desperate for the title, their first since 1914, just as Arsenal fans are desperate for the trophy, albeit only after 22 years.
As I melted into the stream of commuters, I reflected on one game in particular: Everton 1 Blackburn 2, an absolute mangy dog of a game on April 1, 1995. Rovers were closing on the title, eight games to go, urgently trying to hold off Manchester United, and it was all about the points.
Sutton scored after one minute at Goodison Park, Shearer doubled Rovers lead after six and Kenny Dalglish’s league leaders settled into a game of attrition. Gwladys Street seethed with fury at Blackburn’s tactics, just as the Amex did with Arsenal’s last night.