Mikhail Chigorin wrote:IanWright wrote:I think the only solace I can take from this is that Maureen still won't be able to revolutionise the way the scum play football.
Will we see the fast, free-flowing football that the Rags used to play under whiskey breath? I think not.
I think that's what will stand between them winning the CL and/or premier league next season and winning sweet FA
Apologies IW but I must take issue with this statement as it's only the product of decades of Scum propaganda.
I've argued on here, on a number of occasions, that their football has been perennially awful and if you still abide by what you just stated, I think I'd like you to send me some of the stuff you must have been smoking, at that time, for you to form that impression about them.
They've always been a thuggish, anti-footballing, long-ball outfit just playing the percentages game and the football media have just gone along with the ridiculous assertion that they were an attractive side to watch.
Sorry if you think I'm being a bit of a naive footballing purist, but that's just how I see it and how it is. It's the Emperor's clothes syndrome personified.
I'm going to do a complete 180 and agree with you. If I was to reach some sort of compromise, I'd say their style of football "peaked" in 2007- a season in which they were very effective.
However, and I've argued this with a number of liberal Gooners, their football still didn't have an 'identity'. It wasn't the swashbuckling style that we've had and you've had (that home record ahead of winning the league in 2014? Just plain 'wow'). It wasn't even Barcelona's tika taka or A.C. Milan's suppressive style of the early 90s.
It was quite simply Sam allardyce tactics with better players. Would Ronaldo have overtaken Jimmy Greaves proud record had he still been there? I think not.
If I had to back up my original post somewhat, I'd say their football then is slightly better than it is now. However, it's more exciting to watch them as a neutral now because they look like a total pile of shit.