The Spanish Imposition
By Ian Tanner
Of matters Iberian in North London
The year before we moved to North London, George Bernard Shaw wrote Pygmalion. In My Fair Lady, the play’s musical version, Professor Henry Higgins set himself the seemingly impossible task of tutoring a Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, to speak correctly. After much exasperation, he unwisely tempted fate, declaring: “By [Charlie?] George, she’s got it!”, when Eliza indeed managed: “The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain”, before later returning to her slovenly ways.
Watching a re-run of our somewhat fortuitous victory in Montpellier on Arsenal Media, I made a similar mistake: “By Santi, they’ve got it!”, when, at the fifth time of asking, our in-house TV company indeed managed to spell Cazorla correctly. Struggling with: “In Hertford, Hereford and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen,” Eliza was prone to drop her Hs. Arsenal Media roll their Rs, putting Cazorla’s “r” after the first “a”, rather than before the only “l” in each of Asenarl’s (geddit?) four opening league games. Perhaps, I wondered, Santi’s August Player of the Month award, with a staggering 72% of votes cast, had not escaped them, albeit belatedly. Wrong. At the £400 million Etihad Stadium – and that’s only the value of the naming rights! – it was 19. Santi Carzola yet again. Exasperation reigns in Spain.
While Cazorla has been grabbing the headlines and plaudits, his compatriot and our new vice captain, Mikel Arteta, has been going about his new, deeper role quietly but efficiently. Sad though I often am when our players move on, does anyone miss Song overly much? Arteta is performing the Song role as well as Alex ever did. Stating this will not be regarded as heresy, but the following question might: would we prefer Cesc (back) to having Cazorla? I’m just being inquisitive (geddit?), not provocative. If the Spaniards’ influence continues and grows, if they can impose themselves consistently, it won’t be long before some headline writer churns out: The Spanish Imposition. Remember where you heard it first.
The Gooner is oft criticised for being too negative. Esteemed Ed argues, not without merit, that, as a broad church, not a narrow doctrine, all views can be expressed and it’s up to us Gooners to provide cheer where it exists, or where we perceive it to exist; he can only publish what is written. Gooner Referendum No. 37 for September is interesting, not for its question but for its range of (four) permitted answers: “Where do you think Arsenal will finish in the league this season? 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th.” What happened to Europa League spots, to say nothing of mid-table mediocrity and relegation? Like the rain on the plain in Spain, the clouds over Gooner Towers seem to have lifted.
28th September 2012
User Comment and Reaction
User comments on this article are now closed. If you want to continue the debate, why not do so on the Gooner Forum.
Somtee 12:50pm 28th Sep 2012
Spanish players are the current best players especially when they play together - Post No. 29154
Bard 13:24pm 28th Sep 2012
I don't think the Gooner is too critical. The negativity stems from the fact that Arsenal keep shooting themselves in the foot. We've had a few 'nearly sides' in the last few years. Wenger perversely seems unwilling or unable to fix the the broken bits that would make the difference. Goalkeeper, DM, centre back have been our achilles heel over the years. Fixing the problems wouldnt have cost a fortune but no we're left to watch sub standard players make the same mistakes week after week. Its this perversity that gets to me and I suspect other fans. I agree Arteta has been a revelation in the defensive role and Santi is terrific but as has been mentioned on this site many times goalkeeper is our pressing weakness. The Pole is ok ( potentially very good ) Mannone is distinctly average. You can't win the prem with an average keeper. A top class keeper makes the difference think Van der sar, Cech, Hart. We haven't had a world class keeper since Seaman retired. Presumably a good one costs too much. - Post No. 29155
GaryFootscrayAustralia 13:43pm 28th Sep 2012
You can add Ignasi Miquel to the Spanish Imposition. Ignasi has acknowledged the positive input Arteta has contributed to his development on and off the pitch, which also helps to understand Santi's immediate impact. Having a couple of experienced and organised Germans involved can't hurt either. As for whether the Online Gooner is too positive or negative, frankly I don't give a toss. I read all the articles and make up my own mind according to each individual submission. Besides, the Online Gooner simply collates the submissions of club supporters who represent a broad church of opinion.My perspective is that the content is reflective of those who actually get off their arses and write something, not any particular editorial policy. - Post No. 29156
Tony Evans 14:11pm 28th Sep 2012
Bard - totally agree with you. I am loving the better defending now (though have to say I am staggered that it has taken so long to sort it out) but the number one position is still on the to do list and this could potentially undo all the good work Steve Bould is doing. As usual Wenger drives me crazy - the team always seems to be WIP and never the finished article. Much better than last season though so thankful for that and fingers crossed for Saturday and the visit of Chelski. - Post No. 29157
Zbizz 14:26pm 28th Sep 2012
Great question about Cesc v Cazorla - how about having Cesc back? No answers from me, but all great debating points! - Post No. 29158
Spam polisher 15:17pm 28th Sep 2012
Bit harsh on Lehmann there Bard, the big German was mugged off by Arsene Wonger for a yes man in Aluminia the worst keeper to ever wear the shirt !!!!! And the current keepers are all tripe the Pole is full of himself for reasons unknown and as for pony mannoney would he play at United ???? - Post No. 29161
Mark 0:22am 29th Sep 2012
If only we spent some of our profits we would sign more players of the quality of Cazorla and keep the likes of RVP.But that will never happen Kroenke is all about making profits and nothing else.Two more of our best players will be sold next summer again - Post No. 29162
divingrooney 8:12am 29th Sep 2012
Cesc is, for my money, the best midfielder in the world. He is being wasted at Barcelona. He would have been magnificent in the Barcelona of Eto'o and Henry. But now he does not anyone making runs beyond opposition defense, So he is limited to tiki-taka, where Xavi is better than him. And he has Messi who plays in the position where he played pretty well for Spain in Euros. - Post No. 29163
Frank 12:58pm 29th Sep 2012
Judge Cazorla at the end of the season not after half a dozen games - Post No. 29164
Same old Arsenal 14:47pm 29th Sep 2012
Well that didn't last long drop BFG and the defence goes to rat sh*t. Has Arsene Wonger not realised the KOS and VERM partnership together are gash. They win zero headers don't mark runners get caught up field rubbish on free kicks and corners STOP these 2 playing together again please !!!!! As for Ramsey he was Chavski's best player and as a team today they were rubbish. Ummmmmm Giroud have we found another Emile Heskey - Post No. 29165
Peter Wain 15:20pm 29th Sep 2012
Will any of you AKB's answer one question What other top club was after Caszorla? After watching our awful display against Chelski I have to ask which of our players would get into the other top club's squad. I venture to say that nobody at Arsenal would be wanted by either Spanish giants or either of the Manchester clubs or indeed Chelski and the Scum. The tissue thin nature of our first team squad is laughable. Where is a there a striker either back up or automatic pick. Wenger needs to understand that scoring in the French league does not mean that these clowns can score in the EPL. Why cannot we have a normal keeper instead of an ice cream sales man. Why does our current left back have no clue about positional play. Why is our midfield so pedestrian and where are our strikers. Why no Chamak on the bench whats the point of him being at the club. Why keep Theo and sell RVP.? Either both go or neither go. £150 million in the bank one of the best stadium in the world world class ticket prices and second and third rate players. Sums up a once great club. Get the Yank Gazidis and Wenger out not. - Post No. 29166
Frankie 19:03pm 29th Sep 2012
6 games played we have won 2.See you all at the town hall - Post No. 29167
Giroud means crap in French 19:38pm 29th Sep 2012
This article comes from when you judge players after half a dozen games.Two weeks ago it was Podolski(taken off last two games)this week Cazorla.Chelsea closed him down completely.Remember Chamakh scored 10 goals in his first 12 games and look how he turned out.Good start?We are below the Spuds!!!!!! - Post No. 29168
Joe S. 22:42pm 29th Sep 2012
Yes, Carzola is class and it was superior quality which won a tight game for Chelsea regardless of how well Arsenal played. In a week where Gazandis has been boasting about the balancce sheet it is only inevitable that our team's lack of a killer punch has shown up why we won't be challenging for anything this season. - Post No. 29170
Hamza 9:13am 3rd Oct 2012
I keep wondering what might have been if Arsenal had signed another 2 excellent Spaniards they'd been chasing: Mata and Silva. I hear we were very much in the hunt for them (though ultimately never stood a chance cos of our 'El Cheapo' stance on buying players). Still... imagine the team lining up as Arteta-Mata-Silva-Cazorla in MF! Catalans might say: cul i merda!!! That said, if newspapers are to be believed during the off-season, we might have had Dzeko/Benzema up front, Baines at LB and Lloris between the sticks. Nah... this whole post of mine has just gone south. The end. - Post No. 29250
No. 17
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