Firing Blanks

What do David Platt and George Graham have in common? They are both distinguished ex-players, with outstanding careers at the highest level, domestically and internationally. They have both been in management (one with considerably more success than the other) and in managerial terms they share a common predicament – they are unemployed and, on the evidence of several months, unwanted. They are both closely associated with Arsenal Football Club as players and also, in George’s case, as a manager. And, like a lot of ex-players and managers, they are both currently engaged in the art of punditry, illuminating Sky’s presentation of the game with the quality of their experience and expertise.

At least that’s the general idea. The trouble is, whenever either of them is assigned to a game involving the Gunners, they seem unable to resist indulging in a spot of criticism. Now you would think that in view of their history they might, if anything, be accused of bias in favour of Arsenal, but in practice nothing could be further from the truth. Both have developed a knack of damning performances with faint praise – briefly acknowledging the beauty of the football before dwelling at length and with ill-disguised relish on perceived inadequacies. With George it’s usually defensive frailty (defence was always paramount to him – thus the tag ‘Boring boring Arsenal’ which accompanied his teams) or the fact that, in his opinion, so many world class players have been ‘lost’ (presumably he thinks they were deliberately banished, or absent-mindedly mislaid – though in reality some chose to leave and some actually retired). With David it’s lack of consistency (this from a man whose only consistency as a manager has been failure) or not having the stomach for a physical battle with the likes of Blackburn or Bolton.

The question is, are they aware that two unemployed - and apparently unemployable – managers regularly putting the boot into the work of the outstanding manager in Arsenal’s long and illustrious history run the risk of being perceived as jealous and spiteful - or just plain stupid?