Gorgeous George Puts the Boot in Again

We’ve heard it all so many times before. Gorgeous George Graham, not a grey hair in sight, done up like a Savile Row tailor’s model, smug smile playing about his lips as he pops up yet again on Sky’s Premiership Plus channel to relish the opportunity of putting the boot into Arsenal. Or rather into Arsene Wenger.

Asked, pre-match whether Arsene might have given the boys a rollicking after the West Ham United game which they dominated from start to finish but lost 1-0, George suggested that he probably had, then added quickly that it was the wrong thing to do. That set the tone for an afternoon in which Arsenal’s poor performance against Newcastle at St James’ Park had George rubbing his hands with glee. They play beautiful football, but it isn’t enough. They don’t finish well and George wants to know what they are doing in training, because if he was there they would certainly be working at scoring goals – something which clearly explains the number of thrilling 1-0 victories in his time. Warming to his task, George launched into a neat little speech about the fact that this is Arsenal so they are expected to win trophies – forgetting perhaps that Arsene Wenger had won more of those than he ever did, and with infinitely more style.

The truth is that Arsenal, by their standards, are playing badly right now and the loss of confidence is palpable, but Arsenal at their very worst under Arsene Wenger still offers a more entertaining and satisfying prospect to lovers of the club and the game than they ever presented in the days of George Graham, who regularly gives the impression that he knows all the answers but cannot disguise the fact that in recent years he has become the manager that no top club wants to employ.