A lesson from history?

It was as far back as 1934 that the then Arsenal manager, Herbert Chapman spoke in the Sunday Express about players.
   "It is sometimes said that if the old players were to come back they would show the limitations of today. But there is no coming back. I know how boldly and confidently the old timers speak of their prowess and are inclined to belittle present players To support their arguments they point to the difficulty of managers trying to build up a stable national side. England teams come and go. From one season to the next they can scarcely be recognized. They have unfortunately to be altered from match to match. Men, good one day, fail the next. They do not even play consistently for their club side. This is one tale tell piece of evidence of how football has changed. In the old days the right of six or seven men to be picked was not questioned and they never let the side down. Because of this, team selections was a comparatively easy matter,

I am not prepared to depreciate the men of today, being fully conscious of the many matters, which have added to their difficulties. Competition has heightened enormously and it is no longer possible for teams to play how they like. Thirty years ago men were sent out with the fullest licence to display their arts and crafts. Today, they have to make their contributions to a system. Individuality has to be subordinated to team work. Players have to take part in many more matches and the strain on their physical resources has greatly increased, The strain too, has been intensified by the demands of the public. This is a point which, I am afraid is only slightly appreciated."

Did Chapman have a crystal ball where he could see football in the future? The above seems all the more to speak of today with Money, Business all having an opinion on who should do what and why without looking at the facts.

The fact our players get injured is down to the level of competition and demands put on them, perhaps something we should look at at Arsenal! I just hope RVP does let fans know where his last big pay day will be rather than the same old Cesc and Nasri long drawn out saga.

Anyway on the plus side Jack has had his op, we won at the weekend so Monday is not as bad as it seems. Laters