I couldn't even see the Northern Ireland game as it was on the Premier Sports channel. The dearth of good sport at least gave me the opportunity to finish the All or Nothing docu series following Arsenal in the 21/22 season. It was a good watch, as were the ones on Man City, Sunderland and Leeds that went before. The star of the show is, without doubt, Arteta. He has the charisma needed to manage a top team. The series follows him during the full season and he certainly had his work cut out for him. After losing the first 3 games he must have been cursing the decision to let camaras follow him around. I remember at the time wondering if he would see October in the job.
Right from the first game of the season when newly promoted Brentford played them off the park, I doubted Arteta could bring Arsenal to where they belong. But he did turn it around in double quick time, going on an impressive run and shooting up the table. The docu follows this uptick in form from inside, interviewing the players and staff and showing the decisive moments on the pitch. Then the wheels came off the juggernaut in spectacular fashion. A falling out between Arteta and club captain, Aubamayang, puts the club in a difficult situation. The club backs Arteta and Auba is suspended. This put the backroom staff, led by Arsenal legend, Edu, in a bind. They had to off-load him before the end of the transfer window, which they did. The viewer gets the box seat on this drama. We see the influence Edu has on the club and even get an interview which the owner's son, Josh Kroenke. Every week a player is highlighted and we see more of them in different situations, either training, in the locker room or at home and it is good to see the likes of Martinelli and Ramsdale on a typical day.
Arteta is intense, as you would expect. He was Pep Guardiola's right-hand man for a few years so he clearly has a bit of Pep's Latin passion. We see his pre and post-match speeches. He likes a sound bite. We hear a lot about commitment, passion and intensity. He likes to make analogies and is not shy to use the white board to inspire his troops. An old cynic like me prickles at such heartstring tugging but it seems to work. He has a young, fit squad who, Auba excluded, seem to like and respect their Spanish coach. He is also not afraid to try something new. Before the Liverpool game at Anfield, he plays You'll Never Walk Alone over loud speakers while they are training to get his young team used to the atmosphere. It doesn't work; Liverpool trounce them!
Arteta is intense, as you would expect. He was Pep Guardiola's right-hand man for a few years so he clearly has a bit of Pep's Latin passion. We see his pre and post-match speeches. He likes a sound bite. We hear a lot about commitment, passion and intensity. He likes to make analogies and is not shy to use the white board to inspire his troops. An old cynic like me prickles at such heartstring tugging but it seems to work. He has a young, fit squad who, Auba excluded, seem to like and respect their Spanish coach. He is also not afraid to try something new. Before the Liverpool game at Anfield, he plays You'll Never Walk Alone over loud speakers while they are training to get his young team used to the atmosphere. It doesn't work; Liverpool trounce them!
The docu culminates with the run-in to the season, where they are fighting it out with North London rivals, Spurs, for the final UCL spot. Arteta roars them on and they look nailed on for fourth until the wheels come off again in the final 3 games. They lose the derby 0-3, then lose again at Newcastle to see Spurs pip them at the post. The final game of the season is purely academic. The devastation in the locker room is palpable.
Having watched all the episodes of All or Nothing Arsenal it is no surprise that Arsenal have started the season so well. They have the stadium, the fans, the structure, some money and a young dynamic and well-liked coach. It is clear that the fans, the players, the staff and owners all like and trust Arteta. It is clear from the final episode that UCL qualification is the dream, the important first step to getting Arsenal back to challenging for the EPL again. Ramsdale, Saka, Martinelli, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe et al are all in their early twenties still, and with the addition of Gabi Jesus, the squad has time to mature. Whether they can challenge City has yet to be seen, but I'll be cheering them on for a top 4 spot anyway. If you have Prime and some free time, All or Nothing Arsenal is a decent watch.
Having watched all the episodes of All or Nothing Arsenal it is no surprise that Arsenal have started the season so well. They have the stadium, the fans, the structure, some money and a young dynamic and well-liked coach. It is clear that the fans, the players, the staff and owners all like and trust Arteta. It is clear from the final episode that UCL qualification is the dream, the important first step to getting Arsenal back to challenging for the EPL again. Ramsdale, Saka, Martinelli, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe et al are all in their early twenties still, and with the addition of Gabi Jesus, the squad has time to mature. Whether they can challenge City has yet to be seen, but I'll be cheering them on for a top 4 spot anyway. If you have Prime and some free time, All or Nothing Arsenal is a decent watch.
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| Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports. |
Years ago, they were known as boring Arsenal - a much different side now. Not sure I would watch the docu. Prefer crime drama these days!!
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