Arsenal: George Graham bitterness pertains to the truth

George Graham has revealed his dismay at the Arsenal board and their obnoxious dismission of change and evolution. His bitterness, unfortunately, pertains to the truth.

George Graham is one of the most brilliant football managers in the history of English football. Although his time at Arsenal ended in controversy, with his tenure tainted for taking a £425,000 bung when signing John Jensen and Pal Lydersen in 1994, ultimately being sacked in February 1995 because of the shady transfer business, he still lifted six trophies in nine years at the club, including two league titles.

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Renowned, and often derided, for his defensively-organised football — his management was the founding of the ‘Boring, boring Arsenal’ chant that would reverberate around stadiums up and down the country –, Graham was a tactically astute manager who insisted on an element of discipline and commitment that ran through the whole club, long after he departed.

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So when he speaks, he should be listened to. What he says should carry credence and significance. He is very much a man in the know; he has great wisdom and advice to give.

In a recent interview with the Guardian, in which Graham is promoting the upcoming release of the documentary ’89’ — this will be a brilliant documentary looking at the remarkable 1988/89 season, when Michael Thomas won the league title thanks to a last-gasp Anfield goal –, he, among other topics, berated the role of the current board in the decimation and depletion of the standing of the club today, when asked if he still has any input or interest in the present-day goings-on:

"“I don’t bother because nothing changes. What’s the point? There’s no board at Arsenal. There are questions they’re obviously not going to answer. I heard [chief executive Ivan] Gazidis say they were over-performing. Over-performing?!”"

Graham is sometimes portrayed as bitter, wanting to get revenge on a club that sacked him. His unfruitful spell at Spurs did not help his public image very much. But in this case, his bitterness, if it does exist at all, his scrutiny and his criticism do carry an element of unfortunate accuracy: The Arsenal board face questions that they are never going to answer.

That is a painfully sad sentence to write. Sir Chips Keswick, Ivan Gazids, Josh Kroenke, and the head of it all, Stan Kroenke, will never answer the questions that are being bombarded at them. At the AGM two weeks ago, whenever Sir Chips was asked a question from the floor, he would, in a typically dismissive and rude manner, say ‘Thank you for your statement’, before, unapologetically, moving onto another question, without even seeming to answer the original query.

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This is a club that will not change. The reason is that they are run by a board that will not change. Graham, sadly, is right: What is the point?