Congratulations to Arsenal on winning the Premier League. However, I fear that Jonathan Freedland’s allegiances have led him to a flawed attempted analogy (Arsenal’s title win should be studied by politicians everywhere – and especially Keir Starmer. Here’s why, 22 May). Keir Starmer has already achieved success after a long period in the wilderness – winning a landslide victory in the 2024 general election.
The analogy goes further: both achieved success by being boring – Starmer by avoiding radical ideas, Arsenal by shutting up shop and relying on set-piece goals. Both also took advantage of their main rivals’ weakness. The Tory party was in disarray, while both Manchester City and Liverpool have underperformed – achieving fewer points than usual or expected this season. Mikel Arteta and Starmer took advantage of structural advantages: Labour relying on first past the post and Arsenal the lax refereeing of fouls at corners.
Peter Breitenbach
London
• As a Liverpool fan, it’s painful enough reading about an Arsenal title without a columnist turning it into a lecture on political philosophy. Luckily, the logic here is as shaky as a mid-table defence: Jonathan Freedland is comparing apples and spaceships. Mikel Arteta manages 25 athletes toward one goal; Keir Starmer governs 60 million people with clashing demands in a volatile global economy.
Praising Arsenal’s “patience” fundamentally misunderstands democratic accountability. A private billionaire board can choose to ignore furious supporters when a club plummets to 15th place, but a prime minister who asks the public to politely endure the economic equivalent of mid-table obscurity will be annihilated at the ballot box.
Gary Ogin
London
• Jonathan Freedland is right to praise the Arsenal owners for granting Mikel Arteta space and time to build a winning squad, but as important has been the fans’ patience and understanding. Even in the worst periods, fans (in the main) never turned on him.
Nick Black
Herne Bay, Kent
• I thoroughly appreciated Jonathan Freedland’s article on Arteta’s success made possible by long-term planning and patience. If only British governments had that option, instead of constantly facing the threat of opposition changes of policy dictated by our voting system.
Sue Horton
Cambridge
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