Let’s Boo ‘aving ya
I have spent the last season and a half bemoaning the boo boys, this week I was not alone as Arsenal fans rallied round our beleaguered manager and club in an attempt to rid us of the discontented. But today as we prepare ourselves for our pilgrimage to the red half of North London it is time to consolidate, stand side by side and live alongside each other in harmony. So i have an olive branch forContinue Reading
New clouds emerge but silver linings too
Morning all. We’d best start with the bad news this morning and that’s Jack Wilshere. He’s suffered a ‘little setback’ according to Arsene Wenger and although the manager was obviously trying to play it down a bit, saying he couldn’t put a timeframe on it because Jack has to see consultants, the fear is that this could keep him out for at least 6-8 weeks, if notContinue Reading
‘We did not deserve to lose. The team did not get the credit it deserved for the performance in the second half.’
The team did not deserve to lose, really, so why did they then Arsene? It was because you took off our most incisive player and replaced him with someone that has arguably been our worst. And that Mr Wenger is why the crowd were singing in unison that you don’t know what you’re doing, anymore that is. So instead of leaving it at that you get the shovel out and start digging again, nowContinue Reading
Down On His Luck, Brow-beaten But Arsène Is Not Broken. Jack Is…
When you are down on your luck, the footballing gods waste no time in putting their size 11s in as Arsène found this week. Jack Wilshere had adopted a talismanic status, the saviour of the season; it seems unlikely that he will be that. That the manager offered nothing more has been taken as a signal that the setback reported yesterday means his comeback will be in March/April/May/Euro2012/2012-1Continue Reading
Wenger – The fans weren’t booing Arshavin and I love him!
Arsene Wenger has tried to minimize the damage to Andrei Arshavin’s confidence by last weeks booing by Arsenal fans when he was brought on against Man Utd, and he may have gone just a little overboard when he said: “I love Arshavin as a man and as a player. “I don’t think the fans were [...]...Continue Reading
Wenger believes that The Ox is ready for regular starting spot
The young Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain caused a furore when he was withdrawn by Arsene Wenger during last weeks League match against Man Utd, but although the manager thought that The Ox was looking fatigued in the game, he now believes that the 18 year-old is mature enough to play every week. First off all [...]...Continue Reading
Arsenal linked with proven Premiership hitman
All Arsenal fans know that Arsene Wenger is in need of a top class striker to act as cover for Robin Van Persie or even as a replacement if the Dutchman leaves at the end of the season . So with that in mind, the Metro reports this morning that Arsenal are interested in signing the [...]...Continue Reading
I’m sorry for Jack, but its time for Wenger to panic-buy Eden Hazard!
Let’s be honest, is anyone really surprised any more that an Arsenal player has a set-back when they are returning from injury? It seems like a forgone conclusion nowadays that as soon as the announcement is made it is immediately proved to be wrong. Perhaps Arsene Wenger should also be used to it after so [...]...Continue Reading
Who would want to be an Arsenal fan right now?
I hate saying it, but you should hear them in the confessional. You would never imagine. Did you know that they…I’ll let Big Al explain this one. I must say I’m warming to the idea. The last month hasn’t been great. Post-May the future might be a bit murky. But the now, and the coming months don’t look too bad to me. Truth is they’re quite exciting. And just what have we got loContinue Reading
Cheap Chatter To Forge A Siege Mentality?
A favourite tactic of George Graham’s was to build a siege mentality when he believed that his players had been slighted by the press; it happened quite frequently and invariably forged as much of a team mentality as the infamous lunchtime drinking sessions. Fast forward two decades and the intrusions of the media are more frequent, immediate and from a wider variety of sources. The pundit cContinue Reading
Sanity Or Lunacy. Arsenal Are On The Cusp Of Both
Just when you thought that the lunatics had escaped from the asylum and camped en masse at The Emirates, up pop Manchester City to remind us that perhaps the madness at Arsenal is indeed sanity. OK, perhaps not but the dispute with Carlos Tevez is utterly bewildering. His absence from the first team has apparently cost him £9.3m in lost wages, bonuses and fines. What are they paying him to induceContinue Reading
Meltdown & Scapegoats Ahoy On Rough Arsenal Seas
About the only thing which has not appeared in this morning’s papers is the broken cannon motif, so beloved of sub-editors when Arsenal are perceived to be in crisis. Perhaps it would be more apt if they inserted the skull and crossbones onto the club crest to signal the mutiny – even though the historical assumption that the Jolly Roger is purely a piratical ensign is utterly incorrecContinue Reading
Champions League Ambitions Are Quelled By United Win
Arsenal 1 – 2 Manchester United 0 – 1 Valencia 45 1 – 1 van Persie 70 1 – 2 Welbeck 81 It is a sign of the times at Arsenal; a chorus of boos in the stadium over substitutions mirroring the contempt online. A small but vocal minority. The criticism over the withdrawal of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was vindicated to some extent – it is indefensible to boo a player befoContinue Reading
Manchester United Preview: Injured Pride And Injured Players
A weekend where, so far, results have gone Arsenal’s way. It is a vaguely familiar feeling when we say, “Win and the gap closes“. One which lesser opposition – no disrespect entirely, Blackburn excluded – have successfully screwed up previously this season. This time, with the Premier League’s second placed team visiting, the fidgeting when that thought fleetingContinue Reading
Lies, Damned Lies and Headline Writers
Damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t; when Arsène meets the press the answers in his pre-match conferences, the answers are invariably honest, detrimentally so in some cases. Rarely though are they as dismissive as ‘Appy ‘Arry when he was talking of Manchester City’s millions. What he thinks though is rarely relevant. It is unusual to praise the press but The Mirror desContinue Reading
Arsenal: False Idols, Falsehoods and Victorian Abattoirs. One Of Speaks…
He floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee, here’s the ACLF equivalent of Muhammed Ali. Except there isn’t a bee in Big Al’s bonnet, it’s the whole bloody species… Chances are you won’t know much of what I’m going to talk about here, but that’s OK, neither do I. I’m going to see if I can write a whole post on what I don’t know about the club. Because specContinue Reading
Changes Behind The Scenes – Panacea Or Placebo?
A quiet enough morning, media-wise with unruly shenanigans at Stamford Bridge taking the attention away from Arsenal. You feel it is only temporary with the maelstrom to re-emerge at the weekend with Manchester United’s visit to The Emirates. Marouane Chamakh has stated that Arsène’s confidence in him is the reason that he wants to stay at Arsenal. It has been a tough time for the MorContinue Reading
Cash Is King As Calf Becomes The New Hamstring
There’s a big match this match weekend and being Arsenal, there’s a minor injury crisis erupting across the back pages. The truth of the matter is yet to be revealed but Mikel Arteta and Thomas Vermaelen have been joined on the sidelines by Thierry Henry. It seems that the calf strain is the new hamstring in the injury world. Which means the highly improbable departure of Andrey ArshavContinue Reading
The bigger picture + Arsecast 226
Later this morning Arsene will meet the press for his pre-Aston Villa press conference. And beyond the normal information we get from one of these gatherings, I have to say I’m really curious as to how it will go down. It’ll be the first time he’s faced the media since Sunday’s defeat to United and that reaction to his decision to take off Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He canContinue Reading
Arsenal Supporters – disillusioned or pathetic?
Witch hunts, apathy, delusion and greed, all pathetically wrapped up in an unshakable belief in a divine right to win. Recognise it? Of course you do. Unfortunately it describes many so-called Arsenal supporters, who today stand supreme amongst football folk in their ability irrespective of the injury situation and short of any real knowledge of the internal politics or financial situation facingContinue Reading
Has Djourou blown his last chance at Arsenal?
The Swiss centre-back Johann Djourou has been at Arsenal for many years, and it was hoped that he would grow into a world-class centre-back, but after seven years at the club He’s 25 now he is still nothing but a bit part-player at the Emirates. He played a record 22 games for Arsenal last season, [...]...Continue Reading
Serious Jack Wilshere News â
Good morning Grover’s, last night was awash with rumour and counter rumour regarding the fitness of Jack Wilshere. Well I can confirm that the stories were right, I’ve been told there were issues on Wednesday and that he’s likely to face a minimum of 3 weeks on the sidelines. No one knows the extent of the problem yet… so it could be more serious. I mentioned last week thatContinue Reading
Yennaris pleased with his performance against Man Utd’s Nani
The Arsenal youngster Nicolas Yennaris was thrown in at the deep end on his League debut for the Gunners when he replaced Johann Djourou against Man United last weekend. He was tasked with keeping Nani at bay, and he certainly did a better job that Djourou. Although Arsenal lost, Yennaris was more than happy with [...]...Continue Reading
Arsenal linked with prolific South American striker
It has been reported this morning that the German newspaper Bild has revealed that Arsenal have been making enquiries about the Paraguayan international striker Lucas Barrios, who is currently playing at the Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund. The 27 year-old has excellent goalscoring stats in the last few years, having netted 49 goals in just 53 [...]...Continue Reading
Who would want to be an Arsenal fan right now?
I hate saying it, but you should hear them in the confessional. You would never imagine. Did you know that they…I’ll let Big Al explain this one. I must say I’m warming to the idea. The last month hasn’t been great. Post-May the future might be a bit murky. But the now, and the coming months don’t look too bad to me. Truth is they’re quite exciting. And just what have we got loContinue Reading
There exists a mythical place named ‘Middle Ground’
It probably says something about the relentless coverage of the modern game when a substitution can generate days of headlines and fall out. In this respect, we see how the modern media works. They can forge subplots and spin offs to furnish another day’s worth of sales and clicks – such as the unbelievable scenes as the captain visibly shakes his head! The horror! The story then grows tentacContinue Reading
Almunia has no plans to leave Arsenal
The Spaniard Manuel Almunia has dropped to third-choice goalkeeper at Arsenal, but in a rare interview he has stated that he is simply keeping to his contract and has had no thoughts of leaving, in fact he hasn’t even spoken to Arsene Wenger about his position at the club! The two Poles, Wojciech Szczesny and [...]...Continue Reading
Miquel warns Arsenal to be careful against Aston Villa
The young Arsenal defender Ignasi Miquel played against Leeds in the last round of the FA Cup the last game that Arsenal actually won and he is looking forward to another run-out against Aston Villa this weekend, but he has warned his team-mates not to take the game lightly if they want to go all [...]...Continue Reading
Bloody Arsenal – Do We Even Care Anymore?
Do you suffer from any pre-existing conditions? Ah, that old question on the health insurance form. The one if you answer falsely you’re fooked if they find out and you need to claim, and the one if you answer truthfully are fooked anyway because it’ll make it harder to claim. Oh, the health form?! It seems I’m now at the age ripe old age of 26 and 2 weeks where I should have myContinue Reading
Cheap Chatter To Forge A Siege Mentality?
A favourite tactic of George Graham’s was to build a siege mentality when he believed that his players had been slighted by the press; it happened quite frequently and invariably forged as much of a team mentality as the infamous lunchtime drinking sessions. Fast forward two decades and the intrusions of the media are more frequent, immediate and from a wider variety of sources. The pundit cContinue Reading