ARSENALISM©

Tough one. Consistency has not been our strong point, so for end of last season CF and for start of this SN have to share. Honourable mentions to Thomas Vermaelen & Marouane Chamakh. High points being Cesc's stroll through Sp*rs defence http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlq0fIoOMaQ  and THAT Samir goal in the Champions League.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tx-R5jxpr4 In terms of the 'least' player that's a hard one but Rosicky (based on ability)has been a let down, Arshavin (again, looking at his ability) has yet to prove consisitent. But Our Goalkeepers Almunia and Fabianski must share this wooden spoon. Unfortunately there are not enough spoons to go around our host of under achievers.

Me last night, having watched the highlights after avoiding the score all evening; "Any game where, Diaby & Denilson are anchoring midfield the ineffectual Rosicky and the erratic Arshavin are supporting them and where you have a central pairing of whom 1 gives away a penalty and the other scores an OG in front of a problematic keeper, is going to be a struggle. Add to that a 3 man offensive unit who have never played together,whilst leaving in-form Nasri, a buzzing Walcott and a confident Djourou on the bench and you have a recipe for disaster. Fact is that the 89th minute ‘non penalty’ should have been irrelevant against a 10 man Wigan had the momentum from the Chelsea game been maintained by a rational team selection. Oh did I say rational. Tonight was 1 point gained but 2 points dropped. It seems that this team shoots itself in the foot time after time; and we all know who’s loading the gun!" After a bit of reflection and a cup of coffee I feel that the result in i...

More Despair for the Blues please Arsenal

Gunners the real thing as Chelsea feel the force "The more you tighten your grip, Ancelotti, the more points will slip through your fingers"-Princess Leia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY-uyvkGyXs can you feel the force

"By 2014 we want to be internationally recognised as the number one club "-Peter Kenyon "Stamford Bridge, you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villiany."-Obi Wan Kenobi As long time readers of Arsenalism will know, my view is that Chelsea equates to the evil Empire and Arsenal, are the Force's yin to their yang. Drogba and the rest of the obnoxious Stormtroopers, marshaled by Abramovitch's Evil Emperor and Kenyon's Darth Vader need to feel the power of the Force personified by Arsenal's purity of philosophy. They said that Jedi's were above the concept of revenge; I beg to differ. I want to see good conquer evil at the Emirates, not just to have the moral high ground but I want revenge! "The fear of loss is a path to the Dark Side."-Yoda

Happy X Mas from ARSENALISM Arsenl 3 -Man United 2 1926 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cIN2SQ4ANA ho ho ho

Merry Christmas from Greta Gynt Star of The Arsenal Stadium Mystery Some facts that may be cause for optimism Manchester United have twice surrendered a Yuletide lead - to Arsenal, in both 1997-98 and 2003-04. Since its formation in 1992 each Premier League winner has come out of those that are in the top five on Christmas Day Santa Claus has a big white beard and can travel the world in 24 hours. Rudolph the red nosed reindeer had a very shinny nose. apparently if you ever saw it you could even say it glows. ..and even Scrooge turned into a big spender! You see? anythings possible.

P W D L F A GD Arsenal 174 69 51 54 249 224 +25 Chelsea 174 54 51 69 224 249 -25 Its about time we redressed the balance against a ‘big’ side. Chelsea are well over due a beating at the Emirates. Its been three years almost to the week since our number 10 got a winner and Cesc made a point to Cole (always a pleasure to see). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dl4hR4qeZo 1-0 We have gone from the team that always beats Chelsea to the team that always seems to get punished by them. 1-0 will do and it would be a tonic that Arsenal’s current team sorely need. I can't abide Chelsea; they're like the rich man's spoilt brat. A deeply unpleasant set of individuals from top to bottom. They have been better than us recently and that's undeniable. It would be great to see a little of that smugness gone, come final whistle on the 27th. As we did when we put a spoke in their title wheel in 2008, but this time let's have all three points. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWZwB...

Arsenal v Barcelona ; Foregone conclusion? Not at all. Let’s not forget that last time round Arsenal scored 3 goals against them over the two legs. Currently Barca are a club buoyed by success, playing good football with a high degree of confidence. They are managed by a man who is in the middle of a great spell at the club.   Arsenal have a set of players with huge question marks hanging over them and a Manager who, at best, is overly pragmatic and has lost his eye for a player. Arsenal can beat Barcelona over two legs but it depends on a lot (a hell of a lot) of ifs.   On the basis that there are not going to be two or three world class signings in January; why would Wenger change the habits of a life time? To conquer the Catalans the following ‘ifs’ need to happen. If Vermaelan, Fabregas and Van Persie are back and fit.Giving us a spine If Arshavin can produce over 180 minutes what we know he’s capable of If Nasri retains his current form If Song sticks to sitting in fro...

Looking ahead to Saturdays game against Stoke... Pullis' new signing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q9kYKtvYU0

After the result at Old Trafford it just goes to show that this season's race for the Premiership title is like Wacky Races: a bunch of clapped out jalopies stumbling towards the finish line, with the least incompetent turning their moment out front into a finishing line triumph despite dubious ability. Next stops for Wenger's Professor Pat Pending are Stoke City in the Boulder Mobile and the Anthill Mob alias Chelsea. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3cLSnzN-p0 the league

Wiltord scores a significant goal at Old Trafford. No not that one, this one in the FA Cup http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p7amdvvwnU

“Ruud van Nistelrooy is a cheat and a coward who is sneaky in the way he goes about fouling other players. Everyone thinks he’s a nice guy but, in fact, he’s a son of a bitch. He has a history of incidents that all too often have gone unnoticed,” “He has punched Freddie Ljungberg and elbowed Lauren. At Arsenal we hated him and had real reason to do so. I can’t stand the sight of Van Nistelrooy. He’s a great player — but everything about him annoys me.”-PATRICK VIEIRA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VIJmq-pBug http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTxl799Q2t4 I hope we won't be discussing cheating tonight, although,  based on past evidence

Manchester United V Arsenal. Always a big game and in the not too distant past an immensely important game. Defining moments have occurred for both teams in these games and in the Cups it remains a biggie. However in League terms the positive results at Old Trafford have been significant. The time was that this fixture (and the corresponding one at Highbury/Emirates) was the top game in the top flight. Regardless of a variety of teams challenging for the title, this fixture since Alex Ferguson arrived, has been the best. Against Graham to an extent but against Wenger definitely. Forget the Newcastle v Liverpool games, don’t mention the Chelsea v Liverpool encounters, dismiss the Blackburn Rovers v Manchester United moments; Arsenal v Man U/Man U v Arsenal games were the battles of Britain Let’s see if 13/12/10 goes into the annals as a defining moment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpqxfqHVS3c Clash

Okay we didn't top our ECL Group; Doom and gloom abound, but... Top of The Premier League. Semi Final of The Carling Cup against  Championship opponents. Home draw in the FA Cup against Championship opponents. Qualified for last 16 in The Champions League. Not bad, not bad at all. But what do the football fates have in store? The draw for the last 16 takes place 12.00CET Friday 17 th December. And Arsenal have the least choice in teams they can be drawn against, with the four choices being Real Madrid Bayern Munich FC Schalke 04 Barcelona Other Teams have combinations of 6, 7 or 8 different clubs they can play. Arsenal just the four, three of the teams ex European Champions at that. hmm I wonder.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3bnMv3ULes play your cards right? You could look at things and say 'exciting times ahead', what with Monday's trip to Old Trafford as well. Glass half full or half empty? I have to say (surprisingly) half full. "Faites vos jeux...

All the English clubs have finished top of their EUFA Champions League groups which narrows down the teams that Arsenal would draw should we finish second in our group; If we finish second. Or we could not qualify and go into the Europa cup. Or we could finish top of the group. The reason I posit these scenarios is that there are a number of ways of thinking about things. 1. Oh no what a disaster finishing second! we might get Barcelona. 2. Great, finishing second means we get to play one of the 'big boys' 3. Triffic we've managed to finish top and we will get a softer draw 4. Shit were in the Europa which means Thursday afternoons channel 5 5. Lovely, were in the Europa which I reckon we can win 6. Que Serra Serra See? none of it is worth worrying about. It's a bit of a 'run before you can walk' situation. You pays you re money and you takes your chance, its a competition where inevitably you will meet a good team so let's just get to the position...

"We're so good that even when we're shit we win"-Stuart 'The Brand' Bagge: The Apprentice Here we sit, again, atop the Premier League table; this time for at least a week. How we got here is a question that is hard to answer. Certainly Nasri's continued quality made the difference during a lack lustre game at an Emirates with notable empty seats. The half hearted boos of the Talkspite listeners among the Fulham fans that greeted Arshavin's touches did little to inspire any sort of retorts. The game itself followed the pattern we have come to expect at The Emirates and therefore no one was really surprised that Fulham fashioned an equaliser to Nasri's wonder goal. To take the lead again was a matter of that little bit of quality that some of our players have. Results elsewhere and the Blackpool weather meant that, at the final whistle we knew that Arsenal were top of the tree. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75_43bPXs2Q 1-0 & 2-1 You can...

I don’t mind Fulham; little club a ground full of character. Last year they did okay under Hodgson and we’ve given them Inamoto, Boa Morte and Volz over the years. Don’t mind them at all. However, they now have that great filthy lumbering oaf managing them. Probably the dirtiest player of his generation and a managerial failure.He even played for that lot with the awful Stadium by Brompton cemetery. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qXl9iPrf8c MH getting lairy Therefore I want to beat them as i want to beat every team, but this desire is also based on seeing Mark Hughes lose. Sorry Fulham but 'Sparky' is a permed thug. Here he is in THE worst kit of all time

Anti Arsenal Talksport and in particular anti Arsenal Adrian Durham have plumbed the depths of xenophobic hate and stupidity. After England failing to get the World cup, or should that be, Russia getting the World Cup. Durham had this to say about Andre Arshavin, who took part in the Russian bid: "He shouldn't be welcomed back into England after what he did to us" He added that Arshavin "should be booed when he returns to club duty for Arsenal" I don't listen to Talksport anymore but plenty of people do and this smacks of the Eduardo witch hunt. Anyone who saw the BCFC fans behaviour the other night knows that planting a seed of hate could have terrible repercussions. If you feel that Durham should be bought to task, rather than just ignored for the fool he is, contact any of these addresses. onairquery@talksport.co.uk alice.furse@talksport.co.uk press Atif.Shabir@talksport.co.uk commercial It's hate mongering xenophobia pure and simple. C...

So we play Leeds in the FA Cup. We generally get involved in mini marathons when we play them in the FA Cup. So far so good though, we seem to have got through eventually. The last time we beat Leeds in an FA Cup replay we went on to win the domestic Cup double. (which I would be happy with again). The FA Cup on a replay!  ...and one of our over looked last minute goals. 1993 Arsenal 2-Leeds United 2   Replay Leeds United 2-Arsenal 3   1991 Arsenal 0-Leeds United 0 Replay Leeds United 1-Arsenal 1 Replay Arsenal 0-Leeds United 0 Replay Leeds United 1 Arsenal 2 1983 Arsenal 1-Leeds United 1 Replay Leeds United 1 Arsenal 1 Replay Arsenal 2 Leeds United 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdaz7UxnuXo wright http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7sRQ0910B4 linighan

A poor Aston Villa scored twice today. Clark was left unchallenged twice. The first occassion was due to poor decision making from Clichy. Having responded well, courtesy of a Chamakh goal, to Villa's first goal that halved a two goal half time lead,  Arsenal began to show boat at 1-3. This is the sign of a team that is incapable of learning. The score then went 2-3 and the old anxiety began to set in. To be fair Villa's second goal was helped in no small part by Fabianski's view being obscured by Carew who was standing in an 'interfering with play' position. Never the less a three point haul from an away trip cannot be under valued. Arshavin and Chamakh both played well today and there where touches of row Z and taking the ball to the corner flag late on; yes this is also part of the game. The fourth goal in stoppage time was a useful addition to our goal difference, and as I write we sit on top of the league. Despite the result and subsequent league position ...

To finish a week where the voice of Sp*rsdom/Media/White Van man/ has proclaimed that Sp*rs are a bigger club, a better Club a blah blah blah, than Arsenal based on their victory a mere 6 days ago, let’s not forget that like Haley’s comet Sp*rs victories at Arsenal come along once in a blue moon.For some it's a once in a lifetime experience. No matter our current woes, what can’t speak can’t lie; here are the stats. 1992/93: Arsenal 1, Sp*rs 3 - Sp*rs won 1993/94: Arsenal 1, Sp*rs 1 –Sp*rs nope 1994/95: Arsenal 1, Sp*rs 1 –Sp*rs winless 1995/96: Arsenal 0, Sp*rs 0 –Sp*rs without win 1996/97: Arsenal 3, Sp*rs 1 –Sp*rs beaten 1997/98: Arsenal 0, Sp*rs 0 –Sp*rs draw without winning 1998/99: Arsenal 0, Sp*rs 0 –Sp*rs fail to be victorious 2000/2001: Arsenal 2, Sp*rs 0 –Sp*rs Leave without a point 2001/2002: Arsenal 2, Sp*rs 1 –Sp*rs didn’t win 2002/2003: Arsenal 3, Sp*rs 0 –Sp*rs taste defeat again 2003/2004: Arsenal 2, Sp*rs 1 –Sp*rs lose 2004/2005: Arsenal 1, Sp*rs 0 –Sp*rs single d...

Wenger has a squad that lacks character. That statement is an obvious one. The psychology of sport is often overlooked or misrepresented. I believe that in Wenger’s heyday he assembled a set of players who had the technical ability yet also had character. There was little for him to do during each ninety minutes; just let them play. Given their skill and character they would get the results 90% of the time. On the occasions when they needed something from Wenger during a game they were sold short. The ECWC Final v Galatasary, The Champions League final v Barcelona , The ECL quarter final v Chelsea for example. You could justifiably say there is an art top selecting the right players and just letting them play. But Wenger has stopped choosing the right players for that mission statement Wenger’s skill was in finding the players that had the requisite traits needed aside from playing ability. He was given a helping hand at the beginning with some of Graham’s boys. This set of player...

Amid the numerous opinions, blogs, articles on Arsenal there are sometimnmes views that seem to hit the proverbial nail on the head. One such is the following posted on The Gunning Hawk by Erik Ian Larsen, who is a former writer for the Chicago Tribune and an award-winning sports columnist. I  present his view (fith full recognition) on Arsenal in it’s entirety as I feel it is one of the most considered and thoughtful takes on the current state of Arsenal. "Let me begin this by saying I truly respect and admire Arsene Wenger. He’s the winningest manager in Arsenal history, has kept our club competitive and relevant despite constructing a new stadium, and continues to unearth top notch talent from all over the globe to wear the red and white. I am not a member of either extremist fan group that both lauds and lambasts our manager. I do not blindly support. It’s not in my blood. And I don’t blindly hate either. “In Arsene We Trust” and “In Arsene We Rust” are not factor...