ARSENALISM©

"At Arsenal we never ever started any brawls-we just finished them"-David Rocastle Taken from us at a tragically early age ten years ago today Rocky we salute you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUaNieDfBVw Rocky tribute http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juxu6Ev7a6A THAT goal against Man Utd

During this interminable interlull there are two pieces of entertainment that will help relieve the tedium. First. Currently showing on Sky Anytime is  Sky News Special report: Thierry Henry , in which the lovely Georgie Thomson spends a week in NY with the former Arsenal captain. It's an interesting and laid back look at TH14's life in the big apple and well worth a watch. http://www.101greatgoals.com/georgie-thompsons-week-in-new-york-with-thierry-henry-video/88799/ link 1 http://www.skysports.com/tv_show/story/0,20144,20438_6835862,00.html link 2 Second. Alan Davies' excellent Tuesday club Podcast this week features a Q & A for the Centrepoint charity where Arsenal fans ask Arsene Wenger, Martin Keown and Nigel Winterburn some questions, hosted by Davies this is a light hearted and entertaining affair. Both should help you make it through to Saturday. Highly recommended http://thetuesdayclub.libsyn.com/ link & on iTunes

“We have front row seats for this theatre of mass destruction. The demolitions committee of Project Mayhem wrapped the foundation columns of a dozen buildings with blasting gelatine”-Narrator Much like the narrator in Fight Club, Arsene’s project mayhem has imploded under the weight of its own myth. The explosive charges are in place and the detonator primed for the walls of this great football club of ours (never forget, fellow season ticket holders; it’s our club) to come tumbling down. Project mayhem is looking tired, stale and ineffective. No it’s not the idea of overthrowing the status quo with soap formed from liposuctioned human fat, raids on Starbucks and Anarchy that I’m talking about, it’s the year zero policy Wenger imposed, as did the soviets, rebuilding under a new philosophy and dogmatically sticking with failing principles. The icon of these principles could have been encapsulated by a statue erected outside the Emirates of Denilson . That statue could then be topple...

"I'm not everybody's cup of tea"-John Terry England Captain 22/03/11 This was Terry at his repulsive worst at the press conference yesterday ahead of England's meeting with Wales. A true nasty piece of work; unrepentant, evasive, arrogant and cocky. just the sort of Captain England don't need. "You know someones a wrong 'un when he's coated off by Craig Bellamy!"-Anon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8EkKkTiuqU it's called humour

So Rio is furious that he has been snubbed as England captain; and there we were all thinking that the England squad was one big happy family. Usurped by none other than ‘JT’ the white van man of football. Rio has apparently tweeted his disgust at Capello not seeing him in person to break the tragic news. That we now have a national team managed by a Tommy Cooper lookalike, albeit with great credentials, who has been unable to get the best out of the so called (and self proclaimed) world beaters at his disposal says all you need to know. He is safe in his contract and his charges are big babies so used to being mollycoddled and obliged, that they rise up at the slightest perceived injustice. How on earth is the common man meant to have any empathy for these spoilt brats who clearly don’t view playing for their country as an honour? The cult of celebrity is typified more in these glorified sports equipment salesman than anything outside of the pop industry. The fact that it is no...

This squad, by and large ,has reached a dead end with Arsene Wenger driving the bus. This mob never have and never will be good enough. Today’s result is absolutely predictable. Terrible goalkeeping yet again makes a mockery of Wenger's failure to buy, no heart, lack of mental toughness, poor defending yet Arsene felt it unnecessary to buy a decent defender, no leadership and Wenger is responsible for the type of players he buys, and they expect us to pay more for our season ticket? What a diabolical liberty. Of course everyone knew that Man Utd would win at home, by hook or by crook. So a win at the Hawthorns was a minimum requirement. This bunch wouldn’t know what that means; they haven’t got the wherewithal. A draw just does not cut the mustard boys. Talk of a spirited comeback is poppycock; we should not have been 2-0 down! Today was the day where our bunch of misfits, that Wenger ‘believes in’, were exposed as not having what it takes; big time. Until there is a manag...

Not being included in the Champions League is annoying; however it did raise a smirk with me. Of course Barcelona drew Shakhtar Donetsk; that was as predictable as the drums at the end of Eastenders. Chelsea v Man Utd is pretty much perfect for our title aspirations. Two tough games within a congested fixture list and of course the probability of a stalemate in the league fixture between the two. As for our noisy neighbours they meet Real Madrid and more importantly Jose Mourinho; a man who knows how to win over two legs. Naturally Sp*rs would feel that prioritising the ECL is a reasonable option. Should they prevail, of course they would meet Shakhtar Donetsk Barcelona in the Semi Final an dc this would give them the opportunity to score more than the three goals we have managed over the last two meetings, after all they all think that Sp*rs are better than Arsenal now. 

This is the squad that Arsene Wenger inhereted when he joined Arsenal   1. David Seaman             2. Lee Dixon                3. Nigel Winterburn         4. Patrick Vieira           5. Steve Bould              6. Tony Adams               7. David Platt              8. Ian Wright               9. Paul Merson            10. Dennis Bergkamp       11. Glenn Helder           12. Andy Linighan          13. Vince Bartram ...

"whahey Arsenal!" It's hitting home now ; being out of Europe. That other lot of English clubs are all committed to at least two more midweek games (I assume Chelsea will get through later tonight) so in that sense maybe it's a bit of a silver lining. The longer Man Utd, Chelsea, Sp*rs, Liverpool and Man City stay in Europe the better for our chances I would have thought. Yes I know it's a bit like straw clutching, but when you need snookers (as we do) "every little helps". Ferguson's touchline ban could be handy also. So in that sense for the first time this season we have had a bit of luck; albeit indirect. No I don't like having to rely on others but, let's face it, us winning our ten remaining games with the squad available are not good and we need a little bit of backhanded fortune. Let Arse Aid begin. I for one would be more than happy to be the least deserving, jammiest winners of the league of all time. "I would luv it!...

Okay, The sun's out and I reckon every Arsenal fan needs cheering up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZbKHDPPrrc We have ten games to turn the season around with a half fit squad of mediocrity, however this league is currently half baked so who knows. I am resigned to starting again in August 2011, therefore the 33points that lie ahead for the winning will be what they will be. But when there's nowhere left to go and your down and out the only way is up...apparently  "A man without hope is a man without fear"- Wilson Fisk

The Chance of a trophy gone The Chance of a trophy gone The Chance of a trophy gone Another Injury Another Injury Another Injury It's getting a bit much now It's really getting a bit much now It's REALLY getting a bit much now Moving on...Let's see how the walking wounded and the hard of thinking get on now with only one thing to aim for. It really isn't easy being an Arsenal supporter, but, hey, no one said it was going to be. Off to have some fun now and consign the last two weeks to the dustbin of time.

Two managers: one castigated for not speaking to the press one lambasted for speaking his mind. Whether one believes that either stance/view is right or wrong, at the heart of things is poor/dodgy refereeing and corrupt organisation. EUFA and the FA are two of the most corrupt bodies in professional sport ; not forgetting FIFA, and their application of rules and inherent favouritism (and yes that favouritism has been for Arsenal & Man Utd on occasion) borders on the maniacal. In Football there are laws that Referees and their assistants are there to enforce. In the running of the beautiful game there are principals along with realities of commerce that need to be upheld; principally fairness and yes, sportsmanship. Corruption underlines everything about FIFA, EUFA and the FA and to respond or not respond is a ‘damned if you do damned if you don’t’ situation. Again I am not necessarily agreeing with everything connected to Wenger and Ferguson but the right to speak or not to should...

Manchester United v Arsenal used to be the top fixture in England. It is again and no matter what, it is a special occasion. Can this year's model repeat what  the 2003 version did at Old Trafford. Not only a victory but a serious dent in the Old Trafford machine. Come on Arsenal let's give Ferguson another reason to have a press blackout. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p7amdvvwnU Lovely 16mm film Man Utd 0-2 (Edu, Wiltord) Arsenal Fa Cup 2003 The repercussions of that day even the greats fluff their lines

I awoke to the sound of the cock crowing this morning. Yes that's right Harry's boys have made it to the last eight after 49 years. And fair play to them, but, let's not book that open top bus just yet. They successfully parked it last night against a Milan side of underachievers Robinho, Ibrahimovich, Flamini and an ageing Seedorf but as i say fair play they got the result. The hysteria and bitterness reached a crescendo this morning with ludicrous comparisons being made between Sp*rs result and Arsenals's at Camp Nou. Granted Milan lead Serie A but I think its reasonable to say that Barcelona are a better team. What was noticeable about the Sp*rs performance was the work rate and understanding of the task at hand; make progress by any means necessary. Of course the press pundits and general football experts have always loved Sp*rs and they have taken the opportunity to laud 'appy 'Arry with both hands. 'Harry for England' 'Sp*rs are well equippe...

This is no time for knee jerk reaction, but like the good Cpt Kirk I have reflected on last night and the past months with a view to having some clarity about the immediate future of Arsenal. The FA Cup and Premier league are reasonable targets between now and the end of May; the same can be said for a number of clubs. Why have Arsenal failed to reach the apex of European football time and again? Why have Arsenal not won the League or FA Cup or Carling Cup in half a decade? No one knows the answers to that All my following opinions are based on the current squad as five years is long enough to make references to the Invincibles futile. EUROPE In terms of European football, money talks and the only way to combat money rich squads is tactical strength. This is all important. To suggest that Barcelona are all conquering is to over look Mourinho’s tactical defeat of them last year. The richest clubs do not always win the Champions League that is a fact. Wenger is not tactically astute en...

Well, I’m non-plussed by tonight’s game. The selection of Rosicky & Diaby certainly, how Sczesny got injured and some of the officiating absolutely, add Cesc's performance and our unfeasible bad luck and you could say that a curse may have been put upon us by a Catalonian gypsy. But what was most disgraceful was Van Persie's second yellow; utterly ludicrous. This in itself did not necessarily shape the final result but it compromised our ability to effect change from the bench (as did the necessity of bringing on Almunia, who, to be fair, put in a good performance) As I noted in my previous post I had concerns about the referee but I had no inkling that he would make such an idiotic decision as to send off RVP. What was also extremely annoying fcuking aggravating was the commentary on Sky from Tyler & Smith. They clearly want to have Guardiola's love child, they are going to adopt Messi, and they are marrying the Nou Camp. The sheer undiluted drooling over Barca ...

Yes Rosicky has left Sagna exposed time and again, yes Diaby has been ineffectual and you wonder if Cszesny would have fared better on the goal (probably not), but Cesc's back heel was suicidal. All that aside I think we were doing okay before the 48th minute. The mission statement remains the same for the second half as far as I'm concerned; we need to score. That was the case before and it's the case now. Barca's theatrics, by and large have been handled okay by the ref (his stopping of the game was a strange moment, i think he was thirsty) the yellow cards dished out are par for the course. Second half coming up and Wenger needs to take a risk. Arshavin? Bendtner? Score a goal and let's see. One thing he may need to consider is taking of Cesc who is clearly not at his best. Forty five minutes to make some history. Come on Arsenal.

There is one person who may play a key factor in tonight's game and very little has been said about him; Massimo Busacca. The Swiss Referee is best known for being banned for three matches for sticking his middle finger up at fans during a game between FC Baden and Young Boys. This, he claims, was due to being provoked by “verbal abuse” by fans. “I lost my cool.” was his explanation for the incident. Let's hope he keeps his cool because, amid all the compliments about Barcelona's style of play, ability and general swagger there is little mention of their rampant gamesmanship. A weak referee could easily be bamboozled by Barca's shenanigans and this could lead to disastrous decisions; in all probability against Arsenal. It's a shame that with all the deserved praise Barca receive little is said about their habit of working the ref; in other words cheating. Let's hope that Monsieur Busacca gives the finger to the blatant skulduggery of the Catalans tonight. I...

No hay ninguna canción RVP no Walcott , pero probablemente Fábregas . Esto hace que nuestra tarea en el Camp Nou considerable , sin embargo todavía sostienen que se cuenta y que sin duda pondrá un gato entre las palomas . No hay que olvidar que Barcelona no son una raza de súper humanos ni son la defensiva inexpugnable . Mientras Arsene hojas Diaby , Rosicky Denilsen y esposado a los aseos vestuario tenemos una gran oportunidad para avanzar a la siguiente ronda . Me gustaría ver Nasri y Wilshire conseguir un montón de la pelota y de Cesc para mantener la compostura . Ramsey también pueden desempeñar un papel , que debe por delante de la DDR eje de la mediocridad . También tenemos el inmenso talento Arshavin para tener un buen rendimiento de distancia ( Anfield viene a la mente ) , y la defensa de cuatro necesidad de evitar cualquier error muchacho de la escuela . En cierto modo , con ...

ARSENAL Played 28 GD 30 points 57 REMAINING FIXTURES-maximum points available 87 WBA Blackburn Blackpool Liverpool Sp*rs Bolton Man Utd Stoke Villa Fulham MANCHESTER UNITED Played 29 GD 33 Points 60 REMAINING FIXTURES-maximum points available 87 Bolton WHUFC Fulham Newcastle Everton Arsenal Chelsea Blackburn Blackpool The Arsenal v Manchester United fixture has now taken on even more significance. Either team winning could be decisive, however a draw may suit both teams. It's hard to predict where points will be dropped in the remaining fixtures as this season's league defies logic. Could these fixtures be crucial; Arsenal v Liverpool at the Emirates? Man Utd taking on a somewhat rejuvinated Chelsea ? Arsenal's visit to Sp*rs  Man Utd away to the Hammers ? No idea! one things for sure, the maximum points achievable for either team are the same, IF, there is a draw between the two , but you kind of feel that on 1st May it will be a  cas...

On returning home I was pleasently suprised by the Liverpool victory over Man Utd courtesy of a Kyt hat-trick. This leaves us three points behind with a game in hand and the goal difference now three goals. Now the league is on ice until 19th March. When we begin three winnable fixtures against West Brom, Blackburn & Blackpool before Liverpool visit. Two of the three competitions we remain in will be clearer a week from now and the third may be clearer once our cassualty ward is empty. But for now three is the magic number. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVfe6rdHRKI 3 is...