ARSENALISM©

The Good the Bad and the Ugly Before I get on the plane I thought I would look back at the Season; not all doom and gloom style though. I’m reflecting on the good bits (yes I know they were few and far between) as well as the dirge.   GOALS 1 st PRIZE “Arrrrrshaaaaviiiiiiiiiiin!”- V Barcelona . A sweeping example of hitting them on the break Honourable mentions RVP- V Barcelona- Scoring through the eye of a needle Nasri v Fulham-Individual skill and a ridiculous spin Walcott V Chelsea- A nail in the coffin of the Chelsea hoodoo Ramsey V Manchester United- A sweet return for the Welshman reminds us that there’s nothing quite like beating Man U. http://youtu.be/Qfw6J-tGd74   BLUNDERS (Where to begin) 1 st PRIZE Almunia- body checking Squilacci at the Hawthorns Dishonourable mentions Fabregas-handling in the area against Sp*rs Eboue-Against Liverpool in the 102 nd minute; what was he thinking?! Diaby-reacting to Barton, and not even hitting him properly, and being sent...

Just because we did! Oh sod it, let's look back on that marvelous night when we put the Catalans to bed for one night only http://playmyfootball.com/arsenal-2-1-barcelona-champions-league-extended-highlights-video all the action http://totallycoolpix.com/2011/02/champions-league-arsenal-barcelona/?css=dark Marvelous pictures 

Far be it for me to reach into the larder and select a can of Heinz worms in tomato sauce and then apply the Brabantia can opener to them with the express purpose of opening said can, but, yesterdays post garnered some responses bordering on the hysterical. Oh, dear it seems that one must not, repeat, must not challenge the status quo vis a vis his nibs. Of course his holiness is an exceptional player, and at present there is no argument that he is not the best player in the world. Although whenever these pronouncements are made it is usually designated to a player plying their trade in Europe, those actually playing in South America still remain rather unknown to most. It’s also clear that Barcelona are the best team in Europe; they’ve proved that. My point is still that being the best does not mean I have to like him; I don’t. That’s my opinion and I would guess that anyone who takes time to express an opinion in writing has the right, nay the duty, to write what they think. Cour...

I don’t like Lionel Messi. There I’ve said it, I have gone and stated that the chosen one; the greatest ever player to pull on a pair of socks doesn’t do it for me. Le Petit prince, the Little Argentinean gets on my nerves. Why? You may say. I’m glad you asked. I don’t like the fact this he has the same first name as Lionel Blair, let’s face it since when has a top sportsman been called Lionel? I don’t like the fact that he has the hair cut of a 1970’s US college nerd. I don’t like his face either; for a so called legend he’s no Beckham, Ali or Pires. He looks like a stout Copernicus. I don’t like the fact that he looks so pleased with himself when he scores; he does not celebrate in a cool way. In fact, on the subject of cool, he is so unutterably uncool; which is not cool. I don’t like the fact that he plays for a club that are as pleased with themselves as he is. A club that competes on an unfair playing field, a club that has players such as Daniel Alves who is to sportsmanship wh...

POP FOOTBALL WILL IS EAT   EATING ITSELF After a deeply frustrating season it is time to reflect. Success tends to feed the fan and, repleat, we head off to summer with a positive view of the season to come. When things don't work out to plan there is space for reflecting. I feel dissillusioned; not just with Arsenal but with the beautiful game in general. I believe that things will come to a head, South Sea bubble like, as things continue the way they have been going. Greed is king in the football game and there has never been such a disparity in the sport, between the people involved in it and the man/woman on the street who keeps the faith. I think that there are many reasons why a gluttinous sport is eating itself. Here are twenty reasons; I'm sure there are more.  FIFA -Corruption in high places EUFA -An unfair playing field Agents -Parasitic creators of player power Players -Little lord Fauntleroy syndrome Club Corporate -draining the cash at all costs Ma...

Nearly men? Referenciing Captain Kirk at toboldlygo some may be aghast by that question but a treble was within the grasp of this set of players and tactics & selection cost dear in two games. Firstly, in The Champions League having taken a draw away from Stamford Bridge and scored, courtesy of Reyes in the second leg at Highbury just before half time, Arsenal needed to shut up shop in the second half to progress to the quarter final of an eminently winnable ECL. Failure to do so led to a late Bridges winner and Chelsea progressing and subsequently being knocked out. Second was the FA cup game against Man Utd and some baffling team selection resulting in an exit. The team did bounce back magnificently against Liverpool at Highbury in the league and go on to claim an unprecedented   unbeaten season though. It’s noticeable that Ferguson , when speaking of United’s achievements says that he feels the club should have had more success in Europe . That smacks of a winning menta...

QUIZ It’s the last game of a dissapointing season your Captain is injured would you like to see him at A)    The game? B)      In Spain watching the Grand Prix?   Answers on a postcard to the usual address

And that’s that. A draw at Craven Cottage brings this most frustrating of seasons to a conclusion. Played 38, Won19, Drew 11, Lost 8, Goals For 72, Goals against 43. Those are the stats of the season that matter. The drawn games column makes for grim reading when you consider some of those games and the position we were in against Newcastle, Sp*rs and Liverpool. The games lost column includes some shocking defeats by so called lesser sides; West Brom, Newcastle, Stoke City, Wigan, Bolton and Sp*rs in a game we lead 2-0. So we end the season having to go through a potential banana skin pre-qualifying round of the ECL. As for the Carling Cup, we lost to a team that have gone on to be relegated. In the FA cup we were undone by virtue of putting in a lack lustre performance. As for the Champions League; after a storming first leg against EUFA’s chosen ones we lacked that bit of quality to take us through. Even there is also frustration in knowing that we are the only side to have beaten...

Amaury Bischoff 30th July 2008-20th June 2009 Following the departure of Flamini, Hleb and Gilberto Arsenal signed the Werder Bremen bench warmer, presumably to fill the gap. He played 26 minutes of first team Premier football Two appearances as substitute in the league cup and one appearance as sub in the FA Cup In these games he came on when we were winning 3-0, 2-0, 4-0,3-0 Why he was bought by Wenger and paid for a year is beyond anyone’s knowledge. This is a player that exemplifies the myth of Wenger’s unerring eye for a player. Spotted, bought, barely played, well paid and then released on a free. When Wenger purchased him he said he was “a gamble on talent” one of many gambles that did not come off for Arsene. He was another nippy ‘compact’ midfield player that the club has been awash with over the last five years “Killing" players anyone?

ULTIMATE ARSENAL JENNINGS RICE McLINTOCK ADAMS COLE VIEIRA BRADY PIRES ARMSTRONG BERGKAMP HENRY My Ultimate Arsenal what's yours?

Today that master of the ineffectual Denilson (in fact the only thing of note he ever did was have a ridiculous hairstyle for a couple of games) revealed he is leaving Arsenal after his transfer request was accepted. He is on his way to Rio Sunday night apparently. I  imagined myself being the interviewer and this is what I would have said in response to his quotes. “This has been the worst season of my life and I am so upset, so frustrated. I am a winner and I came here to win trophies but I’ve been here for five years and won nothing.”-Denilson “No this hasn’t been your worse season; the last four have. You’re not a winner; one has only to look at how you perform. The fact that you have won nothing is directly related to your lack of ability.”-arsenalism "I was fed up of coming home and feeling down.”-Denilson “Yes we all were!”-arsenalism "Let's be honest, some of those games were shocking, shameful. We are better than that. But until Arsenal stop throwing away t...

When you do what Arsenal have done this season you set yourself up for cheap humour, and cheap humour is what you get!

Due to incompetence of the highest order Arsenal will, in all probability, be facing a qualifying round for the Champions League. Some of the teams we may have to face are Bayern Munich Dynamo Kyiv Benfica Villareal Udinese/Lazio PSG Now, given how we have been playing of late would you bank on us qualifying? I for one would find it hard to tolerate Channel 5 late afternoon kick offs and dull trips to Albania. If that's what happens there is no one to blame but Arsenal football Club. The assumption that the Champions League is a given, sums up all that is currently wrong at the Emirates.

http://youtu.be/BdALY2fLvq4 Hey, anyone remember when the end of season meant something? That sums it all up on the final home game of a remarkable season  http://youtu.be/JyNaE2H_w-4 Patrick scores and the Unbeaten season is complete  http://youtu.be/sbCpQzuX5DE Another comeback to ensure Champions League and leave Highbury on a win http://youtu.be/Ro00WwYB-RM Michael Thomas against the odds http://youtu.be/L85wbuePV8w Dennis completes the comeback to clinch Europe http://youtu.be/_kSAer3KUQo http://youtu.be/558o6j25cHY