ARSENALISM©

 Thursday 30 th June Fulham v Nes Soknar Itrottarfelag EUFA Europa League Qualifier 1 st leg That’s the reality of underachievement. Not in Fulham’s case but it could be Arsenal next time. Mediterranean beaches left early, bags packed, Caribbean cruises cut short, Pacific Island stays terminated. That’s maybe what Arsenal’s current bunch of well remunerated underperformers need. Maybe it’s what the club need in order to implement a culture shift and make the necessary changes. In a climate where Champions League qualification is the target at the start of each season as opposed to winning the Champions League being the target, it is reasonable to suggest that to not qualify should be viewed, by that criteria, to be abject failure. After all one of the reasons for moving to Emirates inc. was to ‘compete with the best in Europe’ presumably compete in winning. By the way there is no guarantee that Arsenal will navigate the qualification stage for the 2011/12 Champions League. If ...

Emirate Mother F**kers Some unbelievable things going on Arsenal turn down £10m for Diaby! Arsenal produce a Wycombe Wanderers Away kit! The line up for the Emirates cup! Pricing for the Screening of Fever pitch at Emirates! The ticket price hike! The end if last season! No takers for Denilson!...No, I’m joking, that’s totally believable! The Strange world of Arsenal http://youtu.be/waacof2saZw

Apparently, don't you just love that word? we are going to buy one of this lot very, very, yes very, soon. Therefore as there is little in the way of inspiration,here are some tenuous juvenile and downright pathetic images to accompany each player. Please enjoy responsibly Gervinho Barton Viviano Enrique Cahill Samba Alvarez Jagielka Oxlade-Chamberlaine Parker http://youtu.be/Hz64hWng2vM tick tock

Those imbecilic Arsenal bashers at Talksport have actually come up with an article that I find hard to disagree with. As was reported in the Current Bun a 'disgruntled' fan wrote to Wenger with some salient observations and questions. The writer appeared on Talksport and what he had written was reasonable and well thought out. He then gave permission for the station to print Wenger's (or his PR's) response and have wittily 'translated' it. Yes I never thought I would say this but I agree with the station of the White Van man; that in itself is a sad indictment. So here, with acknowledgement to said station and the bloke wot wrote the original letter are the Wenger Words   "A letter from Arsene Wenger to a disgruntled Arsenal fan appeared in The Sun, with the French gaffer giving his defence of Arsenal's performances last season. Read extracts of Wenger's words below, along with translated versions of what the Arsenal boss would possibly like to sa...

1997 and It was the last game at the Baseball ground and we travelled up to Derby with nothing much riding on the game. After a bizarre minutes silence for the stadium the game began and Adams was sent off early as we battled on with ten men to record a victory. Matthew next to me fell asleep and therefore missed most of the win he also missed a couple of great goals from Ian Wright and some humorous banter between the home fans and us Gooners. An old stadium died that day and the trend has continued, for better or for worse; I think worse. The real highlight of the day was stumbling across an old pub nearby. When visiting away grounds it’s hit and miss as far as pubs go; you never know what you will find or what sort of reception you will get. In this particular case we walked into a rather decrepit looking boozer but were delighted to hear the sound of Ska and Blue beat being played by a bloke with a single turntable. The speakers were converted wardrobes and clearly had been arou...

In April 2006, Simon Kuper wrote in the FT "One night last year some legends of Dutch football gathered for dinner in an Amsterdam house. Around midnight conversation turned to an old question: who was the best Dutch footballer ever? Dutchmen have been voted European Footballer of the Year seven times, more than any other nationality except Germans. Yet Jan Mulder a great centre-forward turned writer, chose a player who had never even threatened to win the award nor, at the time, a Champions League: 'Bergkamp. He had the finest technique', said Mulder. Guus Hiddink , the great Dutch manager, nodded, and so the matter was settled."

Comment: Voice over vision It struck me a few years ago how this grand old club was now so heavily linked with Wenger. It was kind of worrying. Mick M Comment: Mythbusting#4 In response to the Dennis post. I think you've done a really good job there. United fans'll never have it but Dennis probably was a better player. However, it’s said that it was Cantona's personality that enabled those young United players to believe in themselves. It’s a tricky one but I think if you went to the top half a dozen coaches in football at that time and asked them who'd they prefer - four (at least) would plump for the Dutchman. Mick M

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse Its official. We will now be dressed like Wycombe Wanderers for our away games. I can only assume as some sort of tribute to Tony Adams.

The new Arsenal advertising campaign celebrating 125 years of our club is a nicely composed ode to the founders back in Woolwich. Part two is released today. What spoils it for me is that the voice over is not supplied by a Londoner with sufficient gravitas to conjure up those bygone days but by Arsene Wenger. No, it’s not a bout a French accent it’s that the powers that be feel that Wenger is so inextricably linked with the club that I bet they didn’t even consider anyone else. This may seem a small thing but it just adds to the unsackability of the man. Wenger is the current Manager, fair enough, but he does not represent all things Arsenal. http://youtu.be/3INgXL12Qto 1886

Online polls, Sky TV, pundits in general will often cite Eric Cantona as the best foreign import to play in the premier League. This, of course, is not the case, it was Dennis Bergkamp. Cantona was at Old trafford for 5 years following time at Leeds united , where he won the 1st Division this meant he won 5 titles and 2 FA cups to go along with individual honours in the shape of PFA player of the year and FWA player of the year. Of course Cantona was part of an already successful Man Utd team, whom he let down badly by attacking a hare brained supporter at Crystal Palace leading to a lengthy ban. His pseudo philosophical pronouncements were all smoke and mirrors but he was a top notch footballer; a hell of a player. Internationally he did nothing during this period neither did he make any dent in European competition save for allowing himself to be wound up at Galatasary. http://youtu.be/cujpoRTkcjQ V Man Utd Dennnis Bergkamp arrived at an Arsenal in transition and played alongsi...

I also like the term "put up or shut up" Captain  Kirk "wear your colours, wear your colours" Mick M

So Barcelona want Fabregas for £30m? this is the same club that paid £40m for Ibrahimovic plus they ‘threw in’ Samuel E’to. Unbelievable, in a climate where Andy Carroll cost Liverpool £35m that these bold faced tap up merchants want the 24 year old for, what is basically peanuts. Now I am of the opinion that it would be great to keep Cesc but not the end of the world if he chooses to leave. There is a hang up about the Barca connection which I don’t buy into. If the player is fed up at Arsenal, okay. If he wants out, okay. But Arsenal need to get some serious money for losing one of our best players and should Milan , Real or anyone else on the continent offer decent money then that’s where we should sell him and let that club worry about Barca courting him. Their shameless pursuit is akin to stalking. I’m just sick of hearing the old ‘Barca DNA’ line; who gives a sh*t? Cesc is contracted to Arsenal Football Club and as much as Barcelona covet him they have taken things to the s...

Peanuts! Peanuts Mick M

One of the things I miss the most was the ability to just turn up at the turnstile, pay and get in. Those were the days my friend. Captain Kirk

An early memory of going to the Arsenal is when I went with my friend George to see Arsenal play Nottingham Forest. What was notable about this game was that Shilton had been involved in an incident involving his car and a woman. This lead to the chant “Shilton hit a lamppost, Shilton hit a lamppost, la la la la, la la la la” This refrain rang out from the North Bank. My friend and I squeezed in near the front in a good position to see the Marching Band, and in particular, the Band Leader hurl his mace in the air and unerringly catch it; as he did on all four sides of the ground at Half time. As I recall the Keeper in question fumbled a save that gave the Arsenal a win. The thing about the game in question was that it was a case of turning up at the ground buying a reasonably priced ticket and going in to watch Arsenal play a   big club, which Forest were in those days. As for the year? I'm not sure but I’m sure a bag of chips followed. a programme from around that time

http://youtu.be/bEB2lVaUNmI Winning Title at Old Trafford Sylvain Wiltord, European Championship winner FA Cup Winner Premier League winner. After leaving Arsenal he went on to win three French Titles and play in the World cup final.  When a compilation of Arsenal In those glory days is viewed you will see Wiltord scoring, being part of the move and generally being involved. He had the habit of popping up with a goal when it was needed. His popularity amongst his team mates tells you all you need to know really. Wiltord was unfathomably unpopular amongst certain ranks of the Arsenal support, yet he played a major role in the Clubs success. The winner in the Old Trafford Lions den that secured the Premier League title, a decisive goal to knock Man Utd out of the FA Cup at the so called Theatre of Dreams; leading to the resultant Ferguson/Beckham flying boot incident. Wiltord scored 49 goals for Arsenal in his time at the club and was often a substitute without complaint; he was als...

In this extremely quiet mid season vacuum, there's one question  I have to ask, where is our captain? he appears to be very quite. Perhaps he's on a Spanish beach away from all the palaver... http://youtu.be/uzFZeA4nDus SPIZZ http://youtu.be/pqstoTZaUc4 REM To my fellow ArsenalBlogger @ http://captainkirk.wordpress.com/

Adulterer, Judas, Work experience shooter and all round bad egg Ashley Cole has been vilified by everyone and their sister over the last few years, It began with his acrimonious move to Chelsea; done amid a web of deceit, ingratitude and flash Harryness. When Cole returned to Arsenal with Chelsea for the first time he was subjected to 90 minutes of sustained abuse unlike anything I have heard at Arsenal. Rightly or wrongly Hell hath no fury like a group of supporters scorned. The abuse and vitriol aimed at Cole since has been sustained and he has not exactly been the shy retiring type (on and off the field), however, his major sin for Arsenal fans is that he left the club over a ‘mere’ £5000 a week and wrote about it in less than humble terms. Thus was born a nemesis for Arsenal fans to get hot under the collar over. More so as he chose to join the entirely unlikable Chelsea machine. Mourinho had courted him for one reason only; he was the best Left back in the league. So where’s the ...

  The George Graham era is when I went to Arsenal home and away the most and towards the end of his reign I sat through many a yawnsome afternoon. However there is a perceived and accepted notion that his Arsenal were boring and lacklustre; winners yes, but a dull side to watch. This of course is untrue of the whole of Graham’s tenure. One only has to look at a game such as Liverpool 0 Arsenal 2 at Anfield in 1989; possibly one of the least boring games ever played in English football. What about 1992 when Arsenal scored a total of 92 goals in all competitions or the demolitions of Norwich, Sheffield Wednesday and Standard Liege? Then there are some of the players; Merson, Limpar, Thomas, Davis, Wright, Rocastle; Boring? No way. Alan Smith won the golden boot as did Ian Wright, proving that we had goals alongside defensive quality. http://youtu.be/NVTayts24pM Limpar lob   Good defending achieved a lot in those days not least the amazing ECWC win against a number of better team...

Newcastle V Arsenal   ECL Qualifier 1 st Leg Liverpool V Arsenal ECL Qualifier 2nd Leg Manchester United V Arsenal an August Horribilis? Mental strength’, ‘Attitude’, ‘Ability’, three good fixtures to see where we are at the start of next season. Newcastle is a chance for redemption and to kick that particular monkey on the back into touch. The fixture will be all about mental strength for a team now notorious for self doubt. Liverpool ; the team with a great deal expected of them this year, a special fixture for Arsenal Football Club. Let’s see if the team have the right attitude on our opening home fixture to give the dissatisfied faithful something to smile about. Then the, always good to get out of the way early, fixture at Old Trafford. Will the new Arsenal have the ability to come away from the Champions with anything? The fact is that our performance will be the most important thing as, due to the timing of the game a loss would not be the end of the world. It’s abou...

The myth that when players leave Arsenal they do not do well is not as true as it might seem. It was bandied about as fact when Petit, Overmars and Anelka left, but they were replaced with winners in Gilberto, Pires and Henry. Since 2005 and our last trophy, the regular players that have left have won trophies; among the players and trophies are Vieira Serie As, FA Cup Henry Champs League, La Liga Ashley Cole Premierships, FA Cup Campbell FA Cup Lauren FA Cup Kanu FA Cup Adebayor Copa Del Raye Flamini Serie A Diarra La Liga, FA Cup A number of others went on to have successful  and productive careers including Gilberto Captain of Brazil, Jens Lehman and Robert Pires. Does this tell us that we jettisoned winners, or that they went to better clubs? Hard to say but the facts are there in the Trophies won columns. I think the truth is that from being a club that replaced like for like, we have been a club in the last half decade who have replaced winners with also rans.

Young Jack summing up nicely the delusional nature iof the average English footballer "We might not have shown it the other night, but we do have players with excellent technical ability," "You look at our senior side, we have some of the best players in the world. "[Steven] Gerrard, [Frank] Lampard, [John] Terry, [Rio] Ferdinand, [ Wayne ] Rooney, the list goes on. If they were in the Barcelona squad I'm sure all of them would start” -Jack Rodwell on the current England Team Problem is , that these mad men believe it. http://youtu.be/EZC6Ot1MLP0

  Imagine if you will that Arsenal was just a football club. Those munitions workers who clubbed together 125 years ago envisioned that their humble idea would grow and a football club would form and thrive with the Corinthian spirit and togetherness at its heart. Let's further imagine that Herbert Chapman believed that you couldn't stop progress and that he would ensure that Arsenal were at the forefront but still do things in the Arsenal way. Let's assume that after the war the Arsenal supporter that attended games week in week out during fallow times was happy and saw things for what they were content that the club they followed was real to them. Is it a stretch to imagine that in the seventies and eighties Arsenal were up and down but retained the Arsenal way and had players that supporters could still relate to. The Graham era; could it be that we all loved the bloody mindedness and the notoriety. Could that time have been a period where Arsenal’s fortunes fluctuated ...