ARSENALISM©

A winning habit? The calendar year girdles two seasons the first of which saw us leading the field for what seemed an age and ended with an FA cup victory after going two goals down at Wembley. Victory was also achieved in the Charity Shield/Community Shield or whatever it's called these days to start this season on a positive note. The acquisition of Alexis Sanchez gave Arsenal supporters optimism and after seeing Campbell in the flesh at the World Cup it seemed that we had a decent striker on our hands, and at that same world Cup we saw three of our own lift the big one. It was noticeable that we had a summer without speculation regarding the departure of our better players: could this be because no one wants them? Although Vermaelan's form had been patchy his departure along with the loss of Sagna made it clear that we needed to purchase some defensive reinforcements to add to the promising Callum Chambers and Mathieu Debussy-clear it seems, to all but the manage...

There’s been a lot of talk about respect recently, most of it self righteous and judgemental, but it’s a word that we associate with the principals of fair play that sport should stand for. Richard Keys and others described Santi Cazorla’s deliciously confident penalty in the 4-1 win against Newcastle United as disrespectful: the irony of Keys making a judgement on matters of respect was probably lost on him. Balderdash I say. Football should be entertaining and moments of skill and daring excite and enamour supporters. Santi’s Pen was a moment to savour and it’s certainly not the first time we have seen such hutzpah from the spot at the Arsenal. Then there's the issue of respect towards Arsene Wenger. some say criticism of him is disrespectful full stop. I don't agree. I think criticism is part of the remit of supporting and loving your club but certainly effing and blinding is not acceptable and absolutely diminishes ones argument. I have ...

A house divided it seems. The reason would most probably be attributable to the man at the helm. There are those that support the club and have faith in the current manager and those that support the club and have no faith in the manager. Isn't that how civil wars generally start? a question of faith: t he believers and the non believers. One group believes that water can be turned into wine and the other can find no evidence to support that belief and what then happens is unrest which leads to conflict. At the moment its hardly Victoria Concordia Crescit and I sense that the conflicting views currently being expressed are merely forays that will escalate until we, as a body of supporters, are at Defcon 1. While we debate the pros and cons of our manager we need to retain that most old fashioned of values: civility. Heated debate is fine, strident discussion is okay and bombastic badinage is healthy but once we go beyond that we may lose sight of the main issue: the fact t...

Does Tomorrow never come? After our ignominious defeat, yet again, at the hands of a top four opponent (well it was a fellow midtable side; but you know what I mean) I can't see it being any clearer that our manager's time is up. This has been coming inexorably for a long long time and those that have chosen or felt obliged to stay loyal to a ruler bereft of former powers of success are surely now out of reasons, excuses or out and out stubbornness. If not can it be that my fellow Arsenal supporters are so wrapped up in entitlement that they think that only fans of the so called 'lesser clubs' are allowed to criticise their manager? The facts support the view that Arsene is no longer capable of managing a club with such high expectation yet the fear of change seems to be the mantra; "who would you get to replace him?" Thats tantamount to staying with a partner because you're scared to enter the dating world. Arsene is yesterday's man-that...

Mourinho has clearly passed on some to tips to Van Gaal in how to be a loud mouthed bore

Kind of what success is built on

Could it be true that Wenger doesn't nurture young players as the myth suggests? It could be said that he Slings them into high pressure  situations,  plays them out of position or loans them out if they show promise in the first team. Is it fair to say that   Evert  year we qualify for a tournament we have no chance of winning and every year we get blown away by a team at some point in the competition showing that we are ill equipped?  Every year there is no adaptation made to deal with our inferiority either tactically or in team selection. Some might say that repeating  mistakes year  after year is a sign of arrogance, complacency, stubbornness or even incompetence. Does the fact that we still have a vociferous majority arguing that everything is  rosy  as long as we qualify each year make sense? Is it acceptance or lack of ambition? Listening to those that will have no truck with rational criticism of Wenger one need not even go back ...

Silverware ,  that all important commodity  in football. Si lverware: when you don’t have it ,  it becomes a   stick to be beaten with, when you do it’s all about  what sort of silverware it is  it seems. When is winning not winning? When it’s the Arsenal apparently. Let’s get things in perspective shall we? There are only  four  trophies that can be won by an English club and another two which you can compete for if you win one of the four (The Super Cup & the Community Shield)  in  real terms that’s not many pieces of Silverware available. I contend that there were eighteen other Premier Clubs who would have been somewhat chuffed to have won the Community Shield as a result of having won the FA cup, and many more from the other leagues probably feel the same. So why not enjoy it? Why not crack a smile? Why not swig some Champagne? No Arsenal supporter believes that the Community Shield is anything more than it is and the player...

BT Sport don’t seem to like us much, then again why should they be any different? There Premier League advertising campaign features the Arsenal enduring heavy defeats and seems to show a general gloating from the participants avidly watching and listening to the games. Many on social media have  harrumphed  and pouted about this ant Arsenal bias. As for me? Not a problem. Let the players and manager watch the adverts and remind themselves what those humiliations felt like. Let them gird their loins and makes themselves determined to reverse those  score lines . During the 90/91 Season George Graham gave a speech at London Colney to the Arsenal squad following our points deduction after victory at Old Trafford. “It’s always been fashionable to get at the Arsenal” he said and went on to rouse the listening squad. These adverts should have the same effect. Never mind that the two clubs featured hammering us won nothing that season and that we are one of only two c...

Now that England have jettisoned some of the unsavoury characters that made watching them unbearable I could quite get into sitting back with a beer cheering them on in Brazil (especially Jack and Alex) but it’s not the same as watching the Arsenal. I also look forward to the great players: some known and some to make their mark at this most special of World Cups but it’s not the same as watching the Arsenal. The play offs were quite entertaining and if they are low on quality they are always full of drama but it’s not the same as watching the Arsenal. I always look on The Champions League Final with a sense of envy: it really is the most magical of games and the elation that greeted Bale’s goal was special but it’s not the same as watching the Arsenal. Wimbledon produces some moments of drama and incident and in terms of a British tournament it retains its quintessential status but it’s not the same as watching the Arsenal. The Comm...

The overall feeling I have regarding Manchester City winning the Premier League is not antipathy, joy or resentment: its indifference. Another team in blue win the league with an expensively assembled squad. Okay that’s the reality of the Premier League as evidenced by Chelsea previously and Blackburn before them. City won the league fair and square so there you go. Anything but victory I believe would have been seen as failure as the squad they have is clearly the best in the land. What their Title means is that, as they have won the League Cup also, there can only be two clubs with something to show for 2013/14: Manchester City and of course Hull City or The Arsenal. Don’t try and tell me that there are not 18 Premier clubs and the rest from the lower leagues who wouldn’t want to be striding out onto the Wembley turf come Saturday at 5:00. In a glass half empty world Arsenal failed to retain our place at the top this season, for want of a couple of additions and a bit ...