ARSENALISM©

The return of Knee-Jerkism. Here we go again, Arsenal have lost a European game, yet still stay on top of our Europa League Group, and the hysterical (over) reactions have started. A bit like they did when Arsenal Drew a league game, yet still stayed on top of the League table. Some are only happy when they are unhappy, only take joy in negativity, thrive with the glass half empty. Social media does provide the soil for perversity to grow in, and some of the comments I've seen about the 2-1 loss to PSV can only be viewed in that context. Losing is as much about context as winning. If the team plays poorly and loses that provides an explanation but the opposition's performance has to be factored in at all times. PSV deserved the win, Arsenal didn't. It's as simple as that and all the hand wringing in the world won't change that. If we lose another two or three games in a row then it's only reasonable to be critical, but right now it seems fanciful to suggest that...

Football, and the premier League in particular, is on something of a high, and by definition The Arsenal are on a high. I have been fortunate enough to get over to the Emirates this season (courtesy of 'Good friend Ticketmaster') and being there articulates something that is harder to get across via the on line fan base. It's not over egging the pudding to say that love is in the air, because it is. The overwhelming feeling of connection and positivity in and around the ground is palpable and it feels good, very good. Yes the Arsenal are riding high and one would be naive to underestimate this as a factor but its more than that, it's like a new stadium and a new connectivity that you might expect from a club that has just been promoted to the big time, and that's how it feels; that we are taking steps back to the big time and the stadium feels like the right place at the right time. I think it's fair to say that Arsenal supporters don't indulge in repulsive ...

  THIS IS VAR

  Back In Black I'm saying it right here and right now and I may, at a later date, be hoist by my own petard, but I predict that The Arsenal will reach 78 points this season. What we lacked last season was the ability to take points from teams that, somehow, some expert or another said that Arsenal "should be beating". The team did not grasp the nettle of games against so called lesser teams and in that respect the final league placing was probably right, and was after all a return to Europe to a tournament that I feel we can win. There is an elite of two in this league and the rest. I feel that there are no teams better than Arsenal in the 18 that makes up the rest. That is not to say that Arsenal are better than the other seventeen, it's just that no one is better. On a given day Arsenal can beat Manchester United, Chelsea, West Ham and Tottenham: as was proven last season, but so too can be said conversely for those teams just mentioned. The key to success is the a...

And lo, it came to pass

So this is the last missive from me as the season has now packed it's bags and had it away on its toes. It's all about the future for the Arsenal. A summer with feet well and truly up awaits as there is the debacle in Qatar mid season, so good opportunities for players to get some rest, and several of our young players had to play far too often last season. What the future holds, only Elsie Partridge might be able to tell us, but a lot will be dependent on comings and goings over the summer. The Manager isn't going anywhere but there are a number of loanees and current squad members whose destiny is unclear. the same can be said about our potential targets as our club has a habit of being quite long winded when it comes to player purchases. I would hope that we can start the new campaign with the right changes and a bit of luck with injuries. The injuries to Tomiyasu, Tierney, White and Partey along with ESR's fitness issues had a significant negative effect last time a...

Another one bites the dust. Another season that is, and I spent a very pleasant sunny afternoon at the Emirates watching the Arsenal breeze through a 5-1 destruction of a very poor Everton team. I also spent a a very pleasant time in the pub with friends having an end of season rendezvous where analysis was mixed in with general catching up and friendly conversation. That the atmosphere in and around the ground was upbeat was telling and would indicate that there is a general consensus. What that consensus is, is hard to quantify, but here goes. I think most fans feel that, while it was disappointing to not finish higher in the league, getting back into europe was this season's challenge and that has been achieved. I think most fans feel more connected to this set of players, who are part of the youngest squad in the league. I think that the atmosphere within the ground is markedly upbeat and the moan and groan brigade are less vociferus. I think that while not everyone thinks that...

  Newcastle United put in an excellent performance at St James' Park last night. They were thoroughly deserving of the win and should have received all the plaudits in the aftermath of Arsenal's defeat, however, the focus was on Arsenal staying in 5th place in the league. So eager are the great and the good to criticise the Arsenal that scant respect has been shown to Eddie Howe and his team. The autopsies into Arsenal's performance are far more important for listening and viewing figures, and of course social media clicks. While we are on the subject of respect, the glorification of Tottenham Hotspur is being thoroughly relished by pundits and the disrespect being shown toward Norwich City is not only vulgar but, frankly, a bit of a liberty. There's a difference in predicting a Tottenham victory on the final day at Norwich and the arrogant assumption that a win for the visitors is a foregone conclusion. Bringing things back to the Arsenal, I would have thought that the...

  Earlier in the season at the Emirates Arsenal secured a 3-1 victory against 11 men Sp*rs, last night was Tottenham's turn to take the spoils from the game at The Armitage Shanks Arena against 10 man Arsenal. A questionable penalty decision and a red card had an impact on the result and I suppose it's convenient to highlight the Referee, Paul Glen Gary Jimmy Jurgen Gareth Jermaine Tierney's performance, or the fact that the 'not fit for impartiality ' Mike Riley maned the VAR desk, but the end result means that Arsenal retain 4th spot in the league with two games to go. I saw a lot of talk about anxiety ahead of the game and lots of outrage after. This is good though isn't it? Having something to play for this deep into the season is where we want to be I would have thought. I am hoping that the sense of injustice has a positive effect on the team ahead of the trip to St James' and that the experience of having to play against an inveterate cheat like Son H...

The Arsenal are back on the european stage; that's now guaranteed for the 2022/23 season. Which competition we will be in is the question and the next few games will decide that. The minimum expectation must have been Europa League qualification as we sat down to watch Brentford v Arsenal back on 13th August. That fixture and the following two were, quite frankly, disastrous and at that time I think the focus was on actually scoring a goal and getting some points on the table. As the season has progressed we've seen a slow ascent into the upper echelons of the league that were exemplified by a great start to 2022 and now following a topsy turvy set of fixtures the Arsenal are now nestled in fourth place daring to dream of a return to Europe's elite contest. How the club would fare in that elite tournament is hard to assess, particularly as a summer spend is required, but you have to be in it to win it. If we "only" qualify for the Europa League it will be our faul...

Have the Arsenal stumbled upon a way in which being risk averse has been consigned to the dustbin? Possibly, but what allows a more offensive style is having some experience and stability where it counts and the return of Elneny typifies that as has Dhaka's Indian summer of behaving himself and generally doing what needs to be done. The young players have needed this support structure to enable them to be proactive in the areas that can cause the most damage. It’s shit or bust time in the race for that 4 th  spot and this may be perfect opportunity for a bit of jeopardy. What you often get with young players, and don’t forget the Arsenal have the youngest squad in the league, is a lack of fear. By solidifying the midfield Arteta seems to be unleashing the talent as we are now in the serious business of points gathering.   The fixtures ahead not only represent an opportunity to secure a return to Europe’s premier competition, with the obvious advantages that brings, but fo...

Stamford bridge is not so much Mos Eisley these days but rather it's a hive of achievement at the cost of personality. I don't like Chelsea FC, never have, I've always thought of them as all mouth and trousers but then they started winning stuff, and winning stuff. Yes, the foundations of the modern Chelsea are questionable and for a while they had the triumvirate of terrible wretches. Their captain; a loathsome piece of work with a rap sheet as long as your arm. Their manager; a narcissist who made Mussolini look like David Attenborough. Their owner; a man whose fortune consists of dirty money, in fact, absolutely filthy money. Add to that the combination of Wine Merchants named Ollie and casual racists and it's no wonder Elvis Costello wrote 'I don't want to go to Chelsea'. And tonight the Arsenal have to turn up at  the home of the European Champions and get a result. And yes, a result that isn't a defeat is what is needed (by any means necessary).  T...

It's easy to pile in on the manager when the team get a couple of poor results at a critical point in the season and, on this most recent occasion, Michael Arteta has left himself open to criticism. The team selection was illogical in that it threw the whole team off balance and the changes made throughout the 90 minutes against Brighton smacked of hubris. Young players are good, young players bring energy and generally allow the fans to have players to get behind but, young players need to be mentored and taken care of. By placing Xhaka at left back it not only exposed Lokonga but sent a message to Tavares, as did the placing of Martinelli and then Pepe into the left sided defensive position, that the manager has no faith in him. Young players need senior players to step up; something Lacazette is not doing, something that Elneny is not able to do from the bench. Young players need to play and when they play well, retain their place, but when they don't, another young player n...

  Three games played, zero wins, nine goals against, zero goals scored. That was the perilous situation at the start of the current campaign and it was open season on taking the piss out of the Arsenal, memes were flying and pundits were rubbing their hands together with barely concealed glee. The Arsenal now sit fifth in the table on 54 points, fourth place separated by goal difference. The Arsenal have also played one less game than Sp*rs & Man Utd and two less than West Ham and after a pretty successful 2022 (only losing to the two teams that are head and shoulders above everyone else) we crashed and burned at Selhurst Park. Let's get it right; Crystal Palace were much better and thoroughly deserved the win and this victory by the Eagles has unleashed the vultures of opinion. Optimism turns to doom and gloom over the space of ninety minutes, particularly in this social media age, and I have heard cries of "Fourth place is gone", "Get rid of Arteta", ...

On Twitter you get all sorts of people with a plethora of views and what I have found is that when it comes to football many seem to leave their common sense and common courtesy in the metaphorical cloakroom. Manchester City fans and Chelsea fans have quite vociferous opinions on the platform and I was struck by an assertion that Arsenal have been starved of success for two decades and will therefore celebrate anything. My response was that we have won the premier League twice  and the FA Cup seven times in that time; this fact about the FA Cup unleashed hell! "Little cups don't count" "yeah but one of those was against Hull" "Big clubs are only interested in the League and UCL" "Big Club my Arse!" "If you are satisfied with the FA Cup..." You get the idea. I would say that as a club we have been in the doldrums for a while but how many teams that have been struggling to be competitive at the highest level have won stuff while doing...

MIke Riley's Favourite Album Who do you want as a leader? someone with integrity? someone who can set an example? someone respected? Yes. All of these, which is why no one need be surprised at the ever growing evidence that the PGMOL is not working. Refereeing standards are plummeting and the man in charge of this circus is Mr Mike Riley. Now every Arsenal fan knows Mike Riley, every Arsenal fan loathes Mike Riley. This is the man responsible for one of the most corrupt and incompetent displays by an official that any of us ever seen in this country. The date, which has lived in infamy, was 24th October 2004, the venue, Old Trafford...you know the rest. Riley should have faced a ban and an investigation t the time yet here he sits at the top of the refereeing tree and game in game out we are seeing more and more bad decisions. Yes everyone makes mistakes but there's a difference between making mistakes and blatant and consistent terrible decision making. Furthermore, there appe...