ARSENALISM©

http://youtu.be/BsX3uX1UOIk gloomy sunday-the associates Well, that’s it then… Today I saw a team lacking in the basics; Passing, simple defending, ball control, defending set pieces, application. I saw a team that lacked belief, were pedestrian, formulaic, lacking in pace precision or imagination. That team was not Stoke. I won’t be dwelling on their moronic manager or their imbecilic fans; they won fair and square. Arsenal were terrible today. Seven days ago they had pulled out a good result and a good performance against Man Utd; today they were beaten by a half decent mid table side. That’s the unpalatable truth. These seven days are a microcosm of the club. Glory, ticket hike, misery; all in seven days. On Sunday I will be going to the Emirates to watch the final home game of a frustrating and profligate season. It’s an opportunity to meet up with friends and share a drink or two, an opportunity to support those players who have put the effort in this season, a chance to contem...

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...