Corrupt UEFA and Arsenal hating media try to spoil positives

We scored and won. We defended and kept a clean sheet. The team achieved their goal. 


Those are the main positives with the main negatives being that we lost some players through minor injuries. Anyone shocked? No. Thought not. 


The performance was nervy as we came up against whom I would consider the hardest team we've ever faced in a qualifier. Udinese were terrific and really gave us all a fright at times. Chezza made a couple of great saves but we made their keeper work too including the arduous task of picking the ball from the back of his net. At least that's something we didn't have to worry about. 


Jenkinson was thrust in unexpectedly and despite a shaky intro, I thought he did well considering he was playing non-league footy only a year ago! What an experience it must have been for him as a Gunner, & as an avid Gooner! 


Rosicky was .. meh... Chamakh was piss poor but I won't get on his back too much at the moment, he's just finished 'fasting' so it's no surprise he's been slowing too. 
Hopefully he'll come good sooner rather than later though. he needs some spinach and steak necked swiftly with lots of milk and tuna (though not at the same time of course) 


Walcott was brilliant and as I said on Twitter at the time, If Rooney had scored that goal, the media would have been cream-cheesing their pants for weeks over it. 




Anyway, we stopped them scoring a crucial away goal and all we need now is do what we do best and score a couple or five at their gaff.


With our 'Flying' Dutchman and newly appointed captain; RVP & England captain to be; JW both back, we should safely shimmy through to the Champions League proper. 

New 'Flying' Captain of the good ship 'Arsenal' and PROUD!

I'm not saying it will be a breeze if Tuesday was anything to go by. Udinese proved a very tough test and will be stronger at home. But with a 1-0 lead they may play a little more cautiously and try to hit us on the break. So as long as TV, Kos, Sagna and whoever else is fit by then manages to stay focussed, I'm positive we'll do it. 


Aside from these factors there should not have been anything much else to talk about. 
But unfortunately Arsenal are the critiques' flavour of the month (for the 3rd month in a row) and their relentless, vociferous campaign to find fault in every little 'crook and nanny' of Arsenal's world is getting beyond obsessive and perverted in my opinion. 


The camera's were CIA'ing on Wenger's every movement of his lips, every pick of the nose (yes we caught you digging for loose change up there again Arsene!), every angle that he leant to on his seat just to squeeze one out after a dodgy mutton tikka was recorded, analysed and then sent to UEFA who promptly phoned him to tell him that he couldn't do what they had agreed he could do before the game. What was this? you ask. 


Well it seems, as AW was barred from the technical area, serving a ridiculous punishment for speaking the truth about last season's ref at the Barca farce, it was agreed with UEFA that Wenger could send instructions to the area via Primorac's mobile. When half way through the game it was deemed by UEFA as a breach of the rules. 


Now this all seems a bit petty and school play-groundish to me. The punishment is ridiculous anyway, it serves no real purpose so why make a fuss of it, I mean, for F@ck sake - Fergie has a special 'Bat-Phone' Installed behind the dug-out for when he is banned so he can ring the bench to give instruction so why the witch hunt? 

"Howard, careful, the brown paper bag stuffed with £10k I gave ya is poking out ya shorts mun"

Are the FA, Premier League & UEFA rules all different for the same punishment or what? And why agree to something then change your minds half way through a game? The Udinese coach gracefully stated that he had no problem with it. Of course he didn't as it hardly changed the face of the game did it! 


UEFA Wankers! Unbelievable, Empty-headed, Fucking, Arseholes!


Well the media had a field day with this of course! 
All the rags, tabloids, broadsheets, blogs and social networks were at it. 
It's like they're on a relentless mission to see Arsenal and Arsene crumble. Of course it's not unheard of. Celebrities have fallen foul of it many a time. It's just pathetic. 


Even as pathetic as reporting on a story regarding a certain greedy wantaway player who apparently told the world on 'his' Facebook page that he will be leaving Arsenal with bitterness and anger etc.etc... 


Now I'm no Journo as you can tell from this shitty blog work, but even I try to check the basics like reliability of source, facts and stats before claiming something to be gospel. But these idiots all fell for some prankster setting up a fake Facebook page, which any Joey Barton (def. Thick cunt) could do, spewing out gobshite. Way to go! 


Even when challenged about it's authenticity by many including myself on Twitter, they insisted it was reliable and proceeded to print, tweet and report the hell out of it all over the country! Anything to get Arsenal some more bad press and promote the negativity which unfortunately has infested many a Gooner this year. 


Yes, some Gooners are negative as a rule, no matter how well we're doing, but the media have really played their part, so far this summer, in making Arsenal the target for ridicule, persecution and the off-field whipping boys of the so called 'big clubs'. 


I say, bring it on, it only makes me more determined to see the fickle 'Joey Bartons' (def. as above) eat their own words when we finally come good. And if I feel that way, imagine how AW and everyone at the club must feel. 


Wenger gave a fantastic interview on Sky before the Udinese game and I was quite proud at his attempt to remind Gooner's and the press of what matters most. Well done to you sir. I am still of the opinion that Wenger should gracefully step down at the end of this season should we not win anything of note again, assuming there is a suitable replacement. But until we reach that time, I shall remain 100% behind the manager and the team. 


Forward


So as mentioned, we should have RVP and JW back for the next leg of the Udinese game next week. This week however, we'll be without Song and Gervinho due to suspension and may have a patched up defence depending on whether Gibbs' bruised foot heals quickly or not. As for JD - who the f@ck knows! 


The speculation around players coming in is still rife but I don't think we'll be going for anyone outside of the Premiership, ie. Mata, Hazard, until we know whether or not we've qualified for the next stage of the UEFA CL. So I shall not speculate on them....though I'd love to see both of them here! 


As for a defender, I'm sure we'll have one of Cahill, Jagielka, Dann or Samba in the next week. maybe even before Liverpool on Saturday! 


So fingers, eyes, legs and testicles crossed, (if you can do that). 


Lastly or as my 'I like to pretend I'm clever' self puts it; Conclusionally: I thought the Emirates were back to their good old faithful self the other day. 


Not a boo, did my ears sting me with! 


It was bliss! Let's keep that going all over the joint and we'll see how much our positivity and support can lift the team forward!

Game One and It's Game On! & Goodbye CF4

First game of the season, nervousness and excitement filled the air, Football was back!


Then I realised who we were playing and it hit me, this is Newcastle, this won't be a football match it will be a spectacle; Joey Barton is playing.


Yeah once I realised that the biggest thuggiest buntcucket in England, aside from the looters and rioters in London ,was playing, it was inevitable that something would happen.

Is it 'Stop' Joey Barton being a **** or Joey Barton 'Stop' being a ****?! Either way, it's relevant.

I won't go over what did happen too much but I do have to admit that Song played his part. What he did was silly, childish and thuggish and tarnishes Arsenal's name on the day. What Gervinho did was get slightly tripped and fell down, convincingly, not over-dramatically, for a genuine penalty. 
What Barton did was lose his rag for no reason, yet again. 
What Peter Walton did, was panic and react like a small skinny child being bullied in a playground. He didn't see it. The linesmen were too far away. He based his decisions on bullying, over exaggeration and lies by the likes of Barton, Stephen Taylor and the crowd.


Barton has since retracted his accusations towards Gervinho about cheating as he's obviously realised he jumped to conclusions. But he's still a C@nt


It also won't remove the stink of embarrassment/shame he must now carry around with him on top of all of his other stinks, for going down like a looters swag bag filed with spurs fans, when 4 of Gervinho's fingers brushed the side of his head.
After reacting so viciously over what he incorrectly deemed to be a dive, he then, in front of millions of people, (I think he forgot there were cameras everywhere at matches nowadays) he went down in the manner he did to get a fellow professional sent off. Hypocrite of the highest order.


Yes Song should have been sent off earlier for (gently) stepping (not stamping) on JB's foot. It was stupid and he deserves the retrospective punishment from the FA that he's bound to receive - Arsenal don't. So stop being a dick Song!


Based on JB's reaction and the fact the ball was in play during the Gervinho incident, If Walton was a good enough referee he would have stopped play and given Arsenal a penalty anyway as his violent actions were inside the box, though an indirect free kick may have been justified as the ball was not in the vicinity of the goal at the time.


But Walton is a terrible referee and his performance doesn't fill us fans with confidence for the rest of the season. For too long, referees have grabbed the limelight by making awful decisions and I am hoping for improvements this season...not looking good though is it.


All this drama took the focus off a tentative first game display. We looked solid at the back, and some of the passing at times was mesmeric, but as it was last season, we could not find that finishing touch.


I'm not going to read too much into this aside from the fact that it highlights the need for a creative midfielder. Not one to replace Cesc, who I'll come onto shortly, but one that compliments the squad, is experienced and has a natural ability to see a move one step ahead. Much like Cesc then really.....but he didn't compliment the squad.
The Squad was built to compliment Cesc and it clearly hasn't worked so far.


Now we know Cesc is gone and the next 14 days will be filled with ever more tension as to whether Nasri will go and who we will get in. There have been many names thrown around by the media. I'm just happy to wait for official announcements now. It's a shorter period, things should get sorted quicker than previously and quite frankly I'm sick of all the unreliable gossip!

Chezza sums up our feelings; frustration, sadness, relief! 

Back to Cesc. I'm sad to see him go, but glad to see him leave. A contradiction in terms but not really. I feel a little disappointed in him in some ways. I honestly thought that he would stay longer just so he could turn around when he did leave, and say "I won things at Arsenal".
I thought he would be so determined to win a trophy be it the Premier League or the Champions League or even a couple of FA Cups before he went.


But sadly he lost faith in the project. He missed his family and friends too much and felt it was time to go. Fair enough.


I wouldn't want a football CV that read 8 years at Arsenal with only one FA Cup medal to show for it. But Cesc clearly doesn't mind. He knows he became the player he is because of Arsene and Arsenal and some of the players he had the privilege of playing with over the years. He knows he's adored at both clubs so as hard as it must have been for him to leave, when the destination is your ultimate dream, It's a win-win situation, even if he is losing out financially!


Aside from the slight disappointment, I mainly hold some great memories of what he did for us at times. That goal from the centre spot against our poor neighbours. The goal vs AC Milan where Wengers' coat must have stunk of onions as it made Cesc cry his little heart out!



There are many more great memories of brilliant performances and although I can't class him as a 'Legend' in status, as he never helped us to win a trophy, I will always appreciate the mesmerising football he often adorned upon our eyeballs. As I have preached many a time, Football is a form of entertainment for spectators and a sport for the players, I can't play for shit, so I watch and I like to be entertained. Thank-you Cesc for obliging for so many years.


You will be missed but we will move on.


So Udinese is next and that one is nerve wrecking but I have faith.


As Wenger has said and as I also have been preaching for months, the team needs the love of the fans, it is necessary for them to perform so lets get behind them, show some faith and get the Gooner family back together, there's been too much bitching among fans, leave that to the spuds and the glory hunters of the Oil baron teams who expect to win everything all the time cos they can buy it.


Let's be proud of our traditional principals. They will bring us glory soon.

New season, New shirt, New optimism..COYG!

Wahoo! After a miserable, stressful summer the Premiership is finally back!


The transfer period is 2 weeks away from ending and we're still in a position where we have 2 players who want away and therefore the need to find replacements as well as a solid CB. 


So who will we get? The names being banded about over the past 8 weeks have failed to materialise. Juan Mata looked a cert and despite Valencia's need for fundage, what with their crippling debts, they insist that there will be no deal for him. Which I'm a little gutted about, but will remain open minded. Until the window completely closes nothing should be written off. 


As for CB's I don't really care who we get in as long as they're solid, experienced and will compliment TV who I think should be our new captain. 


Pointless


My last post was a tirade towards the negative doom-mongers who call themselves Arsenal fans. They still exist without a ball even being placed on the centre spot! Still going on about the past, as if that helps! It's pathetic.  


It just makes no sense booing the team, it makes no sense moaning about who we've signed and haven't signed, no sense hating our manager....it goes on. The most productive and SUPPORTIVE thing we can do is write off the previous seasons. Move on from players that also move on. Concentrate on what lies ahead. 
Take each game as it comes, we have new players and will inevitably have some more soon too. We have another chance of winning trophies. 


Exciting


I'm excited at the prospect of seeing 'Super-Spam' Gervinho, Alex 'The Ox' Chamberlain & Ryo 'Hadooken' Miyaichi terrorizing defenders. Seeing Theo playing in a more advanced position and scoring more goals. Seeing Jack and Aaron coming to the fore and becoming more dominant with Cesc's and Nasri's inevitable exits. Seeing TV back scoring unexpected left foot cannonballs from 30 yards, and many more positive, progressive performances. 

It's no use assuming that with the players we have, that we can't win anything. Players need to hear cheering, applause, encouragement. They need to read it in the media, on their own Twitter accounts. They feed off it like sea plankton on Whale-like Sepp Blubber. Let's do it! It's alot more fun than being stressed and whining all season creating a vicious circle of bad luck, negativity and an utterly un-enjoyable season.  


I'd like Arsenal to be respected and admired for having supportive encouraging fans who vociferously defend and back their team through thick and thin. I want to see this aura surrounding the club again. We want to make the spud fans regret choosing the club on the wrong side of North London again, we all know they used to. 


I want our club to be admired for having amazing, noisy support not just away (as we were last year) but at home especially. It has been embarrassing hearing boos at out home ground, embarrassing reading some of the tripe that's been written by so called Supporters. I have felt ashamed to be affiliated with them. 


Don't get me wrong, I'm no ignorant positivity hippy living in a dream world. I know there have been problems. Wenger has been a little blinded by his project, but the blame for the past really lies in all corners of the club including the fans. Players thrive from atmosphere and knowing that their fans encourage and give them a chance. There are some who had that and no longer deserve it of course, but they're gone, or are going. 
If they're not, what choice do we have but to try our best to squeeze a little more encouragement out in the hope that they will push on take their chances again and have learnt from previous mistakes and lazinesses! (eg: Diaby) 


Wenger in my opinion has this year alone to really show improvement, new enthusiasm and hopefully a trophy of major proportions, if not then at least a very very strong push. Basically, obvious evidence of progression, not regression. If none of this happens, I do believe he should gracefully step down. But only if a replacement of monumental character can be found. Who's out there?


Back to healthy negativity among fans; 


There's nothing wrong with objective, realistic and constructive criticism with the sole aim to encourage new ideas and advice on possible improvements. Remember, we're not managers, we're not board members and we're not players. We pay (alot) to be entertained, like going to a theatre, we pay an entrance fee and hope to enjoy the spectacle. 
But the people that moan about paying, do have a choice, just don't pay! Watch it at the pub or at home as the majority of arsenal's fans have to. 
There are more than 60,000 Gooners in the world you know! 


If Arsenal could build a 500,000 seater stadium, there would still be a waiting list! There are people who are desperate for a season ticket or tickets in general who'd happily snap them up if you don't want to pay for them.


With football, there will be disappointments, it's normal. 
With our lack of silverware recently, the pressure is on. But in a way, with the media, betting world and our rivals no longer expecting much from us in terms of a challenge any more. The pressure should be off. Expectations are lower in some ways. Maybe that will relieve the pressure and with less pressure, the team can relax, play their game to the best of their abilities and if a trophy is the reward at the end then we have something extra to celebrate and new bragging rights to barter with. 


If not, then along the way, with the players we have and the Arsenal playing philosophy, we should still be entertained. 


So I am looking forward to the new campaign with optimism. I'm looking forward to being entertained, frustrated, excited, disappointed then ecstatic again. That's what football is, it's an unrehearsed show at a theatre called The Grove (Emirates doesn't sound right) and we never know what the ending will be like until the curtain comes down at 90+ minutes. Until then, enjoy it the best you can. If it's shit, there's always another show to check out next week!


Come on You Gunners! 


Also, coming soon; New 'Get your Kits Out' feature...............look out for it, it'll be fun!