Our first trip to France since 2002 when we beat Auxerre 1-0. A similar scoreline tonight would see Arsenal in the box seat in the group.
Marseilles are in the same type of form as Arsenal, lying 15th in Ligue 1 and struggling to get back in touch with their last season’s form. Their win over Borussia shows just what they can do when playing well – our esteemed manager stating he was “surprised and impressed.” Mr. Wenger went on to say he expects Marseilles to play on the counter-attack and that they have a number of fine players.
Playing teams committed to counter-attacking football has become the norm for AFC because the opposition are fully aware of the pace of Theo, Gerv and RvP. Furthermore, with the amount of possession we usually have counter attack is the only way to play against us.
Gibbs is injured and Ramsey is expected back …..
My team
A big night for Mertesacker who up to now has shown himself to have the turning circle of an oil tanker, his football nous will be sorely tested as Marseilles play with pace upfront; in Remy and Ayew they have much admired strikers and many a club have tried to sign Mbia (allegedly).
Good omens: We have played 7 times in France and have yet to lose. Marseilles have won only one of their 10 league matches this season and drew 0-0 on Saturday. We have won 4 of our last 5 games. Ayew may be suspended.
Not so dusty: Marseilles are top of the CL group and have yet to concede a goal. OM are strong at home and in Didier Deschamps have an excellent manager. Gignac is back to fitness and is a fine player – he should get at least 30 mins.
Henri Fabre, the inventor of the seaplane was born in Marseilles. His seaplane first took off in 1910 and later is planes saw action in the First World War. Fabre died in 1984 at the age of 101.
This is an important game for Arsenal, we know the result of coming second (or heavens forbid third) in the group.
COYRRG
Big Raddy
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
i would start R7 instead of Ramsey last time he played he was a crap compared to R7 perfomance last weekend
@ Father RA
if only, my manager is an anti-sport twirp, no-one is clued onto the fact that i come in later when Arsenal are on at 430 (replay time instead of live).
I’m very confident on tonights match, marseille has a few players missing, but remy will be a problem on the counter. Hopefully they bring their league game not their CL mentality
kk,
You have a valid point about Jenkinson, but can Rosicky replicate the effort just three days after what must have been his busiest match for a couple of seasons.
I would start Ramsey as he will be fresh and full of run, then bring on Rosicky at 60mins for that extra experience
do you think we would see Park in this game – being experienced in the French league….
@ Pat
hes not even in the squad my ANZAC friend
Best wishes to Mrs dandan.
Hi BR, thanks for your informative match report. I thought Marseille were doing really well, but now that you have pointed out their bad form in the French League, I am becoming more hopeful we can get a result today. 🙂
I think he will start with RvP and TR on the bench, and Chamakh and Ramsey on the pitch. The former players are injury-prone and this could be one game too much-too soon for them. I’ll go with your back four, but expect us to play close to a 4-5-1 formation:
Theo – Song – Arteta – Ramsey – Gervinho
——————–Chamakh———————
Both Chamakh and Gervinho know French football really well and that will give them the edge. Chamakh will play with his back to the goal and allow the five-men midfield to join the attack, and yet, the 4-5-1 will help us defend better, by sticking to our passing game and not allowing Marseille a lot of space. And, with RvP, TR and AA on the bench, we have the players to come on and make a difference, if and when required.
BR,
I love your Inventor series. I know that while reading a mouth watering build up to the game, there is going to be a small treat at the end.
Chas,
Saw your charts from earlier. It is strange how much I like them given that when the TV Boys start with their stupid charts, I shut down. Looking at the Arteta one, he did give the ball away in some mighty dodgy areas. I cannot decide what I think of him as a player in our system as I always had him inked in for the AM Role, whereas he does much of his work far deeper.
we need 2 win so we can top our group.
TA,
Can’t agree with your 4.5.1. formation, Marseille play on the counter , so Song will stay further back (at least that’s what he should do) in a 4.1.4.1. But that could change into a 4.1.3.2 if Gervinho pushes up closer to Chamakh. But then if Ramsey drops back to help Song it could be 4.2.3.1. or even 4.2.2.2. No doubt if we are one nil up with ten minutes to go it will be 10.0.0.
What a load of old B******s these formations are, I swear they only have meaning to pundits with nothing better to say and to fans who like to sound knowledgeable, no offence intended TA, I’m sure we all fall inti the same trap.
That should be “into” sorry, could we have an edit facility please, us old’ uns would find it very helpful.
Total,
I too am going with the MC up top option for the same reason.
Lifelong,
Some of us wouldn’t know how to work such a facility even if it existed 🙂
The less knobs the better I always think.
I think we should all post our prefered starting eleven by say Midday, then the one who gets it right can be called Chairman of Selectors, at least untill the next game. Maybe points could be awarded for accuracy, one point for each player correctly chosen, one point deducted for a wrong selection, we could have a league table and what about a knockout cup competition? Sorry folks getting a bit carried away, put it down to a lovely sunny Norfolk morning.
I’m off out now to enjoy the sunshine and have a swim.
Enjoy your day.
Morning all,
Great pre-match as usual Raddy.
If this inventor guy broke wind, he’d produce our ex captain …. answers on a postcard 😛
I’d settle for a draw tonight but reckon that the freedom with which we can play away from home might allow us to play with more of the old style and secure the victory.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY-c5llIefE
ta oz – any idea why park isnt getting a look in? He has scored a few goals for S Korea recently (yeah opposition not flash)
Nice one Rasp 🙂
Raddy The PreMatch King – thank you xx
Didn’t know about Fabre, great bit of news.
I am not sure about Ramsey though, love the guy, but he hasn’t not beenm shining lately, has he? And when will we unleash Park?
One way or another it is going to be a cracking game
LG, LOL 🙂 Enjoy your swim – what a great preperation for the big match tonight!
Of course you are right re formations. The key thing I was trying to point out, is that we are likely to play with Chamakh, who clearly is a different kind of striker than the devastating Dutchman, and a five-men midfield who will all be able to combine with Marouane and their fellow midfielders to give us a less predictive and (hopefully) more productive joint-strike force tonight. It could well be 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-1-1 or 4-5-1: let’s wait and see.
I am looking forward to seeing your line-up.
Where in Norfolk do you live? (I am currently based in Norwich).
Not nice chas 🙂
Chas – that is sooooo gross, only men do something like that
Rasp, what did you start, and how quick was Chas to come up with the ‘goods’?!?!
Chas, could it be you, on the table? 😀
😆 TA, you may not have noticed but I develop a sort of pre-match hysteria on CL night’s – expect it to get much worse as the day progresses.
That is the spirit Rasp! It lowers the tension levels! 🙂
Glad the pre match didn’t disappear completely, BR. 🙂
The squad looks like this….
GKs
Wojciech Szczesny
Lukasz Fabianski
Defence
Carl Jenkinson
Andre Santos
Per Mertesacker
Laurent Koscielny
Johan Djourou
Midfield
Alex Song
Francis Coquelin
Tomas Rosicky
Mikel Arteta
Yossi Benayoun
Aaron Ramsey
Wide attacking
Theo Walcott
Gervinho
Andrey Arshavin
Strikers
Robin van Persie
Marouane Chamakh
At the moment, Wenger sees Chamakh as the plan B to Robin, especially away from home when we may need to hold the ball up. Hence no Park.
Perhaps The Ox could have been in the squad for Yossi, but again Wenger has gone for the experience. Remember last season and Wenger being vilified for playing a less experienced team against Shakhtar and Braga?
the one thing I take issue with your great pre match Rads is “Mertesacker who up to now has shown himself to have the turning circle of an oil tanker”.
Oil tanker is a bit harsh – I would say more like the Bismarck! 🙂
Sincere apologies to all who were offended, especially you Evonne.
🙂
TA,
How dare you suggest I have auburn hair! 🙂
Chas, you do not want to upset FGG so early in the day, do you?! 😆
Morning all, thanks for the prematch Raddy.
I am now wondering if my one French client is related to the plane designer fellow, but I would guess Fabre is a pretty common name.
Looking forward to the game tonight, I don’t expect RvP to be rested tonight, if anything I fancy him to be rested against Stoke on Sunday (to avoid Shawcross and pals) stick Cham in for that one instead.
Ooops, apologies FGG.
Good intro as ever Raddy.
The question of which Marseille will turn up is an interesting one: will it be the one that has had such a dreadful start to their league season (1 win in 10 versus our 3 in 8) or will it be the one that has done so well in two CL games?
They have a tight defence, built around N’Koulou and Souleymane Diawara at CB, and they will also have a fantastic crowd behind them, so I don’t expect we’ll have an easy ride tonight. But even with our injuries and flaws, we have enough quality to beat them. That said, I reckon it’ll be a draw.
Don’t know what happened there, that bespectacled smiley is a rogue! Should have been “3 in 8” and then a bracket!
More chalkboard stuff from me.
Thought I’d compare Jenkinson to Gibbs/Santos and was amazed at how much more Jenks gets into the final third. The majority of his unsuccessful passes are crosses, which, by their very nature, is bound to be the case.
http://twitpic.com/72kkej/full
Love Chalkboard, it really is great.
Excellent stuff again Chas! 😉
Before I wrongly ruffle someone’s feathers in the future, I will check my facts with you and your Video Smideo first, then I will ruffle their feathers!! 🙂
LG, 🙂
I’m with you on formations — is it 4:3:3 or 4:4:2 etc — is not for me.
I like the simple old 1:1:1:1:1:1;1:1:1:1; can’t go wrong with that, and who can argue with it?
If you go down to the park on a Sunday morning, the young uns will show how it should be done.
Wherever the ball goes it is pursued by a gang of ‘1s’ swarming all over it.
When the ref gives a card the ‘1s’ surround him, like a squadron of soldier ants.
Very effective and played the way the game should be played!! 🙂
Chas you rascal!!
Rasp – prematch hysteria – ha ha ha – join the club! I am always on the high on match days
BFG = oil tanker – class 🙂
Doctor, “What seems to be the problem”?
Patient, ” I can’t stop farting, I fart all the time but the strange thing is that I can only feel them, I can’t hear them and they don’t smell. I’ve already farted 10 times since I’ve been here. Can you help me”?
Doctor, “I’ll write up a prescription for you”
Patient. “Great, will that cure the farting”?
Doctor, “No the prescription is for your sinuses, come back next week and we will work on your hearing”
For political correctness id say BFG has the turning circle of a gleisketten, 2t, Maultier or a Panzer
@ JiN
enjoy the swim
@ GiE
good point, RVP against marseille is alot better than RVP against Huth, Shawcross and Upson. We will need MC against them because they are a team of giants. Chuck in K.Jones and delap and we have a recipe for disaster when they take a set piece
Great pre-match as usual BR.
Love the seaplane factoid – let’s hope Marseilles have a rough landing tonight.
As for the rest of you – bonkers, all. 🙂
I thought this would add some more spice to today’s build up,
………………………………………………………………………..
The most hated man in Marseille – Why Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will not relish tonight’s Champions League trip
A long-standing rivalry has grown between the Gunners’ boss and OM, stemming from the dramatic events of the early ’90s, and it is set to be rediscovered on Wednesday evening
FEATURE
By Robin Bairner | French Football Editor
Arsenal’s difficult start to the 2011-12 season has shown little relent, increasing the pressure on Arsene Wenger ahead of Wednesday evening’s Champions League encounter against Olympique de Marseille. And the trip back to his homeland promises to be a hugely uncomfortable one for the French manager.
Although Wenger has often attracted the ire of Premier League fans for his stubborn attitude and mysterious inability to see key incidents, in Marseille, he is held up as a figure of hate, having played a leading role in the downfall of OM’s golden age. Now he will make his first return to Stade Velodrome since departing French football to renew a rivalry that has slumbered for 20 years.
In the early 1990s, Marseille were a European powerhouse. Not only had they claimed five domestic crowns in succession, they would also become the first winners of the Champions League, defeating AC Milan 1-0 in 1992-93.
This historic victory, however, would be tarnished by the ‘Scandal on the Canebiere’. Days earlier, Valenciennes defender Jacques Glassmann had dramatically blown the cover on a scheme led by erstwhile-OM president Bernard Tapie to bribe three northern team’s players into going easy during the top-flight encounter preceding the final.
“We had a very difficult time because we fought against people who didn’t use regular methods.” – Arsene Wenger
Meanwhile, Wenger had built a remarkable squad with Monaco – featuring the likes of Glenn Hoddle and George Weah. Under the future Arsenal boss, they would win a shock title in 1988 and start to consistently challenge in the latter stages in Europe.
Wenger, however, believes that his Rouge et Blanc dynasty were robbed of success over the course of several years by the corrupt Marseille establishment, a view he has not been slow to share on several occasions.
“We had a very difficult time because we fought against people who didn’t use regular methods,” he would lament. “You cannot accept corruption because it is killing sport – look at how it has killed boxing. I’m sure we would have won more trophies in normal circumstances, and it makes me sad because Monaco will never get those trophies back.”
Indeed, he is supported by present Arsenal first-team coach Boro Primorac, who was Valenciennes coach on that fateful day nearly 20 years ago. In the fallout, Tapie would even ask the former Yugoslavia international defender to take the fall for him during a private meeting in Paris, though this was rebutted and reported, counting further against the corrupt Marseille regime.
Like Glassmann before him, Wenger was derided by Marseille fans as a traitor against French football. Glassmann’s decision to publicly speak out against OM during the half-time interval in that late-season clash, would earn him the Fifa Fair Play award in 1995, by which time Wenger had been unceremoniously sacked by Monaco, leading him to head to Japan.
Ill-feelings would fester in Provence, particularly in those stripped of both power and dignity.
Tapie would be sent to jail for his part in the drama, and has yet to be seen in football since, though the same cannot be said of former Marseille general director Jean-Pierre Bernes, Tapie’s faithful assistant, who was handed an 18-month suspended sentence and a fine of 15,000 FF on October 23, 1995 for essentially brokering the deal.
The club were harmed too. Though they were to keep their European crown, the French title of 1993 was stripped from them, and they would be relegated to Ligue 2 for two seasons.
Indeed, it was not until Didier Deschamps led them to the 2009-10 title that they were seen to have recovered.
Bernes has since reinvented himself successfully as an agent of growing importance. He already commands on his books a number of France international players, not to mention national team boss Laurent Blanc. Controversy continues to tail him, however.
There have been accusations from Chelsea’s Florent Malouda that he now commands too much sway over the national team due to his significant grip on top players from l’Hexagone, but perhaps the most interesting point of discussion is his role as Samir Nasri’s agent.
It has been suggested in the media that Bernes would have been delighted to have whisked the Marseille-born star from Arsenal to Manchester City towards the end of the transfer window, stripping the Gunners of one of their most valuable assets but, more pertinently, giving Wenger a metaphorical kick to the guts.
While the strength of feeling towards the Strasbourg-born manager in the Stade Velodrome’s tribunes will not be quite so vitriolic, expect that the normally white-hot atmosphere at the Provence venue will be that bit more intense on Wednesday as the locals aim to see a score settled with an old enemy.
O.K. I’ve had my swim and I’m ready to announce my line up for tonight’s match.
Szczesny
Djourou Mertesacker Koscielny Santos
Song Ramsey
Walcott Arteta Gervino
Chamakh
Djourou instead of Jenkinson who had a poor game defensively last time out. A fresh Ramsey rather than a tired Rosicky and Chamakh so RvP can have a rest.
I’m not entirely happy with the back four, as it’s probably the first time this combination has been used, but I’m not convinced by Jenkinson’s defending yet.
TA, I live in a village called Hevingham on the Cromer Road about eight miles north of Norwich, surrounded by forest and farm lands it’s a great place to live.
So GN5 the team talk is:
“Do it for Le Boss!”
😀
Hi LG, our line-ups are pretty similar. In that formation, I would expect Ramsey to play in the hole and Arteta to sit next to Song. Djourou for Jenkinson seems also to make sense.
Don’t know Hevingham very well, but I often drive past it on the Cromer Road. Just like DanDan, it sounds like you know how to enjoy life!
Having seen JD20 at RB away at Blackburn, I’d be pleased if I never saw him play right back for us ever again.
Due to the way we slack off (playing our weakened side ) in the CL, when we think were through and end up second with a tougher draw, Imo we should play our strongest available team.
Now for the Stoke game, we play Chamakh up front with Theo, and everyone else just keeps pumping the ball upto them, ala Wimbledon.
I can see Pullis after we win 9 nil, “didn`t see that coming, what happened to the tippy toey football”. Plus I`m driving upto Trentham tomorrow, If I see Delap, I`ll drive over his arms! 🙂
TA,
Yeah after having holiday jobs from the age of fourteen, leaving school at sixteen and working solidly for the next fifty years I reckon I deserve a bit of the good life.
Spending time with wife (Spurs Supporter) my two sons and my two grand-children keeps me happy and leaves plenty of time for walking and supporting the team I’ve followed all my life.
Sounds great LG! Sorry to hear your wife is a Spud, but you cannot have it all in life, I guess?! 🙂
LG,
You are a better man than me, to marry a spud supporter, 🙂
Hope you done the right thing with your sons !your respect is hanging in the balance ! 🙂
My 3 year old grandaughter just said after looking in my wardrobe, ” I love your Arsenal shirt grandad ” . Great taste and intellect for one so young, cant wait to take her to a game when she`s a bit older ! 🙂
TA,
Into every life a little rain must fall.
GLIST
My two sons are Arsenal followers rather than supporters but my eight year old grandson is definitely a Gooner.
Right I’m off to align my armchair in front of the telly, get the beer and salted peanuts ready and prepare to enjoy our victory over Les Cochons Marseille.
C’mon the Gunners!!!
Hi TA, I noticed you offered to write the match report tonight – I would like to graciously accept 🙂
LG, since you have such a lovely relaxed life, it’s about time I pressurized you into writing a post for us – what do you think? It would be lovely to see your name in the esteemed list 😆
Hi Peaches, in the morning you will be holding the match report, metaphorically, in your hot little hands! 🙂
TA, note Peaches’ careful choice of words: “I would like to graciously accept”. She’d like to graciously accept, but presumably can’t….! 😉
Ha!!! Solicitors!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I do I do I do accept 😆
The following is something I read on another blog
“I read with ineterest that Wenger said had we not beaten Udinese and qualified it would have been a disaster, yes the word he used was ‘DISASTER” in stark contrast to bonus boy Gazidas who said it wasn’t neccessary to our sustainable business model to have ECL football this season.
Wenger then went on to say that we won’t give up on the league as a season without the Champions League would be a catastrophe. Yes he used that word ‘CATASTROPHE’
Perhaps those two should get together before they speak to the press as they appear to be at odds with each other, still at least we now know that we are officially playing football in England with the sole purpose of qualifying for the European Champions League, twist what he said how you like but he said it all the same.”
The reason for posting this is that i have firmly believed for a long time that there is no unity between the board and the manager, and if you accept the qoted piece than when Wenger said a few days ago he was fearful in the Summer of losing half his squad something is amiss at the club.I am not anti Wenger but I have grave doubts about Gazidis and our chairman and of course Stan stays silent. IMO it is all about money whichever side of the fence you sit on.
I don’t envy Raddy second guessing the team but there are several options and playing in the South of France is not the same as Stoke,The outer Hebrides or far flung Russia.
Will Rosicky have got his breath back ? Will Arshavin retain his place after a super cameo role ?.Will Theo start or be the flying cameo sub? Benayoun is also a possible and then of course Chamakh back on familiar territory.Gervinho IMO should stay in the team and keep improving his connection with RVP. RB will be interesting has to be Jenks or Kos.
I will wait in the 30 degree sunshine with bated breath 😉
Hi Kelsey, 🙂
I am sure you will agree from correspondence on AA, that what people say is not always what they mean, and what others understand has been said is not always what was meant.
AW was presumably referring to it being a ‘catastrophe’ or a ‘disaster’ for him and the team from a football perspective if they did not qualify for the CL.
What Gazidis clearly meant was that failure to qualify for Europe would not materially affect AFC’s sustainable business model.
Two different things which, in and of themselves, do not point to any conflict between the parties involved.
Damn! I speak more like a lawyer every day. Family influence, eh? 🙂
I fully understand RA but it is yet to be seen if ” What Gazidis clearly meant was that failure to qualify for Europe would not materially affect AFC’s sustainable business model.”
it just makes me feel a little uncomfortable for him to say that after 6 PL games.
Kelsey,
I am glad you mentioned Raddy’s team prediction. I have always suspected that he did not know his South of France from his Stoke or his Far Flung Dung.
(Just kidding Raddy — your team is the same as the one I would have predicted!) 🙂
26, you are very sharp today 🙂
However, now that I have met Peaches in person, I know she is the total embodiment of grace, therefore I have no doubt she meant her comment in the very essence of the virtue. In fact, when Peaches said “I would like to graciously accept”, she was, inadvertently, making a tautological mistake 😀
Kelsey,
As an accountant i would be very worried if Gazidis and his accounts department had not worked that out before the season started.
What would be the point of a ‘sustainable business model’ if it could not stand an adverse but predictable circumstance such as failure to qualify for the CL.
He was simply telling the fans at large to relax, we will not go bust if we do not qualify in the top 4 this season.
Anyway, I thought your point was that AW and Gazidis were making conflicting statements. 🙂
TA,
That is an amazingly subtle reading of the use of the adjective graceful and the adverb graciously – in English, no less. Excellent sir. 🙂
Actually, I differ from 26s interpretation. “TA would like to graciously extend an invitation for you to visit his Norfolk estate” may sound, and may be, conditional, but does not necessarily denote an inability to do so. 🙂
Never argue with an accountant unless you live in Spain 😉
That is fairly obvious to me RA that we can manage that possibly a loss of income about 25 million if we had no CL but there does appear to be conflicting statements from the two.
Anyway as you know, I am shite at letter writing and posting and spelling but I stick to my guns that not all is well within the club.
please anyone prove me wrong come May.
RA 🙂 If only I was in possession of a Norfolk estate – and there are some fine ones in this knack of the woods (ask LG or GiE) – I would graciously, and unconditionally, extend an invitation to all AA’ers 🙂
Kelsey,
You are our ‘in’ man regarding the machinations at AFC, and it would be foolish of me to argue with you about the possible diversity of opinion between AW and the Board — so I won’t!! 🙂
Anyway, you get your points across extremely well, which is why I like to tease you. You know me well enough to realise my humour is a bit ……. odd! 🙂
Sorry, Kelsey, I forgot to ask – do you have any news on how things have gone with Dandan’s wife?
Has anyone else noticed, or suffered from, a lack of Rocky’s Posts lately?
If you are out there Oh Great Rock, it’s about time you moved your ass and gave your great unwashed public another tranche of their much desired sustenance!! 🙂
RA,
last i heard they were screwing her leg back on 😉 No seriously I won’t hear until tomorrow as I understand she might have to stay in overnight.
Thanks for the update Kelsey.
Exile: I think I’ve found a home for the other ticket for Sunday, which would mean you could have the one you wanted. I should have confirmation tomorrow morning.
Cinderella shall go to the Ball!
And apologies Peaches – lawyers use character faults, especially pedantry, as the basis for entire careers, and sometimes I just can’t resist!
26, we are just so lucky to have the embodiments of the three graces (beauty, charm and creativity – in no particular order) represented on AA: Peaches, IrishG and Evonne! 🙂
I`m not trying to be nosey, just curious , as to which area/country most of the blogger`s of this site live ?. Some being obvious by their name “Wigan gooner”, “Camberwell gooner” ,me, etc,.
Raddy- Denmark
Kelsey-Spain
Peaches,evonne,Rasp, London- I think London ?
Total-Holland/norfolk
LG-Norfolk
Micky- Devon
RA- A septic over here ? 🙂
TMHT-Nearest assylum to Stepney 🙂
oz-down under
Any chance of a list next to the Authors column ?
Are you a Tax Inspector, GLIC, or just a Debt Collector?
Either way, the man you want is 26!! 🙂
Not quite right GLIST
you also forgot posters from across the pond and those north of the watford gap and north east and east and those south of London
5/10. Must try better.
or unemployed 😉
or retired/retarded
Nice write up BR
I have a good feeling about tonight. We are just starting to pick up momentum and a victory in a hostile envoirment is just what the team needs. in fact, this is our year, were going to win the Champions League, and it will vindicate everything the club and our great manager are about.
or glass empty, almost empty, half empty, half full, almost full, fullm brimming over…
Looking forward to todays game, with some trepidation.
You would think after 64 years of supporting that the game anticipation would fade a bit – but believe me the feeling remains strong and I still plan my schedule around our games.
TMHT, as always, I love your optimism! Definately ‘glass brimming over’ 🙂
definately = definitely
This has nothing to with anything, but I was very taken with a part of a poem printed on AA a few days ago (Micky ?), so I looked it up in my little book, and found it has been ‘adopted’ by 22 SAS. (I know not what for).
Here it is in full.
The Pilgrims: By James Elroy Flecker
The Golden Journey to Samarkand (1913)
We are the Pilgrims, master; we shall go
Always a little further: it may be
Beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow,
Across that angry or that glimmering sea,
White on a throne or guarded in a cave
There lives a prophet who can understand
Why men were born: but surely we are brave,
Who take the Golden Road to Samarkand.
Sweet to ride forth at evening from the wells
When shadows pass gigantic on the sand,
And softly through the silence beat the bells
Along the Golden Road to Samarkand.
We travel not for trafficking alone;
By hotter winds our fiery hearts are fanned:
For lust of knowing what should not be known
We make the Golden Journey to Samarkand.
Isn’t that wonderfully, exotic, emotive and mysterious? Maybe that is why the SAS adopted it. Fabulous prose!!
It seems to have been derived from a play and the main characters and their lines were;
HASSAN:
Sweet to ride forth at evening from the wells,
When shadows pass gigantic on the sand,
And softly through the silence beat the bells
Along the Golden Road to Samarkand.
ISHAK:
We travel not for trafficking alone;
By hotter winds our fiery hearts are fanned:
For lust of knowing what should not be known
We take the Golden Road to Samarkand.
MASTER OF THE CARAVAN:
Open the gate, O watchman of the night!
THE WATCHMAN:
Ho, travellers, I open. For what land
Leave you the dim-moon city of delight?
MERCHANTS (with a shout):
We take the Golden Road to Samarkand!
(The Caravan passes through the gate)
THE WATCHMAN (consoling the women):
What would ye, ladies? It was ever thus.
Men are unwise and curiously planned.
A WOMAN:
They have their dreams, and do not think of us.
VOICES OF THE CARAVAN (in the distance singing):
We take the Golden Road to Samarkand.
I would love to know more. Anyone on AA on intimate terms with the play who can help? 🙂
GLIST: Am a happy resident of north-west London (Kensal Rise). But I consider myself forever to be a North Londoner; the hospital I was born in (the old Royal Free) was on Liverpool Road, and I was brought up variously in Highgate, Crouch End, Alexandra Park and Wood Green. As a nipper, I did have two years living in Cornwall (near Portreath) and a year in Spain, but that’s what comes of having a (now ex) hippy as a mum.
I have no idea why anyone would want to live north of the Watford Gap, or in south London, all a mystery to me. 😉
Thanks for the complimentary comments.
I cannot see AW playing Chamakh tonight, it is too important.
If AW plays the team above, there will only be one Frenchman starting and more Englishman than any other nationality. As there were on Saturday (3). Futhernore, the team would have players from 10 different countries which could well be another record.
Lovely poem that one Mr Arse. But the SAS? Really? Those same mean bastards love a bit of oriental whimsy? Who would’ve thought?
And GN5, I should hope you are looking forward to it, what would life have come to if we started losing our appetite for watching the greatest club in the world playing the most beautiful game in the world?
The bit of it (RA’s first four lines) I posted is on the clock at their barracks.
Back after the game.
26.
Although born in Bethnal Green, East London, the nearest team as the crow fly`s was “The Arsenal”, and most kids in ,Saint Mathias primary and Daneford Secondary schools Bethnal Green, were Gooners. Glad I wasn`t born in some scummy, unmentionable part of N17. 🙂
RA,
“tax collector”, more of a Robin Hood, 🙂
26. Totally agree. Life would be barren without the drama and comraderie of Goonerdom
Arsenal team to play Marseille:
Szezesny
Jenkinson – Mertesacker – Koscielny – Santos
Arteta – Song – Rosicky
Walcott – Van Persie – Arshavin
Evening all
Evening all isn’t our 12th man, just saying “hello” 😆
Fabianski, Djourou, Ramsey, Benayoun, Coquelin, Gervinho, Chamakh
Evening Irish thanks for the team news, so as per Raddys team selection just the two Englishman….tut tut Raddy Aaron will never forgive you for calling him English 😀
Other than that a pretty solid looking line up, just heard that Marseille haven’t conceded at home in CL for 460 minutes, could be a tough nut to crack and the counter attack is going to be a big threat as Raddy suggested
Good news about finding another home for the second ticket 26, have you told he/she to bring ear protectors
At the National Art Gallery in Dublin, a husband and wife were staring at a portrait that had them completely confused.
The painting depicted 3 black men totally naked, sitting on a bench. Two of the figures had black penises, but the one in the middle had a pink penis.
The curator of the gallery realized that they were having trouble interpreting the painting and offered his personal assessment.
He went on for over half an hour explaining how it depicted the sexual emasculation of African Americans in a predominately white, patriarchal society. ‘”In fact'”, he pointed out, ‘”some serious critics believe that the pink penis also reflects the cultural and sociological oppression experienced by gay men in contemporary society.”
After the curator left, an Irishman approached the couple and said, “Would you like to know what the painting is really about?”
“Now why would you claim to be more of an expert than the curator of the gallery?”, asked the couple.
“Because I am the artist who painted the picture,” he replied. “In fact, there are no Africans depicted at all. They’re just three Irish coal miners. The guy in the middle went home for lunch.”
Evening GIE
Good news for Arsenal is that their ground is under going reconstruction for the Euros in 2016 so they won’t have the usual support. It might help.
Well done BR. Really did not think we would start with van Persie tonight.
Oh dear this is difficult watching
Time for AW to grasp te nettle and replace Arshavin for the second half, he has been poor. So too has Walcott but at least he is involved.
Santos will be off if he continues to make such poor decisions.
Otherwise so far so good. Koscielny is having a fine game,
Santos looks so unfit.
Erm what to say……
Three players deserve praise the rest need to pull their finger out. Kozzer, Jenks and Chesser.
If Arshavin stands watching the opposition attack and ignores his man one more time I’ll be having serious words at the TV.
I liked Santos against Olympiakos cos he was calm, tonight he is virtually horizontal and is playing team mates into trouble.
Theo thinks he has the beating of his man so passes back and turns and runs with no thought of what happened to his pass.
As for midfield three we have zero shape to speak of which is causing problems going forward and defensively.
WAKE UP LADS!
GIE. Good summation. Let us hope for a shake up second half and not allow OM to play in our half.
As the game progressed we were sitting way too deep and the gap between RvP and the rest was widening.
One positive is Olympiakos leading 2-1 at HT
Any chance that Song could concentrate on connecting with the rest of the mid-field instead of trying a ‘Cesc’ pass
I love Koscielny
…………….. and he kicks the ball out of play 🙄
WOOHOOO
I’m tweeting with you – not cool I know, my daughter objects too 😉
Well get in there young Aaron….nice finish from lo and behold an early cross!
Koscielny was superb tonight, he reads the game so well, rarely looks stretched and just gets on no matter what’s thrown at him.
Dominated second half as we had some shape.
Now Djourou did alright tonight but we’ve got to hope Jenks is fit to keep Stokes wingers honest on Sunday.
Yessssssss,
1-0 to The Arsenal, 1-0 to The Arsenal 1-0……….
I’ve turned into a Tweetaholic
No wonder AW was surprised OM beat Borussia – they were awful and we should have hammered them but 5 wins out of the last 6 games are reasons to be cheerful.
The subs lifted our game.
1-0 TO THE ARSENAL – RAMSEY YOU LEGEND
Koscielny MOTM
Agreed Rob. Great performance from the big nosed Frenchman.
Starting watching at 30 mins, and thought the movement, or lack of it, from Theo and AA was very poor. Still Trois Points. Very pleased.
Nite all.
Definitely Kozzer for MotM, superb performance, one mistake in the CC final has turned so many fans against him….for me he has been our best defender over the last year.
GIE,
Your avatar is lovely.
Haha, 1-0 away from home, love it. Watched the second half with no sound. Far more enjoyable.
How can the ref book JD for such a great tackle? Utterly ridiculous.
Looks like I will have a few spares for Stoke if anyone’s interested.
Very pleased with the spirit shown in the last two games.
PM4 and LK6 were excellent tonight and Song in both games. Good tactics from Wenger to keep Ramsey and Gervinho up his sleeve until late on.
If we are not going to use Arshavin centrally the sell him because he was utter rubbish tonight an absolute disgrace for about the fourth time this season.
Glad to see the confidence returning in the rest of them though. Great night to be a gooner!
Glad to see people giving Koscielny a bit of credit. To my mind, he’s been playing like this right along… his one-on-one defending is phenomenal, his passing excellent, and he never gives up. Great player. Djourou, who looks like a disaster at CB, actually looked the job at RB.
What a nice surprise that cross was! Rosicky and Arteta, however, do not impress much in midfield. Two decent players, but neither of them with the class to lift the other.
And there was me thinking that in actual fact there wasn’t a god, wrong again…………
Happy, happy, happy.
Great result – I was perfectly happy to accept the point, but to carve them open at the end like that was lovely. Exactly what the doctor ordered to build our confidence.
Marseille were poor going forward, and ended up picking up our first half habit of giving the ball away cheaply. But they were very good in defence – good organisation, tight to any Arsenal player with the ball and they denied us any clear sight of goal. Until the 92nd minute! You can see why they’ve conceded so few goals over the past couple of months.
And in the end, our defence played well too – Kos was the best, but they all did pretty well for me.
Not an attack-fest, obviously, but I really enjoyed that game. The sort of serious football fare that George Graham would have loved. Though obviously he’d have been worried about there being too much attacking football in there.
California: I agree with your first para (Kos has been playing well for a while, and is often underrated), and disagree with your second! I thought Arteta had a good game today – workmanlike but a proper team player’s performance. And Rosicky did ok for me too.
Fantastic result and decent battling performance.
Kozzer – monster. I’ve loved him from day one. Fast strong, aggressive, tough, never say die. Amen
Song. At times I don’t care how many of his more flamboyant passes are loose, so long as his short sharp ones are ..errm short sharp and find their man. You just can;t win a game by playing the percentages for 90mins, at times you have to take a chance. I’d sometimes rather lose possession with a risky forward pass, than have someone nick the ball off our toes on pass no 26 with 80% of our team sucked forward by our own possession.
BFG. Quality performance tonight, but I did notice he often delays a pass to a team mate, then plays it anyway, putting them in a tight corner. Stil think he’s been a quality signing though. Other than defending he’s also a very good footballer.
I’d love to see the BFG with bright green dreadlocks though. Maybe just maybe Miquel and Robin would start sending set pieces towards his (slightly??) more conspicuous head. Is there a ssuggestion box on Arsenal.com.
Off to look…night all
Quick word on Tomas and Miquel. Battling performance from the both. Oh …and once Santos is fit he’ll be a monster.
Jenkinson. Cracking shift son.
Right really going now….
Agreed 2*13
haha, watch from 7:30..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFTzjbwcWZ8
Great result, apart from first 15-20mins, all had a reasonable game. Stand out was Kozzer and BFG did well.
Djourou was ok, his yellow was a farce…….
Gervinho and Ramsey gave us some impetus and it worked, would have taken a point early doors, 3 is a dream…….
Well done lads………just want to sit on the postives from tonight….
26may1989, always good to get a response. We’ll disagree. Both Rosicky and Arteta are good players… but combined they are nothing special. Workmanlike is fine, but I’ve come to expect something more than that from an Arsenal midfield over the last several years — like crisp, fast, incisive passing and phenomenal ball possession.
CG
Arteta and TR7 have probably played… what? four games together?
We’ve got to give these players time to bed in. To me Arteta has shown real quality and we’ll really feel the benefit of it as this team begins to gel.
Unnoticed by everyone was the fact that Rosicky won the ball back in the right back position and then passed down field, we were about to lose the ball in their half when up popped Rosicky to win the ball back and pass off to Djourou who passed on to Gervinho who flipped it on to Ramsey – who scored.
MOTM has to be Rosicky – worked his but off right to the winning goal. His work is rarely given the credit it deserves……….
Exile, re the ticket, noise warnings will be given!
We’ll need to discuss logistics – want to mail me via Peaches?
GN5, I agree with all of that. Except it should be “worked his arse off”…. 😉
Clowns of the match have to be Walcott and Arshavin, how is it that two professional footballers can be that anonymous for an entire game?
26M,
Cheeky but true………..
OK, apologies GN5, but I’m signing off for the night. Hopefully you’ll be joined by some of the other Canucks, Yankees and Downunderites.
Very true gunner5. I’m impressed with his work rate. Whenever we lose the ball he was the one that always popped up to win the ball back without committing a foul.
3 more games like this and he deserved to be in the starting line up for every game!
Yea Rob,
He is beggining to show us what he can really achieve, it`s such a pity that his injuries have robbed both him and Arsenal of his best years……….
Well not the best game I have ever seen but who cares,we got a result at an intimidating venue
As others said Kos had a great game as did the lad Jenkinson.I was amazed at Rosicky’s fitness level and general game,something I thought would never come back.
The ref made some strange decisions and ignored others,anyway roll on Stoke who hopefully will be knackered after tonight.
My only worry is that we might run out of players 🙂
The thing I wishes for this season was a return of fighting spirit and the ability to defend. Last night had both. The fact our attacks mainly broke down through poor passing is a shame after all the great passing teams we’ve seen under wenger but the way they fought for each other last night shows that they are starting to become a team! It would be churlish to comment on the wobbly bits of yesterday’s performance so I’m just going to bask in Ramsey wonderland and the memories of koscielny’s many interceptions…
Anyone know why the ox wasn’t even on the bench?
Hi Carlito,
I think AW said he was not quite ready and had pencilled him in for the CC.
With regards to the CC which falls between Stoke and Chelsea it might not be a bad thing to rest as many players as possible which i know is a fairly obvious statement especially with so many injuries, and I reckon Bolton will do the same due to their league position.
I must comment on the ITV opening coverage when the three studio guests were interviewed at the very start of the programme.
First thing O’Neill said was that he didn’t get on with Wenger before even commenting on the game.Was that remark really neccessary to open a programme with that remark.
Carlito hi, how’s things?
To answer your question: because he wasn’t needed 🙂
However, after seeing the performances of Theo and AA, I get the feeling we will see alot more of him!
Morning Carlito good too see you happy this morning. 😀
Agree about fighting spirit, we will need another truckload of it for Stoke on Sunday.
Re the Ox the only reason can be size of squad. For the balance of the bench (gk, defence, midfield, attack) we can take maximum 2 in each position plus a GK, can’t figure out who is replaced if we took him. Not to say he won’t have a part to play at some point this season.
Love this pic of Koscielny running to congratulate Ramsey
http://twitpic.com/72shzy
Kelsey,
Begs the question who doesn’t get on with who. One is a classy gentleman with style and integrity, the other is a jumped up tracksuited twerp.
I am being positive today but Arshavin oh deary me.
Kelsey I try to avoid as much of pre match/half time and post match punditry as possible of any coverage, but especially when on ITV.
I have a feeling the pundits and commentators have so few opportunities to comment on football they want to get all their opinions out no matter what the game situation, result or otherwise.
Chiles was keen to mention the dismayed fans they travelled with and met. For me ITVs commentary and punditry is always about creating mountains out of molehills.
Loved the players at home reaction to the goal and result on twitter.
Wilshere:
Gett in!!!!!!!
Hector Bellerin:
YESYESYESYESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS, COME ON RAMSEEEEEEEY, COME ON ARSENAAAAAAAAAL!! (jon toral nearly brakes the floor jumping lol)
Sagna:
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!!!!!!!! ☺☺☺
Vermy:
Well done guys! Great result away from home!!
And finally one from our hero Rambo:
Delighted to get the winner! Good result for us away from home! Arsenal fans were great! Get in there!!!!
I didn’t think that Arshavin was being his usual lazy self I just don’t think he could find a way into the game. Walcott, on the other hand, was in the game but did nothing with it.
I found it interesting that when Gervinho came on he went out to the right wing rather than the left; he and Arshavin are so much better at swapping wings and therefore more fluid than the static Walcott and Arshavin combo.
La la la la ..lala la……laaaaala la la.
Sometimes it’s good to be a Gunner
Completely agree with London (he shall never be LB) at 7.57. Arshavin didn’t manage to break through but he tried. Much as I’m prone to defend Walcott from unfair knockers, he really didn’t contribute a lot last night.
26may – and walked off the pitch in a strop
Am I alone in not being convinced that ball actually hit Jenkinson on the arm in the first half? The forensic examination of the footage was, as Gareth Southgate said, inconclusive. And when I replayed it several times there wad nothing to show the ball moved before hitting Jenkinson’s midriff.
If it did hit, of course Marseille should’ve had a pen. But even if it did, it’s just the first piece of the good luck/bad luck formula rebalancing in our favour. We’re still owed plenty more of that.
Hi evonne. You’re right, Theo did wear an aggrieved look when he was subbed. Perhaps he’s angling for a move to City, and wants to show he’d fit in.
26may – good point, he and Tevez with faces like slapped arses 🙂
Or perhaps he knew that he underperformed and was angry with himself?
Maybe, and it’s easy to read too much into these things, but my impression is that over the last couple of years Walcott has reacted to all the slating he’s received (much of it misconceived) by becoming more selfish in style and substance. It’s like he thinks this is the way he has to behave to show he’s a serious player.
This was a great win – by the reaction to the goal you could see how it lifted the spirits of all the players – a great tonic for when we host Stoke this weekend – bring it on!
26,
For goodness sake get some bloody sleep occasionally!
New Post ……………………
Knoxville Plumbing…
[…]Short trip to Marseilles « Arsenal Arsenal[…]…
Information…
[…]Short trip to Marseilles « Arsenal Arsenal[…]…
Radarwarner und Laserblinder Kaufen…
Ganz tolles Artikel Mach weiter so, ich gucke sicher nochmal hier vorbei….
the best jeans from the best manufacturers…
[…]Short trip to Marseilles « Arsenal Arsenal[…]…
казино crazywmslotoland.com…
[…]Short trip to Marseilles « Arsenal Arsenal[…]…