Robin’s performance on Monday night, together with the rest of the team, left us all on a high. RvP, as our captain, had written very complimentary words about the home fans in the match programme for the game against Toon: ‘Our bond with the supporters is special and has been there a long time, but in the last few games I feel that it has reached a new level…. As I have said before it is down to us to give them that energy, to show them that energy, to show them that we are ready for the fight, and then they will respond. That’s what has happened recently – the fans and the players have worked together and made a really good team!”
From the moment the game started, RvP looked different than usual. He looked tense, a bit whiter and seemed to have some sort of cold sweat on his face. Was he, perhaps, not feeling 100%? Or was it nerves, as in realising that this is exactly the sort of game we need to win to prove we have really made progress. Too many times in our recent history, we have not been able to win these sorts of games – when expectations are high and the pressure is on to finally close a gap, or to take a distance from our direct competitors.
To me, it was obvious that Robin felt this pressure, as a true Captain should: he was ready for the fight, and with that comes full emotional involvement. In the last few years, too often we have seen an Arsenal side brimming with talent and mesmerizing skills, but just lacking the killer instinct, the ‘relentless effort’ as Arsene called it on Monday night, or simply the awareness that without fight and absolute commitment, we will never make the final push to the absolute top.
Last night, even more than in the recent comeback-victories over the Spuds and Pool, we were given ample evidence that this ‘new’ Arsenal team is made of the sternest stuff. RvP is its leader and he realised that something different was required against Newcastle United on Monday. The Barcodes had come to the THOF with a clear plan of parking two to three sizable mini-busses all over the pitch, and would try to outmuscle us with power and grit.
RvP, for once, showed us again his more familiar characteristics of his early years at the club, as he became a rebel with a cause. This time though, he showed he’s learned from his youthful years by never losing his cool totally, and what a difference it made. His victim on this special night became his fellow Dutchman Tim Krul, who was clearly asking for it. Sometimes a captain has to test the limits in order to show the rest of his team, and the supporters, what this game means to Arsenal, and by bullying Krul from the first moments he tried to waste time, he set the tone for the night. It got us all fired up and it was just what the stadium needed!
A captain needs to be able to focus on these sort of strategies now and again, and I sometimes wonder whether Robin’s combined responsibilities of captaining the side and being the main source of goals for our team, is holding back his ability to lead the team with regards to these so important psychological strategies and battles.
For obvious reasons, it is of paramount importance that Arsenal weans itself of this recently established overreliance on RvP scoring the majority of our goals. The good thing is that since the start of the year we are now seeing a slow but significant shift towards a more healthy balance between goals scored by Robin and the rest of the team.
Start of the 2011-2012 season till 31-12-2012
(Games include PL, FA and CL but not CC)
- We played 26 games in which we scored 46 goals
- 21 goals were scored by RvP: 46% of all goals
- The team scored 1.8 goals per game
- In 12 out of the 23 games (in 3 games we did not score at all) 50% or more of all goals were scored by RvP: 52%
- In 9 out of the 23 games (in 3 games we did not score at all) more than 50% of all goals were scored by RvP: 39%
- Arsenal won 16 out of their 26 games: 62%
Start of 2012 till 12-03-2012
- We played 14 games in which we scored 29 goals
- Twelve goals were scored by RvP: 41% of all goals
- he team scored 2.1 goals per game
- In 5 out of 11 games (in 3 games we did not score at all) 50% or more of all goals were scored by RvP: 45%
- In 3 out of 11 games (in 3 games we did not score at all) more than 50% of all goals were scored by RvP: 27%
- Arsenal won 8 out of their 14 games: 57%
Of course it is early days, but as the above shows there appears to be a shift towards a more healthy balance between RvP and the rest of the team scoring our goals, and, more importantly, in terms of who is winning individual games for us. Since the start of the year, RvP scored the majority of our goals, in each single match, in just over 1 in 4 matches, compared to 2 in 5 matches during the first part of the season. The share of 50% or more goals by RvP has dropped from 52% to a healthier 44%, and I reckon this will drop further in the next few months.
More importantly, the team is scoring more goals now at 2.1 goals per game, compared to 1.8 goals in 2011. The former is the sort of goals per game record that would see us score 80 goals in the PL, compared to 68 goals when the average is 1.8 goals per game. Our games win-rate is still inferior though, but I reckon this will shift in favour of the current year in the next few weeks or so (our very bad spell in January still has a relatively major impact on these figures).
So yes, I do believe we are becoming less reliant on Robin in terms of scoring goals and winning games for us. We are witnessing a slow but steady shift towards a healthier balance between him and the rest of the team. This will help RvP tremendously in leading the team not only from the front, i.e. by example, but also in terms of responsibilities such as making small tactical adjustments, on-field man-management, talking to/influencing the referee, fighting psychological battles etc.
Robin van Persie is quickly becoming a total captain for the team.
Finally, anybody doubting his desire to stay at Arsenal should watch the Toon game again, and just concentrate on RvP all-round performance. He is a Gunner For Life, alright.
Written by TotalArsenal.
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Interesting post TA, it does seem we are becoming less reliant, but the real question is why shouldn’t we be, he is afterall the centre forward, and centre forwards are paid to score goals, as midfielders are paid to create them.
I think the real fear behind the “one man team” jibe is that in truth we are a one goal scoring centre forward team and the awful question of what happens if he isn’t available is yet to be answered.
By the way I may be being really thick but I can’t figure out what the difference between points no 4 and 5 are. (RvP scores 50% or more/RvP scores more than 50% – aren’t they the same thing?)
Please look away now, Gus.
Excellent stuff, TA.
I really didn’t think Robin was captain material at all when he was appointed. How delightful to be so wrong. Total captain indeed 🙂
It struck me that we used to be called a one man team by the N17 mutants when Thierry was playing, so I went to have a quick look at comparable figures.
In 2003/4 we scored 73 league goals of which Thierry scored 30 which works out at 41%.
One man team, pah, long may it continue.
Very very good piece of writing TA, thank you.
I am not sure that I said this on here, but I always thought Robin was a rubbish choice as Captain.
Oh well, wrong again, so moving swiftly on to the Reliance on Robin. It always bothered me when football commentators banged on about us being so dependant on Robins goalscoring.
Well two things always sprung to mind. What the bloody hell do you expect to happen when you have one of the world’s great players? So he scores when he wants. That’s what happens.Live with it.
The other bleeding obvious point is that we play with a lone striker. So guess what? Yip, he’s going to be the focal point and surprise surprise, he’ll score the lions share.
Well timed and clever dissection of the Reliance question TA, I don’t want to ‘Gus’ all over you, but as usual, an excellent post 😛
Micky,
That’s brilliant. You make the whole debate look so silly. He’s brilliant, he plays up front in a 4:5:1 he gets excellent service from our midfielders ergo – he scores loadsa goals …. dduuuurrrrr
Thanks guys! 🙂
Hi GiE, for the post, I have trying to break down what being reliant on a player means, as per the One Van Team comments etc. The idea being we rely on Robin too much to win us matches and without him we would be rubbish – a comment regularly heard by Spud and Chav fans and the like. So I broke the games down to those were Robin either scored half (50%) of the goals or more, and a separate stat for thos games were he scores MORE THAN HALF/ 50%: in which he is in effect the sole match winner.
In the latter we have seen the steepest reduction: from 39% to 27%, which I found significant enough to separate. So, if anybody says again to me your a One Van Team, I will tell them that he is our main striker and you would expect/hope he would score a decent number of goals, but also, that he scores the majority of our goals in only 1 in 4 games now.
gerrard
rooney
messi
drogba
ba
aguerro
ronaldo
Everyone is a “one man team” the press are just arseholes.
That’s the other way of putting it GM. Arseholes…spot on 🙂
Well, well, well, here we go again. This has simply got to stop!!
I am being placed in the invidious position of either commending another excellent Post, TA, or being Gussed!
To hell with it, Gus (who he?) will have to get on with it.
That was another Dutch master class, in English, about a Dutch football maestro, which took us thru’ the mindset of Batman’s Friend during Monday’s wonderful game, and then on thru his youthful turbulent history with its occasional volcanic eruptions, until his recent emergence, like a butterfly from its chrysalis, into the great captain he has become.
Truly first rate, sir!! 🙂
Rasp,
“ddurrr” ha ha
Like I said before about all the tactics bollocks, its all really quite simple
On a similar point to the one GIE raised, TA, was there a typo and did you mean the first data set title, in the Post, to read;
“Start of the 2011-2012 season till 31-12-2011.”?
Otherwise there would seem to be an overlap with the second set, and a forecast fallow, future period where Robin will score no goals in the rest of 2012!! 🙂
Football is team and squad game nowadays.To rely on RVP for goals is dangerous. From now until the end of the season,,mark my words,he will be tightly marked.I remember GG relied on Wright 90% of the time. So when Wright had a poor game,you can bet the gunners would have to struggle for points.
Btw the gunners have won five games in a row. Only MC have won 6 games in a row. I think by the time the gunners meet MC ,Arsenal could have drawn or even lose one game.The law of probablity.
Hopefully they beat Everon and draw with either AV or QPR.This is the epl not the Spanish league where Barca and RM can win ten games or more in succession.
Definitely a thought-provoking post. I think Arsenal’s very poor start to the season coupled with Van Persie’s form led to the press labelling us a one-man team. In a way it was justified, I think at the time we were. But only in the sense that only one player was preforming on a consistent basis. The problem is, the tag hasn’t gone away in the press even as we have proven to be playing as a solid unit, with a number of consistent players. Maybe people to confuse the term ‘one-man team’ with just having an acknowledged ‘best player’.
Also I want to add that I think in retrospect I might have been a bit crass yesterday! Someone had to say it but I want to assure everyone that I am all in favour of complimenting posts. In fact if I hate anyone its internet morons who don’t show respect to anyone and often rite lyk dis. They come on to the Arsenal blogosphere, trash writers, fight with their fellow gooners, and worst of all attack and abuse our team. Who are these sad people?
RA, may I thank you with gusto for your gust of gushiness over the gustatory appreciation of my humbly written post! 😳
Well said Gus,
Are you anything to do with Emperor Caesar?
I thought your comment was really funny yesterday Gus and took it in good humour.
Welcome back, Gus. Ooops was that too over the top. Sorry.
This one’s for you.
Australian Outback Story
A Driver walks into a bar with a pet crocodile by his side.
He puts the crocodile up on the bar.
He turns to the astonished patrons.
‘I’ll make you a deal. I’ll open this crocodile’s mouth and place my manhood inside.
Then the croc will close his mouth for one minute.
‘Then he’ll open his mouth and I’ll remove my unit unscathed.
In return for witnessing this spectacle, each of you will buy me a drink.’
The crowd murmured their approval.
The man stood up on the bar, dropped his trousers, and placed his credentials and related parts in the crocodile’s open mouth.
The croc closed his mouth as the crowd gasped.
After a minute, the man grabbed a beer bottle and smacked the
crocodile really,really hard on the top of its head
The croc opened his mouth and the man removed his genitals unscathed as promised.
The crowd cheered, and the first of his free drinks were delivered.
The man stood up again and made another offer. ‘I’ll pay anyone $100 who’s willing to give it a try.’
A hush fell over the crowd. After a while, a hand went up in the back of the bar.
A blonde woman timidly spoke up……….
‘I’ll try it – Just don’t hit me so hard with the beer bottle!’
Glad to see you are one of us, Gus.
The authors on AA are all ‘volunteers’ and give up their own time to amuse, educate and stimulate us all.
The high standards attained by each of them is remarkable, and the beauty of it is that we get so many different opinions on all aspects of our awesome club, rather than one or two “Post Masters” peddling their own version of events.
Have a go yourself, you will be welcomed, and will give us yet another Gooner’s view! 🙂 [And your name will go up on the Authors list at the side of this blog — and no – I am not a site owner!] 🙂
Hi Gus, it is all tongue-in-cheek – we’re just having a bit of fun. At AA nobody gets paid to write posts and one comes out every day, so we tend to encourage each other, as we all know that thinking about something to write and then actually writing it is not always easy.
Gunner for life is right…
But to stay and win would be a huge personal achievement.
Imagine what it must have been like for him since he got here
he has been playing in one man teams since he arrived.
at first Henry was the one man, Then cesc.
Robin was in the supporting cast and had to face the media criticism of his injuries and his nonhenrynicity or uncescness and was expected to bask in the reflected spotlight from the gallic and spainish gods
Now say Captain Vantastic actually goes and wins a title.
that would justify everything – look at his words, his sharing of the glory – Henry and Cesc never did that as convincingly – RVP looks for all the world like a man of the people, the dressing room shop steward and i think that the reaction of this team to setbacks, injuries, criticism shows him that his leadership is a 12th man.
He is playing through the pain and i think he will not just stay, but he will do it with a statement of intent and in a manner that binds the club
he will attract good players because right now (Herr Goetze, M.Hazard and Herr Podolski) you’d want to be mad not to want to play with RVP the MVP
Chas, 🙂 🙂
TA, “Gustatory”? I have to warn you I have often been told I have no taste!! 🙂
Samy, good comment. The ‘anti-poison’ to the law of probability is the law of positive thinking. Look into my eyes, look into my eyes: win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win–> Top-3 🙂
Good one, D98. 🙂
Good observation there TA
As much as a team can be balanced, me thinks the first symptom should be a sizeable number of their goals should come from the player saddled with the responsibility of doing it-Centre forward-this case Robben Van Persie.
So it would actually mean an imbalance if the striker is on the same strike ratio with some other members of the team.
By the way, got viewing ‘AMAZING ARSENAL PICTURES – LOOK AWAY SPURS FANS!’ on ‘Talksport’ and got this comments from a Spurs fan and response from another supposedly Arsenal fan
Comment by davspursposted Tuesday, March 13, 2012 – 12:56
‘This only proved my point energy drugs are being swallowed at the emirates i have been warning Spurs fans for weeks. The problem is Ufa are on the look out for Ephedrine and other substances designed to help work rate and all our clubs who have been running for longer in the premiership have been slower in the Ufas.. Now the shackles are of Arsenal have suddenly upped there work rate to 6th gear . The reason i forecast thisis all the American oners ho also have other Sports frangises teams in America. The are flooding our game with performance drugs its no surprise that Arsenal 10 points behind out of Europe the Cup they could have gone 13 points behind yet they came out in the second half and blew Spurs away and they have not stopped running since the last seconds six players where in a line when they scored in 95 mins.. This all started when Stan Kronke arrived for his first visit and the same thing happened at Liverpool when John Henry arrived..But my main source of information came four seasons ago when i reported a top team for taking ephedrine the same team ho got UFA to start testing our players when they are in between Ufa Games i knew . The reason i knew Arsenal would start upping there work rate was one of there players played for the team i reported and he has broke into the team at the same time ther performances have improved he got man of the match against Spurs you can see all the weight loss and gaunt faces. The tell tale symptoms of to much running and these substances cause all the weight loss. I seen this last night on Skys after match interview the red face and neck of over boiling the very substance Paddy Kenny got caught using Ephedrine Kolo Tour ex Arsenal as just the tip of a massive scandal rising by the desperate week’
Response
Comment by stpaulposted Tuesday, March 13, 2012 – 14:31
‘You need help’
My view – seems like the spurs fan needs a good help also on the language side
Totally Acclaim TA.
I also don’t understand the one man team jibe. Fair enough if we were a liverpool and gave it to suarez non-stop and he wasn’t scoring, but it’s not the case. When his confidence is through the roof why not give him the ball?! We needed to find different avenues to goal, and that comes with balance and continuity (something we are finding). At the end of the day Robin scores when we wants!!!
@ Gus
chalk that one up to just being GUSty. Glad you clarified because i thought you were a GUSano. I was wrong, you just take a lot of GUSto from Arsenal. i’ll stop
Dammit TA, while i’m looking up online dictionaries you’ve beaten me to the punch!
OZ 🙂
D98 🙂 – you are the true positive thinker! When are you writing a post again?
Timmy, ‘you need help’ was the best possible response to the sour Spud 🙂
It’s a very obvious point but this is the first season Robin has played this many games. I’ve put money on him being top scorer twice before and both times he got injured. I wish i’d put money on this year. I remember a few years ago he was top scorer before Christmas and never played after due to injury. I think he’s going to stay and although there are always rumours in the press I think the Podolski one is a done deal so next season we could be flying.
I loved the you need help comment
Love the joke chas. I’d love to have a go RA. How do I get involved?
Now that I won’t open up a can of worms I have to say TA that’s a logical explanation of the feeling I’ve got that other team members are adding to our attacking lately, so “sombrero” to you. 🙂
Now, let’s hope for some italian glory at the bus stop in Fulham to keep the feel good factor going this week.
great comment D98.
I also thought giving RVP the gig was just another attempt to keep a quality player, and why when Verm is in the squad! how wrong i was, his game against toon reminded me of one Mr Arsenal, pleasure to see the passion he gave (like you said Rasp it’ll be remembered for some time to come).
I said at the start of the season in my post, when the team is flat we need someone to make that big tackle, fire up the troops or get under the oppositions skin. It is infectious throughout the squad and makes players lift another gear.
Chas, thanks for the TH stat. 41% of all the goals (just like RvP currently in 2012). It would be good to look back at teams that won the PL and whether they all had a one-man-team scorer in the region of 40% of all goals.
I meant to say the other night that I think Ben Arfa is a great player and his goal didin’t suprise me. I’ve seen him score a goal like that before this season, I thought we might buy him a while back.
Cheers Chary, I have watched Napoli a few times and they play really attractive football at times. No doubt in my mind they will eliminate the Chavs with a smile on their mafiaosi faces. 🙂
Here’s that team spirit photo from Monday for those that missed it.
Wouldn’t it be good for the chavs to have another 2 games and get totally spanked by barca, RM or Bayern?
BTW Bayerns result last night really shows how poor the mancs are.
There’s an Arsenal twitter thing going on at the moment.
That said about Timmy it is true that Wenger hasn’t been shy of administering substances creatine as far as i am aware its 100% legal, just allows the body to go for longer, and keeps the metabolism up. I used it when i used to train down the gym regularly after my football days.
Merson obviously wrote this in 2011 with the help of the Sun
But in my memory I remember him being interviewed and talking about taking creatine when he was at the club having a renewed spell of form under Arsene, and was talking about how great it felt, I think the quote was something like “its like flying”, I was worried at the time as it was only a host while after his use of Alcohol and Cocaine had become public and was thinking to myself that surely to have a player on a substance like that wouldn’t be good.
GM – that was hilarious, the team that dumped Mamnure out of the Champions Leauge get spanked 7 zip in the next round.
So much for the bollocks the Manc loving media try to push on us like :”Fergie, the master tactician in Europe”
He’s just an ageing alcoholic who buys a few big players/divers and gets all the help from the refs and the FA to win dodgy penalties and get the oppo sent off.
Piss off you drunken old jocko front bottom and retire NOW !
goonermichael – once RVP, AW have their cup of tea in May – RVP will sign up and we will have a summer of content at Arsenal for teh first time in a decade.
coz who cares if bendy, arshavin, denilson, almunia al start throwing toys from prams?
Podolski will come in and one or 2 others
but not a lot because who (that we can afford) would get into a Squad that looks like this?
I can’t even fit Wilshire, Gibbs, The ox, arteta or the BFG onto my first XI
and i am a big critic of walcott but right now he is walking the walk at last.
Ches
Santos
Vermaelan
Koscielny
Sagna
Rosicky
Song
Arteta
Podolski
RVP
Walcott
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Second xi
Fabianski
Gibbs
BFG
Miquel
Jenks
Coquelin
Ramsay
Wilshire
Ox
Gervihno
Miyachi
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
3rd XI
Mannone
Angha
Djourou
Bartley
Yannaris
Frimpong
Lansbury
Diaby
Arshavin
Campbell
Wellington
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gus there’s a link up the top “Be Our Guest”
Send it in and the powers at be (not me) will look at it.
And as we have a few days without football we’re going to need some posts so a fresh view is always welcome (and takes the pressure off the rest of us 😀 )
I remember us being linked with him constantly a few years back too GM. So much so i thought it’d be a done deal. I thought his attitude was the stumbling block. Even Pardew said he is very high maintenance, but his quality is undeniable. I was excited to see how well he would do in the premier league but the leg break slowed him down. Ryan Taylor/Obertan/Ben Arfa i know who i’d choose on the right wing
Double 98 thats the basis for a post there…… 😀
I have been thinking about next season for a while, and the consideration we need to give to the homegrown rule and the limit of 25 players over the age of 21, players are beginning to mature, we need to move on some of the youngsters as there is no point keeping reserve players over the age of 21 who we can’t fit in the 25 squad (bearing in mind 8 have to be homegrown)
god D98 they are 3 good teams. The future is very bright!
Don’t say that GiE, because i know that means moving Lansbury on!
Call me crazy but i’d choose a full season of lansbury over a 5 game Diaby. The boys got talent!
Those teams don’t even include afobe, aneke, ozyakup, eastmond, bellerin, toral, chamakh, park, almunia, botelho, galindo so we could probably have a 4th team that could compete at championship level…
I don’t think any club in europe has the strenght in depth about to explode into this arsenal squad.
Its INSANE how ready are for next year
Good post.
On the one~man team subject.
Who gets all Barca’s goals?
Messi..!
So are Barca a one~man team???
Media bias and rollox as per usual.
Hi Gus,
Great to have your company again, and well done in establishing a new blog word …. to gus = to suck up to another blogger 😆
We’d be delighted to publish a post if you’d care to submit an article. Just email the text to us at arsenalnuts (see the link in Contact Us or Be our Guest)
We can add pictures/tables and sometimes do some creative editing etc and would only publish once you were happy with the end result.
TA. Another fine post. I can only repeat Micky’s summation. 10.05
I am aslo a big fan of Ben Arfa and think he would have been brilliant in our attack based team, however, at the time Ben Arfa went to Marseilles and we signed Nasri.
D98, If you had Rosicky above ramsey and wilshere a few weeks ago, people would be questioning your sanity. But as good as Rosicky’s been I’d have to have Wilshere in the first XI. Do you think Wenger will consider changing the system? We no longer have Fabregas whom the system was created for. I can see only Rosicky as someone who can pull the Fabregas role off (Arshavin?). Would it be more pragmatic to have two strikers in Van Persie and Walcott/Podolski, to accommodate the plethora of midfielders we have available to us.
GIE. You stated this morning that it was damaging to squad morale that Cesc was on a much higher wage. How do you think we will retain RvP’s services unless we offer a wage commensurate with what he can get elsewhere?
Hi Raddy, yes it was a toss up between Na$ri and Ben Arfa …. and we made the wrong choice it would appear. I had identified HBA as the danger man before the game and as you say, he is an identikit Arsenal/Arsène player.
Gus. I agree.. Wilshere offers unpredictability, passion, superb technical ability, strength and vision. He is impossible to leave on the bench when fit.
Do you really think AW would play 4-4-2?
Double. Nor do they include: Denilson, Vela & Bendtner,
Thanks everyone! I’m definitely going to submit a post. Should I be nervous about the responses I might get?
Just popping by.
TA, very interesting pos – we are too reliant on Robin, in the sense (as Exile says) that we don’t have the quality behind him to cover if he’s unavailable and we haven’t been scoring enough from other areas. But then our formation is more defensive this year, with only three players committed to attack, as against the four we had in the old 4-2-3-1 formation.
The team is growing now, and we are starting to see goals and strong attacking performances from other players. If we sign Podolski plus another attacking midfielder, that process will continue.
Re Messi, he’s scored 42% of Barca’s La Liga goals this season (versus Cesc on 13%, Sanchez 11% and Xavi 10%). Seems pretty similar to us and RvP really, though I haven’t done a full, TA-style analysis of the numbers.
Catch you lot later.
I’m not a tactical wiz. The only reason I suggested it was a way to incorporate all our midfielders. When youv’e got a fit Song, Wilshere, Ramsey, Arteta, Rosicky, Diaby, how do you pick just three?
I shouldn’t worry Gus – you might get ‘Red Arsed’ but then we all do from time to time 😕
Gus,
GIE and the Rasper, in my absence, have answered your question about getting a Post on AA. [email AA at arsenalnuts@live.co.uk]
Go for it, send in a Post and once you get the taste for it, as well as the positive response I am sure you will get from the regulars on here, you will want to write more!! 🙂
Am I the only one that thinks the re-introduction of Wilshere could mean another period of readjustment for our midfield at a time when we need consistency?
On current form, and with a decent rest period between games for the rest of the season, I’d start Rosicky and Arteta in every game, they seem to compliment one another perfectly.
Gus – post away – the responses here are generally very encouraging 🙂
I have written and article or two here where i suggested that we don’t have the players to play 4-3-3 and would like to see what wenger could do with a 4-4-2 gioven that we have players that are naturally built for that system,.
So far Wenger has stuck to his gun(ners)
Rosicky has been a revelation in the middle of the 3 man midfield – he never stood out on the wing but his gladiatorial skill, turns and thrusts are perfect for a central role. His eye for a thru ball and a reverse pass don’t work from wide.
He may end up being more “productive” and “Efficient” than fabregas while perhaps not being as rounded a player but we are all judging him from his past in the wrong position and without proper fitness… This guy was world class the year before we bought him.
He looks it now.
Wilshire is young and brilliant and it is a testimony to Rosicky and Arteta that they can’t just be yanked out of the team to accomodate him. look at the three midfields i have suggested – any one of them is strong enough for a premiership match – we are so competitive that i feel that you should own the jersey as long as your performance level is outstanding.
Right now Rosicky is outstanding and the 4 players behind him in the queue must wait for a chance and then grasp it
Great post TA, please allow me to suck you off. (The Gus method as opposed to George Michael)
I think your right about us weaning off the over reliance on RVP. This is a gradual process, related to having a more settled line up, with players stepping up to the plate.
I take your point about RVP having a steely look about him the other night. The some what petulant boy of a few years ago has matured into a hungry profesional with great desire and his leadership qualities are there for all to see. I have a good friend whos sister used to live next door to him. On one occasion he was round his sisters for a party and RVP was there with the family. Apparently hes a great guy, but when it came to playing pool or darts, he was 100% focussed on winning. I suppose all great sporting competitors have those attributes.
A general question i have, is the RVP of today as good as TH14 was during his peak years? For me, based on this seasons form, he certainly runs him close.
Rasp,
Did you know that there is a phoney blogger called redarse commenting on LG. Yeuk! What a cheek!!
Maybe I should be flattered!! 🙄
I wonder how things are in the award winning Cornish concubinage frequented by Glic?
He is probably too knackered to get on AA — and as for MerryTerry, I am suspicious that he may be there with him!! 🙂
Well there is my boy MerryT, and coming on to TA too!! tut, tut!! 🙂
Gus,
I’ll help you out as I’m the site expert in matters tactics. Seeing as I completely agree with you about the abundance of midfield talent, the answer is 2-7-1 🙂
D98,
How can anyone not love this line of yours:
“Its insane how ready we are for next year”.
One point I’ve been meaning to make is the vital contribution Song made to the winner on Monday. He orchestrated the build up to the goal. He played a very clever pass from a tight position when we gained possession from their thrown in; continued his run upfield and took the ball off Robin’s toes when he got into trouble near the centre circle, sprayed the ball out wide to Theo and continued his run into the box.
I am going to completely forget the idea of Song being a DM or even DM being his best position, his assists this season have been extremely important.
Hi Red Arse,
I don’t know where TMHT and glic are hiding, but they are missed. I hope we’ll be able to enjoy their knowledge and wit again in the near future.
@ Rasp
don’t worry about GLIC, everyone knows he’ll pop up soon enough. A mention of his name on here is like a Cornwall Bat-light. Then before you know it it’s a hilarious story or funny quip. Like a thief in the night!
Let It Be (The Beatles)
“When we found ourselves in times of trouble, Arsene
Wenger came to me
Speaking words of wisdom ‘Sell Henry’.
So when we got the cash from Barca, who should our new striker be?
Arsene said politely ‘Van Persie’
Van Persie Van Persie Van Persie Van Persie!
He WILL be the answer! Van Persie!”
Great post TA.. One man team??
cough…there is only ONE Robbin!! and may he continue to rob opponents pursey’s..
jealousy is a curse, so let em all talk!!
Raddy I was actually suggesting that maybe it was his high wage that made him think he was a cut above, and allowed to roam free where he saw fit, rather than playing for the team as he suggests in the article about Barca that he now does.
As for RvP its not a problem as TA has told us he is not motivated by money, but maybe to protect ourselves we should give him a twenty year contract and then at least his wages won’t upset the team, he’ll just get them for a long time after he finishes playing. 😀
Oz I’d like to see Henri come through too, but i am afraid his chances at THOF are going to be limited as we have added some much needed experience this summer.
I have said previously that now is the moment that Project Youth provides its legacy, the first crops of Wilshere, Lansbury, Afobe, Frimpong, Watt and Bartley are maturing, we have had to say goodbye to JET already plus Freeman. But they can’t all stay hot on their heels is another group of youngsters, the likes of Aneke, Ozyakup, Miquel, Yennaris, then another lot after them. Plus you have the likes of Myachi, Campbell, Ox and Jenkinson being bought in from outside.
In short we produce a lot of talent, and it is difficult knowing that every time we sign a more experienced player we have put pay to one or two youngsters chance of progression. But the cream will always rise, the outstanding talent stays, how many players trained at Arsenal from young and left and went on to do better things elsewhere, the only one I can think of is Andy Cole, but he had Ian Wright ahead of him
Oh and Rasp at your 12:48 spot on (altho I did mention it in the match report) Song was first to push and rush in the move, but wasn’t it just great to see us going from one end of the pitch to the other and scoring like that. Everyone busting a gut to be the one to get the goal. More please.
Sorry GiE, I did read it … promise!
In some ways it was my way of apologising to Song for moaning about him not staying back. I still think there is a 50/50 chance he could leave in the summer, but his involvement in the goal celebration on Monday may signal a change in his mindset.
GiE,
I agree the forward surge was awesome with maybe only Gervinho holding back. Its those pivotal moments when you really find out about a player.
Bendtner had his chance to make history when he should have scored in the away leg against Barca and fluffed it – careers can flourish or flounder on such small things
Rasp only kidding 😉
Asking to Song to stay deeper is at times necessary though, midfielders need to choose the right moments of games to do certain things. Arteta does this very well imo, i think Song can learn from him, as I’ve said many times this season, its all about responsibility and making sure your actions are not hindering or creating trouble for your teammates, sometimes Song can be guilty of leaving his back four exposed, as can all of our midfielders, but he is who we as fans look to to provide the break up so him not being there is more obvious than say Rosicky or Ramsey.
Actually the best thing Rosicky did on Monday night for me was chasing back and sliding to clear the ball for a throwing to prevent a Newcastle counter. He chased back like a man possessed and as fans that is the first thing we like to see before we like to see the pretty skills.
GIE. I misunderstood you. I thought you meant Cesc’s wages had an effect upon the squad. Sorry.
Agreed GIE,
Arteta seems to be the one best suited to collecting the ball off the defenders almost in the way of an old fashioned sweeper. The midfield is the heart of any team and above all has to have players who understand and can predict what the others will do. Ideally we’d have 2 wingers and the central 3 would all interchange according to the pattern of play.
Hi 26, my point of the post was to point out we are starting to score more from other areas and for the first time since the latter part of 2010, we are scoring more than 1.8 goals a game again, mainly because others in the team are starting to find the net more regularly.
Hi Terry, TH14 did it so consistently for a number of seasons that I would say it is a bit early to say RvP is as good as him.
Nice song rURp! 🙂
Re future midfield: I can see Song, Jack and The Ox being first choice either next season or the season after that, with Ramsey being used regularly to give somebody a rest and Rosicky, Arteta, and Diaby being the experienced back-up on the bench.
Rasp, very nice of you to give Song some recognition. I thought the passing for Song and Arteta remained sharp till the very last minute. I watched the Pool-Eve game yesterday and it was hardly watchable, mainly because of the bad passing. It made me realise once again how lucky we are at Arsenal.
Since Monday night, from about 10pm, I have been having this smell up my nose, have you? It’s an earthy, starchy and wet sort of smell. And now I realise what it is: we are sniffing at starchy edible tubers of a plant of the nightshade family, aka the Spuds, as we are right behind them 🙂
Anyone fancy meeting up for the reserves at underhill tonight?
Reserve games are a bit much on your own.
Jamie – match report?! 🙂
chas,
LMFAO 🙂
Chas 🙂
Actually thinking back to D98s squads and TR7’s recent form this highlights for me what I think Wengers biggest weakness is.
It is that actually he does not rotate the team enough. Once a player is doing well they keep the shirt, and whilst that should be the case unfortunately if that player then suffers and injury we then have to hope whoever fills in picks up the pace of the game and fits in to the team immediately.
Would we be better mixing up the side more frequently (i know injuries have meant we haven’t been able to do this much this season) but can you do the following?
Game 1 – Song, Arteta, TR7
Game 2 – Song, Ramsey, TR7
Game 3 – Frimpong, Arteta, Ramsey
Game 4 – Song, Wilshere, Ramsey
Game 5 – Song, Ox, Wilshere
Game 6 – Frimpong, Arteta, Wilshere
Game 7 – Song, Coquelin, TR7
Or is that all a bit too unsettling to the balance?
I guess with injuries we need 2 for every position in the squad of equal ability, and at least one more to fill in.
So:
Sz + ????
Sagna + Jenks + Yennaris
Santos + Gibbs + Meade
Koscielny + Mertesacker + Bartley
Vermaelen + Djourou + Miquel
Song + Frimpong + Coquelin
Arteta + Ramsey + Diaby + Ozyakup
Wilshere + Ramsey + Rosicky + Ox
Gervinho + AA23 + ????
Walcott + Ox + Myachi
RvP + Podolski + Afobe + Campbell
Haha, could do a match report.
Btw that squad above is 31 players (excl the question marks), I guess that only 8 are exempt from being named as they will be under 21 at the start of next season. And then you have to juggle the homegrown rule with the remaining 23. And we still need at least one more goalkeeper in the squad.
Will be an interesting summer but really needs to be considered before everyone starts to demand spending on super quality.
Jamie, if I was based in London I would go with you. When GiE and I were at the Norwich Reserves game a few weeks ago, we had a great time. The Reserves are bursting with potential/quality! 🙂
GiE: good list of players per position – Podolski can play left and the same goes for Myachi.
TA I wasn’t supposed to be adding one player to more than one position (but i did it anyway with Ox and Rambo!)
Blow me TA, that was one Fellatio of a post.
The first words by Gus yesterday were disGUSting. Actually I thought It was the f**king funniest opening line I`ve read on here, no surprise there then .
Forgot to say yesterday, Raddy, If we ever play Plymouth again, just come to Derriford Hospital for a Bearded photo, some truly magnificent specimens, God knows what their feeding the woman on , I bet they have an arm wrestle with their husbands to see who gets to use the razor first !.
The Skirt Lifters are very Impressed with my Horticultural knowledge, they said unlike most men, I have no problem finding the Clematis !.
On this day 1998…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_adATOypVQ
Superb post TA
Stats always confuse me but up until then it all made sense: other players are starting to share Robin’s work load.
Jamie, jamie, jamie
If you go tonight can you tell us what our new January signing is like, I don’t think any of us have got any information on him. I can’t even remember his name.
Icefield
Thomas Eisfeld for heavy metal fans ….. chary?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAtZSICzPRI
Raspers – is there a heavy sound track to that clip ? (No sound on my PC at the moment)
Hi chary, yes it starts off melodic and descends into grunge 😕
Ah right, I’ll try and identify it later, but it’ll probably be something from this century in which case I’ll struggle !
“Do summink, Theo”
Hello there, oh, Cornish pastry!
I thought our man Gus had a very earthy opening gambit yesterday, which went something like;
–“All the writers on this site suck each other off in the comments of every post! This is deffinity my favorite Arsenal blog!”
He will clearly be a strong candidate to join us in the Cuckoo Club! 🙂
Now, who is this fella Tio you were going on about in your 2:59; and what have you done to Terry?
If you guys haven’t visited the Wigan Gooner site today, WG has written a great Post, which is an excellent accompaniment to TA’s here today, when he looks at the Arsenal team and the impact on it of the senior players, including Robin!
Highly recommended! 🙂
This is a comment I placed on March 11th regarding some of the content on the site…….
……..Hi guys,
Let me just put this all to rest if I may. We receive hundreds of emails every week to arsenalnuts. Some are trying to get links, some wanting to advertise on the site or sell us something and some are from bloggers unhappy about something they’ve read or just telling us we are not running the site properly.
If we receive more than one email on any aspect we have to take some notice. We try to keep it all behind the scenes and will email a blogger if we want to raise a point with them rather than air it in comments.
99% of what goes on in the blog is fantastic. The humour and banter is absolutely a big part of what makes the site tick and long may it continue. No-one is in the doghouse over this and we certainly don’t want to lose any of you over such a small thing. As we’ve said many times its your site, but we have to try to make it acceptable to all who visit us. It is an incontrovertible fact that you can’t please all the people all the time.
All we would ask is when the subject matter involves bodily functions or parts of the female anatomy, you should just ask yourselves ‘would I like my mum to read this?’ before you hit the send button, and if the answer is no – just change it a tad for safety’s sake.
…….. it seems that not everyone has taken heed. I really hope we can be adult about this, there are a few people who are getting very upset and it is our duty to protect the integrity of the blog.
Missing body part joke……………
Did you hear about the skeleton that walked into a bar and ordered a beer and a mop?
Q. What do you call a lady with one leg shorter than the other??
A. “I – lean”
😆 GN5 – just what the doctor ordered
What do you say to a hitchhiker with one leg?
Hop in
A guy walks in to the Barbershop. Barber says, “What will it be today?” Guy says, “well I want it going with my waves on top, faded on one side, plug the other, and just make it all out of shape and messed up.” Barber says, “Now why in the world do you want your hair cut like that.”
Guy says, “That`s how you cut it last time”
I am the most athletic skeleton around, no bones about it!
A man had a nose ring fitted into his nose, a friend asked, “how much did you pay for that?”
Through the nose! he replied
Q. Where did the Egyptian Mummy go to get her back fixed?
A. The Cairo..practor!
Before going to Europe on business, a man drives his Rolls-Royce to a downtown New York City bank and asks for an immediate loan of $5,000. The loan officer, taken aback, requests collateral. “Well then, here are the keys to my Rolls-Royce,” the man says. The loan officer promptly has the car driven into the bank’s underground parking for safe keeping and gives the man the $5,000. Two weeks later, the man walks through the bank’s doors and asks to settle up his loan and get his car back. “That will be $5,000 in principal, and $15.40 in interest,” the loan officer says. The man writes out a check and starts to walk away. “Wait, sir,” the loan officer says. “You are a millionaire. Why in the world would you need to borrow $5,000?”
The man smiles, “Where else could I find a safer place to park my Rolls-Royce in Manhattan for two weeks and pay only $15.40?”
Hi Rasp,
Does this cross the line or is just plain Dumb?
………………………………………………………………………………………
A mother and father took their 6-year-old son to a nude beach. As the boy walked along the beach, he noticed that some of the ladies had boobs bigger than his mother’s, and asked her why.
The mother told her son, “The bigger they are the dumber that person is.”
Satisfied with the answer, the boy left to play in the ocean, but returned to tell his mother that many of the men have larger “pee-pees” than his dad.
His mother explained, “The bigger they are the dumber that person is.” Again, satisfied with the answer, the boy returned to the ocean to play.
Shortly after, the boy returned again, promptly informing his mother, “Daddy is talking to the dumbest girl on the beach, and the longer he talks, the dumber he gets!”
Rasp,
Is the joke I posted at 10:58 going too far?
Four priests board a train for a long journey to a church council conference.
Shortly into the trip, one priest says “Well, we’ve all worked together for many years, but don’t really know one another. I suggest we tell each other one of our sins.”
They look nervously at each other but nod OK. The first priest says “Since I suggested it, I’ll go first. With me it’s the drink. Once a year I take off my collar and go out of town to a pub and drink myself blind for a few days. Get it out of my system.”
They all look each other again nervously, but the next priest slowly starts “Wellll……with me, it’s gambling. Periodically, I nick the money out of the poor box and go to the races. Spend it all! I get it out of my system.”
The third, who is really nervous now reluctantly says “This is very difficult. My sin is worse. I take off my collar and go into the red light district, pick out a lass, and spend a week in the saddle. I REEEEAAALY get it out of my system.”
They all look at the fourth priest waiting. He doesn’t say anything. Then one of the four speaks up “Come now, we’ve all told our innermost faults. It’s your turn.”
He looks at the others and starts hesitantly “Welllllll….. I’m an inveterate gossip, and I can’t wait to get off this train!”
Look guys, we don’t have time to edit all the comments nor do we want to, we just feel that some of the language is inappropriate. My mum reads the blog and I encourage other gooners that I meet to read it too for the excellent discussions we have.
We don’t want to have to ban anyone, we are all gooners afterall but recently I have been embarrassed by some of the content and others have written to us to express their concerns too.
One day little Danny was in Sunday School, and the preacher asked what part of the body went to heaven first.
Susie said your heart, ’cause you need it to love.
Richie said your head, ’cause you need it to think.
Little Danny raised his hand and the pastor called on him reluctantly. Danny said, “Your feet.”
Confused, the pastor asked why.
Danny replied, “I was walking past my mom’s room last night and she had her feet in the air and then she screamed,
“Oh God, I’m coming!”
Rasp, I’m only having fun but don’t blame me it’s all Little Danny’s fault for being so curious. – GN5
Peaches,
For my part I hereby promise to never talk tactics again 🙂
Jeepers, it already seems like an eternity until the Everton game.
GN5, chas, Micky – you guys never go too far, the last thing we want is to stop the humour.
It is Micky
glad the chavs have scored. It’ll be funnier when they go out. townsend is a knobcheesewanker
Who are they ?, me and Terry will sort them out !
And who are the “others” ?, Is it that lot ,that were in “Lost”, that was a seriously confusing programme, I still dont understand the ending !.
Alternatively, send the ” others ” down here and I will give them some “Award Winning” Humour Potion, It`s free, that`s the generous kind of guy I am , alas It`s not guaranteed, some people are beyond hope and the only way to get a smile out of them Is to stand them on their heads. 😆 mmmm just had a drop, seems to be working ! 😆
Doctor, doctor, I’ve broken my leg. What shall I do?
Limp.
Doctor, doctor, my eyesight is getting worse.
It certainly is – this is the Post Office.
Doctor, doctor, my hearing aid isn’t working.
What’s wrong with it?
Half Past nine!
Doctor, doctor, my mind keeps wandering.
Don’t worry – it’s too weak to go very far.
Doctor, doctor, sorry I’m late, I broke my ankle.
Huh – another lame excuse.
Reserve Game
Gk Martinez,
Rb Jenkinson,
RCB Djourou,
LCB Miquel,
LB Santos,
DMC Yennaris,
DMC Ozyakup,
Then its hard to say beacuse they have moved about a lot, Aneke,Gnabry,Park, Chamakh.
Arsenal 3-0 West Brom
Scorers – Park, Gnabry and Aneke with a screamer.
Santos withdrawn on 60, Park and Chamakh on 70, looked planned. Adobe, Angha and Meade on.
I would guess Arsene would think that he might need his squad players in good nick in the coming weeks. As we still have a quarter of the season to play in the league.
Ten minutes to go.
I heard this on twitter today
A little girl says to mum
tommy’s willy is like a peanut
Do you mean it’s very small?
no, it tastes salty
Doc, I can’t sleep anymore,” the man complained. “I’ve tried everything, but I just toss and turn”
“You have to learn to relax,” the doctor said. “Try putting each part of your body to sleep separately.
” That night the guy crawled into bed, got comfortable and started to talk to his body.”Toes, go to sleep,” he whispered.”Feet, go to sleep. Legs, go to sleep. Hips, go to sleep. Stomach, go to sleep”
Just then, his wife walked in wearing a transparent teddy. Her husband opened one eye, then lifted his head from the pillow.
“OK,” he shouted, “up, up…everybody up!”
https://twitter.com/#!/iainmacintosh/status/180033429361000448
Get in you chav tossers
I guess it’s all in a word!!
……………………………………………………………………………….
“Unlawful to Pass School Bus from Either Direction”
I guess that some people misunderstood that, because now it reads:
“Unlawful to Pass Stopped School Bus from Either Direction”.
Jamie did you go to the game?
I like that the top three moved around a lot, I think its the one thing we need to add to the first team top three, although that does mean Robin won’t be near the goal as much as we need him.
What did you think of Ozyakup and Yennaris, I was really impressed with them in the Reserve game at Carrow Road.
Looks like it’s the old age pensioner’s night at Chelsea??
What i find fascinating about the Chelsea Napoli game is the lack of hair of the Naples supporters. ive always believed that supporting Chelsea makes you go bald, but they look like the hair bear bunch compared to Napoli fans. ime of to do some research.
Two more games minimum for the old legs of Chelsea if they keep this up, last chance saloon for some of them to get a CL winners medal so lets hope they give it all there and get knocked out by Barca while we walk our way to third.
gm, you are a fine wordsmith ! 😆
I actually want the Chavs to go through, the more games they play the better for us imo.
I`d like to see them lose in the CL Final with the Turfmuncher missing another spot kick !
Terry,
Whilst your doing your research, see if you can find the ” Others ” !. 😆
There’s a rush to the Chelsea supply room to bring out the walkers.
Extra time for the rent boys, can their old legs stand it?
Jamie – are you writing match report about the reserves game?
Rasp,
Just a word of support for yourself and Peaches,
As you both are fully aware I am dead set against censorship and have stated my case on the subject on numerous occasions.
However; in this case I also found some of the content to be way out of line/offensive and simply not appropriate on this particular blog.
My proviso is that I wish that those who were offended had, had the “balls” to state their case and not run behind everyone’s back to “Mummy”.
Cheers…………….
Napoli are very good to watch
Chavs capacity 41,837
Tonights game 37,784
Lucky they haven`t got a 60,000 seater stadium , they would be 22,216 short for the big games !
Evening.
So is it a good thing or a bad thing that the Chavs are going to stay in the CL?
26M,
Nothing has been decided as yet,
It can be good either way. As long as we’re positve.
The commentator just said
“there’s a website called we’ve got no history but they’ve been writing it ever since abromvitch arrived”
does he not realise how stupid that sound?
Ouch ! 😆
Look away now Gus…..lol
Sterling work TA. Robin really set the tone on Monday night, proper captain.
Are we starting a club or support group for all of us who thought of him as an odd choice for captain. Can I fill a form in on line to join..??
The obvious alternative was Tommy V, but I would have loved it if Arsene had given it to Song, and announced ‘thats just for you Geoff’
GM the other day you asked what an oxymoron was….well you can add that to the list of examples !
You might remember ‘oxymoron’ being word of the week on LG about three years ago. Mad but true…..
You can take away my comments but you cant take away my humour, the potions too strong ! 😆
glic – I think you are bang out of order. Your comments push the boundaries of what is acceptable as humour on this blog. Either you tone the rudeness down or your comments will be removed.
they’ll have to play 2 more games.
GLIC …and I reckon thats with about 8-9k away fans in there. Napoli have an upper and lower tier in one end/corner.
did you see john terry giving orders. sure you don’t run the team.
https://twitter.com/#!/Frimpong26AFC/status/180054056088240129
Thanks peaches, at least someone had the ( as GN5 has said ) ” the balls ” to show theirselves, you deserve some credit !. Next please. 😆
https://twitter.com/#!/ArsenalGent/status/180054489234026496
glic – it really doesn’t matter if no-one else throws their hat into the ring as I have the ultimate power which is why I wrote to you in the first place. If you choose to ignore my advice your comments will be binned, it’s as simple as that 😆
Sharkey,
Then maybe Battersea Dogs home will be a better venue than Battersea power station !
There seems to be a wish to know who might have complained about some of the postings on here of late. Well, let me hold my hand up, I have no need or wish to hide. My reason for not publishing was the old one of not wanting to wash dirty linen in public.
Rasp and Peaches have indeed worked hard since their inspired launch of what was then a revolutionary co-operative blog, a concept since copied by many., and it ill serves them for us to be perceived by visitors to be at odds with each other.
The use of what some call industrial language is tolerable if deemed necessary to make a point by the blogger, but some of the subject matter posted in the name of humour was in my opinion of toilet quality and reflected badly on the blog and the fine writers who keep the wheels from falling off on a daily basis.
If that makes me a narrow minded killjoy so be it, but as Peaches has wisely said this blogs ambition is for the enjoyment of all and certainly some of our fans would indeed be embarrassed should their partner or mother visit the site out of interest purely because the knew their son’s work was published often for a first time on here.
peaches,
You were so polite when you wrote to me, I much prefer the all powerfull one ! 😆
GLIC.
You are valued on here and when you stay away from the sexist rubbish you are very funny. But I must agree with Peaches and Rasp and ask you to keep it clean.
A bit of history. The site was set up by a group of regulars on here. Peaches and Rasp kindly took on the responsibility of running the site. Arsenal Arsenal was Rasp’s name for it – I went for Arsenal Comment (thinking we may attract some French bloggers). We voted and AA won.
It was decided from the start that the site would be inclusive, and as far as possible cater to all opinions and methods of expressing said opinions. To my knowledge only one blogger has been banned in over 2 years (apart from a few abusive children).
So you see we care about the site we put so much work into. We care that you enjoy blogging here. We care if anyone finds comments offensive.
That is why this is the best Arsenal blog. Let’s keep it that way.
Sharkey
10.06………lol
BTW. The reason it is better to keep things behind the scenes is precisely what appears to be happening. Because the discussion becomes public it appears that GLIC is being bullied and harangued which is definitely not the intention.
As I said, GLIC is valued.
Anyway, I am sickened by watching the Chavs and need a drink to obliterate the memory.
Night All.
I still dont know what ive supposed to have done that is so offensive? hahahaha. Is it because i tend to see the funny side to everything or my ranting when i have a bee in my transplant or what?
Hi TMHT,
An opening line of “Great post TA, please allow me to suck you off” is in my opinion going over the mark. We’ve all had a bit of fun over Gus’ introduction to the site but still managed to keep it in good taste. I wouldn’t want anyone I know to come onto the site and read that. Do you really not sense where the boundaries lie?
Thankyou dandan,
Another one showing honesty, It must feel good to get this off your chest, I appreciate your honesty !
I would like to thank some of the other bloggers who have kindly said that my humour had not affected them, some what I would class as “big hitters” on here.
I suppose It`s down to taste and opinion, there`s no right or wrong, someone laughs at something and someone else doesn`t, I have that in my own household, at the end of the day the one with the biggest opinion has the most power, cant do nothing about that. Checkmate to you peaches.
Rasp,
Ok, i shoot from the hip a bit, but ive never insulted any one personaly, thats not my nature. i understand what you and Peaches are saying, you have to keep the integrety of the site, and i respect that. I will try and monitor myself, hahahaha, but i cant change who i am. I will see how i feel but if i cant control it you wont have to ban me, i will stop posting.
It is entirely possible to be amusing yet not smutty or offensive. I prefer Eddie Izzard over Bernard Manning any day ….. does that make it clearer?
TMHT, we can all control ourselves when writing. It is not a single instant action. We type, we read, we decide to press the ‘Post Comment’ button. We have ample opportunity to assess whether what we write is acceptable, and can simply chose not to post the comment if there is the slightest chance it could cause offence.
GN5 7.01pm…brilliant
Chas 10.58 “Welcome back, Gus. Ooops was that too over the top. Sorry” Quality…and the croc gag was a real good’un too
Gus 10.49. Very well said…welcome back
Song in pic at 11.?? “Phew …now I can have a sleep, cheers Tommy. What..I’ve got to get up for the restart..?? Bollox”
“Slightest chance it will cause offence”, thats to sanatised for me Rasp.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Rasp and Peaches for a great site and also thank all the wonderful bloggers on here which make it extra special. To avoid bringing discourse, and bringing the site into disrepute i will not post again.
I will leave you with one last comment. We have a great team in the making which will provide us joy and pride in the years to come, so what ever happens, keep the faith
COYRRG
Thanks Big Randy 😆
I dont think I`m being bullied, people are now being very honest , thank you.
Doesn`t change my opinion that this Is a great site. I just saw my comments as sort of “SeaSide PostCardish”. I dont roll off jokes like GN5 ( no disrespect ) but they are ones off the webb, my brother sends me stuff like that every day, mine whether distastefull or not, are original, you heard it on here first whether you liked It or not.
I spent time on here voicing my thoughts, I`m sorry some didn`t like them but I`m not “Bang out of order”, how will you know whether It`s funny or not untill I press send ?. However I will abide by your rules.
Its your call TMHT, it doesn’t seem like we’re asking too much just to leave out anything that could be offensive to women or that is gratuitously sexually explicit. I don’t call that sanitisation, just good manners.
As I have already stated on 3 occasions, 99% of what goes on is fine and what we are asking has nothing to do with restricting humour, it is precisely because the 1% is not funny that people have complained.
Rasp,
This may sound conceited, but when I write stuff on here I check it over and over again and usually I`m still laughing at the stuff I`m writing, so I send It. Sometimes I wake myself up In The night by laughing at a funny thought i have dreamed ( I must be crazy ) next thing It`s on AA, so you can blame my subconsious self, he did it ( not micky did it , sorry micky for using you In some of my comments, you are entirely blameless , although you did it ).
Good night all. Wait for me Terry………!
GLiC and Terry
Tricky one this.
Personally, I’m not the slightest bit offended by anything you have written. A lot of it is funny. Some of it is hilarious and some is bafflingly bonkers.
There’s a fair bit of smut, but I tend not to take exception to smut. I feel far more offended by people spouting second-hand opinions about how crap Wenger is, or wishing that Theo would break a leg or whatever.
But… and there is a but… I can understand that some people might be offended by some of the sexual humour. And Rasp and Peaches – who work really hard to give us all this forum to use as our playground – are perfectly entitled to want to keep the site as inclusive as possible.
From your writing you are clearly both very clever guys. It seems to me that you could steer clear of the sexual stuff and still be very funny and entertaining, while at the same time allowing the site’s management to feel that no uncomfortable boundaries were being crossed.
It doesn’t mean your fruity humour is wrong.
It just means that it’s wrong for what Rasp, Peaches and others want for this blog. And since they’re the ones putting in the time and effort to keep it all going, they have earned the right to decide the tone of the place.
Speaking for myself, I would be really sad if either of you upped sticks and left.
Surely there’s a way of retaining your unique – and it really is unique – humour without straying too far into smutsville?
Anyway, that’s my twopennorth.
Tell me to mind my own business if you like.
TA
Belatedly, a fine post.
When people talk about a one man team they’re really trying to have a dig by suggesting that RvP will be gone next year… and then where will we be?
Well, we’re already showing that we have a lot of great players and even if Robin goes, Arsenal will persevere…
I’m gonna throw tuppence in too.
GliC your humour and wit of the reserve match commentary had me in bits, was very amusing to come home and read that, like Rocky I am not offended by the other stuff either, probably because I’m from a Little Britain generation. But here lies the problem. Those of us who have met both you and TMHT will know you both come from a good place and the last thing you would want to do is cause offence, but in type it is sometimes hard to see a context or that a comment is tongue in cheek, much easier with the spoken word to be cheeky or to employ the double entendre in a Julian and Sandy way than is possible in the written word.
I worried yesterday when I used the phrase “our marmite winger” referring to Theo, I had a worry that some might see that in a racial context, those that know me would know I was referring to the popular love it or hate it yeast extract but you never can be sure. It’s a bit like the use in the Emirates of the Y word, so many seem not to consider how alienating that is to a some of our own fans.
But there’s no adults only warning on this blog and whilst an adults only wouldn’t exclude all that could be offended it does give someone a guide to whether they will want to partake, without that the site could be reported by a Mary Whitehouse wannabe (altho they should probably start somewhere else). Also the site could get blocked by IT depts if it gets flagged on a NetNanny type piece of software as having too much mature content. That would mean hard work of authors going unread.
We all come here to talk about what we all care about the Arsenal and associated hatred of all other London clubs, Manx clubs oh well let’s just say hatred of all other teams except maybe Wigan, Norwich and Swansea.
Debates may get heated and expletives typed but in the main its a friendly site. I know no one wants to censor the community. I like to think of this place as a friendly country tea room with delicate ears around rather than a backstreet boozer with a group of mates.
Anyway the decision is yours, as it is for all of us. Just take this one on the chin stick around and keep us amused with your sharp wits.
@ Rocky 11.43
for me that is bang on the money! personally nothing rubs me the wrong way, except (like you said wishing ill of an arsenal player (rooney is ok)). I can’t thank rasp and peaches enough because this site to me is bloody brilliant. In oz you can’t get a decent football conversation going if you tried, let alone a one about Arsenal. So to be about to come on here and talk to so many good supporters is quite amazing. So much so that i would genuinely love to meet a lot of you at the pub before an emirates game because you seem like great people. Keep doing what your doing Rasp and Peaches, it’s a life saver!
@ GLIC
funny you should say that, because just yesterday when i went for a run with the mrs i was retelling some of your jokes, and saying just how comical you are whilst still being very original. Same with a lot on here, i’m often retelling jokes to mates or the mrs made by GLIC, TMHT, RA, Micky, Chas, VCC, TA, Rocky….i could go all day.
@ TMHT
nooooooooooo!
Morning all.
5 wins on the bounce and I can’t believe last night’s various posts.
What should have been kept behind closed doors has now become an open public debate for all to see.
As Raddy said 6 of us set up this site but at the end of the day peaches and Rasp run and control the site.
I have read several requests by them both for GLIC and TMHT to keep posting, as they are both humourous individual characters but to leave out what they regard as humour but too many others regard as toliet humour.
Is that so difficult. it’s not about having “the balls” to confront another poster on the blog as at the end of the day it is read by many and has the effect of some posters shying away from AA.
It was a simple request by the co owners yet it appears that it can’t be accepted, in other words undermining what has been requested.
As stated before we all have one thing in common, a love and support for Arsenal regardless if we win draw or lose.
No one is asking GLIC and TMHT to change just leave out the parts of posts that are obviously objectionable to many.
It goes against the ethos of this site and we have some fantastic people on here who daily present great headline posts.
If one doesn’t like what one person says one has two options.either reply in a civil manner or ignore.
It upsets me that this has come out in the open and I ask GLIC and TMHT to think about what i have said and continue to post in the way requested,surely that cannot be that difficult.
irish and evonne are both feisty ladies but they give as much as they get and if you are reading this Herb get back on here as your views are valued .
GM is a one off , he will never change but knows generally when not to overstep the line.
I am sure for those who meet up at the Tavern will have a different perspective on the whole matter as face to face conversation can often be quite different to the written word on the blog.
Sorry to go so long but i have been out of the loop for a week or so.
This isn’t a nunnery but on the other hand we don’t want to become a gutter site
Thanks.
I always miss the good stuff.
RL. 3 points lost at their ground. The worst AFC performance of the season. Crap weather and and stadium.
Welsh.
I hate Swansea.
(that leaves Wigan and Norwich 🙂 )
morning all,
well said randy, i only like a team if we belt them. So at the present i like blackburn. We belted the scum but they are just to darn unlikable!
Raddy it was me not Rocky (hence why I couldn’t hate my Norfolk neighbours), but I can’t hate Swansea because of the way they play and also because of Brendan Rodgers response to the vacant Chav position “I want to build my career not destroy it” still makes me smile.
And even though they beat us at their place we did nick that win at home….actually there one team I’m glad we are not playing in the run in, they carry enough threat with their style of play.
And I quite like Wales. Especially Pembrokeshire.
Back to us, does anyone think the break to the next game is good or bad for the team? If I was them I’d want to be playing on Saturday such is the confidence, altho I’m sure it’ll be good for them all to get some rest.
GIE. Apologies.
Actually, I like the current version of Swansea. As you say, Rogers has done wonders there.
I think the confidence will last through to Everton. If not, it is too flimsy to get through to season’s end. We have some tough games ahead.
What is equally important is the knowledge that if the team are “relentless” they can win. AW will be asking for more of the same.
Has something changed this morning?
I can’t comment without logging in to wordpress which has never happened before.
I was getting this message,
“You must be logged in to comment with that email address.”
Terry,
It’d be a real shame if you stopped posting.
Your comments rarely fail to entertain me.
There are the comments about other teams and their supporters which immediately get to the heart of our collective dislike of them.
There are the impassioned calls for all Gooners to realise what a glorious future is waiting just around the corner. Your ultra red rose-tinted glasses always make me think positively.
And there are your bizarre stories, as in the day release woman wanting to play piggy-back at the bus stop, which made me feel exactly what it’s like to be back as an awkward teenager.
Cheers 🙂
TMHT, noooooo..
You and dandan were the only reason I come to this site if we lose a game.
I’m gonna miss you badly.
I’m sincerely begging you to not go anywhere and keep posting here.
And I’m serious.
Hi chas
Sometimes wordpress make changes that we don’t know about so, sorry if you have to be logged in to wordpress to comment it’s nothing to do with us 😉
Chas the only thing I can think is that because the email addy is associated to a WordPress account you have to login. Someone else probably needs to test at a PC
I had to log in last night
Thanks peaches and GIE,
I’ve just tried again and it is definitely different this morning. I’ve never logged in to wordpress before and now can’t comment unless I do.
Sorry chaps, I’ve just had a look behind the scenes and there is a setting for having to be logged in but it’s not ticked so I’m not sure what has happened. I did have that problem myself last week when my details kept disappearing from the box below and I had to log back in but it sorted itself out.
I had the same problem last night. Logged into WordPress and now all is fine.
Peaches. Did you receive my email?
I logged in last night to; Morning all
However, Rosicky has revealed that he could have earned a lot more money elsewhere had he decided to let his previous deal with Arsene Wenger’s side run out.
“Arsenal let my [contract situation] go beyond January so, as I was in the last six months of my contract, I could speak with anyone I wanted,” the attacking midfielder explained in an interview with iSport.cz.
“It started to get interesting because I had some very lucrative offers [from Russia and China] and this [kind of thing] gives you a little head-turner.
“In both cases, there were huge numbers financially, so it’s not easy and some days I thought about it.
“But money is not everything and I’m glad I’m going to continue here at Arsenal.”
Morning all……
….. New post …..
Kelsey get on that phone Mate I hav to pay my dues and take the Mrs. to Costco down on Peaches patch. So ring by 10.30 please Peaches you dont seem to be at home. 🙂
transform your results…
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