There has been a theme running through the comments section of Arsenal Arsenal recently to the effect that in our pursuit of a top four place we are more likely to overtake Chelsea than the Spuds. I fear that might be wrong.
The Chavs, so the argument goes, are in a state of backroom disarray, with a manager who is hated by the supporters, unloved by the owner and who knows he’s leaving at the end of the season.
They are also still in two cup competitions (the FA Cup and the No-hoper Cup) and it’s possible that Rafa Benitez – who is undoubtedly thinking hard about his next job – cares more about getting one of those cups on his CV rather than scraping fourth in the league.
To cap it all, it’s worth remembering that the Chavs were only the sixth best team in the EPL last season (even though they claimed the dubious honour of becoming the worst team ever to win the Champions League).
The Spuds, on the other hand, are generally agreed to have put together a decent squad and look to have a sense of purpose under Andre Villas-Boas. And with Gareth Bale they have a player who can get them out of trouble when things are not clicking.
True, their talismanic simian is out with an injured paw, but it seems he may be back in time for their next league fixture.
Concensus conclusion: if we can keep our form going we have a better chance of overtaking the Chavs than the Spuds.
However, that theory does not take recent form into account.
The form table for the Premier League for the last six games looks like this:
Despite Chelsea’s apparent problems behind the scenes and a couple of embarrassing defeats, they are clearly on a decent run of form. Crucially, when they don’t lose they tend to win rather than draw.
The Spuds, meanwhile, are 10th in the Form Table behind clubs including Southampton and Wigan. They have the same points haul from the last six games as four of the teams above them – but the “goals for and against” drops them to 10th – and that is also relevant for the run-in: they are scoring fewer and letting in more than the teams around them in the form table.
If you want to be brutal, you would say that all the signs are in place for the ancient N17 springtime tradition known as “the late season choke.” I don’t necessarily buy into that theory, but I do feel the Spuds have the harder challenge.
What the Form Table suggests to me is that the Chavs have more momentum than the Spuds and will continue to stay ahead of them. I expect them to narrowly beat the Lily-Livereds when the two teams get round to playing their postponed fixture.
Therefore I think it will be harder for us to overtake our Blue rivals than our White ones.
Of course it’s going to require a hell of a lot of consistency and focus from Arsenal to overtake either in the run-in.
And while it’s gratifying to see us in second place in the Form Table, the table also highlights some cause for concern: Fulham are on a fine run and one of our remaining away games is at the Cottage; and Wigan – a team that only ever seem to be galvanised by an end of season relegation battle – are also doing well and are yet to come to the Emirates.
This is not meant as a “prediction piece”. The only thing I will predict with confidence is that there will be many more surprise results and twists and turns before the thing is done.
I feel we have a chance of getting third, but – if we qualify for next year’s Champions League – it is more likely to be in fourth place at the expense of one of our London competitors. And I believe that it’s more likely that the team to slip to fifth in those circumstances would be the Spuds, not the Chavs.
What do you think?
RockyLives
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Good morning to you all,
Win all our games and let the other clubs worry. Simples!
we wil finish at 2 and not 3 nor 4!
I like your optimism Clement, let’s hope you’re right.
After the Chelsea v Spurs game we shall be in our rightful place in the CL stakes!
Nice one Sir Rocky.
“talismanic Simian is out with an injured paw”……..Qualiteeeeee 🙂
Have to disagree with you here Rocky. IMO, Chelsea have the harder run in, on paper.
Chelsea.=
Liverpool (A)
Swans (H)
MU (A)
AV (A)
Everton (H)
Spurs (H)
Fulham (A)
Spurs =
MC (H)
Wigan (A)
Soton (H)
Stoke (A)
Sund (H)
Chavs (A)
Together with the Chavs heavier schedule, I think they will struggle more than Spurs.
The most important thing is, we get at least 4th.
Morning all, thanks for laying out the form guide Rocky.
For the first time in weeks, we can now say that mathematically, 4th place is in our hands and that is much better than banking on others losing. I agree that the chavs have more quality throughout their team than the spuds and therefore we are unlikely to catch them.
We just need to concentrate and work hard and 4th will be ours – I’d hate it to go down to the last game of the season, we can’t always rely on lasagne 😦
Morning all, interesting look at the form guide, think there should also be a fluke/luck/run of the ball guide, both Chelsea’s equaliser and winner were the height of spawny, especially the equaliser.
Spuds could have had an earlier equaliser when Howard managed to get an off balanced hand to the deflected shot from Dembele and push it somehow on to the bar and straight back over everyone’s head, whilst Fosters save rebounded straight into the path of TR7 for him to apply a neat finish.
Thanks Rocky
In my mind there is no question or doubts that we will be playing champions league football next year. In fact after the Totnumb defeat i pissed myself at the totnumb fans that got carried away.
Even though i loath Abramovith i would still rather have him come fourth than Totnumb. Firstly Totnumb are just a front for a coven of witches and satanists who plan to take over the world by appointing a Beast as leader. If you dont believe me then just read the Book of Revelations.
” And the Beast passed a law that no one could do exchange fowl or goat unless they had the mark. Those who have wisdom will know the mark of the Beast, for that mark was so hideous in origin and design that all colapsed at its depravity. And that mark was a Tattoo of Steve Archibald”
The Book of Bertie Mee, Chaper 7, Verse 5
RockyLives…
…DAFT!
Terry,
I thought the mark of the beast was a dodgy syrup! 🙂
Chelsea have much tougher fixtures, and with such a hectic schedule ahead for them, i don’t think their tired legs are going to take them to CL spot.
Europa league for them
Morning all,
Great to hear the old guard sing “one Arsene Wenger again”, lets forget for a second the divide amongst our own supporters, to the media, the opposition and basically the entire virtual world, it showed our strength, courage, desire and unity in a fight to survive at the top of the game.
Let me tell you, i’ve talked to a few fans from our rivals here ‘down under’, some of those “plastic fans” some “arm-chair fans” and some travellers and tourists who have come from London. Some know their football, some enjoy the ride or the tribalism that this new football world brings and some are die hard fans who have moved for whatever reasons. All these fans have one thing in common. They FEAR US, in fact they FEAR Arsene Wenger and his experience in the run-in. Believe me, they would all swap managers right now. I guess you cant buy experience and that single chant has got alot of them running for cover, with no one game enough to open their mouths like they did earlier in the season.
Would i swap with any other teams manager right now (direct rival for top 4)?? HELL NO!
I have complete faith that Arsene will, once again lead us to Champions League football. I also think its imperative that we believe as much as our manger does especially in the public light.
COYRRG!!
Rocky, great post, fantstic read. I also think that Chelsea will fair better than Spudz. They have a much larger squad and more experience. Will they fair better than us, the greatest team in London? I dont think so. ‘I BELIEVE’ we will come through this as the top team in London and nik 3rd. and once we come through this, next season we will be the greatest team in Europe.
nb. luck will play a huge part in all this 😉
GiE, how about the one on one Anichebe had in the dying minutes. 50/50, maybe a more experienced forward would have chipped Loris as he was already falling?
* “one Arsene Wenger” *
This is brilliant, Rocky style from the go and the table- that’s what we call expert analysis. It does give a great insight of what has been going on for the past 6 games.
But, Rocky would agree with me as he has written about how far these kind of stats really works out when it comes to predicting future trends! They really are not as reliable as they seem. For example, Spuds have been good at beating ‘Top of the table’ teams. They might win against the Chavs and give us a run in for the 3rd spot.
I am confident that we will finish top 4, as I have always trusted Wenger and also that is something like a destiny for Arsene! The fixtures work in our favour, as does those of our competitors. They have busy time ahaed in the Europa League as well.
If things doesn’t go very well for City, who knows… Forgive my optimism, it might be us braking the Champagne for the second spot! 😛
PPP,
“luck will play a huge part in all this “.
So will referees!
This is from ESPN.com
When I read this it gave me a strange sense of satisfaction.
The one thing that AW has been criticized for the most is, almost, turned into an attribute.
………………………………………………………………………………………..
Few things please a manager as much as being right when the majority assume they are wrong. Few, too, are as happy to fly in the face of popular opinion as Arsene Wenger. If obstinacy is an essential ingredient in the manager’s make-up then Wenger is among the finest.
by Richard Jolly.
Thanks all – especially Big Al 🙂
Sai
You’re right that the stats aren’t really much use for predicting, although I do think that “recent form” is interesting because footy is quite often about momentum.
Of course Al might say: “But who were those recent games against? Good teams or bad teams? Were they narrow, lucky wins or emphatic thumpings? Did the wins come against opposition with an injury crisis or after a long away trip in Europe? etc etc etc….”
All valid points, but I still think momentum counts for quite a lot.
PPP, Terry and Clement
Love the optimism. And Terry – “The Book of Bertie Mee, Chaper 7, Verse 5” – genius 🙂
Well put out statement of the task ahead Mr Rock and one I feel better about after the dropping of two home points by the Chicken chokers, by name and nature.
As usual I’m conflicted, one minute I think we’ll finish above the Spuds and the next the Chavs. I suppose that’s better than a month ago when I was readying myself for Europa.
ANother enjoyable post Rocky.
I had a gut feeling that Fulham were doing well and believe the result of that game will be decisive.
That said, looking at VCC’s fine work (10.00), Chelsea have some difficult games to come. Add on the Europa League and FAC games and they will need their big squad.
Being a doomer/optimist, at the beginning of the season I vacillated between us winning the PL and finishing 5th. Something in-between would be great.
BTW Terry was wrong … it is Verse 3 not 5.
Plastic Fan….
Gn5, thanks for passing on the blurb on AW’s obstinacy being one of his great strengths. But obdurateness has its dark side….to wit, from AW’s own recent words on Rosicky from this weekend:
“Before he played too far away from the box. I always played him wide but I put him in a position where he is more central now. He’s more dangerous to score…”
Stevie Wonder, Jose Feliciano, Ray Charles and Al Hibbler could all see that Little Mozart’s strongest position is central attack. Why so long to come to this realization, AW? Yes, he’s been injured and you have a logjam of sorts there with Wilshere and Cazorla, but still….The answer: rotation, rotation, rotation…..
Bayonne the answer actually lies in one of AWs biggest obstinancies, Cesc Fabregas.
As VCC said, Chelsea’s run-in is the hardest, though Spurs have to play three relegation battlers at the wrong time of the year as well as City and Chelsea, so it’s tough for them too.
But in Chelsea’s favour: they’re used to grinding things out while the off the pitch shenanigans are in full flow; they have some real quality in the squad, plus some experience; their manager isn’t weighed down by doubt, he’s already said he’s off at the end of the season, so can relax and ignore whatever the wonderful blues fans are saying.
They’ll be battling it out for the last CL spot, watching the once-written-off-Arse disappear into the sunset of third place – and the shame of it will be that Chelsea will just about squeeze into fourth. That’s my Mystic Meg-like prediction anyway…..
Thanks for the post, Rocky, good stuff.
Hello 26
I agree about the Chavs: their ECL campaign last season shows how they can grind out results when outclassed and outplayed. And, as you say, they have much more depth of quality in their squad than the Spuds.
I watched the second half of the Spuds-Toffees game and I thought the Spuds looked well organised with lots of decent players, but without Cheetah they were really, really lacking in anyone with the ability to turn the game on its head with individual genius.
Whereas we have multiple players who can do that: Santi, Pod, Wilshere, TR7, Theo… even The Swerve…
Hi RockyLives
Sorry for long delay in finishing you off good ‘n’ proper.
Rocky, FFS mate…who were those recent games against? Good teams or bad teams? Were they narrow, lucky wins or emphatic thumpings? Did the wins come against opposition with an injury crisis or after a long away trip in Europe?
Ay?
Who would take the Johnny Weismuller and Margaret O’Hara roles in the Spuds squad do you think Mr Rock, as the other role is taken up already?
Big Al, I don’t know if this answer your question at 3.17pm, but here are the results in all comps for our London friends in the periods covering the last six PL games. All courtesy of bbc.co.uk.
CHELSEA’S RESULTS OVER THE PERIOD FOR LAST SIX PL GAMES:
April 2013
Premier League
Chelsea 2-1 Sunderland Sun 7 Apr
Europa League – Quarter-Final
Chelsea 3-1 Rubin Kazan Thu 4 Apr
FA Cup – Sixth Round
Chelsea 1-0 Man Utd Mon 1 Apr
March 2013
Premier League
Southampton 2-1 Chelsea Sat 30 Mar
Premier League
Chelsea 2-0 West Ham Sun 17 Mar
Europa League – Round of 16
Chelsea 3-1 Steaua Buch’t (agg 3-2) Thu 14 Mar
FA Cup – Sixth Round
Man Utd 2-2 Chelsea Sun 10 Mar
Europa League – Round of 16
Steaua Buch’t 1-0 Chelsea Thu 7 Mar
Premier League
Chelsea 1-0 West Brom Sat 2 Mar
February 2013
FA Cup – Fifth Round
Middlesbrough 0-2 Chelsea Wed 27 Feb
Premier League
Man City 2-0 Chelsea Sun 24 Feb
Europa League – Round of 32
Chelsea 1-1 Sparta Prague (agg 2-1) Thu 21 Feb
FA Cup – Fourth Round
Chelsea 4-0 Brentford Sun 17 Feb
Europa League – Round of 32
Sparta Prague 0-1 Chelsea Thu 14 Feb
Premier League
Chelsea 4-1 Wigan Sat 9 Feb
TOTTENHAM’S RESULTS OVER THE PERIOD FOR LAST SIX PL GAMES:
April 2013
Premier League
Tottenham 2-2 Everton Sun 7 Apr
Europa League – Quarter-Final
Tottenham 2-2 FC Basel Thu 4 Apr
March 2013
Premier League
Swansea 1-2 Tottenham Sat 30 Mar
Premier League
Tottenham 0-1 Fulham Sun 17 Mar
Europa League – Round of 16
Inter Milan 4-1 Tottenham (agg 4-4) After Extra Time
Thu 14 Mar
Premier League
Liverpool 3-2 Tottenham Sun 10 Mar
Europa League – Round of 16
Tottenham 3-0 Inter Milan Thu 7 Mar
Premier League
Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal Sun 3 Mar
February 2013
Premier League
West Ham 2-3 Tottenham Mon 25 Feb
I know there’s many a slip between lip and cup and all that, and that there’s plenty of water still to flow, and that we shouldn’t be counting our chickens just yet, but it is good fun to think back a few weeks, when some of us were suggesting Arsenal, for all their inconsistency this season, could have a successful run-in, dropping few points along the way. Various people dismissed the very idea, but here we are, capable of getting a CL spot without anyone else dropping points and having bagged 22 points in the last 27.
No doubt, the final standings will be close between 3rd and 6th spots, and we could yet miss out, and we should also be aiming much higher than 3rd and 4th place in any event, but the naysayers have already been proved wrong.
Liked the Post, Rocky. 🙂
I do not always understand what Big ‘First’ Al is going on about, but his comment at 3:17 chimes with my own views, altho’ he may disagree! 🙂 What do you mean that’s Irish? 🙂
The result of a game of football, and the resultant perception of the excellence, or otherwise, of the teams involved, and this is nothing you do not already know, often hinges on a piece of atypical individual brilliance or luck deciding the victors or losers.
I did not see the WBA v Arsenal game live, but had the luxury of watching a recording without the tension, and body writhing angst that comes with a real-time viewing. So, if — what a small word encompassing so many different eventualities in everyone’s life — if, Lukaku had fractionally altered the angle at which he struck an unstoppable, tremendous, curved shot that fortunately flew inches past Flappy’s left hand post, we would have bemoaned our fate in only drawing the game.
In fact, there were, at least, two other chances WBA had when our guys could only stand and look as fate decided whether or not to award this header or that shot with a goal, and we would have lost the game, the result of which would have condemned us to another helping of spectarse’s nauseatingly splodgy logic.
The same holds true for the Spurs game, in which an ‘impossible, deflection onto the bar by Howard saved Everton from possible defeat. My own impression was that Spurs were a well composed, solid team who would not have been embarrassed to have won that game, on another day.
Of course we could and should have rejoiced in the way those results panned out — and I am sure we all did — (even tho’ the gods smiled benignly on lucky Chelsea), but in the remaining games the dice might roll a different way, so I am not sure the respective quality of the four teams battling out the 3rd and 4th places is necessarily reflected in the results of last weekends games.
It’s all to play for, and with so many variables in play, the final table positions are impossible and pointless to try and predict.
Bayonne Jean says:
April 8, 2013 at 2:56 pm
“Stevie Wonder, Jose Feliciano, Ray Charles and Al Hibbler could all see that Little Mozart’s strongest position is central attack”.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
So maybe they are our secret weapon and AW should consult with them??????????????
Hi 26,
You said we should be aiming higher than 3rd and 4th places, and that is undoubtedly true. I am also sure that at the start of each season we (AW) are aiming at the top spot.
What I think is not mutually exclusive with that viewpoint, and in the circumstances cannot really be argued, is that we are punching way above our weight.
AW has done miracles, given the hand fate has dealt him, in keeping us in with a shout of qualifying for the CL yet again.
Foe me, I am well satisfied after 8 months of the season gone, that we are still in there slugging it out.
Many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip, indeed, but that applies to all the combatants, and may the best team (Arsenal, of course) win!! 🙂
Hi Bayonne,
Was that a sophisticated way of saying “even a blind man could see ….”?
Amusing but a little unfair. Rosicky has been hors de combat (is that OK, Rocky?) 🙂 far more often than he has been available, and therefore has had to be jiggled about to find a slot in the team.
Jack’s injury over the recent past has enabled AW to give Tomas a more central position, presumably confirming his own view that Rosicky is better suited there.
If Jack was available I do not think Rosicky would be selected ahead of him, so the bench or the wing would beckon.
Isn’t that a better explanation? 🙂
N.B.
[Never heard of Al Hibber – hence my guessing at your meaning] 😀
Right, I am going to take a hike, as I am not expecting any response to my lucid warblings, as usual.
There must be another set of blogging ears I can bend! 🙂
AW – helloe stevie, arsene here. I just want to know what you think Thomas Rosisckys best position is? I have problems incorporating him into the side because of his physical condition and the balance of the side requires that i push Carzola wide, any ideas?
SW- Arsene Baby, good to hear from you man. That rosiscky cat sure plays a mean tune. Have you tried him in a quintet. Little bit of jazz mixed up with some soul. Beautiful harmony Arsene Baby
AW – Not sure you understand me stevie. I am talking about the pivitoal point of the team, just behind the front man
SW – Sure i understand you Arsene Baby. Your talking about the cat playing a mean tune as a back up singer just behind the lead. That sounds greeeeaaattt man. I would have him playing some dulcet tone whilst James Brown belts out the delicious style in front of him. Pure ebony and ivory Arsene Baby. Hello Hello, Arsene, are you still there man???
Rocky…
Why are Man Utd top of your table? Two main reasons:
a) because they are in good form
b) opposition
Question – “on paper” would you expect the top team in the Premiership to have problems against: Sunderland, Reading, Norwich, QPR, Everton, Fulham.
Only ONE opposing team in the top seven.
Played 2 at home; 4 away
Why are Arsenal 2nd in your table? Two main reasons:
a) because they are in good form
b) opposition
Question – “on paper” would you expect Arsenal to have problems against: WBA, Reading, Swansea, Spurs, Aston Villa, Sunderland.
Only ONE opposing team in the top seven.
Played 2 at home; 4 away
Why are Liverpool 3nd in your table? Two main reasons:
a) because they are in reasonable form
b) opposition
Question – “on paper” would you expect Liverpool to have problems against: WHU, Aston Villa, Southampton, Spurs, Wigan, Swansea.
Only ONE opposing team in the top seven.
Played 3 at home; 3 away
Why are Chelsea 4th in your table? Two main reasons:
a) because they are in reasonable form
b) opposition
Question – “on paper” would you expect Chelsea to have problems against: Sunderland, Southampton, WHU, WBA, Man City, Wigan.
Only ONE opposing team in the top seven.
Played 4 at home; 2 away – NOTE!
Why are Man City 8th in your table? Two main reasons:
a) because they are in reasonable form
b) opposition
Question – “on paper” would you expect Man City to have problems against: Newcastle, Everton, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Southampton, Liverpool.
NOTE : THREE opposing teams in the top seven.
Played 3 at home; 3 away
5. Why are Everton 9th in your table? Two main reasons:
a) because they are in reasonable form
b) opposition
Question – “on paper” would you expect Everton to have problems against: Spurs, Stoke, Man City, Reading, Norwich, Man Utd.
NOTE : THREE opposing teams in the top seven.
Played 3 at home; 3 away
5. Why are Spurs 10th in your table? Two main reasons:
a) because they are in reasonable form
b) opposition
Question – “on paper” would you expect Spurs to have problems against: Everton, Swansea, Fulham, Liverpool, Arsenal, WHU.
NOTE : THREE opposing teams in the top seven.
Played 3 at home; 3 away
The top four teams in your table faced a top seven opponent ONE time only.
The teams in 8th, 9th, 10th each faced a top seven opponent THREE times.
And, yes, we don’t play the game on paper.
Don’t go Redders! I was about to ask you about this “horse de combat”.
Is it something to do with the Grand National?
Hi, 26May1989
Rocky wrote at 12.31pm
Of course Al might say: “But who were those recent games against? Good teams or bad teams? Were they narrow, lucky wins or emphatic thumpings? Did the wins come against opposition with an injury crisis or after a long away trip in Europe? etc etc etc….”
My reply was a mickey-take by repeating his wording.
Thanks for trying to help me out though. Must have taken yonks… 🙂
Hi everybody,
I had a thought regarding the Europa League: why that could be disastrous for us? I mean, I think with the current turn of events in this year edition, Arsenal could truly have a shot at winning it. The CL is not gonna be within our posibilities with our current team.
Anyhow, of course we’re getting 3rd. spot. We’ve got better players than Tottenham, and better play than Chelsea. It’s gonna be foto finish but we’ve come to prove we’re on fire!
leoalco
We could have a shot at winning the Grand National if we could find a horse big enough to carry our eleven jockeys.
I think that Rocky’s fine post deserves a better response than it has received so far today. What to do about it, I thought?
Sometimes, in the group of limited intellectuals of which I am a member, a question will be posited as to what was ‘there’ before the ‘Big Bang’. Yeah, yeah we have all heard about the bang and all that malarkey, but what did it ‘bang’?
A pre-adolescent outburst of risqué humour is normally welcome at this stage, but we are talking grown up stuff here!!
That’s a tricky question, and is akin to the next puzzling questions, ‘whereabouts in the great scheme of the Universe is mother earth?’ and ‘are we near the center of the universe or at the flung flung edge?’
Sheesh, nothing but questions.
Well, taking the last questions first [and I am getting to the crux of the solution to the problem of Rocky’s Post’s lack of response], some genius tried to answer the whereabouts or positional orientation of the earth in respect of the universe, by saying – imagine the universe as a balloon. Then imagine the balloon has an imperfect spotty Muldoon type of complexion, with spots or dots all over its surface representing galaxies, suns and or planets.
So if you look at any acne point on the surface of the balloon it will be as central as any other spot elsewhere on the surface, dependent on perspective, but also as far out on the extremity of the balloon as any other spot too, even if some git keeps on blowing into it and making the balloon bigger. Just like the expansion of the universe, in fact, making the earth both central as regards any other mass, yet as far out on the extremity as any other too. Geddit, so far?
OK, so this Big Bang bit – wassat all about.
Well, when I heard that Edward Howerd discovered/invented mercury fulminate, which is an explosive, and very sensitive to friction, I thought he probably absent mindedly scratched his arse with the substance, while wondering what it did, and blew himself another orifice.
So there we have it. We know that he, or the Chinese boffins who invented gunpowder had a pre and a post explosive bang period of time, but the Big Bang created both time and space, and before it there was nowt, as time and space did not exist.
I think you are beginning to see where I am coming from – right? 🙂
You see, as there was no time and space at the point in time when the Big Bang occurred, this lends itself to the possibility of there being multiple universes, which you will astutely have comprehended cannot be proved or disproved.
My task — my solution indeed — is to invent a robot that will talk to Rocky’s Post, or, more importantly, my comment on his Post, 🙂 as and when He/I/You want it to.
A blogbot – that’s what I will call it and before the Blogbot there will have been nowt, (like AA on a quiet day) and after it, I will invent an AA Post writer, that will make all bloggers redundant!
There is only one way to avoid this parlous fate, and that is to talk to me when I am bored!!
RA – reaching way back: Al Hibbler, in the mid 1950’s had the first hit record version of “Unchained Melody”, well before the Righteous Brothers’ version, which was featured in that awful film “Ghost”. And yes, he shared something in common with Messrs. Charles, Wonder and Feliciano. He also had a hit record with “After the Lights Go Down Low”, on which he affected some of the lyric with a British accent, which could lead you to believe he was British. Nope: born in Alabama.
Which in turn leads to one of life’s great mysteries: Why don’t British singers (except Gerry Marsden), when they sing English, sound British?
Also, big news even here: Lady Thatcher, full time. And only on an irreverent football blog would you get the following:
The Arsenal Medical Team
OFFICIAL STATEMENT
It is expected that Mrs Thatcher will be out for a period of three weeks.
END OF OFFICIAL STATMENT
For those who didn’t understand Bayonne Jean’s post at 5.33pm, Margaret Thatcher died today.
Bayonne Jean
Loads of British singers sound British.
Hi Red Arse
I responded to Rocky’s post. I ripped it to shreds, same as I usually do 🙂
Redders I agree, Rocky’s post deserved a much more enthusiastic response … but there we have it, the blogosphere is a microcosm of society.
Every Arsenal blog is shrinking due to the collective nervousness and as my old pal LB said when we tracked him down at the Emirates recently “I read but I don’t comment because everything has become so cyclical”
Which brings me to the subject of posts … we need posts for this week everybody ………
Thanks, Bayonne, I did not know that.
Who is Gerry Marsden?
You probably understand that my musical orientation is more classical, with a smattering of songs and singers who have caught my fancy.
I have heard of the ‘mid-atlantic’ accent but, again, I do not know the answer to your question.
Something that has puzzled me is the number of British actors and actresses who star in or have meaty parts in top American shows.
For example, in the current series of ‘Walking Dead’ the ‘hero’ plays an ex-Sheriff and the actor playing the part is British (with a very good American accent), and the ‘baddy’ a self proclaimed Governor who is also British (with a dreadful British accent).
There is a ‘Vampire’ type series where the Vampire Hero is a British actor, again with a pretty good American accent, and the goody two shoes heroine, played by his wife in real life, is an American with a pretty decent American accent!! 😀
It’s a small world nowadays!
Perhaps the diminishment of activity in the Arsenal blogosphere is because the universe has stopped expanding and is now contracting, leading ultimately to the Big Crunch, when all the matter and antimatter in the Universe will be condensed to a tiny speck no larger than a Spudder’s brain…
Redders
What happened one second before the Big Bang?
Redders
Also Hugh Laurie as “House” and that red headed chap (Damian Lewis?) from “Homeland”.
I’m told that Americans are often shocked and surprised when they learn that the actors portraying “American” characters (whom the audience have come to love and admire) turn out to be common or garden Britishers.
Whereas US (and other non-Brit) actors essaying a British accent tend to find themselves the subject of ridicule and pillory (right back to Dick van Dyke in Mary Poppins and up to Russell Crowe in Robin Hood).
Mind you, I thought Renee Zelwegger did a jolly good accent in Bridget Jones’s Diary…
Rocky,
I am very comsi, comsa about your ‘horsey combat’.
But then, I once had a horse with a very negative attitude — it always saying ‘neigh’!
I once entered him in the Grand National and he fell at Beecher’s, when I rushed over to him he looked so sad, I said ‘why the long face?’ He replied ‘I fell and I can’t giddy up’.
Oh, well — you started it!! 😀
Rocky,
Russel Crowe is technically a Kiwi.
‘What happened one second before the Big Bang?’, you ask.
How very dare you — clearly not reading my wonderful explanation!!
There were nowt before the Bang — seconds did not exist before the Big Bang — time and space started at the very instant the universe was created.
I will never make you into a spaceman!! 😀
ROCKY! one word made it for me. PAW. RA,good point about Rosicky. He was back from injury a while before Arsene worked him in at all, we were all wondering why he wasnt used to get Jack some rest. I really like him, but the goals were a bonus.
🙂
RASP, I feel the reason that some of us are a little less into things now, is that we are tired of the same old -start poorly, then get in a dog fight for a champs league spot (also bounced from this years champs league).
i personally am watching and waiting to see if we can accomplish this, and not start next season in chaos for a change. I think spuds and their young coach and squad will start better next season, either with Bale, or having SPENT the money they made from selling him.
Paw made me laugh, as did yesterdays pictue of The simian being taken off the pitch.
I don’t accept the Big Bang theory. It is illogical.
jnyc
“not start next season in chaos for a change”
that, Sir, is a very insightful statement (and probably merits a Post, so get writing 🙂 ).
Unless something really untoward happens, this should be the first summer where we do not have to endure the saga of our “star player” leaving.
As to who our star player is these days – I’ll leave that up to you, but Santi and Jack spring to mind.
Redders
I know the theory, I just can’t get my head round the idea of a time before time… or of there being no time.
RA: Gerry Marsden? He’s of the mid-1960’s pop group Gerry and the Pacemakers; of “Ferry Across the Mersey” fame among others. Not exactly classical, or classic even. I suppose his being from Liverpool kept him sounding British, although there were four other lads from that area who didn’t come across that way in their songs.
Ha! Here’s something from yesterday’s (Sunday) New York Times crossword; this is actual clue!
26 Across: British soccer powerhouse (7 letters)
Hmm….immediately rejected “Hotspur”. Could be a trick clue, so maybe “Cardiff” (British, after all)? “Watford”? “Everton”? “Chelsea”?
Any other possibilities?
Bayonne
is it Wolverhampton Wanderers?
Beckham? 🙂
Bayonne
is it a cryptic crossword or a general knowledge?
Raddy/Rocky,
I hear you!
Never could believe the world isn’t flat, and how anybody can believe the sun doesn’t go around the earth?
‘Course it does — every morning it pops up over there in the East and then buggers off over to the West!
And how those airy craft things stay up there in the air with all that metal and all. All smoke and mirrors! 😀
If we lived in a time before time when there was no such thing as time, oh what a time we would have! Never late, never early, never bored, no longeurs, no prevarication… the time of our lives 🙂
it’s staring you in the face
ARSENAL and good evening to you all
Rocky @ 6:46 pm
Only time will tell?
Kelsey, you are on the right track but I believe it’s the –
GUNNERS.
Rocky,
You paint such an alluring tale of two times! 🙂
How about this.
If you, at say 33 y.o. went up in a rocket, and it could travel at the speed of light out into space for a year, before turning around and travelling back to earth at the speed of light, you would be just two years older than you were when you left earth (35), whereas your friends and relatives would have become old aged pensioners or have even died.
Just maths — so we had better not go there!! 🙂
Redders
If I travelled into space for 20 years before heading home, would I arrive back on earth before I’d been born?
Shaking Stevens welsh come on man shitty
Redders
If I travelled into space for 20 years before heading home, would I arrive back on earth before Spurs won the league.
A definite yes 🙂
kelsey 🙂
So is Bonnie Tyler.
If I travelled at the speed of light for twenty years and then returned to Earth. Would I arrive before or after Bonnie Tyler was born?
The problem with the BB Theory is it only works if you are a non-believer.
Kelsey. We both know that you were already shaving when Spurs last won the League.
Let’s face it …. we were born in black and white 😀
Bonnie Tyler is the Uk entry for the Eurovision Song Contest
This year I spoke to her in the 80s she’s now 64 .
Shameless
Sheep
Well, she must be younger than Engleberk Humpydick was last year… 🙂
Shameless is best
Only just was he in his 70s
Man poo v city 0-0 all half time
Think its time Joe Hart concentrated on goalkeeping not shampoo ads, thats woeful keeping
Touch of the Fabianskis from Hart
Smudger Smith is such a front bottom. He’s done a “North London Fantasy 11” made up of players from Arsenal and the Spuds. Only three Arse players.
He’s even included Assou-Ekotto, who can’t even get in the Spuds first team.
So if, like last year, we finish above them, what does that say about his assessment of the players? Like last year when Henry Winter (also in the D Tel) said that only Van Judas would get in a North London 11 and that the power had shifted. (Of course Winter said it when the Spuds were 10 points ahead of us – mind the gap 🙂 – and I don’t remember any article from him at the end of the season explaining how wrong he’d been.
Did we really piss Smith off at the end of his career or something?
Funnily enough Rocky/Kelsey, some people used to posit that if you could travel at faster than the speed of light, you could travel back in time.
The problem is that it is impossible to travel faster than light.
Remember e = mc^2 [energy = mass * the speed of light squared.]
There is a little problem with what I told you earlier, and it is this.
The nearer you get to the speed of light, (if you could travel at the speed of light) time slows. So, to say that if you travel at the speed of light for 1 year or 2 years or 10 years begs the question, who is measuring the time in years.
Let’s say Kelsey went of into space at the speed of light, and it seemed from the perspective of the people on earth that he had been gone for 30 years, in fact, from Kelsey’s point of view because time had slowed to almost a stop at the speed of light, he would arrive back on earth looking the same age as he was when he left, however, everyone else would be 30 years older.
In mathematics, you could theoretically go backwards or forwards, however, the fourth dimension, time, (or the time /space continuum) can only go forward, not backwards, because it becomes intrinsically mixed up with relativity and all that means.
In short – you cannot go back to when you were born, or before that, as irrespective of energy/mass/speed of light, time can only go in one direction – forward. Sorry! 😀
If anyone understands that, can you explain it to me? 😀
I’m sure Rocky that ex Arsenal types like Smith try to not look to biased towards Arsenal and over compensate.
GKs is a bit Hobsons Choice but i’d probably suggest Friedel (who can’t get a starting spot)
Dawson and Caulker as centre backs is simply laughable.
Actually i can see why he has picked the players he has, which i guess shows why we have taken so long to put this all in our hands, basically inconsistency! If you were to pick a side based on performances this season they are probably more consistent, but if you were selecting an “on their day” team i think it would be a bit different.
Who would have thought it? MU outplayed at OT.
Would have preferred them to win.
I think I might want City to win the league…….sorry I’m off for soap and water.
Agreed GiE
I reckon the BFG has a decent shout at being the best CB in the EPL this year. Certainly better than that Spud pair.
Citeh win at Old Toilet.
Just shows that Form Tables count for nothing 🙂
As we watch BFG week in week out we know what he gives us, I think most football fans have been swayed by the media who decided early on his pace makes him ill suited to the EPL.
I think BFG this season would be having a lot nicer things written about him if the media hasn’t already made their bed. In fact I think he should have had a lot more good things said about him last season too.
Koscielny is another most media pundits made their mind up about when he and Szczesny combined to give Birmingham that winner, and his early often calamitous partnership with Squid, his performance against Barca at home in the same season was one of the best centre half performances I can remember from an Arsenal player in recent years.
Man Utd players showing their total lack of class again tonight, players reflect their manager, and they do that too well.
Good news, our push for the title is still on – all we need now is for United to carry on losing, every game they have remaining, us to win every game, so that we finish level with them on 77 points but overtake them on GD, and hope the others don’t get in our way…..
…And then we will be the champions.
Easy.
Picking up on the discussion between Red Arse and Rocky on Brits/non-Yanks playing Yank parts on TV shows, a few more examples:
* Dominic West as McNulty in The Wire
* Idris Elba as Stringer Bell in The Wire
* Mayor Carcetti in The Wire, played by an Irish guy
* Marty in Frasier
* The blonde detective in CSI
* Joseph Fiennes in Flash Forward
* Rose Byrne (an Aussie) in Damages
* Alan Cumming in The Good Wife
* The bloke in Battlestar Galactica who’s the son of the captain
But Russell Crowe a kiwi? No, I say to you. OK, he was born in NZ, and spent a few teenage years there, and yes, two of his cousins, Martin and Jeff Crowe have captained the NZ cricket team. But Maximus Dickus is a proud Aussie, very fond of Pom-baiting around Ashes time.
Glad to hear LB is still alive, would be good to have his spiky contributions back.
GiE
What did the ManUre players get up to?
26
Champions it is then! I love it 🙂
And Marty Crane was English? Wow.
Rockster, if I remember rightly, the actor who played Marty was from Blackpool, and emigrated to the US in his early 20s. Must have been painful beyond belief for him to hear week in week out the cod Manchester accent of the Daphne character. That one ranked with Dick van Dyke and that hilarious attempt at a cockney geezer accent by one of the Ocean’s Eleven remake team.
You forgot Cary Grant 26.
Rocky they got all uppity when a City player was down they didn’t put it out and a few City players took umbrage and a bit of a melee ensued led by Ferdinand and Giggs followed by Evra and Jones etc.
How this United side have been allowed to walk away with the title is beyond me. The rest of the PL has truly gone downhill if this team can be so far ahead.
GiE
Citeh, with their resources and having popped their title cherry last year should particularly be ashamed.
All the other “contenders” have been in various stages of rebuilding or disruption: Chavs with lots of big signings and a new manager: us losing two key players and trying to bed in yet more newbies; Dippers in transition as ever. The only really stable “top” team apart from Citeh were the Spuds and they’re never going to challenge for the title.
Thanks for the post, Rocky.
I think our biggest opponents in the run-in are ourselves. But that’s something we all know anyway.
It was really interesting how the footballing gods seemed to be on our side on Saturday (even if H’ard Webb wasn’t).
I enjoyed Aguerro’s goal and the look on the goal-drought face of bsr even if the Oilers winning doesn’t help us at all.
Morning Al,
And what about Charlie Chaplin. Born in Elephant and Castle, London?
BTW Daphne in Frasier, despite her cod-Manchester accent is from Ilford, Essex – Spurs country which explains her atrocious accent
If I were a MU fan (heaven forbid) I would be seriously concerned by the form of Rooney. He was awful last night as he has been for almost 2 seasons.
Watching Aguerro last night made met think that OG may be good but he could never have scored that goal last night. There is a gap between the very best strikers and our lads
Was it a good game last night? I only checked results and injuries and it all looked boring
That is true Raddy…..but Aguero is probably the only player in the PL who could score that goal. He is a lovely player to watch, and you have to admire his desire to stay on his feet in those situations.
what about Suarez? I really rate him highly, great player
Morning all,
I did drop in a comment, and quite a good one it was too, early yesterday morning, but it vanished.
Started with a thank you GiE for the excellent MR, then went on to have a go at Kelsey and Raddy.
A thank you too Rocky for yesterdays fine post. Rocky, although ’twas I that wondered whether Benitez would prefer trophies on the CV rather than CL berth, I’ve been wondering. How much do we think Abramovich has offered him in incentives? Very much I reckon.
Raddy and Kelsey: I said before the Reading game that if we won the next four games, we’d be top four. I later said that WBA would be the toughest of those four. Now, contrary to your interpretation of my point, I never said the final four games would be easy, just that I reckon we could afford to drop four or even six points and still be top four. We would have done enough damage, oh yes, you see 🙂
I’m away until a week tomorrow, so visits will be sporadic. I will be in Birmingham on fri and sat nights, so will train down for the day for some Norwich action following kebabs and pubbing. Kept awake by aviation last night, and it will be parakeets tonight!
I think good City winning, as they will keep trying for a few more games, beginning at Spuds.
Bye y’arl
evonne. Yes & No. When MU went behind it was exciting and the technical level was high. I enjoyed it apart from the commentators fawning over both sets of players.
GIE. Agree. I can only think of two other PL players who could have scored it – one plays for L’pool and the other for some shower in N17. But neither would have stayed on his feet
Parakeets????
Yes, parakeets, and I’ll leave you with that thought Raddy 🙂
Really must go now.
Good Morning, People! 🙂
I don’t really like Suarez but yes he probably could have scored it….Bale onthe other hand I’m not so sure…I think he is more about power and so I’m not sure he would have been able to twist and turn as Aguero and Suarez can. Unless you meant Defoe in which case you have given me my first ROLF of the day.
thanks Raddy for the match report 🙂
No idea what Raddy and Micky were referring to, but we have had Parakeets whizzing and screeching around in my garden after the Peanuts for some years now.
Forget all that speed of light hokum, did you know that I have never seen a parakeet on the ground?Even when I have accidentally spilled nuts on the ground. Now that is interesting! 😀
Morning all … the post cupboard is bare 😦
Actually its not 😛 hopefully the gem that is sitting there is for today Raddy?
Absoultely Rasp. That is why I wrote it 😀
But “gem” …. hardly!
Thanks Raddy, its pur gold as far as I’m concerned 🙂 Peaches and I are so busy at the moment we hardly get a minute at the computer and its going to continue to be like that for the next month or so.
Morning again ……
…… New post …….
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