Truth be told, this loyal Gooner has been very patient.
Bearded, cantankerous and grumpy he may be, but very patient.
Well, until now. But ultimately, the limits have been breached, and sadly, a spade has to be called a spade!! I am truly outraged.
Since the past quarter century or so, we fans have been promised the holy grail of European glory. The lottery ticket has been duly procured every year, only for us to stumble at some or other hurdle. Admittedly, the lottery ticket itself is somewhat valuable, particularly for the countless numpties populating the English League that have not managed to procure a ticket consistently for such a long time. Still, this is no better than a fourth place trophy, really! Such a disaster!
At the same time, the predictable same old stories have continued. Lack of activity in the transfer market, tiring European group stage adventures affecting our chances in the League itself, together with an injury-plagued lion’s share of the season, all contributing towards no better than fourth place trophy! Such a disgrace indeed!
Imagine my joy last season when the so-called pundits and realist doomers proclaimed, finally, that we were not good enough for fourth spot. Finally there was light at the end of the tunnel, a chance to turn our back on Champions League and overturn the permanent saga of fatigue and injury. Finally, then, there would be a chance to win the League this year. In the event, this turned out a blank promise! The light came from an oncoming train that would run us over! Useless doomers! No fourth place trophy, but instead second place! Pray, what good was that! Same old, same old! Such a disaster!
This year, the realists and pundits were at it again. Predictions of doom were duly proclaimed, and gullible me, I even believed them. Finally, we were destined for the lower half of the table. Perfect for a good shot at the title next year; or so it seemed! Particularly, come November, and surely the good guys and their classy manager are going to vanish off into oblivion.
But, as usual, M. Venga had to spoil it all. Take the trip to Old Toilet, for example. It started off nicely, leaving our most productive striker on the bench and inviting our other tall Frenchman to leave his defensive role to populate the ManUre box. Oh, how one would have wished a quick counterattack to then leave us exposed at the back and jettison us out of the top four. That would be a good start. But the wily cruel Venga had to spoil it all. Who asked him to bring EFF (Everyone’s Favourite Frenchman, courtesy chas) on for a final few minutes, against the best advice of the doomers. And then the inevitable happened. The EFF just spoiled all the fun with yet another last minute goal.
How cruel! And such blatant favouritism towards the French. Sadly, we still remain in touch with the leaders. This way we will continue to remain in contention well into the new year. Such a disgrace!
Why, oh why? When can we have the pleasure of a lower half finish for a change? With nothing to focus on except the following season’s league triumph, which will no doubt automatically follow. Alas! All that we fans can do is remain in hope.
Sadly yours,
Red Arnie
Arsenal News 24/7
😀
I visited an Arsenal fan client yesterday. He launched into a blistering attack on the awful performance at OT.
I tried to give some differing opinions about why the team played as it did.
He then revealed he had been watching a lot of ArsenalFanTV, I ended the conversation.
My opinion on the performance in the last two games…..the team chose to not lose in both games, and in doing so ended up putting in unconvincing performances.
The main criticism of our result at OT focuses on team selection, i asked my client the following:
What if we went to OT in our normal setup, Iwobi, Ozil, Theo and Alexis and a midfield 2 of Coq and Rambo, and what if we’d committed fullbacks all game as we normally do to try and unpick the defence, but by doing all that we left ourselves open to counter attack after counter attack, with Martial, Valencia and Rashford stretching us this way and that and Carrick and Mata feeding them. What if by half time we were 3-0 down, what would ArsenalFanTV say then. “Same Old Wenger never changes for opponents, wouldn’t it be good if he took a leaf out of Maourinho’s book and killed the game, stayed defensive”…..
But then we play within ourselves and control the game, and the criticism is we were scared, or unmotivated.
Damned if he does and if he doesn’t I wouldn’t like to be a football manager.
Arnie
Thank you very much for such a cantankerous post and having such a fine beard. 🙂
The game at the Old Cowshed still raises so many questions in my deluded mind.
Does the defensive double pivot (Coq and ElNeny), stultify our football?
Was Ramsey picked to balance this and add some more creativity in a slightly deeper position than Iwobi or the Ox would have played?
Would Xhaka make a huge difference, since he’s already played in games against Leicester and the spuds, when we struggled to create very much?
Is Mesut playing further forward this season?
Is this to balance Sanchez dropping deep in the more fluid attack?
Are we often playing 4-4-2 as a consequence with, Mesut as Dennis and Alexis as Thierry?
Is this affecting our link play as there often seems a big space in front of the double pivot which means the midfield struggles to connect with the attack?
If the blame for the Old Trafford performance lies with Wenger, did he send them out with orders to look listless, lifeless and as if they’d rarely seen each other, let alone played together?
What first was Arsenal’s 1927 match at Highbury against Sheffield United known for?
Why does this photo of Alan Smith give me the eebie-jeebies?
I guess we’ll see the same set up against PSG tomorrow…Lets not lose. Our attacking flare is always wasted when we play defensively or play for a draw.
Thank you Red Arnie.
I’m not sure why, but after reading your post I went and read the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody for the first time.
You are oh so right. There can only be one solution. Wenger out!!
Great article.
Yay, an Arnie Post, thanks Arnie.
Just saw this, Arnie, and immediately thought of you. 🙂
ha ha ha. thank you all. stuck in boring meetings at the bankers’ graveyard here in Frankfurt. but enjoyed the comments. 🙂
Thanks Chas. 🙂
Chas, both for the vid and the lovely pic. 🙂
Lovely analysis, GiE and Chas. 🙂
wow. good man Hector! 🙂
Arnie. Superb. Ascerbic wit.
chas. 1927. I remember it well, I was sitting with my crystal set, basking.
wow. just noticed. what a banner! thank you, Chas! 🙂
Great Caledonian Sarcasm, Arnie. You naughty wee bearded highlander, you 🙂
Ought to have been practically your neighbour tonight, but shit happens.
Best news of the day, Brexit works!!! 🙂
Up yours Aurier, ha ha. That’d be so funny if immigration control manages to hold out 🙂
Ok Lads, I promise not to change the subject for long, but while I’m back on laptop, one question about blogging from an iPhone. Peaches told me to download wordpress app so don’t have to log in every time. Did that, and still complete pants. Am I normal? 🙂
Where’s Eddie?
Thank you Micky, thank you Raddy. 🙂 Eddie has gone to escort Aurier across the border. 🙂 🙂
I got a banner. tra la la la la
I got a banner. tra la la la la
Having a banner is very bad news Arnie. It means, you’re in it up to the very top of your whiskers 🙂
Well written and entertaining, Roter Arnie 🙂
Made me think of this:
Love the bullet headers, Chas. Fine comment by GiE.
Haha…..great stuff!
Just for clarity, my Brexit works! comment was directed at keeping Paris St Germain’s best players out when playing The Arsenal 🙄
CSKA equalised against Leverkusen to give the spuds a lifeline other than beating Monaco later.
Micky….go all the way to the bottom of the site. And click that link that says “view desktop site” or something like that.
You’ll end up always logged in (as long as you click radio button remember me) unless you clear cookies then you’ll have to repeat the process.
When in desktop mode double tap on article or any comment and the article and following comments will fill the width of your screen. And you don’t have to keep scrolling up to post a comment.
Didit to Exile
Testing
Over
Didit did it and it didn’t work
I reckon my mistake was to close the picture then try and come back on but lo…it asked me the questions again.
Thanks anyway Exile. Do you have to log in (mobile only) every time your phone gets switched off then on again?
Test from mobile
Still hete
Ok, Exile, that’s a big improvement. Thank you.
Key to success? Never log out 🙂
Lovely job Arnie and great header chas 🙂
Arsene is beginning to show promise as a manager … we have to be patient and wait for his potential to develop … just like Theo 🙂
Micky – what works for me to prevent more logging in is to put a piece of carbon paper between my finger and the phone when I log in and it means that I don’t have to log in next time as I have another copy..simples. Have you tried switching it off and back on?
Spuds out …….in the Europa would be fantastic!
ha ha ha ha ha ha 🙂
Hmmmm, did you see that team selection? It is only just short of a betting inquiry.
Total. lovely fable vid. 🙂
motning all.
matchday
Table booked. Eager anticipation. http://waxys.de/
Check from 8:16, but particularly at 9:00 Good analysis, for a change, from Sky. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvN8D0G4c7A&t=946s
Morning All.
Match day. I had better get writing.
Ant. I tried your suggestion. Doesn’t work.
Spuds in the Champions League this season.
I hear there are still a small amount of tickets available for their Europa League play off match against CSKA at Wembley.
It’s so gratifying that they had a miserable experience of playing at Wembley as well, isn’t it?
Was interesting listening to pundits last night trying to come up with all reasons why Spuds were out and one of the main points of query was what had happened to their high press which was so dominant last season.
Well here’s my opinion…..the players hit a wall in around April last season, and they have not recovered physically. Has any team playing the high press in England kept it up long enough to win the title?
GIE. I think Wolves did it in the late 1950’s
Poncetino reckons it’s their heads failing them, not their bodies. 🙂
Tottenham’s players lacked the quality and mentality required to reach the knockout stage of the Champions League, says boss Mauricio Pochettino.
A 2-1 defeat at Monaco sealed their exit from the competition as they paid the price for their woeful home form.
Consecutive defeats at their temporary Wembley home had left Spurs with no margin for error and they duly came up short against a classy Monaco side.
“We need to improve our mentality and be ready every game,” Pochettino said.
“From the beginning of the season, I said our challenge was not physical, it was tactical – to manage your mind and to play on Saturday and then Tuesday or Wednesday.”
7.44. Interesting and, in a way ,regrettable.
BR
🙂
Just imagine a high press on those old muddy pitches – you’d be fecked after 5 minutes.
Yes, with regard to the spending.
Some have been saying how predictable the CL is every season.
Nice of the spuds to upset the norm, though. 🙂
FA Cup final 1970
Exile
Scope for a new chant to go with “shooooot” and that is “lowwww pressss” 🙂
Chas @ 7:47
Some people spend their spare time very wisely and creatively. Genius. Brilliant 🙂
Morning all
Too soon?
Proper pitches, proper football.
Micky
Your comment reminded of sitting alongside GIE.
His team advice came in two forms…….
PRESS PRESS PRESS
and……..
PASS PASS PASS.
🙂
Chas
I remembered that. Also, I remembered he hates the shoooot so I threw that in as my googley 🙂
Erik
Does the fact that teams like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are lying second in their groups make you consider resting Sanchez?
🙂
Are you Mystic Micky? Uncanny.
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