I don’t know about you, but when Arsenal are suffering, I am miserable.
My long-suffering wife leaves the room at kick-off and checks the score before she comes back.
If we lose, she keeps a healthy distance and it can be some time before I can raise a smile. I can’t sleep for a couple of days and eating is a chore. Now I know it’s ‘just a game’ and I should not make other people miserable because of it.
I just can’t help it.
I love Arsenal with an unhealthy passion.
I know I am not alone. I know it’s also not something that’s exclusive to people who adore the manager and players. I understand that miserable gits, malcontents and know-it-alls also feel like this.
But me being a selfish old curmudgeon, I don’t care about them.
When my head goes down I want a place to visit that makes me feel better. Not a place that wallows in the misery and offers endless opinions on easy fixes proffered by idiots with little or no understanding of the small picture, let alone the big one.
I don’t want to be told that player X, Y or Z is not fit to wear the shirt.
Or that the manager is a senile old fool who has lost the plot.
I don’t want to be reminded of every bad loss or the perceived ideas of why players left. Apart from the fact I have heard them a million times before, and argued against them a million and one times, it just depresses me further. The attitude of those I am arguing with makes me more than a little irate.
Discussions degenerate into arguments, arguments into rows and rows into slanging matches. This suits the malcontents fine.
Now everyone is miserable and irate like them.
So it came to me some months ago that what is needed is a blog where like-minded people could gather and make each other feel better rather than worse.
And here we are, “Positively Arsenal”.
An oasis of joy in a desert of misery. A place where people can rejoice in all that is good about the club. Somewhere for us to look forward with enthusiasm and expectation.
If people want to discuss tactics, formations and personnel, fine. That’s what makes a blog go round. But if they want to play Football Manager and imply that they could run or manage the club better than the top professionals that actually do the job, here is not the place for them.
The idea was easy, implementing it the hard part.
So I did what I do best, and got someone else to do it for me. That someone was, as you now know, Adi. He did all the spade work and a damn good job he has done – I am sure you will agree!
We now have regular contributions from Andrew, Stew, Adi, Frank and Bradyesque. And I have to say the standard of writing has exceeded my wildest dreams. The quality of comments is something I hankered after, yet never expected. The first two weeks has been quite a success. I hope it goes from strength to strength because it can only bring us all joy.
I see this as a family, a positive community. One where each poster feels at home and part of the experience. And I hope you all feel the same and continue to bond and flourish. Everyone who writes and posts is as important to the future of the site as myself or Adi.
Thank you all for making me a very happy little Meerkat.
By our very own @BlackburnGeorge aka Pedantic George
Positively Arsenal 
oh yes what about ryo indeed …. cant think of slow japanese footballers and they do like their tricks and they do have discipline and they do reward the people who showed faith in them and …well thats it for now ..lol..
wenger sees ten years ahead …and beyond
beyond!
LikeLike
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=joel+campbell+real+betis&view=detail&mid=A113F7D9A3241BFCF68CA113F7D9A3241BFCF68C&first=0&FORM=NVPFVR
LikeLike
pedantic george February 11, 2013 at 4:29 pm
ts ts ts …..what a ridiculous suggestion……its not them clubs that want him…why would they purchase a manager who is past it….he is the one who wants to go there and triple his annual salary…like nasri to city… 🙂
after all the arsenal board have sold all his best players..no more player sales for him to make profits for the company and pay himself and the shareholders.. haha…
isnt that what the fools say?
LikeLike
Paul-N February 11, 2013 at 4:41 pm
mmm yum yum …sweet left …
LikeLike
http://myarsenalopinion.blogspot.com/2013/02/defending-wenger-for-change-santos.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FznHal+%28It%27s+MY+Arsenal+Opinion%29
Well, this is very sensible.
LikeLike
It’s like breathing fresh air again on here
LikeLike
wow paul lets get this guy here and join the authors of PA , he is clearly one of our lost brothers.
its a haven harry….i spent the whole time here during the game on saturday and it was great, we all composed ourselves, no moaning, ok we were anxious , sure, but we never turned into savages
hey you were there when i called the behaviour of some our fans as third world and everyone jumped on me as if i had insulted countries and continents..aargghh i wanted to slap them….
the convenience with which they scrutinise phrases like that and the indifference they show when real people , cultures, carreers, reputations, countries even or teachings or backgrounds get shat upon, baffles me to the ninth degree….
its ok to suggest that a professional who is respected around the world for what he does is a past it stubborn old fool who cant get to grips with the modern game..i mean….how insulting is that ? they say that for the inventor of modern football? But as soon as you turn and tell em ” hang on a minute you mug, what have you achieved in your life/career that gives you the inner courage/confidence to doubt, question and judge as harshly?” …oh they get all sensitive and demand respect as commentators and opinion makers…… makes me laugh.
LikeLike
“oh they get all sensitive and demand respect as commentators and opinion makers…… makes me laugh.”
It makes me sick.
LikeLike
Yes i remember Hunter, some jumped on me for sticking up for you as I dimly recall. Not that I give a shit. Much ado about nothing. They called you out on that because it was convenient to do so, if it had been someone else it would most probably have gone unmentioned, it just allowed certain folks to have a dig at you under the cloak of “political correctness”. To seize on the way you said it, and lambast you for that, and thereby conveniently ignore what you were actually saying (which was nearer the truth). The wind has changed over that way I’m afraid. I still have a lot of respect for the blog and some of the posters, but you can find yourself arguing the toss simply for sticking up for the manager and players these day. Hey-ho.
LikeLike
and the worst… : “fergie would have never sold rvp” …”fergie wouldnt have allowed his players to drop like that” , “fergie’s players take care of business” ..haha yes we saw them in the memmorable best ever “how to lose the league being 8 points ahead with 4 games to go” special edition of last year….but shhhhh…only arsenal bottles it, noone else. and if chelsea didnt have drogba’s heroics ( or more correctly- had robben does his fucking job) they wouldnt even be in the top 4…lol….
fergie this fergie that….ARSENAL FANS using that man as an example to wenger ? hang them in shame. this is the manager who said and i quote ” arsenal is nothing without henry” right before an fa cup qualifier in their ground. arsene obliged and started the team without henry and was leading 0-2 at ht….reports say that the manutd no.7 player was hit by a flying boot … henry came on i think 2nd half to do some stretching. 🙂
remember what gary and fergie said abut our unbeaten season ? that it was a freak. no gary, sorry alex, if it was a freak you wouldnt instruct rooney to dive everytime he came in contact with sol to end this freak run after 49 games now would you? now be careful because robin will have to pass through us to win his title (sat 27th april) …lets see him freak out when wislhere theo giroud poldi and santi tear him a new one…..
🙂
LikeLike
Please, somebody pour some water on Hunter. He is on FIRE!
Ha, Ha, Ha!
LikeLike
I Love Hunter!
LikeLike
pedantic george February 11, 2013 at 5:49 pm
it makes me sick *
* and….. beyond
yes but you are a martial arts expert and they say martial arts bring a lot of inner discipline and calmness. it is that discipline and calmness that will enable the fighter to control his emotions and calculate the course of action/moves/blocks etc (should any action take place, – i understand the first rule is to avoid combat if possible).
i would gladly pay all your travelling and accomodation and leisure expences to represent us in a board meeting against timmeh and his annual sulking trust…just bring your black belt ..go get em ninja !
( if you can teach me how to do the diaby on terry face kick with reverse flip without ripping my thighs i will gladly join)
LikeLike
My pet irritation has been defense, how it has been rubbished, despite the evidence. Wenger has been systemtically re-building defense for 3 seasons, buying in TV, Kos, Per, Jenks, now Nacho, nurturing Gibbs and Chewie, who I think will be one of the greats in his day, and on the youth front looking at Yennaris, Miquel. The sole survivor so to speak from 4 seasons ago is Sagna, Gibbs hadn’t quite “arrived”, nor Chewie. And that’s quite a formidable defense unit right there, backed up by Fab and Vito, Skillacci in reserve, when they all said we have to buy British bulldog types for a fortune, because they know the conditions and the business.
In the last three seasons, the defence has continuously improved, although still a bit patchy at times, but gone are the days when every set piece was nervous times. The stats tell an interesting story again this season in terms of goals against, we seem to be around third best here, and defence is still improving. I guess another CB is lined up for summer, otherwise we would have kept Djourou, or is that Miquel?
LikeLike
ha shotta..cant help it..great crowd great atmosphere lifts the performance..
LikeLike
Please, if United did not have the help from the refs, he would never win as much. This season, United most probably would have lost maybe 3 more, if not for diving and winning pens. Even in the CL Galatasaray had 3 pens not given by the ref.
I love this comment. In response to Fergie saying that United is not a one man team.
Unknown Genius
“Got to agree with Fergie here.
Howard Webb, Mark Clattenburg, Mark Halsey, Mike Dean, Chris Foy …. definitely more than a one man team. That’s not even including the FA (Fergie’s Association) yet”
LikeLike
Deems Fabianski is fit.
Arsenal Under-21s team: Fabianski, Angha, Hajrovic, Miquel, Ormonde-Ottewill, Hayden, Yennaris, Henderson, Gnabry, Eisfeld, Akpom
LikeLike
*Seems. Doh
LikeLike
and ZP, I dare say that the 4 goals in the matches against City and United were under some questionable decisions. I still conclude that the red for Kos was too harsh and both goals from Chelsea were due to poor reffing. Chelsea did not score apart from those that. People only look at the goals but no context at all.
LikeLike
You need to turn the sound down because the commentators are from Manure but the under 21s seem to be on this feed http://nutjob.eu/njtvx1.html
LikeLike
Eisfeld looking very smooth.
LikeLike
1 – 0. No sorry 0 -1 to The Arsenal
LikeLike
1 – 1 boo Wenger out not fit to wear the shirt etc etc etc
LikeLike
Thanks for the link, Steww.
LikeLike
Sorry things aren’t going so well Paul!
LikeLike
2-2
LikeLike
Ah better. What a shot from Henderson to create the chance.
LikeLike
Yeh, wicked shot and nice and quick to stick the rebound in. Good play all around.
LikeLike
Akpom looks like he has centre forward instincts doesn’t he?
LikeLike
Man U direct and brutal, Arsenal patient and skilful. 2 – 2.
LikeLike
He does Steww and he has a good build on him. Looks like one for the future.
I have noticed United using these huge shoulder barges on our boys but the boys are still standing strong.
LikeLike
Playing in a water meadow isn’t helping our game but the ‘strong’ tactics United are employing is good practice for our kids.
LikeLike
United were getting frustrated. I sense Arsenal will take hold of the match in the 2nd half.
LikeLike
yep, they are frustrated.
LikeLike
Lovely move could’ve been 3-2. Should’ve maybe?
LikeLike
Yep, should have had a goal there.
The youngsters are starting to turn the screw a bit. Some really good football being played.
LikeLike
Total control this half. Be a travesty if they don’t win.
LikeLike
Last minute, this is where the steroids should favour United.
LikeLike
I agree, unfortunate not to win it. And, the young’ns dealt with the physical play much better in the 2nd.
LikeLike
lol
LikeLike
What a good game. Arsenal the better team though
LikeLike
Evening all.
George, I see you are quite the big shot now – getting the blog promoted by Adrian Clarke on Twitter no less! At what point do you stop talking to us mere mortals here?
LikeLike
Known as Silent George now – AST are after him
LikeLike
Anicoll @ 9:23pm – A bounty on his head for being the real ITK. Heh, Heh, Heh.
LikeLike
Ha! I just did my afro-caribbean jumpy dance when Lukaku scored Westbrom’s second.
Did anyone see that dirty ref try to bail out Liverpool?
LikeLike
Don’t forget the C. Ronaldo years Paul N. Now that he plays in a league where the refs favor another team, his team can’t win. And that’s despite the fact that Real Madrid have thrown more money around than Roman and the Sheiks put together.
LikeLike
Funny how it all went down hill for Pool after getting the fake pen.
LikeLike
I know it, G69. I am not saying that these teams cannot produce some good stuff but there is always a line of shady decisions along the way. I am not impressed.
LikeLike
After watching the U21 game I turned on to watch 2nd half of the Liverpoo v Baggies game. What a let down. The U21 game was much better.
LikeLike
ZimPaul February 11, 2013 at 6:16 pm
samba cahill schwarzer ….some even suggested barton…to give us grit and character
LikeLike