449 Comments

Top Of The World

topoftheworld

Top of the league and top of the world.

I used to love cars.  Spent a fortune on them over the years.

The one I loved the most was a 1966 MGB Roadster. I bought it in 1990, it had been restored lovingly to concourse condition by an enthusiast who came on hard times during that particular recession.

I saw the pictures of it before the chap had worked his magic.  Even then it looked nice and he said it had always been reliable.  But afterwards?  Oh, it was a thing of beauty.  Stainless steel wire wheels, leather upholstery – the whole nine yards.

Of course he might have not bothered and simply sold it and bought a nice new Golf GTi.  Thankfully he didn’t. He worked with what he had and in the end he produced a work of art.  Can you see where this is going?

Yes?  Thought so.

Well our wonderful set of players are quickly turning into a thing of beauty.  Just as my MGB was.

Even when, like yesterday, it’s just cruising around in second gear.

I thought yesterday was a very professional job.  We started off totally dominant although never getting into top gear.  After the Welsh Wizard scored the opener, we dropped back into second.  And paid the price. Not that an equalizer had looked on the cards, but we had stopped dominating.

But what happened next?

Well we moved up into third again and wrested control back. And it looked like we could , if need be, move through the gears further if it became necessary.  It looked to me that the many games  this eleven has played recently meant they were happy to conserve energy and win with as little physical exertion as possible.  That’s what we did.

Three points and top of the league.

I don’t want to go over the top in praise of the team, because it could come back to bite me on the bum.

However, I am as happy with this team and squad as I have been since 2004.

I love this bunch of lads and I love what I am seeing.

Happy days.

449 comments on “Top Of The World

  1. Hate is the new love, at Stoke.
    They love him.
    It’s a Stoke thing.

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  2. Evil September 23, 2013 at 1:04 pm

    hmmm i didnt realise we have such fans who view their opinions and egos as more important than wenger winning for arsenal……

    know any fans like that? …. 🙂

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  3. yep very reasonable.

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  4. Anyone notice how many long balls Giroo won yesterday against the hardest heads the EPL has ever seen or will ever see. The man is a my-ball marvel on the land, sea and air.

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  5. Look at me, trying to make myself sound funny and clever by beating up on the Carpenters. Shame on me. Won’t happen again. (Good to see you, Harry).

    That celebration of Aaron’s in front of the Stoke fans made me very happy yesterday, but I’ll confess now that I almost wish he hadn’t done it. It will be a nasty atmosphere for him when we go to their place next. He’s a big boy, and I’m sure he can take it, though. And he’d probably say it was worth it. But that bad blood isn’t going away anytime soon. Reading those Stoke fan descriptions of him is hilarious. I think we can all agree that the word “deluded” can properly be used in this case.

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  6. Karen carpenter had one of the most clear and wonderful voices on a singer. She was sadly taken away too soon. And ARSENAL , just like you , they long to be, close to you……. god bless her memory…

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  7. Good point Harry, it looks like Arsenal are close, again (I think the last such degree of confidence was the first third of 2008, Eduardo in full flow, the season turned inside out after his injury and dramatic fall in confidence). I think the “not quite there” is a chicken and egg, as this team builds results and especially against top level teams, confidence will grow (a la Munich). But confidence in their ability now is unmistakable, you see it every time Arsenal prepares and launches an attack, even from the back, it looks dangerous, like we can score. From Wenger’s management style perspective, I believe this has always been his dream strategy, that opposition is tentative every time they go forward that Arsenal will get the ball and counter, so their players hold back.

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  8. Oh man, OK, I take it all back. Karen Carpenter tugged my teenage heart strings too!

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  9. Despicable Orcs. When will they get some class.
    Those who beat up on AW & the team will never admit they jumped the gun and were wrong to call for his replacement.
    It will make them look the permanent fools that they are. and, they need to see their agenda to the end. With or without AW.

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  10. ZP you picked my exact team although nico and frimmers ard close. Hayden and chuba are my picks to be knocking on the door soon

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  11. Heh, no worries Alabama. No shame in being moved by that voice ZP. Can be difficult to look beyond all the MOR trappings and schmaltz for some. My mum used to play the records all the time when I was a little kid, so I guess they are part of my psyche or summat.

    I agree about the confidence thing ZP, and also about that feeling they could score every time they attack, which was always there in those great AW sides of the past.

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  12. Those who beat up on AW & the team will never admit they jumped the gun and were wrong to call for his replacement

    in that case they should be dismissed as irrelevant…they have no palce amongst our support…they are practically spuds in disguise….

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  13. i read something which might explain the simpleton’s logic. until or unless something is scientifically proven then they feel they can debate about it. the problem with that though is that debates are made of thin air and not actual facts…….secondly debates are a negative for they seperate the participants in for and against sides. what arsenal supporter would willingly choose the against side of any debate?

    and…… this is crucial, they aint debating about a penalty or a player being good enough but whether the man called Arsene Wenger is good for Arsenal or not. A topic which does not even need a debate cause it is a scientifically proven FACKT with numbers stats and maths that Wenger is undeniably the best thing that has ever happpened to this club.

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  14. PA family, what’s up!?

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  15. harry youve got the wrong idea man…just like we laugh when useless pricks like rednapp and lawreson think they can critisise wenger likewise i laugh at some of our fans who are too limited in football knowledge or experience to critisise and judge wenger as harshly…..i never said you cant crititise or have an opinion…..

    put it this way……me entering the f1 pit lane and telling richard horner my opinion on f1 aerodynamics would be met with huge laughter…..why should it be any different for arsenal fans?

    not even ferguson has the balls to critisise wenger the way our fans do…….i guess its a lack of dignity , upbringing and education from our fans part……or maybe too much inactivity and the need to create debates to kill time……

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  16. PA family, what’s up!?

    carpenting 🙂

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  17. hey DC when we lose a game every arseblog news article carries 178-230 comments….after a win the same figure drops to 58-80 comments……

    an equal pattern can be seen in most arsenal blogs…..

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  18. George, did you never see those cartoons as a kid?

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  19. Lets move on,eh?
    Harry is not ,nor has he ever been the bad guy.
    If we moan every time he comes here,just because he goes elsewhere,he will stop coming.And so would I.

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  20. The ones with the picknic stealing Bears?
    Those DC ?
    I did indeed.

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  21. Yeah Hunter,
    Funny how you never see the disgruntled pests when we win.
    It’s like the mooks who are still disappointed with Özil signing for Arsenal, because he made it very clear the only reason he wanted to come was to work with Arsène Wenger.
    Same as when you ask them how on earth Theo, Gibbs, Jack, Jenks & Ox have become so good?, nah it, can’t be Wenger even though they blame him for coaching the defence (second best in the Prem last season, best in year of 2013).

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  22. Induplididy GP, inpuplididy.

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  23. ok george….only cause its you asking it. but to be fair im not having a go at harry at all….just them jerks who call those who were right deluded…..

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  24. Back in the Sunshine state. Been busy looking for a place, found one and should be moving shortly. Should be back to posting regularly once that happens.

    Well, the team is looking sweet, innit?

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  25. I’ve let off my steam George, as far as I am concerned,
    I talk the hind end off a donkey with anyone who cares to join the discussions here.

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  26. Hunter13 @ 4:49pm
    “when we lose a game every arseblog news article carries 178-230 comments….after a win the same figure drops to 58-80 comments”

    Glad I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Tells yo a lot how the followers of arseblog have been programmed. Now at PA the converse is true. The numbers are growing after every victory. All who have been beaten down and made fools of for believing in Wenger and this squad since the post Van Cunt transition have a place to celebrate.

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  27. Is it me or are the two best signings in of any team Ozil and Flamini thus far.

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  28. I think it was the full moon George.

    Such things are madness made of.

    I’ve been reading a history of the French revolution on holidays, you know that the gang who set up the guillotine with such initial enthusiasm ended up for the chop themselves?
    Analogy? I dunno.

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  29. lets drink (smoke) to that !

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  30. ^^^^^ shottagunna September 23, 2013 at 5:10 pm ^^^^^^^^

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  31. Cigarettes and Alcohol will be the death of us.

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  32. Is it me or are the two best signings in of any team Ozil and Flamini thus far

    wait till we get juan mata on january

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  33. Cigarettes?

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  34. Oh,I see,

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  35. Explains the paranoia I suppose.

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  36. we are against the artificial…only naturals will do

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  37. Explains the paranoia I suppose. hahaaa…..and the aggression huh? just say no kids..

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  38. Georgaki
    As for Arsenal this season, one could say “we’ve only just begun”.

    ……..I’ll get my coat.

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  39. Since beating the European champions in their own backyard our record reads:

    Played 19, Won 16, Drawn 2, Lost 1

    That would be fantastic for a team at its peak but we are nowhere near that yet. Six of our current starting XI are 24 or under. Cazorla and Arteta, two of our most important players of last season (along with Per) are yet to make meaningful contributions in this one. This team can get stronger still, more convincing, and the attack more fluid once Özil settles and Santi returns to combine with him. Arséne is building a very special squad.

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  40. The early signals in EPL are very interesting.
    Spurs have upped their game, play some good football in the middle, but not yet scored more than once in a match (2 of those penalties), but amazingly conceded one in five.
    Chelsea look all over the place, lack cohesion as Mou tries to make them “play another way” (no laughter, please).
    City get surprised at Cardiff, then dazzle against an admittedly appalling ManU. Up, down.
    ManU are doing their best impersonation of Liverpool immediately after Rafa.
    Liverpool are trying to re-imagine themselves a yesteryear ManU.
    I pity them both.
    Arsenal are interesting in the belief post-Munich. Such performances as we have seen are not solely about skill, that was not in doubt, but the spirit in the team is tangible.
    Everton look interesting, as do WBA and Swansea.
    Stoke pass the ball, wonders never cease.

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  41. George
    There is a Zen like calm right now about how Arsenal set about their work.
    You can nearly hear it
    OM MANI PADME HUM.

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  42. I think it was fine, actually good, how Ramsey responded after scoring at Stoke. I hope he doesn’t regret, he shouldn’t. It’s the same attitude that sees him scoring freely. The same that sees him shoulder through an attempted tackle and emerge with the ball.

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  43. Arséne is building a very special squad.

    with a very special tomas rosicky leading by example

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  44. Christ on a bike, Ranetta 11:38am
    I made the mistake of reading some Orkish.

    Oh my, at least real (yeah, I know) Orcs were born evil so in a way it’s not their fault. But that lot……
    The Plague can’t come soon enough to that town.

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  45. Having earlier posted a Stoke thread (negative), I now wish to post summat positive. I really don’t like the writer as I’ve only seen negative nonsense from him about Arsenal, but this article with quotes from the MF (they are his initials, right?) is stuff you’ve heard/read before, but all brought together in one place:

    http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsene-wenger-didnt-want-to-sign-him-but-now-mathieu-flamini-is-a-leading-light-in-arsenals-quest-for-glory-8834917.html

    “we’ve only just begun/close to you” – Good calls.

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  46. Georgaki
    I will keep saying this:
    One of the real enemies of the club and Wenger is that bastard Myles.

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  47. The hatchet job workers keep working:
    “But disillusioned fans, who stopped attending home games after becoming frustrated with the club’s failure to win silverware for more than seven seasons, also had their say as gate receipts fell by £3m to £92.7m.” Sports direct news today.

    Or how about that we got knocked out of cups early? Wouldn’t that explain the same shortfall in receipts? and didn’t we sell really cheap tickets for the league cup home game?

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  48. ZimPaul,
    He has every right to do that to some of our own ‘fans’ too.

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  49. @DC
    Shhhh! Stop making sense! Jokes aside, to back you up: last season we had 26 home games (19 in the league, 4 in the CL, 2 in the FA Cup, 1 in the League Cup ), the season before it was 29 home games (19 in the league, 5 in the CL (since we had to play for qualification against Udinese), 2 in the FA Cup, 3 in the League Cup. I am sure that 3 home games more, especially if one of those is in the CL, are plenty to explain a 3 million difference in gate receipts.

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