I’m out of step again. If supporting Arsenal was a dance I’d be treading on every toe in the room. It’s OK don’t feel sorry for me, I’m quite used to it. When we were playing in hugely entertaining games but coming out with honours shared in multi scoring draws or losing by the odd goal or as a result of hugely prejudicial refereeing decisions I often found myself in a minority of one. I stood like the little boy still waving his flag after the procession had passed saying to nobody “Wasn’t that a gay parade, colourful and exciting?” as everyone else in the street marched grumbling back into their houses angry, cheated, feeling the costumes were less flamboyant than in previous years, the music a little discordant, the majorettes skirts less high than they liked and the baton twirls not as extravagant as they might have been.
My final contribution, I genuinely believed it to be forever, to the world of Arsenal blogging was to ask, almost a year ago now and following a three three draw with Fulham, whether there was any other single person out there who could agree that the match had been entertaining and good to watch. Nobody could. I said that in that event I would keep my counsel. That I did until George and Adi inflated the enormous bouncy castle that is Positively Arsenal and enquired as to whether or not I might like to jump on and try a few somersaults. The rest is, to polish a very tired and already shining cliché, history. Or at least so I had assumed. Increasingly though I’m finding myself once more moving into a position of isolation. Remarks passed are missing my bulls eye by a fraction and the popular note is not, to my ear at least, always quite true.
Before you begin to berate me for a curmudgeonly, or as my Caledonian comrades would have it, a carnaptious outlook during this time of celebration and general rejoicing among the Arsenal cognoscenti, stay your sword hand, I beg, keep your powder dry, and hear me out. I am not miserable, nor am I deliberately dour simply in a spirit of perverse contradiction. I have been accused of such contrary instincts often enough in the past and so I must presume that there could be some truth in the accusation, one is put in mind of the old clench about a stopped clock being correct at least twice a day. However on this occasion I am certain I can defend my position against such a prosecution case.
In the first instance I believe I may meet with a favourable reception. I am hugely antagonised by the refusal of the media, exemplified by the apparatchiks at ЅҠЧ ЅРѺЯТЅ on Tuesday evening, to give simple unvarnished credit where it is manifestly due. Arsenal did not in fact play the most outstanding, beautiful efficient and yet inventive football imaginable. Instead Napoli were a disappointment. Napoli were poor. Napoli were sure to come out and show more in the second half. The script cannot be changed, Arsène cannot be given credit for what he has been building at the Emirates all these years because then the real power in football would have to admit they’d been wrong and force a different editorial line from the wooden lips of their ventriloqual dolls. I’m sure we were all as annoyed by the commentators search for excuses to prop up their tired arguments. Thank goodness for the French TV coverage I eventually secured. Where I differ from the rest of you perhaps is my reaction to the media circus where there is evidence or at least the suggestion of a change of heart. People are rejoicing that the papers are beginning to recognise that we are resurgent, that we have awoken and the bad or lean times are behind us. I hear folk talking with glee how this negative blog or that radio show are saying that from the depths of despair when we lost to Villa and inspired by our new Deutsche Wunderkind Arsenal are suddenly a different team. And this is one of things that really pisses me off.
The media are not saying “We got it wrong, we’re sorry for all the scurrilous nonsense we’ve talked about the great Monsieur Wenger and his long term plan” of course they aren’t and they never will. What they are actually saying is Arsenal were shit until Arsène finally caved in and spent some fackin’ money – just like they’d always told him to. I can’t celebrate that. I can’t celebrate when they propagate the nonsense that Mesut Özil inspired us to victory over Napoli as I heard this morning or that he was ‘at the heart of everything good about Arsenal” as I read. Apart from the fact that by any sensible measure no one stood out in what was the consummate team performance (except possibly Aaron Ramsey who was the best man on the pitch in the first half and by quite a long way) the comments are at best lazy –
Arsenal spend a lot of money on a player ergo he must be the best player at the club
or self serving –
we always said Arsenal would never do anything until they spent some fackin’ money so now we will ignore the facts and thus prove ourselves correct.
So don’t expect me to cheer when these lying scumbags appear to be blowing smoke up our kilts. They will turn on us at the first bad result and won’t ever give credit for the fact that this team was already in the midst of an incredible run, which has continued and to which Özil is merely one contributing factor. The real story is the platform Arsène has assembled upon which the likes of Mesut can strut their stuff.
Another area where I find myself out of step with many of my friends is this mood of vindication, this feeling that the results have proved us to be right and yar boo sucks to anyone who doubted our positive support in the past. I’m reading Roy Jenkins huge and hugely enjoyable biography of Churchill at the moment and it has given me pause on this subject on more than one occasion. The old warhorse was very fond of saying “In war, resolution; in defeat, defiance; in victory, magnanimity” and a little bit of that magnanimity wouldn’t go amiss right now. Apart from anything else I don’t think it is the results or current form that proves us to have been right for standing defiant by the manager in recent times. Churchill was furious at Chamberlain’s betrayal of Czechoslovakia in 1938 and ’39 and made many dire predictions about the calamitous outcome of a continued policy of appeasement. My argument is he wasn’t proven right by the carnage that ensued in the following years, he was right to be appalled at the perfidious treachery shown by the Western allies to the Czech people regardless of the outcome. Even if Hitler had stopped there and Europe had enjoyed decades of peaceful prosperity it wouldn’t alter the fact that allowing the fascist annexation of another country would have been wrong. Full stop. Wrong because it was wrong by any moral measurement not wrong because of the way things turned out. In our perhaps less cataclysmic area of concern, we would have been right to support our manager and players irrespective of the results they went on to achieve. We are supporters and we could clearly see what Arsène was trying to achieve and how he was going about it. It was right and proper to support him in that quest. If we’d lost a few more games this season than we have that position would still have remained the correct one. We supported him simply because it was the right thing to do and this good run of results is not relevant. ‘I told you so’ has no place for me.
I know what you’re thinking – lighten up Stew and let us have our moment for goodness sake. Fine go ahead I don’t blame you and I too am revelling in the football and the results. I’m happy for players like Aaron and Tomas after their personal tribulations and I’m delighted for Arsène to be where he deserves to be, I am a little bit in love with Per Mertesacker and if it means the team is winning I’m content to be proven right. I just don’t buy the media line and don’t think it healthy for anyone else so to do, oh and I prefer magnanimity to gloating any day of the week. The former is sun kissed and virtuous residing upon lofty moral high ground, the latter lives in a squalid detritus choked gutter of self regard. Having said all that I’m not immune to the instinct to poke out my tongue at my detractors. To that end I have one delicious quotation to share with you from Jenkins’ weighty tome. Churchill was adept at putting people in their place with a pithy or elegantly turned phrase, in fact this remains one of the things for which he is most famous. However he was, unsurprisingly perhaps, occasionally on the receiving end of some pretty stiff stuff. When I consider some of the awful accusations levelled at us Positivistas, that we were living in the past, that events had left us behind and we were clinging to the promise of false hope based on Arsène’s achievements from a sadly bygone age, the words of the Marquess of Linlithgow from a written exchange with WSC in 1932 spring instantly to mind. “Forgive me then if I say that it is not, it seems to me, so much I who am mouthing the bland platitudes of an age that has passed away … but rather you who are hanging hairy from a branch while you splutter the atavistic shibboleths destined by some to retreat into the forgotten past”.
Now that is a put down.
Positively Arsenal 
“Napoli were desperately poor, giving a lie to the good reviews that accompanied them to London, but Arsenal’s opening phase was of such quality that Wenger had a little struggle recalling when they last produced a first half as good as the one here.”
I saw Napoli play against Milan a few weeks back and I didn’t think they were all that convincing. The only reason they were hyped to hell and back before the season started is because they made moves and spent large amounts of money. This being said, it’s tough to crap on Arsenal’s parade when most of the press is saying Napoli were going to annihilate us. Sorry, Phil.
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This is all we are asking for:
http://www.afc4life.co.uk/2013/10/02/my-sincerest-apologies-to-arsene-wenger/
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@ pedantic george October 3, 2013 at 5:43 pm
Nobody deserves it more.
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It was a tactical masterclass from Arsene. Our starting line-up had plenty of fans scratching their heads; Ramsey and Rosicky have had rather mixed performances when played out wide in the past, while Flamini and Arteta at the base of midfield seemed a bit cautious for a home game. What ensued was one of the most devastating 45 minutes of football we have seen from Arsenal in a very long time, and from a side missing its four most favoured wide players. But while we were irresistible with the ball, passing it around at break neck speeds with hardly a look and switching positions seamlessly, we were also flawless without it. Napoli could not cope with our pressing and lost the ball as soon as they won it, finishing the half with 25% possession. We could have humiliated them by 5 or more had we not chosen to conserve our energies for the weekend after winning the game in the first 15 minutes. Frightening to think we have so much attacking talent to come back, Ozil is only beginning to gel into this team, and Rosicky and Arteta were a little rusty.
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double canister at 4:09 pm
Yeah but I bet they all had semi’s.
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Great cup atmosphere at Swansea.
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DC 4:07
Yep regarding the Bi Polar thing on such sites and, indeed, throughout most of the online goonerverse.
There are clearly a couple of poles at either end of things with folk who frequent this site being at one end and the doomers (serious miserable negativistic insightless ones) at the other.
The vast majority in the middle are fickle to one level or another and sudden sea changes are noticeable as a large proportion of that majority react like shouls of fish or those huge flocks of starlings where one moves and they all move.
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Keeping it positive.
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Fantastic piece Steww, yet again.
I’m blowing my own trumpet. I’ve posted on here in the early summer reminding folk that our remarkable end of season run and impressive pre-season were a trend that will lead to trophies. Mesut Özil has joined a team that was already going places. Those who claim otherwise and suggest it is all down to one player are quite frankly bitter numbskulls who cannot give credit where it is due…
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A consequence
If Flamini keeps producing the goods in the PL and CL then his return to the French national squad must be certain
Keep it up son and Brazil beckons
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Anicoll
Considering France’s performances without him so far, it mightn’t.
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Latest attack arsenal meme is brewing:
Jack will have to leave Arsenal to get more game time.
Just fuck off, media whores.
Guess which red scum team needs a midfielder, badly?
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And jack will tell them to fuck off and that he wants to play with Ozil and Ramsey.
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Flamini is going to gouge out their eyes, if anyone taps up Jack.
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That’s the kind of thing I’m talking about DC. That sort of thing is going to ramp up if we look poised to go through in CL and beat Liverpool and ManU.
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Great piece, Stew. I agree with all of it. And great comments from everyone, too. So great that I don’t have anything to add. Except this: Rambo gets 8.8 player rating for European team of the month?! Behind only Messi?! That’s my boy. And I think he’s been with us all along, if I’m not mistaken.
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In war, resolution; in defeat, defiance; in victory, magnanimity. I like Churchill despite his many faults and mistakes. He was a man of his times. And most of us are. Even the ladies.
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What’s with all the brouhaha?? We aren’t supposed to defend ourselves individually and collectively against false accusations and smear campaigns of deluded pathetic losers that want to save face??
Ok then…..
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One can’t be magnanimous with folks that keep slating and insulting you on daily basis. How can you turn the other cheek. ?
Ps.. congratulations on talks starting on AW ‘s next contract extension. We need him now more than ever. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.
And congratulations to young AARON on being recognized on the European stage. Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving football player..
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Unbelievably, BBC ‘s “expert football analyst” has picked a score line of 1-1 , for our game against the baggies this Sunday.
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Most likely 1-3 to the GUNNERS. lawro is going to look like a booob come Monday…
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Hahaha. AW looks like Robert plant in that picture.
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So, Mesut Özil had a pizza. He was spotted with one pizza carton as he exited a pizza parlour. He probably ate the pizza. He paid for the pizza with a £50 pound note. Well he’s probably quite well paid that’s for sure. I’m disappointed in Mesut. I would have thought he is fed a healthy, balanced diet at London Colney. Why does he need to eat pizza. You idiots should all be upset and outraged. Our beloved Arsenal paid £42.4m for Mesut and he surreptitiously eats pizza. You deluded, posidivas, sitting on your sunshine bus have been hoodwinked yet again by your beloved Arsene….he can do no wrong……
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Ahhhh, pizza is one of the healthiest foods around doc. All the food groups. Just don’t over do it. Hahaha
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Looking at the picture with half an eye GK I wondered why there was a picture of Tommy Caton on the top of the piece and spent the next few minutes puzzled and waiting for the hook ( embarassed face)
The exercise did however cause me to look up Tommy who would have been 51 this week
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hah. More like with both eyes half closed. Time to get shut eye. PASSENAL did say sleeping would be difficult. Had no idea how difficult.
1 am gooner confessions
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http://videosift.com/video/The-Greatest-Show-On-Legs-The-Naked-Balloon-Dance
ENJOY
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Goonerkam
Is that NSFW?
It’s 9:48am here on the soggy isles.
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I made the mistake of reading some of the crap on the online gooner.
Never buying that fanzine again.
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So Bac is the latest casualty.
Well young Carl needs game time,so as to keep his development going.
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Injuries or not I think both our full backs have played a lot of football recently and I would be more than happy to see both rested on Sunday with Carl and Nacho drafted in.
We have a decent squad of players it seems a bit odd not to use them all.
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http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/10/01/satire-a-day-at-the-arsenal-training-ground/?ref=troll
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Team Spirit: “Who would have thought the players respond to a positive environment and encouragement and support?… hmm…”
I can tell you who doesn’t. Reactionary assholes who believe pain is the ultimate motivator. I’ve read more than one post where some piece of crap doomer pats himself on the back for booing Ramsey while he was getting back from his injury.
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I hope hector makes the bench this week although its looking stronger and stronger with every player that comes back. I think we should ask the PL if we could have a 12 man bench.
Napoli were awful as were all the teams we’ve played this season, so lets hope that all teams in the CL,PL,FAC,CC, are just as awful against us because the worse they are the better we seem to play funny that.
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“I can tell you who doesn’t. Reactionary assholes who believe pain is the ultimate motivator.”
What is your major malfunction!
Heh. I’ve been thinking. There are a fair few similarities between Kubrick and Wenger. Both turned their back on working with the Big studios / clubs to work instead in grey, green and sometimes pleasant England with traditional English institutions** that are not great as they once were, but still value skill, craft and of course gr*t.
Both loved Europe. Both were genius’ who wound up self important types with their “egos” ( as in the envious ability to work upon their own terms – scandelous!) Etc
** not sure if everyone agrees that AFC were a big ‘super club’ in the inter-war era but it strikes me as poetic that the club that were massive before WWII, before the UEFA club competition era began have still to win the big UEFA bauble. They’ll get there. Never in doubt. Not now!
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Sorry to have only just caught up with this debate.
There is a narcotic effect in blogs (and, I imagine, in Twitter). Once hooked, it’s hard to ignore them. And however hard you try, it’s sometimes challenging to avoid the bad cut with the good. Even when the symptoms may be to stop cherishing the football and focus only on the result.
It’s fairly easy to ignore idiots who believe that eight years of being amongst the six top clubs in Europe constitutes failure. But when people whose judgment has led you to believe that they ought to know better start getting flaky, the temptation to kick them in the atavistic shibboleths becomes almost irresistable.
So Steww’s reminder that we should all recognise and conquer the narcosis is timely.
And, by the way, Arsène . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sign da ting.
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wenger say his plans for the FUTURE involves jack. he is going to continue the era.
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as Arsene has said his plans for the future involve Jack, le groan are running a piece saying this means he is signing for P.S.G and taking jack with him because the French have a more lenient approach to smoking…I know their not but they should I think it might have some legs.
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I had forgotten that when you are top of he League you take more of an interest in other weekend fixtures
The Scousers you have to fancy to despatch Palace and get to 16 points on Saturday night
Citeh v Everton a bit tricky to call – a draw most likely which does us no harm
Nawridge v Chels ? Much as I like the men from Norfolk three points for Jose
And Tottingham v the Appy Ammers ? Well Sam has carried on the work of the past dozen managers at Upton Park so I anticipate a performance so indescribably inept by WH that Spuds would all have to be struck down with the advanced stages bubonic plague not to win by three clear goals. I shall have to settle for the scenes of 15,000 fans being arrested at the Lane for uttering what is now known officially as ‘the Y word’. I want to see a police horse on the pitch. Not seen that for a long time.
So it probably needs more than a point for us should definitely remain top of the pile come Sunday evening
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Anicoll
Didn’t you mean to say (dis)-like the cousin shaggers?
Personally, I can’t stand the tractor boys or their spudulike manager.
I’ve always preferred their local rivals.
Palace is the kind of game the mickymousers trip up on.
LWC’s v the ‘ammers – 6 reds, 2 ambulances and a mounted police horse charge please.
The Y-word?, the world has moved on. The spuds haven’t, Oy Vey.
I couldn’t imagine PG tolerating that stuff here, nor racism, homopobia or sexism.
Unless it was really funny.
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Finsbury
Didn’t know you were the beret and goatie beard type.
‘Paths of Glory’ is one of my favourite Kubrick films.
There is definitely a bit of Wenger in Kirk Douglas’s performance.
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I live in Norfolk these days DC so I have a respect for the dogged support of the locals for their team – not impossible for them to turn over CFC as they beat us and Manyoo last season at Carrow Road – probably depends on how stubborn Jose is with Mata
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BTW the tractor boys are Ipswich !! You’d be chased all over Norwich by men in smocks with pitchforks if you came out with that
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doesn’t a phobia mean you are scared of something so is homophobia scared of being gay like you just wake up one morning a shout GUILLLTY peter griffin like….very strange. the strange thing about the y word is even when football fans had a high percentage of racist among them the chants were an abuse of each other and not racist, offensive yes but not racist and red members of the north London jewish community use to use it as well. was it all very ignorant yes of course but it was definitely an attack on another football tribe rather than a racist or political statement.
when the singing has stopped at whl and ajax there will no longer be a debate but people should know the truth and not pretend something different.
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I am a bit torn on the Yid issue at Spuds – It is not used by the Spuds fans in any way as an insult, it is a word they associate with their club in a positive, proud way.
And yet some of Jewish community say they are offended !
I shall look forward to Kanye being hauled off stage in cuffs the net time he utters ‘the N word’ ( alarmed expression)
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not just kayne but lots of black comedians and singers etc. when a group or community reclaim and reuse an offensive word it disarms people trying to use it as abuse. most youngsters today use the word gay as naf uncool a completely different meaning and therefore rendering it useless to abusers
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For those who follow the Ladies’ results:
Full-time: Lincoln Ladies 0-2 Arsenal Ladies. ARSENAL WIN THE CONTINENTAL CUP!
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FUNGUN
COOL. that is a good few years the ladies have gone winning a least one competition. They only lost out winning the super league title due to points deduction for playing a supposed” ineligible” player in the last few games of the campaign. I think she got pregnant and wanted to take time with her family and lost her credentials. Or something to that effect. Not 100% sure. Very disappointed if any of it was true.
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As someone who has had to face and combat discrimination and prejudice all his life ,I want to make a little wish.
I wish that someday will come when I won’t have to hear or read anyone mentioning the n word , the y word, the c word & the s word. Whether spoken by bigots or the victims these words are incendiary, offensive, racist, sexists and don’t belong in civilized conversation. I could add a few other words there but I think everyone understands what I mean.
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DC
what is a nsfw?
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