Those of us with a superstitious nature will be frankly terrified at all the gung ho pre match triumphalism spreading through the Arsenal world this weekend. Thank goodness we have a manager who has been there, seen and done it all before and who hopefully will prepare his team for today’s big tussle free from the crazy assumption that because we’ve had a better start we can’t lose. I can’t imagine this species of mania which is sweeping through social networking right now will be helpful to the players this afternoon. I do understand that a lot of it is fun and banter between fans and even I indulged myself a little with the resident United supporter at work. I told him I thought our biggest challenge was to pick ourselves up after playing the mighty Dortmund in midweek to face a lowly mid table English side. I suggested this was just the kind of banana skin we needed to avoid before the international break robs us of football.
Being a United fan he of course couldn’t understand my humour but he eventually got it and came out of his office ten minutes later with this snappy comeback: ‘Oi’. We attempted to chat about the upcoming fixture but we have a little history what him usually preferring to parrot the Sky Sports editorial line like he’s supposed to and me trying, as I prefer, to talk about the facts. This time though we kept it civil. I suggested that referee would be the crucial figure on Sunday and he surprised me by agreeing. His experience of following the red half of Manchester for the last thirty odd years has taught him the following piece of wisdom
“When Arsenal are the better team we will kick them, be more physical. If, on the other hand, Fergie thought we were good enough we’d try to play football against you.”
“I can’t see Moyes being any different” I replied “That was certainly Everton’s tactic when he played us at the end of last season”
He didn’t gainsay me and for once we parted on reasonable terms. The sad thing was of course he was grinning, delighted at the prospect of the team he loved waving the white flag and attempting to injure and unlawfully intimidate an excellent footballing team out of the game.
I love that if we go two down in a match we are very likely to lose by at least three goals. Yes, you read that correctly; this pleases me. Why? And why do I mention it in the present context? It’s because we are talking about two things one of which is footballing philosophy. Our philosophy is always try to outplay the opposition. Even if it isn’t working and we are being closed out of the match we never stop trying to pass the ball and play the game in the way it ought to be played. If we are losing by the two goals I mentioned earlier then we will play five up front and gamble everything on getting back into the game despite the obvious space that leaves behind us. That is the right way, that’s the Arsène Wenger way, to keep trying to score, to try to influence the result by remaining positive and true to your principles. Contrast that to the ‘glory’ of Man United who are happy to divest themselves of even the semblance of a footballing philosophy the moment the going gets tough and instead resort the lowest and the most pernicious thuggery seen on a football pitch.
I said just now that we were talking about two things. The other is the way the match is officiated. The only way the illegal and violent tactics employed with varying degrees of success by Ferguson’s sides over the years could ever hope to overcome their more skilful and talented opposition is, put simply, if they were allowed to get away with it. When we won the title up there they were prevented from kicking us for the whole ninety minutes by some firm referring early in the match. On other occasions the officials have behaved with scant disregard for the rules or in feeble capitulation to a bullying manager and a noisome crowd, or of course in a corrupt fashion. We may never know which of these was the most dominant cause of some of the travesties we’ve been forced to endure but as I say with fair, firm and consistent refereeing we should have a proper match on our hands where the teams can find out in a footballing contest who is pre-eminent at this stage of the season. I cannot imagine that with the old manager gone the baleful and inappropriate influence that inhibited officials in the past will still be so prevalent.
I know George doesn’t like Cesc and made some pretty unpleasant comments after the young man gave an interview recently but personally I think he had some very valid points and made them in the careful and articulate way you’d expect from a man brought up under Arsène Wenger’s indulgent tutelage. That’s Cesc I mean not George. On the subject of today’s opposition our former Captain had this to say “Seriously? People thought I’d leave Barcelona to play under that goggle eyed loon Moyes? Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ” Ok, ok so maybe I’m paraphrasing a little. The quote I was looking for was actually this
“Haha!” (see I got that bit right) ” With Manchester there is always talk about a dip … a dip, a dip, the end’s coming, it’s over … and they always end up right up there. You can’t trust them. Ten years ago I arrived in England and for ten years I’ve wondered, for ten years people have said: “Look out, this year Manchester might collapse.” But it never happens. That’s one battle I gave up on long ago. Whenever anyone says to me: “Manchester won’t be the same this year,” I say: “No, no, no, Manchester will be up there for sure.”
Along with the rest of the interview this rings very true. I will never write them off regardless of what happens this afternoon because you can only get stung by the same wasp so many times before you stop thinking it might turn out to be your friend. Personally, I hope we see the same type of Arsenal away performance that undid both Bayern Munich and Dortmund recently but if we have to dig in and battle for a draw then so be it. We will go into the international break in a strong position whatever happens today and when real football returns we can expect to see some reinforcements riding over the hill as the infirmary doors are thrown open and players start to stumble out blinking in the light of day.
If you’re wondering why a piece so hedged around with caveats and careful moderation could appear in a blog called Positively Arsenal, I should reiterate something I mentioned years ago but a few of you may not have read. I last made a public pronouncement of certain victory before a football match in May 1978 and it’s a mistake I have never since repeated. Sometimes the sting goes just a little too deep.
Positively Arsenal 
A good balanced look. Well done Steww. Humility and respect is what we are about. As you know I am an other handed type, and on the other hand, Arsenal spirit is well founded, in that it statistically stems from a record Nov 12 to Nov 13 that would place the team as # 1 in EPL points attained, just, one ahead of Yoo know who. It’s not title winning, but it’s more than an upswing. Somewhere in the zone of consistent and tested trend. So this one represents the next test, but not the decisive one, that’s coming.
However, I think the lads are up for it, have shown that, and that previous encounters at OT have been foiled by as much by a monkey on our backs as by a ref on our backs.
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Cesc always says the right things,not all of which are genuine.
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wonderful piece, Steww,
but how can you have written about manchester united without using the word ‘wankers’ once?
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ZimPaul
Knowing that a crocked ref in running a match totally affects how Arsenal can play.
If Paul Scholes played for anyone else – even stoke- he would have been banned for life from ever playing professional football, the man was the dirtiest, most dangerous and most reckless tackler of other professional footballers I have ever seen in my life.
And I have see Johnny Giles, and Pepe.
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Absolutely spot on steww. It always worries me too when there is too much gung ho confidence amongst the fans, because if things don’t go our way, and we know how fine the margins can be, the backlash is always worse. We should be hopeful of a positive result as the team are going there on the back of a good run of results, the spirit and confidence is high, but there are too many factors outside our control to ‘expect’ anything other than it will be tough and manure’s diving team will use every dirty trick in the book to try to stop us. The players must be on guard against their gamesmanship and hopefully Wenger has prepared them well for what they will face today.
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Aaron Ramsey has scored more goals for Arsenal this season so far than the entire Tottenham team has managed in the League.
…..just saying.
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Another great pre-match post. It is a massive indictment on our game that we are more worried about officiating than our form or how we will approach the game. For the men in control to be consistently inept for so long means they have massively failed the game.
The other big worry today is obviously fatigue with half their team playing on Tuesday as opposed to such a physically and mentally demanding game we played on Wednesday, its almost as if the fixture gurus had deemed it so especially with an even shorter break a after our next CL away game again away in mancland.
For our part all we can do is work hard, stay together and concentrated and keep the tempo high throughout the game that and taking our chances should see us through COYG
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Good piece Steww, sensible caution for the coming battle.
Mostly, the games have been tight with more than a few turning on the mood and inclinations of the officials.
I think the absence of Ferguson, Scholes, Manure’s summer failure to properly reinforce combined with our stability alongside key acquisitions and remarkable form (especially away from home) should see the ref with his work cut out if he is to gift the Mancs anything too untoward.
I’m anticipating the targeting of both Flamini and Arteta and expect to see the full range of the dark arts deployed against them.
But it could all backfire on them this time around, their desperation just a little too obvious, their motives apparent to all. Many eyes will be on Ashley Young who has conspicuously failed to keep his diving powder dry; the cheat’s cause not being helped by the fiasco at Chelsea yesterday and the widespread condemnation of a terrible refereeing performance in that respect.
Whatever will be will be, and we can enjoy the game knowing that whatever happens today we go into the interlull on top of the league.
Good luck everyone and Go Gunners!!
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its simple..the momment Arsene realises that refs are allowing violent play go unpunished he orders his players off the field and back into the dressing room.
we demand to be treated equally and with respect..if not then we wont respect this league or its rules and ivan to get busy with f.a and uefa and lets see how they like their “epl” product getting stained worldwide….
big clubs protect their interests on and off the pitch…..
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Spot on Steww. I wrote on Thursday, in response to The Beck’s piece, I would be the cautious contrarian in response to the pundits flip-flop that we are the best team since slice bread. Add Twitter to the group
After yesterday’s performance by Marriner in unfairly awarding Chelsea a phantom penalty I see how easily we can be derailed by desperate United and their cronies in Mother Riley’s PGMOL. By the way anybody reading Untold Arsenal 2012-13 season review of the referees would be totally unsurprised by Marriner’s pro-Chelsea bias. Similarly today’s ref in our game, Michael Oliver, has demonstrated a clear bias for United and against Arsenal.
Strap your seat belts on!
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Just a little while ago, I almost got hit by by guy on a scooter wearing a manure shirt. He was driving with the mental maturity of a 12 year old. Is that some sort of a sign for today?
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Good News Everybody!
0-1 at WHL so far after 15 minutes.
(This is true, it’s not a fake tweet!!). 🙂
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Hunter
This might be from before your time as a gooner… but here’s one more reason to hate those manc fuckers.
Notice how Brian McClair starts kicking Nigel Winterburn on the ground right in front of the ref.
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Sensational – why were you wearing a manure shirt?
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AA, how could you accuse me of heresy!? Never! I would rather walk naked down the road!
The guy who almost hit me with his scooter was wearing a manure shirt
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Henderson got called up to the England squad after Liverpool’s desperate midfield performance in last weeks game.
Bullshit.
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No penalties at Tottenham, not yet anyway. Obviously they are scoreless.
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Shotta, you beat me to it!
I’m sure AVB has them practicing how to dive on the sidelines.
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Well well well.
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Another Europa Cup hangover from the spuds.
Having to travel back home from some nowheresville third world, burnt-out, medieval hell hole after a Thursday night game.
That’s right – N17.
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Spuddie fans are not to happy with AVB nowadays.
awww bo ho.
let’s put some proper distance into the gap this afternoon.
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Thanks for the podcast PG and Ronan.
I liked the point you were making about Arsene’s ability to adjust the team play with the variety of players we have – and more soon to get some back to full fitness, fingers crossed.
I’m off to get a seat in the pub before the match.
There should be a couple of hundred Gooners coming in today.
Up the Arse!
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Well done Newcastle.
I haven’t bought into the over confident feeling which seems to be gripping a lot of our support after the Dortmund win. We need to crush them and we’re only going to do that if we focus.
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Oh, and Krul is a monster. What a good goalkeeper. He and Vorm will keep Holland in good goalkeepers for at least a decade.
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cant believe another important game and we lose two players just beforehand. however you win things with the whole squad and with per and Rosicky out it gives others a chance a point or more today would give us many positives
COYG
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Come on the Arsenal.
Arsene goes for the double D**M. Flamini and Arteta to start.
As Anicoll wrote, this is the perfect game for the Flame. Flamini can do a Hamsik type operation on Rooneh ( remember Song + one other like Arteta would often take Rooney out of these games ).
Options from the bench that can change the teams balance.
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Oops my bad. Rosicky out? : (
Ah well, a good thing there is some “strength in depth”. Someone, somewhere, had a plan. : )
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Huge game for Vermaelan. C’mon Tommy!
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Come on Arsenal. dig deep.
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So far so good.
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“Mertesacker and Rosicky sent home due to sickness.” just seen this. Terrible terrible news. Two absolutely key players.
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City lose too. We win this and we’re doing really damn good.
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Rosicky is a blow, but this is almost the same team that romped Napoli.
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Per is a hell of a blow. It’s his calm defensive interceptions that have kept the ship steady. Ah well, it is what it is. Fucking hate this fixture, hate it.
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Well. Shucks.
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The players look tired. Can’t see much fault in the conceded goal. We really have to prove our title credentials here, dig deep and come back. We can’t lose to THIS lot. Just no.
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Come on boys! you are better than this! Come on!
ARSENAL!!!!
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just cant believe that
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I think playing Flamini was a mistake by Wenger. He should have yanked him out at half time for Gnabry. We’re still top of the league by two points and this international break couldn’t have come soon enough. Thankfully, every one around us dropped points as well.
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We were so dominant in the second half. So close to equalising. Damn!
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Margins are so thin. Good game, even. The team was flat while neither side had much in the way of clear openings. Honestly, we played under our normal tempo and a draw would have been fair, so the luck of the day went to Yoo. We remain top, some work to do. But times have already changed, and Yoo consider this a big, big victory, that is beating a below par Arsenal side, at home.
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A bit frustrating that we did not get the draw our second half performance probably deserved
We were Uncharacteristically slack in the first 45 and that may be the result of a lot of hard games – second half no complaints
Tommy V was good, Gibbs and Sagna our best players
Formidable performance from Rooney
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The Flamini/Arteta combination lacked balance going forward, especially under high line pressure, until Jack came in and wrestled offensive superiority back, but defensively it worked OK, they got very little traction through the middle. I think AW may have rolled the dice and played for a hard fought draw, and almost got it. It’s OK. Minor set back.
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I don’t think Flamini fits in a team which depends on passing in order to win. I’m sure Arsene had his reasons for playing him, but I wouldn’t like to see him in the team for an important game.
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A minor set back ZP – the correct analysis
If we had been hammered either in the score or if the ManYoo football had swept us away, as it has in the past two seasons, then clearly it would be much more negative
The game was very even – we will play the same or worse and win – we can learn a little from the experience
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Those damned psychological barriers still persist. Need to get over these soon . The old foe is week and we must triumph and move on . We missed Tomas and Sacker today. Not that TV played badly. We just missed those two and our fluency wasn’t there really. We still are
TOP O THE LEAGUE
SAY
TOP O THE LEAGUE.
UP WITH THE GUNNERS!!!!!!
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If we’d had a bit of pace on the wing, we would’ve murdered them. This game came about a week too early for us. We’ll smash them at our place, no doubt about it.
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as much as the match result hurt me, we tried but they were slightly better.
never easy winning 3 very very big games in a period of 7 days.
moving on..
as anicol put it :
“Formidable performance from Rooney”
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I don’t think psychological barriers were the problem today. We made Manure hang on for dear life for most of the game.
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if theres one team among man city, chelsea, totts and man utd that I despise losing to the least it has got to be utd
they are a proper team. i hate losing to them because they have been our main competition for a long time and that’s that.
Rest of the teams, i have something against their very core, soul – basically on a more fundamental level.
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