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 
lucky goal…that orbit..never again…100 times if he tried….we could and hsould have buried opne or two of sagna’s crosses i thought.. the defeat doesnt cost much ..
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A minor setback is right. Man Utd will know they have sneaked a win against a superior side who weren’t at their best and missing a handful of big players, it will give them some confidence but it won’t have put a dent in ours. And they didn’t expose a weakness in our team that would give hope to other sides that they can beat us with a similar tactic. The pundits will try to make a big deal out of our zonal marking even though we hadn’t conceded from a corner for so long I don’t even remember when the last one was!
The international break comes at a good time for us again as we have two weeks to get over this virus that’s afflicted some players, others will get a good rest after a very taxing week of games, both physically and mentally, and the injured will also be closer to their comebacks.
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Our next 4 league games:
Southampton (H)
Cardiff (A)
Hull (H)
Everton (H)
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This is rather underwhelming. Not the game, but the aftermath. I thought it would hurt worse. Now, don’t get me wrong, I hate losing to ManU just as much as the next guy but I can’t help and put it all in perspective. We lost in a dire game in which we were the marginally better side to a really good header against a side far below us in the table. But somehow, everyone else conspired to lose, too, and we are still comfortably top of the table. Weird, eh? I would’ve called anyone crazy that would’ve told me that I will be all “meh” after a loss to United. View is still fantastic from up here, I have to say.
Just some food for thought: if you could have chosen which game to lose out of either this one or Liverpool, which one would’ve you picked? If you say Liverpool, we wouldn’t be top of the table anymore.
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Third of a trilogy of tough games, four players with flu (including Per)….and the only difference between the Nasties and us was a goal from the cunt. Country mile this season.
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Hurray
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What ‘Coll said.
It always hurts losing there, and that bloody skunk scoring the winner just rubs a little extra salt in the wound. That result papers over their considerable cracks.
Bit lethargic in the 1st half, unsurprisingly after two tough games, but we picked it up second half and thought we deserved at least a point..
Arsene’s options from the bench severely limited at the moment, we really miss Theo and the Podmeister.
At least the sodding International break comes at a good time for once. Results have been kind elsewhere today, everyone is dropping points in unexpected places. Still top of the league. A win was more important for them today, than us.
We’ll bounce right back.
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I agree with Harry
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…and Marty
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The sense of comfort and security those bastards feel from this result is palpable….HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH…….poor fuckers have so very far to fall
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Bit surprised that the Jones boy was not charged with attempted manslaughter after the game…..
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We weren’t lethargic, we were disjointed. As soon as Flamini came off, we kept the ball better and Manure transformed into an expensively assembled Stoke before our very eyes. That’s what frustrates me the most about this loss.
I agree with Frank, had it not been for the flu affecting Per and Mozart, we would have destroyed them.
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there is nothing wrong with flaminni or arteta. both are very good holding midfielders. playing them together especially in the pl is the problem. it put pressure on our defence and also isolate giroud up front. we are the best team in the league, the earlier we know and begin to act accordinly the better for us. we have the best crops of creative players in europe, why play some lesser teams in the league and then decide to limit our strenght by playing two holding players?
from now lets go to any ground and play our attacking football with flamini or arteta while also allowing ramsey who is our best player to play his prefared role. i expect us to win our next ten games without dropping any point if we play to our best.
welcome back walcott and poldi.
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Layksite,just how does playing to holding MF put pressure on the defence?
I agree its one or the other,but I miss your point as to why.
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Nothing wrong with todays set up at all. AW has it right, we were a bit nervous in the first half which is when the disloyal cunt thief liar scored. But after todays game we will never be nervous in that place again. Our players are learning and today they learned that they are better than the Nasties.
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I grown to hate these rivalry fixtures. They just seem to cloud people’s thinking. We want so badly to win, to be able to rub it in their faces, to finally be able to laugh at whatever Manc fan you hate the most. Bragging rights. And there’s so much anger when it doesn’t happen. Folks taking it personally. “Why didn’t they win this for me? How could they have been so sloppy?” Honestly, to me, this was the least important fixture of the three this week. We needed to beat Liverpool at home to stay top of the league. The victory against Dortmund made our qualification out of the CL group less of a mountain to climb. What was at stake here right now? 3 points and bragging rights. Yes, it’s them, and yes we want to beat them. And we could have. Probably should have. But I for one am glad we expended our energy on that midweek game, even if it meant we were a little tired today. To be fair, though, I don’t have to listen to any Manc fans gloat this week, because I don’t know any!!
FWIW, I hate the rivalry games in college football as well. Almost to the point where I don’t want to watch them. They are always the last game of the season, and you could be unbeaten to that point, but lose to your closest rival and people will be after the coach’s head. And it’s all really about being able to lord it over the guy/gal in the next cubicle at the office. (banned smiley)
Positives. We conceded one goal, on a corner. We missed Per a little there, perhaps. But TV5 did well, I thought, and Sagna was massive. Kos and Gibbs good as well. Rooney and Van Judas weren’t able to score from open play. We missed Rosicky, as well. He’s better out wide than Aaron, who was better in the second half when he was moved back to the center. He seemed to be working so hard to curb his instincts – he has to think too much out there. He doesn’t play as freely. And Gnabry? How good was he? I almost wish we’d started him, but I’m not sure how he would have coped with the whole game. Jack looked good when he came on as well. Arteta was his usual solid self. All in all, not bad, to me. Now a break, where some of the players can rest, and hopefully the door to the physio room will indeed spring open and bring us some reinforcements.
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gnabry and jack had a good game today. missed rosicky.
i dont know why we always have many players out whenever we play this devils. if per had played today i am most certain that we wouldnt have conceded from that set piece. he is the brain behind our defence.
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Any charges against Jones would be immediately thrown out on grounds of diminished responsibility Frank
You only have to look at him to recognize the lights may be on but the bungalow is unoccupied
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I agree with alabama, but not about ‘college football’ because I don’t know what it is. But if I did I probably would agree because I usually do.
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my last coment tonight is that i was glad that that traitor jubilated today after his goal so that those who think he is a better person than adebayor will see his true colour. he is a traitor and anybody that stil have any afinity for this guy is not a true gooner.
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I suspect he is being controlled by that mad fucker up in the stands, Anicoll5. One of these days he will spin faster and faster in the middle of the pitch until bits start flying off because the mad fucker is still drinking red wine in the bar and has forgotten to switch him off…
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I agre with AG. A win would have been awesome, but eveyone around us dropped points and Manure is still five points back. Given how poor they have been this season, I am sure we’ll get back to being eight points informs of them before Christmas.
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I agree with Frank and Alabama, and Gains and ‘Coll. And, er, Marty. Oh yes.
There will be an inevitable knee-jerk reaction to this defeat, and tedious over-analysis. All these ridiculous “tests” of Arsenal’s title credentials. Bollocks to all that rubbish. We narrowly lost today. We are badly missing a few key players, is all. I’ve seen enough now to know we have what it takes to bounce right back.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see us go on another long unbeaten run….
Arse.
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Je suis d’accord de Gainsbourg……un millier Gitanes vous, Gainsbourg. Je t’aime.
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george, because we dont get out of our half and thus isolate our front men. you can see it in the first half. we didnt trouble their defence at all but when flamni was replaced by jack, we took control of the game and they had to secrifice that traitor to get hold of the game but to no avail. same thing happened when we played west brom. attack shoud be our best form of defence from now on… till we play barca away in final of champions league.
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Harry’s on fire and that is the way to be about this side. I love this squad.
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we are winning the league no doubt. my prediction is that we wil be ten point on top of the league by january first 2014.
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…and 15 by May
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this defeat cant affect our confidence because they only scored from a set piece. be had more chances to take all three point in the second half. walcot is due back after the break and rosicky too.
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if its ten by jan, it will be eigtheen by may.
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Can anybody remember the last time we played ManU and not even the meanest intellect could describe it as a “must win” game?
Top of the league, 4 points ahead of Chelsea, 5 ahead of ManU and 6 ahead of ManC. You’d have to be very greedy to ask for more.
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one more coment about jones. should have been sent off. he had no chance getting the ball. i remember fergie saying the traitor could have died last season against swans. i wonder what he would have said today. keepers needed to be protected.
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I agree with Frank,Harry & Coll-I always do..I just worry when Frank goes walkabout…
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Hi, Frank! Good to see you. Sorry for the obscure reference. I probably should have called it “American football”. But, I use “college football” to distinguish it from NFL, because those university rivalries are just so much more intense, at least where I’m from. So much so, that a loss is usually blown way out of proportion because of who the opponent is. Especially if there’s a feeling of “this could be the year we finally beat those fuckers.” Kind of like today…
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I’m just home now from watching the match.
No one in our supporters club was in a panic or dooming after the game.
united had 1 lucky chance and took it.
Arsenal played the football for most of the game.
Rooney should have been sent off.
I felt that the earlier results probably gave united a big incentive to get the points today.
The result was unfortunate, but the performance was decent – considering most of the team were flat out on their feet after the Dortmund game.
and which game was more important?
Dortmund by a million miles.
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Vermalen was a bit of a gobshite for over ruling Arteta to take the free kick.
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I just climbed down from my disappointment from losing to the Salfrord scum. They were there for the taking but we we were so nervous in the 1st half which I think is due to the many changes in our set-up without Per and Rozzer; Ramsey on the right and two DMs was just too unsettling. To lose by only one goal and to have them on the run in the 2nd-half shows if we had played to our full potential throughout we would have wiped the smug conceit and self-entitlement off the faces of Van Cunt et al and their legions of plastic fans especially those in the media.
All is not lost. Still top of both big leagues.
Plus Frank is back. We have the talent, the experience and shown our determination. Keep it up and we shall win this by a country mile.
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I agree with Mel and “worry when Frank goes walkabout…”
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I’ve been out and about today so did not see the match, but was gutted to see the result. Doesn’t surprise me that it was van judas who made the difference today. But I agree with everyone, as much as it’s a disappointment, it’s not the end of the world. We’re still top and for once the International break comes at a good time so the players can take a little mental and physical break and we can re-group after and start another long run with some reinforcements back in the camp.
Welcome back Frank, we’ve missed you.
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on any particular decision he was unhappy with…
I don’t want to talk too much about that. I need to buy some Christmas presents and all these statements cost too much money now.
genius 🙂
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We have played 3 of the 5 so called rivals for the league so far,
we play the other two in December.
If we hold our own and don’t slip back too much we can make up plenty of points from the weaker teams.
a home win over OM will relief some pressure too.
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*relieve
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That is very kind of you, Passenal. The corporeal me, I hesitate to use the term carnal these days, has been ever present at games. The digital me has wilted a trifle I must admit and I jolly well mean to do something about it. Thankfully whilst I am sorting myself out the squad is really beginning to deliver. We really are on the brink of something very special, are we not?
Today’s performance had many more positives than some realise.
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Hey, Frankie….
I hope the boys know they coud have beat the Mancs and come back roaring after the international blips.
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Yoo are in a fragile place, and I sense they know it. Apart from relying heavily on muscle to carve chances, the team hinges on the form of Rooney and van Persie. I was impressed with Smalling too, exceptional young player. Yoo does not have a confidence or form problem, they have a problem of a shallow team.
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i’m calm a bit this morning.
we are stil top of the league and have played three of the five rivals. won two and lost one, six points. manure have played four, lost two, drew one and won one, four points. chelsea played three, won one and drew two, four points. city won one lost the other, three points. spuds drew one and lost the other, one points. liverpool have three points from two games. we have the best results.
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@Harry November 10, 2013 at 9:00 pm
I did not watch the match. But Harry, your comments are medicine for me…..I agree with you. We will go on another unbeaten run and we will get some reinforcements back…it can only get better….
I’m off to Greece on business….I’ll try to call in on the way otherwise back on Wednesday…
In my absence please all behave….
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We are top of the league say we are top of the league….
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I was going to post that quote as well Arshavin23 – Arsene has a very dry sense of humour!
I will be supporting France for their qualifier, if they make it Sagna and Giroud will come back on a high. The alternative doesn’t bear thinking about.
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‘The EPL will go to the wire this season’ says David Moyes……yeah he wishes!
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