I was delighted when Arsene Wenger took the trouble to write me an email yesterday about the win over Wigan, the remaining Premier League fixtures and the battle for fourth place. He ended by saying: “We have been in this situation before and I think we have the focus, the quality, the spirit and the desire to achieve what we want.” It seemed somehow typical of him to take time out of his busy schedule to find such reassuring words for me, and it all contributed to the rosy glow that had enfolded me ever since Santi slotted that final penalty late on Saturday afternoon. However, his sentiments didn’t seem to have such a positive effect on Le Grove’s apostles, who were positively apoplectic this morning about the situation that The Arsenal find themselves in: indeed, the manager was openly mocked for his letter, and I guess the sad thing is that he always will be now by certain sections of the fan base, no matter what he achieves between now and whenever he decides it’s time to call it a day. What I did find interesting was the scorn that was poured on the Untold lot, and in particular the link made between those who support Arsene Wenger and those who hold any kind of religious faith: both positions were laughed loudly out of court as being quite ridiculous, it somehow not quite occurring that it was they themselves that had made the comparison.
But strangely their leaps of logic made me think of the following lines from Melville’s Moby Dick (and I wish I was mature enough not to find that funny).
“There, then, he sat, the sign and symbol of a man without faith, hopelessly holding up hope in the midst of despair.”
If, as I suspect, we have all felt like like that from time to time in our Arsenal journey, then how much more must the manager have felt like it in the aftermath of crushing defeats and unwanted embarrassments. But what else is there to do when all seems lost? You can’t just give up, so you might as well light your lantern and provide something for the crew to fix their gaze on in the hope that things might somehow seem better in the morning. However, right now I don’t find the Manager’s words at all empty: we are in a good position and are very far from despair – we have been here before, and if anyone doubted the spirit and desire then they should have had all doubts removed by the Wembley performance. There seems to be a common perception that 120 minutes and penalties will have left us spent, exhausted and not at all ready to take on West Ham. But the bookies don’t think that: we are 4/9 to beat them with as big as 7/2 the draw and any price you like on a real hammer blow to our Champion League credentials. And you can bet the manager and players don’t, and nor do I. I reckon that the burden of expectation pre-Wigan has been pretty intense for the team, and that has now been gloriously lifted. Expect to see us quick out of the blocks this evening, with Podolski, Rosicky and Giroud all particularly keen to stake their Cup Final claims. Jenkinson too, and Gibbs will provide fresh legs, while Kalstrom may also play, which will be interesting. I expect we won’t see quite see so much of Ramsey, Oxlade, Santi and Sanogo (my new favourite player), but they will be waiting in the wings, and I also expect that the manager will make at least one tactical decision that will surprise us all a little bit. For the first time for quite some time I am really looking forward to the game, and although I am sad that the Box Office wouldn’t let me purchase two tickets for it last week (you’re only a Red Member, Sir: more than my job’s worth to let you buy both), I shall be very much there, right in front of the TV, ready to do serious battle with anyone who says that this is a poor squad managed by a man who no longer knows what he is doing. I don’t need to believe in him: the stadium we are playing in is proof enough of his genius.
Once again this post was brought to us by @foreverheady .
Positively Arsenal 
Great positive read and just what we need before another of the seasons “TESTS “. I see a lot of doomer gooners saying how unfair and inept FFP is and some even saying the ARSENAL way is the right way to go, which is quite amazing and means their arguments are even more disjointed than I thought.
The world and his red and white wife is clamouring for KK to make his start tonight although I actually think he might be better employed coming on to pull the team tempo up if fatigue sets in in the second half.
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The Groaners have been using that poor argument for years now. It led to the invention of the unsuccessful critque “it’s Arsenal FC not Arsene FC” which followed on from their long long use of the term AKB to attack anyone who didn’t want the manager out (& Usmanov in…). To date I have yet to discuss football with someone who has described themselves as an “AKB”. Not one.
“Arsenal is a local club for local people” – The League of Extraordinary Football Fans
What I have seen on the internet (and now reports from Wembley?) is people being attacked for not being local fans, for years. When I first commented on an Arsenal blog I gave myself the name “finsbury” because I did not want to waste my time chatting Footy with idiots, who would? That was about six years ago.
“Arsene knows best” was an endearing self deprecating joke used by Arsenal fans, I have never seen anyone preaching this and I have never met or heard of anyone who took this phrase to be a mantra. The notion that there has been an army of Arsenal fans who believe that their manager is incapable of making mistakes when all as in all managers make mistakes (probably in every game!) is so immature and unsubstantiated and so stupid that ultimately this petty logic only reflects upon those who choose to use it.
Truth is that the term AKB has been used to create an artificial debate in order for some fans to insult and attack their fellow fans who did not belive that their manager was a senile Scrooge hoarding his Wonga beneath the lonely Mt.Doom,
What better way to try and cover your own stupidity and bigotry (attacks on foreign fans, lots and lots of examples and evidence of jingoistic gibberish) then by accusing others of your own failings?
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Corr. minus reports from Wembley – That’s just fans fighting. Which was nice:
My new neighbour is from Wigan. She went to the game with family whilst I was busy with family. She told me she met some Arsenal fans on the way to the match who wanted to lose the game. We both shook our heads at such a sorry state of mind. Idiocy of the highest order.
Anyone who attempts to denty the negative impact of this ignorant negativity, over years now, is doing themselves a disservice.
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Looking forward to the Football tonight.
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FINSBURY
BOOM to that. PG , you pilferer you, pilfer that….
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A classic example of the above was, of course, the cultured critiques of our terrorising fellow fan from Somalia (via Panathinaikos): Hunter13!
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hehe finsbury..ive spent the last week or so in legrove as eyemsick winding people up..they cross ther finger hoping illdie in my sleep 🙂
love it!!!
and once they ran out of arguements they started the yogi routine….”when did you start supporting arsenal?” LOL….when we were shit full of alcoholics going for the 1-0 i told them…they went ballistic.
the best thing you can do to these toothless fat old fooligans is to laugh at their ideas of arsenal greatness which to them is the gg era…they think arsenal was brasil back then….ajax…
its basically the unwanted scum of society getting access to computers….morgan’s orphans
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Foolish fishpond fans who know so little about football, never mind the whole river of its possibilities. It’s not restricted to Arsenal, although a sub-class of our village idiot fans have embarrassed the club for years now. Simple facts. This time I will stick my neck out. Wigan was another watershed, like Bayern last season. I have my reasons.
And West Ham, always a tricky prospect, moreso under Fat Sam and his “tactics”.
Should be interesting, but I think the team is up for just about anything now.
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I use the term village idiots advisedly. It’s an accurate way of putting it. We have ours.
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Sanogo has shown me quite a few times why Wenger got so damn excited. Not sure anyone caught that “turn and shoot” towards the roof of the net, and such a great save by the keeper. Thing is, it was one fluid movement, absolutely instinctive. Kapow!
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C/F
stuart1979
hunter13,
re your comment discussing targets. People often assume Man U have 1st in league as target however I have a copy of one of the Man U annual reports at home and it clearly states the target is 3rd in the league.
Any sensible business would set three sets of targets; Best, Desired, Essential. On this basis, I’d imagine Best to be League and all other trophies, Desired to be League plus one other trophy, Essential to be qualification to Champions League.
So overall, as people keep reminding me, top 4 is ‘a’ target, however I need to remind them it is not THE target.
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Fine piece Tim – I admit I look at Le Grove occasionally – say three times in the year – that you have the stomach for it on any regular basis is to your credit
I fully expect our lads to go out and give it their all tonight – win lose or draw they are still my team – fuck the opposition
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Eurgh!!! Le Grove.
OK, I admit, I used to visit there on occasion. Usually when I was feeling a bit down or if things didn’t seem to be going right for me. It always reminded that my life could be as meaningless as theirs which somehow cheered me up 🙂
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Thanks for carrying that comment forward PG.
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Slow start – clicked into gear nicely 20 minutes, good phase of passing and opening up the Ammers – OG a bit wasteful – goal for the visitors out of the blue, roared back
Good game – plenty more to come
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What a GOAL!
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Oh my boys! I love you all. Let the media and doomers keep underestimating this team. We are on the up I say.
COYG!
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Great win. I wish they had scored one more to cut the goal difference with Everton. Fourth is ours.
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Well a great result. I thought the Hammers would really give us a hard time after their good performance against the Scousers. We improved enormously as the game progressed. No where near our best but pleasing enough and good enough to get the job done.
Now, if I’m not mistaken we can expect Özil back, maybe this weekend? Things are looking better for the run in….I shall sleep well tonight
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what a great fucking night…..KALLSTROM …..quality….. second half we bossed it big time..lukas & olivier ..very strong….took dad to the game tonight..he took me in highbury as a toddler and i took him to emirates …one arsene wenger…freezing though…. fuck martinez, liverpool. mourinho and the whole of manchester
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I was really happy with Kallstrom. However, the main man of the night was Santi. What a spectacular player he is.
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Can’t promise that my post match review will be as good or interesting as Passenal’s will be!
–
Just back from ths match. A similar game to last season’s visit for Biggus Sammus’ team. Arsenal didn’t quite have the energy when they upped the tempo to score four in fifteen odd minutes following the semi-final and extra-time but I’ll take three goals of that quality. Very nice.
Vermaelan looking back to his pre-injury form? Admittedly the low spending Liverpool’s rejects Carroll & Downing were awful, but then they always were.
We had better not remind the malcontents that Liverpool took an easy 20-25M loss on those two as a contribution to K.ing Kenny’s retirement fund. Don’t want to ruin fashionable sado-masochistic memes Nor should we remind the Redzone horse manure and placenta experts that Chambo was rested, they were probably too busy shitting gr*t whilst groaning at him being on the bench.
Was hoping to see some Akpom (he’s quick!) but Vengaaaaar, he never listens to me *sniffles*. And clearly the much maligned physios are more protective in recent times in light of the (undeniable) kicking the Arsenal eighteen year olds recieve, as evidenced with their management of Chambo (when still a teenager), Gnabry and now Akpom (I think he’ll make it – IBSF).
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Hunter @ 3.36 p.m.
I would question the wisdom of reading such Groans when the weather is so beautiful, but then I remembered that you do come from Greece (via Mogadishu – according to the completely unbigoted experts…).
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That was great. It looked as if it took us about 20 minutes to work out who was playing and where, but we most certainly warmed to the task. Thought it was interesting how the players were increasingly happy to give Kallstrom the ball, and by the end he’d had a very solid game. It was lovely to see the confidence begin to flow again, and I think it will be a happy bunch who next meet up on the training ground.
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lol fins theyve just banned me…ahahhaha ..cant take it …they cant take it …oh no they cunt …
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Just back from the game – only got time for a quick post as I have an early start tomorrow. So where shall I start? On my way to the game it was pleasing to overhear a couple of different conversations that were not the usual complaining and what the manager should be doing, which players are shit etc! There was actual discussion about the impact of the missing players and positive comments about believing that the team could still make fourth place. I thought, what a good start. Then I got to the ground it seemed very quiet before kick off and there were lots of empty seats, which was disappointing, but given this was a rearranged game from the weekend it could just be down to that and nothing more. And then it started – 2 idiots behind and a couple beside me with the non stop inane commentary and critique, telling the players where to pass the ball and trotting out every lazy cliche of the punditry. I wanted to scream and in the end I had to say something to the pair beside me. If I wanted to listen to that inane chatter I would have been watching the game at home. Fortunately I didn’t get my lights punched out and the remainder of the game was a much more pleasurable experience.
As others have said, Kallstrom did a good job – you could see the lack of familiarity with his team mates in the early exchanges, but that improved as the game wore on. I liked the way he seemed to take the game by the scruff of the neck after the whammers goal and his shot on target seemed to galvanise the troops and I felt it opened the door to the equalizer. 3 good goals followed as well as some generally good play. It was also really noticeable what we’ve been missing in Ramsey’s absence – he brought a real energy and commitment in his play when he came on. What an extraordinary talent he is. Just back from a 4 month lay off and having played almost 120 minutes on Saturday. If Ozil comes back with the same level and they can pick up their partnership where it left off, we’re in for a treat for the last few games of the season, come what may.
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Tonight’s result was a triumph of spirit and endeavour.
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Huzzar! Sir Huzzar!
PA, the last redoubt, the last battery of guns.
We ain’t running and we ain’t hiding.
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sagna!!!
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excellent performance after a slow start, to go a goal down to a physical team with such a good defensive record( when they’ve had defenders fit) and come back to such a comprehensive victory was brilliant. We are still slow on the counter and the quick one touch passing is not fully restored however hopefully that is coming back along with our players.
It was disappointing to see the pundits, during and after the game concentrate of an incident that in the end had no baring on the game. As wh scored first the non-penalty was insignificant and bared no relevance to the rest of the action.
I go to football not to see what refs do or don’t do but to see the brilliance of the likes of Santi, Poldolski, Giroud and Ramsey and real pundits would have enough to talk about with the three fantastic goals alone. unfortunately some ” experts” are bogged down in the analysis and forget about the joy which brought us all to the beautiful game in the first place.
Whatever happened to the indirect free-kick inside the area surely that would dissuade the divers who have little chance of a shot on goal.
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Morning Positivistas and the beautiful Spring day matches my footballing mood today. For few minutes last night of the second half we were back to that free flowing handbrake off football of the Autumn as the allegedly robust Ammer defence was getting pulled all over the place before finally shattering.
A pleasure to behold
If anyone listened to it I thought Jim Van Wijk was good on ClockEnd with Adrian Clarke this week- admirably sensible and fending off the occasional Groaner who called to moan about the Wigan result. If you have a spare 55 minutes the pod is worth a listen.
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Here in the Americas, watched the game late in the night on my DVR without the benefit of knowing the results beforehand. Avoided Twitter and NewsNow like the plague. It is indescribable the pleasure one gets to see our boys play with spirit and commitment and get a positive result. Special kudos to Giroud, Arteta and Cazorla who were the recent targets of the groaners and doomers. The cream always rises to the top.
One cannot help but recognize the importance of that 20 minute cameo by Ramsey, proof positive of the negative impact of his loss to the team for 3.5 months due to injury. What an amazing talent! Add to that the loss of Theo and Ozil.
Yet I had to live through tv pundits scraping for the usual cliches about lack of a center-forward, lack of leaders etc as the cause for our recent slump. The thing that strikes me is how useless are their prescriptions for success unless you have infinite resources like the oilers of the world.
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While everyone is marveling at Giroud’s ball control and finish, I wish they’d talk more about that peach of a pass by Tommy Vermaelen. How often does one see a forty something yard pass delivered right on the button between the keeper and the last defender? Come on. That was insane.
As far as Kallstrom is concerned, I thought he did fantastic for only having played a few minutes prior to this game. He helped Arteta control the tempo and I felt he communicated well with the players in front of him. I would not mind it all if he were kept around for next season.
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I think that was KKs first full game since November? He was ‘up fer it’! I don’t think Big Sam liked him, hehe.
TV5 has always been good at those cross field passes. There’ve been one or two to Walcott *sniffs* and I hope to see more in the future!
I read an astounding comment from an Expert journalist and professional Arsenal fan, you know the type, desperate to maintain a career and hanging on to any podcast they can worm themselves onto. Anyway, the comment was on AW playing 442 or his reluctance to play 442 of late. What this means then is that this journalist and professional football fan is incapable of seeing the actual football in front of them. Mad, but true. They really should take off the Google Arseglasses. Walcott in the last sixteen odd months has changed his role slightly – a lot more wanderlust, mixing it up in the centre happily leaving Sagna on his todd for most of the game – he has been playing as a roaming forward coming off the right, in the simplest terms modern inside forward. Definitely not a Winger! If I can see it then these idiots have no excuse. But then if they believe in spite of the above that “AW doesn’t do tactics”, a cunning line to replace the equally idiotic “AW doesn’t spend” mantra, well, what can you say: they are idiots. This kind of attention seeking career salvaging hack is a cut above the local village idiot.
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In case the above wasn’t clear:
The Arsenal 433 often over the long long years tends to have one wide attacker who joins the CF and one who plays, well, a little like Carzola, Arshavin, Nasri etc… With the AM (F-Word in his last two seasons, now Özil) alternating with the more attacking forward in supporting the striker. There are variations made, those that my feeble mind can spot, sometimes from game to game (don’t tell the Experts, it’s a secret!). And of course injuries, lesser niggles and rotations which affect who is on the pitch and therefore the ‘tactics’.
By my understanding, which could be complete gibberish, in this squad we have Plodders and Walcott who in different ways play that more direct wide forward role, which allows the team to morph their shape from 433 to 422 to 4411, something like that – unlike the hacky slappers and Experts I can’t even pretend to know what goes on at that level. But we can have an understanding why when both have been fully fit (not that often!) one has tended to start over the other – beginning of last season before his injury niggles Plodders was getting the starts over Walcott.
Now, where did I put those Arseglasses…
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Fins @ 12:42pm
Most of these hacks are just “….a cut above the local village idiot.”
Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe included.
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In the Fenerbache games, before injuries took their tolls, Walcott and Podolski both started in the Home game (I think) and what was interesting was seeing Plodders swap with the AM Carzola at times exactly as AW described in the press conference last night – a nice pass dinked past the defence looking for Walcott and finding Ramsey to score (against Fener).
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Shotta, discussing the games with friends and opposing fans is much more interesting and fun then listening to these drones.
E.g. Last night the West Ham fan we chaperoned to the game amidst the Arsenal support proved to be very useful.
0-1: W.H. fan “Don’t worry Arsenal will still win, have you seen your recent record against us?”
1-1: W.H. fan “Do you want a cup of tea for HT?”. Have to say I enjoyed the singing between the supporters at that moment. Good atmosphere, cheeky jokes, it’s what we all love to see or hear. People having fun at the football, imagine that! Perhaps the West Ham fans should have held on for a bit before singing “Are you Tottenham in disguise”.
2-1: W.H. fan “Told you. This game is over now. We never win after going a goal up against Arsenal…”. I had tired to reassure him earlier in spite of recent results between the two teams that the game was still a contest but then OG pulled off some skill that the thirty million pound man Carroll can only dream of.
1-3: Me “To be fair it’s taken three really good goals to beat your defence.”
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A diplomat as well as a scholar Fins – a formidable combination
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finsbury at 1:39 pm
Great post Fins. Both my brothers are hammers. F**k knows how and why they chose WHU….I don’t get that kind of chit chat from them….
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Not too smart at the diplomacy part.
The Cockney chappie wasn’t happy when I asked him what he thought of ‘appy ‘arry’s cartel fleecing the club for their golden generation – I failed to make clear the comparison with the petro-clubs poaching half an Arsenal squad, no need to even mention the F-Word (Fortunately we had AW to rebuild!).
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Hunter , some literary genius has sent you a message N5 is his handle
“Hunter, no one ran out of argument, you just acted like a deluded idiot! you spent night after night after night doing it. What kind of person behaves like that? who has the time?
Enjoy your blog boys and you keep calling us Grovers pond life or whatever other insults you want, but remember Pedro’s blog gets more hits then you in a year, per day for a reason!!
Makes you sick doesn’t it, that Arsenal’s scum of society fans, piss all over your high and mighty sycophantic Wenger lovers with loyalty,
I still hope you die as well eyemsick, because you seriously are the saddest prick I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet online! weeks of trolling only to find you bragging about it on this shit hole site. LOL wanker.”
You seem to have irked the poor little lamb
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heh fins…i gave up on trying to comprehend wenger’;s formation as far back as in the second half against barca when he took pep to the cleaners ..still havent figured out what we played then…. true what you say about the non wingers and left /right inside forwards…..hence why i suspect he goes with two holding mids at times? to cover the fullbacks?….. cant be sure…
george…you can see the boy is suffering and desperate for more… 😉 …funny thing is he snithced me to pedro cause he couldnt cope and then pretends the hardcore supporter telling me to meet him for a “pint”..ahahahah fucking loser…
as for his comment abotupedro gettignmore clicks…ahahahahah remember what we were saying about fans/blogs and egos..how are they different to neil ashton …lol..them morgans and durhams orphans
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Well its nice to see you have been going out and making new friends Hunter
Remember to play nicely though and dont be rough
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Weeks of trolling on LeGrove? hahahaha. That made my day. Hunter, my respect and liking for you just went up several notches.
I think N5 is a very disappointed fellow now after he found out who eyemsick is. He thought he found a best friend only to realise he had been had.
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i play as rough as they play only i dont cry and go snitching….
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anyway just pathetic waste of time really…only good for the momentarily laughs when you know you got them squirming…besides that not much value ….football or cultural or anything….
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as has been said manytimes before…….. these creatures have made up their minds ages ago and are suffering when we win, yet they call themselves fans of arsenal. after that they think their opinion is law and can not be challenged..if you dare challenge their opinion youre a deluded akb bastard….lol…on one hand they will claim democratic rights to piss on wenger and arsenal but when you do the same to them they turn into fascists……their brain needs an enema
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The funny thing is that it is well known, and proven, that people from the Groaning blog have been trolling multiple Arsenal blogs for years. Often posting under the same multiple I.P. address’, as said above this has been proven. And obviously this oonly encourages further idiots out of the online swamp. So much so that even the Arseblogger himself has come to the same conclusion many of us here came to years ago: Enough Is Enough (IBSF!!!!) – the Angry Man skit from last week on his show was very funny, and true. Possibly Arseblog’s finest comic sketch to date. Took his time but now he’s acknowledged how disingenuous these Groaners are I can’t imagine he’ll let such easy material out of his sights.
“Everything is sh*t.”
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” gets more hits then you in a year, per day for a reason!!”
shit attracts flies ?
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