Isn’t it amazing? Just as West Ham are enjoying one of their highest positions in the league for some time, the natives are restless. It seems they aren’t enjoying their season even though their elevated position would expect a celebration and mini wave every time they take the field. So what is it that has upset the Irons faithful so much? Is it their co-chairman looking like a couple of porn stars? Is it their move to a plastic stadium they just won’t fill? Or is it their manager is so ugly he makes Ian Dowie look like a model on a Nivea advert?
Actually their grumblings, annoyance and frustration is about the style of football they play well who’d have thought it. Surely after the failings of the pretty football of Zola, relegation and a manager dragging them out of a hard division, that consolidation and flirtation with Europe would be an absolute joy, but no. The reason is, apart from the odd spell, their football is shit. Fat Sam is and will always be a practical manager and no matter how hard he tries he will never be able to achieve the prize all long term fans really want and that’s to enjoy the beautiful game.
While the things that glitter may mask the football fans goal for a while and it will certainly appease the plastic fan, the true aspiration for the true fan is the pure joy of football being played well. It is for this reason that the fat Sam’s of the footballing world will never stay in a job long term no matter how well they do. Remember the messiah from the potteries who could do no wrong, even when he tried repeating history and turned football into rugby, you would of thought the troglodytes would of loved him forever but no, even they got bored of him and his dire displays and asked him to leave while they went in search of the ball and the grass staying in closer proximity.
On the other side of the coin an, allegedly, stagnating Crewe held onto their manager for 467 years (actually only 24 but it seemed like it), which by the way is record in the lower divisions. Dario Gradi youth development and beautiful style meant the fans had identity and entertainment and they loved it. They never won the champions league or even the F.A. cup under his tenure but none of their fans would trade him for the practical manager whose face resembles my left bollock.
So where does this involve ARSENAL? Well after learning kammy was interviewing Maureen on sky Sunday morning thingy I immediately switched off, knowing he was going to whinge on about how the refs had it in for him and how his poor little team had never committed a fowl in their lives, I really couldn’t watch the sycophant. However sometime later I heard Maureen had another dig at Arsene. Now I know he never misses an opportunity to have a dig but this was different, knowing the problems Arsene has had with refs in the past Maureen might even be seeking him as an ally. This got me thinking what is his problem with Arsene? I know he has a napoleon complex, I know he will shag his own grandmother if gets him a trophy, I know he doesn’t like Arsene but all this was irrelevant in the context of the programme.
Well Once again like Fat Sam, Pullis and all the other “make the most of what you’ve got” mangers, no matter what riches and facilities put at Maureen’s disposal he cannot match Arsene flair, understanding of the beautiful game and production of such wonderful football. The Coach driver absolutely hates Arsene for this for his egotistical mountain is always in the shade and when he looks up he can only see Arsene skiing with grace and finesse around the style peaks. When he tries to close his eyes at night and dreams about his trophy’s that little voice inside his little head says “yeah but Arsene always produces better football than you”. When you think about all his sleepless nights you can understand his fixation.
Reasons to be cheerful 1,2,3.
arse_or_brain (seebs)
Positively Arsenal 
And long may it continue. Nice one PG.
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P.I.M.P. @PoznanInMyPants · 10h 10 hours ago
United with only 2 defeats in their last 21. And playing OT.
There are those who would have you believe we should be favourites.
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Hah great twist at the end. The kind of ‘winners’ who are motivated from fear of not losing are the definition of insecurity. Wenger hit the bullseye last year. If youre that good you dont need such tactics. But thats the catch..fergie and now mou are the type who prefer to perpetuate the myth of their persona and Keep that vibe going …milk it…a bit like kim cardashian ( now im on a roll i got keep it going…or i might never get on this roll again) . Arsene is clearly above all that cause his ideals and his persona are honest representations…not acting.
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‘Why would I call Jose to discuss facing Bradford? He lost’ Steve Clarke
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So true – trophies are great, but the way in which they are won is also important. I believe the last time moaninho got his marching orders from Roman was due to his turgid style – he wanted them to play more like Arsenal. Jose in his small mind cannot get past this or understand why a manager who has won less than him recently is still revered and respected more by his peers and anyone who appreciates the beauty of football over the pragmatism of winning.
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To my knowledge the Hammers, have always wanted Fat Sam gone and whilst it subsided a bit when he got them back into the Prem, they do not like him. They really hate his brand of football and with the big stadium move looming, the management realise that keeping Fat Sam plus moving from their iconic home ground might just be too much for fans to take. The back room staff changes and dare I say it, Teddy Sheringham have had a lot to do with the West Ham improvements this season.
The ‘no agenda’ press only choose to highlight the small number of dissenting whiny Arsenal ‘fans’ on a regular basis and not the huge numbers at West Ham, Aston Villa(when they had Paul Lambert) & QPR(when they had Redknapp).
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@ Passenal – exactly, despite all that he achieved at Chelsea last time round Arsene Wenger inadvertently got him sacked.
And to top it off, the only reason Maureen got the Real Madrid gig was because they couldn’t tempt AW to take the job for all the tea in China.
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very good interview by Wenger on football focus, Keown the one asking the questions. I thought it showed the kind of man Wenger is and his devotion to the club. The most telling part was the part about wanting to leave the club in a position that means it can keep growing and competing long after Wenger goes.
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Absolute Disgrace @PainInTheArse · 2h 2 hours ago
Wonder if Diaby sits in the Arsenal Medical Room every day and thinks “Well at least Dan Smith broke my ankle instead of spitting on me”
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Excellent AoB – you have described something I have realised in watching football and particularly Arsenal in the past few years.
I don’t subscribe to idea that the game is all about ‘results’, all about ‘trophies’ as every two bob pundit or click fishing media drone constantly repeat.
The game is art, of science, of testing of muscle and brain, every contest a unique performance that should be viewed as such and appreciated for its merits. And Arsene understands his responsibility.
I’m not sure if I always knew it but just could not articulate the notion, or it is football as virtue that I have eventually learned.
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George you’ve printed my real name! I’m gonna blame you for all trouble, arguments and ex girlfriends that manage to catch up with me now.
Think I might change my name to smith, thanks for posting this anyway (banned smiley face)
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I’ve saved your blushes
Or bruises ?
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Cheers A5, I been hiding behind AoB for years don’t want any sprogs turning up from my past
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Ready, Aim, Boom! Straight on the noggin of Maureen and all his sycophants.
Spot on AorB. Arsene is sitting in the pantheon of great managers whose philosophy is to play football to not merely win but to entertain with style. English football is littered with pragmatists hyped by the media as possible rivals to Wenger only to disappear into the garbage pan of football history; Martin Oneill, Souness, Coppell, Steve Clark, Moyes, Lambert, Rednapp, McClaren, Warnock are just a few of recent vintage.
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Good article, Ian.
Keown interviews Wenger:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31779725
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Theo Pires first day at the Arsenal Academy
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Too true Seebs, it’s about entertainment and no team has matched Arsène’s Arsenal ever…..
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Nice one Ian,deep down Maureen knows he’ll never be the man AW IS.
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I feel really sad when I see all these little kids trying to emulate their famous fathers. Fat Frank was better than his dad but his dad was pants – not a challenge really. But for the young Beckhams and Pireses … a lose-lose situation.
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Daily Cannon @DailyCannon · 4h 4 hours ago
Anthony Taylor is generally shit but when Aston villa are involved he goes full diarrhoea.
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——————————
The game is art, of science, of testing of muscle and brain, every contest a unique performance that should be viewed as such and appreciated for its merits. And Arsene understands his responsibility.
I’m not sure if I always knew it but just could not articulate the notion, or it is football as virtue that I have eventually learned.
——————————
Wow! just Wow!
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with the game tommorrow night im getting nervous and exited a day early. The media trotting out the ARSENAL dont win big games and havnt won at OT for years stuff. Keown’s interview with Arsene has set it up perfectly and the team seem to be in good shape to reverse the trend especially with the 16th (or more likely the 17th) of May in mind. Talking of trends am I right in thinking we havnt lost a Monday night game since the days of Dial square or something. In the past we have gone to OT with loads of injuries or Bavarian flu but the squad looks more healthy than it has for years at the moment its looking Positively Arsenal.
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Arsenal Fixture News @AFCFixtureNews · 3h 3 hours ago
Our 3rd Blue kit will be worn for the second and probably the last time in tomorrow’s FA Cup tie away to Manchester United.
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I just watched the interview of the boss by Martin Keown. How can there be any doubt him being the greatest asset of the club as a football-man and as a leader. We will be infinitely poorer when he inevitably retires from our club. Until then, win-lose-draw, I stand four-square behind him.
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Some good stuff about the current dire refereeing standards on arseblog.
The Villa player who faked yesterday should get a 3-game rest.
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FK² @fkhanage · 13h 13 hours ago
LvG: “Finishing in the top four is far more important to Manchester United than winning the FA Cup.”
Oh how they laughed at Arsène Wenger.
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from jeorge bird
Players in training today: David Ospina, Emiliano Martinez, Hector Bellerin, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs, Calum Chambers, Francis Coquelin, Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey, Tomas Rosicky, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott, Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck, Chuba Akpom, Wojciech Szczesny, Nacho Monreal, Stefan O’Connor, Alex Iwobi, Dan Crowley.
Wenger must select 18 of the above players to travel to Manchester, with Ospina, Akpom, O’Connor, Crowley and Iwobi likely to be left at home.
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I’ve just watched that Keown – AW interview and thought it was quite good. Arsene Wenger’s a Gooner.
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Can you imagine the outrage from the usual suspects if Bradford came to the Emirates and earned a nil-all draw? Why is Liverpool treated differently? They spent spent nearly as much money as Arsenal over the summer and are now the bestest club in England for 2015.
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liverpool are media darlings, just as much as man utd are
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@ Shotta, I know what you mean. Ozil is lambasted whilst Coutinho & Henderson are lauded. Liverpool are strangely given an unbelievably easy ride.
Jamie Carragher is more concerned about Arsenal selfies after a win, than Brendan Rogers ‘David Brent-like’ verbal diarrhea, the silent atmosphere at Anfailed or team performances. You have to wonder what they are smoking…..
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David Luiz answering a journalist’s question: “What makes José Mourinho special? He is special for you, not for me.”
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Luis Knows
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hehe….
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That made me like David Luiz a little. I thought I only hated him for being an overrated donkey, but it turns out I hated him much more because he was part of the Chelski farce.
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