I feel, even more than is usual after an international break, like something small and furry testing the warming air with twitching whiskers after a particularly inhospitable winter. That is not to say that the pointless, tedious, and above all dire international matches were any worse than usual. On the contrary they were every bit as third rate as they always are and on the few occasions I attempted to pass a little time watching one I ended up switching off long before the half time oranges were sliced. The reason this past fortnight has limped along on leaden feet has as much to do with a stinking head cold as the lack of any palliative Arsenal action, but as I sniffed and coughed and crunched paracetamol there was another thorn thrust deep into my abdominal external oblique. The moronic drone of the transfer tattle started up almost the moment the real football stopped.
I won’t dignify any of the baseless gibberish by discussing it here. Suffice to say I was appalled by the way some of my twitter contacts and fellow Positively Arsenal regulars joined in with the nonsense. Is not the ruination of every summer enough for you people? Why pollute decent conversation by stooping to this level? Why debase yourself by giving credence to the wholly mischievous, entirely invented tales of what is going to transpire once the season is ended? Even if you only join in to say I shan’t hate player x until he actually leaves, or I’ll support player y as long as he wears the shirt, that is still a step too far. Can’t you see the reasons behind the fantasy transfer speculation? Isn’t it so blatantly obvious to you? This is another attempt to distract from the real battles being fought on the pitch, to turn supporters away from the excitement of the seasons end and the team’s tilt at glory. This is another weapon in the armoury of those who despise our club which they use to divide and rule, to separate us from the players and cause us either to cast longing glances at those wearing the colours of other teams or worse to plant seeds of doubt against the loyalty of our own. I despise those who propagate this filth and despair of every one of you who enters into such a devil’s bargain with them.
Now, I trust that issue has been put to bed once and for all, so let us glance forward towards today’s fixture. Not too far forward as it happens given that we face the mixed blessing of a lunchtime kick off. I say mixed because while I know many people are superstitious of these games they do come with certain fringe benefits. For one thing, should we win we get to lay down a marker and say to the rest of the teams in the scrap there’s the bar now see if you can jump it. Better to have the result in the bag than to go into our game under pressure from an earlier scoreline. The other advantage is that we get the rest of the weekend off. A late Sunday afternoon kick off would leave us pacing up and down, distracted from Friday evening onwards, unable to concentrate, preoccupied, distant from family and friends. Once this early kick off is out of the way we can actually function like normal human beings and pay full attention to our partners on that all important trip to B&Q.
The question is, will we be whistling through the grass seed or scowling in the screwdrivers? I am shy of making predictions, they seem a little pointless and I’m patient enough to wait and allow events to unfold but I’m quite happy to share a couple of wild guesses. I’m guessing for instance that Liverpool, although desperate not to lose will not set out to defend against us. Under Brendan Rodgers they have often displayed a proactive, gung-ho approach and have, on a notable occasion not that long ago, profited from coming at us, guns blazing, straight out of the blocks. I think they’ll treat today as a cup final, an all or nothing, caution to the wind affair. If so it’ll be a hell of a game.
I alluded to last season’s encounter at Anfield in the previous paragraph and while we’re on that subject I’d like to set straight another piece of wayward thinking. There have been a number of people suggesting that today is about revenge for the home team. That in some way we have an unpaid bill hanging over us from last year and this game will be the time of reckoning. Strange how distorted and fickle memory can be, the tricks it can play. How exactly did we come up short against Liverpool last season, pray tell? Unless I have been misinformed we beat them at the Emirates, they beat us at Anfield which by any calculation would have left us even-stevens. At least it would have had we not then also taken their little ball from the sack for the sixth round of the FA Cup. I make that played three won two. We don’t owe anybody anything.
The simple fact is that until their last match they were the in form team in the premier league, now they are joint second with Man United, and our record over the last six matches is better than anybody else’s. The other interesting statistic is that they have the best away form over the last six and we have the best home form. It is set up to be a real humdinger. Two teams that love to attack both needing a win, both with one eye on an FA Cup semi final and both wondering if this might be the dress rehearsal for their fourth climactic Wembley meeting in that venerable competition. I think that on their day they keep the ball and move it around as well as anyone and I think that on our day we do too. It could be a game of tight margins. Which players are best able to shake off the dust from the dreaded international death march, which side benefits from the hapless and often surreal decisions of one of the most raggedly unpredictable referees ever to blight the game. I just hope that for once the side playing the best football, and creating the most chances comes out on top and whatever the result today I hope that Man United lose their remaining fixtures so that both sides can finish in the top four.
Reading back over my opening remarks I wonder if the influenza which has so cruelly afflicted my already weak and ageing mind might have made me a little more grumpy than is usually the case. Of course if you wish to to be led by the nose by scurrilous journalists and do as they tell you rather than have your own thoughts and ideas then by all means talk about prospective transfers, it is, after all, a free country. I don’t need to read it and I don’t need to join in, do I? So I apologise unreservedly if my remarks have offended those of you who think media inventions, gossip and lies are so worthy of discussion. Now where is the Vicks, and more to the point who’s going to rub some onto my chest?
Positively Arsenal 
Lesson from Burnley v Toottenham:There is a reason why Spurs is 6th and the need to hype Kane to high heavens. They are not very good. They may raise their game when playing a big team but inevitably revert to the mean.
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A great opportunity for Burnley to collect maximum points against a sluggish Spuds – The visitors centre backs have no confidence and Vokes and Ings have their measure.
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Pity Walker has gone off – he always has a big error on his locker
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St Kevin’s Boys Academy Cup Final – U13 age group – has gone to penalties after it finished Arsenal 0-0 Deportivo La Coruna
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Deportivo won the shoot out
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I see some of the silly AAA complaining about the Poll results that show 75% of Gooners support Wenger staying as AFC manager.
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Sam @samuelJayC · 42m 42 minutes ago
Szczesny; Debuchy Gabriel Chambers Gibbs; Arteta; Walcott Rosický Wilshere Chamberlain; Welbeck – XI didn’t start yesterday. Decent depth.
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9 points behind us and an unbridegeable goal difference adding a further point, with seven games to go.
And for you Pochettino, same tune, same words, same last act.
Probably a little early for St Totteringham but I shall be pencilling in the date soon.
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anicoll but there was a power shift in North London only ten games ago
four wins from seven for minimum of 4th spot for Arsenal.
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Yes we have seen another coming of the new messiah from the lads down the road and just like his predecessors he looks like coming up short. Maybe he has just one season left before he too has to walk down the lonely lane who knows. Will Lewis finally push Levi, will the spuds like Milton Keynes so much that they stay there? Will Lewis be finally able to sell this wretched weight around his neck and will the new owners change their name to Milton hotspuds? Who knows but lets hope the next editions from our neighbours are just as entertaining…..for us.
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Those loud mouth anti-Arsene extremists on ArsenalFanTV are so typical of what happens in civil society. Given free reign, chancers like Piers Mogan and power-seekers like Usmanov would simply blow up the club for their own selfish goals. They are doing that to so many countries worldwide. Thank heavens they are feeble minority who make more noise than sense.
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A quick survey of Twitter this morning was to be greeted by a sea of bloggers who up to a few weeks ago were as dead as door nails bemoaning our chances of even making the top-4. Unlike PA, they were swimming in a media induced tide of negativity; Ozil was a failed signing, Giroud was far from being world class, Wenger was past his sell-by date, etc. Confessing their pre-game fear of losing to Liverpool, post game they are over the moon, all prior narrow narratives are flipped 180 degrees.
I don’t know about you guys, but their new found triumphalism leaves me very nervous. They will be expecting us to go to Burnley next Saturday and tonk them 6:0. Counseling them that football doesn’t work like this is literally going against the tide. Burnley at home will be up for it. They need points to survive the drop. Drawing with the Spuds would have done their confidence no end of good. The last thing Arsenal can afford is to turn up complacent and over confident. I hope PA will be a voice of caution as the usual suspects compete to be the best supporter and advocate of an Arsenal victory.
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Plenty of spuds nutters demanding the head of Pottchetino after their recent slump
The usual spineless response from the eternally disappointed – I wonder if they will ever wake up to what Levy has done to their club ?
Looking forward to Sherwood’s return to the Lane next week though – he will want to stick it right up his former employers.
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In order for us to have a realistic chance at the league, QPR has to take at least a point against Chelsea next week-end. Costa’s hamstring can very well be Jose’s undoing. Let’s see. We also have one of the easiest run ins among the top four, which puts us downwind for a few weeks in a row. As long as there are points to be won, we shouldn’t give up hope.
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At least there is no danger now of FC Gazprom winning the title at our ground, that’s all we asked for a few months ago.
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What’s going to happen during the spuds forthcoming decade of austerity whilst they build their over sized stadium, Andrew?
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Levy is getting Eriksen ready for the shop window in the Summer and Kane will be next to fund the great Tottingham Stadium disaster as it is/will be known.
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Gruesome is not a word I often use in relation to a game of football. The battle at the SoL is however gruesome.
Like to fat drunks wrestling in a barrel of lard.
Hypnotic
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That accurately describes a night out in the north east, Anicoll.
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No club in England would take Kane off Tottenham’s hands at the asking price they want., plus he’s nowhere near continental standard of technical ability.
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I have two words to defeat that argument DC
Andy
Carroll
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No when it comes to ‘goalscorers’ the sanity of value departs
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re: Kane the savior – I’ve got to agree with Andy Nic. Some fool club, thinking they can milk the patriotic fervor more than his footballing ability, will pay handsomely for Harry. It won’t be Arsenal though. It is going to be fun watching Spurs sell down to the last of the family silver to fund their stadium project. Pochettino is a good manager but he is no Arsene Wenger, at least not yet.
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Pooch won’t be given a second chance.
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Mega ego on AFTV. What sad boy. He cannot accept perspective, even after a stunning victory. He only knows whether he was overjoyed watching the lads score four spectacular goals. I guess he was annoyed because this makes his Wenger out hopes difficult. What a TWAT!
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There are too many morons prepared to speak publically
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I’m troubleshooting an issue with wordpress
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i would say that the lad on Arsenal Fan Tv with the “enough is enough” t shirt on only wore it with the full expectation that Arsenal would lose to Liverpool and he could spout his AAA agenda, does anyone really think that he would wear that t shirt for a home game against one of the lesser sides like sunderland, he will probably wear it for the Chelsea game in a couple of weeks.
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Arsenal’s U13’s epic semi final penalty shoot out win yesterday (sadly lost the final today in an penalty shoot out)
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Most enjoyable goal of the weekend? It’s a tough one.
Left footed curling finish from the rookie left back after his opposing defender had gambled on letting him cut inside? That’d take some beating,
Next up we had Ozil’s free kick. Did te dummy with Samchez wrong foot the ‘keeper? Just like Cazorla and Ploddets in the cup final? I think so. A great goal simply because of the similarities there with another great goal. Initially I thought the keeper was at fault, but it’s not his fault he couldn’t know which of Alexis or Ozil were going to take the kick.
Then we had Sanchez. Alexis Sanchez, he’s not bad eh? Not quite as astounding a goal as his similar finish from the Classico but fair to say Alan shearer’ mouth is full of arse-gr*t when discussing the Arsenal. Ozil and Sanchez banging in the goals? “What has happened to my beloved Arsenal.” Indeed.
Finally. The big lump applies a little polish to the second half with another crisp and elegant goal. A pass from Alexis too! Things are looking up!
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eduardo
April 5, 2015 at 3:04 pm
haha …arsenal and the internet…giving excuses to lowlifes to make money…
‘ill run a poll for this. see you in the comments’ … oh will you ?
im trying to balance out which type of fan over-involvement is worse. having idiots going round with cameras interviewing other idiots or having idiots causing game disruption through violent episodes…..hmmmm???
which is more honest? one is considered a somewhat civilised reaction i.e fans exchanging ‘opinions’ on their ‘beloved sport and club’ while the other is considered uncivilised and hooliganistic with their drums flares and sweary tunes and pitch invasions to embrace their heroes or beat up the opposition….
which one? which one?
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New post is up
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