Good morning Positivistas and a bright and breezy start to the day in Norfolk. The detritus of cans and empty bottles around the premises reminds me it was a good night. I have a slight haze and a strange recollection of a heated argument about the Queen. It will pass.
I have perused the media this morning, social and mainstream. The content is warm in relation to Arsenal Football Club, its manager and players. Seemingly a light has been switched on among the ignorant and the malicious. No doubt a temporary aberration but it is encouraging not to see the usual clichéd trash of commentary concerning midfield “beasts” and “not liking it Oop North” recycled endlessly.
Turning to matters at hand however eight league wins on the bounce and three points hard earned at Turf Moor in the evening game. I say hard earned because the home side were thorough and organised. We know there recent impressive record against the top four. They massed in defence and made few errors. Boyd and Barnes ran and ran. Their central defenders, Duff and Shackle ( great names for centre backs btw) were resolute. Did you see just how many Arsenal players it took for Ramsey finally to whack the ball into the back of the net ? And if you are aiming to get a goal against a bottom three side, make it an early goal. Burnley were rocked on their heels in the 11th minute, the home crowd quietened, from then we had the 3 points to hold on to. Another fairy tale result was not on the menu for the plucky claret and blue battlers.
The match itself? After an opening phase when it looked as though we would blow the home side away with our speed and craft the game became more difficult, much more of a genuine contest. They did not back away from that effort however for the next 80+ minutes of the game. Not at any stage were we hanging on, not at any point were Burnley creating clear scoring chances, but even so there was pressure of a not entirely pleasant type. HOW IMPORTANT that early goal was !
There then followed 60 minutes of hard work from both sides. Alexis fizzed like a firework all over the pitch, we created a few chances, Burnley dabbled around the edge of the box, Ospina made a good save, Hector looked a little off his game once or twice, referee Dean displayed the patience of Job with players on both sides.
And so we moved into the traditionally tricky final fifteen minutes when I assumed that we would come under sustained high level bombardment, as Burnley pressed for the equalizer. That is after all what is supposed to happen, goal line clearances, finger tip saves, breathless finish, me hiding behind sofa etcetera – you know the form. You have suffered as I have often enough.
Not a bit of it. As the game drew toward the 90 we took total control again and our hosts were barely able to get over the half way line let alone put together an equalizer. As impressive an example of “game management” as you could ever see.
And so Deano blew his whistle and the contest was decided. Three points gathered, the Manchester derby to come with points dropped by one or both of the pursuers, and just a notch more pressure applied to Chelsea today. By 6 p.m. our win at Turf Moor may be an even more satisfactory result than on the day itself.
The Premier League now needs to be put aside by us and our full concentration directed toward Reading. A great opportunity for back to back FA Cup finals is open. As Burnley demonstrated yesterday though an organised, fit team can cause you problems.
Enjoy your Sunday wherever you may be.
Positively Arsenal 
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I’m sorry I said he was worthy of being considered for AFC after Wenger,
the man is a cunt.
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Per was caught out for using performance drugs twice as a player.
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gainsbourg69
April 16, 2015 at 6:30 pm
heh thank you man and it took you longer than i expected ….i sinist though he is abetter footballer than djourou…more talent, more character, more winner.
besides..it was suarez …not sturrdige….
put it this way….djourou would never be influential in winning trophies for his club as luiz was for his clubs …and ill just leave it there….
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fucking suarez though…lethal….killer…top class
dc…
per?
do you mean pep in italy ? brescia…i think …could be wrong
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Pep would have probably done better to play the doctor instead of Dante against Porto. Another exceptional central defensive performance, right up there with David Luiz.
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Arsenal on an 8 league game winning run, in the FA Cup semi final and all it took for the WOB to go into full on attack mode was for some german manager to announce he is running out on his club cos they have had a hard season. funny lot these WOB
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whats happening eduardo?
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anicoll5
April 17, 2015 at 8:28 am
Can we please combine our author/poets licences and release a fictional dialogue between Herr Franz Beckenbauer and the lollipep boy
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Hunter, now you’ve started me off …………..
Before the Porto match on Sky there was a great programme about Bayern with extensive footage of Bayern in the 60sand 70s and interviews with Der Kaiser and Gerd Muller among others.
Beckenbauer comes across as he always has as a very bright man, fluent in his use of English, polite, thoughtful – and what a bloody good footballer.
It was not shown on the programme but I remember him playing in the 70 WC semi final with a dislocated shoulder.
Best shot I can find I am afraid;
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martin riggs took on the yakuza with a dislocated shoulder…
who does this fraud think he is? remember how last year he was giving shit to pep? TO PEP? world is going mad…
instead of kneeling and worshipping the barcelona architect he dares critisise him?
as id they knew any better there in bavaria……. pep = colombus
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Opps!
bad typo
Pep it was, of course.
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George must be giggling like a lunatic these days.
All his chickens have come home to roost at once.
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The Mumchen equivalent of the Lewin brothers just walked out on the club?
I can’t wait to see what all the certified yet unemployed physios out there have to say on the matter.
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< Munchen
A cracked screen, that's my excuse.
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since the loss at stoke 3-2, Arsenal are on a run of 3 defeats and 1 draw with 20 wins out of 24 games
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Miguel Delaney @MiguelDelaney · 5h 5 hours ago
Mourinho asked about how Chelsea have worst record for respect towards refs. “You know… I prefer not to answer.”
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1886 @1886_blog · 6h 6 hours ago
On this day, FIFTY-FOUR years ago, Spurs last won the league.
I wouldn’t even call that small-club a “rival”.
#AlwaysInOurShadow
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Finsbury
Just think how successful Arsenal would have been over the years if Arsene Wenger knew as much about football as Henry Winter?
PG, still decoding?
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im waiting for Fins post although I think its a bit of a lord lucan
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