Bill Oddie Bill Oddie,
Rub your beard all over my body,
Geoff Bailey Geoff Bailey,
Rub your beard all over me daily.
I wonder if we’ll get a replay of last year’s FA Cup semi final. I watched it again as a part of my preparation for Saturday afternoon and it was a real nail biter wasn’t it? I’d forgotten just how close that day in April came to being one of our most infamous. Had we lost none of us would have loved the manager and players any less of course but having said that winning through to a Wembley final was infinitely preferable. Imagine the ignominy of being the butt of a semi final joke which would have reverberated around the country and which we would not have been allowed to forget.
Part of me would be delighted with a repeat of the thrills and spills of that match. Football is after all first and foremost about entertainment. Not results, not big names, not money and palatial stadiums. Excitement and entertainment are the reasons we watch and if you take those away then this blog might as well be about knitting. I can’t stand the mantra that the win is the only thing that matters. A win can make up for a poor performance and is the perfect cherry upon the icing of an exciting game, but if I’m going to look forward to a match all week and then sit glued to it for two hours, well, I want to enjoy the experience.
Having said all of that you won’t hear me complain if we blow Reading away. Looking back at the highlights of our last three meetings (or at least the last three available on Arsenal Player) we have scored sixteen goals to Reading’s eight which (at the risk of stating the bleeding obvious) suggests a precedent for high scoring games. I don’t know how closely the current Royal’s side resembles the one of that vintage but ours has seen a few tweaks all of which have improved the squad immeasurably. Which brings us neatly to the team prediction. I expect to see Wojciech Szczęsny in goal with ten players in front of him and a handful of substitutes on the bench. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few regulars rested but wholesale changes are extremely unlikely given the importance of the game, and that’s as much tea leaf gazing as you’ll get from me.
The only connection I have with Reading FC is my mate Johnny Trombone, a Madejski regular who would treat us all to a drunken rendition of the Bill Oddie song every time he’d passed the tequila event horizon. John is a fantastic musician and an all round decent cove and if he is typical of the beard loving Reading supporter then the opposition can be relied upon for some civilised and enjoyable banter this evening. Aldershot Town fans may well disagree, so my apologies to any of you who are closet Shots.
I don’t know if the build up to this weekend’s semi finals has been particularly muted or not. I am aware some people have been saying it has, but as the transfer speculation season kicked off a couple of months earlier this year I’ve had to begin my media and social network embargo earlier than usual. If there has been an absence of the usual hyperbole I wonder if it might have much to do with the assumption that the line up for the final is a foregone conclusion and as such folk regard the semis as mere formalities. If so they are not only doing both Reading and Liverpool a disservice but demeaning the achievements of the other two clubs should they prevail.
We know all too well how a so called lesser side can battle. From where I sit I cannot recall anyone giving us a time quite as hard as that which we endured from Burnley last week and they look very much like they’ll be a Championship side before too long. If Clarke’s players can apply themselves with the same boundless energy and unquenchable enthusiasm then our lads will need to remain focussed for the entire game. I think Burnley’s effort was almost superhuman. They appeared to have three players to our one all over the pitch for large periods of the game. However we not only resisted them, we overcame them and towards the latter part of the match we were taking the fight to them. Aaron in particular grabbed the game by the scruff as the second half progressed and I am quietly confident that whatever the score after seventy minutes we have the players to boss the final twenty once again.
Barring a miraculous Chelsea collapse (for which I am fervently hopeful) the FA Cup, our FA Cup, represents our last chance at another trophy. A trophy which I might add is nothing more than our esteemed manager deserves. He doesn’t deserve it simply because of the the years in which he has had to compete with squillionaires while holding nothing but a broken piggy bank. He doesn’t deserve it merely as an opportunity to put up two fingers to the revolting so called Arsenal fans who have heaped so much scorn and abuse on our greatest ever manager. He doesn’t deserve it just because I love him and wish every possible good thing to happen to him. He especially deserves it this time because just as he has got close to the kind of squad of which he has only been able to dream throughout the austerity years that squad has been ravaged by a variety and number of injuries with which our competitors would simply not have coped.
Only one man had the confidence, the belief and the humility to drag a patched up endlessly changing side back into contention at the top. Can you honestly see a spoilt brat like that graceless oaf in Fulham persevering with the same quiet dignity had he seen players re-injured each time they returned, seen players crocked at the same time as their replacements were out and watched as a player played himself into form only to be injured the moment he looked to be back to his best? Imagine the sympathy he would have received from the entire football establishment and imagine the childish whining and bleating we would all have had to endure from the man himself.
I want to get to the final again, of course I do. I want the team to win the thing again, of course I do. I want the players to do it for all of you who have remained faithful regardless of the result, who have remained positive regardless of the braying from the brain dead and the hateful. Most of all I want the players to do it for the man who has built this club up to where it is today, the man who’s wisdom, knowledge and love of Arsenal dwarfs any passion we may have for the club. More than anything else I want them to do it for Arsène.
Positively Arsenal 
Indeed
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Beautiful writing and you get it just right. Work prevents me from doing anything but catching up with result later this evening so good luck one and all.
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if the attitude of our players is right we are likely to win, huff and puff will only bring Reading so far, we must match their work rate and then let our superior skill be too much for them.
as for the other game on this evening, anything other than a Chelsea win is ok with me and retains our outside chance of hauling them in.
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“Football is after all first and foremost about entertainment. Not results, not big names, not money and palatial stadiums. Excitement and entertainment are the reasons we watch and if you take those away then this blog might as well be about knitting. I can’t stand the mantra that the win is the only thing that matters. A win can make up for a poor performance and is the perfect cherry upon the icing of an exciting game, but if I’m going to look forward to a match all week and then sit glued to it for two hours, well, I want to enjoy the experience.”
Stew, that one paragraph says what I have spent years trying to articulate.
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Happy to hit the target George. If the result is really all that matters why don’t these people just wait until May and then scroll through the results?
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Apr 17, 2015
Kalin Georgiev, Martin Milushev, Stanislav Djulgerov and Eyad Hammoud invited on trial at Arsenal FC
Kalin Georgiev (04/05/2002) winger of PFC Chernomore Varna, Martin Milushev (30/03/2002) winger of PFC Chernomore Varna, Stanislav Djulgerov (28/08/2003) midfielder of PSFC Chernomorets Bourgas and Eyad Hammoud (24/07/2001), striker of PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv, are invited on trial at Arsenal FC from 2015, April the 19th to the 23rd.
During the trial, Kalin, Martin, Stanislav and Eyad will play 2 friendly games.
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Like Arsene and his team, pure class Steww.
I have a cousin who is a gooner brought up in a spud family who moved to reading and become a season ticket holder. She will be down the other end today with mixed loyalties.
I know we have to remember the lessons from birmingham and wigan but the team are flowing through games at the moment and not stuttering like we were during those periods.As for burnleys workrate the pitch plays a large part in being able to close opposition teams down which is why their record at home is better than on their travels.
I cant see to many changes to the team today other than the one we all know about. Theo may get start although i think it may be more likely for Danny to start maybe even upfront. Will Kos get a rest who knows, however the bench may be even harder to call as Arsene will have to plan for many scenarios.
Let the sun shine on a fantastic ARSENAL win today in the spuds home county all other results today this weekend I dont care about its just an ARSENAL day, apparently im in the green man today but wherever your watching enjoy yourselves, COYG
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I think theo will start only if Debuchy is at Right Back
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chambers sees his long term future as a CB
http://www.offthepost.info/blog/2015/04/arsenals-calum-chambers-wary-utility-man-tag/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+offthepost%2FTLAa+%28Off+The+Post%29
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Fantastic stuff Stew,I don’t think I’ve ever been so confident heading up to Wembley and I don’t like it one bit..
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Mel – it’s winning the damn thing last year combined with beating Man U at OT has fucked with our usual sense of how the universe works.
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Thanks Steww. My pre-kick off preparation and research consisted of watching Welbeck’s winner at OT, again and again and again…
Come on you Gunners!
Still feels weird, semi-finals at Wembley.
But in this instance the FA’s awful ugly ground which somehow cost approx. three times the sum of the new Arsenal Stadium rests almost equidistant from both clubs, seems like the right location (I wouldn’t want to play at Gazprom’s ground).
–
NOTH I think I broke the Enigma machine.
Nothin special, just a rant about injuries. Covered above by Steww with just a little bit more subtlety, which is probably the wiser course.
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Brighton were no pushover. Well, they were in the first half. Will Reading sit off Arsenal an allow them to make one of the many good starts they’ve been making of late? Does it matter if they sneak in a goal with their first shot after fourty four minutes?
I’m not confident, but a victory today and next week would be nice!
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Top notch first course for the day and Wembley should look at its impeccable best for the late afternoon showdown.
By all the markers there is only one winner here but Steve Clarke will have done his homework and he is a bright coach. It will be crowded in midfield, no space and no time for Santi and Mesut, so a bit of patience required and a strike in the final quarter to settle it.
Three wins in our last three Wembley visits – a record to build on.
Good luck to Szcz today – may he be largely unemployed.
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I know Stew,got an inkling for a Rambo goal today-that’s all I’ve got mate.
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Just the tonic for the troops Steww!
At least those of us in Wenger’s Red and White Army.
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Wembley will have acres of wide open space for Theo to thunder into,
Just my hint for the Boss.
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It’s the journey that counts.
If you are just the same when your have reached the destination, then you have gained nothing from the travelling.
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Superb, Steww.
So beautifully articulated.
Thank you.
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https://scontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/19495_889737177750511_5647519297275261303_n.jpg?oh=a761da587dcfcde85bc71bf14930075f&oe=55A42C43
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such quality..makes you feel a midget in the face of master fidget
thought the game was tomorrow….need to cancel some social responsibilities/duties
reverting…
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Its Wojciech Szczesny birthday today, he is 25
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poor showing for the U18’s today – Newcastle 6-0 Arsenal
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Emile Smith-Rowe earning his maiden call-up at this level became the first player to be called up to the U18 squad who was born in the 21st century.
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lad(Huddersfield fan) who won competition to be one of the Reading mascots at Wembley today has lost the chance cos he said he hopes Arsenal win
http://babb.telegraph.co.uk/2015/04/ten-year-old-boy-dropped-as-reading-fa-cup-mascot-for-saying-i-hope-arsenal-win/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ten-year-old-boy-dropped-as-reading-fa-cup-mascot-for-saying-i-hope-arsenal-win
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Thanks for the preview Steww. Impeccable as always.
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Shocked to think that hunter has been given social responsibilities.
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eduardo… there is a picture in the offi9cial site with ramsey and gibbs celebrating after the goal at extra time….at the back you will see rosicky bollicking the ref…class!!!!!! obradovic!!!…amadeus amadeus aaaamadeus ..
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We know how cruel the football gods can be, as chance can and has played a decisive a role in changing predictable outcomes, but I am fairly confident we will defeat Reading. My confidence is rooted in my belief that Arsene has patiently and carefully rebuilt us into a much stronger squad than the Cesc-Nasri-RVP version. To my mind the latter were very talented but lacked the necessary resolve to overcome the kicking from within and outside the Premier League. In contrast the current squad is just as if not more talented but is definitely more experienced and tougher mentally. Reading will give us a fight but I am confident this squad is mentally able to overcome any adversity and get the job done.
Nice one Steww. I can barely wait for the week to grind to an end to read your usual excellent reflections on the game.
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Full team: Szczesny, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Coquelin, Ramsey, Cazorla, Ozil, Alexis, Welbeck
Subs: Ospina, Gabriel, Monreal, Flamini, Wilshere, Walcott, Giroud
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20150418/team-news-debuchy-starts-semi-final#wQp1KWEKBQpzKg9u.99
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Sam @samuelJayC · 55m 55 minutes ago
Not in #AFC squad: Bellerin Chambers Arteta Diaby Rosicky Chamberlain & Gnabry.
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like Szczesny, it is our ex keeper Fabianski’s birthday today, hopefully our Pole will not have the error strewn game Fabs had for Swansea today when reports suggest he was at fault for both Leicester goals
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come on the Arsenal
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Any other color blind people having problems seeing the ball or is it just me? When the ball is on the deck, I can’t see it.
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TV pictures are poor alright Gainsbourgh
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27 minutes gone, Koscielny down injured after a wallop in the face, szczesny with a fine save
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Arsenal players taking too long on the ball, Alexis been a bit off his game so far.
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like I said Alexis a bit off his game, 1-0 to the Arsenal
Ozil with a great pass, top quality control by Alexis and he turned the defender and put in through the keepers legs
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the BBC commentator is so annoyed that Arsenal are ahead.
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chalobah takes Gibbs out of it, booked
HT: Arsenal 1-0 Reading
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chelsea beating utd 1-0 with 40 minutes played
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great analysis by the BBC panel, Mertesacker is not the quickest, never noticed that before
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HT: cfc 1-0 mu
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OptaJoe @OptaJoe · 1h 1 hour ago
8 – Eight different players have scored for Arsenal in the FA Cup this season, more than any other side. Spread.
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Tidy first half, plenty more in our repertoire and as we get stronger Reading will open up. Mesut very slick today.
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Sir Jenkinson retweeted
Sassay @UtdWithHerrera · 1h 1 hour ago
Falcao hattrick, you heard it here first.
Sassay @UtdWithHerrera · 13m 13 minutes ago
Take Falcao off, sack of shit
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The suggestion that Arsenal didn’t play well in the 1st half is risible. It is the type of one-sided view that completely discounts the challenge posed by Reading who are compact and conservative in their 2 banks of 4 waiting to hit us on the break. Our patient tactics have been spot on.
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awful defending from Arsenal, mert let his man by him too easy, shot deflected off gibbs, not sure if Szczesny should have stopped it 1-1
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