Where do I begin? We’re three games into a spluttering start to a season which promises much but has yet to deliver. We’ve lost one on a bewildering afternoon which felt like watching a match after inadvertently switching the Splenda for a tab of acid, nothing quite made sense. We’ve won one in a gruelling fashion which should have been much easier and experienced a draw that felt more like a defeat. It’s been a funny old time.
Perhaps that’s why so many people obsessed over the draw for the European Cup. Anything to take their thoughts away from a difficult few weeks. I didn’t pay any attention to such nonsense for a couple of reasons. Mainly because I felt so low after we were effectively robbed of the points on Monday night that I wanted nothing to do with football for a few days. The other reason was that the announcement of the teams in our group is meaningless. It isn’t a match. Nothing is decided. It just provides an excuse for utterly pointless conjecture as to the outcome of games yet to be played, some of which are still a very long way off. No one to my knowledge has ever predicted the outcome of our matches in the group stage with any accuracy and so the thought of joining such foolishness and speculation left me completely cold.
Then Friday rolled up and I suddenly realised we had a game the next day. And that of course means that a blog hungry public will be wiping the sleep from its eyes and rushing to Positively Arsenal for some words of wisdom. I needed to get an early night, wake up fresh and full of exciting insights into the team and its visit to the North East.
And so here I am. Coffee and muesli despatched with my customary aplomb and this blank page in front of me. The problem of the pre match blog so early in the season is there is so little one can say about either team. As Shotta pointed out in his excellent post the stats suggest that we will come good, we’re making far too many chances not to and we have the personnel who know how to stick ’em away. But that is a fruit which will ripen only in the fullness of time. Right now we’re not in any kind of rhythm when it comes to converting the many chances created. Likewise our opponents today are only three games in and have also posted indifferent results. We know from their recent encounter with Man U that they are capable of some resolute if occasionally last ditch defending we also know they’ve only scored two in three and that has cost them. But then I could say pretty much the same about us. It’s all too unpredictable right now and as you know I’ve never been much of a one for tea leaf gazing parapsychology.
We were quite clearly unsettled by the suddenly thrown together defence on Monday but I was more interested with how the unit grew into the game and put their panicky start behind them. Gabriel especially looked the part by the time the second half got under way and I am confident they will be better today regardless of who starts. Players put each other under pressure with poor passes in and around the area but they did so while trying to do the right thing and that is key. Piss poor play because you don’t know better is a big worry, a hapless execution of an otherwise sound plan is far less of a concern because it is unlikely to be repeated. One glimmer of encouragement was Cech’s performance. He made a couple of decent saves and I hope he has his mojo back because a strong confident keeper is so important when your defence is pulled apart by injuries.
Inspired by Shotta’s effort I thought I would try to do a bit of research for you today. I went to Steve Maclaran’s post match interview following Newcastle’s previous home game and attempted to listen to it. First of all I have to say it came as something of a surprise as I didn’t realise he was the manager at St James’ Park, I thought it was one of Alan Pardew’s coaching staff who’s name temporarily escapes me. Not wishing to appear ignorant I was hoping the manager’s comments would offer an insight into the way his team play and I could base some sort of hashed together pseudo analysis upon this but quite frankly it was like listening to Michael Owen delivering a eulogy. I drifted off fairly early on and apart from him saying something about several of his players having no legs after sixty minutes nothing really went home. An inspirational team talker I suspect he is not. However I have to say if the legs thing is true then we ought to be in with a bit of a chance of a few late goals. I may be no tactical expert but I am pretty certain that an ambulant opposition would be considerably harder to circumvent.
Ensuring that Newcastle don’t resort to the tried and tested practice of attempting to remove the legs of any Arsenal players will be the job of that cheeky scamp Andre Marriner. Now, I may not be any good at predicting the line up nor the result, and frankly my dear I don’t give two hoots for attempting to do either but there are still some certainties in life. The BT Sports commentary will be so woeful that I will turn it off after about eight minutes, switch to the Arsenal Player commentary, turn that off after they’ve read the eleventh email from a disgruntled fan demanding we sign a new defensive midfielder and go into the other room to watch the match on a Russian Sopcast stream. The other fact we can know in advance without fear of contradiction is that Andre Marriner will make some astonishingly bad decisions but unlike many other refs won’t be overly biased against Arsenal just generally incompetent. Although Andrew Crawshaw at Untold Arsenal suggests that Marriner’s real blind spot comes when Arsenal players are fouled in the penalty area. The best advice is to stay on your feet and keep going no matter how blatant the offence because we won’t get the spot kick anyway. To that end I think Theo should play because he’s like one of those slinky spring things that rolls right over, bounces back up and keeps on going whereas Olly being larger and heavier on his toes is more likely to go down like a felled redwood. That’s as close to a PA writer making team suggestions as you will ever get so make the most of it.
Along with team and tactical predictions the other thing I never usually insult you with is suggesting that the three points is all that matters. This trite and tired observation so beloved of just about every other blog is the one thing guaranteed to get my goat. The game is about entertainment and while Monday night’s result may have left us all down in the dumps there was some wonderful football played and I spent the night on the edge of my seat, which is surely what entertainment is all about. I am about to use the word ‘however’. Prepare yourselves. However I have come to the tentative conclusion that maybe we need to just win a few games, get some points in the bag no matter how, if for no other reason than to settle the players down and get them back into their groove. Today and for the next couple of matches maybe the win is more important than the performance. Perhaps, just perhaps those slick performances will start to flow if the side aren’t playing catch up because of points dropped in the previous match. Who knows? Stranger things have happened. Anyway, whatever the line up, whatever the result my faith in the squad, manager and his staff will remain unshaken and I will look forward to each game with the same excitement as I did the last, after all what is the alternative? Wallow in the mire of despair? Yell at the kids? Kick the dog? Go on Twitter and abuse Monsieur Wenger? I don’t think so. I’m a supporter, I think I’ll just support.
Positively Arsenal 
we seem to be able to score away so i am expecting a few goals… only the home goals need to be sorted out which will come. LOL
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A breath of fresh air that was. Lovely stuff as ever Mr, Black.
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Thanks George. I was a bit egg bound when I started, thought nothing was going to come but I managed to say nothing and filled the page doing it and that, in the world of Arsenal blogging, is what really counts.
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just support the team now thats a novel idea! Like the photo by the way and another good introduction to the ARSENAL weekend. We are a little unpredictable at the moment so predictions are even more precarious than usual. I would however expect the new CB pairing to be better this week than they started last week, but I think that was just to make me look silly as i told everyone in the pub we had nothing to worry about when the teamsheet come through. I was reminding everyone of Callums player of the month start when he was at CB and of Gabriels brilliant performances on the odd occassion he had come in. Obviously it didnt start like that and my mates were abusing me alot in the first half. However with the help of Le Coq and Petre we made it to half time and the coaching staff were able to calm them down.
So if we start well, have a good middle of the game and finish well then I think we’ll be allright.
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You know, I was almost certain you were alluding to me when you strung the words blog, hungry, sleep, eyes, words, wisdom, PA into a coherent sentence! (Where’s that smiley fella when you need him, eh?) Been up since 6 awaiting Steww’s Treat (PA’s prematch blog should be rechristened so) and it wasn’t in vain.
I pretty much agree with what you said. I’ll just support. Too.
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Stew, It genuinely is a treat. They all are. Reading your stuff is the blog equivalent of watching Arsenal, Its just a pleasure to read and does not follow the accepted and frankly shit formula of other blogs where the writer tries to impress with his insight ,which is a figment of his own imagination in most cases.
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The trouble with your lot is that they don’t like it when the opposition get in their faces!!
Ha! Arsenal bingo aside, fully expect your boys to get a positive result….
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George said it at 9:58 am. BTW. that pup at the top looks like me, he just needs some data to chew-on. Better quit while I am ahead.
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Thank you Stew.
Reading Twitter recently has been bleak, even stalwarts like Geoff are wavering.
Thank heavens for PA and quirky blog writers.
Love the dog, that expression is just how many of us feel before this game.
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Morning Stew
Three games in and I can see the sharpness returning after the Summer lay off.
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Andy – the sharpness in the build up was definitely there just the defenders and keepers have been sharper with their blocks and saves.
DC – Geoff has never been a stalwart. I clearly remember him calling Diaby a cunt during a match.
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I was referring to you Stew
( banned winkey thing)
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Wenger has said: “We have to play quicker, be more incisive, combine quicker in the final third,”
Let us see how this plays out.
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Thanks Stew: order restored and much to my surprise after a week beyond electricity a lunchtime match to add spice to getting back to 2015.
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Good stuff.
The three points aren’t important ,though, for this specific game, I believe. Enough 3s and a few crucial 1s will accrue by season end for me to not worry about individual games outside of how we play.
I can’t be doing with people catastrophising (probably needs to be a z rather than s there but can’t bring myself to use one) in such a fickle – three game into the season – way.
UTA
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Lovely stuff Stew,,2-1 to the Arsenal today mate. What a lovely dog.
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YOU MEAN EVEN HARRY KANE HAS YET TO SCORE THIS SEASON? Thought OG with one goal in 3 was the worst striker based on the wailing over new striker!
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This is surely just repating a stereotype! Does a manager actualyy ecide i mwill play the foreinger instead of the english lad, just fo that reason? if at all the reverse is likely to be the case! i saw this on the BBC, and i wonder why people come up with stuff like this?
Kane talks to Shearer
Football Focus
Posted at 11:37
“You find it a lot at clubs these days, that the manager would rather play a foreign signing than a homegrown player. But sometimes you just need to be given a chance.
“I’m looking to be an England number nine for many years to come, but there are other top forwards – Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck – that I’m going to have to fight off.”
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no Ozil in the squad, Campbell a sub,
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Ozil has a minor knee injury
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kos playing his 150th BPL game today
newcastle team
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so it seems FFP is dead in the water, the question I pose to you all is, what do you want AFC to do about it,
A. continue to be a self sustaining club
B. KSE pump what ever amount of money it takes to win the BPL and CL
C. KSE sell up and let someone else pump billions into the club
for the record I’m totally in the A camp, I would lose most of my interest in all things AFC if we go down the sugar daddy route, always been opposed to it, and I see no reason to change my principles for the sake of a few shiny pots
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15 minutes and counting COYG
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Going to try BT Sports. Wonder if I’ll make it to the 8 minute mark…
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Owen absent – that is a result before a ball had been kicked
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By the law of averages somebody is due a tonking by Arsenal. Newcastle beware.
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First time we’ll have three of the speedsters up top of late without Ozil, but it is the same midfield that’s played well previously.
Farah wins gold.
COYG!
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Great stuff Stew – overdue a few today; statistically I wouldn’t be surprised with a hatful for the Arse but maybe I’m still giddy from last night’s brilliant U21’s showing v West Ham which finished 5-0.
COYG’s!
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Ramsey nearly with the return or Chambo….
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walcott and Alexis made their passed in that attack but Rambo didn’t heh
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Newcastle seem to be doing a man marking job all over the pitch
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Krul with the save at Walcott’s feet,
Great move.
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Ramsey off side
Three good half chances now
Good start
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seems untold are right about he ref, he will under no circumstances give AFC a penalty, Bellerin clearly fouled there
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Clear penalty obviously not given….
…but w are playing under (pg)MOB rule
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dirty bastard Mitrovic rightly sent off
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Fair play to the ref that’s a good spot for the red.
COYG
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will the ref have the courage to send off another toon player, and also the courage not to react to the crowd
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Newcastles efforts to get out of their own half led to a few attacks.
The gunners will have to turn the screws now.
Lots of fouls from Newcastle.
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In a way the Red has come too early the way the game was going (OG on the bench).
Would’ve preferred the pen over the red!
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Woah
Walcott shins the rebound though he did well to nip in there at full stretch.
Nearly.
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we are fucking up so much its unreal, Ramsey, ox and theo all losing or giving away the ball far too much
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HT: 0-0
We are unlucky not to have got a penalty. A few half chances, but not nearly enough created so far, we might see Giroud on early for one of our midfielders
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From 2-3 scoreable chances a bit frustrating to be still at 0-0.
After ten minutes of insanity Toon defending well.
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Nacho and Hector absolutely superb today.
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I suppose in their defence the Newcastle fans are trying to do their ’12th man’ bit, but they are really making themselves look extremely stupid given that the referee has been so lenient. He should have shown a red card for the second high studs up dive in challenge on Coquelin as well as the nasty stamp.
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“we are fucking up so much its unreal, Ramsey, ox and theo all losing or giving away the ball far too much”
Eduardo I don’t know which match you’re watching but there is a live game on now at Newcastle and those players are doing really well so you might want to watch that instead.
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stew maybe you should take off the rose tinted glasses and then you will see that theo has missed 3 good chances, ox has lost the ball several times and taken wrong option a few times too, and Ramsey has lost the ball several times far too easily, including a couple of awful passes.
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I’m bored to tears….come on lads!
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