We go into the NLD full of fear and trepidation. Well I say “we” when I mean me. No change there then ! I go into every game in this state of mind. My positive nature is suspended as each match day approaches. I hope for the best and fear the worst.
Off the back of the spanking of our depleted troops by probably the best club team in the world the result and performance is anything but predictable. I can imagine just about any outcome. Anyone that thinks the result is a sure thing, does not understand the nature of football, let alone an individual match.
The greatest fear going the rounds seems to be Debuchy playing at Right-back. Once again we see a very good player, returning from two long term injuries, being written off by our knowledgeable ‘expert’ fans, just as Monreal and Sagna before him were. Not to mention Ramsey, Jack, Rosicky………….shall I go on ? It takes any player a run of games to get back to their level. How people don’t grasp this would surprise me, if those people didn’t have a history of gross stupidity.
The Debuchy problem,(if there is one) is exasperated by not having one of the six players that would be expected to play in front of him fit. For me that would be Ramsey, Welbeck, AOC, Theo, Jack and Rosicky, in that order. So I expect it will be Joel. He did well enough against Swansea, so we can but hope and wish him well.
There is a debate as to whether it will be Per or Gabriel partnering Laurent, personally I think it will,and should , be Per.
Due to the lack of options from the bench I feel we will have to win it in the first 60 minutes or so, as the last half hour could be a problem.
To many of our fans this is the single most important game, to not lose, that we will play in any year. Given our league position its a game we really really really want to win, regardless of the opposition. Going into the international break level on points with the league leaders, with a few of the short term injuries due back afterwards, will be a great way to do it.
All I know is that if Arsenal play at their best, they will win, so lets hope for that.
Right, enough of my incoherent ramblings, the NLD would not be the same (and my old mucker Mel would not lend me his Kirk Stevens white suit again) if we don’t have the masterpiece Frank wrote for us when we started up. Wherever you are Frank, we miss you and love you.
Today we revisit a classic tale where Frank looks back, more in sorrow than in anger, to re-tell a chilling tale of a long-lost summer of love, terrible betrayal and lots of super furry animals.
Today’s page turner …
I was mugged in Seven Sisters.
To be accurate I was attacked in Seven Sisters since nothing was stolen.
Cold bloodedly gratuitously attacked. A summer afternoon several decades ago spent with a friend and I was heading home to Tufnell Park. It was an early evening in July but I could hardly see as I turned into the tunnel heading for the tube, eating sausage and chips. Out of nowhere something hit me on the back of the head and just as I turned, a fist hit me in the mouth. I fell to the ground in a daze and the protagonists proceeded to kick the living shit out of me.
There was a lot a ‘fackin’ this’ and ‘kantin that’ as the boots went in and afterwards just the sound of nasal snickering. Before I passed out I caught a glimpse of two of them. One in white trousers and a bowler hat with ‘Tottenham Droogies’ written across the back. The other had calf-length faded jeans, docs, white tee shirt, braces …. and a tattoo on his forearm.
A tattoo of a cock and ball.
I must have been out for a while because when I woke up, the ends of the tunnel were dark. The reek of urine and unwashed bodies was only just bearable. I was surrounded by squashed chips and, nestling in the gutter by the wall with not a bite out of it, was my sausage. My head hurt like hell, split lip, bumps and bruises all over but I seemed to be OK.
I’d got away with it.
Could have been killed. Could have been maimed or paralyzed for life. Thankfully I had done what most blokes who are being kicked in the head do, I protected my privates. Death is preferable to castration.
I had survived.
Slowly I got up. I just wanted to get home. Brushed off the fag ends, chewing gum, dog shit. Stretched out my arms and then my legs, moved my head from side to side. Tested my aching bones. Nothing broken. Lets go home, Frank. Then someone behind me coughed.
I spun round afraid that they had come back to finish me off.
But there standing in front of me was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She had on an ankle length yellow dress and sandals. She had long, long tresses of red hair and her smile was extraordinary; it could fill a room, or, in this case, a tunnel. Her smell was intoxicating and as she touched my face with her hand I just knew that she was an angel.
I was dead and on my way to heaven.
She asked me if I was okay. She asked me if I was in pain. She asked if there was anything she could do for me … and before I could answer she passed me her guinea pig and started mopping my brow.
Guinea pig?
What the feck?
She gave me a guinea pig? Well yes she did. She handed me her guinea pig. Cleaned me up. Took her guinea pig back. Held my hand and took me to Tufnell Park.
That is how I met Maude.
Oh Maude, Maude, Maude – you were perfect. She took me home to my apartment and stayed for three weeks. What a three weeks!
Idyllic.
Walking on the Heath. Drinking in The Flask in Highgate. Strolling through Waterlow Park. Saying “hello” to Karl Marx. Wearing each others’ clothes.
Actually she wore mine, I didn’t wear hers, I really didn’t. Getting drunk together on Grand Marnier and sick together afterwards. Listening to a friend play folk songs outside the Admiral Mann. I even started to read poetry, although it didn’t last. Mostly though, we just made love. Anywhere and everywhere.
In that time I was treated to a parade of animals.
Guinea pigs, rats, hamsters, geckos, turtles, tortoises, parrots, budgies, kittens, puppies, fish, snakes, you name it.
Every day she would disappear for a few hours and return with different animals. Only on Sundays would she return without an animal and on Sunday evenings she was always very tired. The explanation turned out to be a bit crazy but I could deal with it. She let on that she was into animal liberation and spent much of her time nicking animals from pet shops and domestic animal stockists.
Her aim in life was to free them all.
Create an animal utopia where they could all live free from human bondage. How she managed to get plastic bags of tropical fish and a twelve foot python out of a shop without anyone noticing I have no idea. But she did it. Insane of course, and I loved her all the more for it. We were madly, stupidly, giddily happy.
Until that fateful day in early August.
So far we had lived in my flat. It was OK. But I was getting more and more curious. Where did she live? How long? What was it like? Was she sure that she was not using the animals as a cover for her sneaking back to a long time live-in partner or husband?
Joke, sort of. What was she hiding?
After much cajoling on my part she finally agreed that we could stay at her place. She lived in a flat on the first floor of a Victorian house on the A10 near to the junction with Clapton Common. She had been on her way home when she found me in the tunnel.
So off we went.
We spent a pleasant few hours in the Spaniards’ Inn and went to a party with friends in Stoke Newington. Caught a taxi to hers. Let ourselves in.
Her living room was full of no-longer-soon-to-be-pets.
It was smelly and it was noisy, but she cleared a space and we sat and drank tea and chatted amongst the boxes, cages, baskets and tanks. Finally we fell into bed exhausted. The following day was Monday and neither of us needed to get up early. We were very soon fast asleep in each others arms.
We awoke on Monday morning refreshed. She made cups of tea and brought them back to bed. Gradually we began to get interested, the way you do.
We kissed and cuddled …
Then Maude whispered that she would like to make love in daylight amongst the trees and birdsong. Her garden was beautiful at this time of year, she said. She asked me to open the curtains and open the window.
Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes.
About as excited as I have ever been in my life I leapt out of bed, hopped to the almost full-length sash window and threw open the red velvet curtains to let the sun in …
The No 149 bus route has been transporting the residents of that area to the City for many years and I believe that it still does to this day.
In the days of the old Routemasters, in the rush hour the bottom deck was crammed full of people, many standing and some dangling from the platform at the back. Upstairs was calmer and those fortunate enough to get a seat were able to read the paper or a book, do the crossword, do the Pools, knit, or in most cases just sit and watch the world go by. There are a number of points on that journey where the bus comes to a standstill for quite a while as the traffic gets well and truly jammed.
One particular point is just outside Maude’s flat.
The floor of the top deck on those buses is roughly about the level of the first floor of that particular block of houses, and the windows of the bus are about six feet from the residents’ windows. You can see awful lot from the top of that bus and on that day passengers had a real treat.
As the curtains opened they were greeted with … think of Leonardo’s Study of Human Proportions according to Vitruvius.
But weedier and in a state of arousal.
For my own part I just remember seeing an endless stream of tickets coming out of the Clippie’s machine and thinking thank goodness they can’t see my feet because I’ve still got my socks on. I turned to shout at Maude for setting me up, and as I did so I noticed something. Something very serious indeed. Something which caused me to shut out the embarrassment of the last few seconds completely. I couldn’t believe it. I froze. The blood drained from my face and obviously from other places.
The bottom fell completely out of my world.
In the lower right hand corner of the window was a sticker. Not a very big one, about the size of a bob-a-job sticker. But this particular sticker had a motif on it. A dreadful symbol.
A cock and ball.
We just hadn’t discussed football. People had the summer off in those days. No transfer activity. I turned to her and just shouted “TOTTENHAM” at her at the top of my voice. At first she completely misunderstood and she laughed and shouted: “YES. YOU TOO …?”.
But before she could finish, she realised.
It was probably me screaming “YOU ARE A FARKING SPUD” that gave it away. Her beautiful face contorted into an ugly grimace and in a vicious whisper she spat “Arsenal. You are a fecking Gunner? You bastard”.
I couldn’t stay.
I needed air. I grabbed my clothes, putting them on as I scrambled through the menagerie in the living room. I got to the front door and slammed it to, shutting out the cacophony behind me. I headed for a café on the corner of the block, ordered coffee and just sat in a window seat sipping and smoking. I half expected her to follow and to be honest I half hoped that she would.
But I realised it was over.
I could take the pet rustling and I could even take being humiliated in front of a bus full of people but I could not take the fact that she was a SPUD. That could never work.
But that was not quite the end of it.
As I sipped my third coffee, having smoked half a pack of cigarettes, two panda cars and a police van arrived at her flat. Maude was led out in handcuffs and for the next hour policemen loaded the back of the van with her contraband, Noah’s Ark fashion. I felt bad about that at the time as I watched her driven away in the back of the police car it seemed unjust that she should go down for stealing animals when she had such good if not misguided intentions. It turned out in court about six weeks later though, that every Sunday she ran a pet stall on Club Row.
She had been nicking pets and flogging them on. She also stole them to order.
I will always remember Maude though and if I ever meet her again, which is very unlikely, I know exactly what I will say to her……………
“CARMON ARSENAL CARMON ARSENAL CARMON ARSENAL
ARSENAL, ARSENAL, ARSENAL….ARSENAL, ARSENAL, ARSENAAAAL…ARSENAL, ARSENAL, ARSENAL….ARSENAL….ARSENAL”
Positively Arsenal 
Mrs Mel said I look like John Travolta in the KS white suit George,no actually it was John Revolta..yes that’s what she said…. We love you Frank,come home mate,wherever you are.
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Still as brilliant as the first time I read it, a true Derby piece.
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The good thing is, alarming though the game often is, I never think that both sides are not giving it 100% to win. League position points, injuries, all pale into the background.
Past 20 years Spuds have had some deplorable teams and some half wit managers but on the big day even that shower of shite has managed to put on a decent show.
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….Im too young too have met Frank, but he certainly writes a brilliant, weird,creepy story!!!! Only too sorry that those Chicken’s gave him a beating and he couldn’t eat his chips.
Shame we have to play the over- competitive Shire-folk at the Coop and not Bournemouth or even with ourselves until the Brahn experience floats away.
None the less, never forget,a cannon is always better than a Chicken.
COYG!
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” At this point Mr Mourinho became very aggressive and animated. He shouted that you fucking referees are weak…Wenger is right about you…you are fucking weak. I advised Mr Mourinho not to take his position in the technical area for the second half
due to his actions.”
This is were ‘Obsession’ leads Jose
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A cautionary tale, true love clearly does know bounds, when it comes to Spuds and ALF members at least.
As for the game, think we will bounce back and win by the odd goal in a few. Debuchy is playing his way back to form, is it just me or did he start improving in the second half a bit?
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Anicoll5 I have sent you an Email
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“liberating” rodent type pets for order!!! Know that’s not the point here, but was the reward really worth the risk on most of these creatures?
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I found the liberal use of the word “spud” as a derogatory remark highly offensive. I withdraw my support for this publication.
On a serious note, that story was hilarious.
I hope we mash those sour spuds too. They don’t deserve that win streak. We’re building a reputation for ending those streaks for teams so NLD should be a clash of the ages. *insert cliche here*
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A shame that a certain Dutch player with his public statement, led to a meltdown, between PG, Frank and some hangers on.
Frank, to his eternal credit, supports the Arsenal players! Until they leave.
That is the reason why that particular site, no longer has any relevance. The owner of that site has a bad temper, which Stratford major has inherited.
COTG, and NO hangers on!
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Being Irish, I do love me potatoes, especially for a Sunday dinner.
Boiled, roasted, mashed and chipped.
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I remember that Frank story, still such an entertaining read. I also grew up in Tufnell Park so it just made it even more enjoyable.
Where the hell is Frank?
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good morning Positiviters, I suppose we can sit back in the watch the rain through the window and watch points dropped by our rivals. You never know someone might get actual footage of maureen melting down on skype telling his players how fat and lazy they are and how Arsene wouldn’t put up with them followed by him suddenly turning on his wife telling her she ‘s brought the wrong colour curtains, only for her to retort actually Arsene is better in bed than you as well!
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anyone notice the distorted reporting of the planned protest at the Emirates tomorrow, about BPL clubs paying the living wage to all staff, its being reported like AFC are the only club not paying it, while in fact Chelsea so far are the only club accredited for doing so, and it also ignores that AFC already pay the living wage to all staff directly hired by AFC, and have promised that as contracts come up for renewal with the sub contractors AFC will demand that they pay staff the living wage. Can anyone please explain why the media single Arsenal out for this sort of treatment.
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If the GMB want to do anything useful, which is debatable as plenty of the kids working for Delaware are either a) not GMB members or b) under 18 and would not be entitled to the LLW, then they should protest outside the employers’ offices;
Delaware North United Kingdom Limited – Head Office 11th Floor, York House Empire Way Wembley HA9 0PA
Truth is they could not give a fuck about casual burger shovellers
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and that is why Mourinho is obsessed by Wenger
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Arsenal U18’s beat Norwich U18’s 3-2 this morning
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some reports that Arteta, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ospina all trained with the first team today.
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KOSCIELNY, ARTETA AND FIVE YOUNGSTERS TRAIN WITH ARSENAL SQUAD AHEAD OF TOTTENHAM GAME
Zimbio.com
Zimbio.com
Arsenal held their final training session at London Colney this morning ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League game at home to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur, with Laurent Koscielny, Mikel Arteta and David Ospina playing a full part.
All three players, who have suffered with injury of late, could make the squad for tomorrow’s game, with Arsene Wenger being given a further boost by the news that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has returned to light training following his short spell on the sidelines. He could soon be joined in that regard by Tomas Rosicky, who is recovering from a knee problem.
The respective returns of Koscielny, Arteta and Ospina mean that it is unlikely that there will be many members of the U21 side included in tomorrow’s squad, with Alex Iwobi the only youth player set to be involved. The Nigeria international has featured in the last three games for the first-team, and made his Champions League debut in the defeat to Bayern Munich in midweek.
There were several other youngsters who trained with the senior squad today, however, with Matt Macey, Jeff Reine-Adelaide, Glen Kamara and Julio Pleguezuelo all being called upon.
As far as the senior players are concerned, Hector Bellerin is out with a groin strain, but could return to action after the international break for the game away to West Bromwich Albion.
Aaron Ramsey, who has missed several matches with a hamstring problem, could also be in contention for the trip to The Hawthorns, but Theo Walcott’s calf injury may keep the striker out until December.
Then there are the long-term injuries to consider, with Jack Wilshere (calf) and Danny Welbeck (knee) not expected to return until the New Year.
Possible team:
Cech
Debuchy-Mertesacker-Koscielny-Monreal
Coquelin-Cazorla
Sanchez-Ozil-Gibbs
Giroud
Subs: Ospina, Gibbs, Gabriel, Arteta, Flamini, Chambers, Iwobi.
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So the calvary is on the way. Great news Eddy.
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I will be surprised if Joel doesn’t start.
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Thanks for re-posting Frank’s story, PG.
It still pushes buttons for me.
Have a look at the press conference, as the Q’s aren’t quite as snide as usual, and yet Arsene’s answers are typically sage:
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Agree Rantetta, quite a story on a few levels! Who is Frank btw?
As for tomorrow, of Kos makes it could be very beneficial in this game, such a classy defender, but if he doesn’t, think Gabriel can also do us proud.
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Jon Toral has scored for Brum today
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DRAGOMIR AMONGST SCORERS AS ARSENAL U18S BEAT NORWICH
2 Votes
Screen shot 2015-11-07 at 13.48.59
Summer signing Vlad Dragomir returned from international duty and was on the scoresheet today as Arsenal U18s beat their Norwich City counterparts 3-2 in a challenging away fixture.
Edward Nketiah scored Arsenal’s first goal, with the forward continuing his fine form this campaign, whilst Yassin Fortune, another first-year scholar, was also on the scoresheet.
The victory was Arsenal’s second win in succession following their triumph over Reading last time out. The youngsters host Brighton & Hove Albion next Saturday.
Via Andy’s Arsenal U18’s
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Chelsea lay on another feast of fun at the Britannia – very entertaining
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12 games in and Chelsea lose to stoke and are 2pts off bottom 3 and 13pts off top 4 with 3 wins, 2 draws and 7 defeats.
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the WOB are slagging AW and AFC for not being able to beat CFC when we played them earlier in the season, its seems Mike Dean never happened, it was all an illusion.
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john cross revealing his true colors by bigging up Chelsea’s performance and whinging about them not getting a penalty, despite there being no contact by Butland on Remy.
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Funny thing was Chels played well, could/should have got at least a point
Probably doesn’t help that Costa puts at least half his energy into scrapping with the opposition defenders – no goals in eight games – bloke is a fucking idiot
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Frank was a founder member of this blog, and the greatest blog commentator of all time. He and I fighting led to us leaving another blog. terrible times but great memories also. I admired him above almost all others. A true legend of blog-sphere.
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PG, quite right about Frank, and his horse!
Damon Runyon, used potatoes as a slang term for lots of money.
Let us be kind to the fans of that other club, after all, when did that club last win anything? Better than the hangers on, who say they follow the Arsenal? A win against the Arsenal, means a trophy so a DVD must go on sale!
The Arsenal must win the EPL and the FA Cup, and I will tolerate the Potatoes for a second.
COTG and the cockerel will be silent.
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I will repeat what George said for emphasis: “Frank was ….the greatest blog commentator of all time. He and I fighting led to us leaving another blog. Terrible times but great memories also. I admired him above almost all others. A true legend of blog-sphere.”
As his ally in the blog-wars and our falling out with another blog I witnessed him single-handedly destroy the weak middle-of-the-road, spineless supporters who failed to stand up for the players, Arsene Wenger and the club in the time of its greatest need, when the going was rough, when we didn’t have the money to compete. Frank believed Arsenal stood for something special in football and he taught us to hold onto it. I remember his encouragement to me as a non-British gooner and to those of us who never wimped out in the barren years. Wherever you are Frank, respect to you and Lady Nina.
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Frank and I went to war when I recognised the betrayal of RVP, Frank was so loyal, I think he expected our want away Captain to be the same.Of course me, being me, lost the plot with Frank and anyone else who sided with him.
To be honest, It is was my worst behaviour even if I was shown to be right. Frank however, did not hold it against me and came here giving us this article as an everlasting gift.
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We can’t quite revel in another weekend of chav misery until Arsenal do therir job tomorrow. In the mean time, I’ll raise a glass to the Mordor Rugby Club.
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In the early days of that other blog, Frank led the line against all doomers and doubters. As George said he was a man for the club and believed that the players loved the club in much the same way as he did. As someone who stood by RVP in the depths of his injuries, in the same way he supported Fraudegras when he was a wunderkid becoming the leading midfielder in the country, he did not believe that Van Stapleton could betray the club. I think those middle-of-the-roaders started turning on George when they saw the split between him and Frank. For weeks Frank stayed away from the blog while George took a hiding. George was proven right eventually but it was very difficult for those of us who were both your friends to take any sides.
But as George said, after you were both banned by doubters, you and Frank reunited to start a blog which supports, not undermines, the manager and the players. The manager and players represent the footballing values of the club and need to be supported not negatively criticized and second-guessed by those who are minimally qualified or just plain enemies of positive, progressive football.
Carmon Positively Arsenal!
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anyone see Costa tonight gesturing that Shawcross has BO,
by the way Chelsea are denying a Stoke Steward’s claim that Costa assaulted him, by standing on his foot while he retrieved the ball for a throw in. Seemingly the Steward has made an official complaint to the ref. So will likely have to be investigated by the FA.
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Both Frank and Arsenal Andrew wanted to believe RVP was working for the greater good. Dreadful time for us all that was
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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTOk9mcW4AAJDzp.jpg:large
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http://www.101greatgoals.com/101ggvideos/golazos/vlad-dragomir-scores-1st-arsenal-goal-posts-video-on-instagram/?
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I must admit although I saw a drift by the doomers I never realised just how poisonous the site had got. When Frank and George were banned I messaged George to come back and he explained the split was irreconcilable. He told me to wait as a few of the lads were thinking to start a blog of their own, they did and I’ve never been back on that site again.
I have to say this site is a real phoenix from the flames and as we have seen from when some of our players have left they can be replaced by new better heros.
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is the site you are talking about still running and if so is it a doomer site
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just watching the Stoke v Chelsea game on MOTD and all I can think is that will be Remy’s Chelsea career over, it will not go down well that he did not go down at all,
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good God is that all Match of the Day have to say about Chelsea’s season so far, 7 defeats out of 12 and basically nothing, totally overlooked, I bet if AFC don’t win tomorrow we will get dug out for it, imagine if AFC were in CFC’s position, MOTD would have a five minute piece lambasting us, but when its CFC, not as much as a word about crisis, or the disaster it is, or the managers position. Disgraceful from the BBC
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Good morning positivistas
A brilliant full translated transcript of Arséne’s interview with L’Equip.
http://tinyurl.com/qe6e6z5
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Thanks for putting that link Georgaki-pyrovolitis, Could do with more people like AW getting up and showing the way back to decency.
COYG etc
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GP, that is excellent
“I loved arriving in England and seeing the managers wearing suits and ties. As if they were saying, “Listen lads, our goal is to make a celebration out of this moment”. I joined in. I want that fan to wake up in the morning and say, Arsenal are playing today, I’m going to have a good time.”
brilliant
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I have never read an interview with a football manager like that – takes a bit of thinking about.
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****ing Epic!
Yeah, I love that man. Arsène Wenger.
On another topic, I’ve been gifted “The special one”. Didn’t we talk about that book here – a few months ago? I’ve read the first 2 chapters, but I’d read them before, as they’re available online for free (as samples).
Whilst the differences between Arsène & Jose seem obvious, I can’t help despair at the lengths THEY go to paint the latter as a saint!
I’m gonna have trouble reading chapter 3.
But I can read Arsene’s answers over and over again.
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