Zagreb then is it? I wonder if our fortunes will be reversed from earlier in the season when our league form was scintillating and our European scorelines so disappointing. I suspect not. Life seldom runs on such neat and predictable lines. People are glibly, or airily if you prefer, predicting that the return of some injured players will be the magic bullet needed to get everything back into the groove from which we have so recently slipped.
What is it with all this magic bullet baloney? Bullets aren’t magic. Firearms are simple machines, what comes out and where it ends up are dependent on what you put in and how well you aim them. There seems an almost superstitious Arthurian bent among much of our fan base. People spend the entire season believing that some mythical saviour will come riding over the hill, sunlight glinting on his shield, to save us from the dragon or lift the siege and free the city.
All the evidence points in a far more prosaic direction. Success comes from patient hard work. From sticking remorselessly to first principles and doing the right thing and when the right thing appears elusive continuing to try to do the right thing until over time a run of good performances and results have dragged us back into contention.
No single returning player can achieve what diligent hard work and nerve can do. The big problem with the returning player as saviour script is that injuries wreck our good form not just because we lose players at the top of their game and because the replacements are wont to be ring rusty. These things are of course significant, but what really gums up the works is disruption.
Players like to play in settled formations and to build understandings and trust with their partners all over the pitch. Taking people out and adding them back in just buggers all that up, and again it takes time and patience to get it back. Give the returning players a chance for goodness sake. Let them bed back in and let their team mates get back into playing with them again. Nothing good happens in a hurry and the team will need a little luck and a lot of resolve to get out of the trough into which they’ve slipped.
There is no crisis just an understandable dip in form or rather in results. Some of the performances have been fine, some of the individuals have been wonderful. A couple of things go wrong and in some matches you get punished in others you don’t – that is the boring truth.
I am not going to waste much time on the nonsense I’ve had to listen to and read about injuries. How they were avoidable or that something more could have been done to prepare for them. Not so many, not all at once and not all affecting similar positions on the pitch. Not possible and the drivel that I’ve read suggesting such catastrophic and unpredictable events could have been better planned for is too feeble minded and frankly beneath my contempt and so I shall pass over it with ne’er a backward glance. The manager and the remaining fit players must somehow cope with all that is thrown at them and we as fans must hope, or pray if praying is your thing, and just wait and see what luck and hard work can bring.
I’d like us to do well tonight but it isn’t the priority, that is the league. The problem I have is with the unpredictable and frankly surreal spate of one injury after another I’m left reeling and I now watch matches just beseeching the great unknowable forces of the universe that no one else goes under. Which is a shame as I am lucky enough to support one of the most entertaining football sides on the planet and I ought to watch games with a mood of drooling anticipation rather that the world weary cynicism that someone else is just bound to get hurt.
However these feelings can’t hold a good man down for long, and they certainly can’t hold a weak, old fool like me down either and I shall begin once more to approach each kick off with the same level of belief and will to win as I did the first match I ever saw as an Arsenal fan.
What will Zagreb bring to tonight’s encounter? I would be amazed if they didn’t come with precisely the same mind set as when they hosted us way back in September. Soak up whatever we throw at them, hope the ref does them a massive favour and look to hit us on the counter. Lightning we have been assured since childhood does not strike the same place twice. I am no scientist but I’m happy to go along with this as simple fact rather than the colourful metaphorical language it almost certainly intended to be. I can’t believe the luck which saw us hit the post, miss an open goal and a penalty will curse us again tonight as it did in the Midlands on Saturday. Likewise I can’t see Zagreb getting the run of green in quite the same was as they did in our previous meeting.
I can’t predict an amazing reversal of all the poor results and rotten fortune that has so blighted our enjoyment of the beautiful game of late but just a small change of wind might help. A deflected goal perhaps, a glaring miss for an opposition player instead of one of ours for a change, a close off side call going our way that sort of thing. It won’t take a lot, I’m sure the application and willingness is there among the players – they like everyone else just need a helping hand every now and again.
We here are of course not called negative Arsenal and for a bloody good reason. If we want to wail and gnash our teeth and rip our shirts to bear the freshly bloody self inflicted wounds of torment we have plenty of other places we can go and do these things. There are myriad Arsenal related (I don’t say supporting) blogs where such veiled and open criticisms of the manager and individual players can be aired, there is always Arsenal twitter which loves a moan and there are newspapers and talk sport and BBC radio which thrive on an Arsenal hating, self loathing, alleged Arsenal fan venting their spleen. Here we try to maintain our sanity and our equilibrium and pick out that which went well rather that pore over a tiny defensive lapse merely because it led to a goal. Honestly what pleasure does that bring people? I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it, looking at and discussing a conceded goal is like gazing into the toilet pan after a difficult, unpleasant and forgettable visit to the smallest room. Why on earth would you want to do such a thing?
We have much to cheer still. Santi has been a revelation this season, playing us out of defence with calm assurance, supporting the attack with invention and wit. Mesut and Petr Čech are on a different level and Alexis is too hot to handle. Olivier Giroud can’t stop scoring and Monreal is one of the best defenders in the league right now. Much to love much to get excited about, much to distract all but the most hopeless masochists among us.
So chin up boys and girls, we live to fight another day. Saturday is already history, glory beckons the faithful, fame and fortune await the brave.
Positively Arsenal 
Morning Stew and good sense as ever – tonight we have the opportunity of righting the wounds inflicted in Zagreb so unexpectedly in September. I do not expect any player in red to fluff their lines or give less than 100%.
If we play to our capacity, or even near our capacity, then there is little doubt about the result.
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Superb Steww.
Forgive me but you inspired me to “attempt my own pen, all my own work I promise!
“Give me your tired, your injured,
Your huddled squad yearning to breathe freely and be match fit,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore*….
…I lift my lamp beside the door to the infirmary and see that the Mafia have sent some urine sniffers to try and intimidate this club, eh come again? No favours from the Rico enterprise representative tonight then. onwards, forwards, once more
* this was of course a precient (in the original) reference to former drift or deadwood, non-existent squad players that groaners were groaning about but who are now indispensable e.g.: Coquelin, Bellerin etc.
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You have a poet’s soul fins
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Wise words indeed, and as you say, no good hoping for a returning Ulysses to drop all good into our laps. Although I do always feel that a fit Ramsey and a fit Wilshere in the squad give us better options all over the pitch, so should either or both of them be up to full speed by Christmas I will be delighted.
There is plenty to be said about luck and the effect it has on games though. The unforgiving inch that sees a shot bounce harmlessly away or nestle in off the post makes all the difference to matches (and offspring too, come to think of it), the foul given or not, the ball that sits up for the striker in space or which squirms away, the deflections or finger-tip saves unfold as they do, and they seldom even out. I can’t bear the smugness of Gary Player’s “the more I practise the luckier I get” despite the obvious truth it contains, because it doesn’t explain luck pure and simple. Although we frame games as best we can with time and rules, they don’t exist outside a random universe. And to claim that you don’t need luck in life because of the way you prepare invites the kind of response that would see Tragedians almost refuse to pursue such unworthy game
Injuries too, some of which are down to bad luck (plain and simple), others down to recklessness, some to frailty and some to AD – and some of course a combination of all those things. But it does seem at times that every roll of the dice is against you, and I guess that is when you need to hunker down but also count your blessings and remember it is the journey to Ithaca that is more important than the destination. Which is all well and good should you finally arrive where you want to be, not so great if it all ends prematurely. Which of course for most of us is the case. And why we need stuff like football to divert and amuse.
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Do you lads think theres such a think as “luck” or is everything some kind of physics in action? Im not convinced luck exists, I thin its an blanket term like “lazy”.But would be intrested in what you think?
Cheers Steww,( the bit about peering into the El Boggo and searching for answers amongst the mutated food had me in stiches of laughter),a great read as always and great comments from FH and Fins.Shurley its time Fins writes and article?
Im with anicoll5, re- tonight.
Soz about the news flash yesterday( twas only meant to make ye laugh…)
COYG! etc
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of course there is no magic bullet player to return, but we like any other team can be expected to perform better on a more consistent basis if we have our better players in the side, that is why if Ramsey and Theo for example are in the team or squad ahead of fifth or sixth choice Campbell or the “not ready” Iwobi, then
It may not be a magic bullet, but it is logical that Arsenal will have better chance of playing well if we have our first choice players in the starting 11 and higher quality subs than at present to bring on if we need game changers, or just players of closer quality to the starting 11. Does anyone think if we had a full squad fit that Iwobi or Reine-Adelaide in our match day squad, I would go as far as to say we would not even have Campbell in the 18. This view is based on years of seeing Wenger’s match day squad selections. So yes no magic bullet savior, just higher quality players.
I don’t agree that Cazorla has been a revelation in CM this season, for me overall he has been bang average, yes he at times has shown his magic twinkle toes ball control in tight situations, but on the most part he has not been at the standard he was at when he was first moved to CM last season. For me many of the games have passed him by, and he has struggled when opponents have pressed him. He has failed to score this season(not scored from open play in over a year, and not scored at all since February) despite having some very good chances. He is not assisting either.
Cazorla’s game is easy on the eye, and as I said his twinkle toes moments are magic, but he has been anything but a revelation. He is in CM to compensate for our DM’s lack of passing game.
As others have stated, if we perform anything like our best tonight then we could win easily. And then its all down to Bayern to keep us in the CL and put our qualification back in our own hands, anything other than a BM win and its Thursday night football for us, and no more Saturday kick offs.
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I am convinced only luck exists Mills, physics I am much more dubious about
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Lovely new word coined by Rancid Potato on Twitter that some of us sniggered at as a descriptor for the Scarfists, sub rock dwellers and fence-sitters yesterday – “negaholics”
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anicoll5—that what i tried to think when the Tottenham fan threw a lucky horse shoe at my head…luckily it turned into a boomerang!
Neuer was quoted this morning that Bayern are only thinking of themselves and not of Arsenal.
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On our injuries, well out of the seven players now out injured 4 are impact injuries, Wilshere, Welbeck, Rosicky and Coquelin. So that should put a hole in the idea its down to the sort of training sessions Wenger runs.
We also have to look at those who have been injured this season for any length of time, Arteta, Wilshere, Ramsey, Rosicky, Ospina and Coquelin have all had similar injury lay offs in recent seasons, so is it something in their DNA, or something in how the play the game(Wilshere and Coquelin, – maybe even Ramsey’s all action style of game leads to his injuries too), so are they just injury prone or is it their style of game.
A worry I’d have is that we still have two important players who have had injury problems the last couple of years, Koscielny and Ozil, and with the way things have been going the last thing we need is to lose either of these guys.
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Good stuff, Stew.
I heard we have got a magic bullet as the email from Arsenal said get there a tad earlier tonight because of an extra cech.
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I have no concerns either way about Bayern – if we were in their position we would not be bothered about Arsenal.
The helpful thing for us in the Bayern match is that a home win is what the Germans want, they win the group with a game to spare, ensure a softer Group of 16 berth in the New Year, and can take their final day trip to Zagreb easy.
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true anicol, if the tables were turned we would not give a damn about Bayern, in fact many would be delighted to see them out. We can only look after our own result and then see where it puts us.
A 1-0 or better win for AFC means regardless of the other result or our final group game result, that AFC finish no lower than third in the group, so we get at least EL football this season.
Many gooners seem to want us to lose and finish bottom of the group to avoid this happening, in fact its not that they don’t want us in the EL, they want us out of europe completely, something about not having the squad to cope, and of course we can’t possibly win the CL either. what is it you call them, whiteflagists
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We are warriors.
“Glory beckons the faithful, fame and fortune await the brave.”
Very comprehensive blog Stew. You didn’t exactly bite the bullet in the opening salvos. Showed a lot of intent putting Arsenal’s season thus far into perspective. There really are a lot to be grateful for and a lot to look forward to. That is the truth and not boring at all.
What has becoming boring is the overexposure of clichés after every bad result. “We are weak defensively”, “we are doomed because Wenger signed a DM”. That has been said so many times that it has become a parody. A jumble of meaningless words and letters. Semantic saturation if you like.
Just like you, and all on here, I’m quite content to look forward to tonight’s with drooling anticipation. How great will it be if the guys can get some familiarity back ahead of the Norwich game to get our PL challenge back on track?
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Don’t forget guys that the Arsenal U19’s game is live on Arsenal player today at 2, the show starts at 1.40.
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reports that Arsenal are in talks with several clubs about loaning out some of our young players, the deadline is tomorrow. Several clubs had scouts at our U21 game last Friday, Iwobi is the main target, Reading FC are said to be deep in discussions with AFC today for his loan move. Crowley, Pleguezuelo and Kamara are said to be the next most likely to be loan targets. Chris Willock might be a surprise loanee too.
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Arsenal look to be giving some of the younger lads a chance for the U19’s, Bielik, Bennacer, Sheaf all on the bench. 15 year old Nelson and 16 year old Malen start.
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link for the U19 game
http://player.arsenal.com/matches/180695/video/7053/arsenal-u-19s-v-dinamo-zagreb-u-19s?autoplay=true
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PA Sport @pasport 2h2 hours ago
#Breaking FIFA’s ethics committee request life ban for UEFA president Michel Platini, say Platini’s lawyers
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18 minutes gone, Hinds off injured, Robinson on
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HT: 0-0
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53 minutes, Zagreb take the lead, the lad ran from the half way line unchallenged and slotted home very well.
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bits I’ve been watching very 50/50
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we need a world class (U19) goalscorer
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oh bugger
– breakaway and 0-2
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68 minutes now 2-0 down, will be difficult to turn this around
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74 minutes Mavididi on for Nelson
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ref yellow cards O’Connor and then flashes the red card too, but realizes he had not already been booked and does not send the lad off.
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77 minutes, Mavididi scores a scrappy goal 1-2
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5 minutes of added time to be played
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FT: 1-2
disappointing result
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Adrian Clarke has just said on Arsenal.com that Callum Chambers has been playing DM in training.
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Plenty of tickets for Citeh’s visit up on the Exchange tonight – not going myself but for anyone who fancies a Monday night in London ……..
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Shabs @Redbutdred 2h2 hours ago Islington, London
There will be loads of empty seats at Arsenal. There wont be if we get to the last 8. Get your arses down there you bastards and support.
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Arsenal team : Cech, Bellerin, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal, Flamini, Cazorla, Campbell, Ozil, Alexis, Giroud
subs: Ospina, Debuchy, Gabriel, Gibbs, Chambers, Ramsey, Reine-Adelaide
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What a fabulous blog, steww. The sort of stuff I aspire to writing. Down to earth yet rousing at the same time. I’ll have to stream tonight – the local channels seem to think that Barca vs Roma is more interesting. Forza Roma! I guess we’ll all have half an eye on München too. Reminds me my one visit to the bierfest – all those buxom blondes bearing five or six steins in each hand – magic.
Hopefully a little more Mesut Magic this evening. Failing that, a scrappy 1-0 will do and a prayer zat ze Germans do ze buzinezz.
Hungarian refereeing team I see – isn’t that a bit too Balkan for comfort?
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Neil Lennon (ex Celtic Manager), Brian Kerr (ex Rep of Ireland manager) and Kevin Kilbane (ex Everton player), discussing on Irish TV, Wenger’s comments about drug taking in football, have all basically said that they see no reason to think that players are not taking performance enhancing drugs, that with so little testing the chances of being caught is very low, that we know from other sports too that not only are there masking agents that help them not get caught, but that some people over the sports are willing to hide it too, even encourage it, so why should football think its not the same situation.
Lennon went close to admitting that its an open secret that its going on.
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great write up, great comments, COYG (and bayern)
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fucking shit Arsenal supporters, place 40% empty, glory hunting cunts the lot of them that could not be arsed to go and support the team despite having bought the tickets.
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slack pass by Mert and zagreb in for a corner
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zagreb on the front foot so far, second corner already
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Cazorla baloons his shot after good build up play, AFC getting into their stride now.
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should have been a penalty for foul on Giroud, just inside the area he was shoved in the back, ref waved play on. Giroud not happy
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Giroud heads corner over the bar
Bayern winning 1-0
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Alexis should have shot first time, after great work by Campbell
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Campbell very lively so far
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Patience, Gooners, patience.
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Alexis is taking too much out of the ball, keeps running into trouble
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Pep is holding up his end of the deal,
a strong BM team is playing and it’s 1-0 up to Bayern.
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