Bon dia Positivistas,
By no means the result we were looking for but a decent performance last night against FCB I thought. There was no timidity in our approach, we brought the game to the opposition from the first to the last whistle. To meet and beat that mob, a side requires a faultless performance in defence and in converting the handful of chances that will come your way. And if by some chance you do manage to get a result over the 90 minutes then you have to do it all again, at their place! Just at the moment we are not doing ‘faultless’. Another season passes with the Champions League trophy distant on the horizon, we can see the route, we have a guide but it remains at least a day’s trek away (see above).
I thought a number of our players deserve a special mention for their efforts last night. The two most obvious are Alex Iwobi and Mo Eleny both of whom did not just put in an excellent physical performance to wrestle ownership of the midfield back and forth, they passed well, tackled cleanly and behaved as ‘professionals’. A first and very good goal for Mo that, for a little while at least, rattled Barcelona. I thought Danny and Alexis both hammered away all night in an effort to get on the score sheet. Ospina has taken over smoothly from Cech to the extent that no one even mentioned his second choice status last night. In spite of the usual naming and shaming hysteria on social media I did not see any of our players who put in what you might call a poor or bad performance.
My God I even thought the referee did OK.
Onward to Merseyside on Saturday lunchtime. While there may be an argument that we will be at a disadvantage after just two days recuperation, I thought we looked as though we had plenty of energy last night, even in the final few minutes. Our record against Saturday’s opponents is a little erratic. Traditionally they were easy meat home and away but in recent years have put up more of a fight, especially on their home turf.
There is cause for some optimism though. While Everton had a good win against Chelsea in the Cup we arrive with their Premier League form at Goodison in poor shape. Checking their last nine home PL games shows just one win (against Newcastle) four draws, and five defeats. Their most recent setbacks a 2-0 lead against the ‘Appy ‘Ammers ending in a 2-3 defeat, and a loss to Pulis’ mighty West Brom. Clearly home form like that would be grounds for a very large banner indeed in certain parts of North London but Martinez, smooth-talking Spanish chappie that he is, has floated serenely past the flak with the FA Trophy a useful shield.
Hopefully we can dent Roberto’s bland confidence and regain a little of our momentum for the final Premier League run-in. There is still a prize to play for, be in no doubt.
Have fun, but don’t go mad.
Positively Arsenal 
Tiresome
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I’ll tell you what I think of yesterdays game. It was a fucking great game to watch. Arsenal played well and some of our players were on a Barca level.
I am not about to start complaining about that.
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91 other English football clubs and their fans would donate a left bollock each to be playing where we were last night George.
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Millsy – Your attempt to apply some Freudian psychological theories to better understand the current state of our football club is fantastic. I read a little Freud recently but he is not an easy customer when it comes to explaining complex phenomena especially the brains of human beings. But to my way of thinking, the id and the ego of a professional footballer expresses itself in the form of confidence and confidence is shaped by recent results; i.e. the dreaded recency bias which is the tendency to think that trends and patterns we observe in the recent past will continue in the future. If for example Alexis stops scoring goals or Giroud falls into a drought, in my opinion no matter how players are set up they will begin to doubt that the team is good enough to overcome. If players start believing they are not as talented as those being paid bigger bucks than those at City, Chelsea or United, this will express itself in the confidence of their performance. Magnify the recency bias which is hardwired into fans and the vast mass of football pundits you have an oppressive environment which demands a special personality which thrives under adversity. This must be certainly a daily challenge to Wenger as he prepares the team for every game.
Will quit while I am ahead.
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was impressed with our performance yesterday.Honestly,strongly believed we could pull it off.Disappointed we ddnt,but not the least angry at anyone.If the players believe like some of them have said that they are good enough and they are ready to stick with the club and not jump ship,the football world better watch out coz their own winter is coming and their preparation for it will be worse than than that of the seven kingdoms.
What a virtuoso performance from Elneny,Iwobi,and Ozilla.Ever the optimist,I can see sth coming together.i’m the better for it.
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Thanks Shotta. Yes I agree with you and how youve described players and their confidence etc.Its odd how the Id is somehow forgotten as a contemporary term,yet its forms are so rife amongst human,especially when AFC lose! The media and misinterpretation of the Dharma means that the term Ego now seems to incorporate the Super ego and the Id.But the old pleasure principle seems to cause all sorts of problems, and personally Im not sure if it was right to push society in that direction, as its a bottomless pit.But thats my opinion, and perhaps for many humans its right or seems that way. I just feel sad at the amount of unnecessary suffering we all have.To much extraneous (false) meaning is attached to football (imo)More super ego needed!
I have a friend who is a neuroscientist and who explained how memory is formed.And how easily it can be changed,it often needs sustained effort, but it can be changed, its even been filmed changing. Its odd that it can happen in just a short moment.
Everytime we react to something new a whole new circuitry is made up, and slowly the other forms can change, but there might be still other connections until they are unglued (forgotten in a sense) from the neuron etc.But we can see how neurosis can form and not just be attached to a singular thing but create a massive pattern of inter-relation and association.
As I said to Ed, the solution is to immediately think of a point out side of the system as to break the formed catch22 and the belief that the catch22 is a closed system,thats the real first part of the problem,that we even think its a catch22.So heres an embarrassing an wet/daft example. As a little kid I often dreamt of Dracula standing at our back door and our cat,that wanted to come in and was about to be killed/eaten by old Drac.If I opened the door the cat could get in and be safe but Drac would also come in too which I didnt want,and the nightmare would play in circles in my mind, and I would get all potty with fear.Horrible catch22 for the kid.But if I could have reached for the imaginary gun (a point outside the catch22 system)and blown Dracs head off, the cat and myself would have been safe!
But concentrating on this a fresh circuitry and dialogue opens within the mind. But we have to be careful that the old circuits arent still in place as those other memories held within them can spring to life and re create all the old scenarios with our mind. So for me I started getting angry in the second half of the Twatford game because of the times I saw Arsenal lose against Watford in the 80s.It was horrible and embarrassing and all that came up again! Grrrr!
So there is no such a thing a closure, (unless we really make it so)although it looks like it cant,but can that happen in our world of such sophisticated social media, and the memes buzzing around in cliched form that created these false memories and invalid reminders creating extra havoc for the manager and lads!?
The players are in a difficult position.We’ve all been educated to please, to receive or hear criticism,and to act accordingly,its in our brain/neuron systems,and form that comes a myriad of different patterns,could be thousands even more. So they are reacting the groans and frustrations are deeply affecting team as you say.As I wrote to Ed, I worry when some players become too conscious of the crowd and they cant focus on the game.New circuits are being made to work this out and causing new systems which are recalled if something like that happens again( as youve written).
So we can see that thinking out of our conditioned system and creating a new reaction means the crowd cant affect them. Its is possible.
As for the pleasure principle ruling all? Only the endless suffering of not getting what they want might change it! Has there ever been such a time when the Id has ruled on such a large,widespread scale on the globe?
Peps the new idol for the green eyed envy of the Ids, however if he doesnt deliver then they will be after a scapegoat.Shame really,to me the ultra competitive nature of our times means we cant really enjoy the game/taking part or at least on a larger collective scale.
Its odd though, but the key is not to live in the moment, but to plan ahead already,but if you dont do this with a certain imaginary ideal and the ensuing emotion the mind will get anxious and cause other problems.
Its a tough call for a single person, but to get a squad of 22+ together and well running is a difficult task (think of all those millions of miles of brain circuitry and memory–arrghhh!)and the media climate makes it much more difficult with all their fixed brain patterns too. Im also not sure Wenger has a free hand as much as we think,but more on that another time.
I think fins was well on to something when he was writing it should be about the football,and not much else!-Apart from PA of course!
Sorry to rattle on. Fascinating subject though, the the seemingly hidden drives of players/the game.
But the mind can be changed and in a way it is all the time. Except time doesn’t exist,its only there to describe movement.Arrghhhhhhhh!!! (banned smiley)
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One reason it’s better to stick to the footy is because the manic depressive memes put out by manic depressives tend to be, well, cyclical.
E.g.:
Ozil only signed for AFC as no one wanted him
Ozil is lazy
Ozil is stealing a living
Ozil is lightweight & doesn’t show enough effing Pashun
(Wins all the plaudits and proves that the gaffer was right to spend his wonga on a playmaker who can still run and more then a season in him. Against the enemy from the 80’s this past weekend Ozil ran back from a corner and made a tackle in his own area etc etc etc)
Ozil must be getting frustrated at not having other players of his quality to play against
And all the other predictable crap
All the above pumped out by voiciferous ones that:
A) have an Expert PR click and grab agenda plus some R&W sponsorship
B) are unwell and believe everything that they hear on talkshite or read in the funny papers
All that matters to a top athlete is fitness. Wonga. Baubles (4 since he arrived) And possibly a lack of reasonable protection (that last one was for Andrew IBSF)
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Yes youre right fins-bloody memes in the mind!! Im baffled with the Mesut hatred.I think hes a fabulous player,since the first time I saw him play as a new Deutsche stern, he was special.
Ive just been looking at the “Id Meme” world, and you can see it in operation,the endless circles of poop all connected up to make a false argument thats seems to the gullible to be rational.All made up over years and years of the same line of thought.Some of those blogs are pugatory/hell or groundhoghead day thats for sure.
(a like from me on your post fins)
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talking of groundhog day:
Ein Schuss ein Tor-Borussia!Ei!EIEi!
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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2625185-arsenal-transfer-news-thierry-henry-questions-rumours-on-3-major-everton-stars?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=programming-UK
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I wonder if Henry thought that comment might wind that trio to play even harder on Sat?
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Mills I forgot to add we all saw and heard the above cycle with RVP
etc. etc. etc.
yawn yawn yawn.
Looks like the Tinies won’t even score a goal against this weaker Dortmund squad. Blimey.
Will that understanding lift a little gloom for the Gloomers? No, I didn’t think so.
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First time I saw Özil was when he demolished England in 2010. Of course the hacks were going to hate him! No brainer.
Of course if Fat Frank’s goal had stood might have been a different game. Possibly. That memory should be enough to tell the Gloomers how tight a game of football can be even if the opponent scores say four but then why would they pass up an opportunity to gloom? Being Gloomers and all.
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At least we have a D**M now. Two actually. One who likes to welly them from distance too. Should keep the D**Mers quiet, it’s just the Gloomers we need to worry about now.
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And of course none of these ginormous football brains will ever praise the signings of Cazorla and Arteta what they have done for this wonderful club and how AFC avoided the kind of horrors witnessed at Utd Gazprom and hopefully under Pep at City too.
Show me the praise.
And how big a loss those two great players have been for this squad. They were, alongside the BFG who is a little less senior then he was my humble and irrelevant and probably wrong opinion (they were the three musketeers driving this squad on for a few seasons),they were the Leaders that the silly buggers keep on glooming on about, I think I’m beginning to realise how it is that they missed them! What with all that glooming and all.
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Both A +C are mightily disliked as players by the D+Gers.I dont get that at all.At the moment its only Mo and Iwobi who are getting any praise.
Cant say I enjoyed a recent visit to D+G world,those blogs are like something from Dante.And I changed channel when I watched AFC tv too.
The D+Gers will soon hate iwobi and Mo anyhow,tis the way of their memes! Or in their memes.
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easy to see why Piers Morgan wants Gary Neville to be the Arsenal manager, what passion — Valencia 2-1 Athletic Club (agg: 2-2): Gary Neville sent off as late away goal knocks out Valencia
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Agree Finsbury, leaders all, especially Arteta. Will be difficult to replace. He could have been of such assistance when confidence dropped in some home games.
But Santi…with respect to others, surely the biggest miss of all
It has been another year whereby injuries have really screwed this team.
But Arteta, would love to see him either kept on or return to be given a chance in some sort of coaching capacity..
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Also, who can forget the way Arteta and Per helped stabilise the club after the awful Summer of Cesc and the events at OT
Leaders who have the respect of the team.
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Lagging behind today, but Ed 11.46, you do raise some valid points, we do seem to gamble on the optimistic side when it comes to injury……and regularly get caught out. I am not one to usually criticise the club or manager….but agree, a bit baffling especially this year. Think it is a mixture of all you say,..and maybe the right replacemtnts were just not available. Also, hard to get the required level of covering or squad players…..players of the standard we want will request some sort of reasonable playing time….and not just cover for injuries.
I can see why Wenger gambled on experienced and excellent players like arteta and TR, but this is a gamble that unfortunately didn’t pay off. Can also see why he leaves a place for the likes of Danny and Jack…..and I guess injuries have given us the promise of iwobi and Joel.
But yes, whatever the reason, I hope they do not repeat such a gamble next season, there shouldn’t be any need with our finances……should there?
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wouldn’t it boil piss of the AAA/WOB if our summer transfer are John Terry, Harvard Nordtveit and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a CB, a DM(who can also play CB) and a Striker. Sounds good till you add that two of them are heading for 35 and 36 early next season, and all 3 are on Bosman free transfers.
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ha ha ha, the shit stirrers that wanted Coyle, then Martinez, are now saying Eddie Howe is the man. ah you have to love these expert bloggers.
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Don’t forget the Laudrup, Gary Monk, AvB and Arry phases some of them went through.
I think some would take Ian Dowie over Wenger.
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Did you not see Tuchel of Dortmund interviewed before the Spuds match ? Fluent English speaker, quietly spoken, youngish, sensible, and currently in charge of a formidable German club side.
I know the new poster boy for the malcontents when I see him. #TuchelOut
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Mandy @ 10:53, yesterday:
“But yes, whatever the reason, I hope they do not repeat such a gamble next season, there shouldn’t be any need with our finances……should there?”
With the exit of MA8, MF20 & TR7 in the summer, I don’t think gambling even comes up next season. The 2 things that could tamper with the 2016/17 season are the Euros and the Tour de USA. Knowing AW though, he’ll probably take a squad full of Young Guns to America.
The big Q of the summer for me is, “who of Wellington, Hayden, Akpom, Maitland-Niles, Toral, Zelalem, & D.Martinez make it to the senior squad ?
I’ll leave possible new incomings to the silly season.
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if half of those people make it to the first team, why should there be ew signings?
just to make those that take their fix from it happy?
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New post is up.
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