Good Morning Positivistas,
What a finale to the season ! Ninety minutes that will be firmly fixed in my memory as one of the best final days I have witnessed, even weighed against seasons in which trophies have been won and records set. And memorable for all the right reasons.
Of the game itself we dominated the opening phase and the way we tore into Villa a substantial score looked possible, 6-7-8 ? Having taken the inevitable lead however the second goal did not come !! While the visitors looked horribly inept there was a niggling fear that with no second goal we risked another ‘Crystal Palace’ style stumble, the anxiety heightened as word from St James’ Park swept across the ground. The Lilywhite collapse came as a surprise for me and most I think, but thereafter each new Tottingham calamity met with hilarity and a knowing shrug “it’s Spurs”. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. The scale of their breakdown was stunning and on this occasion there were no third party/lasagne themed excuses to hide behind.
It took us to the 78th minute for Olivier to hammer the 2nd goal on the back of Mesut’s 19th assist. That was a long time and evidence that despite the poverty of the opposition we found it difficult to quite get our game ‘right’. Santi was brilliant yesterday, and, though his work was much more in the background, so was Le Coq who worked hard all afternoon in the engine room. Though in possession of the ball 75% of the time and in control of the game just about 100% we did not really threaten in the Villa box. If I was looking for a reason it seemed to me that with Santi, Ozil, Jack, and Sanchez we had too many players of the same ball-playing at the feet style, all the same size, and trying to do the same job. When we brought on Elneny our shape changed and we became faster in moving the ball, and more direct.
Once the second came the third goal followed immediately for Olivier. Having sat uncomfortably through a few games when nothing has gone right for the Frenchman fortune shone her benevolent gaze on him yesterday, every damn thing went right. All good finishes as well.
Then came forth Mikel to loud applause. Even though our club captain was on the pitch for just five minutes he put his all into that cameo, and was duly rewarded with our final goal. ( Own goal my arse).
Mr Clattenburg duly brought out league season to a very satisfactory end, there followed very warm and sincere tributes to Mikel and Tomas. I do not know how much, if any was shown on the TV, but the Spaniard was really sobbing both on the pitch and later on with his wife and children in the tunnel. I suspect the tears were the realisation that part of his life, the life he has wanted and known from about the age of 8, to be a “footballer”, was over. Our friends at the Telegraph provide this morning’s final picture of the Mikel enjoying the final goal in an Arsenal shirt below.
Finally I am delighted to say that the ‘lap of appreciation’ was performed in front of an 80% full stadium with all of the players, coaches and manager, and their children, walking the perimeter with Gunnersaurus bringing up the rear. All had on Rosicky shirts, other than Theo (Sigh). The glow of good humour from crowd to team and manager you could feel. That is how a football ground ‘should’ be.
Is it only me but was the absence of any reference to/recognition of the Flamster in yesterday’s leaving ceremonies significant ? Might the Frenchman be in for one more campaign ? If not it was a bit of a shame he did not get a good cheer.
On the sunshine bus we all know that football retains the means to confound and delight us, to lift us to a joyous perch, and to drag us toward and then back from the brink of doom. Yesterday the season passed into history in a glow of enjoyment, of goals and of victory.
It is a pleasure and a privilege to write for so knowledgeable and enthusiastic an audience. Enjoy your week, enjoy the close season. We shall return.
Positively Arsenal 
Wonderful, wonderful day and, by no means for the first time, an equally wonderful and uplifting review to end our season on, thanks Andrew. And as you rightly say, especially pleasing was the packed out stadium, staying on in tribute to all our players and staff, putting the setbacks, the disappointments and the banners firmly behind us.
Yes, we have taken the odd step backwards this season but 2nd in the league is very much two steps forward and we await next season with great excitement, optimism and expectation.
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If anyone’s appetite is the brutal horror of life as a Tottingham fan is not satisfied then might I direct them toward;
“Dear Mr Levy”; http://www.dearmrlevy.com/dml/2016/5/15/ill-communication
” Football, such a hateful game. Qualified for the group stages of the Champions League and nobody gives a f*ck. Nearly win the league, still finish below Arsenal. Could be worse, could have been stood in the away end watching it all as it unfolded.”
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The old fart”s thoughts:
For weeks now, I have been listening to the fat lady warming up. How much pleasure can one receive when she did open her mouth, it was not a crow but a definite croak? And so far, not the hint of a whisper about Lasagna.
I have to admit to enjoying some schadenfreude when writing to some followers of the ungodly: St Totteringham asked me to send our congratulations on your achieving a straight CL place. He also asked if you would mind if we drank the bottle you left behind? Cheers. They have given me uphill since January so the pleasure was all mine.
It does us no good to think of what could/should have been. As things worked out, Leicester fully deserved the pot and despite our beating them twice (67.7% of their defeats in the league) out own hari-kari on far too many occasions was far too much to overcome. At least we can take consolation from being unbeaten in the Top 4 “league” with 3 wins and 3 draws. Even yesterday, before Olly’s second, we seemed very much off the boil once we had taken the lead and it would have been no surprise to see Villa equalize. Thankfully for our pulse rates, this was avoided. How bloody might it have been to draw when Newcastle had done the business for us?
Olly’s hat-trick and a farewell “assist” from Mikel, such a pity it didn’t just scrape the underside of the bar, gave rise to celebration instead of the nonsense suffered in previous weeks. It was a very happy day. Eventually.
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It took 3 years but like Arsene , I have been lucky and stumbled onto the perfect double pivot of Stew and Andy, Not once have I read a preview or review that has not left me with a warm glow and a contented smile.
I would like to thank them and others like Shotta , Heady, Mills, Andrew and every other occasional author .
And also those that comment and keep the spirit of the blog alive.
UP THE ARSENAL !
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Finding it very difficult to concentrate on what I am meant to be doing this morning. And also not quite coming to terms with the season being over.
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If people could Email me a few lines on your overall feelings of the season, I’ll cobble them together for an end of season review,
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Thanks Andrew and thanks for the ride along on the Arsenal rollercoaster this season. It has truly been a memorable one.
Yesterday’s game had all the makings of a blockbuster movie; Arsenal teetering with a 1-0 lead, Spurs a man up and closing the deficit to 1 goal. My Sunday lunch of fingernails threatened to give me heartburn but oh boy, it all came crashing down for Spurs and then Olivier Giroud hung the moon in that last period of poor joy that kicked the wind out of the wobs and their handlers.
Social-media was a joy as Gooners around the globe stand united behind the team. The Emirates crowd, even those in the Villa section leading the way.
We love you Arsenal and Arsène Wenger, we fucking do!!!!!!!!!
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Jeorge Bird @jeorgebird 15h15 hours ago
Senior apps by U21 players 2015/16:
Bellerin-44
Chambers-23
Iwobi-21
Reine-Adelaide-2
Bennacer,Bielik,Kamara-1
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Arsenal U19’s are currently playing in the semi final of the spax cup in Germany, v Liverpool, and AFC lead 1-0, about 8 minutes left,
link to live action
http://www.spax-cup.com/videostream/videostream.php
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Make no mistake, if I can claim to have persevered it is in large part due to PA and the wonderful, brave, mature, enlightened, erudite, fair and balanced writers and commentators.
A wonderful review from Anicoll to end our campaign and yes I think we will do better next season.
Profuse thanks to all. Let’s enjoy the summer…
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arsenal won, schalke in the final, kick off at 2pm
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Jack Wilshere @JackWilshere 4m4 minutes ago
Absolutely buzzing! I can’t wait to meet up with the squad and start preparing for the euros. Thanks for all the messages. #England
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as someone who would hate to see England win the Euros, I feel much happier about their chances now I’ve seen the squad, 5 spurs and 5 liverpool, surely doomed to fail.
Theo does not make the squad, Wilshere the only Arsenal player in the squad
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, Fraser Forster, Tom Heaton.
Defenders: Kyle Walker, Nathaniel Clyne, John Stones, Gary Cahill, Chris Smalling, Ryan Bertrand, Danny Rose.
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jack Wilshere, Fabian Delph, James Milner, Adam Lallana, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley, Andros Townsend, Danny Drinkwater
Forwards: Wayne Rooney (c), Daniel Sturridge, Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford
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Fußballgott @DasAngreifer 4m4 minutes ago
West Ham have signed former Arsenal midfielder Havard Nordtveit from BMG.
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Shame about Theo; in a stretched game he could still have been devastating for England.
Given how much better England always look these days without Rooney, I’m little short of shocked he’s made the cut, to be honest.
Still, if it all serves to keep our ridiculous over-expectation of the national side at least partially in check then it’s probably for the best.
Have emailed you PG.
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AFCPressWatch™ @AFCPressWatch 4h4 hours ago
Giroud became the 6th Arsenal player since 1990 to score a final-day hat-trick:
Limpar(91)
Wright(92)
Ljungberg(03)
Henry(06)
Walcott(15).
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Nketiah scored the goal that beat liverpool in the semi final of the spax cup this morning, his second of the tournament, O’Connor and Eyoma the other AFC players to score so far.
Arsenal’s results so far
Group Games
Wolfsburg 1-0
Fluminese 1-0
TuS 1-1
semi final
Liverpool 1-0
AFC play Schalke in the Final later today. Kick off 2pm. Games are 2 halves of 25 minutes each.
Sadly I will not get to watch all the final, so hopefully AFC will be well ahead before I have to stop watching.
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What a fantastic end of season. What a glorious ride with my fellow Positivistas, a personal highlight being my trip to the Emirates. Being self-centered and egotistic as my human frailty will allow I am convinced my presence at the Ems must have changed our fortunes. Lol.
Unlike most in the Arsenal blogging and podcasting community, Andrew and Steww have resisted the temptation to project their own subjective expectations on Wenger and the club and helped us readers retain our optimism during the inevitable ups and downs of the season. Unlike their overly egotistic self-serving cohorts elsewhere there was no reason to withdraw support from the club and manager when they stumbled after Janaury after key injuries took their toll, no need to do a 180 degree on their prior conviction that we we had a squad good enough to win the title, and certainly no need to to turn on our greatest ever manager and to vilify him as miserly, tactlessly inept and incapable of ever winning a title despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
So we are left with a strange situation where those who gave up on the club and never for one moment willing to commit themselves to the belief we could overhaul our bitter rivals and come second are the ones having the biggest laugh like here hahahahahahahahahahaha. Clearly some have no choice if they are to commercially exploit their links to the club. Unfortunately there is a minority that will become even more bitter and irrational because their outsized ego does not allow for contrition and admission they have been wrong. Some of us have personally experienced this in the past.
Meanwhile us Positivistas bask in the knowledge that despite the enemies within, friendship and solidarity and a positive outlook will triumph in the long run.
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Nice one andynic5
I knew it would end happily when I published this on the 2nd May ha ha
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Arteta says he has 3 very different offers to go into coaching, he did not reveal what the offers are, and only named Arsenal as one of the options, with Man city and Spurs thought to be the other clubs offering him non playing roles.
I really hope he takes up the coaching role offered by Arsenal, it is rumored that AFC have offered him a coaching role in the Academy, and that Man city and Spurs are both offering him first team coaching roles.
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you even got the points right NB !!
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unhappy for theo… hasn’t had much luck in his English career… in fact our English contingent hasn’t had much luck… injury the biggest offender.
he will be rested and set to fire for the new session straight from preseason
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andynic
I don’t get many things right in life so I was quite pleased with that…. banned thingy!
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PG: Hope to get to you later, if not you can quote anything worthwhile from my post above.
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Never in doubt Northbank, never in doubt.
At least not by you!
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spax cup running a bit late, looks like kick off for the final will not be till around 3pm, so I won’t get to view any of it, but as long as Arsenal win, I won’t mind too much
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Arsenal lost the final 3-0
Team: Keto, Tutu,Robinson,Mourgos,Groeneveld, DaGraca,Crowley ,C Willock, Eyoma, Hinds, Mavididi
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Hans Ladegaard @HansLadegaard 18m18 minutes ago
Despite Spurs great season Arsenal did better than them in all 4 competitions…
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Duncan Castles @DuncanCastles May 15
Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham, 70 points. Andre Villas-Boas’ Tottenham, a record 72 points. One a hero, the other a villain.
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My thoughts upon this season ?
“By Carrow Road I was afraid,
I was petrified
Kept thinking we could never win
Without Coq and Santi in the side
But then I spent so many nights
thinking how Neville did us wrong
And we grew strong
And we learned how to get along”
Thank you
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The verdict is in on 14 days. No points away but from what I can see a bigger fine for Chelsea than the FA rules of punishment on E20 allow for.
http://www.thefa.com/news/governance/2016/may/chelsea-tottenham-fined-160516
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Has Stew started his holiday already?
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Thanks to the writers …..and commenters on PA for so many enjoyable, thought provoking….and I would say educational material over the season.
And yesterday…..ok no silverware, but that was fun, a nice little end of season gift. Shouldn’t be negative, but Anything that so clearly upsets the extreme elements of the WOB and the pundits in one fell swoop can only be a good thing…….yesterday’s events did that. Their desired narrative of the summer has been flipped on its head, no power shift…….just consoling themselves with what they are claiming is a bright future for Tottenham. The WOB Spurs love in has taken a slightly different dimension.
And , regarding our manager…..people can debate as they wish, but anyone who says that the man who led us to runner up this season should be sacked the next is either delusional, should support Real Madrid…..or maybe Liverpool…or just find a new interest.
Enjoy the summer!
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Ed, who was the lad from notts county who ended up at Stoke after crashing cashleys car. He scored a hat trick in 93 I think last game of the season v saints same game as Pires if I remember correctly.
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Ianspace…..sounds like Jermaine Pennant?
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so have I this right,
Wenger says with Welbeck long term injury we will buy a striker and it will “certainly not be someone just to make up the numbers”, and that Giroud will be here next season in the first team,(well he aint going to be in the U21’s), so the media run headlines that “Wenger says Giroud will be first choice striker at AFC next season”, they include quotes from Wenger, where he actually does not say Giroud will be first choice, yet the malcontents and the easily led, see the headlines and that is enough for their little hissy fits. And suddenly, much like the “Wenger says 4th is a trophy”, and “Bendtner says he is the best striker in the World”, a new misrepresentation of the facts or actual words, are forever etched in the thoughts of the weak minded and trotted out as fact by them ad hoc,
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ian that would be Pennant, another English lad with all the talent in the world, but not the professional attitude to fulfill his potential.
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so Captain, my Captain, has left the building, and so who will now be our captain seems to be a hot topic, Cech seems to be many peoples choice, some mention Monreal, our own PG says Ramsey, and Jack gets some peoples votes.
Well oddly enough I have yet to see any of the 3 men who were our captains this season get a mention, Per who is our vice captain, Kos who has been captain recently when Per was out of the team, and Cazorla who has wore the armband a number of times this season.
some will suggest that Per should not be captain as he is unlikely to be in the team most weeks, (at this point that is more based on somes hopes than fact,
Kos seems to be ignored as most have not noticed that he has been captain of late, and of course he don’t roar and shout and beat his chest.
Cazorla being out for so long has left many forgetting he has been one of the men AW trusts with the armband.
I think unless Per actually leaves the club this summer, he will be Captain, be he in the the team or not, as I think Wenger views the role more of being one of Club Captain, than Team Captain. I can relate to this, as I was involved as a manager in another sport where team captain was little more than a reward or figure head, and often the captains only role was to make sure team sheets/paper work was signed and in order. There was no team speeches, or such, and all the talking was done by the manager and coaches.
I played Gaelic Football and Soccer to a good level, and never found who was captain making the slightest bit of difference
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on who might be our captain next season, well we are being strongly linked with Xhaka and he is the Borussian Mönchengladbach captain, maybe if he joins he will be made our captain.
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Finishing second was so sweet. The tears of the “Spurs are miles better than us now” spewing wankers taste so sweet.
The season was lost when Santi went down injured. Our best line up saw him and Le Coq in the middle with Rambo, Alexis and Ozil weaving their magic in front of them.
Our best game,for me, was the 3-0 battering we gave Man U at home.
Worst game was losing to Southampton 4-1 on a must win week-end with the lead in our sights.
In the CL, we beat Bayern, which is never easy.
All in all it was a good season. I’m glad the boys will get a proper rest before starting up again. Can’t wait to see who Arsene buys for next season.
Have a good summer boys and girls.
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Morning all. Eduardo, I can’t look past Per for captain next season. I think he and Kos will start the season as first choice and all will be continued without any rocking of boats.
I’d also be willing to bet that Santi will be vice captain next season. No idea about Xhaka other than seeing him fleetingly on BT sport (not really watching any specific performances), but I don’t think he’d be likely to come in and take the armband.
What are peoples thoughts on The Flam. Any chance he’d be offered an extension. It just seems Wenger wouldn’t want to lose 3 big influences from the dressing room at the same time.
Also I’m happy to lop of my testes in order for Arteta to stay on in a coaching roll.
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Certainly a good season. Not a title but a move up the table. Another season of top four whilst other nailed on “better teams” once again find themselves out of the top four.
To me it’s impossible not to see the squad developments and strengthening once again whilst the EPL becomes ever more competitive. We’ve been unlucky once again but it’s not to be dwelled on. Onwards and upwards!
I would love to see some further youth development. Iwobi could very well be joined by a number of Academy players into the new season if they any succesful pre-seasons pan out. With Maitland-Niles, Rene-Adelaide and Toral being my favourites for the slots. Also will we finally get a good dose of the gnabry?
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On Sunday Els what struck me was what in midfield what a massively strong bench we have. Santi and Ozil are probably the nailed on starters and we then have Jack, Aaron, Alex Iwobi, Elneny, Le Coq, and (apparently) Xhaka to fit around them. That is six players to fill two slots, and if Flamini stays which I see as well within the realm of high possibility that is seven. If required, and I think by his own preference, the Ox is a central midfield player of great quality so my final call is eight.
Now I know the Arsenal suffer the world’s worst injury record but even so that is a massive armoury of midfield quality – all skilful ball players and box to box runners and tacklers.
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Hi Anicoll yeah, when you list it like that it seems too good to be true. It’s such a nice collection of skills with cover to boot. I struggle to see how they’ll all get game time. I wonder if one of those makes the move to the wing. Iwobi or possibly Jack or Aaron? I personally can’t see the Ox being given the time to settle into a central spot either. But you never know. How the hell Iwobi has forced himself into the first team squad is quite an achievement.
It is a long season though and perhaps a return to fringe players in cup games would be nice to see. But you can’t expect players like Toral to hang around for those chances also I can’t see another loan deal being sufficient for him. Could more than likely see him move away due to him being 21.
What’s happened (and you can see this being a massive issue for the support troubled fans) is we’ve already prepared for the departures of Arteta, Rosicky and potentially Famini with the likes of Elneny and Iwobi. But from a pure numbers point of view it’ll almost certainly be used as a negative when we inevitably sign less than the number of departing players. We’ve got that to look forward to.
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A blast from the past with a modern twist from Ian;
Jan 2006
What do Spurs do when the cockerel croaks?
As readers well know, I am not a happy bunny given that the denizens of Shite Heart Lane appear above us in the league. This being such a rare occurrence it has forced me to totally rethink normal day to day living.
Normally at Christmas, as we do year after year, Annie and I would have a 4-5kg. Ham, a luxury denied to many spud supporters, together with all the trimmings. And of course a good red wine… white always seems thin and vinegary, somewhat akin to the average comment emerging from the swamp dwellers in these august columns.
Come the New Year, we’re probably still eating ham sandwiches but that’s been a small price to pay.
This year, however, a change was called for. To me one of the finest meals is still plain old roast chicken, flavoured with anything from chili and garlic, to onion and curry leaf, delightful fresh tarragon or lime and thyme…but in the current circumstances, a rooster really seemed more appropriate…a white rooster.
Do you know how easy it is to buy a plump white rooster in downtown Joey’s? Still alive and kicking. How easy and (shame facedly I admit) very gratifying it is also, to watch said white rooster having its throat cut? How magnanimous one feels when offered the walkie talkies (the head and the feet) to say that the vendor may keep them?
It was only afterwards, driving home that I really thought about it. This bird had been a living entity just minutes prior. Full of the joys of spring, prancing around in the daylight, crowing to announce its prowess as a horny, gladiatorial specimen to end all specimens in the Chicken Little land it had inhabited, and, very much alive.
But now, it would crow no more. Because of me and my petty football tribalism. Mea culpa, sackcloth and ashes, sadness and shame.
So why did I have to spoil it and think ahead to May? Because that’s when I started laughing at the thought of “the day the crowing died”.
Hell that chicken tasted good.
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Hah. That’s good (but pretty gruesome as an almost vegetarian). Who wrote that?
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Gf60
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As Eduardo792 mentioned above the comments are being gleefully taken out of context about Giroud. After saying that he’s looking to add a striker he also stated that Giroud will remain a first choice player. What the fuck else is he going to say!!! The guy has scored 20+ goals, is our seasons top scorer and on occassion looked every bit as good as all the fantasy names we’ve been linked with.
It really boils my piss that the negative look taken by many blogs is that Giroud is not going to be good enough isn’t life terrible. This is despite the fact that they then go on to list the strikers we are linked with, and could very well end up with. So what exactly is their problem. Isn’t that exactly what they want?! Is it in fact that they would rather see a player sold so that they could be proved correct in their negative opinions. Rather than the team being strengthened at all!
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Arsènic @Lexus7Sanchez 2h2 hours ago
Jon Smith, football agent, on Sky Sports News: “Xhaka to Arsenal is a Done Deal.” #X34
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