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 
The you sir are a no-nonsense, action meerkat of the highest order.
I’ll be honest Thierry could hang out the back of me whilst making those pithy comments.
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My policy with Henry after he moved into the studio was to tune out, turn off, and pay attention to the footy.
Working well so far!
Plus with Clarkie up there in the ether their really is no need to waste any precious time with any other petty plundits
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Bang on, Fins!
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Els he is being called out for talking rubbish… doesn’t change his footballing legend-ness if there is such a word… but he really cannot have been among those saying we cant celebrate getting 2nd talk less of getting second ahead of spurs…
A former arsenal captain ought to be best placed to explain to those that may genuinely not understand it and not join them in talking rubbish! It’s what fans do to local rivals! Even the players get in the spirit of it…
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testing 3-2-1
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I don’t dislike any of our players and I value all their contributions, but could someone explain to me how Alexis is runner up in player of the season on Arsenal.com?
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if its fans vote , then not surprising cos i recall some times when the manager rested him and some thought they knew better
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To avoid being negative, let me say this about Alexis: I am so happy Santi is back so he can focus on being a wide forward rather than have some of us pretend he is one of our most important creative players.
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I’d rather we have Alexis in the team’s roster than not.
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I think fans also like a player who is aggressive and displays an attitude of taking the battle to the enemy Pass. He always wants to play. Alexis gets a fair amount of stick for being wasteful with the ball but you never see him fade out of a game, from minute 1 to minute 90 he is trying to make something happen.
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the reliable Arsenal Horse is reporting that Granit Xhaka at London Colney now, finalizing his move to AFC, fee said to be £35M
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Ozil named Arsenal player of the year
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Eddy
Beware of horses bearing gifts
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dc, The Independent and BT are reporting it now. So it might be more trojan work by the horse once again
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http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/arsenal-close-in-on-signing-of-granit-xhaka-from-borussia-monchengladbach-a7039516.html
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The Ornstine had pronounced on it.
We are getting Granit Xhaka, and for a more reasonable price too.
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well its looking good on the Granit Xhaka front, I only know him from the weekly Bundesliga highlights on ITV2, and going on what I’ve seen from him on that, he is a big powerful CM, with good passing range, and you know how some gooners like to claim Flamini is a liability on the red card front, and is reckless, well they will love this guy, he’s had a couple of crazy red cards, one earlier this season when he kicked an opponent, a good 30 yards from where the ball was, I think he has been sent off something like 8 times in Germany(4 years there), and he recently got booked in the Ireland v Switzerland friendly for a robust tackle.
Again going on highlights only, he might very well be the Arteta replacement we have been so looking for, it might mean we will once again see the best of Ramsey in CM.
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The runners and riders are all in the stalls for one of football’s Classics the Transfer Window Stakes ( sponsored by Sky).
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so Brendan Rodgers is the new Celtic manager.
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And they’re ……..
OFF !
Galloping briskly along the opening furlong as we anticipate three solid months and two weeks of total bullshit, media hysteria and Twitter meltdown …….
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isn’t it great that after 4th spot in the BPL once again becoming important, the FA Cup is now a big trophy again, how I’ve missed these two things for the last few years. Now I’m not sure why they were important/big, then stopped being important/big, and are once again important/big, I’m just pleased that they are.
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the players that come here actually want to come, hence we are not moved by those rubbish stories of Alexis and Ozil wanting out!
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The amount of interest in tomorrow’s FA Cup final as far as I can judge is somewhere between none and fuck all Eddy – two mid table sets of hoofers, neither of which had had a difficult game to reach the final.
You are knocking about with the wrong people.
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Having said that the game will probably be a 5-4 classic – spoken of for the next 25 years as the best final of the 21st century so far.
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Not wanting to see earlier efforts at prose and song unappreciated I thought I’d share one of the few songs that I know too.
–
We love you Arsenal,
We do.
We love you Arsenal,
We do.
We love you Arsenal,
We do.
Oh Arsenal we love you.
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What I was trying to say above was that combinations between a fit again Alexis and a rested (& therefore fit) Ozil last weekend were really quite special at times, on song, and just one example of what we’d lost with the injury disruptions.
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Nothing like the end of the season and the TW to bring a blog to a standstill….
This may cheer you up, but take it for just a laugh, nothing else.
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well Arsenal.com done their player of the year top 3 and are doing a goal of the season too, so guys what are your top 3 in each.
Mine are
Player of the Year
1. Ozil
2. Monreal
3. Koscielny
a mention to a few other guys who done very well while in the team, but due to injuries, or amount of time in the team don’t make the top 3 – Cazorla, Iwobi, Elneny and Welbeck.
Goal of the season
1. Ramsey flick v spurs in the 2-2
2. Flamini volley v spurs in coc
3. Alexis drive v man utd in the 3-0
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so a week on from the end of the league season and the big question is still to be answered.
Is Flamini leaving or not
the club made a fuss over Arteta and Rosicky last Sunday, but nothing for our french midfielder, and now we even have journos saying “it’s possible Flamini” will leave too. Middlesborough are being linked with a move for him, but its not clear if he is out of contract or not this summer, or if he is being offered a new contract. the malcontents will have another meltdown if he is still in our squad next season. He played in 12+4 BPL games and a total of 19+5 in all competitions
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Ed. Mine would have to be…
1. Özil
2. Cech
3. Bellerin (cemented in as the worlds most promising fullback)
Goal of the season
1. Giroud’s neat neat turn v Liverpool.
2. Elneny v Barca
3. Ramsey v Spurs
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Hahaha good poster that.
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No players contact has run out so my guess is the Flamster is being kept as a bargaining counter in respect of current negotiations that are said to be underway with a certain German club.
Goals this season I have to add in Giroo’s opening volley against Palace at Selhurst Park and Alexis’ cheeky back-heel against the Mancs to put us one up (I think) Danny’s goal against Evertom the best Wengerball goal.
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with over 25k votes cast Elneny’s goal v Barca is way out in front on Arsenal.com, with 37% of the votes.
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work on the Emirates pitch in full swing
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Yeah that pitch needed an overhall it was a fucking state.
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I forgot about DW’s Everton goal. That was nice. What does it mean that a smashed out of the box goal is winning goal of the season. The least Arsenal of the lot. Surely a JW tiki taka done well will always be preferred.
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Malcolm Supermac MacDonald highlighting that being a top player does not mean you have a clue about the game
“One player who really does surprise me being in the national squad though is Jack Wilshere.
Not only has he been injured for the vast majority of the campaign, but I’ve watched him for the last two or three seasons and he doesn’t impress me one iota.
He’s got no real flair to the game; he’s just a straightforward get the ball, turn in a circle and give it midfielder.
There’s nothing about him which gives you that special little spark that is required at international level to turn the game in your favour.
I can’t see what he is offering the England squad.”
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the contenders for Arsenal goal of the season is the monthly winners
Elneny won back to back player of the months, and now is in line to win goal of the season, and all this from a total of 17 games, BPL 9+2, CL 1 and FAC 5, with his one goal coming in CL v Barcelona
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Arsenal are once again being linked with Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko, it seems we have been linked with him right back to his days with Toulouse in France, and many Gooners have wanted him in as our DM powerhouse, despite the fact that he has rarely been played by Newcastle as a DM, they don’t even play him CM that often, he has been used by several different managers at Newcastle as more of a wide midfielder or attacking midfielder.
I rate the lad, but I really don’t see him being a target for AFC at this time, I think if Wenger really rated him as much as has been suggested in the media over the years, he’d have been our player long before this. I just think this link is either lazy journos just rehashing an old link, or its his agent trying to drum up interest in his client.
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Eduardo – I’m pretty sure there are far more ex-players that have been tainted by personal opinions or pre-conceived ideas than there are those that are open to learning and understanding the game from the other side when the needs of the team are all that matter. Supermac is certainly one of them. Merson, Smith, Dixon, possibly Henry. I’d say that Bergkamp and perhaps Keown are the rare exceptions. I wonder if it’s a genrational thing by and large. I think that many of the offenders are players that narrowly missed out on playing in the multi-millionaire era.
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Elnen was a waste of money. Luckily only a small amount though. Why wont Wenger dip his hand in his tight pocket and buy a Fellaini for £30m. Tight bastard.
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Also Ed from being oop North, (I unfortunately see more SAFC than AFC) I hear an awful lot about Sissoko and see a little too. If we signed him I doubt he’s be played on the wing. If there was ever a Petite to happen again it’s that guy. I’m not one for playing Vermealen as a DM and all that shit to shoe horn your “very bestest favourite heroes” into the squad. But Sissoko can get up and down a pitch is physically superior to most and plays a nice pass. I just don’t think there’s space for him. I think that the timing has never been good.
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the malcontents have already trotted out the line that the signing of Xhaka has only been done cos season ticket renewal is slow.
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so what number will Coquelin take next season, as Xhaka’s favorite number is 34, he even has a tattoo of 34 on his back
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