Good Morning Positivistas,
I thought I would out pen to paper this Sunday morning as it is weeks since I have had anything to write about on the Arsenal theme, and the past few days have rather rocked the Positive++ in me to their foundations.
I had hoped some Arsenal news might emerge to hang a written contribution on, but so far nothing. The best I can come up with is that we start out season in the Avaya Stadium, San Jose on the 28th July, as you all well know. By then we may, or may not, sign a new player or two. By the day no doubt another dozen names will have been in and out of the sorting hat. Those revelations hardly fulfil my mission to inform and to explain though.
Nevertheless there is international football to look forward to today. The opening group round of the Euros were mostly good games, tight contests with a pleasing number of the under-dogs biting the noses of the bigger hounds, most notably group winners Wales and Hungary.
All our AFC lads did well, Aaron, Olivier and Granit, the three most decisive. Tomas departure was a shame, though not unexpected. At least he played his last game in a fighting 2-2 come back against the crazed Croatians, rather than his career being signed off on the treatment table. And Jack ? I suspect if England are to make any genuine impression in the tournament they ( we) desperately need Jack to start, and to be the creative focus of the team. Not one of the starting England midfield appear to have the nous to open a defence up, to play a decisive ball.
Yesterday’s first knock out round, or what I saw, was a bit of let down, and all a bit cruel. A great goal from Shaquiri worthy of wining a tournament was undone by a penalty contest, and the Ulstermen managed to go out to an own goal. The Portuguese and the Croatians both played cautiously I thought, within themselves, and that was a looooooong 120 minutes. Portugal the lucky winners, though the exit of pouting tart superstar is postponed for another night only as they lack quality.
I trust the French and the Irish will release any metaphorical handbrakes and get down to business early today. Mesut follows that and we shall see if the Germans can beat a way through the Slovak lines any more successfully than England ?
That is it – whimsical musing over. Enjoy your Sunday.
Positively Arsenal 
so we now know its
Poland v Portugal with winners playing the winners of Wales v Belgium
France play winners of England v Iceland
Germany play winners of Spain v Italy
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Adithya V @PositiveAdi 4h4 hours ago
I wonder why Ronaldo’s and Ramos’ penalty misses were soon forgotten as part of the game but for Xhaka and Özil, it defines them… Weird
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Mesut played a freeish role. I saw him pop up all over the place, but he’d stick to the left a bit on the break.
Giroud played a huge hand in France’s victory against Ireland. For the first goal he drew a few defenders in the box and Griezmann was left alone to head Sagna’s cross into the net. For the second he knocked the ball down for Griezmann and left him with only the keeper to beat. That all happened in the span of five minutes.
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giroud also set griezmann in on goal for the sending off too
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sky reporting liverpool have agreed a £30M fee with southampton for saido mane
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Chile win their second Copa America in a row, and guess who won player of the tournament?
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Messi has announced he has retired from international football
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oh and Messi missed a penalty in the shoot out, but funny enough little fuss about that in the media, its as if he is not an arsenal player
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Higuain flopped in the final too, a great one on one chance and he fucked it up.
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Sanchez’s mid-season break worked out well for Chile.
Everyone’s favourite Maverick (that includes George btw) might not have Messi’s Magic boots but he’s inspired his teammates in ways the Argentenian has not. Four final defeats for Argentina and he retires. Perhaps BBB messed up his hammies by not giving him enough rest, perhaps the individual cares more about accounting then playing for Argentina, who knows, but if a Tottenham or Manc or Petro-club player was showing off their Golden Balls you’d never hear the end of it.
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It’s agood thing the Arsenal have been lacking leaders eh?
We have had the period of stewardship and rebuilding under Captain Arteta and his able lieutenant “Das Boot” (up the Arse if you mince about in the changing room), the inspiration of Cazorla and Ozil, and now have players like Ramsey and Koscielny reaching the very top top top level both in their own game and beyond.
in light of the above and the negativity around the club last season that it’s past time to make the reasonable conclusion that the AAA / AST are totally against the club and that their actions bear no relation to what’s been happening on the pitch.
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https://amp.twimg.com/v/fb3d8708-8aa2-453b-9373-01f77177cd2e
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Above: Alexis highlights, Copa A 2016
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Morning positivists,
been quite a while. Much ado about nothing seems to be the overriding caption floating around my mind at the ongoings in the World and Gooner Universe at large. Life really can be simpler the more you tread the non-mainstream paths (and believe me there are many) and not fall for all the short term hullaballoo floated by the various agendas in the digital universe. “Life is and will always be analog”, say the turds we (the still healthy) offload everyday.
In the matter of this team I love, Copa congrats to Alexis & Chile for repeating & “retiring” all-world Leo10. Well done and hope you regain fitness in time for the season. A long deserved rest awaits our no. 7. Well done to the excellent Ospina also for claiming the bronze and slapping back the doubters with his display overall.
The Euros have been fun. Sad to see the Hungarians exit the tournament, They were the most positive team and I really enjoyed their football.
Our guys (and ex-players) have really shown their quality to consolidate AW’s reputation as a man who knows. Grant, Giroud, Kos, Oz, Rambo, etc have more than proven their worth on the international stage and this can only bode well (barring injuries) for the coming season. Hope to see another gunner in a pic as special as the one with Alexis come July 6. Rest, rest, rest awaits the lot of them.
2 more players said AW. A CF & a CB most likely. Miki to Man U pisses me off some but the truth is do we really need him? The CF candidate of the moment seems to be Lacazette, the 2-footed french Defoe. After watching Griezmann yesterday, I’m ready to take another chance on the Eduardo/Vela-framed CF. 25 year old Alexandre looks really solid in the youtube hype-offs. Priced correctly, I don’t see why not. The overpriced Morata is more of the Giroud/Danny/Chuba – frame/type so I’ll pass if I were AW.
In the case of CB, what happened to the young Bolton kid we were linked to..Rob Holding? Or are we looking for more experience? I leave it all to the boss.
My great hope is that the players that are resting over the summer enter the new season with a vengeance. Especially Theo, Ox, Gabriel, Gibbs, Joel, Jenks & LeCoq. There is a lot to prove. I worry less about Santi, Nacho, MoNeny, Per & the Euro+Copa contingent. Also may the preseason be memorable enough for Wellington, Serge & JeffReineAdelaide to be included in the first team for the coming season.
Brexit, Frexit or Spexit aside, 2016/17 is the year Arsenal must claim the EPL…and the CL. The AAA/AST can go jump off a cliff.
Ciao
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Alexis Sánchez @Alexis_Sanchez 7m7 minutes ago
😢 🇨🇱🏆… Aguanté todo lo que pude…y valió la pena!!! Muy feliz 😀
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I see Fabregas picked up some nasty tricks during his time with broke back barca.
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Well played Italy, although it looked like they were going to throw it away at the end. They could be the team to beat in these Euro’s
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in that video of xhaka doing a stadium tour, its interesting that in the dressing room, one shirt was blank, suggesting that another signing is expected soon.
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Looks like Sanchez might miss the first few matches (of pre-season!).
Looks like he was subjected to some good old fashioned Argie-bargy.
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At least he’ll be forced to sit still for a bit, we hope.
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well AFC will give Alexis at least 3 weeks off, maybe even 4, so hopefully that will be enough to get him fully recovered from the kicking he took last night
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Good lord did everyone see that attempt by Rose to control the ball. He’s shite!
Walker losing his marker, I blame “man-to-man marking” as in Mano e Mano. Actually I don’t. I blame the coach for selecting too many Spursy players in his squad.
What a shambles (England will go on to win haha!)
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Playing England’s best striker and finisher and currently most creative player on the pitch wide of centre so he can shoehorn some Spursy shitehorse lane clogger in the middle you’ve got to laugh.
The spud will probably go on to score a hat-trick now. Okay that’s ridiculous I apologise for the above gibberish. He’d be lucky to sneak one in.
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Embarrassing for Hart!
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“We’ve seen him hit them in for Tottenham”
Says Glenn hoddle.
Not if you were watching the Arsenal.
And I don’t think we’ll be see him hit one in during this tournament.
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Hart only has the shirt due to his agent.
Clearly at fault during City’s visit in December.
He’s shite.
Foster is ten times the ‘keeper.
If Roy keeps on picking his favourite Special Agents mules he’s going to come a cropper (too late now – no need to mention Sterling’s depreciating value).
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What is this – spurs against stoke?
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Paddy Power @paddypower 2m2 minutes ago
Joe Hart said the other day he’s had nothing to do at #EURO2016. He does realise he’s supposed to stop the f*cking ball?
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Alli diving all over the place, should have been booked for it by now
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A decent attack there fizzling out as Rose hits a cross in hope and not with any method.
I can feel Gibbs’ pain (this was a short cross /pass opportunity the type he usually does quite well at. It helps when a player can control and pass the bleedin’ football…)
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Ed Malyon @eaamalyon 30m30 minutes ago
I don’t get how Joe Hart can make so many mistakes when he sings the anthem with such passion
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Get French Football @GFFN 15m15 minutes ago
Breaking | Marseille have accepted an offer from Crystal Palace for Michy Batshuayi worth €38m, according to L’Équipe.
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Ed Aarons @ed_aarons 8m8 minutes ago
Crystal Palace agree €38m fee with Marseille for Michy Batshuayi and trigger Andros Townsend release clause #cpfc
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anyone notice that vardy tried to engineer a penalty on that breakaway, his old foot into the defender routine
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Adrian Clarke @adrianjclarke 8m8 minutes ago
No pattern. No structure. No shape. All too off the cuff from England, relying on individuals to do something. Iceland are the opposite.
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Rose an underhit pass to Alli, on to Kane. Miscontrol.
And that sums it all up.
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Scott Napier @GrebtOfDatitude 11m11 minutes ago
Can’t believe these Spurs players aren’t delivering. Oh that’s right, no Eriksen, Dembele or Alderweireld. The real talent of that squad.
JB™ @gunnerpunner 6m6 minutes ago
Dele Alli? Blind Alli more like
Positively Arsenal @Blackburngeorge 2m2 minutes ago Blackburn, England
Oh ffs. So tell me again how Kane, Sturridge and Vardy are better than Giroud.
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england spursed it up
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To be fair Iceland are / were the better team.
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JB™ @gunnerpunner 3m3 minutes ago
Basically I’m OK with going out because this tournament has shown all the Spurs players to be frauds.
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has hoddle given walker/rose/alli/dier/kane man of the match yet
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Oh dear – like we needed more turmoil! Now the team follows the country out of Europe.
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what did england fans expect when you have 5 spurs players in the starting 11, the finished 3rd in a two horse title race, really what did england fans expect.
rooney moved to midfield cos rooney is the star, and room had to be found for him somewhere in the team. same could be said for several other players, in cos they are media darlings.
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these are the six teams England have beaten in knock-out rounds since 1966
Paraguay (1986), Belgium (1990), Cameroon (1990), Spain (1996), Denmark (2002) and Ecuador (2006).
a bit like spurs, its time England took a long hard look at themselves, and realized their real place in football terms. and stop believing the hype.
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by the way England have now finished behind Wales and Costa Rica in their groups in this euros and in the last world cup.
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Roy has resigned
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Squawka Football @Squawka 23m23 minutes ago
30th March: Gary Neville sacked as Valencia manager.
27th June: Gary Neville resigns as #ENG assistant manager.
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Stuart MacFarlane @Stuart_PhotoAFC 38m38 minutes ago
No doubt someone will blame Arsene Wenger for this.
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