I tend to avoid giving the idiots among us too much oxygen, the great leveller that is social media already ensures their vapid discharge receives more than enough attention. One theme which has somehow made it into the office past my secretary is the idea that as Arsène paid a lot of money for his new signings he should bloody well play them. With all the self righteous anger of the entitled, these infantile hysterics who have spent years demanding new signings finally get them, and guess what? The so called expert in charge refuses to pick them.
Of course they neatly cherry pick their arguments to fit the pre conceived narrative and so fail to mention Shkodran Mustafi who has gone straight into the team and has pretty rapidly shown us why. They just cannot understand why Lucas Pérez and Granit Xhaka don’t start every game and why we sent Joel on loan and kept Theo.
Now before I go on let me just say, in parenthesis, we here at PA claim no expertise. Nada, nix, zilch. We, unlike the drooling hordes of mindless trend followers who so pollute the atmosphere of any modern debate, are happy, nay delighted to accept that Arsène Wenger and all of his staff know infinitely more about running every aspect of a football club than we do or ever will. The only things we express here are skewed, narrow, prejudicial opinions based on no more than our gut instincts. I have an idea, an uninformed guess as to why the manager hasn’t automatically thrown the new boys into the pot all at once and it is no more than that.
Given the injury situation I believe he had to play Mustafi straight away. It would have destabilised the team to have too many new faces all at once and would hardly have been effective man management to ditch established quality first team players just because he had some shiny new ones in his back pocket.But there is a much bigger point. Arsène didn’t buy these players because Arsenal was desperate. We didn’t finish way off the pace in seventh, eighth or ninth position in the league last year. We came second. We had an excellent group of players albeit a squad with a few gaps in it due to the retirement of our skipper and a couple of old hands moving on to a quiet semi retirement.
Unlike other clubs we didn’t need to buy saviours because we weren’t in dire straits. We bought players to augment an already successful, top class outfit. Man United in contradistinction flung an obscene amount of cash at one player because they needed a talisman, someone to ignite belief that they might just still be in with a shout of rejoining the big boys club. It’s a club they and Liverpool left some time ago and pretenders like Spurs are making serious efforts to join. Arsenal, needless to say, has been a member for ever single year of Arsène’s time in charge.
So no, the manager doesn’t need to throw all his new trains straight onto the Hornby OO gauge track. Neither does he need to take any chances with those coming back from injuries. He can smooth the transition to the Premier League for the new faces and he can ease the wounded back into the fray. He is, in short, building from a position of strength.
Similarly the cup team we fielded against Forest was noticeably stronger than in recent seasons. In fact our cup side and our league side may start to appear quite distinct from one another, with Ospina or Martinez starting in goal and perhaps Lucas up front, Elneny being first first choice in midfield. Then again we have the option to field differing strength cup teams depending upon the perceived strength of our opponents – the permutations are quite fascinating – not to say mouth watering.
Our opposition this evening, while, in theory, not as formidable as Paris St Germain, cannot be taken for granted whatever the make up of our first eleven. Let’s face it, no one in the Champion’s League intends to roll over no matter who they play and Basel have form when it comes to shattering the illusions of cocky Premier League clubs. Unbeaten this season and with a 100% record in the league they have featured in one or other of the European competitions every year since 1999. So they are experienced, in fine form and have no reason to fear any British team.
I mention all this to dispel any of the ridiculous foregone conclusion, gung-ho nonsense some of our fellow fans mistake for positivity and confidence. Saying we ought to murder them just so that you can then berate your own side if you fail to bury the opposition under an avalanche of goals isn’t positivity it is a symptom of an unbalanced mind.
I am positive about tonight. I believe we are in great form both individually and collectively. I believe also that we have players on the bench and occasionally not even in track suits who are extremely capable and desperate to prove their worth if given the opportunity. Whether any of them will get that chance tonight remains to be seen but nothing would surprise me. We have the classic potential banana skin on Sunday with a trip oop north on the weekend following a Champion’s League tie. Under these circumstances we need players to be fresh and sharp. Having said that the season is yet young, the players supremely fit, and they don’t have to travel half way around the globe this evening so an unchanged side, Coquelin and Ospina excepted cannot be discounted.
As I sip from the lucky mug and contemplate another night of European football it is a relief to know that in you I have someone to share the moment, someone who doesn’t believe they know more than the manager but above all someone who recognises what a phenomenal achievement it has been simply to be here yet again. A top four finish isn’t some kind of booby prize it’s the holy grail of every club in the Premier League and we are lucky enough to a follow a team managed by a man who has delivered on this goal year after year after year.
If you’re at the match I trust you’ll be in good voice, if not I’ll see you here at 7.45. Ćao za sada.
Positively Arsenal 
Young man, you’ve done it again. I don’t know how you do it-but am glad you do.Read you later for the game( see you later isn’t quite true!)…
COYG!
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Read your ‘young man’ in Brian Clough voice for some reason Millsey
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…either that or the Harry Enfield/Kathy Burke characters?Or Mose Allinson?
It wasnt Cloughie, that bloke was too patronising!
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So cool, thank you Millsey.
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That Ladies and Gentlemen, is an outstanding blog. Stew, you never fail to impress, but this morning’s effort is outstanding ,even by your lofty standards.
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I have to plead guilty Steww. I really did think that playing Alexis in the middle was a mistake. Should have realised that in terms of football intelligence, AW is at Einstein level and I’m close to moron. Good article yet again. Thanks
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Agree with all witnesses – an outstanding blog in a sea of super pieces.
Well played (young man).
See you all later, gathered around your videogram of choice.
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I don’t want to bang on, but I have never nodded along in agreement as much as I did reading this blog.
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Steww
This particular blog could be the Positively Arsenal “Mission Statement” or “About Us” information bar at the top of the home page. Well done and thanks.
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gf60 – I don’t think we shouldn’t have opinions or ever wonder at the manager’s methods, part of the fun in watching is trying to work out what he’s up to and debating whether or not it will work. My target is those who assume they know better than the experts.
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PG and GP-in total agreement! (nodding and smiling)
Stew-I can only imagine how good your personal writings are, you deserve much more recognition for all your works mate!
COYG!!
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Part of the problem is that you don’t need to understand how a ‘Team’ of players works or how to fit new ones in, to be successful at ‘Fifa Manager’, and even those with some experience of ‘Sunday football’ are more worried about getting 11 players and a couple of subs, than they are about how the players fit together.
I’ve worked with guys that can’t manage their own day, but they seem to think they can run a squad of 30 odd players and be successful, even though they’ve never done it before…
Odd how the human mind works sometimes 😀
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Andy Nic, GP has had a good idea there, is there any way of adding a link to this piece in the “About us” section as an example of exactly what we are about. Because this it it.?
A P.S. at the end I mean.?
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Please do add it to About Us – sounds a good idea me
Re the blog not only do I acknowledge that the professionals running the club, picking the players, deciding on the formation, and signing the sponsorship deals etc know infinitely more about these topics than I do – I actually do not want to take on this whole new range of responsibilities – I want to go to the match, or turn the TV on, and have all that sorted out by the best people available so that the my own role, supporting the club, (cheering, jumping up and down, more cheering, more jumping up and down, cursing the referee as the spawn of Satan and other semi skilled largely manual activity) I can get on with as swiftly as possible.
I admit, my plate is full being an Arsenal fan.
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in recent years Basel have beaten Chelsea and Spurs, and drawn with Man utd, but Arsenal should win at least 7-0 against these part time farmers or should that be part time clock makers.
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Brilliant Steww. You hit a nerve. I have been assailed by those closest that, like you, in my occasional blogging I write only for a group of like minded fans; essentially dismissing us as a close-minded group that is incapable of contending with dissenting viewpoints. It hardly seems to matter when I counter that my blogs are fact based, almost to the level of tedium, which none of the dissenters can dispute. Similarly you observe:
“… unlike the drooling hordes of mindless trend followers who so pollute the atmosphere of any modern debate, are happy, nay delighted to accept that Arsène Wenger and all of his staff know infinitely more about running every aspect of a football club than we do or ever will.”
Despite that observation, I doubt most of the hundreds who will eventually read this blog will concur. That is because we live in a world where we have been conditioned to believe that every opinion is equal. Yet there is no successful institution in this world which treats every opinion as equal. There is a hierarchy of decision makers no matter the trappings of democracy and and the newest fad some now call “bottom-up decision-making.”
When it comes to blogging and debate in the various Comments sections, many of us here on PA can personally attest from our experience elsewhere, that the so-called open blogs are simply vehicles for repressing factual debate especially if it is contrary to the ambitions of the blog-meister. Usually they become platforms for inciting the worst aspects of human emotion, greed and despair, something I have recently highlighted to you my readers.
While I agree with Steww’s general sentiments, I would disagree with his conclusion that most opinions at PA are “skewed, narrow, prejudicial”. It is because we rely on the experts to do their job and the data to confirm our opinions this makes us one of the sanest blogs around, bar none.
At last Steww and I dissent.
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Stew……… It’s been a pleasure reading this match preview. I only hv one thing to say:
I got my Arsenal back!
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lots of rumors that Ozil has signed a new contract, I can only assume he did not see all the career advice offered to him by the uber bloggers and super fans, if he had he would have left Arsenal to further his career, and show wenger up to be the fraud he is. We can but hope that Alexis who received the same advise cares more about his career and helps make the malcontents happy, by leaving.
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Eddy, stolen for twitter that.
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Irish TV, for the second Arsenal CL night in a row have chosen to show Celtic’s game instead.
Will have to be a stream again tonight.
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Arsenal Fixture News @AFCFixtureNews 9m9 minutes ago
We will be playing in our yellow kit for tonight’s match against FC Basel.
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Bril again Steww, I would imagine tonight would be a hard fought game between two experienced sides. They are obviously well versed at frustrating sides if they have already beaten chelski twice, spurs and the draw with manure. Another game where we need to be patient but keep the tempo high, 3 points needed again. COYG
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As a regular reader and follower of this wonderful blog, I have taken a hiatus from commenting for a couple of years now and I intend to continue BUT I must break my own vow to say this:
Steww,
Your opinions and philosophy are so close to mine that while I absolutely enjoy reading everything you write, it scares me sometimes how anybody’s opinion and life outlook could be so aligned with mine.
I am neither kidding nor being hyperbolic but I am yet to meet anyone that I agree with as much as I agree with you.
All the best tonight and for the rest of the season.
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 30s30 seconds ago
#AFCU19 to face Basel: Keto, Johnson, Bielik, Da Graca, M. Bola, Dasilva, McGuane, Malen, Nelson, Dragomir, Mavididi
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Jeorge Bird @jeorgebird 32m32 minutes ago
Subs: Virginia, Osei-Tutu, T. Bola, Coyle, Hinds, Nketiah, Mourgos.
No C. Willock or Reine-Adelaide in squad.
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After watching that montage of Gideon Zelalem the only description I have that is appropriate is “beautiful”. I hope he makes it. Thanks Eddy that made my lunch break very pleasant.
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My thoughts are drawn back to a previous game against Swiss opposition, Thun I think;
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anicoll was that the high foot sending off
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as has become the norm with them, Arsenal.com/arsenal twitter, have awful coverage of the arsenal youth teams game today, gave the starting 11, but not the subs, and no updates(with at this point the game 35 minutes in), its pathetic from the club.
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Arsenal Fixture News @AFCFixtureNews 22h22 hours ago
Craig Pawson has been appointed the referee for Sunday’s fixture against Burnley at Turf Moor.
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Jeorge Bird @jeorgebird 15m15 minutes ago
1-0. Basel take the lead with a spectacular long range goal from the halfway line. Arsenal haven’t made most of their possession.
Bielik off the field for end of first half after clattering into advertising hoarding. Will be assessed at half time.
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Jeorge Bird @jeorgebird 4m4 minutes ago
Tolaji Bola is coming on. Bielik’s injury looked quite serious.
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It certainly was, Robin was not evening looking at him but as the ball dropped over his shoulder caught the bloke in the head with his boot – straight red. Fortunately the Swiss was OK. The referee obviously saw it as reckless but RvP was a bit unlucky.
11 years ago and the start of our march to the CL final !
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shotta_gooner at 11:35 am –
Hey Shotts I thought of you when I wrote the words “skewed, narrow, prejudicial” with a wry smile wondering if you’d be stung by them. Of course as I hoped everyone would know I excuse you with your tightly scripted statistical analysis – it’s me and Andy Nic I was referring to. We just pull our nonsense out of our backsides.
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Granit Xhaka is clearly a very talented player but even the most talented players can be made look average when denied space or time on the ball in a faster league, which EPL clearly is.
Roberto Firmino showed flashes of brilliance for Liverpool last season, but only after a full season and a pre- season has he been able to become a real threat and a complete player for Liverpool.
Xhaka is clearly still in the adaptive stage of his transition and no one knows this better than Wenger who sees him everyday in training.
His lofty price tag means very little as far as his readiness , besides how do we know Arsene didn’t pay willingly over the odds to get the player.
Tramsfermarkt has his value at €35m , which is €10m lower than what Arsenal paid for him.
Maybe Wenger didn’t want to pay as much as he did, but realized this was the only way.
Funny how his critics usually complain he doesn’t go the extra mile to get a player, but maybe when he did, they complain he might’ve paid too much.
As for Mustafi being inserted into the starting 11 right away , contrary to popular belief , it is easier to play defense with a new squad of players than offense.
While there’s a bigger peril in committing a serious mistake on defense , it is on offense where you need more understanding with your teammates.
Defenders can communicate verbally all the time, while efficient attacking squads are silent.
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Jeorge Bird @jeorgebird 17m17 minutes ago
Basel score what will surely be late winner with contentious penalty. Ref has made some questionable decisions. Arsenal 1 Basel 2 (U19)
Dragomir with the Arsenal goal
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FT: arsenal u19’s 1-2 basel u19’s
Dragomir with the afc goal. Hinds made his comeback from injury and schollboy coyle got game time too. Bielik went off injured after collision with advertising hoarding.
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Very sound arguments there Tom.
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Good to see Bootoomee posting, UA wasnt the same without you when you stopped writing.Hope its going well up in the NW? You might remember me as Kenneth Widmerpool over at UA?I tried to lure Jambug over,but it was in the period when he wasnt posting anywhere too much.
Anyway it was great to see your post and I miss those passionate articles and posts over at UA.
Cheers!
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Hi Mills
Thanks for the kind words.
I still read UA regularly as well as PA. You and I know that we AKBs don’t have that many options anyway. I finally stopped posting at UA because of Tony. His attitude to me when I stopped writing/posting was beyond the pale. He has my email and not once did he enquire about how I was doing and why I was away for so long. I saw many readers like yourself asking about me and wondering if I was alright. Tony never asked and he was the only one who has the means to find out. His attitude told me a lot and I just never see UA in the same light again even though I still visit but I go there mostly for comments of people like you and Jambug. Jambug is a great dude and my type of person. Give him my regards.
Thanks again for caring and wish you and yours all the best today and always.
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I hope that Steww saw my original comment addressed to him.
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Hi Boo,
I haven’t been over in a while, (to UA) and understand your feelings,although I did post a bit a few months ago–and you’re right about Jambug, he is a great bloke, I swapped a few emails with him off line, and I’m sure he misses your posts too,when I check out my other email address next time I’ll send him a message and say you were asking after him.
I did come onto your personal blog at one point but you hadn’t written anything for a bit.Hope things are going your way.And also hope you post again here soon! Thanks for the best wishes and the same to you and your family.
COYG!
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“I hope that Steww saw my original comment addressed to him.”
Wow! I’ve seen it now, don’t know how I missed it earlier but I have been rushing around a lot today. Thank you, we are obviously kindred spirits.
BTW I too struggle with people when I see a different unsuspected side to them and find it difficult to re-establish trust with those who seem not to value me, so we obviously share that as well!
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Team tonight Ospina, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Xhaka, Cazorla, Walcott, Ozil, Iwobi, Alexis
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PA is the new UA which is OK .
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Stew @ 3:30pm – Lol. You do both you and A5 a major disservice.
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Shotts @7.16pm-I agree too but had no time to write earlier. Always a high standard of writing at PA, long may it be so and grow to even further heights as the season pans out.
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Let’s be having you then.
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