The last time I had anything even remotely resembling a proper job, and we are going back into the halcyon mists here, there was a rhythm, a recognisable pattern to my work year. I was shackled in the engine room of academia, not teaching of course – they don’t allow inarticulate, uneducated oafs from the labouring classes to stand in front of young people and tell them how the world works – God forbid.
Only the most servile and robotic clones capable of adhering to the strictest codes and never risking an original thought are considered fit to be teachers these days. Which is why it’s a good job young people have men like Arsène Wenger in their world. If you want someone to look up to, look no further I say. In a life of insane rush and avaricious clambering having a man capable of maintaining a calm equilibrium in the face of abuse, malicious misrepresentation and an all round lack of appreciation can only provide a positive counter balance.
When I was working at the college each term had a particular character and I evolved different strategies to get through the individual challenges posed by them all. November was a bastard. The novelty of the new academic year had long since evaporated, the clocks had reverted to proper time and darkness was gathering all around. Christmas was too far away and too expensive to contemplate and the true misery and futility of their surroundings had begun to sink into the students resulting in the predictable but nonetheless unpleasant behaviour patterns which inevitably ended at my door.
So I joined Nanowrimo. Because I would be writing against a deadline and under pressure every day the month simply flew by. Before I knew it I would be opening my advent calendar and contemplating two weeks off in the dysfunctional bosom of my family.
For some reason known to the universe but not to me I approach the November fixture list in a similarly uncertain state of mind. Looking back over the years the results simply do not bear witness to any annual meltdown in the eleventh month. This time last season wasn’t the most fun an Arsenal supporter can have, but generally we’ve won more than we’ve lost so I can’t explain the trepidation.
It may simply be that the bleakness of my outlook infects my thoughts where football is concerned, and let’s face it, we all look at the world through our own distorted lens. Those who think a player is poor will, in their minds, amplify his errors and overlook his positive contribution to the team, and we all do the reverse for the players we love.
In reality then November should hold no more fears than any other month. It isn’t the time when Arsenal traditionally ‘melt down’ as the vacuous lickspittles of the press would have us believe. It simply means another series of fixtures for the players to navigate, all of which are significant regardless of the opposition.
We kick off this mini campaign with the usual worries about injuries. Our last match saw us robbed of Lucas, Monreal, Theo and Santi while Danny is not even projected to start his rehabilitation into the first team until next month. Olivier and Aaron are only ready for a few minutes from the subs bench and so we can expect a few players to be putting in quite a shift before November is out.
One thing the boss could do is rest people for cup games where he deems the opposition pose a significantly lesser threat. Do Ludogorets fall into this category? I’m not so sure. In one respect the argument could be put forward that as we comprehensively gubbed them less than a fortnight ago then yes they are a decidedly weaker team than, say, the Spurs side we will face on Sunday. Results seldom tell the full story though do they? For much of the first half the Bulgarians played some neat football and only the ever alert David Ospina kept us from falling behind. In their own stadium and with a point to prove to their supporters they may not be the pushovers that six nil suggests.
I am of course falling into an obvious trap. That of looking ahead beyond the match in question, contemplating the fixture list for the month ahead and ignoring the age old mantra of one game at a time. Fortunately enough I’m not the one who matters here. The man in charge who’s decisions actually have an impact will be fully focussed on tonight’s fixture and whatever team he sends out will, I’m sure, be properly prepared and more than capable of getting the result.
Right, I have to find two thousand words for the first page of this year’s novel so you’re going to be on short commons today and for the rest of November I’m afraid. Unfortunately I am not one of nature’s planners. I sit down each year with an empty page in front of me and an equally empty head. They call it writing by the seat of your pants. I hate that I’m like this, it makes the world a terrifying place to navigate and I wish I could spend the preceding eleven months planning but as with every blog I write for you I’m afraid I just have to start scribbling and hope something comes out of it.
If you’re travelling to Razgrad tonight then I wish you a safe journey, if not I’ll see you here from seven forty five. Or eight forty five as my body clock still deems it to be. Either way I’m as excited for another European night as every other supporter – whatever time of day or year it happens to be.
Positively Arsenal 
Three shots three goals last time the teams met
Now look at him
LikeLike
Andy – Try to stay calm. I recommend Twinings Fennel and Camomile
LikeLike
Extraordinary handball decision.
LikeLike
Pass the lemon and ginger
– bit irritating – plenty of time to sort it out
LikeLike
And they contrive to score from it. Now do you feel more aggrieved because it was never a free kick or over how we defended? I know where I sit.
LikeLike
12 minutes in and ludogorets take the lead, poor defending from mustafi and jenkinson at a freekick, a freekick that was a bit soft, handball against xhaka
LikeLike
Said they were better than 6 – 0 suggested.
LikeLiked by 1 person
14 minutes – rank poor defending from gibbs and its 2-0, we are back to the old failings of once we let in one goal we quickly let in another,
LikeLike
Does that happen a lot then Eddy? I’d be interested to see the stats.
Shotta?
LikeLike
Right lads – 10 minutes to get hold of the ball again. Then let’s get back in the game.
LikeLike
My fault. Went to get some din dins and next thing I knew…
…
Hopefully they’ve scored too early.
LikeLike
First goal was a bit soft, second was very good
XKAHA !!!
LikeLike
Hot knife through butter.
LikeLike
20 minutes – xhaka scores from an ozil pass
LikeLike
That’s the Bulgarian spelling obv
LikeLike
stew I posted the stats on it at end of last season, the standout stat was that we only lost one game last season 1-0
LikeLike
Magna Xhaka!
LikeLike
Feel for Gibbs. While that was not poor defending in my opinion rather excellent forward play it made him look bad and these games are his long awaited chance. If he’s going to displace Nacho he needed to be 100% and be like that game after game.
Excellent player but that may not be enough.
LikeLike
man city 0-1 barca
LikeLike
Eddy that’s interesting. I’ve always suspected that if we go two or three down we either come back spectacularly or lose by a hatful because we are never happy to play damage limitation. We always go for broke and try to attack our way back into the match.
LikeLike
Twnnings?
I suppose fresh fennel is hard to get a hold of, unless I’m being dumb and it’s possible to grow fennel way out west (I have no idea. Not an expert.)
Fennel from the wholesalers and peppermint from the little square us citygrubbers call a ‘garden’.
Very nice.
LikeLike
–
Fair to say that there’s some evidence to indicate that this squad don’t enjoy conceding!
Come on the Arsenal!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fins – since quitting booze I’ve gradually developed a taste for weird and wonderful teas. Don’t grow much myself. Crap gardener being just one of the many negatives on my CV
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good to see us falling back in numbers making them play in front of us. They’re very good breaking quickly – important to give them a different challenge.
LikeLike
Interesting contest.
Someone’s going to have to do an Arteta 2014 impersonation now that they’ve shown the opponent a little charity and not allow them another sniff (until the last seconds of extra time…).
LikeLike
I like a good jinky winger – we have been getting some grief down the flanks of late
LikeLike
My brother recommends Chinese jasmine green tea (health wise etc)!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Andy – we’ve faced one or two tricksy bastards of late haven’t we?
LikeLiked by 2 people
BMGB beating celtic 1-0 means as things stand man city are 3rd in that group
LikeLike
Fins – noted.
LikeLike
“good jinky winger”
Sounds like some kind of alcoholic and ‘holistic’ synthetic ginger tea beverage that’d be available in Hoxton for £9.99 a drip?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pass of the match from Sanchez
LikeLike
And a pretty damned good one from my man Larry too.
LikeLike
There’ll be a chance for an Arsenal equaliser
Nearly just then.
Come on the gunners
LikeLike
Not having fresh strikers available for later on in this fixtures is annoying but then again Chambo is scoring like some kind of striking playmaker of late…
LikeLike
Deserved yellow there. Well played ref.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mesut caught that so sweetly.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Na na na nananana
LikeLiked by 2 people
41 minutes – great ball in by ramsey and giroud heads home 2-2
LikeLiked by 2 people
Cevapcicci!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
He makes those headers look so easy but it’s a technique finish not just a big bloke getting his bonce on it.
LikeLiked by 3 people
As Sanchez might say this squad have humongous cojones
LikeLiked by 1 person
we are edgy in defense tonight
LikeLike
Unmarked inside our box. Not good. Only a corner though. Thankfully.
LikeLike
Playing as if half our first choice defence is out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely whip and curl on the cross deceives the keeper from his angle but OG follows it in with as described above the perfect technique.
Come in Arsenal!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Big ask for Jenko but if he gave AMN the start it could’ve been a huge dent to his self belief
Needs must, he can only get fit by playing.
LikeLike
fins – to get that flat trajectory and keep the pace on the ball so it flies under the bar is a real skill.
LikeLiked by 4 people
basel 0-1 psg
as things stand both psg and afc would qualify out of the group
LikeLike
Bloody hell – very jumpers for goal posts
More goals tonight – no doubt in my mind
LikeLiked by 2 people