Good morning Positive Arsenal fans,
I apologise for the late running of the service this morning as I have been out in the fresh air and the sunshine, clearing the tubes and clearing the mind before a day shaping the world to my preferred design.
Of last night’s game a formidable disappointment and the almost certain exit from the CL at the Round of 16 for the nth season in a row. The result proved a little more excruciating as for about 30 of the 90 minutes I saw us and the Germans battling evenly with one another and had a realistic ambition to leave Bavaria with at worst a narrow one goal defeat, probably a point and even, at best, an extraordinary win. Munich backed away from Sanchez as though he had ebola, Hummel looked like he should be playing for Klopp and even Alonso (for a few minutes) looked out of synch and the game passed him by. The minute counter then turned to 53. There followed ten minutes of fast, purposeful attack and clinical finishing that destroyed us. A number of players looked slightly dazed and I know I was. I see from Arsene’s quotes that he thought the same. The 5th and last goal heaped absurdity on top of frustration.
We know what happened but perhaps why it happened is more debatable. There are no shortage of answers that focus on personnel, on tactics, that “if only X had been standing at Y ….” or “ if Z had started instead of A….”. Chief among the hackneyed answers are the “ if only we had M in charge and Arsene had left/been sacked/committed seppuku …..” Understandable that one seeks the lifebelt of rational comfort but specious in my view.
Well my shy at answering the Why question is that we do not play teams anywhere near of the quality of Bayern Munich week in and week out and unfortunately when we did come up against them we struggle. They play with a pace and a purpose that we are not able to compete with over a full 90 minutes. We can stand toe to toe for a period. If luck goes or way and we can tip them out of their game, they meet a mad referee or they have an “off night” we can occasionally win. Nine times out of ten however their players, individually and collectively, are superior to ours. Over these two leg ties then the chance that you will get your one in ten chance back to back is very small indeed.
There are probably three perhaps four teams in Europe who are and have been at that superior standard to us. We have striven to take that further step. If one looked at the AFC starting line up last night then it was the strongest I would have chosen, and the bench was packed with proven experienced good players, Yet still we came up short. We have not stood still. We have better players and better playing systems tan we did two years ago five years ago etc. However as we have improved and moved forward so these sides have also moved developed. The weaknesses that Bayern had last night, an ageing and slower Alonso, an indifferent Hummels, a foolishly conceded penalty that then they allowed the rebound in, they managed to overcome and in the end gained a well deserved victory.
Let me make my opinion on one point perfectly clear. If Manchester City or Leicester City, or Tottingham if they had managed to stay in the CL, or Chelsea or Liverpool or Manchester United if the had even managed to qualify for the competition had been out there last night at the Allianz they would have been on the end of exactly the same drubbing. Like us they don’t face that quality each week. They are no more likely to have coped than us.
What can we do – what must we do ? No easy answers, no trite solutions. No “if X had been standing at Y instead of Z … “ or the latest “ defensive midfield beast” magic signing.
Work hard, ensure every single game, starting with Sutton, is approached with the absolute, single minded seriousness that our opponents displayed last night. Learn from defeat, do not wallow in disappointment and recrimination.
And finally, the most ridiculous picture I have ever seen.
Enjoy your Thursday.
Positively Arsenal 
Pedantic George,
You said @ 7:13 pm – “If someone disagrees with someone else, then they should enter into a reasonable rebate about it.”
Well said, sir, that should be emblazoned at the top of every blog page.
On the other hand, I am a bit of a gadfly, and flitter, flutter hither and thither and I am qualified to tell you — certain types of blogger would ignore such a mantra anyway, and prefer to say to someone with a different view; — ‘You cross eyed, baboon assed, deluded ‘king fool, I just want you to effing agree with me, you ***t.”
That is, perhaps, a little advanced for some, but the meaning is there! lol
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Anyone been watching the antics Joey Barton today?
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Well done Lincoln biscuits, but thats the end of the non league magic of the cup!
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Lincoln beat burnley
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I have been following on Twitter Mills – what a superb day for Lincoln – Graham Taylor your boys game them a hell of a beating
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A5-yes amazing!! 103 years since a non leaguer happened to get to the qrts.Come on Huddersfield! Barton…have you seen the gifs showing when he grabbed the bloke in the face?
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Barton’s got to be subject to FA retro action.
And he’ll still get banned for fewer games than Wenger.
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AA-alas too true! But when he pretended the Lincoln player had whopped him in the head, how did he think that he would get away with it. Luckily the games arent televised these days!
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BT ‘Sport’ highlighting a recent anti-Arsenal poll showing that despite years of relentless negative media coverage and some disappointing recent results, only 56% of fans think Wenger should actually leave.
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AA-I noticed something similar on AFTV.Robbie declared that even stalwart AW supporters were now against him(AW), but he was speaking only to a comparatively few people who were on the way home from the Bayern game. Robbie then went on to quote his deduction/observation of the way fans were thinking on various media outlets in the wake of AFTVs current interest.
But its no real indication of how all fans are thinking? Are the BT sport numbers equally valid? How would we find out, AFC are a world wide club, and even if the get market researchers to watch twitter or Facebook, what about those supporters who arent on there?
Certainly loud shouting voices get a lot of attention.
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Well my investigation of the views of AFC fans is that they all what Wenger to stay. 100% , not one wants to see the Boss leave.
I would not for a moment suggest it is a scientific cross section.
But then nor are Robbie’s random results.
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Well that is #RanieiriOut, and #DycheOut, and very nearly #PepOut
The banner weaving workshops and the pitchfork makers will be working late tonight
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A5-thats what I was trying to get at! Then we must question who or whatever is posing as an authority…and how easily things can be accepted?
Our minds float away and are always or often in speculation. I was imagining certain people from AFTV giving the lads and AW a booting if they lose at Sutton.
“pafetik Robbie” etc etc etc. But perhaps, this may be one of the toughest challenges for Arsenal in my time. Lincolns victory has given people a taste for the giant killing and who better than the Arsenal, and old AW?
Thats not an easy game, as we are being drawn down to their level, their thinking and in their lair,weird pitch, small crowd, intimate on having the match of their lives. And with all sorts of hostile voices breathing down the Arsenal neck from the Arsenal side of the fence( but are they?). Luck on this one? Cool heads perhaps will see us through.It might be a real key to the game, not to get drawn into what Sutton and media want. As we know, its not easy to stay yourself in strange places…
COYG!
Come on you Wolves!
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I wasn’t vouching for the integrity of the BT figure but more on the point that despite what some fans/media would have you believe, and despite the relentless negativity from certain outlets, the numbers wanting ‘Wenger out’ are hardly a massively dominant majority.
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AA-I knew you weren’t, I was just trying to expand things and get a bit of a discussion going and hence me pulling in the bit with AFTV and how Robbie sees things through his cross section of experience. What would be great would be to know what the figures really are!
Certainly there seem to be more negative outlets than positive, but is it because they are more vociferous? What gets me is Wenger, in the last three seasons alone-last 16 of CL, against tough sides, two FACs and second in the league,why would a club sack a manager like that?
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Arsenal youngster nearly scores goal of the season for Charlton Athletic
By Louis Mendez – February 18, 2017
Charlton Athletic’s Stephy Mavididi pitch length dribble during the match against Rochdale at the Spotland stadium
Karl Robinson praised the mentality of Arsenal loanee Stephy Mavididi as the youngster once again impressed when introduced during the second half of the 3-3 draw at Rochdale.
Mavididi, 18, joined the South Londoners on loan from the Premier League giants for the rest of the season and he enjoyed his first start for the Addicks last Tuesday at Oldham.
He played the final 25 minutes today and once again performed well, coming close to scoring one of the goals of the season as he was denied only by keeper Ben Wilson after running nearly the length of the field with the ball. The Addicks scored through Jorge Teixeira from the resulting corner.
Robinson has been impressed with the attitude shown by Mavididi so far in SE7.
“Young Stehpy has certainly got some of our fans on the edge of their seats,” explained the Addicks chief.
“If that goal had gone in it would have been one of the best goals I’ve ever seen live. Unfortunately it wasn’t for him but then we scored from the corner. What I was more impressed with was when we scored the second – for a loan player to celebrate like he did shows that he really cares. You don’t always get that when you get players from big clubs. He really cares about the development of himself and the results of the club.”
The South Londoners are midway through a spell of five weeks worth of games every Saturday and Tuesday, and Robinson said he will continue to rotate his squad.
“I’ve done this quite a lot now, rotating players, but what I am seeing is that everybody is doing it,” he said.
“The pitches that we play on, it was a heavy pitch. The fitness level of the players are going right to the dying death – but at least they care.”
The Addicks did lose Ezri Konsa to injury just under half an hour into the draw with Rochdale but Robinson revealed that he was already planning to rest him during Tuesday’s game with Oxford United at The Valley.
“He’s fine,” Robinson explained. “There’s a cramp in his hamstring. He’s a very young player – it’s the same reason Joe Aribo didn’t play today. These are young players and they’ve played four or five straight games, which they’ve never done at this level.
“Ezri is due not to play anyway on Tuesday as we knew this was the maximum amount of games he could play.”
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Are you over it?
We lost! It is half-time, in the remaining time, Arsenal score 4 with no-reply. COTG.
As for Mr Wenger, it is the beginning of the end of a wonderful time, for ALL Arsenal supporters.
Arsenal, are in good health, financially and football-wise. There is no point in being Glasgow Celtic, in a one-club Scottish Premier League. Their rival, is no longer the club of Struth, Symon and Waddell! This will not happen to the Arsenal, because of the up-starts next door!
Now you know, why this site is an oasis, as the storm rages in the desert beyond.
Begone, Quislings!
COTG,
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BBC are a disgrace, they pride themselves on being even handed and unbias, yet the hire a whole host of bias cunts for their football coverage. Today we had that knob Danny Mills talk about the reward he hopes Lincoln City get for making the 5th round, he said “it would be great if they get one of the really big boys away in the next round, Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea, …..(pause)….. maybe Arsenal, if they get through.”
Why the bias, why the belittling of Arsenal, why the different criteria, the different treatment. BBC should be ashamed of themselves for hiring guys like Mills and Chris Sutton.
any way I will just leave this here, it might explain something about Danny Mills
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Kick Arse @kickarseHD Feb 17
Meets the judges on HMP’s got talent (Nonce wing)
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if only Wenger would hire some of our ex players to coach at Arsenal
Loose CannonEx-playersYouth
Ljungberg loving coaching Arsenal’s kids
By Lee Hurley –
Feb 18, 2017
Freddie Ljunberg says that he loves coaching the Arsenal u15 side as he makes a mockery of the claims Arsene Wenger refuses to have former players involved behind the scenes.
Freddie was speaking after he watched his Arsenal side beat Cambridge United 4-1. After he was able to clear himself from the swarm of supporters who wanted his autograph, Ljungberg told the Cambridge News, “I thought they (United) did great.
“They showed great energy and had some good players as well, so I was impressed with how they played.
“For us there was a great ambience and great surroundings, and for my boys it’s invaluable to play in front of that many people.
“It makes them learn how to behave with the pressure that comes with it, and there were some tackles flying around so it makes them learn to keep calm.
“It was a great opportunity for us and we’re very grateful to have had the opportunity to play here.
“In general, the way the academy system works there are no fans when you play, so for us it’s great – can we do it more often?!
“I had a chat with the boys about the mental aspect of the game,” said Ljungberg about playing in front of a crowd.
“We travelled up and the players had to get used to the fans and maybe the football’s a bit more direct.
“If I asked them they’d probably say they learned more from this game than they have done for a few weeks, so that’s great for us.
“We don’t know how they might perform in front of a lot of people. They might think ‘I need to dribble more, I need to show everyone’, but I thought they performed and reacted well.”
Asked about the job of coaching, he replied, “I love doing it.
“I’ve been doing it for a while and just to see a kid when you’ve maybe taught him something and he uses it on the pitch and you can see he’s happy about it warms your heart.
“It’s amazing to be a coach for young players.”
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Ryan @RyanTomes 17m17 minutes ago
I adore the bones of you, Arsène. If you genuinely feel that you can take The Arsenal forward then I’m behind you 100%, now and always.
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when did the Daily Star officially become a comic book
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/588882/Arsenal-Leicester-Sutton-Millwall-Arsene-Wenger-Claudio-Ranieri-FA-Cup
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A few holes in Jacks arguments, but well worth thinking about Im our current climate,even if its just one to mull lover ourselves?
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or even “well worth thinking about in our current climate,even if its one to mull over ourselves”, though perhaps to mull lover ourselves is better?
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with all this talk about Wenger leaving in the summer, it has brought up a rather erroneous notion of how it would unite the Arsenal fan base. Why anyone would think that those that have made it their daily mission to find fault with all things Arsenal, and all things Arsene, who take pride in claiming that they hounded out other Arsenal managers and players, down the years, will change their modus operandi. You would only have to listen to Leicester City fans views on phone ins and blogs about their manager, to see how utterly idiotic some football fans are. LCFC won their first ever league title last season, they are in the last 16 of the CL, but due to a less than stellar league season so far, and going out of the FAC, lots of Foxes fans want the manager out.
You see, winning what most people think could be a once in a lifetime title (well it has to be a once in a lifetime for any LCFC fan, it has never happened before), is no longer enough, some Foxes fans (a vocal minority, now where have we seen that before) seem to think that it is now their God given right, to be in the running for the title every year now. You will hear them say that they did not overachieve last season, that the manager has to pay for not being able to repeat their astonishing success of last season. And oh yes, “we deserve better” – again where have we heard that before.
So can anyone honestly believe that if Arsene leaves this summer, and things are not clearly better next season, that any new manager of AFC will not be getting it in the neck, from the same fans who have been trying to hound our greatest manager out of the club for years.
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Mills did you say Mull Lover – is this what you meant
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Jamie Dalton @JamieDalton82 9h9 hours ago
3,283 – Today is day number 3,283 without Tottenham winning a trophy. This equals to the day Arsenal’s well-documented drought from 05 to 14
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Jeorge Bird @jeorgebird 2h2 hours ago
Reine-Adelaide and Maitland-Niles won’t play for U23s against Leicester tomorrow. Instead under consideration to be involved against Sutton
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As it is still the Battered in Bavaria I thought I may be able to point out that the cream of European football only managed a 93rd minute equaliser in their domestic fixture following their apparently casual disemboweling of the Arsenal midweek. The result would suggest that this lack of caritas on their behalf was due to A) Genuine superiority that can be replicated weekly, B) A one-off, once or twice a season performance (reinforced by Ancelloti’s post game statements) or C) The constellations aligning for the unexpected result – that is suitably rested, the entire team and individuals having the performances of the season(see B). They peaked for the game we were beaten by the better side on the night so be it. We’ve done the same to others but I would suggest that we found C on the night given this weekend.
I believe in Arsene. I love the club. Thank you for this site.
Cheers
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Eddy at 9.38pm-LOL!!!
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New post up
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