Good morning Positives,
A fine afternoon rounded off our league campaign in style. We opened as though we were going to put five past the visitors by half time, then Laurent went a bit wild and became the first of Enver Valencia’s three victims of the afternoon. My goodness that boy can writhe and roll when the mood takes him, cant he? Just 15 minutes gone, hot afternoon, a talented Everton side with a good goal-scoring record in recent weeks ………..! A fair bit of teeth sucking on my part I admit.
With that slight setback we had to grind out a routine win that called on every Arsenal player to put in a determined contribution – I saw none of them waver. As was mentioned on the TV last night it was difficult at times to tell which side had 11 players and which 10. And when the Toffees did manage to clamber through the defensive barriers to get a clear strike on goal our man in the hat was in commanding form. As fautless a display as I have seen all season. The notion that Cech will not be our Number One ‘keeper next season I believe is not plausible.
Of our other lads the MoTM award is shared between Hector and Mesut. Hector is very much back to his best. Is it a coincidence that post–concussion syndrome symptoms can last up to thee months and Hector’s skull was smashed on the 4th February at the Bridge?
There is no such thing as coincidence.
If the Ox is fit for Wembley I have no idea which player Arsene will choose as right wing back.
For Mesut a game in which, despite some fairly robust handling in midfield, he became stronger and more influential. He is a pleasure to watch. The perfect footballing package.
And in the 92nd minute the boy from Caerphilly hit a beauty into the top corner.
For our opponents Robles had a rather good game didn’t he? Second keeper in a row to keep us at bay. We shall be third time lucky I am sure.
A day to savour. A result to enjoy, even if it did not quite bring us the fourth place finish that we all hoped for.
A busy week in prospect. Arsene’s focus I guess will be on putting together the best back three to face Chelsea and ensuring they have time to work together in training. We have good defensive players. What a year for Rob Holding? This time last year relegated with Bolton, probably in seven days time walking out in a Cup final.
That FA Cup final is the important horizon at present for the club, the players and, I hope, for the fans. What comes after we shall see, in the medium and the long term.
Enjoy your Monday.
Positively Arsenal 
cech has been good for the last few weeks, probably his best spell in an arsenal shirt, but for me Szczesny is the better keeper and should be our first choice keeper next season.
on the topic of concussion, word today is that Mustafi missed yesterday’s game with concussion and is a major doubt for the final, so we could be without him, Kos and Gabriel for the final, its all wenger’s fault of course.
Ozil was outstanding yesterday, Xhaka was very good too, Gabriel was playing his way into the cup final starting 11 before his big injury.
I think hector’s performance will see him start the final even if ox is fit.
Ramsey continued his improvement in form, and what a beaut of a goal he scored.
if hector played his way into the cup final team, then danny might just have played his way out of it, he has everything except an eye for a goal.
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…a heartful big thanks to you from me Andrew, for this and all your reviews this season. Thank you!
And also to Cmdr Pedantic George, Shotts ( Stew I thanked yesterday, but no prob.again) and Arsenal Andrew and everyone for their blogs. Also to Eddy for all his posts and latest info and to everyone else who posts and makes this a great place. THANK YOU!
Long live PA!
And viva Las Wenger!
COYG! FOYS! FOYC!
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I have not seen very much of Szcz over the season So I presume they are weighing it up. Roma are notoriously tight with cash so no doubt they will be reluctant to offer a realistic price even if he wants to stay in Italy.
Story yesterday was that Mustafi was unwell hence not on the bench – I remember a clash of head agains Sunlun but he did not look particularly worried – be interesting to see if he is back in training later in the week.
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Thanks Andrew – is that one of your photos? What a great image! Really captures what it’s like to be a fan in that spot, wonderful light, very atmospheric. Assuming it’s of the Lap of Honour?
I was very sad to see Arsene watching this gesture from the players’ tunnel and I felt that in a way it was a victory for the WOBs. I hope they are proud. I hope they do not trouble themselves attending the Cup Final.
I was also somewhat saddened by Michael Oliver’s efforts yesterday, one of the few refs I like to think of as having some integrity to go with his unquestioned courage. But whilst I had no particular problem with the red for Kos, his protection of the Everton players already on a yellow was ‘disappointing’.
To later see Atkinson’s successful protection of the Liverpool goal at a critical moment in their final match was just another layer of refereeing disappointment of the kind we have grown wearily used to all season. That particular game-changer was potentially a Champions League changer so he must be feeling the glow of a job well done this Monday morning.
We talk, rightly, about diving being the scourge of the modern game but honestly, every abominable act I’ve witnessed from a player this season has been more than matched by the abandonment of any pretence of even-handedness from the refs.
Until video technology arrives, no amount of retrospective banning of divers will fix something that is very broken.
In a way, the results yesterday, and the manner in which they came about, could not be more fitting, given the season this disastrous rabble of referees have just had.
Still, at least there’s the Cup Final to look forward to.
Who do I think I’m kidding, Mr Taylor?
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never seen a season like this one, never seen so many game changing decisions from the refs, in fact we should not call them game changing, but season changing, yesterday alone we seen Martin Atkinson make a decision that went a long way to deciding who finished top 4.
10 penalties given against arsenal in 38 league games, and I would say at least the same number of clear penalties denied us at the other end.
Sending off of our players for fouls that the same refs did not send off other teams players for, in fact in the case of Moss and sending off Xhaka, he did not even book other players for the same thing.
We seen with oliver yesterday, he was not going to send off an Everton player come what may, it was that bad even some journos mentioned it. is not something unusual for us this season. I mentioned after the stoke game, that one could excuse Mike Dean for missing the clear foul on Bellerin shortly before the handball stoke goal, but how can we excuse both Dean and the linesman who it happened right in front of, missing it, for me it suggests more than it being a mistake, and then add in the other lineman missing the handball. And in that game, we had a couple of offsides called against us, that the tv coverage decided not to show a replay of, but the commentators suggested that they were wrong(as they were shown the replays), but of course the giggled off the wrong decisions.
the demonisation of xhaka by the media was a disgrace this season, but even it pales when you see the stuff written about Ozil.
I’ve stated before that we can not expect the media to give us fair treatment when our own so called supporters and bloggers promote all these attacks on our club.
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It is Andrew – good atmosphere in the Clock End – more at the end stayed behind than last year
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David Orenstein of the BBC is the one with the report that Mustafi has concussion
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After yesterday’s superb performance, a brief moment to pause and reflect on an already successful season.
Only twice since we moved to the Emirates have we achieved more than 75 points in a season. (Shotta – 73.5 is the mean to which we’ve spent the season regressing.)
And, as any WOByob will tell you, 4th is not a trophy worth playing for.
Reaching the Cup Final is a bonus to enjoy. If we were to beat Chelsea. . . . . .
But even if we don’t, I’m sure that, as underdogs, we’ll be getting the fully committed support of the media.
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As I suggested in the post if Danny had wanted to get Williams sent off when he was tripped he needed to go down in a writhing, screaming, flinger flicking heap – just like the desperate fraud Ener Valencia.
Good to see Rob took the Ecuadorean out at the throat late on
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I didn’t see last year’s Lap of Honour so it was great to have the chance to see this one.
But it was certainly a day of mixed and contrasting emotions …
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I mentioned yesterday that jose did a press call lasting a full 24 seconds, I was wrong, it lasted a full 6 seconds, he walked in with his pres officer, only 2 or 3 journos were in the press room, as the rest were out watching the man utd players do their lap, jose’s press officer asked was there any questions, quickly said “no”, Jose said “good” and both walked out of the room before any journo had time to ask a question.
and not a single word or article from any in the media blasting him, imagine Wenger doing that stunt, there would be calls for stadium bans etc
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Yesterday’s game truly was an amazing outing. Pity about missing out on CL but it is what it is and all we can do is make the most of it.
Ramsey is one great player when he has put together a good run of games, which is I’m so taken aback from some saying on twitter despite his heroics the last 2 months they’re “still not convinced” about his obvious quality, but well just fucking meh!
Roll on Saturday, we are marching to Wembley with the wind in our sails and a song in our hearts; “she wore, she wore a yellow ribbon…”
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well anicol enough Arsenal players went to oliver looking for the second yellow, but it looked like he would quicker give them one for having the cheek to ask that fair play be done.
by the way anicol, was santi cazorla’s son on show yesterday, he was the star of the lap last year, some Arsenal academy staff are amazed at the lads ability and have even suggested that afc must do all they can to keep him here. Imagine we could have cazorla junior and pires junior in our first team in years to come
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labo, I seen some idiots yesterday say that Ramsey should not be in our starting 11 for the cup final. I do believe that they decided six or seven years ago that he was useless, and nothing will ever change their mind
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now I know we wanted to be in the CL, and we have the problem of Thursday – Sunday games to deal with, but there is one up side to being in the EL, we go straight into group stage if I’m not mistaken, while LFC will have CL qualifier, meaning they will need to be back in training that week or two earlier this summer, also see them have to deal with midweek games early in bpl season
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ha ha ha, the itk’s have been full of usmanov making a new bid and stan is now willing to sell, and even a story that josh kroenke is meeting usmanov on wednesday but pappa kroenke has just released a statement pulling the rug out from under them.
well if ever the banner wankers and their a4 friends ever needed confirmation that they can chant and chant and stomp their feet all the like, but they remain irrelevant to anyone that matters
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I’m not sure about santi’s son but Alexis was busily playing football with two kids – Atom and Humber presumably in the tunnel with Arsene
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Put Anicoll’s, Arsenal Andrew’s and Eduardo’s (10.38, 10.39) together sums up this old fart’s thoughts exactly. When did Michael Oliver start to learn Atkinson’s habits? Mind you he has a long way to go to match Atkinson’s performance yesterday. “Fix it so that Arsenal can’t get 4th” must have been uppermost in his mind yesterday. He should be reported to the Dept. of Weights and Measures. Cheating bastard.
It was a brave win from the lads, mightily helped by the exploits of Hector, Oz and Peter each of whom went well over the call of duty, but by the end, my Merlot seemed to have been laced with Angostura bitters. Definitely an unpleasant after taste.
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I’m sure I heard Atom and Humber growling at the referee Andrew – don’t shout it but my sources tell me Alexis is changing the dog’s diet to something new. Winalot, I think.
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Thank you Andy for your summary of yesterday’s entertainment. I’ve just caught up with the game. Have to say Chelsea were the only winners yesterday with us losing our best defender and then our most improved defender both a week before the final.
But what can you say about Mesut Ozil? Not since Dennis Bergkamp have we seen such a player. His part in the final goal of the league season was just jaw dropping. Mind you Aaron’s part wasn’t bad either.
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I’ve heard the taste is an improvement to the (game management) “brand” that Riley force feeds to his hapless mutts: Pedigree Chump.
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Hopefully our top goalscorer and top assist man’s early exit was also precautionary Stew.
I’d certainly prefer him tearing into Chelsea next Saturday.
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Yup thanks again Andy, beautiful photo!
And sorry for failing to say hello to those at the match, a late ticket was thrown my way.
I’m going to commit now to the Friendly tournament or first home league game of the season: I’ll be there!
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Alexis had been clogged a fair few times this season by far worse lunges then that executed by koscielny this season, which is where he’d picked up this knock, a couple of matches ago. As you all recall in that match H
he should’ve come, eventually he did. Ideally he should not have started yesterday.
I hope he’ll be ok for the final.
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Thanx for all your contributions this rollercoaster seison. When it comes to Arsenal, PA is my ‘mainstream’ medium. The mainstream mainstream media are so biased, unfair, mediocre and uninterested at best that I dont even bother to read them anymore and live gets so much better! The only fans who could rightly bemoan missing out the top four spot, are we, the ones who al those years appreciated Wengers consistency. The fake-fans and the so called mainstream media should quit the shedding of their hypocritical tears: if fourth never meant anything: why cry now? Same for coming Cup final. But the REAL fans dont moan, because they are fans and ALWAYS can see the Positive and the credit where credit is due. Wenger and his men still had a very decent seison, taken into account the mountain of challenges: refs, media, boo-boys, contract negotations. They battled with pride, unity and always with a Positive attitude in their footballing. Respect.
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Was a great game of football and yesterday was a marvellous last day of he league for me,. Pre-game meet up, game and post-game pub then a marvellous Chinese restaurant after. To almost hit the massive downer on train home that is “bugger football’s done for the year” then realise we still have the FA Cup final to go was a cherry on a wonderful cake of a day.
Had a good sing during the game but misheard one of the lyrics as was happily joining in with chanting for Jimmy Krankie to leave although I always imagined she’d be a fan of one of the Scots big two, to be honest.
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Some very loud songs in praise of Ozil during that second half yesterday.
Did the vocal support inspire him to slightly higher levels? I think everyone knows the answer. The match was essentially the Mesut Ozil appreciation show, with Ramsey showed the highest level of appreciation with that finish: woof!
Loud songs, clearly audible, in praise of “Arsene Wenger’s man”.
I was listening!
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Bugger me, nothing to do with Arsenal but Disney Chap buying Portsmouth
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I despair that people try to say the negative chants don’t have an effect on performance. As you say Fins, the loud chanting for Ozil most certainly helped carry him through a demanding and exhausting game On Final whistle he sat on floor just off pitch for a while, just cream-crackered. A few went to him to help him up and his waving them away clearly said “I’m buggered, give me a minute will you?” Gave his all, that boy!
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Mesut Ozil is one of the finest footballers I have ever seen, and it has been a privilege to watch him play for us. Although I totally understand that some don’t quite get him, I think it a shame that he hasn’t had a slightly stronger side to play with (or that he has never had the luxury of playing with an uninjured squad for any length of time). I dearly hope that he might stay, am resigned to him not doing so.
I see a number of fans are suggesting that Arsene is blaming the supporters for the disappointing season, citing his “hostile environment” as evidence for that. Given his cleverness, and his Economics background, is it not more likely that his use of “hostile” was maybe a reference to an ownership struggle? And that in some way the players were unwitting pawns in that. Or maybe even witting.
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But the Wob are to blame in many respects to the hostile atmosphere. Who else has created it? They and them media.
We all have the choice in how to react to phenomena? Who was it holding up A4 sheets? How made and unfurled/flew over head the banners? Who hurling endless emotions and hierarchical linguistic systems of pseudo authority on twitter? ( banned smiley), who ranteth upon Arsenal fanatical tv? Rosemary the telephone operator? Everyone outside of the club knows whats going on. And they seem to be shaking their heads in disbelief.
FH-soz, forgot to add you to the ‘thank you’ list today for the blogs.Too many chats with Sillery on my part cloud the mind probably forgot some other people too. Many thanks.
Just imagine that FAC on the Arsenal sideboard…..
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they WOB really think they are all that… they are not! hostile likely means more the ownership thing… who knows even the ref thing.
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“And that in some way the players were unwitting pawns in that. Or maybe even witting.”
In the days of super agent DD Jnr. perhaps this is exactly what was happening?
I’m looking forward to that book from the gaffer!
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Saw post saying we are talking to henry onyekuru, young Nigerian striker based in Belgium. Haven’t heard of him til recently but apparently a bit of a prospect, a forward.
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David Moyes has left Sunderland…there will be WOB everywhere hoping Ivan makes a call to him
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Henry Onyekur is 19, turns 20 this summer, 5ft 9in tall, he is top scorer in the Belgian league with 23 goals in 38 games. Said to have a £6.8M release clause. He is mainly right footed but can play either wing or up front. He has the name Henry on his shirt, now wouldn’t that be nice, to have Henry playing for us, hopefully this one will not turn on us.
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David Moyes 4 years into his 6 year man utd contract and his third sacking, what a man.
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Renewal deadline is Thursday 8th June for season tickets.
seemingly big reductions on the season tickets due to EL instead of CL next season, seen some say that they have got a reduction of £240, but of course I’ve also seen some complain that they only got a reduction of £150
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The usual chaos at Sunlun – after months of saying they say they “can’t keep changing manager, even when if we go down” Moyes the right man for the job, rebuilding etcetera
Season after season of replacing the manager JUST in time and dodging relegation.
And lo and behold he is gone
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well then they should not renew so that more serious-minded supporters can step in
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Personally think Xhaka will be one of the best midfielders next season, he’s had his settling in season and each game he’s improving.
Bad news about Koscielny he will be a massive miss to Arsenal as will Gabriel who was having a great game. Mustafi is also a doubt for the final which could mean our back 3 will be Monreal Mertesacker and Holding. Personally I think Mustafi will be fit and will start in the centre of the 3 as he only has concussion. It will be interesting to see how Mertesacker performs as he has a good game against Everton but it’s a completely different animal against Chelsea with the likes of Hazard and Pedro or Willian running at you and Diego Costa’s runs behind and physicality, if Per does have to start let’s hope he’s up to the task.
Sanchez also went of with an injury but I feel he will play as he has he desire to play every game even when he has a slight injury and he won’t let a little knock stop him playing in a cup final.
We have a great chance for silverware, if the right Arsenal turn up I think we will win. Come on you Gunners!
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a little rumor I’ve just been told, the itk’s talk of a meeting between KSE and R&W this week may not be far off the mark after all, but not for the purposes of KSE selling their shares in Arsenal to R&W. No, I’m told the meeting is to see what R&W can bring to Arsenal to help the club progress. Can R&W bring big sponsorship, things like the training ground are open to sponsorship. Has R&W something to offer that we need. The carrot AFC might be willing to dangle in exchange is R&W get a representative on the board.
I’m told that if an agreement is reached then KSE would consider a forced buying out of the small shareholders, and would allow R&W to buy the 3% of shares. Leaving it a KSE 67%, R&W 33% split. No more AGM’s, no more AST, no more piers “Arsenal shareholder” Morgan. Club accounts would only have to be announced under BPL rules, and if they so wished KSE and R&W could pay themselves a dividend as big or as small as they liked. it could make the £3M KSE got for services, seem like small fry.
If this does come to pass, it will leave the banner wankers and a4 protesters and all the malcontents in one hell of a tail spin. I can see it now – “Kroenke out, Usmanov in” , oh wait, he is already in, “Usmanov out, Kroenke in” oh wait he is already in, it will have to be “wenger out” so. But that has failed for 10 years or more, and our kroenke out protest has also been a disaster, I know, Vic Akers out.
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Louis Akindele @Louis_Akindele 9h9 hours ago
Congratulations to all those teams making top 4 this season. Remember doing it once is an achievement but doing it 20 times is mediocrity.
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Squawka FootballVerified account @Squawka 2h2 hours ago
Most misplaced passes in the Premier League this season:
Alexis Sanchez (433)
James Milner (427)
Danny Drinkwater (381)
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Ed
A wild theory, but maybe giving R&W a seat on the board is Arsenal’s effort to stop the incessant negativity in the media, and who knows, maybe even the ‘bias’ among the refs.
R&W in the post RVP letter press release had mentioned that AFC had approached some companies where Usmanov was on the board, for sponsorship. At the time, this was deemed by both R&W and the malcontents as something terrible and unprofessional (I have no idea why. I don’t think it contravenes FFP rules). I always maintained that if Usmanov really wanted to help Arsenal, he would have at least considered it and created a working relationship, instead of continuing a (losing) takeover battle.
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In fact, that press release had even mentioned that Arsenal may even drop out of the top 4 in the near future. Expressing concern, but I remember thinking at the time that it reads very much like a threat.
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another ‘Alexis is rubbish’ stat eddy
Good man
Keep it up
That’s what we’re here for innit ?
Slagging Arsenal players
In Cup final week
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Great day with Steve, drank far to much, Ate far to much chinese and pissed off the missis.
Most disgusting thing conected with Arsenal on the last day wasn’t actally the refs performance but the crowd waiting until our galent ten, down in number, changed by injury and persecuted by the officials, conceeded a goal only then did they sing Kronke out. At a time when the team needed the support the most our crowd was whinging about the owner, whatever anyone thinks about the dynamics of the ownership argument this lack of support for the team shows the true colours of our fan base and I was angry and embarressed.
What is the point about people saying they will follow the team to the ends of the earth when in actual fact they wont cheer them on in their hour of need. I want my ARSENAL back the crowd that would hate the opposition and rage in support of the team.
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It’s about price per share
If AU had offered Stan two years ago £24k a share he might well have taken the bait – four years ago he would have jumped at it.
Next year – who knows
And who cares ?
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