This site was set up not for me, or the other blog post authors, to impress people with their knowledge (or lack thereof ),but for intelligent positive fans for discuss The Arsenal free from the pollution of most comments sections in Arsenal blogs. Every once and a while a comment is so well constructed that I just have to publish it as a blog. Below is one such post.
Pedantic George @arseblagger.
The PGMOL are too secretive to be seen as fair and unaccountable, and what fair and unaccountable organisation offers fifty grand hush money.
Arsene Wenger, after the west Brom mike Dean debacle says he has been in the game in this country for thirty years, and he had heard things, and stands by what he said after that game, it later transpires he called mike Dean a f*cking cheat, dishonest or something along those lines, if Wenger said that , I believe him. On the word of an honest man, and what I have seen Mike Dean do to this team over the years, yes there will be convenient exceptions, but we know what we see.
Arsenal are the only top club consistently in a negative penalty balance, year upon year after mike Riley was installed by Fergie and his LMA yes men, including big Sam, a man whose influence exceeds his talent, and integrity. A constant stream of dodgy pens against costs points, Mad Jens said similar recently.
As for the famed Utd bias, it certainly existed under Fergie, two plus seasons no penalties against at OT, Fergie time. It may have abated post Fergie, but during his time, when ex referees have gone on record saying he had the power to select referees, if a manager can select refs, sounds similar to an Italian word I cannot spell beginning with C. The Utd bias, corruption, bullying, call it what you will existed, the media just laughed at it.
Arsenal and Wenger have been systematically defrauded in this league, look at any metric, penalty bias, cards per foul, injuries inflicted on players, media bias, a respected manager called a paedophile from day one, Xhaka’s tackles, the alleged Eduardo dive, referees making false claims against Wenger, LMA manager sucking up to Fergie making false claims against Cesc.
It is all out there. Other supporters of other clubs may claim the same, but I sincerely doubt if Utd , Chelsea, City, Liverpool or Spurs fans could match the charge sheet of injustices against our team and manager, and if they could come close, the media would be all over it.
Mike Riley is a weak and willing foot soldier put in place by those who wanted the English game over Wenger’s continental approach which threatened one influential manager especially. Mike Riley was a poor referee, and is now an even worse administrator and communicator, as ex refs have confirmed. He is only in place as an establishment lick-arse who will maintain whatever status quo those above him tell him. I often wonder if someone in high place has something on him. He has power over referees careers. Wenger was a victim of Mike Riley, and those he serves corruption in a game we all remember, as he has been many times since.
These are not all errors from refs, this is not objective reporting from the media, it is no coincidence so many of our player have been maimed, only for the ” he’s not that sort of player ” to appear next day in the papers, this is a campaign to rid the English game of a manager who has , from day one, refused to play the English game, to his eternal credit
Positively Arsenal 
Anyone watching PSG and Madrid tonight – it is it miscellaneous sliding competitions from Korea ?
(Only joking Bama)
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Excellent football – Verratti and Isco tremendous – Neymar is nuts
Even the cheating is far superior than the amateur stuff you see in the PL
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I’m watching it while getting in some late night work.
Some really good football and skills on show. But top notch diving too. Could have easily had some players sent off for silly challenges too.
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Ronaldo doesn’t contribute to the build up at all. Only looks to get on the end of a scoring chance.
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I know you’re not allowed to say it but Neymar has a head any defender would probably like to kick
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And he scores.
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Unbelievable- 2 goals in two minutes-PSG must be bloody furious with themselves
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Teams news – No Wilshere, Koscielny, Cech, Aubameyang or Ramsey
Arsène Wenger has named an experienced squad for our Europa League last-32 first leg against Ostersunds on Thursday, though some familiar faces haven’t travelled.
The manager gave an update on his team at his pre-match press conference – here’s what he said:
on who hasn’t travelled…
Wilshere, Koscielny, Cech, Aubameyang (ineligible) left behind and everyone else has travelled.
on whether the pitch was a reason for leaving some players behind…
One or two had recent problems, like Koscielny with his Achilles. Wilshere was more precautionary.
on if those precautions are because of the playing surface…
I don’t know exactly what the pitch is about, but I wanted to rest Jack because he was sick before the game against Spurs.
on Ramsey…
It is a little bit sensitive case because we expected him to be a bit further in his development of the groin problem and he doesn’t move forward as quickly as we expected it. Today we would say that certainly he will not be available even for the next game against Ostersunds. Maybe for the cup final, we don’t know yet, it depends how he will progress from now.
on if this squad is stronger than the ones he named in the group stage…
We go into direct knockout so of course the risk is higher. We are ambitious in the competition as well. So, yes, we are more experienced than we were before.
on if our league position has had any bearing on his squad…
I would have done that anyway, no matter what happens in the league. We, of course, try to focus on the league but we would have brought an experienced team here.
Copyright 2018 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to http://www.arsenal.com as the source.
Read more at https://www.arsenal.com/news/wenger-why-ozil-will-feature-against-ostersunds#udYo2BGAZmVuxd58.99
Read more at https://www.arsenal.com/news/wenger-why-ozil-will-feature-against-ostersunds#Giy5oKstBEBEIoEL.99
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Football at the top level – a big comparison between one side playing a hell of a lot of football and the other having the knack of winning the game
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Am I nuts or is much of Ronaldo’s work outside box distinctly ordinary (for a multi-Ballon D’or winner), and laughably selfish?
And yet, the goals keep coming, often against top sides…
Unless I misheard, he is one hat-trick shy of 50!!!
Probably the most pen-boosted stats in history (50+ my guess), but still.
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RIP to a great Gooner Ernest Hecht.
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Some say we have never been the same in midfield since we lost Vieira but we’ve looked distinctly shaky at the back ever since the much maligned Per Mertesaker absented himself from the heart of our defence.
I was also sorry to see the back of Gabriel, and not only for the loss of the obvious bible-based puns.
(Half-) joking aside, defence is where our greatest squad inexperience lies with a heady mixture of world-classiness (Bellerin, Mustafi, Monreal) rubbing shoulders with those very likely to be very good in the future (Holding, Chambers and 6’4″ newbie Mavropanos).
I think also Mustafi is still settling in, trying to get the hang of when to go forward, when to stay/go back. Kolasinac is also in a similar stage of his Arsenal development, I’d suggest.
One reason Wenger hangs onto players beyond what is sometimes seen as their ‘sell by date’ is that they are well-drilled graduates in the art of Wengerball. I’ve no doubt it killed Arsene to see the back of Theo, Ox and others this January and it is part of what made the month so memorable and probably unique, at least under le Boss.
Only time will tell whether the Great January Upheaval is part of a wider reinvention at the club but it’s hard to deny that change is afoot.
Sadly for Arsene (and us) inexperience at the back combined with the utter disruption brought to both midfield and attack by the lost Chilean has done for us this season.
Doubtless more players and further change will be incoming in the summer.
So the roller-coaster may be with us for a while yet – no doubt much to the delight of the headline-hungry media and other even less savoury detractors.
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Raiola now apparently trying to broker deals to Utd for players he doesn’t even represent.
Approached Icardi supposedly with talk of how he has deal prepared, which would include him representing player afterwards.
Raiola must have some gigantic appetites, and another reminder it’s not exactly an open market for many players.
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Wilshere played in the NLD whilst not 100%, after not having played for a few weeks.
At the weekend his stamina and strength looked below the levels we’d seen him hit in recent times, and that makes sense now.
I’ve come across people saying “his legs have gone”, but it seems that the wind down at HT just left him a little cold at the start of or for the second half. That understands corresponds with Clarkie’s reading in his Breakdown.
Out of curiosity: the mighty Dembele played in both legs as this awe inspiring Tottenham squad crashed out against Gent (not Ghent) this time last season. Alongside the legendary Harry Winks. Perhaps the most important player in their squad (that would be their best CM) wasn’t 100% for both those matches?
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Change does indeed seem afoot and it will be really interesting to see how it all pans out. Predictably more than a few are laughing at the incompetence (as they see it) of selling lots of forwards to be left only with cuptied Aubamayang and injured Lacazette, Dat guy now being a figure of fun to them. However, it seems to me that these decisions were made with the future in mind and that this season had all but been written off. Yes – lots still to play for and a couple of cups but i sense the eye is more on the horizon now.
The midfield is the big worry i think and aarin the bigest issue. Fully fit you’d want to build on and around him and give him the sort of contract to secure him. But he is too often sprained and strained to rely on i think and I noticed a few weeks ago that AW talked about Mkhitaryan as a box to box man whuch made me wonder. I would say much the same about Wilshere, although i can imagine him being prepared to hang around for longer.
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don’t forget that the match today is at 6 and not the usual 7.45 kick off
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I will be doing a deposition this afternoon during the match with no chance of bailing out. I am grateful for my job but jeezus it is hammering my football time. Will have to rely on comments in the blog from you guys. Will avoid Twitter like the plague. It is a mass of hysterical, emotive, hyperventilating fans who go from manic to depressive in a flash.
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Nice to read from an Arsenal site that actually concentrates on our team, and not the neighbors at the moment
Can only echo recent posts, looks like some sort of change is on its way, none of us know what form it will take, but change at such a stable club in itself can be disruptive. I wouldnt like to guess on the manager, other than the fact I believe he will see out his contract, unless he and the club think it is time for something else, but would certainly expect further changes, perhaps in the backroom staff to put things in place for the eventual new manager and ease the transition. Maybe we are just going through our Utd syndrome a bit early, so the new man inherits a smooth running machine on arrival.
Recent player movements are clearly for the future, we have lost some reliable goal scorers and a decent defender, and bought in players who will need time to adapt, agree, this season is gone as far as a decent position in the league goes, but we are still very much in for two trophies.
But, all in all, not a vintage season so far, they really must sort our MF and defending issues in the summer, or preferably before, whatever it takes, and whatever prev philosophies may have held sway. Faults in these areas are damaging performances, and letting others pull away. Our players can be drilled, trained, made to defend, just dont make Tony Adams next manager though
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Good afternoon Positives, Game day today and a real change of scene to what looks to be small town in rural Sweden with just 50,000 living there. The locals must be absolutely loving the chance to play one of the biggest clubs in Europe and I don’t blame them. We need a steady start tonight, no-one goes mental and we nick it 2-0.
Early finish for me to be in front of the box at 6. Great opportunity for Danny and Eddy to make a mark tonight.
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That could be the Arsenal vs Ostersunds match preview post Andrew. Short and sweet a la meerkat fashion.
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I have heard the laments regarding ‘3 forwards out – 2 cannot play in the EL’ and that’s OK – why? because I think Eddie ( not the PA one) but Eddie Nketiah has it in him to score goals for fun, and I would love to see him play a part in the game tonight.
That’s not a problem — that’s a challenge and an opportunity, both.
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Goodness knows what the Scarfists would have made of Arsene starting games with Anelka and Chris Wreh up front – they’d have has collecitve heart failure presumably.
Danny Welbeck 27 years old, 190 domestic league, European and Cup games under his belt including 40 starts for us, 69 games in total and 29 goals. Capped 36 times for his country and 19 goals.
And all they can do is WHINE.
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anicoll
Stats – 69/29- or am i reading that wrong?- sound a bit high for Danny. 91 games for us all comps, 22 goals according to wiki.
269/ 59 career total.
With you of course that he doesn’t deserve derision- but it seems now people aren’t happy without a handful of players to mock- and think on his day can be a real handful.
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Quite right Rich – reading the wrong column !! Some good goals in there too – against the Mancs away in the Cup, a lovely solo against Everton and who can forget the winner against the mighty Leicester (as they were known) ??
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anicol
Aye. I liked a soaring header which got us three points at… West Brom, I think.
Good hatrick in champions league against Galatasaray team with some decent players but who played into our hands the way I wish every damn team would (Give us space behind, you bastards!)
Best performances I remember though didn’t feature goals: big in cup final (maybe a role- wide, running hard, nuisance, stretching them- that could have been useful on Sat if fit and firing?) and thought he was very good in that Monaco away 2nd leg, where I loved our performance and we nearly pulled it off.
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Anicoll @ 1:32
Young men can be impervious to the truth around them, and they are keen to enforce their own version of ‘truth’ on everyone else — including other young men, who sadly respond in a boringly predictable way.
In addition, there are, in general, two types of older men, the first group who believe their years have earned them sagacity and experience, and when they see the rock of uncertain truth and unexpected events come rolling towards them, in their egotistical self aggrandisement they stand in its way and open their arms wide to greet it with their wit and wisdom — and get squished — under the weight of their ignorance.
The other type of older men likewise believe the years have endowed them with a sagacious mien, and also feel they have ridden out many an important event and gained a deep rooted experience that they feel gives them great authority.
However, when the rock of unexpected truth and unknown events rolls inexorably towards them, they lose their confidence, and quickly get out of the way and instead walk besides the rock, and watch it pass them by, and then grandly say ‘I made that rock roll past me; so give me credit for my wit, wisdom and authority and defer to my supremacy’ – while secretly knowing, inside themselves, that they were craven.
All of this can be found in stark outline on Twitter, but in succumbing to the lure of the tweet, everyone who does so becomes one of the above. Lol
I have never used twitter. [-double Lol-]
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Talking of Leicester: there’s an annoying story about them on NewsNow (don’t judge me anyone).
Some bullshit from Ulloa about how our attitude after the win helped inspire- photo on dressing room wall number- Leicester to title. Supposedly an Ozil tweet where hash tag ‘best team’ was taken to mean a claim of ‘best team in the league’, and then the more serious crime of holding up two fingers- two fingers for two points in it.
Questions. Questions. Could opponents actually be influenced by the garbage slant and falsehoods the media puts on us, or is it a classic case of a team deliberately fooling themselves for motivation?
I know plenty of managers are eager to try that stuff, but always found it harder to believe players buy into it when transparently nonsense, yet here Ulljoa is years later, job done, apparently still believing it..
The two fingers were Sanchez doing a double peace sign, which I believe he often did in photos.
https://turkish-football.com/leo-ulloa-claims-arsenal-stars-mesut-ozil-instagram-post-helped-spur-leicester-on-to-win-premier-league-title/
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Not the biggest load of crap on NewsNow for the day though.
I thought the one about us trying to get dembele from Barca in the summer for 40 mill less than they just paid would be the winner, but it was a story about us being a potential destination for Ronaldo that won.
Wages would be about….250 grand per week, they reckon.
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Monreallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
tap in after goalie failed to hold a shot
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Technical leader
leathal in front of goals
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some of my post not registering
anyway Monreal gives us the lead tapping in a rebound
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David Ospina. Captain of Arsenal Football Club.
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2-0, an OG from a Mkhitaryan cross/shot
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that 15 mins again
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HT: 0-2
totally on top for first 25 minutes or so, went 2 up and then let the home side back into it and they had several chances.
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Odd game – 2-0 up and then the home sided switched on – finally
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So far so good…thank god…so far so boring….
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ozil makes it 3-0
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Can’t watch the match but looking forward to reading all your thoughts on how the CMs get on.
COYG!
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Welbeck needs to wake up and get his scoring boots on….
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This is so dull…
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i’m not watching the game tonight but i saw the line-up and welbz was in it. from live report i’m reading he isnt mentioned. pls hope he’s playing well and not injured. as we all know, he is the only recognised striker eligible for europa now that laca is injured.
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Danny is praying the kid does not get a chance
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OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOspina!
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spina!
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Arsenal FC
Verified account @Arsenal
33s33 seconds ago
Penalty to @ofk_1996 – and @D_Ospina1 saves it!
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CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
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dominated for long spells but really stepped off the gas after going 2 up, its annoying that our team seem incapable of going at top speed for a full game. No killer instinct in them
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pending an appeal by Reading, who have been thrown out for playing an underage player in their 4-1 win v Colchester in the last round, Arsenal u18’s will now play Colchester in the QF of the FA Youth Cup
it seems RFC used a player who was 14 at the cut off point of midnight 31st August 2017, when all players must be 15 or over at that time. So although the lad was 15 at time of the game, Reading have been thrown out.
oddly enough this rule only applies to the FA Youth cup and not the U18 league, where no such age restriction applies.
https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2018/february/club-charge-upheld-following-fa-youth-cup-regulations-breach/
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