Bonjour fellow Positivistas.
Since Friday we’ve been on an emotional rollercoaster and we will only be let off to truly come to grips with it all on the 13th May 2018. So till then let the countdown begin having the great man in the technical area as we host West Ham United at the Emirates today.
Following last Sunday’s flat performance which put an end to a seven game unbeaten run, Arsenal will look to bounce back and get a positive result if we want to take any kind of confidence and/or momentum toward more pressing matters on Thursday night.
Now when these two teams met back in December the Hammers did well to add to our travel grief by producing a very solid defensive display to hold out for a goalless draw. David Moyes was so pleased with himself that he quipped in the post-match that he’s “really enjoying” life.
To be fair he got reason to. When he was brought in his primary goal has been to keep his team safe from the relegation trapdoor, and I think they’ll probably survive just. But all of the leg work has been done at the London Stadium as they themselves are terrible travellers, with only 2 PL wins on the road and Moyes himself still without a win away to Arsenal in all competitions.
Despite our rather grim looking away record we have grown to appreciate the Emirates as a fortress for the Arsenal. Making it a double whammy for the WHammers and I’m sure the bookies are in agreement that victory for the home side is a safe bet.
On team news: the Boss will have a near-full squad to choose from, with Jack being a minor concern and Mkhi unavailable, though he is expected back after today’s game.
With our domestic season such a clanging disappointment and Europa our only avenue to absolution, we can expect Thursday night to be uppermost in Mr Wenger’s mind and his match day 11 to reflect that as he would want to ensure the players are battle ready and in good health.
When news broke of the Boss’ ‘retirement’ I’m sure we all felt a bit numb for at least a brief moment, now we can only imagine how difficult it must have been for the players to whom he has became a father figure. So my hope is that they don’t get too overwhelmed by the moment because if there is anything that the great man has taught us all… it is that the show must go on and whatever life throws at us we must always trust in ourselves.
Every day Arsène Wenger went to the mat for this great team, now it is time for us supporters to take to the mat for him as the sun sets on what will forever be remembered as an illustrious managerial career, to make sure he gets a send-off befitting of his class and stature. Let the Emirates ROAR as they sing:
“There’s only One Arsène Wenger”
Positively Arsenal 
Morning Positivistas..
Cech
Bellerin – Chambers – Koscielny – Kolasinac
Ramsey – Elneny – Xhaka
Ozil – Welbeck – Aubameyang
S: Ospina, Mertesacker/Holding, Mustafi, Monreal, M.Niles, Iwobi, Lacazette
V
Hart
Rice – Ogbonna – Cresswell
Zabaleta – Noble – Kouyate – Masuaku
Lanzini – Mario
Arnautovic
S: Adrian, Trott, Evra, Rice, Fernandes, Carroll, Chicharito
COYG!!!!!
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A bright and sunny morning here in Berkshire as I wait for the 1022 to whisk me up to London Waterloo.
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Enjoy the beautiful day and hopefully some beautiful football too.
Unfortunately I can’t make the last two home games in the league, a break in work might let me go to the semi final, but otherwise no chance of meeting up with people for me, hopefully some of you manage to do so!
COYG!
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Well said, wish i could be there today.
As long as the players give everything in his final games, i am sure they will do him proud.
Could be difficult and unsettling for them though.
1AW
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Woken up in a bit of a funk. Alabamagooner’s words on last post resonating in me -‘Just that it’s hard for me to imagine what Arsenal looks like without Arsène’
Feels like such a massive recalibration of daily, monthly, yearly realities of supporting club lies ahead. Above all else, not having someone so likeable and trustworthy, as a person, as the figurehead of the club. A person of rare good qualities who happens to be a football manager, of your club, for nearly a quarter of a century.
Hmm, had to happen one day.
What’s more, I’ve gone a long way at times towards thinking and saying it’s time for change. My emotions now seem to suggest that was wrong and foolish, and if I’m sad now then I deserve it.
Apologies for being maudlin; just hitting home how few public figures there are who I respect, trust and admire to a high degree.
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Thanks George
The other day I speculated that AW would stay till the end of next season as the haggle at the end of last season, the decision to leave that haggle so late which had such a negative impact on the league form did not make any sense for any concerned. Unless it was the gaffer who was wanting to finish up, as you’d told us this time last year, as Ornstein has also reported. With the benefit of the old hindsight that all seems logical and sensible, otherwise the choice to repeat last season the speculation and destabilisation around contract negotiations as witnessed in 2014 would’ve been genuinly a “shambles”. It all makes sense now, including the bitter experts “shambles” meme, after all they’ve been denied their prize going on a decade now and the current path mapped out by the club has been designed to deflect their blunt barbs and bitter vitriolics into the dustbin of history, which is smart and skillful in my humble and insignificant opinion.
Not for nothing do big Tottenham fans declare that Arsenal Football Club presents the best in English Football.
I see the swashbuckling style of their superior manager (eh? Come again with those opinions. Please!), their peerless defence alongside the elite world class striking duo whose biggest goals between them for Middlesex and Country tot up to a grand total an own goal to go out against (Flemish) Kent in Europe and now a goal whilst losing an FA cup semi final. I see they have yet again surpassed the senile geriatric cheese eating surrender monkey who had forgotten what Football is with their best season ever (with one runners up set of medals AFC have already had a better season the the most over-hyped team in the history of the game and we’re hoping for more. If you won’t tell the Experts how the classical and traditional measures work for these things, I won’t either…promise, cross my heart…).
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How to neuter and publicly debunk the PR narratives of big broadcasters and their sychophantic hangers on and the vampires* sucking upon the club’s blood?
It seems like that stiff upper lip beloved of AFC has it’s uses?
(*Don’t worry some of these Reality TV Actors are here to stay, I blame Simon Cowell myself for showing others that a modern freak show/circus can, as it always has been given the exploitation, be an easy living.)
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I’ve written on more than one occasion that the second year of Arsene’s current contract might prove to be a red herring but I think the reasons for the timing of his departure are not quite as expected, as the hand of the recently-moved-to-London Josh Kroenke appears to have been at work alongside the recent backroom appointments to make this difficult change.
Of Wenger’s successors, I really don’t see Rodger or Low but I can imagine Enrique as a viable option due to his availability, style and experience. But we’ll see although I doubt it’ll take too long.
It’s very sad to see Arsene leave, I could have imagined him doing another 5 years had he managed to get his defence sorted out before now. Sanchez was a huge distraction and set back and he’s been having to remake our attack when he would probably have preferred to be developing the defence. Not fair to blame AS, of course, but I’d love to hear how much of a problem this was for AW.
Enjoy the game everyone, atmosphere should be great ahead of the big one on Thursday.
And then, one day soon, there’s the small matter of Arsene’s Book …
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Still couldn’t get my thoughts straight after the sad news of Wenger leaving.
Wonder what forced him to do so as he had an year on his contract and he has always honoured his contract .
Should I assume he had differences with the board? As reported by a section. Of the media though I highly doubt such reports. I believe he has been a victim of the pigmob after the unfolding of such biased refereeing over the years and the pattern increased to astounding proportions this year. The postponement of VAR was the final nail in the coffin. Wenger now firmly believes he will never be allowed a, level playing field by the refs so he decided to call it a day a year earlier.
Personally I think he should have continued as I feel with the signing of Mikkhi and Auba we have the contents now to challenge for the title. Tough I know the pigmob will never allow us to win but we can easily be in the top 4 in the coming year.
Wish we win the Europa and board asks Wenger to complete his contract. May It happen and we can see our team play the beautiful game for 1 more year under the greatest manager AFC has ever had.
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Think most likely scenario is we never know for sure how decision came about.
All sorts will claim to know precisely what happened, and there may be a version commonly accepted as truth, but I see little reason to believe what’s said unless it comes directly from Wenger.
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Some of the obscure and bizarre critique of the statement from the club/Ivan is strong, very strong, evidence for the bitter emotions from those referred to above. Are the experts in PR are having circles run around them?
L.O.L.
This is not sad news. AW was going to leave last season, this season, or the next. Sure a title would’ve been nice but overall things aren’t as bad or awful as they were in 2014, I’m sad at some of the stuff that went on but idiots will be idiots and to quote another great man:
“He set an example that you can rise above criticism and abuse, and prove you are stronger than all your critics.
Quite simply, he is one of the finest football managers there has ever been. And I thank him for that.”
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/arsene-wenger-jeremy-corbyn_uk_5adb2c2ae4b009869bf9b379/
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The players need to start delivering.
Our home record has been good so far, and these boys are playing for their Cup semi final places, and in fact some of them have their own jobs on the line as the potential new managers will be watching them too.
As always UTA.
Now let’s get out there and hammer those Irons.
And fuck-off to the AFTV blud Bruddahz too.
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Today is bitter-sweet for football in general and Arsenal in particular. No matter the emotional salutes of approval for Arsene by the real fans of the club (forget the crocodile tears by the many enemies); it must be said the bastards won the battle. At least two strategic goals of Wenger that would have made Arsenal more competitive and make it more difficult for the clubs who are buying success with external money were not realized. No wonder the Establishment through its lick-spittle allies in the mainstream media are delighted that Wenger failed to go out on top. I am convinced the war for Wenger’s vision of a fair and level playing field in the Premier League is far from over. I will go into more details later.
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I look forward to that Shotta. Note how uniform the tributes from the mainstream UK media outlets are. Visionary hero; early teams sublime; changed face of English football; stadium move; and then a slow decline and an unwillingness to change as newer men moved centre stage. And all written with an affectionate shake of the head as if contemplating the charming eccentricities of a slightly batty grandparent.
But look at.what they are leaving out……
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would just point out that the Arsene Wenger farewell tour might very well not finish till the 16th of May, and not the 13th as stated in this article
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Exactly my point Heady. I don’t want to give away the contents of my upcoming blog but any of us with two working neurons and a synapses would have noticed how the PL has become a competition dominated by external money despite the warnings by Wenger and the club. Yes, the bastards won the battle.
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the media reaction to Wenger’s leaving is disgusting, the amount of disrespect towards him is staggering if not unsurprising. On Friday it all started out fine, all extolling his virtues, listing all the great things he has done, but even then they had gobshites from AFTV on view belittling him. Now only 3 days later and we have downright lies and little digs at him, even some slagging of him. What makes it even more disgusting is that on the very weekend that Spurs lost their 8th fa cup semi final in a row meaning no trophy for over a decade, and their wonderful manager has never won a trophy at all, but has been totally overlooked by the same media having pops at Wenger.
For me the most galling is seeing ex players come out with platitudes for Wenger and next thing they are having a dig at him, or like a certain wanker wanker wanker, actually claiming AW was sacked. You know the sort of sacking that leaves him in charge for 7 or 8 games more.
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“Look at what they’re leaving out”
For starters: A national team that selects an agent’s gimp at ten ahead of footballers like Lindgard, Sterling etc?
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A reason to play well is not a guarantee to play well it’s another media myth, in truth the announcement is the worst possible preparation for not only today’s game but the semi final games as well and the important home game to Burnley.
The other myth is they are professionals they should be able to vipe. Basically emotions are emotions and get paid for something doesn’t make one bit of difference.
I am trusting when the team get on the field that can concentrate on football and enjoy themselves however difficult that be at first.
I do know things can go wrong especially knowing the refs would love to spoil Arsene day but I’m banking on the old ARSENAL love to play in the sunshine so COYG.
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Luis Enrique? I agree Andrew, it seems likely given his history with Sanhelli, but there are conflicting reports about his tactics (I’m wary of that term though) I saw him a bit at Roma and was underwhelmed but then coaches do evolve. Didn’t see much at all of him at Barca. Can’t really judge him by results there though, can we?
I found two articles concerning the Juve-Barca match last season. One preview, one review. Both should give some insight into Enrique and Allegri’s methods.
https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/4/9/15230612/juventus-barcelona-2017-champions-league-quarterfinal-max-allegri-luis-enrique-tactics-analysis
http://www.zonalmarking.net/2017/04/12/juventus-3-0-barcelona-juve-exploit-barcas-disjointed-backline-with-two-fine-dybala-strikes/
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Eds, I would now expect any difference from the clowns. Not when they’ve gone through all the trouble of putting on their make up and squeaky red noses?
If a victory over the champions in the greatest cup final of recent memory doesn’t affect The Narrative the neither would a truck through the windscreen so to speak.
As evidenced by the majority of arsenal fans in 2014 in spite of all the shrieking and noise these people didn’t control the story of the club in 2014, and they don’t control it now. Which is not to disagree with Shotta’s comments above.
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spot on ian, Ozil postponed an interview with a foreign media outlet on Friday as he could not cope with it in the aftermath of getting the AW news.
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Do you guys really believe that bringing in a talented, bright, ambitious manager to replace Wenger is going to change the competitive landscape? Mind you, there seems to be people in the Arsenal hierarchy who think so.
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The media always viewed Arsene Wenger as a philosophical, if not an existential, enemy. I think that says a lot about Wenger the man and coach.
All the love in is of the sort they couldn’t deny the early teams. Vieira, Bergkamp, Henry, Pires were greats. This couldn’t be denied. But of course they had to be called dirty, and Arsene accused of ruining England’s World Cup chances because they were foreigners. In the case of Pires of course diving foreigners. And in each of these cases, context denied, just as with the ‘trophy drought’ narrative, or indeed Spurs’ current status.
So also with Arsene. They have to say he’s a great because this is undeniable. And such is his impact, professionally and personally, that coaches and players around the world and in England are all hailing him. They would much rather make it a tragedy than a triumph though. Because in this ‘debate’, they cannot allow Wenger’s ideals to win. Much like that 2007/08 side, or the unstoppable, except by Riley, Invincibles.
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shotta
It wouldn’t. But Wenger believed and said that victory can still be achieved. I just wish we had fair referees (and media to hold them to account) so that we could have found out for sure.
Of course Arsenal can win. We won’t be favourites, but we have a good platform to build from, we have money, even if not the unlimited funds, and we have a club in good shape from the academy upwards.
A managerial change may not be the thing to push us to the top alone. It could help (or harm) Either way, anything else except believing that we could win would be a defeatist attitude. Ambition is not the issue. Coping with disappointment is the real problem for the loud mouthed dissidents.
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shotta the problem is, if reports are to be believed, that Josh Kroenke sees that bright new coach as Theirry Henry
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No please not Thierry Henry! I sincerely hope that is not what Gazidis meant by being bold. There’s bold and there’s outright stupid. He doesn’t have any coaching credentials that should make him eligible for the role. Plus, he doesn’t meet the criteria of club values due to his role on Sky, how he took it, and how he’s played it. (And he’s not even an insightful analyst)
I hope Sanhelli and Mislintat will stand up to Josh Kroenke and Gazidis to dissuade them from such an appointment. The main consideration seems to be political. To unite the fanbase apparently. Nothing will unite this fanbase, and especially not Henry.
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5 young english players on the bench
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No Ozil, keeping him back for Thursday?
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Shotts
I agree with you. Considering the opposition on and off the pitch then what happened after 2014 was/is a big plus for me.
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Yep, Europa league is the priority exactly the same as Utd under Mourinho and Chelsea under Benitez. Been that way for a month or two now…
For some reason the coverage by the big broadcasters has been slightly different then when the two clubs above were in a similar circumstance. I think they just airbrushed Liverpool’s final defeat out of the history books.
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Cech out with a hip injury and Kolasinac out with a recurring ankle injury.
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Macey in goal? He played fine earlier in the season, he’s already made his league debut I think.
Think he might be an interesting prospect…
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Ozil out with illness, Wilshere has ankle injury
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I am going for a lacazette hattrick today and Iwobi to be on the score sheet
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fins its opsina in goal today, macey is sub
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I mentioned it yesterday, but with AW going it could mean we lose some of our players this summer, and I fear, after Ozil’s reaction to the AW news, that we might see him leave and possibly even join up with Wenger at PSG
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so guys what would your reaction be if Arsenal appoint Sean Dyche as Wenger’s replacement.
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Ah Ospina is back!
Same back 5 and midfield that would’ve been inked in to play against Madrid. Wilshere has been unfit since the England training knock,
Nice little practice/ warm up for most of the XI with a derby before the big game.
COYG
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Eds
Is he on the list alongside Owen Coyle and David Moyes?
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Eds
What are your thoughts on Macey’s long term prospects at AFC?
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< there's one standout player that might follow in the manager's footsteps.
I've mentioned that disturbing prospect before, no need today, or for the rest of the season.
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I suspect if it is Henry that he may just do a Neville as a Manager such is his arrogance.
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Think the OUT brigade will now find just how hard an act Arsene is to follow, we will see.
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fins I don’t see Macey ever being our no.1, just the same as Martinez, who for me is probably the better player, neither have the game time
macey will be 24 in September and has a grand total of 19 first team games played, all 15 of his league games have been in League 2.
Martinez will be 26 in September and he has 9 top level league games played and another 32 in the Championship.
Just ask yourself this, if either player was at another club would we be even considering signing them, let alone making them first choice here.
For either to make it here they will need lots of luck, injuries etc to those ahead of them, then things to run their way when they do get chance. Martinez having an awful loan spell in spain has been a massive disappointment and done him no favors at all.
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markyb the WOB will just turn on the next manger, and failing that they will have a pointless campaign v KSE
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I can’t truly believe Mesut would leave after just having signed a contract. He would have expected this next season anyway. Yes, it came early, but unless his plan was to play one year with Arsène and then ditch the whole thing, this doesn’t change what he would have experienced, it only moves it up.
I would caution us here not to devolve into anger over what other people speculate may have happened with Arsène. That does no one good, and it takes us away from what our prime focus should be: support the team AND support the manager, whoever that may turn out to be. Also, I refuse to believe ahead of time that we are screwed by the PGMOL, the FA or whoever. After all it was the great man who said if you don’t believe you can do it, then you have no chance at all. I love to scream at refs as much as the next person, but if I truly believed the whole thing was bent, then I would certainly need my head examined for spending time watching it at all!
Come on lads, the moment has arrived. Truly now, do it for Arsene. #COYG
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Wenger said today that he will reveal the reasons for the timing of his exit “maybe” at the end of the season, not willing to talk about it now as he has games to win and focus on. He also said that he always said he wanted to leave the next manager with a strong solid club and best chance to succeed and he thinks that is what he is doing and will strive to do till the end of this season
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just one thing on the Wenger announcement on Friday, anyone who thinks that it was only a decision taken in the last couple of days knows fuck all. The announcement will not have been made before all details of his severance package have been sorted and signed. And those sort of things normally take weeks. I would suggest that the reports that say its been in the works for the last month are more likely to be accurate than any saying he only decided it in the 2 days before announcement.
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