Good Morning Positives,
For those of you lucky enough to find a live broadcast or a reliable stream yesterday from the John Smiths’ you will have enjoyed an end to end contest as much as I did, Admittedly the occasional muttered contribution from Owen Hargreaves (the most peculiar contributor among commentators in any sport surely?) was a price to pay.
But what was not to like ? Bright sunshine, Arsene with a bounce in his step, with the home side showing no ill-effects of celebrating their safe passage to next season in the Premier League won at the Bridge in midweek. Indeed in the first half it was the Terriers who looked rather more on the front foot and but for some nifty keeping by Ospina and some wild-eyed shooting by Ince we may have found ourselves slightly embarrassed in the opening 20 minutes.
We steadied though, took possession of the ball and, on 38, opened Huddersfield up with a classic AFC passing movement, finished by Auba sliding in at the far post. I do not think he has scored a truly spectacular PL goal among the 10 credited to him in his 13 games since the man from Gabon has joined but his output has been unerringly consistent. That predator instinct to be just at the right spot at the right time PEA has demonstrated repeatedly since January and it bodes well toward the “Goals For” column next season.
The second half provided us with several more opportunities to make the game safe with a second and third goal but some smart keeping by Lossl kept us out. I suspect Danny and Laca will look at the chances again today and reflect, inwardly, on opportunities that should have been buried.
Of our lads Mkhi was very good again yesterday. If Jose says the Armenian was unfit and lacks stamina then I have seen no evidence since he has came to us. Good game from Rob Holding too.
And in the classic Arsenal way just the death, with the three away points FINALLY being loaded onto the coach, Huddersfield stole in with two good chances, the second kept out by Ospina’s desperate dive. A fitting climax to 22 seasons of football, competitive to the last.
So there we are, the 2017-2018 PL season complete. Certainly a season I expected to achieve more domestically with what I regarded as our strongest and most experienced squad since out move to the Ems. It was not to be, but there were some great moments and a fitting finale for the greatest manager in the club’s history. New men will come, new history will be made.
I shall leave you, gentle reader, with Banquo ” If you can look into the seeds of time, And say which grain will grow, and which will not …. ”
Enjoy Monday.
Positively Arsenal 
And written with flair and panache, PA in the image of Arsene Wenger.
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Excellent Andy as always.
I’ve never felt this sad after a win before and it’s a very strange feeling, just as I can imagine Arsene is feeling right now.
I would also imagine Arsene while clearing out his desk and saying his goodbyes will be multitasking and doing some last bits of work to cross the I’s and dot the T’s except obviously in the correct order.
I loved the comment about retiring every day a last dig at all the two faced slags that had disrespected in over the years.
I have looked very closely and apparently there is no manager in existence that will draw full support from our whining fans so maybe Arsene was right for us all along who knew… Well we did
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Great report
beautiful day
Wengerball goal
One nil to The Arsenal
Dissapointed with how the season panned out, as the ‘First Eleven’ played on Seven Days rest , which should have afford them a better run at the top 4.
The changes made the players sold and brought in has been so far very encouraging, alongside the young players given the chances this season , I think have actually lifted the level of the overall group. The results have not shown it recently but I see some real improvements in several individual players.
The fact that the team is back in the Euro League affords the new manager a chance to do that again, which will help speed up the developement of the group of promising young players coming through.
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AndyNic’s post game reporting has shown he is a disciple of the great man himself:
“I believe the target of anything in life should be to do it so well that it becomes art.”
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AW has been in charge for close on 30% of the Arsenal games I’ve been lucky enough to see. What a privilege. Now where’s his statue…a fitting epitaph for a gentleman?
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Thanks, Andy – looking forward to seeing the highlights sometime later today. Nice for one and all to end the season with a win, and somehow appropriate that after 22 glorious years of attacking wonderfulness we should close with a solid one nil to the Arsenal.
Managers may come, and managers go – but boring, boring Arsenal will go on forever!
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Andy’s words are a certainly a tonic but I need more time to come to terms with Arsene leaving us….
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I can’t quite believe its over. I think it hasn’t sunk in.
Which is weird because I thought I had done my crying and sadness before during and after the Burnley game. And honestly, Arsene Wenger has looked happy and I’ve bene happy and even excited for a new manager and the new direction we take.
But yet.. It hasn’t sunk in. I’m not even sad. It’s just… I think only when I see someone else take over, giving interviews, on the sidelines etc that it will hit me.
We will miss him. I will miss him. There’s only one Arsene Wenger. And aren’t we lucky to be able to call him ours.
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a podcast I did today, an Arsene Wenger special, a look at his best buys, academy players and those plagued by injury – let me know what you think
https://www.spreaker.com/user/cavanonlineradio/the-sports-show-arsene-wenger-special
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Thank you Andrew.
A good game of football, in a good stadium, with a great atmosphere. i couldn’t find any other account of the Football match that took place yesterday anywhere else that matched Andrew’s description which so simply and gracefully described the occasion which none of us will ever forget. Including the important bit the Football, so often missing from so many other accounts.
–
i hope you don’t mind that I have one minor quibble with the following opinion: the “strongest and most experienced squad since out move to the Ems”.
I find it hard to agree with this opinion. Previously not so long ago we’d seen a top level squad with a:
CB pool of
WC winning World Class BFG
Reasonably fit non hobbling, not wincing, not yet affected by too many painkillers, World Class Koscielny
Gabriel, he was about for a few seasons. You all saw his performance against City in the SF last year? Shame he couldn’t learn the lingo and got annoyed with the competition following Mustafi’s arrival.
Sagna? Was an option there for a bit before he moved on and SM came in.
Monreal.
Chambers.
Which was the best CB pool we’d seen at the club since the move. Which doesn’t exist at this moment. Therefore the ‘defence’ it is weaker at the current moment. As there has only been ne fit senior CB for most of this season. An individual who himself has only had two maybe three seasons playing consistently at CB, so one that barely qualifies as a senior CB.
However you slice or dice it the defence this season was the weakest we’ve had for some time. I wont bother to include Debuchy as he only ever got minutes to help him get a move (Values, Class, etc. you all know, and understand, I hope…).
Midfield included:
A World Class Santi Cazorla
World Class or perhaps we can say top level in his last two seasons (before the stomp A from Ba) Mikel Arteta, his stats comapred well with the admirable Carrick.
The attack is undeniably stronger this season, by the end of the season, as that new striker is seriously serious! But with a disgruntled superstar trudging his way through the first half of the season, safe to say not in as good shape at the start of this season as during the previous.
Whereas in contrast to the above this season Arsenal had:
Last season the club could navigate through the FA Cup Semi Final and Final playing three at the back with understrength teams, suspensions and injuries, as the back up players were there. This was observably not the case this season. Is it sentiment to have given the BFG one more year as a player? You know my opinion on that, you take it or you leave it (and with that leave you’d have to leave everything that came before), but i can say this with more then reasonable certainty: It was not bad “defensive coaching”.
Midfield: ramsey certainly cementing his reputation in European football and Xhaka coming on elaps and bounds but both are not quite cmparable to the previous midfield generals who themselves only hit their true peaks as midfields past the age of 27/28, so i expect it will happen for these players too.
These are my quantifiable reasonings and assesment and understanding as to why this was, arguably, AW’s weakest squad this past season since 2014.
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I remember looking at out squad in August and thinking for the first time we had 2 good players in every spot – Laca coming in sharpened our hitting power, Kola brought some much needed beef as we saw in the Community Shield, Sanchez and Ozil appeared to be staying and we’d seen off Citeh’s lures, Santi was due to return at some point and it was not until October/November it was revealed how f**** he was ……
And with the less demanding Europa League to deal with and rotate into what could possibly go awry with a strong charge at the PL Fins ?
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https://twitter.com/ShardGooner/status/996067453426843649
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Thanks for the quote Shotta (banned smiley)
I wanted to say goodbye to Wenger so I started a twitter account. For some reason my email was already being used with a different number. I have now changed the number and the name.
I have no idea how to navigate twitter. Would appreciate help in putting the word out on this artwork and prints.
I’m sure I’ll learn the rest gradually.
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Thanks Eddie. What a pity that the time machine that could put your 1st team together hasn’t yet been invented. that would be great viewing.
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Bloody hell eddy
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fins
That is a very astute point and one I remember you making before as well. It really does ring true. The team on paper was not the same as the team available. Sadly, this was far too often the case for us in the past decade. It is no coincidence, and the club has done everything they can at their end to reduce the injury problems. I am certain some ‘other’ factors also contribute to it.
Even Wenger said the defense is the problem, and I hope the club address it adequately through the transfer market this summer.
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Shard: Let us know your twitter handle and we will try to drum up some followers including those who post here.
AndyNic: I quibble as well. Any Arsenal XI without Mesuit Ozil is not the strongest available.
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Oh and by the way: What threw this team off track was (1) the PGMO. who stole some goals from us or awarded some phantom penalties against especially in the 1st half of the season, and (2) the never ending turmoil and soap opera surrounding a certain Chilean up until the January transfer window. The transition thereafter was a bit rocky but we are the much stronger for it.
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I loved it Eddy, you displayed a depth of casual knowledge that is truly exceptional
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Good stuff! Andy.
Soon be next season.
UTA!
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World Cup first Steve, and next season’s PL fixtures out, both on the 14th June !!
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A bit rocky ?
You have the art of understatement by the big brush Shotta
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Someone was having a bash on her yesterday about live televised PL games and how yet again we are the ‘victims’ of the TV media.
This morning the figures for 2017/2018 were out – us, the red Mancs and Liverpool 28 live games out of 38, top of the charts.
Spare a thought for Burnley though – just seven times with Huddersfield on nine for the season.
Enjoy;
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thanks for the feedback guys, I know george liked the last 10 minutes, not sure if anicol’s “bloody hell eddy” is a good or bad thing – banned smilely thingy
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shard what is your twitter ID, we can give you a like
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Andrew at 5.22 (twenty two!)
What could go wrong?
A) Having one fit just about senior CB in the squad? Chambers the “senior” back up out for much of the first half of the season with an injury and secondary niggles. To be fair Chambers has almost as much experience (minutes) playing CB in the PL as Mustafi! Not too far behind I guess. A season at most.
is SM an experienced CB? I don’t think he is. So I think it’s fair to say that even the statement that there was only one fit senior CB in the squad is a generous assessment. But we do like to be generous!
One senior (just about) CB in the squad. As opposed to 3/4 as in previous years. Trophy winning years.
It was likely LK would have problems this season as discussed last season, not least because his style of play is so intense on the body that only a few players of this or his ilk carry on at the top levels long into their 30’s (the old Des Walker reference!), that’s why you have to appreciate them when you have them in full flow!
I was greatly enthused when a fit BFG, a fit LK, a happy Gabriel and Sagna represented not half or barely one but four senior CB options.
I noted here at the time when we had such deep and rich options at the back that AFC tend to be successful when they have more then one or two senior CBs in the squad, the 06 run to the final being the exception though I think Kolo and Sol were a pretty good two, and Kolo was definitely senior by then, so not really an exceptio, but just further underlining the importance in having as many options at CB as the current squad currently has at CF! Perhaps I am too simple?
we have had as good a defence as before the move but not this season!
B) all the non-existent Leaders who turned the squad around previously and are or were no longer in the dressing room, not always a problem but when you have a sulking ego with no one to dress him down (well Koscielny did but as we saw with The BFG and Arteta you usually need more then one captainin the camp to grab them by the scruff, a few times…
C) Stoke away reference. I apologise yesterday I said there were two pens on Welbeck where he was completely cleaned out. My bad, one was on Bellerin and the other is a pen against (usually) and therefore should be for too. Lots of handball shouts too, a few of which were fair shouts at the least and not fabricated by a bogus official as we all saw with Chambers.
All of the above included enough information and data if you like for me to tell Shotta ten minutes into the Stoke match that I thought his early early season optimism in his articles here was something that I unfortunately could not agree with, that the Arsenal would struggle to make the top four this season.
That’s what I saw and described and wrote in August.
Looking around the rest of the squad, at random:
Kolasinac’s shocking form at Xmas was explained by his injuries, but I’m still to be convinced he is ready to play in the PL at LB. Needs more time perhaps? like Xhaka did?
At LB personally I think the club should’ve kept Gibbs, but that’s the thing with AW and his respect and love for his players and their careers, you either take it or you leave it, though if you choose the later then you don’t get to keep any of the rest either! And me, I keep it!
I suspect that I’m still recovering from last season’s record breaking double denying glorious Cup victory over the Petro Club that is the serious rival (in London). And as three of the CBs who helped bring that cup home were either gone or not their former selves this season (as per comment here we could see it coming last season…) I am glad I celebrated that victory they valuably contributed towards for the victory that it was.
UTA
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the summer transfer window opens on Thursday
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Patrick VieiraVerified account @OfficialVieira
3h3 hours ago
Great running into one of the top managers in football @MrAncelotti
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I like the idea of Željko Buvač as new gaffer.
Much more than all the others bar Zidane.
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Thank you guys.
My twitter handle is the same one as in the picture. Rocksteady @ ShardGooner.
Appreciate the help.
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I ended up listening to the entire podcast ed. That was a lot of fun. Loved the bits of commentary interspersed throughout, and appreciate the 3 teams you compiled. (I would have put Sagna ahead of Lauren)
You sound nothing like I would have imagined though. Not intending to pry and apologies if I’m wrong, but are you Irish?
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Followed on Twitter Shard
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Wow. So exciting. This is how it starts. How the madness begins. I can feel the need for likes, and RTs and followers growing inside me. It is our precioussss.
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Eddy – that is magnificent. Thank you.
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This time next year you’ll have more followers than Rihanna – trust me
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yes Shard I am Irish, what gave it away
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thanks foreverheady, feel free to retweet it, might as well inflict it on as many people as possible, could be 22 years till I do another one, ha ha
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Well it certainly wasn’t your accent ed.
I loved Ireland when I visited a few years ago. Especially the northern part, Donegal. Beautiful country and great people.
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To be honest Andy, I’d settle for just Rihanna.
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My blog tomorrow is nothing original but I hope our resident man of letters, Foreverheady, will appreciate my literary license.
PS: Yes Fins. I was overly optimistic at the beginning of this season. I underestimated the destabilizing role of Sanchez, the injuries to our Spanish Magician and the BFG but most of all to the role of the PGMO in cheating us out of points in some key games. That’s the problem with letting emotions run ahead of reality.
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Eddy
I enjoyed your podcast. Great reminder of the wonderful players we have enjoyed and the frustrating loss of players like Diaby, Cazorla and Rosicky who we didn’t get enough of.
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reports tonight that more of the backroom staff have been let go today, head of medical, Colin Lewin and equipment manager Paul Johnson the latest two, after fitness coach Tony Colbert, and coaches Primorac, Banfield, Payton were informed a few days ago they were to leave.
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reports are that Steve Bould has not decided yet if he will stay, the offer is there, but he is waiting to see who the new manager will be before making a final decision
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eduardo792
Maybe and this is just a maybe, it was the way said “Treee” for the no.3 when you are meant to say “Fhreee” like a good Islington ‘Cockney’ .Just a little tip for you there mate. They won’t notice the accent with that dajustment.
There fixed it.
Good pod by the way
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funny you say that WwwB, I remember being at Highbury during the GG era, and some guys in the row in front of me were asking who the starting 11 where, and I listed it off for them, but when I got to a certain Martin Hayes, they hadn’t got a fucking clue who I was talking about, it was as I was speaking in a foreign language, I was faced with the 3 stooges, no matter how I said Hayes, they were in total confusion, then someone else intervened and said Martin Ayes, they all knew him, and looked at me like I was some dickhead who didn’t even know the AFC players.
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I remember Vieira got sent off for being fouled by Didi Hermman of Liverpool . To think what the Neville’s did to Reyes at Old Trafford and Sol Campbell gets sent off for putting his hand in the chest of Solskjær.
But there is no agenda,
Ok then
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Excellent podcast Eduardo. I really enjoyed that
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thanks passenal, not easy to do a one man podcast, no one to bounce off, so wasn’t really sure what the finished product would be like. But I’m happy enough with how it turned out.
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David Ornstein
Verified account @bbcsport_david
2m2 minutes ago
Arsenal head of medical services Colin Lewin has lost his job after 23 years at the club. Shock decision delivered this morning and understood to have left many #AFC players + staff stunned and upset. Lewin leaves as part of a medical department restructure that could see more go
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Add to those, Petit getting a second yellow for a gallic gesture at a linesman and van brinkhorst for not appealing for a penalty. The farce of Liverpool’s second goalie in the cup final and so on and so on. It has ever been thus
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