Good afternoon or p’nawn da Positive Gooners,
A thoroughly entertaining game in Cardiff, though at times I admit I was a little ‘tense’. Three points banked in the PL nevertheless and a professional win in the sort of stadium environment we have buckled in before.
Of our lads I hardly need to enquire who would be the unanimously elected Man of the Match do I? Alexander Lacazette was superb today throughout the 90 minutes, producing what was his best performance ever in the Arsenal shirt.A week ago the ‘Ammers own goal robbed Laca of the plaudits, Fate did not quibble today. TH Frenchman’s movement was intelligent and crisp. He controlled the ball, rarely wasted a lay off, and was constantly AVAILABLE for a pass from team-mates, ready to collect the ball, and turn an opponent. Cardiff did not know how to play him and never had him worked out. That his third Arsenal goal was decisive, the winner, was suitable reward for the excellence of his effort.
Other notable performances from Hector, who had a right battle with Hoillett all game, and from both central defenders who had a hard afternoon against an enormous Bluebirds line at dead ball situations. The marking went wrong once but the other 12 times we resisted the bombardment well. And Auba ? Super goal.
You may have noticed and enjoyed Torreira’s contribution after his introduction in the 71st minute. Again he is a very tidy player who, when he gets the ball, never loses or wastes it. He is blessed with a tiny turning circle. Second point though, Lucas was fouled twice, and for both fouls the Cardiff player was carded, with our Uruguayan rolling about with commendable brio. The game was broken up, the Welsh stopped in their tracks for a minute each time, while our player recovered. Is this a little of the black art, the Latin art, that is required in the closing stages of games ?
I suspect the Xhaka fan club may not have had an easy afternoon with the Swiss accident prone, and Emery and the “passing-out-from-the-back” programme may need a little more, actually a lot, lot more, work. I shall take the points without embarrassment as the better football side won.
Of Cardiff they will struggle. I did not see one player who looked above decent Championship standard. The Welsh side have heart in spades, but no art. Great support from both sets of fans.
Enjoy the remainder of your Sunday.
Positively Arsenal 
Lichtsteiner’s going to two foot all of them, just you watch.
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This will probably come out wrong, and its a given that Im not talking about people here, but having watched the match day show on the AFC website the other day, I was struck by the guest (not Perry G) who seemed so tactically astute ( ok I thought he was a smart alec) and seemed to know everything about the game, that I wondered why he wasnt actually a professional etc.
Granted Im a tool, for why would I be watching this an complaining, like just cut it out, but I just dont get it.
I recall way back in the beginning of the 90s playing on some Sega Grand Prix racing game, and becoming aware of how to race the cars on certain tracks, which gear to be in at certain times etc. Yet in my own life I dont even have a drivers licence!
A) is the endless armchair expert a destroying the game, ie, how can we go back to bloody well just enjoying the game, its poetry its spectacle? Music is (imo) more enjoyable if you dont know the chords and progressions, what now with the ex professional player pundits, the AFTV media world and their endless media off spring and their dog eat dog competitors all posing as the real thing ( no culture is the real thing).
B) is there something interesting in the top heavy world of analysis, in that it will reach critical mass and people will just walk away.
As I kid I would get into a real kasi of a mood if the Gunners lost, now i can control it, but one thing I miss more and more, is that I used to really just enjoy football, really enjoy it, even if Arsenal lost, it was still magic.I recall as a teenager my mate went to the Spurs once and we had had some thrashing there and I asked him how it was went we got back and he replied “it was still magic”.
One bloke on AFTV media said he went to watch football for the threes points. Naff that. I went for every damn second to be at Highbury the atmosphere, the smell of beer and tobacco, being small in a big boys world, the noise, the hypnotizing green of the grass, the glimpse of my best mates, the Arsenal. The rest was the cherry on the top.
Look Im not more righteous than the AFTV bloke but I wished we could enjoy the journey without concentrating on the false ending. Look I know its easy to shoot my arguments down etc, anyone can argue anything if the words flow, but weve lost our respect for the club, the players and its now about some folk, posing as “the peoples voice” and assuming the false authority of being the club and the voice of the team and club itself.
Sometimes silence is more interesting? We are too overdosed and its destroying Xhaka, Mesut and whoever…
Just some thoughts thats all.
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Fantastic comment Dave.
“Music is (imo) more enjoyable if you dont know the chords and progressions,”
I completely agree. If you start being too analytical about something, it loses that bit of mystery that makes it so enjoyable. Everything becomes about deconstruction and understanding. The irony being that in this race to achieve, or show, understanding, people on the whole understand less. Maybe not less than before, but definitely less than they think they do.They mistake information for knowledge. Though there are some exceptions to that.
I started following Arsenal at a time when only the occasional match would be shown on TV here. Had to wait for highlights of the 98 FA Cup final. Had no league cup games till much later. And would go seeking bootlegged versions of some BBC or Sky programs to rent. But you know what. It was fun. Not knowing everything about every single player. Learning in bits and pieces. It was a journey of discovery and I think that solidified my connection to the club, and dare I say it, my understanding of the club and of football at that.
Much as it would have been cool to talk to Bergkamp, Pires or Freddie on social media then, I’m glad that it wasn’t around.
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Before the videos of the cup finals came out we used to buy an LP ( long play record for the younger amongst us ) of the commentary from the radio. You can still get some of them on eBay and the like.
I think Dave’s comment should be upgraded to a post
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It is Ian, and it’s up, AND IT’S LIVE.
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