Hello and how are you?
Premier league week 27 sees the Mighty Cannon hauling its Arsenal up to the waist lands of England to make a visit to PL third place Nottingham Forest and the City ground. Kick off 7.30pm western Europa time.
As I sit and try to cobble together some kind of rambling in the forest of my mind, it feels like we are at the beginning of the end of winter? Normally I love winter, the bare bones of the trees, the introverted feeling of hibernation, the silence, the expectancy of spring. This year I hated it, with the crowning glory being the turd that some twat shat-out in our stairwell at the weekend. Its seemed like nothing but a drag? Or a dag? The poor fentanyl heads are becoming more and more and getting with each day more aggressive, and what was once a nicey-nice! wander around the park is now on- the- edge- of- my -nerves in case of (as Tommy Tucker sang ): some fool might wanna fight. But then fear seems often everywhere these days, sometimes I wonder whether to not switch the internet on in the mornings and delve into its bubbling world of toil and trouble.
After the disappointment of the West Ham game, I’ve spent ages thinking how can I write something that’s a least a bit more positive for an intro to the game. Then I started instead thinking about all the things that are crap in the world, at least from my perspective, and saw the worlds hypocrisy and corruption lying before me.
“wtf is this?A John Webster play, the skull beneath the skin?
But for all of the nefarious shenanigans that wobble around in everyday life, there are still things worth getting up for, things worth engaging in. George’s heartful and honest piece after the meeting with the Irons provoked some great responses, the likes of which I haven’t seen anywhere for some time at least, not just opinions but really interesting thoughts, getting right under the dog skin of so many aspects of Arsenal world; what’s going on, how it is to be a supporter and how places like PA can give people a voice. And in all the midst of this is the fact we are still (for a while) 2nd, and when we want (allowed?) can play some good football, ok not vintage Wengerball, but ok football?
More and more, it feels like a season of missed opportunity, conservative mistakes and a kind of thwarting of play? To win 5-1 against City yet lose to West Ham is a great indicator of our yo-yo season. Even our goals at corners seem to have dried up.
“the food at the restaurant is so terrible”
“yes, and such small portions!”
Of course it isn’t over, but our gut feeling and those eleven points Liverpool carry, says it is. But surely isn’t it worth the team coming together and just concentrating on winning each game and forgetting the title race and forgetting the punditry and try to just start playing some more elaborate, intelligent, hungry, goal-scoring football? I’m mean, what else is there to lose?
“2nd place you fool, don’t you understand Artetaball?”
Forest were hurt badly by Newcastle, and were 4-1 down at one point, so who knows how they are feeling? I’m sure their fans will be pumped up for this, so I hope we won’t let them come at us and play with the handbrake on. Al Capones guns don’t argue, but Arteta’s handbrakes hinder?
However I was glad to see Mr.White back in action, something positive?
How do you feel going into this one? I’m sure Forest will be relishing the chance to put us to the sword, its been years since they found themselves in such a position and after us they take on the misfiring Man City and will want to be chipper for that one. They have good form but the thrashing by Bournemouth shows us that we can also give them a deForesting. Timber! Winning would put us nine points ahead of them, I’d rather have that than have them breathing down our neck, we have to at least come second this season to give us something to grab onto next?
The Arsenal have been given a 53.4% chance of winning and the Sheriffs men 20.4% chance of mustering up a win. So statto HQ still favours the Mighty Cannon. That was until after the visit of West Ham and its now gone down to 47.8% and Robin Hoodies are up to 24.6%.. Hold on, breaking news, the Arsenal are back up to 48% and Forest down to 24%.
As fans we were all hacked off by the result on Saturday, but so were the lads and Arteta, so perhaps they might all have had a dang good look at the situation and come bouncing back with a mighty win?
Now stop that laughing you lot!
Well, that’s it, a bit of a wander in the minds forest, I can’t see the wood for the trees, not much of a forest more a copse? But as Einstein said “people love chopping wood, they immediately see results”. Thanks Eini, not exactly the theory of special relativity, however I’ve passed your quote on to the Arsenal and they hope to chop down the Forest and get result, a three pointer.
Cheers, and look after yourselves.
Mills.
COYG!
Positively Arsenal 
2-2, a rocket shot from their right back, about 10 minutes left
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9 minutes of stoppage time to be played
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Oyetunde and Onyekachukwu on for Copley and Clarke
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its going to extra time
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Bailey-Joseph on for Harriman-Annous
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utd take the lead, a bit too easy
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Ogunnaike off, Tahou on
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O’Neill should have had a penalty but ref doesn’t give it
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less than 5 minutes left for the lads to pull this game out of the fire
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Sweet sent off
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Good to see English Refs are consistent with Arsenal at all levels.
At least the kids know what to expect if the get to the 1st team.
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FT AET: Arsenal U18’s 2-3 Man UTD
cup run comes to an end, Max Dowman the stand out player, so much so that it was like watching Man Utd under Sir Alex, they took turns to foul him, Ref booked a guy in first half for foul on Max, then same guy did same foul in second half, no second yellow, utd took the lad off, his replacement fouled Max almost straight away.
Arsenal were too negative in the first half of the game, improved a lot in the second half, some of our star players did not have their best games, Harriman-Annous did not have the impact he would normally have, we also used several U16 players in this game, and that extra couple of years makes a difference.
Utd had the Fletcher twins playing for them, they are sons of former man utd midfielder Darren Fletcher, doesn’t it make you feel old
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United should have had a player sent off, 2 penalties not given and allowing united to ruff up Downman and many times without sanction is a disgrace at any level.
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and Gee like in first team games the ref couldn’t get his red card out quick enough for the Arsenal lad.
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absolutely Ed. Couldn’t get the card out quick enough. It’s nothing new for us a long time fans but there must be some realisation for the youth that there seems to be a inherent bias against Arsenal by English refs.
That was a home game in front of our crowd and not once did I see us get a a hometown decision. United on the other hand had a series of highly suspect decisions go their way. It’s a piss take and more needs to be said.
I keep hearing letter of the law when decisions go against us and then if we speak up when the same incidents do not have the same outcomes for other teams , labeled as cry babies or worse conspiracy guys. You cannot win cause the narrative has already been decided.
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Gee the thing that I never understood is why Arsenal as a club put up with it, accept it with barely a word. As stated above, even in youth games we get a lot of players sent off for very little, and I’m not saying Sweet did not deserve a red yesterday, but Utd should have been down to 10 early in the second half, and throughout the 120 minutes how many utd players did the ref give warnings to for their fouls on Dowman alone, never mind overall.
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the only reason why I think the club tries to play the diplomatic game is that they seen what happened to Liverpool and Benitez when he tried to speak out against Fergie and the perceived bias that always went in their favour from the refs and what seemed like the hierarchy of English football.
Benitez was never the same after and the whole rant damaged Liverpool even though what Benitez was saying had a lot of truth in it.
Think the club think the perception from the press and rivals will not be in the favour.
look when Arteta, Wenger ask reasonable questions about dodgy incidents,it is always the manager, the club and fans who are attacked by media and rivals fans like we are the biggest moaners and unreasonable and spoilt fans.
there is currently a narrative I see every where in comment sections that Arsenal has the worst fans because we are all conspiracy theorist and all precious snowflakes. Just for asking questions of the PGMOL on their decision making. Question like why has Michael Oliver sent of more Arsenal players than any other club especially man city are met with ridicule and insults but no one can answer why.
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I see former Arsenal striker Mika Biereth scored his 3rd hattrick in a month for Monaco last night, making it 10 goals in just 7 league games for him, he had scored 15 goals while out on loan last season at Motherwell and Strum Graz, we sold him in the summer for £4M plus a sell on clause, which got us another couple of million when Monaco bought him for £13M in January, he scored another 14 goals in first half of the season for Strum Graz.
Arteta’s talent ID knows no bounds, what.
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ah michael oliver, the supposed best pgmol ref, who sent off MLS for a high tackle, but today was giving a yellow to the millwall keeper for outright assault on the CP player, got him head and chest, thankfully VAR was in operation to tell Oliver, who had been only a couple of yards away from the assault, that it was a clear red. Hopefully the audio of the discussions is revealed
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Ah so all those who were saying Ayden and Obi left us and went to Utd just for money.
Today they both played for Utd’s first team in the last sixteen of the F.A.Cup, in which was a very important game in their season.
If ARSENAL were in the same position as Utd you could bet your life Mikel would not be playing them in a million years.
So whatever money was offered the decision was a carrer call and a good one at that.
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totally agree Ian, and I seen recently that Arteta told Obi-Martin that the plan for him was to start him in the U18’s and as the season progressed he’d be moved up to the U21’s, while Utd told him that he’d get first team before end of the season. Also this was why Utd put him on much higher money than Arsenal were offering, they seen him as close to first team so close to first team wages. Arsenal seen Obi as someone that they might get good money for in a couple of years like Balogun and Biereth, what is it the favored bloggers call it FREE MONEY from Academy sales.
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Arsenal U21 team v Crystal Palace: Nygaard, Rosiak, Onyekachukwu, Clarke. Nichols, Henry-Francis, Salah-Eddine, Gower, Ferdinand, Edwards, Kamara.
Subs: Ranson, C. Ismail, Washington, I. Oulad M’hand, Casey.
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lots of reports today that former Atletico Madrid Director of Football Andrea Berta is set to be named as Edu’s replacement by Arsenal. Might happen shortly as Josh Kroenke is in London this week.
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crystal palace take the lead
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Goal. Crystal Palace 1 Arsenal 1. Michal Rosiak
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Salah-Eddine put Arsenal ahead but a minute later palace made it 2-2
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FT: 2-2
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looks like 17 year old midfielder Ife Ibrahim will be in the Arsenal 23 man squad tomorrow
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George I sent the preview over to you. COYG!
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PG, sent the preview over to you.
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New post is up.
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