I’m not going to get where I want with this. If you go down a rabbit hole, you find a some point a junction, with billions, trillions of outcomes, then you realise it was the same the way in, it wasn’t a single path. It’s too hard in a short piece to cover every angle and every opposite, counter-argument. So, we could ask why write it, I suppose I feel it’s important, relatively important, at least. And it seems a big topic thats growing in the PL this season, and it is affecting the club.
We need culture as humans, and at the moment politic has taken the centre stage and it’s pretty frustrating to watch? Luckily despite all its faults the democracy of the internet meant meeting place and flourishing of all sorts of types of human culture. I hate the term sub-culture as it hierarchical and that’s a lie, as who has the authority to say what is and what is less? The ability to choose can surely only give human life more breadth and depth and find similar-minded people? Footballs a big deal and it seems to be a bigger deal each year. As we know, perhaps since its inception it’s gone way beyond entertainment, certainly way before Shankly articulated it? Like all culture we are effected by our relationship with it, weaving its way in and out of our lives, different elements of the culture meaning different things to different sensibilities? Endless cause and effect?
I wanted to make the argument for a more intelligent brand of football, more harmony, subconscious understanding and a delight to watch (and to play) that is lethal in front of goal, in midfield, in defence. Most of us want that, not just for our team but all teams (even in hatred and jealousy) and I’m sure the tv people want it too, and the more fans the better?
Perhaps one of the overriding elements in our collective memories is the 1970 world cup, Brazil, and the joy of watching genius, it was vision, a vision light years ahead, taking us away from egg and chips b+w football? The beginning of modern football? And in colour. Don’t get me wrong, I like egg and chips, I really do, but there are other combinations that are more advanced than just comfort food, and Brazil showed how it can be cooked up and digested?
I’m not an elitist, I loathe it that the industry I work in constantly talks about people being ordinary, my own experience is that most people I’ve spoken to in life are not ordinary and are complex beyond speculation with endless fascinating narratives about their lives, no matter their vocation or class. But here I’m going to get into the swamp of hypocrisy and inarticulation. I love smart football. I love genius. Not pseudo, forced good, parading as genius, but the real thing. I like it that some people can just go where I can’t ever. It makes me think life is worth living.
Why play intelligent genius- ball? What does it do for players? Are they tortured? I’m not sure if 19th century genius clichés are so good as a guide, but there are a lot of counter consequences from playing genius ball, jealousy manifested as fouls and endless media-slander, at least for starters, these slings and arrows aren’t always easy to deal with, especially if veracity is your bee-in-the bonnet, and veracity is thwarted as comment by the law-makers and that can be difficult to swallow?
How is it for us to view genius? Somehow, despite the fact some of us might be green-eyed ( and all that emotionally stems from that), we perhaps all like it when a human excels, even if in silence of envy? Could be anything, not just books, films art or music, anything it doesn’t matter from HTML to advanced Vectors to laying bricks or flying a stunt kite. Theres’s people I dislike immensely, who I hope I don’t meet again, but they had some real skills that were amazing to witness and that I could never do, but I won’t demean them for that. Fair is fair?
Observing humans who excel can give us hope, hope in what a human might achieve? Then comes the by-product from the struggle of genius itself; beauty. Now again I realise beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and all things are beautiful/ugly to someone, somewhere. But the beauty that lurks in the language of mathematics might not be for all, a renaissance painting might not be to your own taste but both examples leave us with one thing; we can appreciate the skill, the intelligence that went into the works. And they transcend the time they were created in and became bench marks for humanity. Of course I understand that not only works of genius are important, I like Hallmark films, I know they aren’t great and it makes me a tool but sometimes I feel so without hope that I need to watch something thats wholesome and that doesn’t depict torture and death or suffering, although there is some suffering in Hallmark films. Sometimes I just don’t want to watch Arthaus cinema. And of course, without that which isn’t genius we wouldn’t know genius itself? It doesn’t thrive in a vacuum for sure. And of course we can’t really say what is genius, is it relative and by which scale are we judging it? These questions are totally fair and important, as in the end our understanding probably is much more relative and abstract? Genius is perhaps a bit like the word narcissism, applied in and out of context more often for bad than good?
Alan Hudson said that football was the ‘woking man’s ballet’. Maybe, you can see his point. Perhaps there’s something else, the ability of humans to work in the up most understanding of physics whilst pushing the human physical ability to it limits and that certainly can be balletic, yet ballet ( from my postage-stamp sized knowledge of it) isn’t freeform and reactionary. Football is. Mind and body in cause-and-effect split-second subconscious intuitive intelligence. And when played to a high level, where does that leave us? Open-mouthed? Is it beyond entertainment? Is it that we can see intelligence manifest without word? Intellectuals might say its not cerebral, well what is it then?
Theres something else; memories. One team I played in could rip apart other sides, because most of the lads in the team were in my class and we played morning ,noon and night and for clubs at weekends and after school. It’s not just talent, it’s the application and push of the talent to work as a whole, everyone knows what everyone else is doing. We didn’t give a dung what the manager said, as we knew we could play already. I still sometimes go through some of the games we played, ok we weren’t geniuses but for little kids we were good for sure. But we felt it in a relative way. Maybe there were glimpses?
But that’s nothing to the finest memories that the Arsenal gave me. How often I’ve shaken my head or held my head in my hands in wonderment? Tears of joy. Utter ecstasy. A pass. A play. A goal. A save. A tackle.
How often do you look at Arsenal clips where it’s pure genius and pure heavenly joy to watch? How do you feel? Press repeat?
I rest my case.
Anyway, enough of that crap, the Mighty Cannon host a Moyes Everton side that are well rested (11-day break) and looking for a Euro-spot as a reward for this season. Apart from Merino and Odegaard, looks like everyone else is available? If Pickford lets one in it will be PL goal 500 for him. Grealish and Alcaraz are awol and Coleman is a maybe. It would be nice to win this with comfort and give us a boost versus Leverkusen.
The boys at Statto HQ have calculated that the Arsenal have 69.1% chance of winning and Everton 11.3% Next up the aforementioned boys from Leverkusen are in town for part 2 of the CL last 16. So COYG!
Mills
Well, if I was to paraphrase I would say ” We all like good football, it’s just none of us can agree what good football is”?
I’ll tell you this, what we have been watching for months is not my idea of good football, let’s hope we see some this week. I wont hold my breath mind.
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
Entertainment is not sport
Sport is competition.
when we play for our local amateur \ semi pro football teams, entertainment is not what we train for , we train to win and play to compete. If the 1 or 2 spectators are entertained in the process great but the sport is about competing and the competition. That’s how I see it anyways.
Most of you here have reminded everyone how much displeasure you get from watching this team which is fair. I am trying to enjoy the whole journey and support the boys and hopefully they can get over the line as the rest of the world blames them for the death of football.
i have never seen a team criticised so much for playing the game. There is no correct way to play the game , all styles are welcome.
man city and Chelsea are being charged with corruption of the game and there is little engagement in these issues from pundits, media and fans but Arsenal adopt a long throw and it’s the death of football.
it tiring now. Like I said I’m going to try and enjoy the rest of what looks like a promising season.
peace.
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Gee, you make my case for me, YOU see the game through your eyes, and you can’t seem to accept that others want to see something else, to me I WANT TO BE ENTERTAINED , if only the result mattered I could just as well sit watching CEEFAX .
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“‘The wait until the end of the season narrative, and I absolutely include myself in that, is an admission that nobody likes the football but we’re so desperate to win the league were willing to absorb it if we get over the line.””
That your quote Ian but apparently I am the only one that see the game through their own eyes.
“Most of you here have reminded everyone how much displeasure you get from watching this team which is fair. ” – this is me acknowledging that other see things differently.
i am not here to argue, I expressed my thoughts, if you don’t agree fine, if you agree fine. It’s really not that deep.
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well as I’ve explained before I want the team to play the best football that it can, and I believe that we have seen enough glimpses in games, and a number of excellent attacking displays this season to suggest that we have an excellent team, an excellent squad, well capable of playing very good fast flowing football, but that we choose not to, that we are set up for the fine margins, and so we have made far too many games be about the fine margins.
The fear is that like the last few seasons our negative tactics will eventually cost us the titles and trophies we crave.
We have four games now in a row in four different competitions and if we win all four we will be
at least 7 points clear at top of the EPL
in the QF of the CL, likely against Bodo/Glimt
winners of the CC, our first cup win since Arteta’s first season here.
in to the semi final of the FA Cup
and a quadruple could very well be on
but lose all four and we could be as little as 4 points ahead in the EPL with Man City having the title back in their own hands again.
and us out of all competitions. I do fear that setting out to grind out results and play the fine margins put us at risk of it all going pear shape very quickly. I have yet to see any sign that Arsenal have embraced being favorites for the title or that we are striking any fear into teams, in fact I see all our opponents play like the believe that they have a punchers chance against us, they just have to hang in there if they go behind, as we don’t blow many teams away.
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Arsenal U21 team v Leicester U21’s: Porter, Dixon, Salmon, Clarke, Ogunnaike, Ibrahim, Julienne, O’Neill, Bailey-Joseph, Mooney, Harriman-Annous.
Subs: Mitchell, Washington, Agustien, Ferdinand, Stevens.
game is live on Arsenal.com kick off at 7
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the u21 kick off has been delayed, there is some reports that the are missing some match officials
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arsenal behind after 10 minutes
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23 minutes in and arsenal are 2-0 down, not been good so far
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34 minutes in and its 3-0 to leicester.
marli salmon was booked a little while ago and the ref has just warned him not to foul again after he pulled a guy back again, that is what he was booked for.
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mooney pulls one back just before half time
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HT: Arsenal U21’s 1-3 Leicester City U21’s
not been a good showing so far, a bit all over the place at the back, and Dixon went off injured just before half time. Mooney pulled a goal back for us after good work from Harriman-Annous.
Salmon booked for pulling an attacker back, he done same again but play was not stopped and LCFC scored in that attack, but ref did have a word with him, so he really needs to be careful in the second half, he was sent off only a couple of weeks ago for the U21’s,
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4-1 now, a 30 yarder
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5-1 to leicester
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full time a 5-1 loss, the academy sides teams have been a disaster this season
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Absolutely fantastic preview, there are not many blogs that make you think or indeed make you want to think but that piece was a perfect set up.
I was going to say that George was wrong and we all knew what good football was but the argument was how important it was but Gee has blown me out of the water.
Everyone’s idea of what they enjoy is absolutely their opinion and that’s fine but there is not one type of opinion that makes you a better supporter, after all we are all desperate for the “long sleep no 2” to end.
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Thanks Ian! COYG!
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As for today’s game it is again massive. The media narrative is that we will easily get a home win and city will struggle at West Ham.
In reality the table doesn’t lie. Teams might hit a run of form or have a bit of confidence lifted but their potential will always be their potential. The Hammers have several influential absent and simply won’t get anywhere near city today.
Our game is certainly the more difficult of the two with the toffees away form only bettered by us in the league.
Our opposition today have one of the Premier Leagues all time experienced managers, they are solid and organised and exactly the type of team we don’t like playing against.
This certainly won’t be a great watch but the three points is all that matters and its achievement will be by any means necessary.
Although everton’s defence is excellent their attacking prowess has been poor. We obviously need to keep it tight and find a way to beat a very good keeper.
The three points are not just mathematically important, with our next league game not being until April 11th, phycology it will be massive and all opinionated supporters can have a little bit of a rest.
All the weapons in our ARSENAL need to be on show today as well as the full display of our excellent squad. Come on let’s get the three points COYG.
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our U18’s lost 1-0 to bottom of the table ipswich this morning, the academy results have been god awful this season.
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Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Eze, Saka, Madueke, Havertz.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, White, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly, Mosquera, Martinelli, Dowman, Gyokeres, Jesus.
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a win today will put us 10 points clear of city before the play away to west ham later this evening
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looked like a clear penalty but VAR does not give it.
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Timber off injured, Mosquera on
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HT: Arsenal 0-0 Everton
our players wouldn’t score in a brothel
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for fucks sake Arteta do something, change something.
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Madueke and Havertz off
Martinelli and Gyokeres on
would have like to see something other than a like for like subs, why not Havertz and Gyokeres up top
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we are over 70 minutes into the game and neither of the players who have/is playing CF for us have had a shot.
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Dowman and Hincapie on
Zubimendi and Calafiori off
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Gyokeressssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss makes it 1-0 to the Arsenal in the 89th minute
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get in there!!!! Big Vik!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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6 minutes of stoppage time to be played
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yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss Dowman with his first goal for Arsenal to make it 2-0 and puts us 10 points clear at the top of the table with 2 extra games played. we have 7 games to play
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Red Max wins the game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! COYG!!!!!!!!!!!
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Max Dowman becomes the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history
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Dowman changed the game for us, finally it was not a like for like sub and Max helped create the opener and scored the second, he is the youngest scorer in EPL history.
Lets hope West Ham do us a major favor v city in the late kick off
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Dowman becomes Arsenal’s youngest ever scorer replacing Fabregas
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the Max Dowman goal
https://x.com/i/status/2032902512559206892
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the Dowman goal with commentary
https://x.com/i/status/2032903785488449843
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Looked like we werent going to get that one over the line, when the Red Max missed that chance I felt so sorry for him and thought we would drop 2 points, then a bit of magic and we’re two nil up!
Pleased for Big Vik for goal 11 but Red Max, that games for you son! So pleased for him, he totally deserves it. One heck of a magic moment. Phew!
Arsenal go 10 clear tonight. Everton are a good side though, you can see why they got such a great away record.
I think West Ham might struggle without Summerville but they re fighting for their lives and might get a draw.
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as things stand we need a maximum of 6 wins from our remaining 7 games to win the league.
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a touch of genius ball? Red Max…
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FT: West Ham 1-1 Man City
City took the lead but former Arsenal player Mavropanos scored for the hammers.
Arsenal have now a 9 point lead but played a game more than city.
Arsenal now need a maximum of 5 wins and a draw from our remaining 7 games to win the league.
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west ham’s point puts them level on points with spurs
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If we can beat bournemouth in our next league game we will go to city with all the pressure being on them.
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man city will be away to chelsea the weekend we play bournemouth
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I see Southampton who we play away in the FA Cup shortly are on a run of 10 league games unbeaten and of course they have won their games in the FA Cup in that time too. It might not be nearly as easy a game as some have suggested it could be. They beat championship leaders coventry away today.
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I woke up this morning, for the first time this season, truly believing we will win the league.
Earlier on in the season we were going through a period where it didn’t look like other clubs could even score a goal and so I knew it was possible but the caveat to that has always been anything can happen in a long marathon season.
Still anything can happen, after all this is football but the belief now is there.
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Ed, it has seemed in the last few weeks that every time we play someone they are somehow coming in to a run of form.
bournemouth are unbeaten in their last ten games, newcastle who couldn’t buy an away win have suddenly won their last two.
The league is so important this year that the cup match at the saints really doesn’t matter. By then we will know whether we are in the champions League or not and we will know who the winner of the league cup is.
People are going on about the quadruple but I certainly would be more than happy with the title this year.
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The media love the old adage that everything equals out at the end of the season but anyone with any semblance of logic will tell you hats bollocks.
We have seen the remarkable healing power of playing ARSENAL where disabled players suddenly have Lazerath type recoveries when our fixture comes along
This season it seems the fixture list has been against us. Teams who can’t buy a win have sacked their manager or have suddenly found form before playing us. Although it’s happened all season even just recently we have lost points to wolves and manure when playing them just a few weeks earlier would have been so much we easier.
Obviously I am looking through ARSENAL coloured glasses but I watch a lot of football and watch football news every day and I just can’t recall any other club being effected that much.
Maybe we might have already crossed the finish line if we had better luck with the fixture list.
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Arne Slot has got a fucking cheek saying ARSENAL’s football is not for him. He needs to watch his own side they’re boring as shit and against a shit spud side as well.
Liverpool are just lucky the spuds have a shit keeper.
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And the Spuds drew with them! Why did he take Richarlison off at that vital moment at the end?
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