Hello! How are you? Well we’ve hit the first of our ‘international breaks’ and we are starting see the back of the dog days of August and head on into the season of mists and fruitful mellowness (or where I am, still fkn boiling and humid) I wondered how do you feel about our first three games as we lull our selves into a two-week, sleepy, sloe- black, slow- black, sojourning sleep (pronounced: ‘wall-climbing tedium’)?

 I think, having examined the Gunner organism under our collective analytical microscopes we could spy all sorts of interesting things that happened: elements that went wrong, elements that went right and a whole pool of potential possibilities that we might see playing out in the next month or so? Luckily (our old friend lucks popped in to say hello already!) I had a totally horrible afternoon in the scorching sun with some disturbing people that took away the pain of the Rice red card and all its frustrations. I’m not sure which was worse really…

Of course we might feel a lack of optimism and positivity in view of our next couple of games as a result of the card, but despite us being at the dreaded noisy Coop, I feel the Cannon will still prove its self mightier and more capable than a Chicken. But feelings are unreliable, or at least mine are. As we all know, the derbies can throw up all sorts of results and are of no indication to form and fashion in any season.

I do feel a bit nervy about The Oil City game, but after our manoeuvres down the Seven Sisters road we will know a tiny bit more about how the muzzle astragals are faring up and whether our powders dry or not. Plus I also think it will be a game we will want to rise up to…

Perhaps it would have been nicer to have played City a bit further down the line, but nice and all things nicey aren’t on the Premier League agenda. 

Looking even further ahead (teams ahoy!), we have coming into sight: And Leicester and the Sotonists. and then Bournefootandmouth and then a showdown with our old chums, Liverpool. So hopefully by the time we take on the Scousers we shall be full of flow and full sail and will have (hopefully) navigated not landing on any rocks or sandbanks.

How did you feel Timber! looked? It was a tough break he had last year a having been bought and then chopped down by injury for most of the season. In many ways he is like having a new signing! Seemed like he wanted to do well, but once or twice wasn’t quite part of the whole subconscious Arsenal collectiveness (woo)?

New star Calafiori, what did you think of his contributions? Looks like he wants to be very much part of the action and looked excited to be a Gunner? Obviously its going to be interesting to see Sterling come in and whether he can do the business, but I hope it won’t affect Kai too much, and when Merino starts to really get some game time it will potentially start to raise everyone’s midfield game, and I’m all for that as I’m sure you are. Its a shame we won’t see him against the Slickers, unless a special kind of super glue has been invented that can heal his shoulder super quick. That guy gives me a good feeling; you?

 With Sterling’s arrival perhaps Jesus will want to get sharper, perhaps more hungry, which really would be great to see. Tomi’s sadly going to be out for a while longer though. With the Bolton League Cup game in the middle of the month we might see some fresh faces coming up and away from the numbers, so plenty of plenty.

I hope Martinelli can start to work on his final touch, I still like his driving runs, but his finally passes and crosses have sometimes been a bit wayward. But confidence is a fickle thing, what with 60,00 plus home and awayers getting on your back or the eight million streams of consciousness judging you in hindsight, like this one, hopefully he can get his self confidence back to better levels soon. 

Martin Ø looked quicker than quick and wanted to get the ball moving in the right directions, I think we would all love to see the human dynamo grab a few more goals though? I think Gabriel and Saliba! will want to do better after the confusion defending against Brighton, but seeing how they whole back line was interacting against Villa, I’m sure they will stay sure and steadfast.

So it wasn’t the ten out of ten we all wanted, but it was a pretty reasonable start, and that’s better than having to chase everyone three games down. Tell me what you think, I’m sure your insights are more valid than mine, who shone and who needs a tonic? How does September look to you? Feeling any excitement for the up-coming Champions League games?

Well rather than my usual snore bore, I hope it lulled you into some kind of better dream-time, like thoughts of not wasting anymore time reading this article.

Take care of yourselves, and see you back at the showdown with the Spuds.

COYG and keep on keepin on!

Mills

Well hello everyone, what a kerfuffle eh?

Let’s get right to it then, what a load of old officiating bollocks that was. Normally when I see a bad decision I get mad, then I get over it, but this one? Oh no, the more I see the incident the more my blood pressure rises. It can’t be in the spirt of the game to give a 2nd yellow card for that. The Brighton player carried the ball yards from where the free kick should have been being taken, then rolled the ball at Rice, Declan felt the ball hit the back of his leg, looked at it and touched it away. He was then instantly and unceremoniously booted really hard to the leg. Now, the Brighton player couldn’t have been trying to take a quick free kick because the ball was moving, as well as it being in the wrong spot. That the Referee rewarded his housery by rewarding him and his team is stupidity of the first order.

Twitter is awash with indignant Arsenal fans claiming corruption, and incidents like this are enough to make me go and stand alongside the baying mob nodding and jeering with them. The whole idea of that Rice was time wasting is ridiculous and preposterous.

This is supposed to be a match report, but truthfully, that incident was the match. I raises question about fairness, corruption and makes me wonder if spending the emotional energy of supporting is even worthwhile.

Ok, ok, ok, for the first 50 minutes we were the better team, we had scored a really good goal where Saka and Havertz had combined wonderfully and it was looking like a routine home win. We weren’t spectacular or dynamic, but we were good enough.

I suppose, a draw was therefore a good result in the end, because Brighton are one of the last teams you want to be playing with a man down for some 40 odd minutes. So I’ll leave it at that without even mentioning the bad defending that lead to is conceding an equaliser because that moment was surrounded by some stoic performances by the entire team.

I’ll tell you what though, I can’t imagine how Mikel must be feeling, given what he puts into trying to get results, compared to just a fan like me, and I feel crap.

Oh, and to top it all, we will now have Rice missing when we play next, and that’s Spurs. Grrrrr.

Pedantic George

Arsenal fc  v  Brighton and Hove Albion

Hello! Hope you’ve had a good week. Saturday the 31st of August at 12.30 pm (western European time) sees the mighty Cannon host a lunch-time visit from south coasters Brighton and Hove Albion at our shiny shed for a good ol’ kick around and target practise.

Being a clichéd ridden hack, here I will slide in and make honorable mentions of Brighton rock, Brighton rock the film, Mods and Rockers and Rocky Balboa, who know doubt (are you sure?) is a Seaweed fan, no not of larva bread but the Seagulls, the old Chekovs themselves, etc etc etc. 

Being of old timey fartiness, I still recall the Seaweed when they were at their old Hovel, The Goldstone Ground (now, like the rest of  the world, a retail park) and the echoing, rallying cries of: “he shot, he scored, his name is Peter Ward, Peter Ward” who was a super star for them. Heck, I can even remember PW being of lethal stats on the Top Trump cards. I’m not sure how many people (outside of the B Hove) remember him,  I mean do they even make Top Trumps anymore? Perhaps just a different kind, mostly with orange livery? Perhaps its as Debbie Reynolds daughter Carrie Fisher once said, “fame is obscurity waiting”?

“whose Debbie Reynolds, is she sometimes on AFTV?”

“yes, she is”

First time saw the Arsenal beat B&HA was in the fourth round of the FAC back on our run to the final back in the 1979/80 season, and still have the programme, although its probably being slowly being devoured by silverfish in the darkness of our cellar. The Arsenal played twenty seven cup games (in all competitions) that season and came away empty handed. It was the end of that short era. That’s football! And it hurts.

79/80 was still a brilliant season though, yet somehow I’m still haunted by the Valencia CWC final. I wondered if you have any games that stay as a very present ghost or even poltergeist? Game fifty? Our only European cup final? Your first match? The time you ran naked onto the pitch at Highbury and spent the rest of the game in the cells under the Clock End?

I still have fond memories of backing underdog Brighton in the 1983 cup final, despite having been relegated they took on the team from Old Toilet and gave a truly valiant performance in a classic final. Gordon Smith put Brighton ahead, ex Gunner Franky Stapleton equalised,  Butch Wilkins put ManUre ahead with one of the great FA Cup final goals, but Gary Stevens (motm) made things all square around fifteen minutes later. In the last minute of extra time Michael Robinson (gone way too early) was played through by Jimmy Case and passed across to Gordon Smith, who was unmarked on the right just outside the 6 yard box and surely was set to score and win the cup final for Brighton but he somehow seemed to shoot more at Gary Bailey who of course, made the save, and that was it. In them thar days there were still replays and Brighton got thrashed 4-0 in it. But what a game the first match was. 

Our all time historical record against Brighton stands to this day: twelve wins, four draws and eight losses and thirty eight goals scored and twenty four goals conceded. 

Brighton this season have started brightly and gave Everton a sound beating, and then winning 2-1 against ManUre (Mr Welbeck being amongst the Brighton goalscorers). Whilst on Tuesday they scored four against Crawley in the League Cup. So this is no team to laugh at, well perhaps behind their backs?

Fabian Hürzeler had a good record at the cult team St Pauli (65.45% win ratio) but life time career is around 47.17%. Even though Brighton fell to 11th last season they didn’t mind beating us at the Emirates, 0-3, obviously that was under de Zerbi, so whose knows how this one will play out, and that’s what makes football exciting… its especially exciting when you win five-nil.

Well that’s it, lots of bits and pieces of more snore that you already knew or perhaps aren’t too interested in. Even so, here’s to a great game for us and lucky horses! 

COYG and keep on keepin’ on!

Mills

Hello Positives.

I have no idea how I can write a blog that makes that dull as dishwater game interesting. So excuse me if I rely on cliches to sound like an expert from a real blog.

Well it was a game of two halves, the first being as dull as dishwater and the second as boring as listening to Piers Morgan talking about himself. They say it’s a good team that can win when not at their best, Let’s hope that’s true eh?

Three points is three points, any away win is a good win, they stopped us playing, who cares, we won?

I feel our man of the match was Watkins, he somehow missed two open goals, he’s an Arsenal fan, if I was a Villa fan I’d be asking questions , or at very least checking the far east betting markets.

To be fair, we perked up a little in the second half when Saka, White and Martin remembered how to link up and move the ball a bit faster. As simple as it sounds, the game changed when Trossard came on for Martinelli, who had been as under par as Tiger Woods has been since his car accident. Surely Trossard has to start next time out?

Declan Rice appears to be suffering a hangover from hell following the Euros, and he’s not being helped by Partey moving the ball with the speed of a sedated sloth.

I recorded the game and as a rule I would watch it again before writing the review, but I assure you, I’ll not be doing that, once was bad enough.

Now, on the bright side, that’s 6 points from the opening two games and no injuries. What has gone is gone and done is done. We will have to play much better than that going forwards and I’m convinced we will. Maybe start Trossard instead of Martinelli, sign the new Mikel to play left centre-mid, put Rice at the 6 he was bought to play and take off like a team of fast things going down hill with a wind behind them? Hope springs eternal. We’ll see.

Pedantic George.

Aston Villa v Arsenal FC

Hello!

I hope you’re doing well and that you’ve had a good week?

The opening day of our ninety-ninth consecutive top-flight campaign seemed decent enough, but you can imagine that both the Arsenal and Wolves when they meet again later in the season will be much tighter, sharper and less wasteful than last Saturday. But even so it was pretty enjoyable to watch the fun in the sun and I’m sure we all felt both victorious and harmonious all week in reflection?

Saturday August 24th (17.30pm western European time) sees the mighty Cannon take part in the second of our two bouts against west midland Mannschaften. So its on the train and over the southern borders with cheques and postal orders up to Birmingham New Street and onto Villa Park to take on the much resurrected Aston Villa. 

The long beards amongst us will remember the days of glory in the 1980’s (and later) when Villa were a menace in European Cup competitions and in our own domestic league and cup matches. Over the years they won seven league titles, seven FA Cups, seven brides for seven brothers, five league cups and one Charity shield, one European Cup, a European Super cup and an Intertoto cup.

Villa had some misfortune in recent years echoing what has often happened in their long history and were relegated into the Championship for a few seasons but came back up for some fizzy Premier League air in the 2019/20 season. And immediately fought their way to meet The Oil City in the League Cup final, and skidded in the oozy slickness of City’s rich game and got beaten. 

And who of course can forget the 2015 Cup final, well obviously Villa fans, but for us that followeth the Gun, Alexis’ magical power-super hoof goal was a spectacular moment, and it was that juncture that I knew we had won that final. Not one Arsenal player from that game is with us now, and how swiftly things change…

“oi! stop getting sentimental, its a sign of weakness, all life is in flux you fool!”

“hey cod-piece face! are you sure your name isn’t scrap-heap services? Are you something from a Sleaford Mods lyric?”

Their manager Mr Unai Emery needs no introduction to us, so I won’t give him one. But he’s mastered wonders at Villa since joining as manager, taking them from a team sniffing the toxic, anxious odours of relegation into a challenging side (finishing fourth last season) although Unai’s win rate is around the 53% mark. Regardless, we irritatingly lost last December to them and hit that negative spell as we were blinded by the festive lights and too many light ales from the night before. 

Unai seems a proud man and will be hoping for another avenging win against us, and having beaten the Irons 2-1 at the London Stadium, and also having the hint of home advantage may well feel confident. But we shall see…The Arsenal artillery might have something to play about that, perhaps with another brillant, cheeky goal from Martinelli..?

Well that’s it, lots of bits and pieces of snore that you already knew. Even so, here’s to a great game for us and lucky horses! 

COYG and keep on keepin’ on!

Mills

Good morning to all that remains of you in our little community.

I find these reviews very challenging on many levels. By the time you come to read them, you have seen the game, read other blogs that published within minutes of the final whistle, watched vlogs and YouTube analysis and likely watched Match of the Day. So what the hell can I add, especially given that most of you will , at very least, understand the game as well as this old lump of coal at the keyboard.

I don’t know if my enthusiasm for the game is fading as I plod towards the finishing line of life, or weather the monotony of City’s relentless hovering up of titles has drained it but what should have been a game that filled me with joy, just left wondering if I have changed or the game has. Ok, let’s cart on……..

First of all I suppose we have to say “it was a game of two halves”? The first 45 saw us as the only team in it. It was like we had just carried on from the efficient and often entertaining football we consistently churned out in the second half of last season. The players were the same, the set up the same and the patterns of play, the same. This in itself is very is admirable for the opening game of a new season, it’s not always the case.

The second half was much less impressive. Wolves pressed more and we started looking a bit shaky. Even Saliba was misplacing passes, one of which, a simple though hurried, ball across his box, went straight to the opposition and could, and perhaps should, have cost us an equalising goal. Partey, who to be fair had been decent first half, started looking a bit of a liability, Zinchenko, who again had added much before the break, did become a liability and Mikel rightly hooked him and brought on Timber. This substitution seemed to perk us up after being second best for half an hour, it became an even contest. Soon after up stepped “Starboy” ( I’m sorry but I hate that name, it’s so cringy and overused it turns my stomach ) with a truly wonderful near post strike which 99 times out of 100 he predictable goes far post curler. At this point I should mention that it was also a magnificent “starboy” cross that Havertz made a late run onto and banged home with the confidence of a man riding a wave carried over from the second half of last season.

Martin Odegaard has reached a level, that even having a quiet game , he is magnificent and efficient. Decan Rice looks a bit jaded and Martinelli continues to flatter to deceive, for me Trossard is the better option on the left and I expect that change come about as the season progresses.

So , despite my muted enthusiasm, that was a great start to the season, 3 points and in the end a fairly routine and comfortable effort. Don’t let my miserable demeanor dampen your spirits.

See ya.

Pedantic George.

Hello! And on the off chance you sometimes still look in here…as you know the seasons back again! And if you start a blog like that no wonder the blog o’ sphere is more blocked than Old Toilet itself. 

Being the start of the season its expected that I run through the signings and speculate on what will be and give you some scoop or valuable oblique insight, but it can only be speculation and that’s wasting my time and yours, plus I don’t have any kind of scoop or oblique insight to share and its much more interesting surely( don’t call me Shirley) that we shall see in our own time how new players will fit in and who will fly to new nests having said goodbye to the mighty Cannon. Anyway, the season doesn’t really seem to get moving until October starts creeping in, which in these dog days of August seems unlikely to ever happen.Until it does.

Really I wanted to write something in order to open up the comments section which closed automatically, as it seems a bit sad things have ground to a point and closed up like a necropolis and no chance of reading comments from the other side.

Personally I love the routine of the football season, and as much as the summer football festivals, baseball or speedway try, they don’t fill the empty space left behind during the summer. The Olympics did to a degree in our house and at times there seemed a lot of sportspersonship/ camaraderie and friendliness that seems missing in the world (or the world of the internet for sure) and the pole-vaulters seemed to exemplify that the most?

So its good to have football back. I don’t trust the preseason games as indicators of how things will be, and who knows the effect of the case against City will have on the season?And that’s what makes the fresh starts interesting, that we just don’t know…

There is a sense of expectancy though that this might be the year that Arsenal win the league again, but then we expect it every year until we run out of logical hope! 

COYG and keep on keepin’ on!

Mills

If anyone is interested in doing some writing dor the blog, please let me know, be it previews,reviews of occasional articles.

George.

In this podcast both Shotta and Blackburn George acknowledge this was a brilliant season for Arsenal. Taking Manchester City down to the wire, on the very last day of the season, wan an outstanding achievement. Arsenal can only blame itself for losing its lead during the final weeks when it dropped crucial points to Aston Villa when the manager made the crucial mistake of playing Havertz in midfield despite pre- and post- New Year evidence that the German was best suited as a #9. They conclude that there is no guarantee Arsenal will overcome City in the future as they have limitless funds to again improve their squad.

In their review of Arsenal away to Manchester United, Shotta and Blackburn George conclude that while the Gunners were conservative in their approach they were excellent defensively as they as they comfortably edged a poor United team. They were able to secure the three points necessary to keep their slim title hopes alive. Special kudos to William Saliba who in the eyes of most observers was Arsenal’s man-of-the-match.

In the opinion of both Shotta and Blackburn George Arsenal performed splendidly to defeat Bournemouth and this is a very positive sign if the club is to stand any chance of holding off Manchester City in the final two weeks of the Premier League season. They share the bookmakers calculation that Manchester City are favourites but in their current form Arsenal stand an outside chance of winning the title should have a slip up. And let’s be honest, only Arsenal are stopping the PL being a farcical one horse race.