Excuse me if I suddenly introduce random sections of dialogue or bizarrely inappropriate and entirely fictitious paragraphs into this narrative. You see it’s National Novel Writing Month and I’m attempting to put down an average of 2000 words a day in order to complete the ludicrous task of writing a book in a single calendar month. Penning this little piece in the middle of such insanity is a curious diversion but here goes nonetheless. I thought it only fair to warn you so you will understand if Tomáš Rosický appears to spend an inordinate amount of the match gazing into Santi Cazorla’s smouldering eyes as thunder rolls ominously overhead and dark clouds, pregnant with the threat of rain, blanket the world under a grey and purple bruise.

Sorry.

It’s five minutes in and I leave the novelling to check the match. Already Dortmund have shown their threat. They are pressing us high up the pitch, knowing we like to play out of a tight corner with intricate passes On the one occasion they’ve caught us out they struck with a cobra like swiftness and Per just cleared at the last gasp. We on the other hand are taking up where we left off against Liverpool, closing them on the halfway line hoping to nick it back and move through their midfield with crisp passing. It looks like the perfect contest between two very good teams. I hope the match measures up.

Our undoing last time was, according to Le Gaffer, that we did not want to settle for a draw and in our impatience to get the winner we left ourselves open to a quick counter. I can’t fault the analysis and it would explain why  BVB are happy to play keep ball at the back hoping to tempt us out. 13 minutes gone and still all square. Aron, Santi and Tomas look very sharp and Giroud doing his thing of joining the dots but as yet we’ve been suffocated out of it at every turn.

Oh blimey, they nearly scored from a knock down after a free kick just as I was contemplating why there are no significant female characters in my story yet. 11,000 words in and still all blokes. Is it a deep seated and hitherto unsuspected misogynistic bent I’ve been harbouring all these years? Or is it too much time writing about the all male environment of premier league football? We seem to be trying to quieten the crowd, keep the ball and take the sting out of the game – the oldest clichés in the ‘playing away from home in European Competition’ book. To be fair if impatient over enthusiasm cost us last time it is probably the only sensible tactic. Plus when one considers the statistical fact the the overwhelming majority of goals in a football match are scored in the second half, all good teams take it steady in the first to ensure they have enough left in the tank for that crucial phase of the game.

Having said that this Dortmund team are quick and inventive on the break so we need to be at our most vigilant when we lose the ball. Mesut just failed to get onto the end of Giroud’s pass but a little space around their area is at least encouraging. 26 minutes gone I need a cup of tea, back in a mo. If we score while I’m in the kitchen it’s my goal.

I’m back. Look at Tomáš go! He left that geezer for dead. Shame about Mesut’s free kick. Least said I think. And the least said about Mesut giving it away for that counter the better too. Thank God for the elegant genius of Per Mertesacker,  he just snuffed out another very dangerous attack. 31 minutes. All square, them on top in terms of chances. I think I might kill off one of my characters soon. I’ve given them all pretty tragic back stories but none of them has actually gone through the final wringer themselves yet. It’s supposed to be one of the tenets of writing fiction that you put your characters through hell at every opportunity.

Christ that was close. Some bloke with an unpronounceable name really should have scored, he tried to place it with Ramsey like calm into the far corner with only Szczęsny to beat but pushed it wide. We need to close down earlier, cannot have Mikel Arteta chasing these speedy guys. 38 minutes gone and Dortmund are treating my heart rate like I plan to deal with a couple of unlucky characters in my novel.

Better. We’ve started getting tight to them around the half way line and cutting out the supply to those pesky forwards. Lewandowski booked for a cynical trip on Aaron, the situation forced by us stepping things up in the middle. We’re trying hard to get the fast one touch stuff going but it’s all just a little rushed, a little stretched and not assured. Right now with three minutes left to half time I’ll take nil nil. Fuck sake, some bloke trying to get Gibbs booked after a nothing challenge. I hate to see that above almost anything else. Beardy yellow shirted twat.

OK so it’s half time and the plot remains much as it was at kick off. We should, I feel forget the sting of the defeat in the match at the Ems and realise that a draw would actually be fine for us. We then need only to match Dortmund in the remaining fixtures to stay top. Unless they go and lose all their remaining games of course then we need to do more than just match them but I’m sure you know what I mean. Gung Ho not the order of the day, of course you need to keep threatening even if a draw is good enough, it’s no good to play for the point and invite them onto us all day. Keep them with half an eye on their back door and you keep them honest I say. I might have a look at Twitter in the break. The wisdom there is anything less than a 10 – 0 lead at half time is always a disaster. It’s part of the English disease. Patience being the most vital commodity in the modern game and the hardest lesson for some people to learn.

49 minutes gone and Per is penalised for the best tackle of the game. Reus’s header is cleared by Szczęsny at full stretch. Would have been horribly unfair after such a harsh free kick. Brilliant save from Szczęsny moments later and then some bloke bangs it in from an offside position. We need to tighten up here, they are passing to each other while we are looping it hopefully in the vague direction of a team mate and that’s making the difference. Arteta is walking a very fine line tonight with this referee, I wonder if he’ll last the ninety. 53 minutes gone, free kick BVB, Reus high and horribly off target.

Still raining outside. Hope it stops tomorrow I’m cycling to work and hate getting wet before I even start.57 minutes gone and Bac has kicked some surf dude in the head. Still 0 – 0.

An hour in and we see one of the most beautiful sights in football as Tomáš Rosický curves a pass diagonally across the width of the pitch with the outside of his boot. Shame Giroud tried to pass through a defender instead of shooting, but oh my! YES! Just as I type this Ramsey stoops to conquer. 1 – 0 Arsenal. An untidy goal and one we hardly deserved but now we truly have something to defend. Just how good a season is our Welsh dynamo having? So often in the right place and putting his head in harms way there as the boots were flying.

64 minutes in and an incredible pass from Giroud to Aaron who for once is kept out by the defender. Per falls like a tree in their area but fails to connect and they nearly undo us on the counter. 1 – 0 Arsenal. My tea has gone cold. This is an excellent rehearsal for the Man U game who surely cannot be as good as Dortmund. No one has closed us down as well as these guys and no one has threatened as they have and I can’t imagine the domestic side that can.

20 minutes to go and we look fresh and sharp now. BVB making a change bringing on some bloke and I assume taking some other geezer off. No – correction, they’re swapping two not just one. We respond with our all action left sided super sub Nacho Man for the tiring Santi who has been back to something like his best tonight.

15 to go and I hope we don’t sit too deep for the remainder of the game. I’m a tired old man and I can’t cope with a long siege. My ticker won’t stand it.

Aaron wins a free kick in promising position but Kos is taken out by their keeper in a hideous assault. Per is absolutely furious berating the ref like a savage electricity pylon but the officials saw nothing wrong with the Kung Fu attack. Down to ten men. Tense times. 10 minutes to go, Kos is OK. Thank God. Or Buddha. Or chemical chance. Whatever, he’s OK.

What I wouldn’t give for a flying Theo to keep them on the back foot right now.

7 minutes to go. My stream goes down. Bollocks.

Found another one but it’s bloody English commentary and they’re banging on about Big Nic Bendtner and how crap he was against Chelsea. The fuck is wrong with these people? OK I have a better one and these guys sound Dutch, much better.

Big Nic on.

1 to go plus injury time.

1 – 0 Arsenal.

BVB’s famous fans leaving early.

Tomáš Rosický off, TV5 on. The rain outside grows heavier. There’s something scratching at the window, I peer through the rivulets that run down the glass, there’s a shadow just beyond the weak pool of light, is it a face? It’s hard to tell, the dog at my feet stirs, an insistent banging noise starts from the darkened garden, the shed door? I can’t be certain. The candle flickers, but where did the breeze come from with all the doors and windows bolted shut? I shiver, I must be imagining things. But it does seem suddenly cold. There’s a creak on the floor board behind me, the dog is snarling now , I turn

I honestly cannot remember being so nervous before a Liverpool game. Not for ages. They’ve been in fine goalscoring form and we struggle to keep a clean sheet these days. I blame Mike. Ever since he put Wojciech Szczęsny in his fantasy league team we seem determined to leak goals win lose or draw. He will be all smiles when I return to work tomorrow though, thanking me for  the points, which is a little insane but when you’re as unpopular at work as I am you have to take it where you can get it. The bizarre thing is of course that hidden behind the quite breathtaking talent that is Aaron Ramsey, Wojciech Szczęsny has actually been one of our very best players. The defence in front of him looks as settled as I can remember it and the midfield generally work their socks off to deny teams room in which to operate when they enter our airspace. And yet I was nervous that we would not keep them out yesterday. In my defence I kept my jitters to myself and didn’t pollute either this place or twitter with such pathetic weak kneed negativity. There was one other reason that I was concerned, not just for Mike’s fantasy league side but for our very real team as well.

Let us be perfectly honest we have been in a small dip, a minor depression, operating under a briefly passing black cloud of late and Liverpool have been in rampaging fine spirits. Our blip, as I sincerely hope it will prove to be, has been at once entirely understandable and at the same time extremely interesting. Understandable because we play in a fast hugely competitive league where players are usually only good for about four matches before they start playing in the red zone and given our injury situation we have had to wheel out the same old faces for just a few more games than has been desirable. The blip, or dip if you prefer coincided with some players returning to the side. I never expected such crucial personnel as Santi, Tomas and Mikel to simply glide back into their best pre injury form, who would predict such a thing? They didn’t of course, all players need time to find their groove, and with Mesut still adjusting to the frantic pace of the EPL and still finding the pushes and shoves shockingly under punished by lenient refereeing it was no surprise that we have struggled of late. This little period has been interesting though hasn’t it? Interesting and telling because we have somehow contrived to come through it five points clear domestically and joint top of our Champion’s League group. Oh and I ought to mention we’re shot of the pointless fixture clog of the league cup as well. Which I consider to be a result. How often in the past have we turned in below par performances, lost a couple of home games and been in such a powerful position?

Happy days to be an Arsenal fan.

Yesterday I was proved wrong. I had no real need to worry did I? I don’t need to tell you what happened of course. This isn’t the nineteen fifties where you need the written match report to tell you how the drama unfolded, but  I shall at least share the moments which stood out for me.

Per’s ludicrous level of calm insouciance as he intercepted, dummied a Liverpool forward before instigating a counter attack. It was simply gorgeous.

Wojciech Szczęsny playing a one two with one of their player inside his area with the relaxed attitude of a man who meant to do it.

Giroud’s entire performance. Yes, yes I know he fluffed his lines in front of goal a couple of times but he made more dribbles than anyone else on the pitch, was a tower of strength in our goalmouth whenever they had a corner, he bothered and pestered their defence into errors all afternoon thus relieving the pressure off those behind him and he tracked back, closed down and generally made a nuisance of himself all day long. A fantastic, skill filled, gutsy, tireless performance.

Santi’s goal. What can you say? The guy scored and got the assist. Not many players can play a thunderous one two off the opposition woodwork and then crash home an unstoppable volley.

Aaron’s goal. I laughed out loud. How else could you react?

Koscielny’s performance. All of it. Suarez must still be smelling Kos’s deodorant on himself. The young man not supposed to be Arsenal quality continues to keep our club captain out of the team and world class strikers in his back pocket.

Arteta’s tackling. No individual moment stood out but the slight of foot with which he gently relieved his opponents of the ball was just a joy to behold.

Arteta late in the game making Stevie G look so very past it.

Arteta dragging/back heeling/side flicking the ball to Gibbs next to the corner flag while under pressure.

Arteta’s hair.

Tomáš Rosický spinning, running, injecting urgency wherever he went and looking like a man ten years younger. Long may it last.

There were many other moments – I’m sure you have your favourites, but before I go I have to credit Liverpool for making a game of it, they had their chances and on another day might well have got something out of the match. However their strength is their attack and we neutered that strength for the most part by keeping the ball in their half. Can you imagine how good we will be with Podolski and Theo back in the side? It is a terrifying prospect. Oh and while I’m gazing with my red tinted spectacles into the future how about when Mesut Özil catches up to the speed of the EPL? It’s like we have this unexploded bomb ticking away in our midfield. He already has an understanding with Aaron, he just needs to adjust to the crazy pace of the English game, and, well, boom!

They keep saying that we haven’t played any big teams yet. The same people who talk about the strength of the league and how there are no easy games are suggesting that the points we get are somehow easier gained than those of our rivals. What is a big team? Should we win today, it would be hard to imagine our old friend Alan Hansen saying that Liverpool are not a big team but some will. There will be those who move the goal posts and say that we must beat Chelsea and/or the Manchester clubs before we’re “real contenders”. The fact is it doesn’t matter how highly any outsider rates our chances. What does matter is that we’re top of the league after this weekend – and every weekend.

I believe that it’s up to Arsenal who wins this game and Liverpool will prove a good yardstick for how far we’ve come. They have won three out of their last four games with the most recent being an impressive win against West Brom. With every second pundit being an ex-Scouser, their strike-force and three-at-the-back shape have been analysed to death so there really isn’t much left to say. They’re dangerous in attack but 2-2 away draws against Swansea and Newcastle suggest that there are gaps to be exploited. If Arsenal go out and play at close to 100%, we’ll see Szczesny enjoy a comfortable afternoon. Our midfield is more than capable of controlling the game and creating chances for Giroud to finish. It’s up to The Arsenal.

The Arsenal back five will more than likely be the usuals upon whom we’ve come to rely. I suggested that Vermaelen should start ahead of Mertesacker during the week but I’m putting that down as a moment of weakness. Per will start and rightly so. Arteta, Ramsey, Santi and Özil are also likely starters so the big question is over the right wing. Jack has played well there, in my opinion, and I think he might start ahead of Rosicky — complete guesswork, of course.

Whatever has been said about the atmosphere in the stadium recently, I have no doubt that it will be electric today. Every player and fan is desperate for this win so let’s hope our boys can do it.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the game.

Up the Arsenal!

Well we lost.

We did not play well,but not so bad either.

I am going to write it off as being down to injuries and having other priorities.

There you go,sort it our among yourselves in the comments section.

A hard-fought 3 points or what?

I saw people complaining that it was a poor performance. Really? Was it?

I don’t know what people were expecting, but the pitch was painfully slow and uneven. That’s not the sort of pitch that allows a quick passing game to be played.

Palace gave everything, running themselves to a standstill, almost.

I can’t understand why it’s a crime to credit the opposition for their effort and endeavour, rather than blaming our own players .

The deadlock was broken just after half-time when a bit of skill by Gnabry brought about a spot-kick. Of course, everyone blamed the defender and ignored the skill of the attacker.

Mikel lashed in the penalty and it looked like it would be a comfortable second half as we began to make more openings.

Not to be though. A hopeful punt up the field arrived at Chamakh’s feet. Mikel challenged for it  and, as far as I could see, Marouane veered across Mikel’s path causing a tangle of legs. Never a red card in a month of Sundays.

So, down to ten men, the tactically inept Arséne Wenger made some changes. On came Jack for the substitute Gnarby.

Jack took up the position at which he played his full debut season. This was worrying for me because he had a dreadful night on Tuesday and could not find a teammate with the simplest of passes.

Naturally, Jack proved me an idiot as he was superb .

Its was a great defensive performance by everyone concerned. Not least by our young goalkeeper, who pulled off two magnificent saves within seconds of each other. He is going from strength to strength.

We wrapped it up close to full time with a beautiful link up between Aaron and our other goal and assist machine; Giroud.

Some other points of note were; Santi was average, Sagna was magnificent and Monreal is the unluckiest player in the league that he does not get starts.

I had hoped Ian Holloway would hang on at least until I’d written my Crystal Palace preview. He is the only real connection I had with today’s lunchtime opponents. I used to watch Ian from the cold stone steps of Twerton Park as he plied his trade for a then homeless Bristol Rovers during their most successful period in yonks. His playing style was akin  to Matthieu Flamini but with goals. In Bristolian the word goal is pronounced to rhyme with ball (sounding more like gall) hence our terrace chant of  “Holloway, Holloway, Holly Holloway, He gets the ball – he scores a goal, Holly Holloway.”  He was one of those combative, no frills, all action midfielders who inspire team mates and supporters alike and even though he comes across these days as more than a little bit deranged he still holds a special place in my heart.

But of course he’s gone now and so I can’t really include him here. The only other image that immediately springs to mind when I consider our hosts is the Crystal Palace kit from the late seventies that looked like a cigarette packet. You remember – the white one with the diagonal flash like a pack of Embassy Blue Regal. These days they dress better but remain one of those sides who flirt with the big time and then slip away from view for a few more years. I must say their early results this time around don’t suggest that will change any time soon. In fact if it wasn’t for the truly woeful form of Sunderland (the only side Palace have beaten thus far) then the Eagles would be anchoring the bottom of the table, already adrift and with the outlook bleak.

We have had few notable dealings with them in the transfer market over the years. In fact all that I can recall is a couple of centre forwards one from them to us and one from us to them. Whether Marouane Chamakh will go on to enjoy a similar level of success with Palace as Ian Wright did with Arsenal remains to be seen, stranger things have happened I suppose, but the portents are not encouraging. Big Nic Bendtner was rumoured to be heading their way for a while and may be sat in the dugout this afternoon wondering at how curious life can turn out sometimes, let’s face it, if the Pulis rumours are true then our Danish sumo star must surely consider himself the single luckiest man in  football today.

According to a bloke at work the game today represents a massive potential banana skin for Arsenal. Bill gets his views straight from the back pages and Sky Sports News. You can readily imagine how stilted our conversations are whenever sport is on the agenda. I employ him as a pundit barometer. I don’t need to read the gutter press nor watch gutter television to know which way their hot air is blowing, I just listen to Bill. He even likes the odd wager so certain is he of his sources and the veracity of their editorial line. In the last couple of seasons he has gleefully shaken hands with me on, among other things, Arsène’s demise. Out by Christmas was a recent prediction and that was a fiver I happily removed from his wallet. This time around however something is stirring. Arsenal are looking good this year. Arsenal have splashed the cash and have been transformed into title contenders. Arsenal, get this, have a great looking squad. Seriously. From the same people who told us all summer long how thin and weak our squad is, we now learn that the same squad bar an awful lot of departures and only one notable addition is significantly stronger. But, Bill warned me, title contenders and top teams can often come unstuck at places like Selhurst Park. Just when everyone expects you to win, you turn in a lousy performance or hit the woodwork and have goals disallowed and nailed on penalty appeals turned down.

OK so we all know these things do happen but if we have serious aspirations to the title this season we simply cannot allow such aberrations. I don’t believe in banana skins nor in bad luck costing you over the long haul. Yes maybe in knock-out competitions. Let’s face it if Chelsea can win the Champions League then it proves that anyone can win any cup tournament with phenomenal good fortune and a string of silly unlikely results. Not the Premiership though. Consistency, a settled, balanced squad with good injury cover in the reserves and one or maybe two players having the season of their lives. That’s what wins titles. I think our problem so far with that list is that we have only one player in absolutely dazzling all out amazing form and the fact that he is so very very young places a hell of a burden on his shoulders. It’s no coincidence that when Aaron is relatively quiet we don’t look so threatening. The problem as I see it is that he is still learning the game and at his age will suffer dips in form and won’t be able to achieve his best week in week out. When Bergkamp or Henry did it for us in the past they had been at the very top of the tree for long enough to deal with the demands of a long season. I think we need one of the senior players to stay injury free and get his performances up to the levels achieved by the man who is so far our player of the season.

I don’t care who the player is. Olivier Giroud has shown he can provide as well as score and if he does both or either every week he could well be the man. Santi has all the attributes, Mesut is still finding his feet in the hurly burly of the Prem so it might be too big an ask this early in his Arsenal career. As I say it could be anyone but it has to be someone. Football is a team game but successful teams have stand out players. It’s similar to cricket in this respect. In cricket no match is ever won by everybody getting forty five runs. Someone steps up and hits a ton. Aaron shows he has the skill, the lungs and right now the confidence to be that man, but when you factor in the time he has lost to that unspeakable assault at the hands of a Pulis protégé we are talking about a guy with equivalent experience of a twenty year old. It’s a hell of an ask for him to boss the midfields of every top side we face between now and May. I’ve said it before, if only Tomas was five years younger; the cruelty of the injuries suffered by Arsène’s squads over recent seasons cannot be underestimated.

So to the match. It’s an early kick off, so don’t get caught out by that. If you have the free BT channel my advice is using live pause to synchronise the timing, have the commentary on Arsenal Player and the pictures on your telly. Don’t whatever you do subject yourself to Michael Owen’s soporific insights, they will drain every ounce of pleasure you might otherwise derive from the spectacle. Of course if you’re lucky enough to be at the match you don’t need to concern yourself with such niceties, you can just sing your heart out and be the twelfth man that the away support so often is. Arsène was cagey about Jack after his ankle problems in midweek so I’m guessing he might be rested, but hey – what do any of us know? Plenty thought Aaron should be rested when he was at a similar stage in his rehabilitation as that through which Jack is currently playing. Form unpredictable, only flashes of what he is truly capable, often played out of position lacking a little composure and consistency – the parallels are obvious. Far from resting him Arsène played Aaron at every opportunity and if he feels the same will work with Jack then who are we to second guess him? With that in mind I expect the side to be similar to the Dortmund game with Santi in for Jack being the only change, after all they will want to redeem themselves and they’ll get a rest for the league cup game when the reserves will have a run out. So, given the unlikelihood of these predictions ever being correct, expect wholesale changes from Tuesday’s line up.

OK, it’s an early one so I’m off to walk the dogs and get myself in the mood. See you here later.

So. That’s how it feels to lose a football match. I was in danger of forgetting so I suppose I should be grateful that the wide kaleidoscope of human emotions has been restored to me. Or at least one dark painful part of the spectrum. We oughtn’t to be surprised and I certainly shan’t dwell, enough breasts have been beaten since Tuesday. The simple equation which we learned as children that all which rises must just as surely descend is all the lesson we need draw. Instead I find myself in reflective mood. I suppose counting one’s blessings in moments of adversity might sum up the thought process.

Those of us who have travelled the rocky road of addiction and abuse are all too familiar with the downside of our habituation. It is a familiar tale and one with which the unaffiliated should also be tolerably well acquainted. The inevitable decline, the adverse impact upon the close friends and family of the addict, the erosion of all the better human traits such as fidelity, honesty, reliability and trustworthiness are a story well told. What people reflect less on is of course the positive side, the joys of the life. The ability to shrug off a despairing guilt ridden midweek hangover with the promise of a big session on the coming weekend, being an obvious example. The way a mundane nine to five every day existence can be infused with anticipation. I refer to the simple anticipation of going home and getting trollied at the end of it. Don’t knock it  – it’s all that sustains some people. But no, we prefer to focus on the downside.

It is certainly true that while my every waking thought was not taken up with drinking, that would make any kind of functioning existence impossible, just about any undertaking requiring my participation was envisaged through the prism of the alcoholic. ‘Yes I’d like to go but will there be a bar? If not will it be acceptable to bring drink with me. If so would wine be suitable? It’s three for a tenner in Sainsbury’s right now, but would three suffice for the duration of the event? Or would the trousering of a few discreet hip flasks be more the thing? Will I need to drive? If so can I stay overnight or is there anyone available to drive me back?’ And on and on. And this applied as much to an evening at a friend’s house as to a child’s school sports day. The thing becomes all consuming.

We might also consider the company I chose to keep. This is, I’ve since discovered, a universal trait. The trick is that in order to maintain the delusion of normality in an obsessive one track lifestyle utterly twisted and distorted so that every decision is in some way informed by your addiction, you need to similarly distort the surroundings in which you live out your crazy existence. How do you do this? You envelop yourself with like minded people. Simple when you think about it. If everyone around you reinforces and reflects your behaviour then within that little bubble you can feel normal. An unspoken siege mentality would naturally form within your closed community. Deep suspicion of anyone who wasn’t as serious about their drinking as you and your buddies would be underpinned by a plethora of dubious quotations viz; never trust anyone who doesn’t drink, I drink to make other people more interesting, I am drunk today madam, and tomorrow I shall be sober but you will still be ugly, I cook with wine – sometimes I even add it to the food, Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy, I feel bad for people who don’t drink; when they wake up in the morning that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day, and on and on. The purpose of this is to at once belittle and demonize those who do not behave as you choose to and strengthen the camaraderie between those who do. At all times you must cast your scorn outwards and thereby avoid ever looking at yourself and seeing what others must see.

Of course I am one of the lucky ones. Like the Mafia it isn’t an easy life to leave but I got out and at the moment I’m still out. I am now entirely free of the kind of errant behaviour I used to think of as usual or at least conventional. There is no part of my life now that in any way resembles that which I have above described.  Of course not. Why would I go through the trauma of quitting smoking, illegal and prescription drug abuse and ending the obsessive metabolising of ethanol just to replace it with similar behaviour, albeit a stimulant free one?

On a totally unrelated topic a friend took me up on the offer of a favour recently. Just yesterday in fact. I’ve been waiting for him to say when would be best for him and his family for me to come round and help them out. He has suggested a Saturday. Straight away I started to race through the possibilities of going around and getting the job done by two thirty pm so I could be back by three. Or if I needed to be home by twelve thirty then maybe I could persuade him mid afternoon would be the best time. Of course it might be I need to be home by five thirty or should I just say any Saturday is out unless we convene later in the evening. Or not. Because of course I might be completely free that Saturday. It could be Sunday where I can’t do a simple favour for a friend without it seeming paralysingly difficult or his entire family having to fit in with an arbitrary schedule to suit me and over which I have no control.

I’m also planning a week away, just my wife and myself. Saturday to Saturday is the plan she fancies. We’ll have next to no internet connection, no pubs nearby and no television. Which is part of the appeal. A lovely distraction free restful break. Unless I can persuade her that Monday to Friday would be better.  And I might need to pop home on the Wednesday or Tuesday night. But then I’ll just say I want to check on the kids. Or the house. Or something.

At least I can go on twitter or a blog and chat to people who would understand my dilemma. You see, just about all of the people I talk to these days understand the nightmare of fitting everyday life around the simple and understandable and above all commonplace hobby of fanatically supporting your football team. There are some who think we’re a bit odd, take things a bit too far but we just make up funny sounding names for such apostates and all agree that they are the weirdos and not us. I never trust anyone who doesn’t like football. Or who does but doesn’t like Arsenal. Or who likes Arsenal but not as much or in the same way as me and my friends do.

I’m so glad I got clean. Living a normal life is so much less stressful.

Thanks for letting me share. Who’s next?

Sadly we have learned that Adam (aged 38) lost his life in a tragic car accident.

Adam was an occasional poster on this site but a big contributor on Untold Arsenal.

A couple of months ago he Emailed me some articles that has been published by Untold ,asking if we would like to use them.I can think of no better tribute to him than letting you read one of these articles.

Here is what he said.It gives an of what a humble and gracious man Adam was.

“Hi, thanks for taking the time to view these. If any are to your sites taste then please use them or the information in them. It would be interesting for me to get the opinion of your regulars. Lost in Bureaucracy was my last piece and basically combines a lot of the other articles into one with the less information but highlights the transfer system for what it is, a complete bloody mess. When these were written they opened the eyes of many a reader, as to what goes on behind football, although I think your readers seem fully aware, they may be amused even educated, or I may learn something from them.”

Anyway,here is one of them.

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Scout7

Written by Adam Brogden

Scout 7 is a company founded in 2001, set to gather information on football players worldwide, with the sole purpose of becoming an online scouting network, following a player’s progress. This closed network allows its clients to monitor players and even helps identify transfer targets.

The company claims to have a vast array of clients from the Premiership to top tier clubs on the continent. Based in Birmingham, England this company works with Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham, Stoke, Aston Villa, West Ham, West Brom, Wigan, Bolton Wanderers, Everton, Southampton amongst many others.

Proscout7 has a core centre of data on 130,00 players across 130 countries, each player has their own record incorporating extensive information including key statistical analyses, contract expiry date, agent details, third party ownership on to information regarding the players history of injuries and ability to settle into a new environment.

The individual clubs can add to this information via their own scouting network adding the reports which can then be accessed by select employees of the club anywhere in the world. This is a monitoring system that will help clubs identify young talent before they become headline news and their value increases.

Also available on this system is video footage of the players and again a club can add to this player record via its own area of the data base. This also includes team sheets data and match data.

They also offer live feed footage of games being broadcast or filmed anywhere in the world all a client has to do is log in and watch. The company acquired ownership of Xeatre.tv in 2009 and offers this unique package which has raised the company above all other scouting networks or data gathering bodies involved in the football industry.

Dr David Hardman MBE, CEO of Birmingham Science Park said: “Scout7 has been based at the Science Park since 2005 and have expanded three times within the iBIC building. It has been highly rewarding to see the impressive growth of the company, with a formidable client list that includes UEFA Champion’s League winner Chelsea, FA Premier League trophy holder Manchester City, and 1. Bundesliga winner Borussia Dortmund.

Mark Ansell, Chairman of Scout7 and former chairman of Aston Villa said: “Over the past three years, Xeatre.tv has evolved into the preferred video-based scouting solution for elite professional football clubs. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, this strategic acquisition enables us to further develop a joint product offering to maintain our position as the leading supplier of scouting and recruitment intelligence to the professional football industry. We can now embark on a highly exciting new era of further growth and expansion.”
Lee Jamison, Founder and Managing Director of Scout7 said: “The extended range of data we can now provide our client base with, on demand, at the touch of a button, is exactly what is required by elite football clubs striving to find the cutting edge to enhance performance.
“In the 11 years we have served the football industry, we have seen significant changes in the way clubs structure their recruitment. Investment in online market intelligence is second nature. Today, over 2,500 professional football staff across the globe subscribe to Scout7 and Xeatre.tv products. This acquisition ensures that all subscriber content can be made available from one single source, covering video analysis, scouting reports, analytical research and general market intelligence.”

The company claims to have 90% of premiership clubs as its clients, so the question I cannot find the answer to is who the two clubs are that do not subscribe to this system?

I have found that Arsene Wenger has spoken at seminars held by the company along with prestigious names from other sports such as Billy Beane. Plus I believe this form of data collection seems to suit Arsene Wenger’s approach to football along with Billy Beane’s adopted approach to baseball.

Is Arsenal one of the two, and if they are it may go some way to answering why we miss out on some targets. But this is an assumption. All in all this seems to me like we have now truly entered the realm of computer football management. So when we claim that some people would like to buy and sell as easily as they do within these computer games, the truth it seems, isn’t far from it.

The company’s latest venture is the expansion into South American football, so it will be interesting to keep an eye on their progress in to this football minefield and the effects it may have on scouting networks and agencies already at work in this region.

Do not let the highlights fool you – this was no easy game.

Arsenal’s bright start led to Santi Cazorla having a left-foot shot saved by Ruddy. This would set the tone for Ruddy’s day. Despite conceding four goals, the Norwich keeper can throw his hat into the ring for man-of-the-match. He pulled off some excellent saves but when the Arsenal found their way through with some pinball wizardry, he had ruddy no chance.

The goal was sublime. Santi carried the ball in from the left (as he does) and then it happened. Santi – Wilshere – Giroud – Wilshere – Giroud – Wilshere – stroke it home – the world applauds. If you’ve seen it fewer that thirty times, you’re neglecting you position as an Arsenal fan.

Having fallen victim to such a pillaging, a lesser side would have rolled over, but Norwich didn’t want to play that role. A spirited fight-back saw the underdogs apply their own pressure and forced a save or two from the in-form Szczesny. Arsenal withstood and it was 1-0 to the Arsenal at the break.

Chris Hughton’s men came out in the second half in fighting form. They were “going for it”. The problem with “going for it” against a team with such a proclivity for counter-attacking is that if you don’t score, you’re screwed. And screwed they were. When Santi strode into the opponent’s half, it was only Olivier Giroud in front of him. Giroud pulled wide and it looked like the move may have been in trouble. Meanwhile, from the left came the run of a young man who wasn’t going to be left out of another fine Arsenal move. Cazorla rolled it wide, Giroud played a delectable chip straight on to Mesut’s head and the German nodded home to make the game secure. Or so we thought.

Norwich got the goal they no longer deserved. Arsenal had seen off the uprising but, because things are never as easy as they could/should be, Norwich got one back. A shocking attempted clearance from Per spun off his foot and across the Arsenal box. Jonathan Howson took a touch which would have allowed Kieron Gibbs to close down any shot attempts had the mood taken him. Instead, Gibbs tried to cover the angles, leaving only the front post at which to aim. Howson let fly with an excellent strike and the Canaries were back in the game.

Ramsey, who had replaced a dizzy Flamini in the first half, was playing well. He’d had a couple of efforts on goal and looked like he desperately wanted to get on the scoresheet. From the edge of the box, he faked a shot, leaving two Norwich defenders on their arses. Having enjoyed that so much, he did it again on his left side. Another planted posterior. At this point, another dummy would have been cruel. Ramsey spared the blushed of Norwich and finished coolly past Ruddy. If Ramsey wanted to, he could have put their whole team on their arses but our Aaron is decent and merciful young man. 3-1.

From the left side of the box, Tomas Rosicky chipped a ball to the merciful one. Ramsey knew exactly where Ozil was and he knew what the outcome was going to be if he could just touch it to him first time. Ozil had the whole goals to aim for and, just to rub salt in Delia’s wound, he placed the ball through the legs of the defender on the line. 4-1.

Sagna said afterwards that this was not a 4-1 type of game. Norwich showed a lot of belief and ability to cast doubts over our sensational run continuing. Class prevailed and the three points went to the magnificent Gunners.

I’ve really just covered the goals, the real talking points are where you come to the fore. Please feel free to comment and tell me what I should have written. That is what makes this site the finest forum out there.

Thanks for reading,

Up the Arsenal.

I don’t want to rehash or go over old ground. I told you what I thought of the recent internationals and you told me what you thought of me telling you what I thought. Back in April I told you about all of my Norwich related memories and associations and right now I wish I’d saved a couple so I’d have something personal or interesting to say.

Here’s what I’ve got. I’ve been pronouncing the ‘w’ in Norwich like Arsene does just to get in the mood for today’s match. Try it. It sounds like this – nor witch. See? Fun Isn’t it? Otherwise I tried to read up on a couple of Norwich blogs but there don’t seem to be any. So. Here we are then. Saturday has arrived, the boss is confident that three of our injured players will be back which means a first choice back five and then perm any six from twelve for the more offensive part of the team. The real question on everyone’s lips is will we get to see Santi and Mesut together at last? Arsène always plays a good game of poker at the press conference so if he seems to be dropping a hint you can bet your life it’s on purpose. To my mind when he said Santi is fit but lacks match practise it was a strong suggestion that he’ll not play the whole game. Now whether that means he starts and comes off at sixty nine minutes and fifty seconds or whether he plays for the last twenty minutes plus injury time, we shall have to wait and see. On the Arsenal Player video of the guys doing their one touch training Santi clearly miscontrolled the ball once and played with a fairly poor touch on another occasion and as such you’d expect a severe disciplinarian like Arsène to stick him straight on the bench. There was a lot too much laughter for my liking as well. Honestly if these players cannot take their training seriously they don’t deserve to wear the shirt.

When I said perm any six places from twelve I was being a little disingenuous. In truth it’s perm any five from eleven because there is one midfield berth bolted on due both to the significant relationship between the player and the defence and his proven importance to the team.

I am of course talking about Mikel Arteta Amatriain.

I am of course talking about Mathieu Flamini.

You see what happened there? This is, for me, the dilemma. Last season and indeed the one before, if Mikel didn’t start my heart sank. Put simply we were more assured and less likely to lose when he was in the team. I would have said he was the only truly undroppable player in the squad before the start of this campaign. Before, that is, Arsène pulled off the transfer master-stroke of the summer. Yes, yes there was the Özil signing, the one that excited both football fans and sports journalists alike, but as the manager said yesterday you can’t have a transfer policy based solely on players of his (Özil’s) proven calibre. For one thing there aren’t enough of them and for another there are more hungry teams at the top table and with more loot to buy them than ever before. So Arsenal works by carefully educating and promoting from within the club and by making deliciously unexpected or audacious signings like Santi Cazorla for a fifth of Gareth Bale’s fee, (just take a second or two to let that one sink in; five Santis to one Simian. Blimey, that’s what I call an exchange rate.) or Arsène pulls a rabbit out of the hat. It’s known as ‘doing a Kolo’. Back in the summer when I was being attacked by friend and foe alike for daring to suggest that any new signings would be the cherry on an already very rich cake and were in no way vital, I also took a bit of stick for adopting what appeared to be a volt-face in welcoming the return of our prodigal midfielder with open arms . I wrote that he was the perfect signing. Versatile, experienced, particularly as cover for Arteta (a position where we did look maybe a tad understaffed) and most important of all he was already well versed in Wengerball and familiar to and with the manager. Of course I am not claiming I foresaw his explosive return to the Prem. Nobody could have known he’d land like a burning meteor into the heart of our midfield and galvanise us to such a run of results and performances.

Now we have two names to bolt onto one position and two players more different you would struggle to find. It is Suavity and the Beast. ‘So how about playing them both?’ I hear you cry. Well maybe. Away from home that can work where we might expect to come under more pressure, where the defence might need more cover and a draw might seem a good result. Careful though, because do that and you are down to perm any four from ten for the rest of the team. Oh, and by the way, that’s before Podolski, Zelalem, Diaby, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo are fit. Also with the Prem as wide open as never before I’m not sure away draws are quite as valuable as they once might have seemed. The top six clubs will see any sharing of points as points dropped except when playing each other. So the emphasis must surely be on control and attack. Who gives us the better platform for that? I’m going to say Mikel Arteta gets my vote. Just. I look forward to a lively debate about it in the comments. In fact I’ve already started one with myself as I try to imagine Arsenal without that rabid terrier charging about in front of the monolithic rock of tranquillity that is the Per and Kos axis.

All of this is of course just a long winded way to reiterate what has become blindingly obvious to all but a few self appointed supporter’s spokespersons and internexperts. Arsène and Ivan with the quiet backing of the board have assembled one hell of a squad. Even when down to our most threadbare we only had to slot in one youngster and of course it was comparatively easy for him to find his feet in a winning, confident team which plays in precisely the same way as all the youth teams in which he learned his trade. Which is kind of what Arsène has been talking about all these years and still was yesterday at the press conference. Promotion from within. A club ethos translated into a playing style with an educated young workforce augmented by the occasional stellar signing. The only difference for me is that a lot of the youngsters have now come of age. Kieron, keeping out an extremely good left back in Monreal. Aron, never out of his depth alongside Santi or Mesut. Jack, the saviour of the nation. Theo, a boy no more but true premiership quality.

Sorry for all the football talk, I’d love to wax lyrical about the time I met Delia in Aldi or the day I made love to a Debbie Harry lookalike while watching Arsenal put five past Norwich one sunny bank holiday weekend but you’ve heard it all before and I wouldn’t want to bore you. It’s not easy once you’ve already written about the opposition. I have to say my respect for proper bloggers who do this every day rather than occasionally (as I do) has gone off the chart. It is very easy to pick up on a phrase or two and beat someone about the head for the next few years with it, but trust me, just try walking in their shoes first and you’ll feel differently about things, I promise. Anyway on to the team predictions. No. Actually I’m not doing that here. It’s boring and pointless, but what I will do is point you to a fun tool so you can do it yourself and share your ideas on twitter, a far more suitable place for such flim-flam and guesswork. I’m talking about Line Up Builder and I’m grateful to @Limpar_Assist for introducing me to it.

I’ll see you all back here at three for the match, unless you’re going to the game, in which case, well, you’re a lucky bastard.