This is an article written for and published on Les Artilleurs by @andysternAFC that we are helping to publicise for him.Personally I dont agree 100% but near enough.It makes some great points.

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Loyalty is a funny thing in football. Is there any loyalty left in football, or indeed, did it ever exist? Whereas an abundance of loyalty can only lead one to become a fan favourite, disloyalty is one of the cardinal sins of football, and the player (or indeed manager) to commit such a sin will undoubtedly become a villain for the rest of their life. Of course, every cloud has a silver lining, and more often than not, the traitor will be welcomed with open arms at their new club.

I’m writing this article to coincide with not only the transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich of Mario Gotze, but also with the one player who is probably most revered at the moment amongst the Arsenal fans (see this poll for more evidence; at the time of writing, he [RVP] is top, with 32.26% of the votes) set to walk out on Sunday with a guard of honour, against his former club, that showed all the loyalty that they could during his career there. But this isn’t a backlash article, it’s one I’ve been thinking about for a long time, and I hope that comes across.

As a starting point, the Mario Gotze transfer is as good as they come, fortunately for me! For all the talk about how fantastically well run Bayern Munich are, they most certainly are not a homegrown side. Far from it, and whilst most of their players are German, they’re not all Bayern through and through (the obvious two Bayern blooded players are Schweinsteiger and Lahm). They’ve got a knack of snapping up the best talent from around Germany, and thus not only improving themselves, but also diminishing their rivals’ chances for the next season. Plus, it eliminates any fears over whether or not they’ll be able to adapt to a new league. Clever, eh? Mario Gomez, Neuer and Mandukic were all plucked from Bundesliga clubs, but this isn’t a recent trend. Our very own Podolski was taken from F.C. Koln, and going even further back, Van Buyten, Ballack and Lucio were all plying their trade in the Bundesliga before their moves to Bayern. Now Gotze can be added to the list, and perhaps Lewandowski too.

Okay, so maybe Bayern are an anomaly? After all, they are by far the most prestigious club in Germany, and one of the greatest in the world. What about their probable opponents in the 2013 Champions League final, Borussia Dortmund? Yes, so their squad has been assembled for less than £29m. But that assumes that either they’ve promoted players, or they’ve bought cheaply. Hummels, Subotic, Gundogen, Kuba, Bender, Reus and Lewandowski (Kagawa too, although they made a tidy profit of around £13m on him) were all bought, or signed on a free transfer. The only big players missing there are Gotze and Kehl, and whilst the former is off to Bavaria, the latter is coming towards the end of his playing days with Dortmund. Whilst these players will have very fond memories of playing for Dortmund, they don’t have the same emotional attachment to the club as you’d expect Gotze to have, given that he’s been there since he’s been 9.

Emotional attachment plays a large role in loyalty, particularly in the world of football. Just look at Fabregas – no-one’s voted for him in the aforementioned poll, despite the claims of striking, as well as the acrimonious transfer. Cesc was always going to go back to the club he was raised at (we didn’t make him, unfortunately – we developed him into the world class player he is now, but the foundations were clearly there). This inevitability went some way to softening the blow for us, and there was definitely a sense that he’d given his all for Arsenal; it was only ever us or Barcelona. Unfortunately, Barcelona were also the best club in the world – who wouldn’t want to go back there, especially when you’d be reunited with your childhood amigos. But suppose it doesn’t work out at Barca – he’d come back to Arsenal, because of the emotional attachments. They’re just not as strong as the ones pulling him to the Catalan club.

But to be honest, it’s rare that one gets to play for the club that one has supported all ones life. If that was the case, Arsenal would have millions of players on their books, and Wigan would have 17. Especially when that club is Barcelona, given the unique skill set required, and the standard to which that skill set must be honed to. If they really wanted him, I’ve got no doubt that Arteta would jump ship to rejoin Barcelona, having been a La Masia graduate. No matter how professional you are, playing for a club as a fan is only going to happen once, so you’d probably take it.

Sometimes, you have to play for a rival club at a young age – this must be very tough indeed. Whilst this sometimes doesn’t work out, those that do often result in extraordinary cases. I’m thinking primarily of Jamie Carragher and Andres Iniesta – two very different players, but each with similar histories. Carragher was an Everton fan, and Iniesta claimed that his dream was to win the Champions League…with Real Madrid. Look at them now? Carragher’s been the mainstay of Liverpool teams for the past 10 years or so, and Iniesta has been one of the key influences in Barcelona’s meteoric rise over the last few seasons (but once more, Barcelona’s a special case here, given the ratio of La Masia graduates in the first team right now).

Of course, there are other factors in transfers, and one of these is success – Barcelona has that too, but let’s just forget that for a minute. Sol Campbell joined Arsenal because we were a successful club, and because he knew that he would win things at Arsenal. On principle, that’s bad – he’s not only left, but he’s joined a rival, so that he can win the league at their ground. But I guess that’s just why Arsenal fans love him so much. Going back to an earlier point, that’s why so many big players join Bayern – they can almost always be guaranteed silverware at some point or another.

The terms upon which one leaves, and the comments that are made about the club after the move can often determine the future relationship with the fans of the club that player leaves. To use Arsenal examples here, Fabregas and Henry are always both glowing about Arsenal, which sets them apart from RVP, who seems to have blotted out any memory of us from his mind, and Na$ri just tends to be rude about us, unless he’s talking about Wenger. I don’t believe that Na$ri left for the money, I think he left for the trophies. However, he chose City for the extortionate wages. I personally think that he was good enough to have won the title for United last season, had he been there. They didn’t offer enough to him, and thus he went to City, and played a role in winning them the league.

Is success a good enough reason to move clubs, even if it means annoying multiple sets of fans? Ibrahimovic certainly thinks so – “If you move to five different places it is a real test. If you succeed that’s when you become a real champion, that’s when you get more respect”. Whether you like it or not, he talks sense – it can be easy to plod along at one club for you whole career and win very little, but in order to challenge yourself, you may well have to move. As for his move to P$G, well that’s clearly about the money, but at the same time, he could well win Ligue 1, which would add yet another trophy to his (presumably IKEA) cabinet. Another player (who ironically also shone against England in 2012) who likes to wander around a little bit is Andrea Pirlo – AC Milan, Internazionale and Juventus have all had success when he’s been at each club. I guess Zlatan and Pirlo can be justified then.

But then again, I guess that’s what hurts so much about RVP’s loss to Manchester United. He was justified in his move, unfortunately – that’s clear from the fact he’s spearheaded them to the league title in his first season there, and arguably he’s been playing worse than he was last season, where he came fourth. The same goes for Ashley Cole – he’s won almost everything at Chelsea, and he didn’t at Arsenal. They might have left for financial reasons, but unfortunately, their moves were justified by the success they’ve both had.

A lot’s been said about Arsenal’s British core, and how Wenger wants to build a team around Wilshere, Ramsey, Gibbs, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jenkinson and to some extent Walcott (who’s slightly older) and Szczesny (who’s an honorary cockney). Loyalty-wise, Jack and Jenkinson look set, and Chamberlain is a self professed Arsenal fan too. Ramsey though? He strikes me as a model professional (playing out of position but not moaning, no pay rise in new long term contract etc.), but should Cardiff come knocking at the door with lots of money and the promise of lots of trophies, would he say no? I can imagine him going there. As for Walcott, I think he’ll be fine (as will Gibbs), but only as long as we suit his needs, namely playing him up front, either with someone else or alone (preferably the former).

Loyalty in football isn’t a given, by any stretch of the imagination – yes, you get players like Zanetti or Maldini, but they’re so special because they’re so rare. Leaving a club doesn’t have to be acrimonious, and it’s easy to spot when someone genuinely has an affection for a club (i.e. Henry) – whilst some transfers are unpredictable, almost always there are reasons why a player moves. These loyalty issues aren’t new, they can be traced back a long way, but naturally they’ve been augmented by the injections of cash into many teams. One can’t always expect loyalty, but one should expect respect – the way in which players leave clubs often determines the regard in which they are held, and whether they’re booed or cheered when they return in opposing colours.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it – please share if you did enjoy it!

What a fantastic game of football.

For the first 35 minutes, a shed load of goals apart,that was stunning play by a team trying everything to win 3 points against the newly crowned champions.

We ran rings around them.

Attacked them at such a pace that they had five players booked in the first half an hour.

Don’t give me any of that crap about them being hung over or complacent.They were being embarrassed and they didn’t like it.

We were in front within two minutes thanks to a beautifully worked on side goal by Theo. His torso was level and his leg from the knee down was off side.But if they had shown it when be ball was kicked, rather that when it appeared to leave Rosicky’s foot, he was on side. The benefit should go to the attacker. End of. On side.

We should have been two up when Theo was in space but Aaron chose the wrong option and passed to Podolski instead.

Aaron also made two errors when he passed the ball straight into touch within a minute.

I mention these lapses not to have a pop at Aaron, but because if it were not for them his performance would have been eleven out of ten. I thought he was staggeringly good. He was everywhere. He was everything you would want from a midfield player and more.

Rosicky started in front of Jack and oozed class. He purred his way around the pitch.Tackled,dribbled,burst and probed.He is the epitome of world class.

Arteta was ,well Arteta.The most under rated player in the league.

Then Bac,oh Bac what did you do?

He gave the ball to Judas in a schoolboy manner.But guess what,he redeemed himself and and made up the ground to put in a wonderful tackle that put the ball out for a corner.

Sadly the fat Referee failed to see the direction the ball took, which showed he clearly played it,and pointed to the spot.(click the link below) NO SURPRISES THERE THEN !

http://www.101greatgoals.com/gvideos/gif-bacary-sagnas-tackle-on-robin-van-persie-penalty-awarded/

He was not so quick to see a more obvious foul on Gibbs,with a few minutes to go. NO SURPRISES THERE EITHER.

The second half was real cut and thrust stuff. End to end as the pundits like to say again and again.

The pace slowed and both teams could have taken chances.

I cant finish without mentioning Laurent Koscielny. He had Judas on toast all day.I am not having it that there is a better defender in the league.Perhaps the world.

The way I look at it we mullered them first half ,and it was about even in the second half.So by my maths that’s half a mullering.

If that is not how the game should be played ,I don’t know what is.

We are in poll position now for a top four finish.

Carl,Jack,Aaron and AOC will be better again next year.

So might Giroud and Podolski.

The future is bright,The future is red and white.

It’s fascinating and hilarious in equal measure how so many football fans are incapable of enjoying the most exciting months of the football calendar. Do you remember Zimpaul comparing a season with an 800m race? He suggested a few months back that we were approaching the final bend, runners jockeying for position and preparing for the home straight. We the spectators, inching slightly up from our seats, anticipating the finish and wondering if our chosen athletes had anything left in their legs.

I thought then and I still feel now that it was a perfect analogy from one of our very best posters. I wonder if you will indulge me as I stretch that metaphor to the section of the race when the finishing line is in sight. Can you even begin to imagine the spectators and supporters in an athletics stadium screaming abuse and throwing up their hands in horror, turning away in disgust to argue with those around them while the race is still in progress? Or stamping on their hats and wailing ‘It’s all over’ as the competitors charge flat out, neck and neck, giving it their all for the few remaining metres of the race? It’s a laughable scenario and one for which I apologise. They would of course be screaming and cheering and doing every last thing in the hope that by sheer effort of will they could encourage a tiny fraction more speed or stamina from their favourite.

This is where we are now in our season. It is absolutely the best part of the whole shebang. Every decision, miss-kick, flukey goal, each unpunished foul or arbitrary decision not to grant an appeal in any number of games is magnified and so very very significant. I even enjoy watching Spurs right now. Yep. And I know a whole load of other people watched the events unfold at the DW Stadium yesterday. But a glance at Twitter and doubtless in the comments section of various Arsenal blogs showed people putting themselves through some kind of self flagellating agony. An ecstasy of misery and convinced despair overwhelmed people, when they ought to have been enjoying a closing scene in the finest drama the Premier League has to offer.

Allow me to lift an example from a popular social networking site. The Spuds had been awarded a free kick on the edge of the Wigan penalty area. It was the last chance in a game of so much theatre and the pressure was on both sides desperate for a result at either end of the table. As the rest of us thrilled at this moment of decision an Arsenal fan groped for his keyboard and typed

Instead of sitting back and enjoying the final act in a totally unpredictable drama with goal mouth action at both ends, the lead changing hands, mistakes, skill, violence and bad haircuts this joker couldn’t wait to spread his negativity, so convinced was he that the Spuds would score. As it transpires they nearly did but didn’t quite and it was all terribly exciting. Also things ended with the right result for us with them dropping another two points in what is at best a faltering stumble down the back straight.

As the final whistle approached some people were even screaming for Wigan to defend, get back, hang on for the point. I loved the fact that quite to the contrary they wanted to and tried to and very nearly did win the game. After all, we wanted them to win didn’t we? We want our rivals to lose, surely? If you cannot enjoy the run in where so many teams have so much at stake and where other matches suddenly matter to us like never before then you can’t hope to enjoy competitive football at all.

So where does this all leave us? I’d say on a Sunday facing a four o’clock kick off against the newly crowned champions of the Premier League. In a game many think of in that loathsome, meaningless phrase; a ‘must win’. Which can only mean they already know Spuds and Chelsea’s results between now and the end of the season. Of course it’s a big game and one we most want to win. No game is bigger than Arsenal versus Man United. If both teams were safe from relegation but out of the running for European places it would still matter. It would still hurt more to lose than any other fixture. As such this is probably the only game of our ten cup finals where league points and positions and the impact on the final places is actually overshadowed by the bitterness and rivalry between the two clubs.

I’ve dealt with my detestation for them by pretending they don’t exist for the last few seasons. It’s been working like a charm. Whereas I used to be able to name their first team squad, with my lip curled and special vehemence reserved for particular bêtes noire, these days I actually don’t even know half of their first eleven. But of course,he is still there. No I don’t mean this generation’s Frank Stapleton. I mean the manager. The man who has consistently tried and failed to get under the skin of our infinitely more assured and intelligent talisman. The man so beloved by the British sporting establishment, an establishment which so despises us that we couldn’t fail but to wish ruin upon their darling.

I’m not going to bother with any more talk of honour guards or reactions to ex players, I made my position crystal clear on Thursday. In any case I know you’ll do all that in the comments section. I am however, in contradistinction to my modus operandi, going to force myself to watch the whole thing live. After all it is long overdue. Maybe I’ll like their new players. I hear someone called Cleverclogs is as good if not better than Jack Wilshere. It’ll be fascinating to see if that can be true. Also long overdue is us outplaying and beating them, but I don’t feel in the mood for rash predictions. Apart from anything else the pressure cooker our players are trying to perform in right now makes everything so difficult for them, add to that the disadvantage of being at home in front of people convinced we must fail and one can only foresee an uphill struggle.

I know we can do it, of course we can. I know this because Spuds beat Oil City against all the odds then dropped points to Wigan. Just because Man U have nothing to play for and will be easy and relaxed knowing their work this year is done, and we will be edgy and nervous with so much resting on the outcome doesn’t mean we are bound to lose. Football is an unpredictable game. Ask Blackburn, Bayern and Real Madrid. The crucial thing is we try to enjoy the three games after this one. Today we might enjoy the result, we cannot hope to enjoy much of the match with the poisonous red and black slime oozing over the pitch and befouling the sweet air of our lovely stadium. However we can put the visit of the evil one behind us after this afternoon and get back to enjoying the nail biting race for the finish line.

Remember it’s just a ride, and we bought a ticket because we hoped to enjoy the ride. So smile, sing shout and by all means swear but please spare us your endless doom ridden predictions of failure. Some of us will be trying to actually enjoy the entertainment.

George asked if anybody wanted to write about their favourite player via twitter so I jumped at the chance, it was a little strange really because I had the very same conversation with an old friend the day before so it kinda felt like fate.

I became a fully fledged Gooner during the George Graham days, I didn’t pay much attention to football in my younger school years, preferring to make Sonic the hedgehog jump across a screen rather than play football in the street. There was something clearly very wrong with me. In the very early 90s I had changed, I caught the Arsenal bug.

I missed the 1989 triumph, Arsenal were the team I ‘supported’ but I didn’t pay any attention to any of the games or indeed results. I remember standing outside my friends doorstep with him when his dad ran down the stairs screaming with joy. ‘Arsenal have beaten Liverpool to win the league’ my friend said to me shrugging his shoulders, in truth we didn’t quite get what all the fuss was about. A couple of years later I had got it, I understood loud and clear.

Season 1990/91 was my first proper season as a Gooner and I had grown incredibly fond of our attacking players and you have to remember that this was before the day that George Graham was infected with flooding the midfield with destroyers syndrome.

David Rocastle and Paul Merson were two players who I immediately took to and my hero Ian Wright came a season later. Ian Wright was the bubbly charismatic match winner that most Gooners my age looked up to, I was no different but there was another player who fascinated me even more, a player that had something special about him when in possession of the ball. It was the original super Swede, Anders Limpar bought from Italian side Cremonese for about £1.2m if I remember correctly. He had hit the ground running and added additional flair to Graham’s Arsenal team.

Wright may have been my hero but Limpar was my idol.

What caught my attention was his incredible ability to use both feet, I had never seen anything like it before and it was thanks to him that I had practiced my right foot so much in my youth. Santi Cazorla has only this season replaced Anders as the most two footed player I’ve ever seen.

Anders had a great burst of pace over the first few yards and he used this to zip away from opponents, he was able to not only shoot or cross with both feet but had the perfect weight of pass to slice through defence’s. Ian Wright used to benefit from this on a regular basis, so much so that he had scored four goals against Everton in one game at Highbury, all his goals were laid on a plate by super Anders Limpar.

His most memorable goal for Arsenal was against Liverpool at Highbury who were the equivalent of the Manchester United of today. Anders drove at the Liverpool midfield from inside his own half, from just inside their half Anders adjusted his feet had a glance at Mike Hooper in the Liverpool goal and fizzed a stunning chip over his head and into the Liverpool net.

In Limpar’s first season at Arsenal he had tasted domestic success, Anders had scored 11 league goals from 32 starts which helped Arsenal win the league title. We had lost only one game that season which is quite amazing and even more so when you consider that not too much was made of that. That was my first title as a supporting Gooner which I guess helped secure Anders as my first footballing love. I bought the end of season review on VHS (youngsters should ask their parents) and watched it so many times that I learnt pretty much all of the commentary. In those days we didn’t have Sky Sports or streams so those videos meant the world to me, I got to watch Limpar ripping through defence’s up and down the land, including his hat trick against Coventry City on the final day of that title winning season.

In the following season, Anders had suffered a knee injury whilst playing for Sweden, so he only managed 23 starts and a further 6 from the bench. It all went pretty much downhill for Anders after that. George Graham had ditched his attack minded philosophy and instead turned more and more defensive in approach. Anders Limpar and his flair was ditched for more industrious players so the Swede was soon to be marginalised. The following season saw Limpar only manage 12 league starts, coming on from the bench in a further 11 games. George Graham had already inexplicably sold David Rocastle to Leeds during that pre season so it was little surprise when he sold Anders Limpar to Everton the following season. Replacing the talented winger with no other than Eddie McGoldrick. If this is a little before your time then the best explanation I can give you is that it is like Arsene Wenger selling Santi Cazorla and replacing him with Scott Parker. Sorry, Scotty Parker.

It pained me watching Limpar lifting the Everton side, I remember one ridiculous outside of the left foot (weaker foot) pass with backspin into the path of Duncan Ferguson. I cried into my pillow that night. Everton won the FA Cup in 1995, beating Manchester United in the final and Anders played a big part in that victory.

Anders is seen as somewhat of a cult hero amongst Gooners and in truth it should have been so much more than that. Unfortunately for him, he came to Arsenal in the wrong era. When Arsene arrived in 1996 I still had hopes that he would take him back even if his powers had started to wane. The pair had crossed paths during one testimonial, I cannot remember which player but I have ever since wondered what could have happened if a younger model was around the club when Arsene Wenger had a close look at the players left to him.

What would have been the result of an Anders given the freedom of the pitch to express himself offensively. What could he have been like with other players on his wavelength? Technical footballers like Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira. I think he would have been a special player for many years and not just the full debut season but that is life. I am sure Pedantic George may have similar feelings about a certain Russian meerkat.

A few years after Anders left Arsenal, I bought a new home shirt and wanted to get a name and number on the back. Even though he had left the club, he was the only choice for me and I got Limpar 11 sprawled over the back. I still have that shirt today and still feel rather proud of myself for doing that. Well I did until the bugger recently told a reporter that he supported Everton over us now. How to break my heart.

If Arsene looked after him you can be sure that he would have something completely different to say today.

Anders wasn’t Arsenal’s best ever player, not by a long way but he remains my favourite player and will always be my first love.

So, Borussia Dortmund are a selling club. A feeder club for Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Manchester United.

A club with no ambition.

A club interested only in profits.

A club showing no respect for its fans.

A club on a downward spiral to mediocrity.

Anyone who thinks this is not the case is delusional, and just a “Klopp knows best” boy.

I can hear the fans now screaming

“We are Dortmund.We should never sell to our rivals.We have sold them the League.We will replace with bargain basement players.Klopp has lost it.Dormund FC not PLC”

How can a club who has won their own domestic League for the last two seasons do this to their fans ?

Players want to win stuff.That’s why Judas, Nasri ,Song and Cesc left? Right? It was all about ambition for them.Right ?

Football is all about winning I am told. Well Dortmund have been doing just that. In the Champions League final too most likely.The very highest level !

So players cant want to leave,can they ?

The biggest ground in Germany and the second biggest sports club in their country.The most passionate fans you could wish for. No player would want to leave all that. Would they?

Perhaps it’s because they’re an old team on the decline and they want a new challenge? Nope, average age against Madrid was 23.So what on earth can it be ?

By the end of this season they will have lost Sahin, Kagawa, Gotez and Lewandowski.How can that be? There is everything in place for them at Dortmund.

Any ideas yet ?

Come on,think !

It can’t be about money can it?

No,surely not.

You are not telling me that I was right all along about money being the single biggest factor in the game?

Are you ? Is that what you are saying ?

Well.I think I will scoot over to twitter and see what the WOB’s make of this.

Dortmund have not had to build a new stadium as we have.

They have one domestic rival capable of outspending them, we have at least three.

Yet they have had to sell  Mario Gotez, a 21 year old prodigy who has been at the club since he was 8 years old, to their fiercest rivals.

And for about £10 million less than we got for Fabregas.

Does anyone think Klopp wanted to sell those payers?

No, of course he didn’t. It was forced on him by player power and financial realities. Two things that our own fans seem to think don’t exist.

It all comes back to the same thing. People think they know how to run the club when the reality is the don’t know shit.

I have always said that anyone who wants Arsene out is a simpleton. This Dortmund malarkey has exposed huge swathes of their pathetic arguments to be total bullshit.

In related news I am told that Judas is now believed to be on £300k pw.This is the amount that Arsene confirmed City had offered him.I said at the time that I believed that United would have matched this figure.It seems they did.

The anti Arsenal and Arsene posters (at the blog that shall not be named) said that Pursie had gone to win stuff and because of his ambition. Their logic said that had it been for money,he would have gone to City.

Another load of old bollocks that was.

Will this evidence of how the real World works see an end to their nonsense ? Will it bollocks. They will just start pointing backwards to perceived failings in the past 8 years and ignore any realities.

I hate  to say “I told you so” But I did.

Hello and welcome to this week’s round-up.

First up this week is the long-overdue apology from Arsene Wenger in a meeting with the press last week. In addressing Roy Hodgson’s comments on the lack of English talent in the English top-flight, Wenger, although feigning sympathy for the England manager’s woes, went on to boastfully list the wealth of English stars at Arsenal. The Gunners’ boss, in typical galling fashion, then moved to distance himself from any responsibility for the nationality of Aaron Ramsey. “It is not my fault if Ramsey is Welsh”, said the smug manager. While an admission of guilt and an apology would appease the average supporter, the more passionate and loyal fans, knows as Gooners, will undoubtedly call for the manager’s resignation for this kind of negligence.

Staying with Ramsey, he has done an interview with Arsenal Player. The unfortunately Welsh midfielder attributes his rich vein of form to playing consistently in his most natural position. Having ironed out the inevitable creases following the reinstallation of his leg, Ramsey can continue to leave the most astute observers with egg on their faces.

Jack Wilshere has been nominated for the Young Gareth Bale of the Year Award. Jack is up against Danny Welbeck, Eden Hazard, Christian Benteke, Romelu Lukaku and Gareth Bale. With Gareth Bale also being nominated for the Gareth Bale of the Year Award, there are signs the Gareth Bale could scoop both the young Gareth Bale of the Year Award and the Gareth Bale of the Year Award at this year’s ceremony. This is written in the understanding that repeatedly mentioning Gareth Bale gets you a job in media. Gareth Bale.

It was that time of year again as many Arsenal fans sailed west to the murky shores of Fulham. After twelve minutes of chasing the ball, Steve Sidwelled Arteta and got himself sent off. Arsenal controlled the majority of the game but failed to really upset Fulham’s defence. Theo Walcott’s best contributions came in the form of free-kick deliveries and it was one of these which found Koscielny at the back post who, I’m saying intentionally, nodded the ball across to Mertesacker, who in turn headed home. 1-0 to The Arsenal! Following some amount of relatively uneventful time, Olivier Giroud received a red card for going over the top of the ball in an attempt to trap it. It wasn’t malicious, and it was nothing like that prick Sidwell’s, but he caught the guy and it was a red card. Replays show that he slipped but the FA say that nobody gives a shit and he will serve a three match ban.

With our next opponents having secured the title in previous game, there has been a lot of talk about giving them a guard of obligation. If one were inclined to remove half of Arsene Wenger’s quotes on the issue of respecting their number 20, an exciting level of ambiguity can be achieved. “As a champion or not as a champion, it’s [his reception] the same.” In other words, make him wish he was back in the sanctuary his old treatment room. This is Arsenal vs. Manchester United and it is the game I have been waiting for all season.

And finally! Love has blossomed at Arsenal and communication is key. This is, of course, Laurent Koscielny’s interview with Arsenal player where he gets a bit mushy about his new centre-back partnership. Per, which rhymes with bear, is the more experienced of the two but this is a huge positive for the international player. “His experience is vital and that helps us work together. We try and talk to each other a lot and it is important at the back to have a good understanding.” I’m probably not alone in thinking that they can do what they like as long as there are clean sheets at the end of each week.

That’s all for this week, thanks for reading.

Up the Arsenal!

Hmmmm….been a tough season so far, hasn’t it? It has for me at least. Although to be fair, this is my first real season as a football supporter. Let me explain.

When I was younger, I was never really into football. I mean I played for a kid’s team when I was like 7-10 or something but none of my school friends went with me so I lost interest. At that time my dad wasn’t really around (wipe your tears) but I remember when I was like 11 he took me to watch Southampton vs. Barnsley, I think? It was at the DELL. I loved it, but all I really remember of it is some big bloke sitting next to me shouting “short ones don’t work” at the saints taking a corner. Oh and I shook Kevin Davies hand. Anyway, when I went to high-school, I was in a constant search for who I was, as is everyone growing up I’m sure. I became friends with someone in my form and he was an Arsenal fan. This was the year 2000. He would tell me stories, I’d collect the merlin stickers and bring them in “for swaps”. Although id watch football with him I knew my heart wasn’t in it at that time. In 2001 I met new friends who were skateboarders, we would hang out at school and smoke and generally be “outsiders” we imagined football fans all to be dickheads, either popular rude-boys who would try to take the piss out of us at school, or drunk aggressive “men” that beat their wives and are just sad about their failed lives.

I’m 24 now, and I finally understand. I get it. I get the whole thing. I feel it myself, let me tell you how I got there.

During the summer of 2012 it was hot, I was tanned and everything looked wonderful. Me and my friends would buy some beers, go to the beach and play arse or one touch. The Euros were also about to start. Me and 2 mates decided to watch every single game. We thought it would be funny or something. I didn’t expect to be drawn in but boy was I!

We watched everything from the Poland VS Greece opener, to the domination Spain achieved of the final. So that was it, 3 weeks of constant international football and then nothing…

So what’s a man to do? Well, I knew I needed more. I needed that “let’s go down the pub and watch a game”; that “let’s talk about the result and the game till we’re blue in the face”. I needed to find my own team. How was I meant to do this? I had no idea. How does one find a team? Obviously they follow their dad’s favoured team, but my dad never really had one, and if he did I’d of still chose something different. No I would have to work harder to find my team. I decided that I would pick a team on quality of play and “personality of club” (I do believe each club has a personality). I did not want to be a glory hunter either. I never liked United, although I do respect Alex Fergusons achievements. I didn’t really want to support a northern team, as I live in Sussex I needed one closer to home. Which manager could I respect? Then the obvious finally dawned on me. Wenger. A man that took The Arsenal to “invincibility” a man that I could respect, that taught his team to play attacking football. This was the club for me. It’s strange how life works, how I discovered them again. “All roads lead to Arsenal”. So that was it, decision made and now it begins.

I started to read all transfer gossip about players coming in and going out, bye RVP, I didn’t know him whilst he played for us so ok. I never could imagine how much I could hate to see someone hugging Alex Ferguson after scoring a penalty

Then the games began, 0-0 against Sunderland, riiiighhht…..well it’s a season opener so it’s ok, then 0-0 against stoke. This wasn’t what I was hoping for. Where were the goals I’d promised myself? The following weekend I was away on a course. I was looking for a stream online on the Sunday and a guy who was also there was wanting to watch it, he was from Liverpool. We did them 2-0! To see how upset he was and how happy I was, that 2 goals were scored by 2 people that had joined the same time as I had, this is what it was all about. Somehow I felt something that I hadn’t before. I felt that I could listen to his moaning and stand up for Arsenal. They weren’t “cheaters” I told him that, I told him Reina wasn’t all to blame and that we were good! I liked it, I really did.

This season I have had a baptism of fire. I have seen us destroy teams, like Southampton at home. I have seen bizarre-o games like Reading away (capital one cup). I have seen how bad we can play, but I have also seen how determined we are. I have learnt, read and listened to anything I can about Arsenal. I have listened to podcasts back dated to 2008. I feel like I’m caught up. Although I have much to learn I feel part of the community. And before anyone says it, I am not a rich middle class fan. I have bitten my nails down and hidden behind cushions just as much as anyone this season.

I wish I could have witnessed Henry score against Tottenham at Highbury. I love listening to him talk about that place, and I am only sorry I never got to go, but the Arsenal is my future and I plan to see my first game at the Emirates for the Emirates cup, this summer.

I was not born as an Arsenal fan but I have a very sneaky suspicion I will die one.

Tom Hond (@tbhond88

What counts more in a football team? Is it the quality of the players? The manager? The playing system? Stable ownership?The fans? Which one? All of them?

Of course the answer is all of them how does each of the above measure in relation ?

If someone attempted to add up all the parameters, that’s after multiplying each parameter with a gravity coefficient factor, he/she’d most likely not conclude the equation, because simply the factors used would feel random, spontaneous and not very serious. What does “good ” player mean? What is a “good” manager and what is a “good” system? Does strong ownership also mean successful ownership? How does the fan help the team achieve VICTORY?

On to ours then, we need to let go of the dichotomy over ownership matters or managerial matters or players matters or formation matters. We need to stop comparing the era of riches (1998-2006) with the period of “saving” going on the past 7 years ( if more) and look straight at the truth.

Good players are those who offer a positive to the team and the cause.

A good manager is one who gives to players the opportunity to offer to the cause of the team.

A good system is the manager’s medium that will enable the players to produce deliver and excel.

For there to be an efficient system there needs to be planning. For this planning to exist you must have a director/owner hierarchy, a board, that supports the manager, and has the financial convenience to also support the manager’s choices,in a depth of time and not knee-jerk and short-term.

For all this to work though the team also needs the fans on their side. None of this can happen without the support faith and belief of the Arsenal crowd. It doesn’t matter what you have but how you combine what you have with HARMONY.

We get bombarded about tactics, about being weak as a system, that we don’t press or play high enough or deep enough or sideways enough or this and that.

We read about players constantly , expensive and cheap, about managers who can do better and not, and so on .

I have realised after many years that its all a bunch of crap really.

Ive seen players who have come from the unknowns and have become legends, players who were expensive purchases flopping miserably, coaches who didn’t exactly fill you with confidence going on and winning the lot, or leaving a mark behind imprinted in the memories of fans forever and other managers with high profile CV’s destroying whole teams in the space of weeks.

why all this?

Because the public wants “titles” that’s why.

Because the pressure from people to win trophies has become unbearable, they want instant results, hungry for titles.

Fair enough, but such mentality wont lead us anywhere.The fans of Arsenal need to stop looking at the past 7 years with scorn and hate for the lack of silverware and concentrate, as noted earlier, in becoming the factor that will push the team FORWARD for years to come

Truth be told,I don’t quite know what to make of that game !

I could quite happily leave it at that.

At 4.55 pm my wife gave me my tea.Very nice too.Roast Chicken,mixed salad and crusty bread.

“I cant eat that now love.I am having palpitations here .I think I am going to faint”

“You are pathetic,they won didn’t they?”

“If only it was as simple as that or you my dear !.Now put that in the fridge and give me some recovery time will you?”

What should have been a lovely relaxing afternoon watching Arsenal romp to a comfortable win ,was in the end a nerve jangling curse filled nightmare.

I only have myself to blame.I know.But still !

When I saw the team Arsene had picked I tweeted

“Positively Arsenal ‏@Blackburngeorge 

I think that is our best 11.Bar none”

The way we started ,I sat back relaxing thinking this is marvelous.Wengerball at its best.

We were passing the ball so quickly that no Fulham player could get close enough to make a fair tackle.

Then Sidwell lunged at Mikel and was dismissed .And rightly so.He is always at it.Nothing more than a thug.

Sadly though,that marked the end of our scintillating play.For the rest of the half we were patient and half decent,but the spark had gone.The Urgency lost.

Did the players think “all we have to do is wear them down and the goals will come”?

Perhaps they did think that.But they didn’t come.

When one did come it was down to Fulham deciding not to contest a dead ball swung into the Area.

Still .Who cares .Not a bad half .One up and them down to ten.Time to improve our goal difference.

Yeah right !

What went wrong in the second half is beyond me and Arsene too,as he expressed in his post match interview.

Where we tired after chasing Norwich for almost 90 minutes and from playing flat out against Everton on Tuesday?

We may have been .Everton losing to Sunderland would perhaps suggest its at least a consideration.But weighed against that is the fact that Fulham played 24 hours latter than us against Chelsea.And they only had ten men for 80+ minutes.

Our passing was slow and we created next to nothing .Caught in possession and balls just given away.All a little bit disappointing I must say

If anything Fulham were the better team in the second half.

The substitutes failed to make an impression and we looked like the team that was a man down towards the end .

Giroud gave the Referee an opportunity to even the numbers on 89 minutes and he took it.Personally I think he slipped,rather than having any malicious  intentions.

Anyway ,Laurent and Per were fantastic all day and we hung on.

All I have said can be discussed and argued about,but what cant be argued with is that we now sit third and if today’s results go our way we will be in a very strong position

Oh yes ,we won.We won 3 points and its a great result .

At this stage it was a fantastic result.

We didn’t play well and we won.Is that not what they say good teams do?

Well that is what we did.Lets just enjoy the result

I am happy as a Bull meeting a herd of Cows for the first time.

What good will it do pointing the finger at individual players for a collective poor performance ?

Bring on United and we can put our footballing world to rights.