Good morning Positive Arsenal fans or annyeong-hasimnikka this May Day (as they say in Pyongyang),

I admit I woke with a sharp taste in the mouth this morning. My mood was subdued. Things to be done but unsure exactly where to start on jobs that stretch out in front of me this Bank holiday. The sky light grey, the dregs of yesterday’s defeat in the glasses strewn around the place.

Of yesterday’s game not an unexpected result against a good Tottenham side who, certainly in the Premier League if not in Europe or the FA Cup, are a level above Arsenal this season. Just as Chelsea and Citeh were beaten 2-0 we joined the disappointed band. On the day they were better than us. I see that there was no shortage of BLAME to be apportioned for the result on social media, and on here!. Cut into who you want boys, they scored two and we scored zero.

It was a genuinely ‘open’ game. NLD derbies are very rarely sterile, tactical affairs. It would never be 0-0. History demands commitment and energy and I saw no shortage from anyone on either side yesterday. To add to the tension by 4.30 earlier results had provided both sides additional incentives. For us an unexpected springboard provided by Boro and Swansea past the Manchester clubs for a top 4 finish, for Tottenham the final chance to chase Chelsea. Both sides really needed three points.

We concentrated during the first half and other than two deflected half chances I thought our five-man back line defended well. The home side was faced with 8-9 red shirts as they moved towards our box and a boot or a head invariably stabbed the ball away. Our resistance was well organised and effective. Spurs had understandably came out with a plan to blow us away with an early assault but their efforts failed. In the final fifteen/twenty minutes of the half we got into the game, began to pass accurately and quickly and began to probe the Spurs’ defence. Larry was involved in a constant physical battle with the Spurs centre backs. Sanchez was weaving and bouncing. We also created two difficult goal scoring chances. Our finishing was off target.

I had cautious expectations at half time, a point achievable certainly, and if we could add quality to our offensive efforts perhaps all three.

Within twelve minutes of Michael Oliver restarting the second period we were two down. Both goals a failure of the collective concentration that had impressed me in the first disintegrated. The first goal saw two players in white shorts outwit five players in red, plus the keeper, to put away a scruffy finish. Within a minute Gabriel faced a charging Kane in the penalty box. Not another red shirt close by. The inevitable contact with the Tottenham striker took place. Kane put away a perfect spot kick.

Savage those these setbacks were we had the best part of 35-40 minutes to react and recover. Our first half efforts gave me grounds for optimism. As I said in opening there North London Derbies have goals. We had time, we had the players ……..

During that final period of the game, during which I anticipated we would fling ourselves upon the home side, we created very little. Up to the final third our football was tidy, within the final third we showed nothing to suggest we could penetrate the defence or test Lloris. There did not seem much variation in our approach. For a team full of intelligent players it was a predictable pass – pass – pass. Our shooting was always off target or weak. We had plenty of corners but each one was comfortable dealt with. Changes were made with Danny and Hector on, and later Theo, to no obvious effect. The game petered out. We had failed. My expectations were ash.

Of our players I make no criticism of Cech, the Ox nor of Kosc. Of the others I imagine left the pitch feeling dissatisfied with their afternoon’s work.

We shall not wallowing in misery for more than one day however.

We have an absolutely vital game next Sunday, against the Prince of Darkness.

Enjoy your Monday.

Good morning Positive Arsenal,

A third straight win despite a number of changes in the starting line up, tiredness among the players and dogged opponents hell bent on leaving with a point. Perhaps the most striking point of the evening was Leicester’s approach. League champions last season, their trophy deserved, and dangerous opponents on their last visit to the Ems. This season an entirely negative, nine men at the back all evening, barely willing to move the ball over the half way line. Even Vardy seemed half hearted. Just one serious effort on goal (and an excellent save from Cech required). Was this mob really standing toe to toe with Athletico Madrid in the QF on the Champions League last week ? Entirely fitting that they should be undone by an own goal.

With regard to the Arsenal starting line-up it raised a few eyebrows, mine included. As I said yesterday we have a strong squad so changing players in itself was not unexpected after the hard afternoon at Wembley but Nacho as a third centre back, Gibbs as a wingback, Theo in from the cold, and no start for Danny or Larry ? I admit those selections puzzled me.

I heard someone say that maybe Arsene was using the game to assess those players whose future at the club after the Summer is in doubt. Speculative given the importance of the game to our final PL position but not entirely implausible.

Of the game itself we played “alright” in the first half. We had a lot of possession, stood up to the Foxes’ aggression, and moved the ball well to the edge of the visitors’ box. Beyond that point we seemed to seize up. Our attackers seemed reluctant to run at opponents into their penalty area with the ball. The ball was passed sideways and backwards across the final third. Corner came and went. We rarely had more than one player actually in the box to inflect any damage from open play. Sanchez dropped deeper and deeper to evade the Leicester centre backs. Theo flickered in and out to no obvious effect. It was only in the final 10 minutes of the first half that Mesut came to life. We never seemed to pull Leicester apart and we did not look like scoring.

As is our usual approach second half we stepped up our efforts after half time  but it was not until the full complement of substitutes were on after 75 minutes that Arsenal began to crack the Leicester shell. Huth and Benalouane, having enjoyed an easy night swatting Sanchez away like an annoying bluebottle all night, suddenly faced the muscle of Giroud. Sanchez and Danny concentrated on the wings, and Aaron played further forward than le Coq. When Kosc went down writhing I had a bad moment but, much to everyone’s surprise, he was back up and playing within a couple of minutes. We became urgent in our efforts. The volume in the ground went up.

The pressure built, the Leicester defending became more ragged, for the first time all evening their defenders were being drawn out of position and gaps were opening. The goal when it came was scruffy, two deflections and no chance for the keeper.

After that decisive goal a strange few minutes. The referee and Sanchez both seemed to lose their heads for no obvious reason. What had been a fairly mild contest degenerated into a fracas with Cech and Schmeichel both leaving their goals to get involved in a row. Cech, to his credit, was telling Sanchez to control himself. Fuchs was already on a card and an idiot for slinging the ball at Alexis. The Austrian should have been off. Alexis, sore lip or not, should not have flung himself down. More concerning immediately after that incident Sanchez crashed into another Leicester player (Drinkwater ? ) in front of Arsene’s technical area and went down clutching his face again, for no obvious reason. If Jones has seen what I had seen then we would have been one Chilean short on Sunday for the NLD. The man had lost it. We all like a bit of passion and fight but even so …….I shall put it down to his exhaustion after two testing games in four  days.

Very much a difficult job completed successfully. Three points nearer the opposition and the Manchester derby tonight to add a little more incentive to our chase. Fingers cross for the Ox and for Kosc this weekend and that they are both fit.

Enjoy Thursday.

Good evening Positive people.

What an afternoon!! It is games like this that remind me why I find it so easy to love football. An excellent contest between two attacking teams, decided by the narrowest of margins. We matched and bettered City in every department, including being “professional” in our conduct, and misconduct, on the pitch. I am delighted that we have earned a place in the FA Cup Final. Fair to say that in the first 45, our sky blue opponents held the initiative. After half time however the force was with us. They were rattled, they cracked. Nevertheless I genuinely extend my sympathy to City and their entourage who missed out after 120 minutes of impressive struggle.

I hardly need to mention to anyone reading this piece that the victory was not easy. Good grief no, and the tension was notching up since our win at the Riverside.

I asked (pleaded is more accurate) earlier today that Arsenal did no more than play to their “ full potential” in the semi-final.  That our players would strain every sinew and shed their last drop of sweat at Wembley between 3 and 5-ish would have been enough for me.  The result could take care of itself, win or lose, for today the draw was never the option. I enter these transactional arrangements with the cosmos when I am in footballing doubt, in the same way I often become religious at 3 a.m.

And in the past six days there has been ‘doubt’ in my Arsenal soul, there is no use my denying it.

I admit I have made this contract with FOOTBALLING FATE before, and in recent seasons I have felt that the goddess has treated me cruelly, dealing me neither satisfaction in the team’s unstinting effort, nor the advantage of an occasional lucky result. It is a large pitch, and the biggest stage. And Wembley is no place to be humiliated, for Arsenal Football Club, its players or managers or fans. If I was feeling hesitant in the run-up to the match I found no solace in the dismissal of Arsenal’s chances to beat City by pundit after pundit after pundit.  I know the vast majority of the Mersons, the Ferdinands and the Jenases are idiots, but could it be that every single one of them was wrong?

Well the pundits were, to a man, wrong.  My doubt was wholly misplaced.

On this day I saw our players put in a performance over 120 minutes that is among the finest I have seen over 50 years.  I saw a highly organised defensive performance in which Holding and Kosc never put a foot wrong.  As for Gabriel we saw not just what a ruthless practitioner of ball winning he is, but he is a reader of the game. Never out of position, never needed to dive in. Rarely has such subtlety been wrapped around cold-blooded intervention. Poor Silva.

As for our Man of the Match, the Ox, the 23 year old performed as the most assured man on the pitch. He was tasked with helping Gabby subdue City’s most pointed weapon Sane and he did a solid job. Sane is no mug so to keep him off the score sheet and deny him any clear shooting opportunities all afternoon is as good as it gets.  Going forward however Alex really did his best work in my opinion. He runs fast, straight and with the ball at his feet. Very few players do that any more. His transformation since that dreadful night in Munich in mid-February is remarkable.

And who told Nacho he could score goals like that with his right foot – or his left foot even? Our Chilean grabbed the decider.  Nothing spectacular about the finish by Sanchez’s standards.  The right man, on the right spot, at exactly the right moment.

Of our other lads, Aaron, Granit, Larry, Mesut, Danny, and Cech, I am sure you will have better words to cover their contributions.  As I say they all played to their full potential today.

I am about to slope off for some refreshment.

I deserve it.

Enjoy the evening.

And a good Tuesday morning to the Positive Arsenal fans,

Interesting game last night. A change of “formation” but not really much difference in the set up the side as we had the ball or when we defended as far as I could see. Defenders defended, midfield players did their box to box running, tackling and passing thing, wingers ‘winged’, mostly. Not quite sure about the striker but I will come back to that.

I thought, as I see many others did, the Ox was our stand-out player on Teesside. A genuinely dynamic influence in quickly pushing forward, ball at his feet and taking the Boro full back on, even getting his crosses in from the bye line (!). When young Alex was called on to defend while he was not elegant he was always where he should be, with his head, foot or other body part thwarting the home side’s efforts. I am sure we all shed a tear when Ox’s entirely accidental damaging of Fabio in the 17^th minute saw the Brazilian limp off. So unlucky, yet so unusual it is one of theirs rather than one of ours. AOC is just 23 years old but the post match speech he delivered was the footballing equivalent of the Gettysburg Address compared to the vast majority of claptrap spouted by footballers. This young man has a future far beyond the green square.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtCRIbWT7bU

Other good performances from Mesut, from Granit and from the current boo boys target Alexis.

Remarkable that some sad anorak wearing tosser spends their time counting the number of misplaced or intercepted passes that our players manage, then posts it on the internet for the mob to beat the worst “culprit” with. Hang, him. Sell him. He’s shit. Blah blah blah. I remember when the PA ethos was to support every player, through thick and thin. Aye happy days they were.

Rob Holding was rather good too. Not an easy task fitting into a new formation, on a wet and windy Monday night but the youngster performed more smoothly than a badger’s codpiece. Never jumped in, never flustered.

The one puzzle last night, and it has been a puzzle for the past few weeks was Giroud, and if not Olivier, Danny. We just do not seem to have strikers who are involved in the game. Are they not getting the ball ? Are they not getting the support ? Or are they getting enough ball and support but just not using it properly ? Earlier in the season OG was terrifying defences, physically dominating them, shooting, hitting the target with his head. Recently not. Arsene has some serious thinking to do before Sunday.

Our opponents ? Not very good although I thought their goal was class. Perfect cross, poacher’s finish. They need a lot more of that, and probably a bit less reliance on the ‘set-piece’ wrestling match to clamber out of the bottom three. Traore is still a handful though – In the Boro relegation clear-out I would take him to the Ems.

So three points safely gathered in. Not a convincing but enough quality shown by us, wrapped in a little steel, to take the season forward again. Clearly Wembley will be a very different stage, but some of the good qualities the players – and the fans – demonstrated last night will ensure we set out with confidence on Sunday.

Enjoy your Tuesday.

*nice picture at the top from the Telegraph of a football team enjoying a goal.