Good morning to All Positive Arsenal fans,

This Monday normal service has been resumed.

After a few disappointments in our recent PL form we faced an important test yesterday. By ‘we’ I mean the club, the players, fans, and our manager. I’d say we came through that test well. Admittedly not with the three points we all wanted and that would have put us above the perpetually whining Portuguese but a solid point earned. To have endured a further defeat yesterday would have been destructive to morale, terminal even.

The football played by both side yesterday was not particularly flowing or of the best quality. In the first half neither side rarely managed to string three passes together. Movement into space was hesitant. Short passes were intercepted, long balls skipped out of play, tackles flew in across midfield and cards were brandished. Even Theo joined in the violence, bizarrely waved on by Andre Marriner. Playing Navas as wing back/right back was a Pep wild card that could have had fatal consequences as he launched into Nacho. Dreadful challenge. Clearly we were not the only team having an edgy afternoon.

By the second half both sides had calmed down and the football began to flow a little more smoothly. The departure of Kosc was unwelcome but Gabriel fitted in well. Gabriel is the sort of defender who would trample over his Grandma to clear a ball. The Brazilian’s more ‘direct’ style of defending may have been the better choice on the day than Kosc who did not look comfortable during the opening 45.  I suspect we may be without the Frenchman for a month or so until his Achilles problem is solved. Our defensive shape is a work still in progress, as Sane and then Aguero’s goals yesterday showed so it may do no harm for Gabriel to start and have his place assured for the next few games. Despite their early bookings Xhaka and Le Coq stuck to their defensive tasks and were strong without being reckless. The man who was out best performer yesterday scored the second equalizer and the point was won. A decent 15 minutes from Alex Iwobi again yesterday. The youngster added a bit of late but welcome craft in the visitors’ half.

From 85 minutes onward I was pacing, I admit it. I welcomed the final whistle.

Reflecting on the game this Monday morning what pleased me most yesterday was that our players showed they have it in them to recover from a setback, or two setbacks to be more accurate, and to get back into a game. In recent games when an opponent has scored it seemed to me their reaction betrayed a lack of confidence and a resignation, and that response is really is not good enough. In contrast yesterday no heads appeared to go down. There was no arm waving or finger pointing histrionics from anyone. Every man took responsibility, worked hard to get back into the game and broke through the Citeh shield twice. We played as a team, and that is a step forward. And the fans in the stadium ? From what I heard on the TV plenty of noise, plenty of good encouragement. Much appreciated.

A short break now and West Ham on Wednesday. We go into the game a little more confident and facing an opponent whose poor form is dragging them inexorably towards the relegation zone. 12 months ago Slaven Bilic was a man whose reputation very much on the up. Well he is not blowing any bubbles now.

Enjoy Monday.

What is ambition?

Aspiration, intention, goal, aim, objective, purpose, intent, plan, scheme, mission, calling, vocation, desire, target, end dream, or hope?

No matter where I look I cannot find a definition that claims its spending money, or more to the point, spending someone else’s money.

Arsenal have been the most ambitious club in the modern game. When they were enjoying unprecedented success at Highbury, they planned and executed the most ambitious move in football history. The club sacrificed years of possible short term success for a future as much bigger and more competitive club.

The fact that circumstances changed does not detract from the ambition shown. The arrival of multi-billionaires that were going to fund their toys to the extent never even dreamt of previously in English football and TV money reducing the advantage Arsenal had expected from the improved gate receipts does not mean that the ambition shown by the club was  not staggering. That FFP failed and the authorities were unable to resist the influx of cash to the game was not the fault of Arsenal and again, takes nothing away from the bravery and ambition the club showed.

The team, under Arsene Wenger always shows ambition. Even when forced to buy those the critics claim are 3rd rate players and journeymen, they had the ambition to play an open and expansive entertaining brand of football. If anything Arsene is guilty of being overambitious. I feel he asks players to play in a way that only the very best players can consistently achieve. Lack of ambition would be 5 at the back , 2 defensive midfielders and hoping that a player will do something special to score . Of course every defeat brings out the experts with their “painting by numbers” ideas on tactics and formations. But is that AMBITION? Is it bollocks.

So if people think we could have spent more, bought ‘better’, more expensive players,  played the game in a different way, and/or changed managers half a dozen times like “ambitious”clubs do, fine. Think what you like. But don’t be calling it ambition. I’m not having that. It is bullshit.

Before I go into my thinking let me make state my opinions:

1. Arsene Wenger is the club’s greatest ever manager
2. Arsene Wenger remains one of the world’s best managers
3. Arsene Wenger can achieve as much success as any possible replacement
4. Arsene Wenger should leave at the end of this season

So how can I say 4 after the previous 3?  Let me try to explain.

Arsenal are not a poor club; compared to the vast majority of clubs we are rich. However, compared to 3 other English clubs we are very much the poor relation. The problem is a huge swathe of our fan-base flatly refuse to accept this reality.  So let’s look at the reasons why so many think we should be able to compete with these clubs and why their thinking is wrong.

We are the 5th most valuable football club in the world and worth more than City and Chelsea.

Yes we are, but you can’t spend your share value.  An owner could of course borrow against it and fund the club that way, as Manchester United basically do, but our owner chooses not to. So just like the value of your house does not mean you can buy a new Ferrari, the value of the club does not buy players.

We have the largest cash reserves in football.

Yes, we do, but all of our cash reserves are shown in our accounts.  City and Chelsea’s cash reserves are in the bank accounts of their owners and don’t show in their accounts. And importantly, their owners are prepared and willing to spend their own money to subsidise the clubs. Ours has no such willingness. It  doesn’t matter how rich your Dad is, if he won’t fund your lifestyle, you are on your own. The fact that Stan is fabulously wealthy does not help a jot if he insists on the club paying its own way.  And he does.

There is a proven 85% correlation across all leagues of money spent (on fees and wages) to success.

Did LCFC club outspend the rest?

No they didn’t. They were a once in a lifetime exception, and people should understand that for every 5000 to 1 winner, there are 5000+ losers. Using this freak result as an argument against years of proven data takes an incredible amount of stupidity, but that doesn’t seem to put people off.

Until fans accept that there are 3 teams much more likely to win the league at the start of every season there will always be rebellion. I don’t care who the manager is, each and every year there are 3 teams that will have vastly more expensive squads and who will most likely have out-spent us on transfers in the previous window.  Some fans will ignore the financial gulf and demand we “compete” with the super spending clubs. But why?

Well, Arsene Wenger for a start.  His massive early success set the bar, and the change that has happened in the game since is ignored. We want doubles and unbeaten seasons, no sausages for us, oh no-sir. We deserve better.  We have tasted it, many are fans because of it and we demand it again.  And again.

But we just want to compete I hear you say?

But that is bollocks, because if we did compete, the same fans would be accusing the team, manager and club of “bottling” it if we didn’t go on to win.

The connection between the fan-base and the team is broken.  A huge portion of fans blame Arsene.  If he achieves the finish we should be achieving – 4th- this will be hailed a failure.

But here is the thing. Any future manager getting 4th or better will have succeeded.  Only Arsene can both achieve and fail at the same time.  He needs to massively over-achieve for it to be seen as acceptable.  If we finish outside the top 4 this year, it will be his first failure in real terms. But it is accepted thinking that he has failed for 13 years.  And this thinking will remain as long as he is manager.

He has to leave before fans will see and accept that he is not the problem, and never has been.

The players appear to back him almost to a man. But until he leaves they will hide behind him and he will let them. He will take the flak for the players and the board until he leaves.  I doubt a new manager will be as selfless.

Also the players could be carrying his burden onto the field.  The pressure applied by fans and the media will not be released while Arsene is in the driving seat.  They are sure he is the problem and will not consider an alternative view.

All this does not justify our current form which, by the way, is unprecedented in 21 years, but it might go some way to explaining it if people would be prepared to be a little open- minded.  The problem is they are not. They are convinced.  And only Arsene leaving will satisfy their lust for blood.

Arsene simply cannot win. He should leave, even if the club will actually be worse for it.

That said, if he stays, he will get my 100% support.

Because, well you know?

He’s Arsene Wenger.

Good morning Positive Arsenal fans,

Another savage setback in Sandwell yesterday. 2017 has turned into a bit of a monster hasn’t it ? In 29^th January, having seen our second string thrash Saints in the Cup and with a safe three points against Watford scheduled, before our trip to take on Chelsea the season’s future looked rather different. Only seven weeks ago ….? Just 11 games – Seems a bloody age !

Of yesterday’s lunchtime match until James McLean crunched into Alexis’ ankle we were comfortably in the game. We were not fluent going forward but doing enough to score again and, in due course, probably could/would/should have collected the points. The Chilean had looked sparky, had scored and was leading the Baggies a merry dance. With our balloon popped, or apparently Sanchez’s ankle ligaments crocked to be more accurate, we seemed to retreat into a protective ball, a little shocked, a little hurt.

And after that we lost the game. West Brom are not a bad side, a team built by Pulis in his functional “no-nonsense” image. Like Watford, like Everton, however they are a team of footballers who individually do not have the quality of our players, do not have the wide experience of domestic club, European and international football, do not have the technique in passing and control, are in most cases slower. These are the artisans of the football world. But yet again they put together what talent and energy they had and earned their points. They defended with grim determination and their concentration did not waver. When three chances to score came their way they took them. Two well taken corners, BANG BANG. One scruffy half shank of a scramble on the penalty spot from Robson-Kanu.

For our side we have a hell of a lot of passes and 77% possession. Once we had slipped behind to the second goal we really did not look like we were likely to recover. The eyes glazed, the shoulders slumped. What was slightly disappointing is no one kicked McLean (or stamp on his head as is the current fashion) after what was a vicious tackle on Sanchez. Why are we soooooo “nice” ? We have very good players. And those same players until the end of January had it in them, and managed week after week, to win games in the final few minutes, and to take back the initiative in contests. For the past seven weeks that talent has deserted them.

On the one side we have WBA whose output, whose product, is greater than one could expect if one piled up the components. On the other is us, whose output is falling well below that which the constituent parts ‘should’ yield.

Right that is the hair-shirt bit done.

We thankfully have the international break during which, I hope, the manager and the players can come together and identify what technical failings we have, defensively and offensively, and address them. We still have at least 12 games to go this season.

Despite the hysteria following yesterday’s defeat there remains an FA Cup to play for and crucial games against Citeh X2m, ManYoo and Spuds to be fiercely contested. And we have good player who can and will contest them as is their very lives depended on it. The points in the PL games can still provide a top four or top three finish, and that is still worth having despite what the ingrates will tell you. The results of those forthcoming games will be even more important than the previous 11 games since January. It is time for everyone in the club and who supports arsenal to put their shoulder to the wheel. In eight weeks time the season may look very different.

And I know no-one on here is foolish enough to take me at my word of a person’s life depending on the result of a football match allow me to share a family anniversary with you. 100 years today the 23 year old Lance Corporal John Nicol 9^th battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders was killed at Arras.

I am off to breakfast. Enjoy your Sunday.