Category: Arsenal

Yep, pretty much as expected, Sunday lunchtime was not particularly relaxing. I love my lazy Sunday’s but this day won’t linger long in the memory. The NLD was similar to the last one and the one before that. Ultimately, I was content with the point and I expect many fans from both sides felt the same. Maybe we can just settle for a point apiece for each fixture and avoid all of this angst and worry.

Tottenham did start very well. It took us a good 20 mins to get our passing game going and even during our good periods, we never look completely at ease and settled. The likes of Dembele and Wanyama squeezed the life out of the midfield, Rose and Walker pushed back Walcott and Iwobi and even our dominant central defensive partnership looked fallible. It was a frustrating game to watch. We never played with any fluency or composure. Always rushed, always under pressure on the ball. Even ahead at half-time, I was never confident. The equalizer was deserved and the poor tackle made my Koscielny which led to the penalty, was an clear demonstration of his poor judgement during the game.

But I’m probably not the person to give a measured, informed match report. I switched off the TV with 25 mins to go. I sensed it would end in tears for me and I couldn’t stomach witnessing their winner. I got on my MacBook and caught up with some work emails. I nervously glanced at a the BBC website, expecting to hear of a Kane winner but thankfully the scoring was over for the match. I’d make an awful competitor on the pitch. Bailing out at the first threat of a looming defeat. I’ve missed many a goal over the years as I retreated to the concourse at Highbury and latterly at the Emirates due to a fear of seeing us concede a late winner. A clear lack of bottle and stomach for the fight.

The one big fear is that in April, the return fixture is set to have huge ramifications for the title race. They’ll only be three games left after that game. Our last game at White Hart Lane. Where we have won more titles than Spurs. The atmosphere will be hostile (unlike the Emirates which was again hosting a sedate affair) and it’s going to be one hell of a match. A shame then that I’ll probably be going for a stroll in my local park, many miles way from a TV.

Probably the neutral fan. It rarely fails to excite, usually goals, often produces drama and a red card is likely (especially if Xhaka plays). But I can’t say I ever enjoy the games, as I wrote last year.

At least we’re playing well on this occasion. All of our top players are playing well and we definitely have the momentum behind us. I enjoyed Tottenham’s performance at Wembley a great deal. It could hardly have gone better. Low morale, ongoing injury problems to key players, a manager who’s losing his mojo and a fanbase who are frankly panicking at the prospect of coming over the Emirates. Forget all that nonsense about ‘form going out of the window’ when it comes to local derbies. This is really set up for us to put down a marker for the coming months. We’re fully prepared mentally and physically for a sustained, competitive title challenge. Spurs are likely to accept a battle for a Europa Cup place is a more realistic goal. What joy to see them return to playing football on Thursday evenings.

I didn’t attempt to get hold of a ticket for the match. I detest Sunday lunchtime KO’s with a passion. Atmosphere diluted and a post-match session is tempered by having to work the following day. I’ll probably watch the game at home. Going to the pub will inevitably mean sharing the match with Spurs’ fans and I can’t handle that. I’ll only make an idiot of myself and at my age, I can’t be doing with people looking on my behaviour with a mixture of bemusement and embarrassment.

I’ll get a few beers in and pace around my flat as I endure the game. I’d love to build up an unassailable lead so I can relax and savour our win but I can’t see it happen. We will have to grind out a win. They’ll come and defend in depth and it won’t be pretty. I can see us winning 1-0 and it will leave us in a really positive mindset going into the international break. Let’s just get the game over with, escape with a unspectacular draw and let’s all agree on who really is the top team in North London.

Okay, so a new season and a time for hope and optimism?? Well not, if you’re an Arsenal fan. Two games in and there’s an inescapable feeling that we’ve been here before. That we know what’s ahead of us. No real prospect of any signings in the transfer window, players falling down injured, Wenger being at his obstinate worst and a general feeling of apathy engulfs any conversation between Arsenal fans.

Okay, I guess things are not that bleak. But I’m concerned. Increasingly concerned. Perversely, I’m stick backing Wenger. You can just hear the howls of disgust from the small, yet vocal and increasingly prominent ‘Wenger Out’ brigade. I actually sympathise with a lot of their gripes. It’s groundhog day, a feeling of stagnation.

However, it’s the vitriolic abuse which is directed at Wenger which causes me to instinctively back him and fight his corner. No one else is at the moment. He’s stubborn, dogmatic and has a unquenched zeal that he’s going to do it his way in his attempt for a fourth PL win. I’m desperate to see him succeed. The criticism he gets from the media is often a disgrace. His unrivalled consistency is ignored and his achievement in securing CL football year in, year out is ridiculed when he should be praised. The Arsenal fans who run to appear on ArsenalFan TV every time we lose to berate and vilify Wenger have long passed the point of being a caricature of themselves. Have they any self-awareness of how they are perceived?? Ranting, raving, swearing. Seemingly demented.

I’m desperate for us to enjoy some success. I have happy memories of memorable trips to Paris, Madrid, Wembley, Old Trafford and White Hart Lane. Sharing special moments with family, friends and other nameless fans who I’ll never see again. But I’m a little old in the tooth to completely lose all perspective. Losing to Spurs is an awful experience (not that it happens that often) and seeing Jose get the better of Wenger yet again, just kills me. But I’m never going to let my disappointment and suffering lead me to launch a tirade of expletives against our manager or players. I want us to compete, I want us to play great football and I want us to sign top players. Wenger has achieved this year in, year out.

Wenger’s given us wonderful memories and given the club a foundation which is the envy of the vast majority of clubs worldwide. And ultimately, he has assembled a squad which I feel can go on and win the title, with one or two additions. Yet his real achievements are being lost as an influential small number of our fans and a prejudiced media focus on our managers’ shortcomings. Will Wenger leave the club in a mess just as Fergie did?? Or has Wenger hopped from club to club and bailed out at the first sign of a looming crisis as Jose systemically has?? Nope.

No, I support Wenger. Just let’s see us have a fully fit squad, even for a few months and the belated signing of those final two players to supplement our squad. Then all will be well with the world.

I’ve been spending too much time recently watching ArsenalFan TV. It’s my guilty pleasure. A bit of indulgence of my part.

ArsenalFanTV is a website that was launched in 2012. The site specializes in filming videos of fans giving their post match reactions outside stadia minutes after the matches are completed. It’s clear to say that reasoned, considered opinion is thin on the ground. ArsenalFanTV is available through YouTube and you can follow the site through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Continue reading “Fun and games on ArsenalFan TV”

This is going to be a difficult few weeks for Arsenal fans. I’ve got to be prepared for a long, long summer.

It’s clear now that we won’t win the Premiership. I shouldn’t be surprised and I should be used to this sinking feeling by now. But as every pundit has repeated ad nauseam, we’ll never have a better opportunity to win the league. So I should just calm down, keep things in perspective and look forward to those lazy summer evenings enjoying a beer after a busy day at work. We’ve lost the league before in similar circumstances (crippling injury crisis, lack of leaders on the pitch, Wenger stubbornly not adding to the squad when we’re lacking in key areas), so I’m not heading into new territory.

Continue reading “Need to front up and accept my fate”

I’m as small-minded as the next football fan. No, I’m more small-minded than any other football fan. Following defeat to Swansea, on the back of our feeble performance at Old Trafford, I’ve accepted we won’t be winning the league. That’s fine, I can cope with it. But I just can’t cope with Spurs winning the league.

Continue reading “A point to deny Spurs the title?”

This blog emerged from a fantastic day at Wembley last May, so I’m hardly going to completely disparage the FA Cup. But I’ve been counting down the days to the return of the League since the Leicester game.

Continue reading “A welcome return to the league”

It’s been a while since I’ve really been angered by the outcome of a football much. Years back, my weekend would have been completely ruined by Arsenal losing. It was pretty pathetic looking back. But the old demons returned following our defeat to Chelsea.

Continue reading “Classless manager, classless club”

Don’t you believe it my Chelsea supporting friends. Wenger’s finally got the best of Jose. If you looked at the face of the classless one at the final whistle, then don’t believe for a second that the result didn’t matter. Well, it did in my mind.

I didn’t bother attempting to get a ticket for the game. I do detest pre season friendlies and even the prospect of beating chelsea and winning some silverware didn’t tempt tempt me to chase a ticket. So I watched the game in a pub, with few people in attendance really focused on the game. I don’t usually believe in the notion that such results in pre-season games strike a psychological blow for the victor against the loser. But on this occasion, I went to bed dreaming that Chelsea as a club would be crushed by losing the prestigious and much revered Community Shield. Roll on September 19.