Written by dandan
Patrick Barclay, Hugh McIlvanney and Brian Glanville are all journalists getting on in years
and yet, along with a couple of younger ones in the forthright Martin Samuel and the superb Michael
Atherton, are probably the stand out sports writers of their generation.
On Wednesday we entertain the Mancunian lottery winners in a second-v-third clash which could
play a major part in deciding the destiny of the title.
It should also have everyone who loves football praying for an Arsenal win.
Simply put, Manchester City represent everything that's wrong with the game in England.
On Wednesday we entertain the Mancunian lottery winners in a second-v-third clash which could
play a major part in deciding the destiny of the title.
It should also have everyone who loves football praying for an Arsenal win.
Simply put, Manchester City represent everything that's wrong with the game in England.
Following on from the news broken by Wrighty7 that the former Newell's Old Boys has agreed a 5
year contract with the Ashburton Grove team AA has gained exclusive access to an interview
conducted with the pocket sized maestro and his agent Jorge Mendes explaining the reasons for his
departure from the team newly sponsored by the Al Thani family of Qatar.
Something about this website has been bugging me for a while. It's a very welcome home for
Arsenal-oriented debate, and the regulars here are great, all bringing something different to our
little party. And the format is excellent, with contributions coming from that group of regulars,
meaning one voice doesn't dominate.
On Monday we outclassed Chelsea at the Grove. Yesterday the same starting line-up won a
comfortable away victory against a Birmingham side notoriously hard to beat at home.
Finally we have a first eleven.
The second string is the one that played at Wigan and was unlucky to only draw.
Written by Big Raddy
Can you feel the tension? Are you moist with excitement? Breathlessly fearful of the possibility
of defeat? Come on .... it is Semi-Final day.
These days do not come along as often as they used to I recall getting Wembley fatigue followed
by even worse Cardiff fatigue, but now a Semi-Final is an unusual event.
Written by Gooner in Exile
West Ham 0 Arsenal 3
This game doesn't really require a report the stats say it all:
......................................WH ARS
Possession 34% 66%
Shots on Target 6 13
Shots off Target 1 7
Corners 4
10
As complete a victory as you are likely to see.
To listen to some people you would think our promising young reserve ‘keeper is David Seaman,
Peter Schmeichel, Gordon Banks and Lev Yashin all rolled into one.
He's not.
Right now Wojciech Szczesny is a raw, inexperienced player with bags of promise and the
chance of becoming great in the future.
A few weeks ago I left a room in deep despair about the team I love. Having made many changes
from the team that destroyed Chelsea, Mr Wenger's second string team threw away two points against
a 10 man relegation threatened Wigan side. I was furious, particularly so because there was an
inevitablilty about Wigan's equaliser.
If you don't tingle with pride at being an Arsenal supporter today then you my friend have a
severe case of Jaguaritis and that is not good because yesterday we walked with giants and
witnessed the quality of champions.
How dare these pie eating upstarts take two points off us up North? How dare they?
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We're going to Wembley!
Arsenal are in the Carling Cup Final.
Arsène Wenger's side will play West Ham or Birmingham at Wembley on February 27 after producing
a storming comeback in the Semi-Final second leg on Tuesday night. Ipswich Town had pulled off a
famous 1-0 win at Portman Road a fortnight earlier and, for an hour, looked capable of completing
the job this evening.
No it's not a misspelling, but I will take the opportunity to wish all Arsenal supporters
everywhere a Very Happy New Year. And to all those of you who
Yearn for silverware and titles, I offer these words of comfort.......
The season is half over. We've done well; we're 2 points off the top of the table in 3rd
place.
Today's pre-match is difficult to write following RockyLives' fine and controversial post on
Monday. In his post he covered many of the subjects I would have chosen to write about, in
particular, the changing face of Man City.
I have been swayed by some of the articulate arguments raised by the City fans who came onto the
site and expressed themselves so eloquently perhaps they are not just a rich man's foible.
Why Going Away beats staying at Home. Written by Gooner in Exile
This is the picture my Brother as Best Man left on everyones place setting at my wedding, tucked
away in an envelope only to be revealed at his say so. It is, I am afraid to say fellow Gooners,
me. In my defence it was my 4th Birthday 24 June 1980, as some of you will know, shortly after the
FA Cup Final in which Trevor Brookings header defeated The Arsenal.
This time last year we were on a long unbeaten run and were beginning to hint at the possibility
of a serious title challenge.
There was one glaring problem – we did not have a lead striker.
Robin van Persie was out on one of his trademark lengthy injury lay-offs and Nicklas Bendtner
was filling the berth next to him in the treatment room.
Once again this Arsenal team have torn up the form book and dumbfounded everyone with their
ability to be as mediocre and ineffectual in one game as they can be brilliant and inspirational in
another. This was demonstrated in the space of one game in the two contrasting halves against sp**s
but why are we the Jekyll and Hyde of the Premiership?
Written by MickyDidIt89
A couple of things have got me thinking a little more laterally just now. One is the presence of
Thierry Henry around the camp, and the other is transfer window talk. Lets see. We could buy a
Right Back as cover for Sagna or even a top notch Goalkeeper.
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Belief is the key for the Gunners to bounce back
Arsenal focus turns back to the Premier League this weekend as they are faced with a trip away
to West Ham. The Gunners are coming off the back of a draw against Leeds and a shock loss to
Ipswich in the domestic cups, but now its time to get back to winning ways in the league.
A trip to the Boleyn on a cold January day what delights the football calendar brings us. It is
many years since I last visited that part of East London but I started my working career just down
the road and still have many friends who support the Hammers. More fool them.
There are not many positives with this West Ham team; Scott Parker, the running of Piquenne,
Noble can be effective occasionally, Robert Green, but the current Hammers deserve their current
League position.
Were you ever in a gang at school or shortly after, maybe not a gang but a group of people you
always gravitated towards?
Security in numbers: there is often a leader that others look to whose presence empowers and
energises the rest; when missing there is a tangible drop in the collective self belief but on his
return confidence is restored and a feeling prevails that things can be achieved when at other
times they might not.
Arsenal may not win the Premier League but they are rescuing it. Unless Arsène Wenger's side are
in action, a match between members of the elite now leads to a sense of foreboding. When Tottenham
Hotspur and Manchester United inflicted their 0-0 draw on the public, Luka Modric was prized not so
much for creating chances as for looking as if he might do so.
Written by Big Raddy
Elland Road mid-week in January, 40,000 noisy fans up for the Cup, a promising Leeds team
looking to cement their reputations; the joys of the F.A. Cup 3rd round.
Being honest, we were fortunate to have the chance of this replay, the very late penalty saving
Arsenal from the ignominy of an early Cup exit to a team from a lower division.
Written by Carlito 11
A result to put a smile back on our faces, a Nasri inspired Arsenal waltzed past a doggedly
determined Leeds side to halt the slide against Championship opposition.
The game kicked off with some tough challenges signalling a hard fought encounter but we soon
got our passing game going, Arshavin and Chamakh combining nicely before the latter dummied the
return of a one/two letting a besnooded Nasri slip through the centre of defence and bury the ball
in the 5th minute.
If Saturday's performance proved anything, it was surely that Arsène Wenger's plan to bring
Barca-style football to North London is succeeding.
It's no secret that the boss admires the style and manner with which the Catalans play. Now he
has shamelessly lifted their football manual (or should that be Manuel?
If Saturday's performance proved anything, it was surely that Arsène Wenger's plan to bring
Barca-style football to North London is succeeding.
It's no secret that the boss admires the style and manner with which the Catalans play. Now he
has shamelessly lifted their football manual (or should that be Manuel?
Before I speak of a match that had all gooners on the edge of the seats for far too long, I will
just say what a great night it was for my boys, tonight my youngster Reece was one of 12 lucky
Junior Gunners to form the Guard of Honour as the teams came on, my eldest Luke is a ball boy all
season, so all round, how jealous, but proud, am I?
Written by CarlitoII
It's time to fly the flag, to stand up and be counted, to be unequivocally and shamelessly
chauvinistic about all things Arsenal. Today, we fight for our pride!
I may be preaching to the choir on this one but a re-affirmation of all that the letters AFC
stands for is long overdue.
La noticia del día ha sido el préstamo del jugador mexicano y su sonrisita incomoda Carlo Vela
del Arsenal al West Bromwich. En esta ocasión la calidad del futbolista mexicano estará a prueba
y tendra que demostrar de que esta hecho,tendra mas minutos de juego en un equipo modesto,la moneda
esta en el aire.
Regular readers of this blog will be aware that I am a long time Arsenal supporter, having
first stood on the Highbury terraces over 50 years ago, a time when seats were basically for the
well to do and, as they would have it in those far off days, the bosses.
The workingman stood on the terraces; this was his place, and his fiefdom.
I usually have a good moan about early kick-offs and that's when they're at 1.30 so todays
midday start is going to feel really strange. I like to look forward to going to football well for
at least a few hours anyway but today it's up, washed, dressed and out the door before my coffee
has a chance to hit the sides of my stomach.
