That's a lot to spend to get a draw with little old us.

In some ways I'm glad we didn't beat Man City on Sunday. You see I spent the morning locked inside a shop called Lush with my daughter and her friends making bath bombs (no, me neither) and other smelly stuff for her birthday. Had we beaten them I would've felt obliged to lock myself in a 'lucky' girlie shop for 90 minutes prior to any fixture. It turns out Lush is not unlucky but not lucky enough for me to put my nostrils through that twice a week.

We got home smelling of roses and took our front row seats. I, strangely, wasn't nervous about this. I dislike man city like I hate the Chavs. Medium sized teams who've bought every recent success with their chuck enough money at it policy. Arsenal fan complaining about money? Thin ice. We spend but in the right way. Cazorla is the prime example. No £35 million pound panic buys & that's the way we like it.

Minutes into the game and it seemed we had the upper hand. We were on top. With plenty of disrespect to Liverpool, this lot were by far our hardest test so far and we were looking good. Yet half time arrived with that frustrated feeling washing over us. Gervinho, with the touch of a battleship, fluffed his lines when clean through and our old friend, crap defending, paid an unwelcome visit. After 45 minutes we were all over them 0-1.
Doubts crept in. 6-1 at home to a very poor side is one thing but losing to the newly bought champions away after playing so well raises concerns. Have we been found out?

Have we bollocks! The boys came out with heads up. Last season that rarely happened. We still looked like we fancied this and that, as a fan, is beyond pleasing. We forgive things if we see desire. Show us you care and we'll care about you. At the basic level, we pay a lot to see this so give us a show.

At the heart of that show is our splendid little ring master. We all know players that you immediately love. Sometimes it takes a goal or a vicious tackle before we think 'he's ok, we like him.' With Cazorla it took about 3 minutes to see we had a special one there. His touch, control and vision is exquisite.

This is what happens when you have this kind of player around. He's lifted us out of the 'he who will not be named' gloom. The team looks beautifully balanced with Santi as the pivot.

He is not alone in winning us back. Mertesacker was outstanding and the player we all knew he was. He maybe slow but when you are always in the right place that doesn't matter. The Corporal at right back and Gibbs at left look wise beyond their years while Koscielny, starting for the first time, was doing back heals and scoring cracking goals. (Nearly forgot! We scored and it was a proper goal. None of your defensive slip ups. A proper goal from a proper player that wasn't bought for billions.....etc!)

I need to go now and feel bad I don't have time to mention Captain Arteta, Poldolski, Ramsey. In fact they all played well aside from one cock up at the back and Gervinho going a bit non league on us up front. Even Pay rise looked ok when he came off the bench. Useful pace to scare worn out defenders. Walcott has effectively got his improved contract by playing far less football for the same money. Well done lad. No more bread and water.

So we look in fine fettle as we approach the week. First up is another sky blue city in the Milk Cup (I baggsy 'COC OUT' as a blog headline if we lose!) then it's on to a massive game at the weekend. Thanks to @avenell_rD for starting the hype with the picture below!




So another great show and one we were annoyed not to win. Who'd have thought it?
Up The Gunners.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iTelephone in a service station miles from where I want to be.

Montpellier 1 The Arsenal 2

No blog due to UEFA ban.

Six in the Sunshine.

Unbelievable! That was an easy cross to deal with. What a soft goal. Pathetic...... Wait a minute. Slagging off the defence is so last season.

My son & I set off early for our first home game of the season. A stop at the magnificent Piebury Corner and a look around the stalls started our match day. I resisted the 2 bags of sweets for a £1 despite my son claiming sweet bananas contribute to your 5 a day. Programme bought followed by a stroll around the innards of the stadium to peruse the Arsenalisation. A 10 minute chat with our friendly neighbourhood steward (Coldplay were OK apparently if you watched the show and ignored the music!) We reacquainted ourselves with the familiar faces around our seats. "Back again then" followed by "it's looking good so far isn't it?" We shared so much frustration together last season that this new found hope was refreshing. The countdown to 3pm ended. Hello Arsenal.

We started strongly and got better. Wave after wave of red attacked the yellow flimsy defence. Two own goals (tips hat to Gibbs) sandwiched a sublime Poldolski free kick and a cracking move ended by Gervinho. 4-0 at half ti...... Wait a minute. Oh lord. Almunia flashback! Let's move on quickly. It was a dreadful bit of keeping. A one off. Learn from it etc!

We took the first 20 of the 2nd half off but with a 3 goal cushion and a trip to France coming up why not? Last week I saw Cambridge City go in 4-0 at half time and they came out, went for it and won 7-0 as they play for the moment. No big trips abroad to worry them. The Arsenal rarely go for the jugular so it was pleasing to not concede during Southampton's bit and to get two more late on. Ramsey's floaty run and flick led to Gervinho 1 yard tap in while Theo, forgot briefly the poverty he lives in due to his measly contract, to finish neatly.

Our sixth came as a result of, what looked like at the time, a lovely gentle touch by Cazorla. Replays are inconclusive. It could've been the defenders lunge that trickled the ball to Theo yet the way Santi plays I'm convinced he did it & on purpose. What a player he is. I've a feeling praising our new little midfield maestro might become a habit. I hope so. The other new boy on show had a great game too. That free kick! This all contributed to a great all round team display. There seems to be a pleasing balance to this side. The arrowhead has gone and far from blunting our options it seems to have sharpened things up. Keeper aside (remember it was a one off!) the defence looks, well, like a defence that practise defending. OK it was only Southampton. They look in trouble but last year teams like that gave us headaches. That was a delightful romp in the sunshine.

The gloom of the departure of he who shall be wiped from history (we ceremonially threw his 100 goals DVD away yesterday!) has gone. I'm looking forward to the big games approaching rather than fearing them. We look good. We look confident. We look exciting. We look like The Arsenal again.

Up The Gunners.


- Posted using BlogPress from an iTelephone in a motorway services while my breakfast gets cold.

Clean Sheet Pt 3 (Now With Added GOALS!)

At just past midday on Sunday I was standing in the shoe department of John Lewis surrounded by hundreds of screaming children & similarly stressed parents purchasing school shoes as kids feet change size quicker than a Darren Dein player changes club. A trivial irritant compared to the ongoing worry of an ill parent but one that, as we all trudged to the car, meant The Arsenal must not let us down today!

Liverpool away has a special place since 1989. The venue of our greatest night and always a difficult place to get points. This one felt important after two goalless goes and Arsene's refusal to strengthen last minute. Some fans were restless. Some not sure we are strong or deep enough. The club had something to prove.

Within minutes you could see that this could be a good day. We looked organised and slick. Liverpool looked sloppy as their manager perched nervously on an advertising board. However as the minutes past, despite looking comfortable, a goal looked unlikely. Suddenly Gerrard, or "Stevie G" if you are an idiot, summed up his team with a lazy pass. We broke. Caz found Poldolski with a sublime pass & Poldi broke our duck. We rose from the sofa! Forgotten what a goal feels like? No way!

All in all, that was a good half.

The second half got better for us as Liverpool, with no options on the bench, weakened themselves by bringing on first Downing then Shelvey. Bringing on Downing is like thrusting an enthusiastic raffle winner into the team. Shelvey was equally as hopeless but found it hard to concentrate as he couldn't remember if he'd locked the caravan. Between all this Cazola opened his account in glorious fashion. He went on a mazy run, played a neat 1-2 with Poldi before making Mr Barcelona in the scouse goal look like an utter mug at his near post. Marvellous.

Cazola was magnificent. Arsene had a silly grin on his face when talking about him at the end and why not? When they talk of 'good business' Carzola is surely it. We are lucky to have him!

Someone else who deserves an Arsene smile is Diaby. Many, me included, are frustrated by the man. I've never questioned his ability just his injuries. There have been time when it seemed we should move on but that's why In Arsene We Trust. Diaby put in the most complete Man of the Match display I've seen for a while. And that is why Arsene Knows and we often don't. If Diaby can stay fit he could make a massive difference (nobody say 'like a new signing' - Don't you dare!)

If I had time I'd also mention how much the team needs Arteta and how the defence are slowly winning me around with their 3rd solid Bouldesque display. That performance gave us not only hope but things to get genuinely excited about. That's more like it.

Sunday was perfect. It was the ideal brief escape from a difficult personal time. It's trivial compared to real life but gives us so much to say and think about. When you go to the game or put on the TV it takes you to a place where the worries don't really matter. I needed a win on Sunday and my Arsenal delivered. On every level a 2-0 win at Anfield is lovely & showed us that Arsene could be right. If he is it really might be 'up for grabs' again (Alright! Maybe my turn to calm down!)

There's only so long you can sit in a motorway services typing into a phone before they call security so I'll stop now!

Up the Gunners.

- Posted using BlogPress from an overpriced service station on a telephone.

Clean Sheet Part 2

Bloody Stoke. If it wasn't for their stupid lunchtime kick off we would've had a full day out instead of rushing to the beach, falling down some steps, slipping on some wet clay (twice!) which led to hurtling towards the sea quicker than was necessary while exasperating an ancient back problem!




Stoke may argue that none of the above are their fault however I'm in agony and we are playing Stoke. Coincidence? I think not!

I limp through the field of cows to the car & we get home in time to fire up the sky go thing just as the teams show up. No Szczesny! A bit of panic sets in. Sky can't work out if Mannone is second choice or third. They plump for third which begs the question how have we injured 2 goalkeepers after only one game? Hitting keepers with rusty nail ridden sticks after training errors must stop!

The first half passes without incident. One or two heavy challenges don't lead to the desired outcome. No injuries, no goals, no problems. We look OK again. Nothing special, a bit uninspiring but OK. The second half plays out with similar unexcitement as we arrive at the end of our second 0-0.

Two games & two goalless draws tell their own story. It would suggest we have tightened up at the back but are lacking up top. Quite simply, it looks like Steve Bould has been allowed to do more than hand out bibs & we miss 'him!' Is it that simple? It probably is. Bould was a proper defender and we are defending properly while there is no doubt we miss 'him.'




The frustration is we are waiting for players to bed in again. Every year we replace instead of compliment and it takes time. If we'd added the new boys to RVP then we would've hit the ground running but that never happens. Every year our linchpin naffs off and we start slowly.

I was going to go off on one about the home fans booing Ramsey for having his leg broken but it's old ground. They are morons. They are every season. It's pathetic but not as pathetic as the club not publicly stamping on it. The twat in the cap loves it I'm sure. He probably thinks it's intimidating and unsettles the southern softies. Well it doesn't. It just makes Stoke look like utter scum. As for the Arsene masks?! What was that supposed to achieve? Mugs.

Anyway, no goals in August but still above the spuds.

Up The Gunners.

Clean Sheet!

Having missed the game due to barbequed meat, reggae and a field we relied on Absolute "rock'n'roll football" Radio to provide us with the commentary of The Arsenal's opening win of this historic quadruple season. The summer was a good one until 'the transfer that shall not be named or mentioned ever because our ex-captain turned out to be a massive twat and we sold him to a massive twat farm' happened. It was a bit of a punch in the stomach but by the time we'd reached Football Eve it mattered not. We move on and the excitement builds helped by having the programme on the iPad the day before. What a treat it was to have Vermaelen's column in bed with us on a Friday night......oh stop it!

You wake on Saturday and you know today it's back. Our Arsenal are back.

Our whole day was designed around getting back to the car so the first half would be our drive home soundtrack. We missed the first 3 minutes! The team was built in our heads as the commentator named players with the ball. Where's Cazorla? On 5 minutes he gets a mention and we have the team. The children are playing the 'who can stay quiet longest' game as we concentrate. We get home. Kettle on. Radios on in 3 rooms to assist movement without a break in play. We await the inevitable opening goal of the season.

Everyone else seems to be scoring. Swansea and Fulham are really helping themselves. West Brom are taking some too. Liverpool are falling flat on their arse which is funny but a Twitter message saying so is dangerous. I'm familar with our defence and their work and I'm still along way from trusting them. Yet look at what we've got going forward. Sunderland seem to have given up so it's just a matter of time. Our anticipation is still high as goals fly in everywhere else.

So 0-0 was a most disappointing gift after the excitement of Football Eve. Maybe they've kept the receipt. A small ring of boos can be heard as sighing doesn't come across clearly even on digital radio. The commentator, who prefixed every player's name with a bloody list of who they'd played for previously, "The former Ajax, Ebbsfleet and Newcastle plaer swings it wide to the number 15 who made his name at Southampton before moving to Leyton Orient" - It drove me mad! Anyway, the commentator, the former and present day pain, made the 'life after RVP' quip at the final whistle, something we are going to hear time and time again this season especially if we get nil.

Impressions of the team are difficult with only an annoying commentary and two minutes of Match of the day to go on. However, it seems like we were above average! Struggled to score with a few hairy moments at the back. Business as usual? Maybe or is just a new work in progress? A work that's progress is continually hindered by pivotal players buggering off (not you Song!) The one thing that was widely agreed upon was the brilliance of Cazorla. He seems a genuinely exciting talent & I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do in the wilds of Stoke next Sunday. He's too small and quick for the Neanderthals to kick in half. How will they deal with him?

So a somewhat nothing of a start. Unbeaten, above spuds without even scoring and a clean sheet but a few worries at the back, missing chances and frustration. It's great to have it back. We've missed it all.

Up The Gunners.

Really Very Poor (but great business so that's OK?)

The man from Eastlower once told me it's best not to blog when you're cross. Avoid the 'straight after defeat' rant. A more considered approach is appreciated. So this is probably a mistake (and I didn't want to start the season this way!) However, tonight's news has left me annoyed to put it mildly.

We all knew it was coming after one great season. The Arsenal just can't keep hold of their stars. It's obviously not our thing. There is a stupid T-shirt in the club shop declaring, 'We don't buy superstars, we make them' as if that's a proud boast. Maybe tomorrow it will be available with 'and we flog them to a rival in Manchester' tagged on the bottom.

I know it's great business. We got him for less than £3 million and sold him for £24 m but to me that's not the point. The message this sends out is that we can't hold on to our players if one of our so called rivals want one. Barcelona (rivals?!)  knock every summer and now it's the impoverished mancs who plunder us. Today it feels as if we are the nursery club for the bigger boys. We were supposed to be challenging Man U but we are miles off it. 19 points behind last season was only half the story. There is no way on earth we could go to them and buy their best player. This is a one way street. People have pointed out RVP is injury prone and won't last. What odds on the bugger staying fit for the next 2 years just to piss us off?

I'm old enough to remember actually crying when Stapleton went there. I was always Stapleton in the back garden and he broke my young heart. I couldn't understand why he wouldn't want to play for The Arsenal. I didn't, at that age, understand the adult world of cash.

Over 30 years later I'm still surprised at why a player would leave us. I have this misty eyed view that the players love the club as much as we do. Well they don't. They don't give a shit and why should they. It's their job. Any of us would go to another company for twice the money. Yet football, in our eyes, should be different. All that badge kissing and fist pumping is now bollocks. There are no more Tony Adams' in any clubs.

So a decent summer ends like this. I'm sure Song will follow the captain (a childhood Gooner who's happy to play for that lot?) to balance the books as we take a few steps forward and a few steps back.

Sorry to blog this but a man I thought was decent has gone to a club I despise. I don't care about the money as I don't own the place. I care about how this looks and it looks shit.

Up The Gunners.