Tag Archives: Arsene Wenger

by | December 2, 2013 · 9:00 am

5 things my weekend brought with it: Flamini love and the Welsh Christ.

Just a walk to the local shops in Bristol…

Morning, folks.

The one saving grace of this time of year is football. Were it not for the romance of floodlit stadiums, chilly breath and warm cups of Bovril (I can’t stand Bovril…), emigration is something I would have considered a long time ago. I hate the cold. I don’t just hate it in the carefree, throwaway manner in which that phrase can be used; I loathe it with a passion.

Reports in Bristol suggest that the weather is going to take a turn for the chilly in the next week, and I thank football for being the one and only saving grace. Arsenal, as is often the case, are a love affair that makes most things bearable.

So Arsenal’s current glorious form and lofty perch is a great source of pleasure and a welcome distraction from checking wether my testicles are making a “clink” noise as I’m walking.  Monday’s invariably are a tedious day for news. Yesterday’s main talking points would include dropped points for Spurs and United and a resounding defeat against fellow Premiership minnows, Hull City, for Liverpool. Welcome results, I am sure you shall all agree – the latter being more of a testament to how sh*t-awful Liverpool were, as opposed to any great Hull performance. Continue reading →

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by | September 10, 2013 · 11:35 am

Arsene’s contract talks, your questions and stuff.

“So, what can we ask James?”

Morning folks.

This international break seems interminable. Wading through the summer was bad enough with its constant flow of fury and misinformation. I’ll be glad when Saturday arrives and football with a little more point to it returns.

On account of Eng-er-land’s upcoming fixtures, most of the news regards the national teams paucity of striking options. You know things have taken a turn for the worse when pundits are discussing the merits of Rickie Lambert’s selection. He’s not a bad player, don’t get me wrong, but he’s hardly a name to strike fear into the heats of opposition defenders.

Because of all that guff, there is very little in the way of Arsenal news. The only nugget of information out there regards an alleged move by Arsenal for Ciprian Marica – a Romanian forward released by Schalke and able to move outside the window due to being a free agent. I’ve never heard of him, to be honest, and if he was to sign, I’m pretty sure it would be a punt by Arsene to make up the numbers in an area we are short. It could work out, he could be another Kaba Diawara.

So, with not much going on, I decided to throw open the forum to you, the delicious reader, and answer a few of your questions.

That’s a tricky one. It would certainly be a very close and keenly contested fight, but I’m wager Nicklas’ impenetrable ego would deflect all attacks, and victory for our Danish friend would be achieved with a furious barrage of idiotic hats and ridiculous bracelets. I’d be rooting for the whale, mind you.

Thanks for the question, Martijn. I’d say it’s somewhere between 30-45 minutes simmering (not stewing), depending on your preference for the reduction of the liquid. Be sure to keep an eye on it, and make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through. Food poisoning – especially from chicken – can be pretty nasty.

Oh, something Arsenal related. I wasn’t expecting that! I think Ozil’s ideal position is definitely the No. 10 role behind Giroud. There’s plenty of potential for him to interchange during games with Santi on the left, but to get the best out him we should deploy him there. It’s where he wants to play.

I’m kind of on the fence with Arsene’s new deal. I’ve seen a fair few people get angry about it, and I consider their points to have some merit – one huge last minute signing doesn’t excuse an entire summer of inactivity. However, it would be wrong to overlook his importance in that signing, and to appreciate that he has changed his ways and spent big on a truly world-class player.   

If there’s a better man to lead us forward at the moment, I struggle to think of one. Arsene has made mistakes, but it shouldn’t go unmentioned that he has done so much good work for the club. If Arsenal are turning a corner, and our sustainable model is beginning to bare fruit, then we have some very exciting times ahead. I’d want Arsene to be in charge of those times, but he should earn the right to do so. One signing does not warrant a new contract.

Thanks to all the rest of you who asked me things. Some were a bit hateful and some were down right peculiar – you know who you are. All that’s left now is to point you in the direction of the comments, and offer you the opportunity to have a look and a new Arsenal fans App called ‘Invincibles”. It’s a paid application costing $2 and was developed by indie designer, Pritesh Desai.

You can check out the Invincibles app by clicking here. It keeps you updated regarding all things Arsenal with alarms before games, and other news.

That’s all from me today. As always; thanks for reading, you beautiful bastards.

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by | September 9, 2013 · 9:55 am

Mesut Ozil explodes on international duty.

“What’s happened?! “

Morning, folks.

It’s been a week since we last spoke, and what an eventful week it has been. When the transfer window entered it’s final day, I had slim hopes of anything spectacular happening – I assumed we’d bring in a couple of loan players to make up the numbers and that would be that.

Then we signed Mesut blommin’ Ozil.

To say I was ecstatic would be a considerable understatement. I yelped with delight upon the confirmation. I actually yelped. Not like a distressed puppy with an injured paw, but in a manner you’d associate with the news of pending carnal relations with Scarlet Johansson (I wonder if she reads this blog…).

Ozil isn’t just a good signing and a good player – he’s arguably the best No. 10 in Europe. If you take Messi and Ronaldo out of the equation, I struggle to think of a better player across the top leagues, and that isn’t my bias talking. Pulling something truly magical from the hat at the last minute doesn’t excuse Arsene’s floundering during the off season, however, I’m quite prepared to overlook the past blemishes and focus entirely on the future. Now is a time to be hopeful, not a time to point out the mistakes with more verve than usual.

The reason I’ve given this post such an alarming title is because of my well documented hatred for the international break. Mesut Ozil hasn’t exploded on international duty, he hasn’t picked up an injury. I was just being silly as I like to be on occasion. When it’s these f**king tedious fixtures instead of glorious Premiership football, I invariably assume the worst; our players will come back to the Emirates in a crumpled mess.

I wince every time an Arsenal player is brushed gently by the trailing foot of an opponent. Mesut Ozil’s debut against Sunderland at the weekend is something I’m anticipating eagerly, and every crossable part of my anatomy will remain crossed in the hope the footballing Gods see fit to allow him to pass unscathed.

That’s about all for today. Last night I saw Twitter finally reach its horrific peak when the combined forces of temperamental football fans and breathtakingly defensive One Direction fans battled with one another over Gabby Agbonlahor clattering Louis Tomlinson of One Direction in a charity match for Stylian Petrov.

Wow. Imagine what would have happened had Flamini made that tackle and left the little One Direction fella in the top tier of the ground.

I’ll leave the comments open to you today, as I’d like you to pose me a few questions. I’m shall answer a few tomorrow as part of a new weekly blog I’m going to do. Feel free to ask absolutely anything you want. The best will be featured with full credit offered to those asking.

As always; thanks for reading, you beautiful bastards.

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by | August 14, 2013 · 10:05 am

Transfer targets identified. Action imminent?

“This is Luiz Gustavo. He’s available at a reasonable price…”

Morning folks.

Since I’ve been gone, we haven’t signed anyone. I can’t say I’m all that surprised. There was a part of me that occasionally clicked onto the news in hope of coming across an enormous announcement, or to have the arrival of marquee player brought to my attention by dancing in the streets, singing and general rejoicing.

But, as is the Arsenal way, we appear to be intent on doing business at the last available moment. Criticising such a modus operandi is perfectly cromulent. God only knows why we didn’t set out as early as possible to recruit, and have the fruits of our labour embedded into the team for a flashy pre-season display. That would have been the smart thing to do.

As it stands, we are 3 days away from the glorious return of football that matters (I do not count internationals in that) and our ranks are yet to be considerably bolstered. It’s not ideal at all. However, the wheels of motion finally appear to be turning, and perhaps this might actually be the week we see something happen.

Bayern’s Luiz Gustavo, a player I really like, could (COULD) be heading our way, and he’ll be making a statement about his future tomorrow at some point. Deployed primarily as a defensive midfielder, Gustavo is capable of filling in at centre back and left full back. With a bid in excess of £17m already lodged, and interest admitted by the player himself, things are looking quite favourable on this one.

Perhaps that’s the part that worries me. It’s all a little too simple and too logical. All the ingredients are there for an excellent signing, and I can just imagine Arsene musing to himself , “No body will call me a genius if I pull this off”. Time will tell how this one goes, but I do have faith we’ll see him at Arsenal.

Elsewhere, amongst the interminable Suarez saga, other names are being branded about. Yoann Gourcuff of Lyon is said to be very eager to strut his stuff on the hallowed Emirates turf to such an extent, he’d be willing to drop his salary to do so. At 27-years-old, he’s a good player that would offer us a little more guile in the attacking third.

The rest of the names are fairly unlikey. Rafinha of Bayern, and Juve’s Stephan Lichensteiner have been mentioned as possible targets, but only in the most egregious and speculative fashion. Hardly an iota of truth…

So we continue to wait. Time is at a premium, and Arsene’s fate hangs in the balance. If no moves are made by the close of the window, then even his staunchest of advocates will have trouble defending him, and things could get nasty if the results don’t come. Hopefully, there’s a plan in action and it won’t come to that. Hopefully…

That’s all for today, folks. I’ll finish with a big thanks for all your kind words and your continued support. It’s greatly appreciated. All that remains is to direct you toward the comments and await your thoughts.

As always; thanks for reading, you beautiful bastards.

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by | July 18, 2013 · 8:30 am

Arsenal are “not close to signing anyone”… Uh-oh.

THIS! IS! Not really what we were expecting, Arsenal. Come on now…

Morning folks.

We’ve heard these dreaded words before. Standing in a brightly blooming field of hopes, Arsenal fans have yearned for the glory of shiny new additions to the team. Fingers crossed, and with belief of change in fortune we’ve waited patiently for something to happen. Then Arsene Wenger utters that oh-so familiar phrase mere weeks before the next season starts:

“We work hard but we are not close to signing anybody”

Oh f**k it.

As I type, the news is plastered across social media networks and there’s a full, ugly meltdown occurring. Those folks eagerly awaiting something to latch their depressing mopes on are spewing out hateful dross at a startling rate. Optimists are cowering for their own safety, lest a single utterance of “Arsene knows best” inadvertently starts a full-blown nuclear war.

In short; the Arsenal community has taken leave of it’s senses. And why? Becuase we aren’t close to signing someone. Judging by the reaction, you’d be forgiven for thinking our dapper manager had just taken a sh*t in the centre circle at The Emirates, and then uploaded a video of him doing a Demi Moore with all the money he won’t be spending.

Yet, to say we aren’t close is a typically ‘Arsene’ thing to do. I recall he stated there was no deal for Arteta days before a deal for Arteta materialised. Santi Cazorla’s signing popped up on us out of thin air. Right or wrong, Arsene tends not to conduct his business in the media, and rarely goes into any detail of his plans when quizzed about transfers.

I can understand the frustration. I really can. There are moments I sit behind my desk and ponder to myself whether signing a player is really as complicated as he makes it out to be. Other mangers don’t seem to suffer the same troubles. We’ve been sold a promise of big name additions, and we’d like to see that promise kept. All that I understand completely.

What I consider peculiar is how eager some supporters are to have something to blurt out vitriol toward. As it stands, we have made one signing – a young Frenchman who is as far removed from a marquee acquisition as can be. There is still plenty of time for more. Granted, it does appear that we are dithering to the point of madness, but there’s no need to frantically push the panic button quite yet.

Incidentally, on the subject of dithering; what exactly does Dick Law do? It doesn’t appear to be anything of note. By all accounts he has the negotiating skills of an indecisive herring. And a blind one, to boot. I’ve never even seen the man. Perhaps he’s a myth, an enigma created by the board to make us think there’s an elite man on the case, when in reality he doesn’t exist. Alternatively, he could well be some bimblingly incompetent octogenarian with a gammy hip and a debilitating case of Alzheimer’s:

- “Gonzalo who? Eh? What? Have you got my laundry, Timothy? I want some pudding”

I’m getting off topic. Where was I?  Oh yeah – transfer stuff. Actually, to tell the truth, I’ve stopped writing for a moment, and I’m now dancing about the house to this little gem of a song by Above The Law.

Digressions, digressions.. .

There are still 4 weeks until the season starts. In an ideal world, Arsenal fans would be whipped into a frenzy of expectation by the 3-4 world class players already purchased in plenty of time. As I’m sure you are aware, we do not live in a perfect world. But, we do live in a world where we can be surprised from time to time.

Now’s not the time for rampaging bouts of negativity. Save those for the moment something awful happens and there is little else to do. If, come the close of the transfer window, we haven’t signed a few hot-shots, then it’s probably a good time to go ballistic and smash something up. Okay – not the last part, I don’t especially want to be held responsible for property damage.

Until that occurs, it’s pointless getting all aggressive and blurty. This time of the years is maddening to say the least. Suffocating clouds of bullsh*t block out the few rays of truth out there, and it’s best to avoid the whole thing altogether. It’s better for your health.

I’m still going to keep the faith, even if it’s being tested on a daily basis.

Lastly, I should mention yesterdays friendly (I had forgotten, in all honesty). I watched the game on Arsenal Player, and whilst it was a fairly drab affair, there were a few moments to get excited about. Olivier Giroud, the handsome devil, scored a hat-trick, our forward play looked good, and the cameo from young Gedion Zalalem had even the most respected of website owners saying jarringly inappropriate things:

Okay, Mean. Steady on, sir…

That’s all for today, folks. I hope you’ll take whatever may be rattling around your mind and feverishly scribe those thoughts in the handy comments section below. Do you think we’ll end up with Sanogo and Diaby as the new signings, or does your faith of big incomings remain intact? Let me know.

As always; thanks for reading, you beautiful bastards.

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by | July 7, 2013 · 8:30 am

Arsene’s new contract, and rambling nonsense.

Things could escalate quickly when AKBs met with WOBs…

Morning folks.

I currently have a nasty stomach bug. Like any grown man worth his salt, I intend to use every avenue available to complain about it until I get some sympathy. Soldier on bravely? That’s not the gentleman’s way!

Truth be told; I’m writing this to you a haggard, pale figure far removed from my previously glorious self. If you can image the state you’d be in having left a room in which you’d been forced to watch Gervinho’s miss against Bradford on loop,  suffered repeated blows to the head and refused the sweet relief of sleep for 3 days, then you can picture the sorry sight behind the keyboard at present.

But that’s enough moaning. You good folks come here for nuggets of Arsenal information, and not to be regaled with insipid tales of my personal life. Although, Daniel Cowan and the Goonersphere folks regularly plead with me to include some jarring recollections of my spicier carnal adventures, the vicarious swines… That’s another story entirely.

Moving on.

The main news I’ve come across that isn’t just another regurgitated transfer rumour is reports of Arsene Wenger soon being offered a brand new 3 year contract. I can imagine that revalation will be received two ways:

  1. AKBs the world over will unite in harmonious song, sacrificing their elderly relatives and collectable match-day programmes to ornamental statues of Arsene they’ve made of cheese. They will dance the night away around a campfire, entirely naked and howling at each other. 
  2. WOBs will get so angry,  the phrase “8 years without a trophy” will be spat with such fire and brimstone that anything within a 12 metre radius will crumble to ash. Their general penmanship and grammatical prudence will be affected irrevocably, leaving the only sentence they are able to produce:  ”arsene is da bad man of d arsenal and must be died today or else no trophy for d life of man. die wenga die wenga“

I think my medication might be kicking in a little.

In all seriousness, I’ve always stated I stand firmly between those two ridiculous extremes of opinion. I do not hail Arsene as an infallible apotheosis of modern man, no more than I think he is responsible for every single bad thing that occurs to Arsenal. He is a great, great man who’s accomplishments for Arsenal see his place in the Club’s history rightfully guaranteed.

But he is not beyond reproach, and mistakes have been made on numerous occasions he, and he alone, is responsible for. I believe in Arsene, and I see no better man to lead us forward. With the correct resources at his disposal, he can bring glory to Arsenal. It’s just the occasional bouts of stubbornness and vanity that cloud his judgement. Like all of us; no one is perfect.

If he signs on for a further 3 years, I’ll be delighted. Our policies in the transfer market look top be changing for the better, and things look brighter than they have for a while during this time of year.

And with that babble out of the way, I’ll end matters here. Seriously – what the f**k am I talking about today?  I think it’s best if I hand things over to you, the wonderful peruser:

Do you want Arsene Wenger to sign a new contract?

Let me know your thoughts on the matter in the splendidly placed comments section. And be civil; I don’t want to mediate a full-blown AKB vs WOB skirmish. There’s too much naughty language in those for my liking. I’m a very sensitive individual.

As always; thanks for reading, you beautiful bastards.

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by | June 13, 2013 · 9:00 am

Fellaini for £23m, Spectacularly over-rated keeper and Uzbekistan’s finest.

“£23 million, you say…”

Morning, folks.

Today represents something of an oddity; there are quite a few stories to talk about. Granted – they’re not exactly dripping with truth, and set in tablets of stone, but I’ll take what I can get.

First up is Everton’s Belgian enforcer, Marouane Fellaini. He of the ridiculous hair has been qouted as saying he wants to move to London. Well, I say “quoted”, the article istself contains nothing in the way of actual words attributed to the player, just a concoction alleged to have come from “close friends”, which is pretty much admission of bullshit.

I think it’s a safe bet to say Arsenal are interested. The problem seems to be meeting his £23m release cause, as our parsimonious manager isn’t quite sure wether it represents value for money. In a world where Andy Carroll can move for £35m, I’d say it certainly does.

Fellaini is an excellent player. He’s tough, good on the ball, and has the positional discipline we often lack in midfield – especially when Arteta’s not there. He’d be a blinding signing for us, and at 25-years-old he has plenty of time left to improve further. Taking the step up to a club playing Champions League football is the next obvious step in his career. If Arsenal and Arsene Wenger continue to dilly-dally regarding the price, someone else is going to beat us to him. I sincerely hope that doesn’t happen. We lost out on Juan Mata in similar circumstances.

As much as I hope for that to materialise, the polar opposite applies to Julio Cesar. I see nothing more than a good shot stopper capable of horrendous blunders when I watch the Brazilian play. Securing the services of an experienced keeper to keep Szczsney on his toes is certainly a good idea, and will improve the balance of the squad. There are far better options out there than Cesar. I’d go as far as saying I’d prefer we brought Eboue back to play in goal.

Lastly today, we have Odil Ahemdov, an Uzbekistan midfielder who plays for Anzhi Makakakkakakakalllakkakak (that’s right, isn’t it?).  If I’m not mistaken, this is a player we were supposedly interested in last summer, and his obscurity caused great uproar amongst fans.

It would appear those rumours have resurfaced, and Arsenal have retained their interest throughout the past year with regular scouting trips to watch him play.

Sometimes I read through certain websites around the Goonersphere whenever a player like this crops up, and there is always someone who claims to be an expert. They’ll say things like, “He’s a combative player with two good feet who plays well under pressure”  and invariably my first instinct is to think to myself, “Come on, you’re just making that up. You’ve never heard of him”.

I’m an honest kind of fellow; I wouldn’t know who he was if he burst through my window as I’m typing and urinated on my cat. To me, he is nothing more than a few videos on YouTube, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad player, or a signing that lacks ambition. For all we know, he’s another undiscovered gem found by Arsene Wenger. If he does sign, then he deserves that benefit of the doubt. How many of us can claim to have known that much about Santi Cazorla before he came to England?

As silly-season plods along, I find myself getting increasingly exasperated with all the spurious fluff floating around. How I long to be able to discuss football stories that have some weight and relevance. Arsenal will make signings over the summer, of that I have no doubt. Perhaps they will even be surprising and welcome. Until then, it’s all aboard the speculation express.

Buckle up.

That’s all for today, folks. The comments are waiting below as they always are. Use the to empty your thoughts and hopes regarding player ecruitment. I shall endeavour to reply to a few.

As always; thanks for reading, you beautiful bastards.

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by | May 15, 2013 · 9:03 am

Arsenal 4-1 Wigan: One down, one to go. Champions League here we come (hopefully…).

Shoddy marking for the first goal, or ‘Escape from Alcaraz’…

Morning folks.

It’s been a funny old week, hasn’t it. Managers have left on the back of a good run of success, players have revolted, relegated teams go down with an FA Cup victory, and 2013/2014 Premier League betting odds have fluctuated on a daily basis accordingly. It seems no one has the faintest idea what to expect from the beautiful game anymore.

And us Gooners are especially used to such unpredictability. Before kick-off, taking into account the importance of a win, I was a quivering, nervous wreck. Thoughts of terrible defensive blunders and soul-destroying late concessions swirled about my mind and refused to make way for pleasant thoughts.

When the team took to the field, however, all that changed. You could see they where fired up and knew exactly what they had to do. Our passing was crisp and accurate, runs had direction and purpose and even Tomas Rosicky was darting about making interceptions like a diminutive, caucasian Patrick Vieira.

Oddly enough, as soon as we took the lead thanks to one of Wigan’s characteristic defensive lapses, the moments of concern came flooding back. There is something dangerously unsafe about Arsenal leading 1-0. The majority of the first half saw us dominate possession without creating a clear-cut opening.

And then first half stoppage time the inevitable happened. Mike Dean being Mike Dean saw fit to award a free kick for the most innocuous of challenges, and Shaun Malnoney duly dispatched the free kick into the net. I peppered the air with obscenities. You had to admire the quality of the goal, but the timing couldn’t have been worse.

Wigan began the second half brightly, and were denied early on courtesy of a brilliant stop from Szczsney. His contribution to the cause since his return shouldn’t go unmentioned. On several occasions he’s produced vital stops at hugely important moments in games.

The real hero of the night was Santi Cazorla. As we pressed on for a win, he was involed in everything good about our approach play, and contributed directly to all 4 goals. In the eight minute spell where victory as achieved, the little Spanish magician was everywhere; probing, conniving and prompting attacks.

Image courtesy of www.squawka.com

His cross for Theo’s goal was inch perfect and quite brilliant, and once we took the lead again there was no coming back for Wigan. Having exerted so much to win the FA Cup on Saturday, that moment knocked the wind from their sails, and enabled Podolski and Ramsey to make the game safe, condemning our opponents to the dreaded drop.

It’s a bit of a shame to see Wigan leave. Roberto Martinez sets his teams up intelligently and to play football the right way. Yet football is a cruel mistress, and all the pretty passing counts for nothing if the results don’t come your way. Wigan simply haven’t been good enough.

Speaking after the game, Arsene Wenger seemed to agree:

“You want to congratulate Wigan and you feel sorry for them, because with the quality of football they play it is sad that they go down.

“Wigan are a good footballing side with intelligent players and it is difficult to understand, but that is the harsh truth of the game.”

So folks, we are half the way there. We have one victory, all we need is another at Newcastle on Sunday. It’s a win that will be entirely necessary as I can only see Spurs beating a now-safe Sunderland. Scoring a few goals has helped our chances of aquiring 3rd – which we will get if Chelsea fail to beat Everton, and we win by a margin of 2 goals or more.

It all boils down to one period of 90 minutes against a team we should be able to beat. It’s not going to be comfortable – it never is – but as long as we have our destiny firmly clasped between our hands we have the initiative going forward. A win is all we need. Let’s head up north and get one. I’m confident we’ll do exactly that, Arsenal betting reflects that our chances are certainly favourable. Until the nerves kick in again, that is…

That’s all for today. The comments await your thoughts on the game – who was your MOTM? Are you confident of beating Newcastle? Let me know.

As always; thanks for reading, you beautiful bastards.

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by | May 11, 2013 · 9:00 am

Rooney and Draxler: definitely, maybe…

Arsenal fans could only dream of a Rooney & Bendtner strike force.

Morning lovelies.

If you’re into speculative stories, then the current pieces doing the rounds regarding Wayne Rooney will have caught your eye. Everyone’s favourite portly centre-foward has made it clear he wishes to leave United, and such news has put all the big guns on high alert. Chelsea, Bayern Munich and PSG have already – allegedly – made it be known they’re interested. Sports betting sites have radically dropped the odds of him beginning next season in a different strip.

Of course, such startling revelations inevitably bring the question, “should Arsenal be in there bidding?”. As far as I’m concerned, absolutely not. No way. Not in a month of Sunday’s. No sir. What a bloody awful idea.

Wayne Rooney is arguably the most sensationally over-rated footballer of all time. Granted, he does have a degree of enthusiasm and some skill, but on the whole isn’t even remotely as capable as he’s often made out to be. Add to that his temperament, obscene wages and his penchant for ageing ladies of ill-repute, and you’ve got yourself a thoroughly idiotic signing in the making. As you may have gathered, I’m not at all keen on the idea.

But that’s all just supporter talk. One rumour than may have had some truth to it was the one linking us with a move for Schalke’s highly-rated teenager, Julian Draxler. He’s exactly what you’d expect from an Arsenal signing; young, filled with potential and not especially well known. However, just as that story started to gather a head of steam, it’s quickly been banished to the vaults of hogwash since Draxler has signed a new deal with the German club. Since that’s occured, any chance of a deal being done has dropped drastically, and these chances are reflected on many sports betting sites.

In more substantial news, Arsene Wenger has added his name to the many high-profile figures taking a moment to reflect on the whiskey-soaked career of Alex Ferguson. Speaking of his once fierce rival and enemy, the Boss said:

“I would just like to pay tribute to an unbelievable achievement and a fantastic career.

“Basically the achievement is immaculate, when you look at the whole structure and consistency of the achievement. It is, of course, something exceptional.

“It is difficult to imagine English football without him, but it’s now a reality and a fact.

That’s all very nice and respectful, and I wouldn’t dispute the truth of it for a second. But all the drooling sycophancy has grown tiresome. Ferguson has retired. He’s off to a nice retirement home in Scotland where he’ll enjoy tea and biscuits and never bother us again. It should be put to bed once and for all, but instead we’re going to have to endure the likes of Clive Tyldesley bleating endlessly about it whenever the opportunity arises.

It won’t stop. David Moyes won’t be able to pass wind without the smell being compared to that of his predecessor. Throughout the final few games of this season, and the next in its entirety, I am absolutely certain even the most extraneous of occurrence will be linked back to the pickled Scotsman. He’ll not really be all that missed by the majority of English football fans, so please; spare us the platitudes and the love-in, and let the man fade into obscurity. An obscurity that has 7 minutes of added time and a favourable referee.

And that will be about all I have for you today, folks. I would mention the FA Cup final taking place today, I would mention the razzmatazz and spectacle associated with the greatest cup competition in world football, but Arsenal aren’t involved and I, quite frankly, couldn’t care less.

All that remains is for me to point you towards the comments section below and hope you’ll use them to share some of your opinions. What are your thoughts about a Rooney transfer? Are you disappointed it appears we have missed out on Draxler? Have you become sick to death with all the Fergie ramblings? Let me know.

As always; thanks for reading, you beautiful bastards.

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by | May 6, 2013 · 11:58 am

The race for 4th and Arsene’s pleasure with a challenge.

No trophies, no prestige; still plenty to play for…

Greetings blog perusers.

Wednesday’s Chelsea-Spurs fixture has taken on a horrible connotation. Ordinarily, I’d view that fixture as something that requires avoiding, but I’m going to be glued to the screen come kick-off time. Worst of all, a Chelsea victory is what I’m hoping for. Make no mistake, folks; if Spurs come out with 3 points, our chances of securing Champions League football take a dramatic nose dive.

In fact, if Spurs win I might just take up blogging about the NHL and offer you available 2013 hockey betting odds instead of the football equivalent. As it happens I did follow Hockey at one point in my life – thanks primarily to the EA games on the Megadrive. Jeremy Roenick, Sergei Federov… Those were the glory days of computer gaming.

I feel dirty all over. Any self respecting football fan whose allegiances lie away from Stamford Bridge shouldn’t ever have to say the words, ‘hope’, ‘Chelsea’ and ‘win’ in the same sentence. Wanting Chelsea to have any sort of good fortune is like hoping your mother makes a smooth transition into working as a prostitute. It’s unthinkable, appalling and just plain old wrong.

But that’s the position we find ourselves in. One or two blunders in the previous 36 games have led up to this point, and we find ourselves temporarily with our future in the hands of the most feculent. You could look back over plenty of games and state, “If only we’d done that” or “We should have won that” but such things are pointless. We are where we are.

The tension is becoming almost unbearable. I consider myself a calm, serene type of fellow, yet in recent weeks Arsenal have caused me to regularly pepper the air with obscenities, feel certain my heart was going to explode, and find my first grey hairs coming through. Only someone totally perverse would enjoy the constant drama and stress, right? Well, I do. It’s far better to be competing for something than nothing at all.

Arsene Wenger himself agrees:

“It’s very tight and it’s down to the team who makes no mistake,” he said. “But I love it because it’s a lot of tension and very exciting. It’s demanding as well, because it’s not easy.

“We definitely have momentum, if you look at the points we have made compared to two months ago. We are going for it.

“Away from home recently, we’ve won everywhere – at Fulham, at Sunderland, at Swansea and at QPR. It was a derby which was difficult to win.”

We have momentum, and we have a good run or results. What we lack is form. At this stage of the season, it would be foolish to expect cavalier football and scintillating displays amidst great pressure, and if we carve out 2 more sloppy 1-0 victories to finish the season, I’ll be very happy.

That said, it would be nice to be able to feel comfortable with the outcome of a match. But that, my friends, is the caveat of being a Gooner: nothing is ever certain. Even at 4-0 up or 4-0 down, you can never know what’s going to happen. There’s a lot that’s going to occur in the next two weeks we can’t predict. I expect everything to come down to the fortunes of all involved on the final day of the season.

Until everything is over, we can only cross our fingers and buckle-in for the ride. It’s sure to be a bumpy one, but there’s every chance we’ll arrive at our preferred destination smiling.

That’s all for today, folks. Leave me a comment below; how do you see the results panning out? Are you confident of securing at least 4th? Let me know what you think.

As always; thanks for reading, you beautiful bastards.

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