So a nice comfy 3-1 against Plymouth, a team known as ‘The Pilgrims’ and not, as one irate ‘Pilgrim’ pointed out to us yesterday, as ‘The Posh’. Peterborough United are ‘The Posh’. Barry Fry, trains to the North and that sort of thing. Not very ‘posh’ at all, so you can see why we were a bit confused. It’s sometimes difficult to keep on top of the nicknames of *so-called lesser* clubs especially when their names aren’t so good for rhyming headlines, so we’re deeply sorry for any difficulties which may have been caused.
Our performance was characterised by skipper for the day Van Persie trying his oranje balls off, scoring 2 and brilliantly making another. Gallas must have been overjoyed to see Van Persie wearing the armband. Wenger made a good point that when Van Persie arrived you wouldn’t have immediately guessed that he was a future captain. Scrawny arrogance with a brill-cream quiff and some unsavoury headlines – all in the past, eh?
We also saw Bendtner being crap, Eboue revelling in his free role and Nasri pulling some pretty slick strings as he cut inside in the second half. This has got the inevitable “Can he replace Cesc?” whispers going. Maybe, and yes he did play centrally for Marseille and France. The thing is we then have absolutely nobody to play on the wing which is what we lacked so much before Cesc got injured. So yes Nasri in CM is definitely an option, but it would need to be accompanied by one or two signings for the wings.
There was also our stubborn refusal to defend, fast becoming a jaw-droppingly painful aspect of the season. Plymouth launched a rare attack straight after our second goal. Our back-four had a brief meeting and took the extraordinarily bold decision not to bother defending the goal at all, preferring a revolutionary new conception of the role of a ‘defender’ as a man who stands in the space traditionally occupied by so-called ‘defenders’ and wears all of the kit necessary to carry out defensive work but in fact fails to do any of it.
I saw the minutes of the meeting. They said “we the undersigned declare that during this next bit of pressure, when Plymouth are likely to attack more forcefully than at any other stage in the game, we will neither tackle, nor mark, nor block, nor make any movement to impede opposition attempts to score which might reasonably be construed as constituting defending. Signed, Messrs Gibbs, Gallas, Djourou, Sagna.”
As a response to enemy aggression, it’s not even appeasement or diplomacy – it’s just sordid, inexplicable slothfulness. I’ve had enough of it and I suspect I’m not alone. Please defend.
While we’re on the defence, I notice that not a single Gooner has batted an eyelid at Silvestre’s 3-week lay-off. Well, I’d like to be the first. I’m not that upset, but it’s a bit annoying purely in terms of squad numbers. So Mickael, this bat is for you, son.
The News of the World is a silly organisation, isn’t it? If you didn’t know anything about it you might see the title and think “Wow, that’s good! News! From the World! I must purchase this informative gazette and peruse it at my leisure!”
If you did that today you’d be in for rather a nasty shock. Far from reporting world events by, say, detailing Israeli military aggression towards the civilian population of Gaza, this so-called “newspaper” is instead concerned with peddling heinous untruths about Arsenal Football Club and apparently celebrating the very existence of the human mammary gland.
They claim we’re signing Steven Ireland! I wouldn’t mind, but you just know it’s cock-rot don’t you? They then claim that Theo is desperately unhappy with not having a new contract. Pish. They quote “a source close to Walcott”. Here’s a World Exclusive: “a source close to [insert professional footballer's name here]” is nearly always actually “a man sitting next to the hopeless tabloid hack in his crumby office”. Don’t believe a word.
Similarly, don’t believe a word of the Daily Heil, who carry the bizarre claim that Arsene is in a massive tizzy with the board because they won’t put up the cash for Arshavin and that he’s off to Real Madrid. Arsene denied all this roughly one day ago. Maybe they got a bit confused?
UPDATE: 4th ROUND DRAW: We’ve got Cardiff away. Which is fine to be honest. Certainly preferable to Tiny Totts, who are going to Old Trafford. Point and laugh. No end in sight for their major trophy drought.
Tags: Back Four Ceasefire, News of the World, Peterborough, Plymouth, Robin van Persie, Samir Nasri
January 4th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Arsenal owners are only needs toget aprofit but they don’t want to spend the is that more peaple are shared the club if they would one,two or three it could be nice just like livep’l and chelsea so that i think the boss and the key player will move soon rather than later becouse they need to be succesive
January 4th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Abdiwahab….please don’t take this the wrong way as I’m sure you’re doing your very best.
I mean, if it were just the spelling I wouldn’t bother posting – but I’m afraid I can’t understand a fucking word of what you’ve oh so casually passed off as an English sentence? Paragraph?
Do you know any translators?
January 4th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
That Stephen Ireland… he’s so hot right now…
Yeah it would be great it it were true, but I doubt City would want to part with their best player. It’s not like they need the cash.
January 4th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Ireland would be good , what about moving nasri in the middle and going for stuart downing on the wing.or just hold out to the summer with ramsy and go all out for yaya Toure. I here Westham want bentner -NOW! that would make my season selling that utter useless sack of shit .i really dont want toure to go just play him with JD and drop gallas but if we have a chance to get ireland then lets do but i think its the mad media making shit again
up the gunners!
January 4th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Agreed with first poster, we are a mess right now.
And yes, our ‘defense’ is appalling.
Wenger must sell and bring in, the squad is in disarray, the players don’t like each other and are ineffective as a team.
When is management going to wake up? When a top four spot is long gone as the title now surely is.
January 4th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Stewart Downing is NOT good enough to play for Arsenal FC. That is all.
January 5th, 2009 at 12:04 am
Great article. Nasri will surely be the key to pull the string from the midfield in the second half of the season. The football world now know that in England, media and the officiating are cruel to Arsenal, reason best known to media and co.
January 5th, 2009 at 2:03 am
I am a lifetime arsenal supporter who reads your blog often and am insulted in your inclusion of so called military aggression on civilian populations.
Hamas attacked Israel for three years with over 4000 missiles on only civilian targets. They call for Israels destruction and also world Islamic Caliphate.
Would you stand back if Scotland was firing missiles into England for years while denying its existence?
Israel has targeted Hamas compounds and those involved in building arms, training terrorists etc. Hamas are the ones firing missiles on civilian targets in Israel from civilian targets in Gaza.
Civilians are killed and that is not a good thing but they should stop hiding behind them. Using Hospitals, schools, and mosques as military installations.
BTW Israel has continued to send supplies into Gaza while taking wounded civilians to Israeli hospitals to treat them which are under fire from Gaza. No other country in the world would supply its enemy at a time of war.
January 5th, 2009 at 2:55 am
‘Offensive’ needs to chill out! Is he being serious? Who gives a f*ck about Gaza, I’m worried about Arsenal…
And also, Abdiwahab, your post makes absolutely no sense whatsoever! Bloody hilarious though, seriously, if anyones reading this, please re-read the first post. Diamond!
January 5th, 2009 at 6:30 am
Man City won’t part with their best player. Yet if Arsene manages somewhat to lure hime out of Mancity , it would be a huge signning. He is like Flamini, covers all the grasses in the field, a hard working gem. LEt go toure and bring in a defender and Ireland.
………………………………………But it is Arsene who has the last call…………………………………………
January 5th, 2009 at 6:41 am
Offensive just got his knickers in a proper twist, didn’t he? I hope the original post wasn’t edited because I can’t see any reference to Israel anywhere in it. Please don’t give in to this kind of intimidation.
Just to make sure the other point of view is represented:
Hamas actually fired 8,500 missiles over the last 8 years and killed 20 Israeli civilians. In the last 3 years since Israel pulled out of Gaza and started its blockade, up to the start of the current offensive, Israel has killed over 1,300 Palestinians in military attacks. Around a third of these are policemen and civilians.
And that’s ignoring 41 years of illegal occupation. And the illegal blockade that has wiped out the Gazan economy. And the fact that the food going in is UN aid that the international community had to pressure Israel to allow – not, as offensive states, Israeli aid.
I know, I know, an Arsenal blog is not a place for this kind of discussion, and I should leave it, but sometimes you have to do the right thing.
January 5th, 2009 at 9:39 am
arsene enger is a man of calibre,why dont you guys stop pressurising him.we the fans should rather pressurise d board,who onlyn find joy in smiling to their banks,without a major trophy for the past nyears its a shame on them,samir nasri,hmmmgreat layer,walcott,i dont think nwenger would want to lose this talent at an early stage,ireland,im loath that guy
January 5th, 2009 at 10:47 am
I’ve no problems in theory with trying Nasri centrally but it would surely only increase the need for a more imposing partner, or force us into 4-5-1.
We’re lightweight in midfield already!
January 5th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Little merit in the Ireland story unless the unhappy Toure was included in swap. Downing has been getting rave reviews this year-not sure whether he’d make it as a Gunner, but Wenger would get best out of him-I like the fact he wants out of Boro,citing their lack of success as the reason-and English too.Too much poison at the Reds this yearand I for one cannot believe Wenger is sat there taking it all-it’s unlike him to take so much shit,unless he knows his mate Dein will be back soon. Like it or not I think Usmanov is making moves in April when the lock out ends.
January 8th, 2009 at 11:40 am
ps Abdiwahab post hilarious,no disrespect intended. Really brightened my day. Re israelis in Gaza-any time UK govmn’t does not openly back US opinion on the matter,and the US are so pro Israel on thie one especially as the hardware used is manufactured in US, you know the whole thing stinks-and it was allso set piece as well with war correspondents & phographers in the right place at the right time to get those Telegraph front page shots etc. it’s unjustified, bollocks with an agenda