Tag Archives: Arsenal

Finish 7th in the league or win the FA Cup? There is only one correct answer…

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Tuesday’s defeat was predictable.

From the highs of Manchester City, it was always going to be tough to get the lads back up for another big game.

Arsenal looked like a team that was mentally and physically drained.

It is interesting that of the 4 FA Cup semi-finalists, just one side won – Manchester City.

Arsenal lost away to Aston Villa, Chelsea away to Liverpool and Manchester United drew at home to West Ham.

Looking specifically at Aston Villa, they last played last Thursday, so had 4 clear days between their draw against Everton and the match against Arsenal.

Arsenal meanwhile played that FA Cup semi-final Saturday evening, leaving just 2 days recovery between the two games.

Tuesday was Arsenal’s 11th game in 35 days.

Due to the postponed fixture against Manchester City prior to the suspension of football, and Arsenal’s success in the FA Cup, only Man City have played the same amount of games as Arsenal during that period.

Manchester United and Chelsea have both played 1 less game. Whilst every other team has played 2-3 games last. That is the difference between playing once every 3 days and once every 4 days.

People might say “they are professional athletes, they should be able to play every 3 days”. And you are right. But only right if playing every 3 days is over a short period – not over a 5 week period.

The body takes a while to recover from physical activity. Anyone that has ever been to the gym for the first time in a while we know that for the next few days your body is wrecked. You might not be able to lift your arms over the hand.

Of course, professional athletes will recover a lot quicker. But that does not mean they will recover to 100%.

Lets say they played the first game at 100%. With a short time between games, they had only recovered to 95%. By the 3rd game it was 90% and so on. Eventually the cumulative fatigue of playing every 3 days catches up with you. Mental fatigue is also a huge factor.

So Arsenal now have no chance of top 7. Qualification of Europe through the league. The FA Cup is now more important than the weekends game against Watford.

Following a cool down session tomorrow, the club should send the majority of the first team squad away for 2 or 3 days. To turn off physically and mentally.

Other than those who not physiotherapy, senior players should not be seen at London Colney today, Friday or Saturday. They should return on Sunday for a light training session before preparation for the FA Cup Finals.

Against Watford, play Cedric, play Sokratis, play Dan Ballard, Joe Willock, Lucas Torreira, Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah. Those players who have not played much recently.

Give Matt Macey a run out, Matt Smith. It might be worthwhile give Bukayo Saka a run out. The teenager has not played much recently. Was Tuesday poor performance due to fatigue or a lack of sharpness?

If we win the FA Cup, no one will really remember us finishing 10th in the league.

Ultimately there is little difference between being 10th in the league – 43 points off top, and 6th, 37 points off top. You are still a long way off of top.

Winning the FA Cup will be another trophy in the bag. Our 4th FA Cup in 6 years. Give me trophies over league position other than 1st any day of the week.

OK, so Spurs have finished above us for the 4th time in a row. There fans are celebrating. Bloggers are trying to come up with names for their own St Totteringham’s Day.

4 in a row, fair play to them. But they have some way to go for 21 in a row.

In the last 29 years, Spurs have finished above Arsenal 6 times. Each time they finished above Arsenal, Arsenal made a final:

1993: FA Cup & League Cup
1995: ECWC
2017: FA Cup
2018: League Cup
2019: Europa League
2020: FA Cup

In 1993 and 2019, Tottenham finished less than 3 points ahead of Arsenal. Had we not rested played for club finals, it is likely we would have finished above them.

Likewise this season, with the 3 extra games we have played than Spurs, chances are we would have finished above Spurs.

The defeat against Brighton came a couple of days after the opening game post-suspension against Manchester City.

Brighton had been able to concentrate since the return on Arsenal. Arsenal were distracted.

Likewise the game against Villa. Arsenal would have likely won had they not been in the FA Cup semi-final.

Competing in the FA Cup often does affect league form, and vice versa. It is tough to be competitive in both, which is highlighted by just how few teams win the double.

Especially as the season turns to March, games come thick and fast. It is hard to get the team ready for a game every 3 days. Eventually the fatigue will hit and you will fall away in one or two competitions.

This season is actually similar to last.

We sacrificed a top 4 finish last season resting players for the Europe League final against Chelsea. The result was Arsenal just missed out on top 4, and lost the Europa League final.

This season we have sacrificed a top 7 finish resting players for the FA Cup. We play Chelsea in the final. The result is Arsenal have just missed out on top 7. Hopefully this time round we lift the trophy, which clinches our place in Europe and potentially leaves Tottenham with nothing (if they finish 7th).

So let’s play the youth against Watford. Concentrate on the FA Cup. And create a memory.

Keenos

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory

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The seat coverings at Wembley summed it up.

Arsenal covered their 13 sections with a nod to each of the 13 FA Cup wins we have had.

Manchester City had something about a Blue Moon – is this the newest book in the Twilight Saga?

With 13 league titles, 13 FA Cups, 2 League Cups and 2 European trophies, The Arsenal are the 3rd most successful side in English football history. We are serial winners.

Winning mentality runs through the club, and that is highlighted over the last decade.

In the last 10 seasons,there has been little between Arsenal and Tottenham when it comes to the league.

Arsenal have finished higher 5 times out of the 9 completed seasons. Spurs 4 times (with the chance to make it 5-all this season).

During that period, Arsenal’s average league position has been 4th. Tottenham also 4th (or 4.1 to be exact).

Arsenal have finished top 4 six out of nine seasons. Tottenham 5 times

Both sides have finished 2nd.

There really is not much to split the two sides when it comes to a decade of league performances.

This is a period when Spurs have been excellent. A generational team. Their been side since the 60s. Whilst Arsenal have been in decline. A club in crisis.

What splits the teams, and highlights the difference between Arsenal’s winning and Tottenham’s losing mentality is trophies.

In the last decade, Arsenal have won 3 FA Cups. Tottenham trophyless.

You have to go back to 1991 to capture the period for Tottenham’s last 3 trophies (1 FA Cup, 2 League Cups); and back to 1981 for their last 3 FA Cup wins.

The 2020 FA Cup will be Arsenal’s 7th final in the past decade. Tottenham have played in just 2.

Scrolling through history, it is once again back to 1991 to capture Tottenham’s last 7 finals.

Mikel Arteta has been at the club for 7 months and already taken Arsenal to an FA Cup Final.

Tottenham’s last final was 1991. Since that victory under Terry Venables, Tottenham have got through 21 different managers.

Arsenal have lost few finals in recent years – last seasons Europa League defeat to Chelsea and a thrashing by Manchester City in the League Cup. Also that disappointing defeat to Birmingham in the League Cup which now feels a life time away.

Even with these defeats, at least we were there, in the final, competing for trophies.

This will be Arsenal fans 5th trip to Wembley for a final in 7 years, and 7th final in 10 years. Each one of those finals, win or lose, creates everlasting memories.

At times over the last decade, it has been tough to follow The Arsenal up and down the country. But that is because of the success that went before during the 90s and 00s.

But even in our worst periods, we make finals, we win trophies.

And on August 1st we have a chance of a 14th FA Cup. A 5th trophy in 10 years. Another glory day.

My eyes have seen the glory.

Keenos

Racism is unacceptable at The Arsenal – and those that defend racist comments are complicit

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So yesterday was an interesting one on Arsenal Twitter.

Throughout the lock down, AFTV have been hosting a “watchalong”. It is an odd concept where people can watch them watching football. Not my cup of tea but seems to be enjoyed by some.

In the 90th minute, when Tottenham’s Son Heung-min was being substituted, Claude uttered “DVD going off”.

Now for those who are too young, or not from London, DVD is a racial slur used against those from China, Korea and the far east.

It derives North and East London where  illegal DVD sellers would be selling their stock in high streets and pubs. They always carried plastic bags of DVDs, some films that were not even out in the UK. They were predominantly Chinese.

There grasp of the English language was limited. Mainly only capable of saying “DVD, DVD”. If you asked the quality, the response would always be the same: “Good quality, good DVD”.

If you asked “what else do you have” they would bring out a second bag, filled with porn. Literally if it exists, they had porn of it.

The sellers were actually embroiled in modern slavery.

They had been trafficked here for a better life from China. Had their passports taken off them and had to “earn” them back by selling illegal goods or working in prostitution I(for the women).

The “tax” of coming across was so high that very few would ever actually earn their freedom, and most would end up as a victim of modern slavery for a long period.

These illegal DVD sellers were all over North and East London. From Tottenham to Leyton, Walthamstow to Hackney. In the 00s you could not sit in a pub without one of them coming in trying to sell you a DVD.

This lead to people of Chinese origin being labelled “DVD”. A Chinese person would walk past and someone would utter “DVD”. This then extended to other people from the far east. People that “looked Chinese” but would be from Korea or elsewhere.

During the mid-00s, Park Ji-sung was staring for Manchester United. This led to man fans labelling him “DVD”. Shouting it at him when he came to the touchline. When he was substituted. It was casual racism.

Looking back on it, it was odd. You would not shout a racial slur at a black player, on an Asian. But it was deemed OK to scream it at a Chinese person.

The fact that I have used the racial slur numerous times in this blog but not mentioned any of the black or Asian slurs (N-word, P-word) shows that, on some level, it is still not considered “as bad”.

I will be completely open and honest, I used it. When on forums, I would not write “Park” but DVD. Everyone knew what I meant. Everyone did the same. I shouted out it from the stands. Looking back on it, it was odd. It was accepted and no one would ever pull you up on it. Not like they would if you used the N-word or P-word.

When Son arrived at Spurs, like Park many labelled him “DVD”.

Last year, a West Ham United fan was been fined after pleading guilty to a racially aggravated offence at a Carabao Cup game against Tottenham Hotspur at the London Stadium in October. He had called Son “DVD”. This was not an isolated case

This sort of racism towards those from China / Korea does not receive the kind of publicity that the racial abuse of those from a black or Asian origin gets. It is the same with people that still label those from an Irish background “pikey”. Listen to Tyson Fury on the subject.

Many call it “casual racism”. I do not actually like the term “casual racism”. It is just racism.

Many of those defending AFTV do some from a lack of knowledge. They do not realise that labelling Son “DVD” is a racial slur.

AFTV attempted to dupe everyone by saying that Claude was actually saying “Spurs will bring out a DVD after this victory”. It was clearly a lie and the fact the they have now deleted this video shows they know from the beginning it was wrong. It just took sponsors to pull their money to make them take a step back.

The attempted to defend Claude is what was most disappointing in this episode.

Claude aimed a racist slur at Son, he should have been a man and apologised. Instead they concocted an elaborate lie and came out aggressively supporting him.

Let’s remember that after Everton, Robbie went out of his way to label those who criticise AFTV as “racist thugs” and that they should “not be welcome at games”. There was zero evidence of racism.

He also sold a story to The Sun saying he was never able to take his father to Arsenal due to racism. Again, a claim which had zero evidence.

And recently he fronted a TV documentary discussing racism in football. One of the contributors was Cass Pennant.

At the time he was called out on have convicted football hooligan Pennant on the show. It was only weeks after he said “thugs had no place in the game”, yet he was happy to interview Pennant. Maybe Pennant was just his kind of thug?

AFTV have a history of brushing racism and xenophobia under the carpet.

Some of their comments include:

  • Troopz questioning Granit Xhaka’s heritage saying he could not be Albanian because he had no heart
  • Lee Gunner labelling Xhaka “Failbanian”
  • Claude nicknaming Mohamed Elneny “Tutankhamun”
  • “Yardman” abusing Stan Kroenke and Raul Sanlleh based on their nationality

And this is without taking into account the comments from “Mr DT” & “Lee Gunner”; both of whom have abused people from Turkey, India and Thailand previously.

Chuck in the homophobia and transphobia and it is clear and obvious that these people are of bad character. And Robbie turns a blind eye because they earn him a lot of money.

If AFTV really wanted to take a stand against racism, they would have acted yesterday correctly. They would have acted previously when they “stars” have racially abused players previously. They would have silenced the xenophobes that they put front and centre.

Instead they accept the racist, xenophobic, homophobic and transphobic abuse.

The fact that yesterdays “setting the record straight” video contained 14 adverts shows they have one interest and one interest only. Making money. AFTV monetise racism.

The Claude incident is the tip of an iceberg on a concept designed to spread hate to make money.

AFTV do not represent Arsenal fans.

Racism is unacceptable at The Arsenal – and those that defend racist comments are complicit

It is time to end them.

https://twitter.com/LeeGunner82/status/1178792591606845441

Keenos