Tag Archives: Premier League

Easy Against Hull With Real Tests Coming Up

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Well do we finally have a back up striker again in the mould of Nick Bendtner?

I am far from this mans biggest fan, and when I say far just think of how huge the gap between us and Spurs is right now, that’s the kind of chasm of my dislike for this man, but all things considered he did put a shift in last night.
He won headers, and laid balls off and scored his goal. I still don’t want him to stay past January but I’m happy he came into the side and did a semi decent job.

 Overall the game was another good performance from us, we did enough without ever moving out of 2nd gear really. We made some changes to give a few players some rest, Jenkinson came in and didn’t make a mistake, Monreal is a trusted replacement at left back and of course Bendtner in for Giroud.

I’m glad Ozil scored as every time he does it will push him on a bit more, give him a bit more confidence to try some new things for us. There is still a lot to come from him. Pundits always say it’s the sign of champions when you tick along winning these games without really having to push yourselves, this game optimised that saying.

 On the way back from the game last night me and my step-dad were talking about the games now in front of us. Barring the Liverpool, Dortmund and United games this is the hardest period of our season so far. Everton at home, City away and then Chelsea at home. A minimum of 5 points from these games is the very least we should be expecting really. To win at home against Everton and draw against Chelsea and City would mean they don’t gain anything on us. Two wins would be nice but is then there a chance we could lose the 3rd game? If given the choice you had to take 2 wins and a loss who would you choose to have the loss against? I would choose City as its vital to win all your homes games.

My opinion is we will slip up at City, but I would expect us to do well and win at home against Everton and Chelsea. Its an exciting period and I cant wait for it. The end of the month brings West Ham and Newcastle, again I would expect us to beat West Ham but Newcastle have the ability to upset us, they have done before and could do again. If by the end of December we are still top with some points in the gap to second then we must start to believe, still not sure I want to hear that fatal song though, “We’re gonna win the league and now your gonna believe us”

 Show your support Sunday, I’ve offered my services to red action to help with the flag to drag it around the North Bank and onto the East Stand. If it moves over you help us by grabbing the ends tight.

 Up The Arsenal

Have Arsenal fans inadvertently become grasses?

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We have all been there, at an away game, in the concourse, having a sing and a dance, having a laugh, drinking a beer. Or outside (or in) a pub after a home game, singing our hearts out, playing football (outside of the pins) and enjoying the victory. Or away in Europe, taking over a square in a foreign land, beer in hand, having a sing song.

Next time you are in this situation, look around you. Notice those on the age of the masses. Standing there, not really singing, arm in the air, mobile phone in hand. They are recording you. With the plan to put their recordings on YouTube and Facebook, hoping one of their video go’s viral.

It is a problem that is throughout football. Fans recording other fans. It might seem innocent, those recording certainly do not plan any harm, but there video’s, when going online, entering the public domain, could cause all sorts of trouble.

In the concourses before away games, or the pubs or squares throughout England and Europe, a lot of songs are sung. Some are harmless. Others are a bit naughty. We act the fool. Getting drunk. Riding high on adrenaline and booze. Our morals certainly are reduced.

During the day of a game, you pass under 100’s of CCTV camera’s. On the trains going to the games. Worn by police officers in the pubs before. In the stadium itself. And more recently, body cams on stewards. It seems everyone is trying to achieve one thing. Catch a fan doing something which they should not, so they can issue a banning order.

But now, it is not only the authorities we have to be careful of. It is our fellow fans. With society currently all wanting to be news reporters, whether it is tweeting or video’ing, fans are becoming their own worst enemy when it comes to surveillance. No longer do we have to be wary of the police, stewards or football clubs recording us, we now have to be careful of fellow fans recording us.

I  myself do not like being recorded. I will happily have a sing and dance in the concourse, but as soon as the camera phones come out, I make my way to the side. It is not that I am doing anything wrong, I am very well behaved at games, it is more to do with I do not want my employer stumbling over a video with me in it, or something going too far and clubs deciding to ban anyone who uses the Y word. If you are caught on camera, anything could happen. I would rather enjoy an away day a bit less, then have a consequence cause by a way I might act.

It used to be what happens in football, stays in football, as long as you are not stupid enough to do something which gets caught on CCTV. However, there is now no need for the CCTV, all the police or football clubs have to do is go onto YouTube after a game, scan video’s uploaded by fellow fans, and dish out the bans. A ban could lead you to losing your job. That is how serious it is.

So please, stop inadvertently grassing on your fellow fans. If you want to record on your phone, go to a One Direction concert. Stay away from football.

Keenos

Ignore the Pundits – Arsenal deserve to be top

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Once more on BBC’s Match of the Day, the question came from Gary Lineker to his guests – Danny Murphy & Les Ferdinand. “Can Arsenal win the League?” And as if he was the son of Alan Hansen, Murphy answered no, giving the same reason as many pundits before him.

“That Arsenal can not win the league as they have not yet played anyone of note.”

We are now 13 games in to the 2013/14 season and it does not take me to tell you that Arsenal are 4 points clear. They have already played Liverpool, Manchester United & Tottenham, 3 of the 4 ‘Top 6’ as the press seem to have relabeled them (although can sides who have not won the league in 20+ years be considered a big side?)

The reasoning is starting to get predictable and boring. Especially when it is becoming evidently clear that this years Premier League title will go to the side who loses the least points against those ‘smaller’ sides, then those who gets the most points against those members of the ‘Top 6’.

Take Cardiff as an example. This season they have beaten Manchester City and drawn with Manchester United. Yet Arsenal beat them 3-0. That means that Arsenal could effectively lose to Manchester City and Manchester United, and only 1 point will separate the 3 based on the mini league. It does not matter how many points you gain when playing a title contender if you continue to drop points at those lower in the league. Arsenal’s lead is due to how few points we have dropped against those sides who are not a member of the Top 6. Just 5;

Arsenal – 5
Chelsea – 7
Man U – 7
Spurs – 8
Liverpool – 12
Man City – 11

If the theory go’s that ‘Arsenal have not played anyone yet’ then surely by proxy, our opponents have played against each other more. And therefore, they have had less opportunity to lose points against those outside of the Top 6.

Arsenal are top of the league, not because of their ability to beat those around them (although 2 wins from 3 against Top 6 rivals is good), but due to their ability to not drop points against those who are mid table and below.

As Liverpool showed this weekend, it is important to beat those teams outside of the Top 6. Liverpool could have got to within 4 points of Arsenal had they beaten Hull. They did not, and now sit 7 points behind. Their title challenge is over.

If Arsenal continue to beat those smaller sides, it does not really matter what happens in the match’s against the bigger sides. There are more points available against the smaller sides than the Top 6, so if they continue to win, and others continue to drop points, Arsenal’s gap at the top of the league table will only grow.

Keenos