Tag Archives: She Wore

Spurs win the battle; But Arsenal winning the war

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Spurs beat Arsenal. They deserved to win.

And as predicted, what followed their victory in the North London Derby was a string of tweets and comments about how the win proves their has been a “power shift” in North London over the last 5 years.

A power shift that has seen Spurs finish above Arsenal once.

A power shift that has seen Arsenal win 3 trophies (and in the final for a 4th at the end of the month).

In that same time, Spurs have won nothing. And the only time they have played at Wembley is when they had to hire it.

Spurs fans use “records” such as “highest Premier League attendance” and “most Premier League goals in a calendar year” as proof of the power shift.

Meanwhile, Arsenal win actual trophies.

It is actually hilarious to watch the media try to justify this power shift. So desperate are they to report on Arsenal’s demise that they are creating records and new barometers of what success is.

Only last week, a Chief Sports writer for a British paper declared “Spurs do not need to win trophies to be a successful club”. OK.

And then yesterday, the leading story on BBC Sport was about how “Spurs victory over Arsenal shows they are best of the rest.”

That beating Arsenal proved they were the second best team in England – behind Manchester City. Even though victory took them to 3rd in the league. After Liverpool’s win yesterday, they have already dropped to 4th, and if Chelsea win tonight, it will be back to 5th.

2nd best team in England, but 5th in the table? Better than Arsenal, Chelsea and Man U, but are the only side of the 4 not to have won anything last year.

In fact, Spurs are the only side in the top 6 to have not won anything this decade.

Arsenal have won 3 FA Cups since 2014. For Spurs, you have to go back to 1981 to capture their last 3 FA Cup wins.

The last team to win the league title at White Hart Lane? Arsenal.

The weekend’s victory was deserved by Spurs. Just like Arsenal deserved to beat Spurs when they won 2-0 earlier in the season. That seems to get forgotten about when talking about power shifts.

I saw a tweet floating about late yesterday.

“Spurs have won 6 of the last 9 Derby games against Arsenal, with 2 draws and only one win for the Gunners”. It was created to try to highlight the power shift.

Yet a quick check of the records shows it is fake news.

In the last 9 North London Derby’s, Spurs have won 3 (not the 6 the tweeter claimed). And that is if you cut it off at 9. If you increase it to the last 12, it is still just 3 wins for Spurs. 3 wins in the last 12 North London Derby’s.

So this Spurs power shift has resulted in 3 wins in the last 12 games, and finishing above The Arsenal once in 21 years. OK.

Spurs should finish above Arsenal again this season. The second time in 22 years. But what does it all mean if they do not win a trophy?

Nothing.

The sadist inside me actually wants Arsenal to finish 6th this season. Finish 6th with Spurs 5th. Finish 6th with Spurs 5th and Arsenal winning a trophy. Finish 6th with Spurs 5th and Arsenal winning a trophy and Spurs winning nothing.

13 league titles, you’ve only won 2.

Keenos

No passion left in the North London Derby

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On a Thursday the feeling would start….. the nerves, the anticipation, the hatred. Friday, is about making the arrangements, what pub, what train, what time. Saturday comes and we jump out of bed, it’s never a struggle,  and we pace until we leave the house. It could only mean one thing…. London derby!

The result means everything, it’s about pride, it’s about status and it’s about pecking order. It’s not 3 points, it’s everything. Form goes out of the window, it’s about two teams fighting with everything they have and usually comes down to a bit of luck on the day.

Well, that’s how it used to be.

Now, its all a bit more respectful. I don’t like that.

I sat on the train yesterday after waking at 4am and not being able to sleep. Nerves, felt sick, not confident but the hope was still there. I listened to a couple of blokes on the train who were also on their way to Wembley, they were Tottenham fans, and were talking about how great it is to sit with 80,000 Tottenham fans every other week. They felt the club was going in the right direction with a new fan base and how magnificent it was that they are getting so many new fans.

At first I got some satisfaction as thinking ‘You have no idea just what is ahead of you when you move into your new ground’ then I started to feel a bit deflated. Is this what it’s become. Success now is about how many people you get through your gates? How many people will buy the over priced crap lager and how many people wear the shirt?

When I got to Wembley we walked up to the ground with them. What’s that all about? Where was the atmosphere outside the ground? Where was the nervousness? It’s all gone. To be honest I felt exactly the same at their place last year. The atmosphere was flat, they stood outside their pubs tapping their toes to Chas n Dave, drinking out of their plastic glasses and looked menacing, but actually they weren’t. The hatred is starting to die.  Exactly the same can be said at The Emirates, it’s all very gentlemanly.

Silly kick off times don’t help but our fan base, as has theirs, has been diluted with a new passive hardcore.

Our form this year,  along with a split fan base isn’t conducive for a good day out. Half hearted attempts at songs, sitting in arenas rather than football grounds all contributes to a pleasant day out. But I don’t want a pleasant day out. I want a day of emotion and elation, I would even take anger rather than the acceptance that has become my new best friend.

I sat with 3 people to my right yesterday wearing half and half scarves. Half and half scarves for that game in the away end. Unbelievable. Shocking. Disgraceful.

I also saw loads of them wearing them, more of them than our lot to be honest. Where have our London derbies gone? How did they end up like this?

Rewind to a few weeks back and the semi final against Chelsea. A league cup semi final and for many fans it was an option game. Most hardcore and regulars chose not to go. I went in my usual seat which is littered with old clockenders with a history to be faced with a bunch of new faces. Now I have some respect for these fans who will come to any game they can get a ticket for, that I have no problem with. But, I sat watching a London derby semi final! I’ve never sat for a semi final in my life! Within 5 minutes I was told to sit down by someone who I’ve never seen before. Two kids in front of me wearing their scarves and really up for watching their first semi final stood on their chairs. Great I thought, maybe we do have a new generation coming through. Shouting abuse and making the odd wanker sign and they were ready for their love affair with our club to take hold. No, they were told to sit down, they sat down for the rest of he game and applauded politely at the end like all the others.

My opinion is there are a few reasons for this sudden change,  the main one being so many proper Arsenal have had enough and stay away now. They keep their season tickets and away scheme members as an insurance policy but they then sell them on to these people who want to visit an arena and want to wear a half and half scarf. There is no singing because they don’t know the songs, there is no hatred because they haven’t had the experiences…..and sadly, they never will.

I get people wanting to stay away, totally understand that, trust me, I am very very close to also calling it a day myself.  But, we have to keep fighting. I keep hearing that people will come back when Wenger has gone but I feel scared that there won’t be a club to come back to. You will come into the ground and hate it because it’s being allowed to be taken over by people who want a pleasant day out. People who wear half and half scarves and people who want to sit down for a semi final against Chelsea.

My message to the half and half scarf brigade, don’t fu**ing do it, don’t buy them for your kids as they won’t thank you, don’t come into an Arsenal away end looking like a dick.

Be Arsenal, stand, sing, and fight against the oppression.

*JD*

LONDON – OUR CITY – UP THE ARSENAL

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Lads, time to stand up and be counted.

It has been a below average league campaign for The Arsenal so far this season. We are currently set for a 6th place finish, which will be our lowest in 23 years – the infamous 1994/95 season when George graham was sacked for taking cash in brown envelopes, and Nayim scored from the half way line.

Interestingly, up until last season, 1994/95 was the last time that lot up the road finished above us.

The players on the pitch owe us as fans. We have suffered this season. We are the Arsenal Suffragette’s.

We can still get some positives out of the season – a League Cup final to look forward to at the end of the month. A potential fruitful Europa League campaign still ongoing – but it starts tomorrow. It starts with Spurs today.

Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Granit Xhaka, you guys are the engine room of Arsenal. Do not stop running, stop Dele Alli and Cristian Erickson. Give the cheats a good kicking. Shkdoran Mustafi, Laurent Koscielny, remember Harry Kane is a myth. He has no pace, he has no skill. Stick an elbow in his already droopy jaw. Remind him that he is a boyhood Arsenal fan.

Mesut Ozil, weave your magic. You now have Henrik Mkyhitaryan next to you, a player on a similar wavelength. Who you will pass the ball too and get it back. Not some dog f****r who will take 9 touches of the ball before losing it.

And Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, which ever one of you starts. Between you, Arsenal have spent £100m on fire power. It is games like tomorrow you were signed for. Show your nasty side. Be clinical.

Remember, Tottenham are rubbish.

One average season does not make up for decades of failure.

No league title in 57 years
No FA Cup in 27 years

They are a team of failures. A club of failures. With a new stadium which is not going to be ready in time, we costs spiralling out of control. Remind them of this. Do not give an inch.

As for the fans, we also need to stand up, make ourselves heard. Do not cower away, do not allow yourselves to be intimidated.

Spurs fans are notorious bullies. They will attack women and children. As soon as a man sticks it on them, they cower behind the police. They are cowards.

Win tomorrow and we then enter the key run of back to back games in the Europa League before another visit to Wembley for another final.

The momentum we gain from tomorrow will see us through February. Will see us to silverware. Will set us up for the rest of the season.

Our first 6 months of the season has been atrocious. This is the business end of the season. It starts now.

Stay safe, but stand up and be counted.

Up The Arsenal.

Keenos