The Old Feelings Resurface
Oct 29th, 2009 by 'holic
Previewing the North London derby is a strange experience. It is something I have tried to do in one post before, but so much is left unsaid that there is a feeling of having produced a piece of work that is incomplete.
One of the problems is highlighted by my mailbox around this time. Those who follow Arsenal from afar want to understand the feelings better. I’m persuaded that part of the fascination is the hatred between neighbours.
Now I could give you some psychobabble about us being two religions, or two tribes flexing our muscles and defending our territory from the perceived threat of non-believers, or aggressors.
I could delve into history and produce some load of old baloney about Arsenal moving into Tottenham territory nearly a hundred years ago, and taking their first division place by skulduggery a handful of years later. The envy of the wronged thereafter fuelling much bad blood.
The other half of my correspondents don’t need the old rivalry to be analysed. They have lived it, and still are. Typical of their feelings, ‘We have to batter these retards on Saturday ‘holic, those two draws last season when we should have slaughtered them twice have the delusional buggers thinking they are closing the gap’.
The fact is that for a variety of reasons, most of which are irrational, we hate each others guts. That is despite the fact that so many families with North London backgrounds have supporters of both within their ranks (and mine was no different). The Lillywhites are the great unwashed, and always have been.
I must confess some old feelings are stirring. When this blog was in its relative infancy I remember taking some stick for suggesting that while Tottenham remained our nearest rivals, Manchester United had overtaken them as our biggest rivals, the game everybody wanted to see.
I wasn’t wrong. In the days before the arrival of Roman Abramovich, Arsenal and Manchester United had threatened to turn the Premiership into a carbon copy of the annual two club contest north of Hadrian’s Wall. However the natural order is being restored now that the results of the Arsenal v United matches no longer determine the destination of the title.
You know what? I can’t wait for Saturday. The atmosphere these days will never match those when this was not an all-ticket fixture in an all-seater stadium, but it will be as atmospheric as football gets these days. When the neighbours come to call there is still a show to be put on. We need to show them they are still living in our shadow, second best in every respect.
For the team there is an opportunity to erase from the memory the disappointing surrender of points at Alkmaar and West Ham. The words attributed to Crouch and the knacker, Keane, should provide powerful motivation. Not that anybody in red should need any motivation to give their all on Saturday.
Tomorrow I’ll be looking at the likely sides. The eleven stylish artisans who will proudly pull on the cannon on Saturday lunchtime, and the bunch of festering inbreds who will don the chicken on a basketball. I’ll reveal the destination of the ‘holic pound, and tell you why we will beat the miserable rabble from the marshlands.
Until then it looks like I will be getting ever more excited at the prospect of witnessing the great rivalry again.
It’s back, and I can’t wait!
26 Responses to “The Old Feelings Resurface”
time to put our north london neighbours to where they belong… 5 pints of moet for this
Nice post holic i’m sure we’r gonna kick those scums on saturday.Cant wait come on u gunners
I remember going into the Man United game earlier this season full of hope we could pull off a coup, and we still should have, weakened that they have been. We lost 2-1.
Now going into this match, there are all sorts of mixed feelings of optimism, the thought of giving Spurs a real pummelling to shut them up, and that sneaky feeling that, after 19 games unbeaten against them, we’re simply due a humiliating loss in the league.
But screw that. 4-0 to the Arsenal this Saturday. RAWR.
Really enjoyed that read.
I really, really hope we get the win.
I will literally go mental if somebody scores a beauty! I think Arshavin will be really up for this, to show Spurs why he signed for the mighty gunners and not them binmen!
going in to the game with blood and adrenaline full of confidence seriously we have to give them a good battering especially after last seasons games. heard on sky sports news they don’t have no lennon, woodgate plus with no defoe and modric they have to and will get a battering! we have no rosicky, walcott, denilson or fabianski but that shouldn’t hold us back anyways.
arshavin, van persie both on the scoresheets im sure the rest of the team will dip in too perhaps vermaelen, gallas, cesc, niklas or even diaby.
!!!COME ON YOU MIGHTY REDS!!
you are all welcome to GRAND weekend drama, featuring
harry ” frog face” rednapp ,\
jermain ” SOB” defoe,
aaron ” the midget ‘ lenon,
robbie ” i cant cut it at the top” keane
and peter ” rabbit faced’ crouch.
starring
almunia
sagna gallas vermy clichy
song
diaby fabregas
nasri ash
RVP
IT PROMISES TO BE ANOTHER HUMILIATING EXPERIENCE for the boys in white….. SEE YA
Being one of the “over the pond” Gooners, I never had a problem developing a hatred for the Sp*ds. Mind you, it’s not like a local would have, and I’d never claim it to be until I was living in North London and a season ticket holder. However, when The Arsenal first graced my life some 20 years ago, I had the odd opportunity to see some Tottenham matches and just came away with utter contempt for their brand of football. Through the years, it’s only grown. And during Arsene’s reign, the matches I most enjoyed winning have been against the neighbors. There isn’t a single redeeming thing about Tottenham football, and were I a betting man my ‘holic pounds would most definitely be going on The Arsenal to win this weekend.
Bring it on m*******ers.
This time its serious. Glad to see Cesc hasnt opened his gob. Clichy needs to get his balance right.
And every single player needs to play his effing gut out.
This one is for the fans.. Question is – do the players realize it?
I like it when you dwelve in tradition 101 ‘Holic even if I remember you already briefed us on the topic a while ago. I can’t wait for their bowl to be completed though so there can be more satisfaction when we win those derbies. They’ve been too weak for too long, triumph without peril brings no glory.
I hope we will see Nasri make the assist for the final nail in the coffin of Tottenham’s european ambitions.
Continuing the previous discussion on players congestion, here’s the list sorted by age of all our current and upsoming midfielders:
Rosicky (1980)
Eboue (1983)
Diaby (1986)
Fabregas (1987)
Nasri
Song
Denilson (1988)
Randall (1989)
Merida (1990)
Barazite
Lansbury
Ramsey
Eastmond
Emmanuel-Thomas
Going closer in time there are more prospects which I wont name apart from Wilshere (1992)
And that’s not including:
Arshavin (1981)
Walcott (1989)
I don’t know what you think but that’s an awful lot of players for 3 or even 4 positions. We can free some first starter spots naturally (ex: Song transitionning to CB) but some players will have to leave if they want to play. I think unless we win big (and even then) Arshavin will agitate to leave this summer to earn twice as much in Spain after tax, he will not be deterred by Hleb’s example. Still we’ll be a selling club again this summer and this is definitively a good thing as long as AW gets to chose who leaves.
Meanwhile this is an excellent case to initiate rotation within the first team. If we play our best midfield/attack at every game (for now something like Cesc/Song/Nasri Rosicky/VP/Arshavin) a lot of deserving players won’t get the playing time they need to progress and the “always starting” will become complacent over time (somewhat like against AZ or WH).
The other thing I would like to happen is earlier substitutions. When Arshavin drifts out of a game, Eddie and Vela ought to be brought in after an hour instead of within 10 minutes of the end. Same for Eboue or Diaby, when they have a day off, Merida or Ramsey should be introduced early enough. That would keep everyone in a combative spirit and with youngsters on the field, results like West Ham would be easier to stomach for the fans.
After my lasp post, leave it to Robbie Keane to make su laugh: “My captain Robbie Keane said the other day he felt Tottenham had more strength in depth than Arsenal.”
Redknapp is more lucid: “Well, after watching Arsenal beat Liverpool in the Carling Cup, I can tell you their kids are scary.”
From http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2705781/David-Bentley-has-the-b-to-face-Arsenal.html#ixzz0VNYV7YR1
Another glass of smooth bourbon tonight. Amazing how 90 proof can be so easy to drink 😉
A quick addendum to fuel the hate week. Guess who said that:
“It was a very difficult decision because I didn’t wanna leave Arsenal to be honest, and, you know, they told me that I have to leave, that they found an agreement from Man City, and whether you like it or not, you have to leave. And I was like: “I’m not leaving!” But at the end of the day, when I had a good discussion with the boss, I realise. I realise that what he was trying to tell me, which doesn’t come out straight from his mouth, is if you stay, you will not have a chance to play.”
Who said AW can’t be ruthless when (really) needed?
Yes the horder of so called inbreds will come a calling upon slumberland and raisse the roof again. The atmosphere will be electric and the game will be a spectacle. Predictably the game will end in a draw and we will all go home still hating each other.
Hahahaha .. You are all still Pikeys as far as I am concerned back to woolwich with the lot of you
I’m a Spurs fan and i have tremendous respect for your great leader, Mr Wenger, but there are no natural leaders in your squad, which explains why Arsenal have thrown away their leads. Purely on that reason, i can’t see Arsenal winning this one. I also don’t want a draw. So i guess the tables will turn tomorrow and Spurs will start a long run of wins against the depleted half of North London…
Jerard:
In your dreams mate
At least we have this in common that we don’t want a draw.
Redknapp won ONCE against Arsene Wenger.
Tottenham NEVER won against Arsene Wenger.
Keep dreaming guys…
don’t be over confident & under-estimated spur. still don’t know the line-up, if have diaby (getting involve in defence), eboue (lot of running but no delivery), prepare for the worst even spur don’t have defoe, lennon, modric
To all you Spurms!!
I was there in ’70-’71, and still rubbing it in!!
It’s really funny to watch you wankers “enjoying a 4 game winning streak”.You are so pathetic!! Continue the good work!! Hahahaha!!
No leaders? Vermaelan? Arshavin? van Persie? Also, I don’t think it gets mentioned enough but Denilson is really starting to look like a leader. This team is growing up – at their young ages they’ve had 4 or 5 years of Premiership/CL/international experience between them – and they are starting to learn how to take charge.
Matt: I always looked at Arshavin signing as a stop-gap until Wilshere is ‘ready’. Cesc is will almost certainly leave, most likely when Xavi hits an age when he can’t play every game. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Diaby and Eboue eventually leave as better players (and I like them!) start to really overtake them and their places become limited. If Rosicky cannot prove his fitness between now and the end of the season, his contract will expire without being offered a new one. If our talented youngsters are patient, bide their time and work as hard as possible to give Wenger a headache, I’m sure a ‘natural’ way will ensue.
In five years, I expect our team to look like: Keeper (Bought); Sagna (31) Vermaelan (29) Djourou (27), Clichy (29); Song (27), Ramsey (23), Nasri (27); Walcott (25), van Persie (31), Wilshere (22). Doesn’t that make you salivate?
The chicken on a basketball. Brilliant!
I really hope we rip these cunts a new hole!
Matt, where did you get that Ade quote? Speaking of Ade, in today’s papers he is once again talking about Arsenal, this time predicting that Cesc will leave us if we win no trophies this season. The guy can’t stop talking about us.
Have to admit, even tho they have a depleted squad at the moment, the way our players are playing right now I can’t help but be nervous about this game. I’m sick of these draws, I want to thrash these guys, I want a convincing win. It’s about time, don’t you think?
Our players have to understand what this game means to supporters. Guys like Arshavin and Clichy have to understand that they go out on that pitch tomorrow ready for all-out, ruthless, dedicated super-determined war for 90+ minutes, nothing less will do.
NOTHING LESS WILL DO.
No f——g fancy tricks, self-indulgent showboating, ball-hogging, extra passes or back heels in our penalty box. They’re expected to KILL and CRUSH the opposition, full-stop.
That means no Diaby! I don’t want to see Diaby anywhere near the team tomorrow.
Great blog, holic. Having experienced in person the mutual hatred of the fans for both home and away games I’ve attended when I lived in London, I know exactly what you mean. We can talk about history all we want, it just is what it is, neighbours hating neighbours. We have to kill them tomorrow, that’s it.
To be honest when all is said and done, I’ll settle for winning 1-0 with an own goal in the last minute if that’s what it takes. Of course it would be nice to stuff them and I really hope we do but I just want the three points, everything else is secondary right now.
How sad.. whining before the game you will be whining after the game .. where do you guys find them
Charlie .. your a pikey gooner .. get a bit of backbone for gawd sake..
No wonder the imaginates is quieter than a libary.. If charlie gos I bet hes the first one in line at half time for his cuppa chocolate ..
R U Charlie from east enders
EssentailSpurs rule
Gosh those comments cut me to the bone cusop.
Got to love clueless Spurs wallys
Ha come on lad ratchet up the response.. or is your tea getting cold
marcus: it was in the guardian