They Are Young, Stupid
Sep 11th, 2013 by 'holic
So England produced what any Liverpool fan will tell you was a trademark pragmatic Hodgson performance in the Ukraine. Not a classic by any means but the scoreless draw was the end that justified the means, if you catch my drift. Less clear is why Jack Wilshere, clearly still operating at around eighty percent, should be the target of so much media bile in the wake of a dull game, but important point gained. For example…
“Given his high profile and his clear gifts, it is easy to forget that Jack Wilshere is not especially experienced at the top level. But this was only his fourth competitive international of his career and it showed. Wilshere struggled to make much of an impact…”
What Jack Pitt-Brooke in the Independent should have learned by now is that young players don’t get experience if you don’t play them. Still, there was a bandwagon to be jumped on, fueled by remarks from a former Liverpool midfielder who spent his career attempting to destroy the creativity that Wilshere has displayed in abundance in his short, injury-plagued, introduction to top-class football.
What the critics failed to take account of is the fact that Wilshere has played basically for just half a season in the last two years. Already this season his ankles have proved an irresistible target for the less-gifted in Turkey and North London. At 21 he is fighting to regain full-fitness and only games will do that for him. I’m sure Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, more culpable for that performance given their experience and reputations, would confirm it isn’t unusual for players to have an off day now and again.
The pre-match utterances of the loathsome Stuart Pearce, so instrumental in breaking Jack in the first place, only added to a sense of scapegoating by people who should know better. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Phil Jones might well have looked at Jack last night and reflected on the stupidity of Pearce’s broadside, and his disastrous tenure as the national U-21 manager.
I am pleased to see the Football Association were quick to put the fool in his place.
U-21’s In Action On Thursday Night
Arsenal Under-21s’ home league match against West Bromwich Albion will take place at the Grove on Thursday, September 12, kick-off 7pm. Admission prices will be just £4 for adults and £2 for concessions. There aren’t too many opportunities to watch the next generation of Young Guns in the course of the season. There has been quite a turnover in personnel over the summer so here is an opportunity to catch the latest class to emerge from the Gunners academy.
I wish I lived nearer to the stadium, in which case I would definitely take the opportunity to watch the lads before people who should know better start to rip the better ones to bits.
227 Responses to “They Are Young, Stupid”
Where is everyone?
We all shagged Matilda
Have to say Esso, I didn’t 😉
I am a trophy.
And Pearce is a fool.
Hey, ‘holic. Don’t blame me, I didn’t watch it. 🙂
Re: Trev @260 in the previous drinks. What do they know and when did they know it? 🙂
Mesüt. It’s Sün going to be time to be dishing out some crüel and ünüsüal pünishment on the Sünderland Crüe.
Currently in Paris on way from Australia to uk
Have got 3 tickets for Napoli match at emirates
My 11 is so excited to be seeing the team his dad is always going on about
What a night to come
Stuart Pearce is and always was a wankhammer.
Nice one, Sydneyred! I am quite sure that will be a night to remember.
Stuart Pearce is an incoherent prat. As a player, a blood and thunder warrior whose chief ‘skill’ was aggression, which seems to have morphed into bullying as far as his ex-U21 charges are concerned.
The purpose of a coach is supposed to be to educate, enrich and develop his players. Not to endanger their careers by seeking to improve his own achievements.
Holic
I find myself perplexed by the backlash against Wilshere as if it was down to him to win the game for us. He is,as you point out struggling for sharpness and needs careful nurturing. It was sad to see some of our own reassessing his ability last night.
I believe he is a wonderful talent but he is at a club that employs some stellar midfield quality.He no longer appears automatically our best creative player and as you say he lacks games. I was disgusted to read a Times article after the Brazil game at Wembley where he shone especially brightly that night, written by Scouser Tony Evans,the Football Editor. His main observation was that praise fpor Wilshere was premature. He had to stand the test of time like Steven Gerrard had at international level.
That was an amazing observation about a player (Gerrard) who has consistently failed to perform at the highest level.He is yet to have anything beyond a mediocre international tournament.. Jack will come good if he hasn’t been hobbled by the injuries that he has suffered thus far and he will go on to leave Gerrard far behind in terms of quality. It will not help him a jot if the nation uses him as a scapegoat for the deficiencies of others. As for Stuart Pearce I am afraid he is a poor,underachieving manager who is way out of his depth in international management.
8ball – it was one of those * xxx knows * comments, is all.
Trev. Nobody ever said that about Nixon or the White House plumbers during Watergate. In a general sense, at least. Breaking and entering skills are another story. Sorry for the off topic comment. 😉
LJW has been set up to fall.
For months the media whores have been bigging him up as Ingerlund’s best hope without any consideration for his last two years of hobbling around and, since his return being targeted by thugs from near and far.
The Ingerlish media vermin require a scape goat for each ‘failure’ Who better than their anointed saviour who failed to single handedly dominate the match, present Fat Frank with the win that his centenery demanded and guarantee the rat pack their summer in Brazil.
In truth, the freebie to Brazil is really all the media reptiles care about.
’tis a pity, LJW cares so much about his national team. He should just tell ’em to go fuck themselves (take that scumbag Pearce along for the ‘ride’) and concentrate on making the Arsenal the team of the century.
Fuck ’em all I say.
Pearce ruined a very drunken interrailing night on Capri (snoozing on the beach, and subsequently being apprehended by the fuzz for being on said beach) with a garbage penalty and a smug West German (bad by my standards) penalty winner. I’ll never trust him as a result ;-).
Thank you ‘Holic for another great post.
Pearce should read this this abstracted Harvard Business School case study on Old Rednose to learn how to be a successful manager.
http://hbr.org/2013/10/fergusons-formula/ar/1
Er, can Pearce read?
Not proven, NBN.
It was madness to play Jack twice, plain and simple.
The whole midfield was set up for failure, Gerrard and Lampard have played together umpteen times and it only ever worked once or twice, jack was off the pace, cleary. Not that it would of mattered, because the “tactics”, and I use that in the broadest most childlike simplistic way possible, that were deployed were just shockingly bad.
Theo’s getting rounded on too, but if you don’t play him to his strengths then you can better not play him at all. Theo coming towards the half way line to pick up the ball is as good a plan as covering your todger in honey and sticking it in a red ants nest, the result will always be painfull, he’s just not that kind of player.
As for the former u21 manager, (yes pyscho, you lost that cushy little number due to your own incompetence) well, he’s just bitter isn’t he.
Like a jilted lover or spoilt child he’s lashing out and blaming those around him rather then maning up and looking at his own shortcomings.
So Pearcy, just learn to accept that pissing people off and staring like you’re hard does not a manager make.
ps. Grow a pair you penalty shanking cum burper.
glorious epithet H2H @19.
Greetings, let’s be rational about this and think as neutrals, little Jack, as of yet, is not the real deal. Compare him to Cesc when he was 21 and there is light years between them. Jack is not a holding mid, nor an attacking player, in fact, when did he last have a shot at goal for us? Wenger (one of so many faults) has built this kid up since before time began & constantly flogs him like a dead horse when his body can’t hand the rigors game after game. At present if all were fit he does not make the Arsenal first team. In fact, our 3 super winning spells over the psst two seasons came with him on the injury list; currently for me he is not a vital player with game-changing prowess. He can become an Arsenal legend but at the moment he is struggling under the Wenger hype that has been heeped upon him.
I try and refrain from mocking thickies on the whole. They can’t help it. But Pierce is so irritating, so consistently dumb, and arrogant with it, that it is irresistible. Another quote, this about Bale: “I don’t want to speak out of school and speak out of confidences, but we had situation with Gareth Bale going into the Olympic Games…” Oh Stuart, please just stop talking, you clueless f*cking moron.
Can’t wait for proper football to start-up again. That is all.
Grow a pair you penalty shanking cum burper.
That made me giggle. A lot.
Must be quite sad to know that the thing you’ll most be remembered for as a player is costing England the 1990 World Cup, because we’d have pissed on a very poor Argy side in that final.
Ttg @ 11. That was epic.
H2H – This is is laugh put loud funny to me though:
“as good a plan as covering your todger in honey and sticking it in a red ants nest, the result will always be painfull, …”
A round for the house! On lars!!!
Good evening, all.
In other totally unrelated news, the UN are currently gathering evidence to prosecute Arsene Wenger for the spread of Malaria in Africa(one of many crimes).
Amid all the derogation of our Jack it was interesting to find Robbie Savage concluding that Frank Lampard was the biggest waste of space in England’s midfield … http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24040984
“Carrick has more experience than Wilshere, but together those two can provide the platform that England need to have any sort of success in Brazil.
You cannot leave out Gerrard, so would Frank Lampard be the one to be sacrificed? That is tough call but one that might need addressing before the end of the season.
Lampard was the worst offender in terms of forward passes against Ukraine – only 55% of his passes into or in the opposition half were successful, while Wilshere reached 63.6% and Gerrard 78.3% in this category. (Robbie Savage)”
Öskar
And for once Robby Savage talks a bit of sense.
Further evidence that Pearce isn’t known as Psycho for nothing…
Öskar
Oh Pearce you mug, the U21s respect for him is probably free-falling like good ol’ Felix 😉
Cent @ 27
Surely they will have to hold any prosecution until he is finished answering questions at The Hague?
UTA
Noosa, the evidence against him is so much that asking him questions will be a waste of time, he needs to be hanged as soon as possible so as to avert global warming(he caused that too). Unconfirmed reports say Clive Allen and Stewart Robson are setting up the gallows on behalf of the whole world.
Maybe cave paintings are Pearce’s level, bathgÖÖzilner.
Robby Savage talks a bit of sense. Hard to believe those seven words can co-exist in the same sentence, Cent.
…and particularly in that order.
Patrick@38: Fact check. Feb to April, 2007/08:
Played 14 Won 7 Drew 5 Lost 2
A v Man City Won
H v Blackburn Rovers Won
A v Birmingham City Draw
H v Aston Villa Draw
A v Wigan Draw
A v Middlesboro Draw
A v Chelsea Lost
A v Bolton Wanderers Won
H v Liverpool Draw
A v Manchester United Lost
H v Reading Won
A v Derby County Won
H v Everton Won
A v Sunderland Won
Ended up two points behind Chelsea and four points behind Man U, the only two sides to beat us in the run in.
Eight points dropped in four successive draws in the aftermath of the Eduardo leg break, regardless of the subsequent defeats by Chelsea and Man U.
Just cant bring myself to accept that Robbie Savage has ever spoken a word of sense. The worlds turned upside down when we hold up RS’s verbal diarrheoa as the words of a sage. North Bank Ned, I salute you!
Didn’t fall out of first place until March 15 and fell to third (final position) on March 23.
Cheers, Impressive.
People truly do not understand football, they truly don’t.
I was talking to my dad about the fucking interlull and told him that at least he was able to watch football on Tuesday and replied saying “that isn’t football.”
He’s right.
International football is not football, and for good reason.
There is absolutely no way possible for a manager to take a collection of players from different teams and teach them how to play together, to develop their understanding and improve them in three days.
The only time a national team is playing well, truly crisp flowing football, is during a summer tournament (be it the Euro or World Cup) but that is after a month of training and developing an understanding.
The only national that currently has an understanding between the players (and do not underestimate it, just look at Giroud’s runs when Theo had the ball on the right last season, compared to this season. Hint – he would run to the far post, and now runs to the near post. He also mentioned that understanding in his Spurs post match interview) is Spain because of the number of players from Barcelona and Real Madrid who are used to playing with each other.
When that understanding is missing, there is only one thing to fall back on – foundations and fundamentals.
That is where the Germans excel. Their program has produced players like Gotze, Reus, Ozil, Draxler, Schweini, Lahm et al. They focus on Optimal Coordination Order System. You can understand what foundations they will have as opposed to the English footballers.
Clearly, no one should expect Jack to have as good an understanding with Lampard and Gerrard as his understanding with Santi and Aaron from three days training every couple of months. That’s absurd.
And so is the expectation that a random collection of players (even if they are world class) would play based on each player’s ability. This is not tennis, it is a team sport, and a team that trains three times before a match is not a team worth coming to any conclusions from.
Iam sure Wenger didn’t mind Jack getting a run out. Helps Jack gain fitness at someone else’s expense. Jack was knackered playing in two games. We need to ease him into the team. He will destroy teams once he is fully fit.
http://www.jasondevos.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/DFB-Youth-Development-Program.pdf
This is the change that should be done, not the constant bitching over England’s prospects in the big tourneys.
To the Premier League’s credit, they did go ahead with EPPP, but need to enforce more rules in order to require clubs to promote their youngsters and give them game time.
Anyone saying that we’re too global and fighting for the CL.
These are the rules that the CL winner Bayern have to abide by:
Clubs need to have 4 club-developed players and 4 German FA-developed players in the squad.
Patrick – I didn’t say teams can’t win, I said that they can’t be expected to perform at the level they’re expected.
People expect Lampard of Chelsea to perform with Rickie Lambert like he was used to perform with Drogba.
Same with Gerrard.
Denmark can win, but you don’t expect to perform at the level you expect Bayern to perform right?
In England, they do expect the national team to perform at Barcelona’s level. It’s unrealistic.
Plus – I wrote their that summer tourneys (which you train for a long time, almost a week after the end of the season, and for about a month before the tourney actually starts) are the only time national teams can develop some kind of understanding between their players.
1. They had a summer to work on tactics and understanding.
2. They were a team that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
3. Greece winning in 04 is very similar.
4. There are outliers in every theory.
5. On average, most national teams don’t reach a level that is magnificent football unless they have some kind of understanding. How many times have we heard the phrase “they look like a collection of players that can’t play with each other?” That’s what is said about France, and most recently 2009-2010 about Man City and 2011-2012 about PSG.
Patrick – you won’t hear any argument from me there. And that is why the FA should adopt the German model and change the way of thinking. Embrace the technical way of playing football.
Have a look at the link I posted @50.
That’s a plan right there!
To me it’s more than about just being world class, you have to know the teammates around you, the movements they make.
Ashley Cole for instance would find it easier to cross the ball to a striker that he’s familiar with his movements.
I do rate Cashley, but he’s in decline.
As far as England’s future goes, their core will know each other for a fact, and they should be fine (Gibbs, Jenks, Jack, Theo, Ox).
But yeah, the lack of English talent at other clubs is galling.
And they didn’t play magnificent football, they played efficient. Enough to win the tournament.
Greece were the same, they played disciplined enough in order to win the 04 tourney.
It wasn’t the great football people like Jack Pitt-Brooke expect.
Kind of like Argentina in 2010 😉
John Jensen was a star for Denmark in 92. I rest my case.
Snir, apologies. You have been trolled. I have deleted his worthless winding up. Again.
Snir great points regards international football we are looking for a manager(Ireland)after the bell ends we have had I’m sure you could do the job. only problem you would have manage an old spud in Robbie keane.
No worries H.
Thanks.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur/10303532/No-Y-word-even-for-Tottenham-Hotspur-fans-as-FA-warns-of-possible-criminal-prosecution.html
Finally! I don’t care if they use it as their name. I find it offensive and it does not belong in football stands.
Glennw was with me at Anfield in 11-12 and having flown 3500 miles and spent thousands of dollars and my whole spring break to watch The Arsenal, I felt like absolute shit when guys one row above us sang the “What do you think of Tottenham” song right to its end.
I felt not wanted and worse of all, it’s plain ignorance as there are many Jewish Arsenal fans, so clearly the ones singing it have no idea what they’re singing.
I hope this will put a stop to it.
And to be honest, I don’t even care that the literal meaning of the word means Jew in Yiddish.
It’s the connotation that bothers me.
If anything, I don’t really have a problem with Spurs identifying themselves as Jews, just like I don’t have a problem with Ajax doing the same. But that word is a derogatory term in English.
But once Arsenal fans sing “Yiddos, Yiddos” they are effectively saying “what do you think of Tottenham, shit, what do you think of shit, Tottenham, Jews, Jews, Jews.”
As if being Jewish is a bad thing. And I know that they mean that being a spud is a bad thing but what they mean is one thing, and what they’re actually saying is another.
One of the best pieces you’ll read all year. Agree with every word.
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2013/09/12/4255093/mythbuster-why-arsenal-dont-need-a-defensive-midfielder?ICID=HP_HN_1
This @56 is exactly why I think that signing Flamini was great idea. He is a ball winner, natural leader but also has good distribution.
As it has been said before, Flamini might prove to be as crucial signing for this season as Özil.
I remember that I got the call and I had to go over two days later. It was on a Sunday when I called my parents and my wife’s parents and said ‘we have to tell you something’. They probably expected a baby or something
Heh. I love Mad Jens
http://www.arsenal.com/news/features/lehmann-big-interview
Snir@54/55: the sad thing is that I get the feeling that many understand exactly why the Y word is bad, but they get off on the provocation – pretty much like internet trolling but in real life.
Özil is gonna be at the presser today along with Arsene.
Exciting.
Is it gonna be the first time Arsene presents a player at a presser? I certainly can’t remember another time (and pictured at highbury with a scarf does not count).
Excellent posts above Snir even without your ‘correspondent’. And good link @56. Good to see you back.
Point taken re the ‘What do you think of Tottenham’ chant. However that chant does seem to be an ingrained Arsenal tradition and it seems to have become more prevalent in the Grove than it was in THOF probably as the number of chants/songs for individual players have declined. I think most of those singing it do so out of that tradition rather than with any racist intent.
I agree that it would be far, far better if the ‘yiddo’ coda was dropped or replaced by some other chant. Unfortunately I think it’s going to take prosecutions to achieve that.
There is no place for racism in football, or anywhere else for that matter. However, knuckledraggers outnumber sapient folk by an alarming amount, especially at football grounds. I’d back any plan to combat it, but the odds of success, I fear, are pretty poor.
Excellent stuff ‘H.
Stuart Pearce is indeed one of the star cock-knockers of this age, or indeed any age.
No worries re Jack, he’ll come good again as long as he doesn’t get crippled by some neanderthal defender. The boy is class.
H2H – Haha, proper laugh out loud moment there mate. 😀
great to see Mesut during his first training, looks really happy and relaxed 🙂
Thanks TaBS.
http://www.arsenal.com/assets/_files/scaled/1000×704/sep_13/zp_180251345_SM_9186_9_9CD87F8_2951.jpg
‘Tall fuckers, eh?’
heh Ollie 😀
So Jack and Theo fit to start against Sunderland, TR7 ruled out with thigh injury..
Snir – see my tweets today about Sp*rz usage of the ‘Y’ word.
Afternoon all.
Cheers for the kind ones.
===
Wolfie.
I see you gave fashion tips to Reyes (see Arseblog)
Like the idea of speedos, not so sure about the parka, but as long as it’s not a scotty parka, I’ll let it slide. 😉
==
Snir,
I totaly understand your hurt and stand beside you in hoping that that kind of abuse is eradicated from our game.
===
Ladies and gents, I know it’s early but please have a drink on me, keep your wallet away Lars, as it’s my birthday today.
Cheers to you all.
Many happy returns and many more years, h2H.
Happy Birthday H2H!
Mine’s a pint of Landlord’s, landlord!
Happy bday H2H, big glass of Pilsner Urquell! Na zdraví!
Happy Birthday H2H! 🙂
*raises glass*
€50 million and the AFC website can’t even be bothered to spell his name right. Yes, I know there are things like “house rules” and all that crap, but it doesn’t get round the fact that mis-spelling a person’s name is ignorant and lacking in respect.
And yes, I also know I’m pissing into the wind but it’s my piss so I don’t care.
Anyone know a way to contact the webmaster @AFC?
Many happy returns H2H. Twenty one again? Cheers mate.
PS. Önly 48 hours and 46 minutes to kick off (approx.)
Ozil will be a perfect fit…!
All we need to do now is get a top class striker to capitalise on his assists, a mother of a DCM to protect him and a string of bitches to service him in the hareem every night..!
Any volunteers out there..? I was going to suggest Wolfie but I think the Koran prohibits such things. 🙂
Many Happy Returns H2H, have a good one mate.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/49458/pictures-press-conference
That grin on Arsène’s face 🙂
dk 78: not quite: it’s a late kick-off for us on Saturday!
HBH2H!
H2H – Yes indeed , it’s a little known fact that Jose was a Speedo man. He actually wanted to play in them, but unfortunately was not allowed. He took his case all the way, but sadly he got no help from that xenophobe numbskull Gordon Taylor, and had to admit defeat.
Joe – 🙂
Ollie @82. Is 15.00 BST a late kick-off?
Happy Birthday H2H.
Snir @ 41-50, this might just be the best 10 drinks in a row to grace this here bar, top tier mate 🙂
@ 54/55, these one has made me think. Firstly, I can only empathise with how you felt at that very moment, even though I’m not Jewish. When you’re the minority in any given situation (and I’d know because I’m Black), it can be a very harrowing feeling & experience to be singled out like that, especially due to any kind of racist or anti-semitic abuse.
I’ve yet to read the article from the link you posted, but when I think about the Y-word’s usage among Gooners, 2 differing scenarios comes to mind.
The 1st one – The Tollie Pre or Post Game, let’s say Pre-Game, on the day of a Home NLD Fixture. Drinks are flowing in the smaller outside area, as is Conversation about the Line-Up, the Bench, recent injures & the strength of the opposition. As kick off approaches, alcohol in the system, the chants start to go up. (Liar Liar hasn’t made an appearance yet 😛 ) You’ve got ‘The Wanky T*ttenham Hotspur went to Rome to see the Pope, that ditty about Harry Redknapp’s (and AVB’s) mother and various others, but eventually, ‘What do you think of T*ttenham’ is raised. At the conclusion of the chant, there’s always a small minority of drinkers saying the ending of the chant, its never sung as loud as ‘And we hate T*ttenham and we hate T*ttenham… x3. And that makes me think about Lars’ drink @ 59:
Snir@54/55: the sad thing is that I get the feeling that many understand exactly why the Y word is bad, but they get off on the provocation – pretty much like internet trolling but in real life.
So these are grown men and women with the knowledge that the word they are chanting is bad, but lacking the inclination to stop their usage of it, for sheer laziness or just to uphold tradition, as bathgooner @ 62 suggested: I think most of those singing it do so out of that tradition rather than with any racist intent.
So if its adults doing it, set in their ways, then unfortunately it will be very unlikely that they can be educated out of doing it, a generation lost if you will. But what about the next generation? Let’s go to Scenario 2, inside the JGs enclosure.
Scene – 1-0 up in said Home NLD Fixture after Giroud opener, opposition try to rally their team but are drowned out by the Home Support. ‘What do you think of T*ttenham’ is raised.
Son: “Dad?”
Dad: “Yes son?”
Son: “*Y-word*, at the end of the chant, what does it mean?”
Dad (probably knowing better about the meaning of the word, or sadly possibly not knowing better): “… Well, We use it as a bad word to describe Sp*rs fans, it doesn’t mean anything more than that, ok mate?”
Son: “Ok dad.”
End Scene.
And they’d both go back to watching the game, the Dad happy that he negotiated answering a difficult question and the Son content in blissful ignorance about his question.
What I’m trying to get at is that, I don’t think its possible to eradicate the usage of the word itself within the older set of Arsenal fans that attend games, I’ve been to 2 NLDs at Home in a Row, I’ve seen the signs stating encouraging people to report any use of the word and on both occasions its been prevalent as the other, maybe even more so in this year’s Home NLD because of the surrounding transfer situations of both clubs. But I do think that with careful education of subsequent generations of younger football fans, with them educating the generation that follows onwards from them, that the word itself isn’t just an offhand, throwaway insult to Spuds fans, but that it also has a deeper meaning to Jews in general, Jewish Football Fans and even more specifically Jewish Arsenal & T*ttenham fans, its usage can die out in upcoming years, until it hopefully disappears completely 🙂
I used the word once, and in this very bar. I was new to the bar, young(er!) 😛 , very impressionable, just trying to show my disdain of the lot down the road. And I was swiftly, and rightly admonished in my usage of it by the regulars. When I was prompted to do some research into what it meant to some people, I never used it again so callously.
In my humble opinion, education is all it takes.
Could the grass be greener on this side of the fence? It might be if Giroud is on this side.
Too true Wind.
But it won’t happen in our lifetime I’m afraid.
Esso @ 70, if you’re about, I’d like to see your tweets on the usage on the Y-word but I haven’t the foggiest idea what your Twitter Hamdle is 😕
If you’re not, could any of the regulars that follow us both pass it onto me with a DM or a Mention please?
*applauds Wind*
Wind, I believe you are spot on about the Y word, and it constitutes an insult to Jewish Arsenal supporters as well.
I have to concur with you dkgooner 🙁
Ollie, Great pix of AW, MO, PM and SB. An upbeat bunch. 🙂
Thanks Cent.
Thanks bt8b, and I heartedly agree with you also. I can’t begin to imagine how they must feel to hear maybe 10,000 out of 57,000 chanting that at a game, and that’s a very kind estimate sadly.
…Wins the ball in midfield…
Seriously..is umlaut something Arsenal webmaster cannot fathom? It is really embarrassing to see name of your biggest ever signing spelt wrong on so many places.
Nitpicking but still ..
*Buys Hurricane a drink*
*Buys another for H2H -Happy Birthday!*
*drinks them both*
Catalan 😆
Lays on the Assist…
Gets another round in, says cheers and punts it forward…..
The birthday boy got the goal, well in H2H!
/ \o/ / \o/ /
Meh.
That was supposed to be a cheering crowd.
*FAIL.
But at least I got the goal. 😎
Many happy ones H2H 😉
Hartelijk gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag H2H
You better go and ring that bell in your virtual bar now.
Heel mooi wash’, doe ik….
DING DING DING.
+++
Cheers guv’ and all my beloved ‘holics for the kind wishes.
Eändy – you and me both.
Let’s go picking nits.
dk, oops, for some reason I thought it was a 5.30pm kick-off, but you are indeed right!
Thanks for making me check, I might have missed the game!
You’re welcome, Ollie. I had to check too – we have guests coming to dinner so a late kick-off would have royally screwed me.
Rats, I was hoping that you were correct Ollie. It would then have been on TV live.
Many Happy Returns to H2H, a top, top gooner. We’ve never met. I would really like to put that right one day.
Wind – I tweet as @esso260589. Mostly a load of shite with the odd pearl of wisdom thrown in. Bit like what I post on here really.
Yep, 3 0 clock K.O.
Not cool here.
Last year no problem, but due to Fox taking over control, I only have two channels instead of five, meaning that the only three o clock K.O broadcasted will be the Swampies v canaries.
Who the fuck wants to see that?
I want my money back!!!
Cheers Esso sir, the feeling is mutual.
The missus has got me (us) an open ticket for a weekend in London. Just got to see when I can get away and when we are at home for a game where I can get tickets.
Sounds easier then it is. 😉
@H2H Not attending much for various reasons (mostly financial) at the moment. Can quite often sort tickets though if needed. Anyways, hope we can get it together some time.
Cheers mate, I’ll keep that in mind. But if I’m over, or your in my neck of the woods, a drinky is a must.
*you’re
A bit quiet in the bar = the perfect time to get a new round in. 😎
H2H, may I suggest Southampton at home (23 november, a Saturday 3 PM kickoff) if you can get away from the pub that weekend? I will be over for that one. Won’t be any problems getting tickets for that one either.
many happy returns, h2h. have a beer, with a bourbon chaser if you like, on me.
thought i’d share this with the congregation:
https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/543457_574231462640655_1418250386_n.jpg
love it!
Happy birthday, H2H. Well in, and get them in.
Nice one Lars.
I’ll get on it.
@86,
Very good, but a bit long-Winded. 😉
H2H, happy birthday to you!
Cheers, I’ll have a round
Briiiant scruz.
Happy birthday H2H. Don’t celebrate too hard, as in maybe you should have a bit of H2O once in while. 😉
H20??
Is there alcohol in that?
cheers, h2h. given the gaffer’s title and subject i figured it went fine without caption towards the, as you said, “penalty shanking cum burper”, as well.
i am glad to know the full whatta ya think of tottnumb chant. i like the first part, ’cause they are sheite. don’t like the second part at all, didn’t know it ended that way. drag. i’ll keep chanting the first (or playing it in Em as a call and response, so to speak), and stop at the end.
Southampton eh? Better make sure I am around for that one. Tickets shouldn’t be an issue.
With you all on the Y word. I know too many people it offends these days.
Esso knows 😉
H2H, here’s a cocktail for you. It’s called water but there’s not an ounce of it in the recipe. Unless you count melted ice. 🙂
http://www.drinksmixer.com/drinkb1c5956.html
Nice one 8ball….
But Midori and Raspberry liquor???
What kind of bar do you think I have? 😉
a high one, apparently, h2h. no little umbrellas, either.
Elvis Giroud
http://imageshack.us/a/img13/1457/b7oh.jpg
Many happy returns H2H.
Open ticket?
Keep me posted – I’ve a bloody mary waiting for ya.
Southampton at home – I’m in.
Big girls birthday, I believe. 😉
http://www.arsenal.com/assets/_files/scaled/251×310/sep_13/zp_180251345_SM_9211_3_9CD87EF_8602.jpg
“Man that French bloke is handsome”
Trev @ 122, haha, thanks mate 🙂
Not sure, H2H, but I bet Wolfie would approve. As for the fruity liquors I guess I missed those at the bottom of the list. 😉
Now Zidane is badmouthing Mesut. That truly is a classless club.
zico @134
is that when the big girl gets her blouse?
I should be around for Southampton.
I’m still trying to figure out if attempting to attend Norwich is reasonable.
In the absence of any midday train, I might try to take the 1.13pm train and then either just miss the first few minutes, or get a cab from St Pancras and just about make it if I’m lucky.
The stressful bit though is that either I just about have time to drop my stuff at home, or I have to put my luggage at left luggage at Gare du Nord, would have to check how that’d work.
I would in any case be quite knackered though, what with travelling overnight and being jetlagged.
Might not be such a great idea, even if I am obviously very very tempted by this madness.
Zidane is a cunt, baff.
D’accord M. Belge. 🙂
It is good to see that Gnabry scored once again tonight for u 21’s. I guess we will see him in the squad for the weekend, as a reserve, obviously.
Different class that boy, has all the ingredients to be special for us in the near future. Looking forward to see him and Ryo on both flanks against WBA in the Cup.
Terrific stuff Wind.
Sadly I believe, like Esso, that until Tottenham stop with all this “ownership” nonsense others will continue to use it. That said, I was struck on my last two visits to the Shitehole that whilst use of the word came blaring at us from 3 sides of the ground, it’s use in the Arsenal section was, if not eradicated then certainly diminished from years gone by.
H2H – Be fantastic if you can make it over. Soton will be a goodie 😉
Scruz @119 – Haha, top pic 🙂
Dr Z @134 🙂
Bath – Blouse and Speedoes, it’s the perfect combination! 😉
Wolfie
First they took the speedos, then they jacked the snoods..
Those fashion deprived trogalidites. 😉
Peasants H2H 😉
Happy birthday H2H!!!
Your drink is on the bar!
Heh Wolfie.
Peasants is a step up.
==
L’chaim and Gesundheit Snir my friend.
Oh H2H, You’re here! Happy Birthday, lad 🙂
Thanks TaBS 🙂
If I may;
Zidane is a jizz juggling, sister shagin’, scrotum slobberin’, goat guzzlin’, wop buttin’, Gepetto made Real puppet.
So fuck him and anything he says……
He’s not a real boy, but he wishes he was…..
Thank you Nursie.
*waves
~~~ waves back 😉
Get off that fence H2H! 🙂
And hi Abb 🙂
( . ) ( . )
) (
( y )
Just doodling…
Öskar
Bugga, your format takes out the spacing, ‘holic! It should have been centered. 🙁
Öskar
I’m in a foul mood on account of Sky is not playing the Arse game until 11.30pm on Sunday night (NZ time). At least that’s when the ‘Arsenal TV’ programme begins and the game itself won’t start for an hour or more after that! That’s getting on for 48 hours after the game was played ffs!!
How am I supposed to avoid hearing the result before then without missing every sports and news broadcast, mates in the pub and chance encounter in between?
A strongly-worded email is on the way to Sky… (insert black looks emoticon)
Öskar
Happy one H2H. In my college days we would chug one beer for every year old we were. Yikes! 🙂
Cheers!
Wolfie@145: plus the Jimmy Choos, I assume.
Oskar – doodling magnificent — with you re TV coverage – mighty pissed off – they treat kiwi’s as if we’re on the other side of the world — we’re not,we’re this side.
Happy birthday H2H! Hope you get all the ties and socks a man could wish for 😉
After the rush of TDD and then the downer of the interdull, I feel so bored. The weekend cannot come fast enough (down Wolfie lol)…
I came across a good writeup about the under 21s match though. It seems like injuries are taking their toll on Ryodinho…
http://arsenalyouth.wordpress.com/2013/09/12/gnabry-outshines-ryo-as-arsenal-u21s-defeat-west-brom/
Agree with every word.
http://talksport.com/football/baddiel-backs-fa-stance-anti-semitic-term-13091259798
I’ve had the stereotype response from Sky, Impressive, how there’s so much sport happening they can’t fit it all in (after checking I see zero stuff of any interest to me at midday Sunday). No response either to my suggestion they cut the 90 minutes of extra stuff in Arsenal TV since I just wanna see the game.
I think I exaggerated about being 48 hours after the match, more like 20 when they play it, although I won’t see it until about 26 hours after if I record it. Whatever, it’s impossible to discuss with Goonerholics here in anything like the same time-frame.
That houseboat on Cheyne Walk I have my eye on is looking more appealing every week. If only it wasn’t in Chavland!
Öskar
This has felt like the world’s longest interlull even when considering the win over Spurs leading into it. Normally a win like that makes the time fly.
Happy birthday, H2H. Still counting them, huh? I’m trying to forget!
Did you know that birthdays, statistically, are more commonly shared than some realise? In fact I would bet good money that you’re not the only Goonerholic celebrating theirs today. Hands up anyone?
Why am I so sure? Well, according to probability laws, in a group of 75 (and I assume there are at least that many in this Goonerholic group) there’s a 99.9% chance of two people having the same birthday. More oddly, if the group consisted of only 23 people there would still be a 50-50 chance of two people matching.
You’ll find the maths here …. http://betterexplained.com/articles/understanding-the-birthday-paradox/
Öskar
‘Good morning my neighbours!’
Well said Snir and Wind. Totally agree with every word.
Ps – thank god the real football is nearly back.
Has H2H aged another year? Hard to believe with skin like his.
Happy Beeday, sunshine. Hope it’s a good one, rewarded belatedly by an Ozil goal + assist! And lots of drinks. But I’d worry about your organisational powers if you failed to get pissed in your line of work.
😀 😀 😀
Morning H’ and Holics. Hope the head is not too mushy after the birthday celebrations H2H.
Football is getting closer…..I can almost smell it.
‘Allo Bath,
Hope to see you next weekend?
Thanks N7 Gooner 🙂
Porco Rosso, very belated congratulations on the birth of your daughter, I trust Porco Rosette is doing well at 10 days old? 🙂
Thanks all for all your kind wishes.
Miraculously, I’m not really that worse for wear today, maybe because I was working yesterday as well as supping. Tonight could get messy though as it is the award ceremony for last seasons darts competition with a mini tournament for all the leagues winners to kick off the new campaign.
As winners of the lowest division we’re probably on a hiding to nothing, but that won’t stop us drinking them under the table.
Sport eh? It’s good for ya. 😉
Sadly or happily I will not be in attendance a week tomorrow, H.
I shall be in Vietnam on our late summer jaunt in the footsteps of Colonel Kurtz. 🙂
I will no doubt be looking for a stream on my iPad at some ungodly hour.
Here’s to a run of wins while I’m on my travels. A case of 6 bottles of Glenfarclas 25 yo is on the bar for the regulars. Sip it and savour it and make it last a couple of weeks fellas. (Some chance). Lars where’s that credit card?
*trousers two bottles of delicious Glenfarclas*
You’ve been short-shipped bath 😉 Have a great trip.
Winner
If there’s a competition for the ‘most Daily Mail sentence ever written’, then end it now, tap the glass and announce the winner.
In a piece explaining how wonderful George Best was and we’ll never see his like again and glossing over/not mentioning that pesky domestic violence business, the following passage appears:
‘When the beautiful people die young, like Princess Diana, they live fresh in our memory. Still full of youth and hope. Never looking old.’
Ideally could’ve done with something about the Muslamics, but you can’t have everything.
The piece was, of course, written by Jeff Powell.
How the heck am I suppose to find time to say anything, with all these links to read (and ponder!) 😉 Holic, when I read Stuart’s sound bites, I felt embarrassed! For him, mostly 😉 Must follow up and find his entire tirade. You mention the attacks on Jack (his ankles!), that’s what concerns some of us, even more. Can’t imagine being able to walk, much less run, with the abuse he endures. Now back to the drinks (rubs palms together greedily). And yes, hello EVERYBODY 🙂
Cheers Wind, very impressed that you even know how old she is mate! Little Rossette is doing really well, thanks, all going swimmingly.
Cannot WAIT for tomorrow.
Hello, Nurse.
Happy trails Bath.
Good afternoon all!
Mild and sunny here in Switzerland. So beautiful it makes me think we’ll keep a clean sheet tomorrow 🙂
What do you think?
Datstyuk … I hope you are right. Even though it might make more sense to think so if we were playing in Switzerland tomorrow. 🙂
I have processesd 4 links, so far. Snir’s video, 8balls cocktail recipe, Oskar’s brain teaser @ 167 , and Ryo’s woes @ 163. And I’m trying to solve Ollie’s logistical problem @ 140. Oskar, get the houseboat, please. We can all crash there! Bath, while you are in Vietnam, please be very careful what you eat (dogs are on the menu there 🙁 ) Now, back to more offerings 😉
@ 119 Scruz, @ 135 Bearded 🙂 Ollie @ 81, that is a close runner up to my fav, when Arsene practically laid his head on Pat Rice’s lap 😉 Wind @ 86 Just so proud of you. When Suarez insulted Evra, some folks blamed the victim (him). Evra could have kept his mouth shut, but he decided to take a stand, which I believe took a lot of courage.
abb @ 185 — Actually among all East Asian cultures dog meat is most prevalent in South Korea but even there too you won’t eat it unless you ask for it. It is like advising someone traveling in the South of US to watch out lest you are fed alligator meat. 🙂
Vietnamese cuisine is actually quite fantastic: sophisticated, varied, fragrant, with a great combination of protein, vegetables and herbs.
And it is not only Korea-China-Vietnam — many other parts of the world has different groups consuming dog meat. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_meat .
David Ornstein reporting that Ozil was ill and missed training but is travelling to Sunderland.
Mertesacker also ill, does not travel (yikes). Vermaelen travels.
Suspect we’ll line up as follows:
Woj
Jenks Bac Kos Gibbs
Rambo Jack
Theo Ozil Cazorla
Giroud
Although I guess there’s a chance that Ozil might start on the bench. Not sure who plays left wing if we move Santi inside – Gnabry, perhaps? Makes a bit of a mockery of the idea we didn’t need an attacking midfielder!
N7 @ 188: I thought something was wrong looking at the training pictures in Arsenal web-site today with Ozil not present when you expect him to be in as many frames as possible.
I suspect Flamini will start tomorrow and we will most likely rotate Ozil-Jack as starting/sub combination. Jack most likely to start.
Sanogo is out injured as well, so both Gnabry and Ryo would most likely travel.
@ Dr F
I wondered if he might push Jack forward and start Flamini. I suspect a lot may hang on what he feels Jack needs after his midweek slating playing that role for England.
I think Per is a real miss. The defence always looks less organised in his absence.
Have they been eating the lasagne that was being prepared for our neighbours……..
N7 @ 190: Per’s absence is also another reason to opt for the 2008 vintage of Chateau Mathhieu de Flamini 🙂 … someone to organize and direct.
Per is always a miss. But we should be fine as Bac-Kos both are in imperious form.
If we must have to move Santi inside, expect Gnabry to start or if Arsene feels like experimenting a bit, Nacho-Gibbs both to start down the left and Gibbo in the position he grew up playing in. 🙂
N7: “Not sure who plays left wing if we move Santi inside”
One solution would be to start Monreal in left back and Gibbs on the left in the front three.
Thanks for the travel advice all. Looking forward to sampling Vietnamese cuisine and hospitality.
Flamini will definitely start – no question. That boy brings bite to the party.
Fine, fine piece of comic writing at arseblog’s ‘Gentleman’s weekly review’ today.
——-
AG: We know a little about your legendary through-ball, The Mesmertron. I know for a fact that many Arsenal supporters have been on Mr. You’s Tube pretty much constantly since your signing, drooling at the compilation films.
MO: I have to turn the sound off on those. Why is the music always so awful? Anyway. Yes, The Mesmertron. I go into a kind of trance state, where I am hyperaware of the positions of all other 21 players on the pitch. Time slows. I am somehow able to imagine the millions of permutations of play which are possible in the next five or so seconds and I pick the right Gentleman’s Favour. It often, well, mesmerises our opponents, which is flattering. It’s easier in some cases of course, you can hypnotise John Terry just by drawing a chalk line between his legs. But I’m hoping to unleash a few Mesmertrons this season.
——–
Ha ha ha!
abb @ 186, thank you Nursie 🙂
Re: bath @194. Not in the same way as Suarez, surely? 😉
And Holic @ 177, here’s a couple of bottles of 21 year old (a steal at £70 a bottle) to make up the case.
*Slips an elegant Ozilesque/Bergkampesque curving ball across the penalty area.*
Hello nurse, et al.
Sunderland preview will follow appropriate pintage, so be prepared for a long night 😉
Wow, ball hit me unexpectedly and went in 🙂
Best kind H. Even TH14 was happy for the odd in-off.
bt8b @197 – certainly not. Much more in the Peter Storey “bites yer ankles’ mode.
Hello Holic! “Your writing contains no small amount of joy, tempered by an equal aount of hurt.” See, I read everything 😉 Hint, twitter, holics (ha ha). 🙂
Nice one Maestro! 🙂
Top Quality Assist bathgooner 😉
You are most welcome, Wind. Dr Faustus @ 187, It is sadly true. Dogs and cats boiled alive. But do you know they are first tortured, for they believe the animals fear, enhances the flavour of their meat. 🙁
Appropriate pintage? Ok, my money is on a seven-pinter with a few whiskey chasers 🙂
That is horrible abb. I will be extra careful. I have, BTW, eaten alligator in Louisiana and Florida. Remarkably like chicken. Needs a goos Cajun sauce to add flavour.
tsk
-s
+d
no goose or torture involved.
Of course Ozil is sick. He wasn’t in the training pics on .con earlier
Thanks abb. Not sure being one of the top fifty over 50 bloggers is such a fiercely competitive battle 😉
bath. Did you prefer the Louisiana or the Florida alligator? As an old Louisiana hand myself, I am hanging on your answer. At least I am glad to hear you talk up the cajun sauce. 🙂
bath. Doesn’t everything taste like chicken? 😉
Sagna – “I see my future in the centre.”
I’ll drink to that….right about…now.
bt8b – Louisiana by a country mile. Dat Cajun food was da dog’s bollox.
Every reptile I have eaten tastes like chicken – but not ostrich, goose, pheasant, grouse, guinea foul, duck or turkey, all of which I would have expected to be more closely related.
Bordeaux vs PSG tonight
Sounds like Niklas Bendtner has eaten just about everything – like or unlike chicken.
He is apparently in Copenhagen on an intensive training regime trying to lose weight.
What a joke. £52,000 per week, just in case anyone didn’t realise, and in mid September he is too fat to play football.
Well, if he hasn’t put himself in a position to be able to play, then he shouldn’t be paid.
And we might actually play this clown alongside all the other players who have worked so hard to repair the wreckage of the first half of last season.
Personally, I would rather see Gnabry or Akpom. If Bendtner really has to be paid, just pay him up, cancel his contract and get rid. And before anyone tries to defend him and says how much hidden talent he has, etc. etc., what sort of form would he be in after three years of failed loans, injuries, car crashes and piss ups ?
No thanks.
Allez Les Girondins!
Trev, I think Bendtner will be kept as far away from London Colney as possible for as long as possible and then maybe be loaned out in January or quite possibly even be bought out of the remainer of his contract. I would be VERY surprised if he were to be any kind of part of an Arsenal squad ever again.
I tend to agree Lars but given our lack of depth in strikers I think they are driving him hard to get fit just in case.
Just got robbed: very clear handball in the box. Volley-ball move, not football. Not given.
Still 1-0 to Qatar SG (seriously, they even have the national Qatar telecom company as sponsor since this week, it’s not for the French market)
Waiter, Along with my chickenesque chunks of alligator please bring me a dark and stormy yet refined glass of cabernet sauvignon hinting of kumquat and blackberry with occasional bursts of centuries-old pine sap.
http://cellarbook.wordpress.com/2013/04/06/it-was-a-dark-and-stormy-wine/
I’ll see the dessert menu later, thank you very much. 😉
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
bt8b, I particularly like the “painfully intense” description…..never had one of those…….in a red wine that is. 🙂
Game over, sadly QSG win 2-0. Bordeaux getting truly worse every season though.
I think the stated aim of 7th might still be too high 🙁
Vorsprung Der Technik……This team is purring like a beautifully engineered german motor car; theo could have had 4 already aaron is a beast in the tackle, Jack must think all his xmas’s at once playing with Mesut, WENGER OUT !!! ha ha ha