More thoughts on The Feelgood Derby
Nov 20th, 2017 by 'holic
You are, aren’t you? Go on, admit it it. You’re still smiling (with a couple of obvious exceptions-sorry D and C). This was the first match following the alleged shift in the balance of power and we were widely tipped in the media beforehand to be staring a defeat in the face.
I do understand that Tottenham had shown marginally more consistency this season and journalists of a lily-white hue have had a tough twenty years plus. They unloaded years of frustration while the bookmakers ignored such emotional nonsense. Arsenal, bound to be beaten? No sir, we were the marginal favourites and they were proved right.
I’m watching the re-run of the whole match as I type, and the memories are coming back. I rushed a few words out on Saturday night while still conscious and that enabled me to watch Match of the Day.
Without doubt the atmosphere was as good as anything we have seen or heard in many a year. The stadium was a cauldron of contempt and disrespect for the old enemy. With the support engaged it wasn’t a surprise that the team turned up too. As one, the entire side put in a proper shift and left nothing unspent. The lack of a response from the three thousand eunuchs in the south-east corner of the Grove will also have helped.
And so to teagate, and I’m not the first to make the point that any abuse of a racist, or homophobic, nature is totally unacceptable and Twitter should be better self-policed in this regard. Maybe I do them a disservice because I am told by people who read Adam Crafton’s timeline before he locked his account that nothing of the sort could be found. Perhaps they did take action because I can’t believe that he or some of his “special” peers laid into the Arsenal social media team over nothing.
If the object of the exercise was to gain clicks he was spectacularly successful. Mr Dacre will be very proud of him. You might care to think of who he works for before seeing a degree of irony in the whole sorry saga. The young man wrote a mischievous piece which was always going to draw comments when it was made to look rather absurd. I’m sorry some of it went over the top, but it’s nothing new on Twitter and no blame can be allocated to whoever the amusing and talented Gunners creative was.
Back to the feel good factor. In the unlikely event that you forgot 89 – The Film was released today. If you ordered through the Amazon link in the sidebar, thank you so much. If you were waiting today the link is still there. Please help out a poor blogger and think of all the stick I might get for commenting disparagingly on the neighbours. I was told on Saturday they’ll ‘always be shit’ by an awful lot of people.
65 Responses to “More thoughts on The Feelgood Derby”
buzzing happily, just watched the last ten minutes of each half with joy and pleasure.
nicely wrought, sir.
but forgive me for being fick as two short planks…i can’t seem to get a clear grasp on what arsenal is supposed to have done that is so bad, and what the heck it has to do with tea? consider me ignorant in the hinterlands of one of blighty’s old colonies…
A pup reporter on the Daily Mail picked an entire Tottenham eleven as the best mixed team pre-match. @Arsenal tweeted a gif to him of Mesut sipping a cup of tea and winking after the match.
Seems the kid took some grief on Twitter, which is regrettable. Some of his ‘colleagues’. Custis, Delaney, and surprisingly Henry Winter, made a big thing of how @Arsenal shouldn’t do that.
The irony of a Mail reporter accusing the Arsenal social media team of stirring up an angry mob is off the scale. Presumably he understands he is employed by a right wing, racist, homophobic, publication?
He won’t last long in the business if he is that sensitive a soul. But call out Twitter for being the root of the problem, not the Arsenal employee who sent a humorous response to a prod in the plums.
Mesut drinks tea after a match? Hordes of ex-gunnerplayers will be turning in their graves.
Okay, it’s probably a religious thing and no disrespect intended.
…although a religion that says you can’t have a pint won’t be for everyone. I’d better stop there.
I despair of the world that the UK press is creating for Britons to live in — and the US press is creating for Americans. Social media has become like a great shoal of fish that suddenly turns one way and then another, driven by no rules other than keep equidistant from the fish around them and to keep swimming. There is no moral compass for society when legislators in Westminster receive death threats for avowing a political view that is an inconvenient truth to those whose fortunes depend on another point of view. Or when a joke cannot be seen for what it is.
Someone take that spade out of Chris’s hands 🙂
I have no time for religion, countryman. Everyone’s entitled etc etc, and good luck to them, but it’s all some kind of medieval mind control, imo.
Don’t really understand about tea drinking being a religious thing. In this country most people drink beer but does that make beer drinking a religious thing?
The drinks are taking an unexpected turn after we have humiliated the neighbours. Much like Twitter. The fourth estate have changed the narrative once more. This is truly 1984.
Best to keep religion out of things entirely. I didn’t mean to throw things off the rails, but tea drinking must surely be more cultural than religious, if not purely a matter of personal preference. Besides, tea is good for you. They do say the Italians prefer espresso. 😀
Concordia Cervisiam Crescit.
?
Muslims believe that abstinence (from alcohol) is a command from God, bt8, so decidedly religious. Personally I don’t see why religion should be sacrosanct, but some can get very excited about it.
When people ask I usually claim cricket as my religion.
Enough digging, countryman? 😀
We, also know that not all people base their taste in beverages on the religion they claim or don’t claim to follow.
Indeed, bt8, and likewise some Christians have been known to be adulterous. Maybe even coveted their neighbour’s Ferrari.
At least we can all agree that Spuds fans are the spawn of the devil, right? Utter shite.
Hear endeth the lesson.
Thanks Guvnor, as you say ironic
indeed for the Heil journalist to
run for cover. And quite witty of
the Arsenal guy to post.
Hopefully, a raise will be winging
it’s way to him 🙂
huh. thank you, holic. sounds as if there’s ann odd, anti-arsenal bias in the media. who would have thought! i think i’ll join mesut in a spot of tea. yorkshire gold, a touch of sugar, and a splash of milk, if you please. in the portmeirion, if you please.
now, what religion is black tea representative of, again?
still tingling, going to watch it again tonight.
On a more relevant Arsenal note,
it seems the stories of Steve Rowley
leaving were true. Goodbye to him
after many years of stalwart service
and welcome to Sven Mislintat.
Now, who do we want to nick off
Dortmund?
Of course that leads me clunkily to
Cologne this Thursday…..
Probably the trickiest of the group
games but hopefully a spine of
experienced internationals –
Osp, Mert, Elneny, Jack and OG
– leavened with a few teaspoons of
promising youth in the form of
Rob, Calum (fit?), Ash, Nelson and
Joe can see us through.
If Theo is still poorly then Nelson
could get a game further forward.
Be nice to keep the positive vibes
with a win.
When I went to Turkey I found no shortage of carpet sellers who served up a free cup or six of apple tea if you walked into their shops expressing a vague interest in looking at a carpet. And if I ranked my top eleven carpets for them they probably would have brought me a biscuit. 🙂
Did somebody mention tea?
https://youtu.be/eELH0ivexKA
I miss Joe. Just sayin’.
Yes.
I am. I admit it.
Still smiling.
What kind of a lesson does it teach divers to have an offense called ‘Successful Deception of a Match Official’ of which Niasse of Everton has been charged? Most likely that the only real offense is to be caught doing it, unless they drop “successful” from the name of the crime.
You’re right bt8
How about….
“Poorly executed gulling of a
real sucker”
Bit harsh on the ref but how’s he
to learn without some tough love?
@28. I think you’re on to something with that one, Matt. 😀
Me too. Still smiling. And enjoying a nice cuppa char.
There is only one religion for me: the Arsenal. A wide range of drinks are available but I draw the line at Weissbier and babycham.
I think we ought to debate Football rather than tea or goodness knows what else . We have after all, as Holic reminds us, reasserted our supremacy over the Forces of Darkness .
I do have to say that the Spuds are a force to be reckoned with but they now are starting to be looked at in the sort of light we have for the last thirty years and they jolly well should be expected to win something. They are a very long way behind us in honours won and I hope they have to face the same pressures we did when moving to a new ground. There may be more mone6 about nowadays but the costs of building in London are astronomical as the Chavs are finding out. Maybe if they go through some of the pain we did and start systematically losing players people may realise that Wenger did exceptionally well to keep us in the top four whatever we may think of his qualities now .
I sense a power battle going on between Gazidis and Arsene . Arsène is incredibly loyal. Steve Rowley is still being kept on despite being a Luddite as far as examination of player data is concerned. Not for him the world of MoneyBall. But he’s still got a consultancy at the club! Probably on similar terms- because Wenger trusts him.
If we do get a Sporting Director and I hear the Barcelona man – Sanllehi? I – is the favourite that will represent a massive land grab by Gazidis . Let’s see what happens and while we do let’s savour being Kings of North London again!
Tea has thereby been consigned to the ashbin of history. 🙂
in one fell slurp
without so much as a buy your leaves
.
substandard below char punning , right there
.
.
sorry trev
*puts fart cushion on thunder T’s chair*
*runs away*
As far as Kolasinac I don’t think we’ve seen nuthin’ yet, and I mean that in a distinctly positive way. Our best summer signing in many a year. And, it almost feels like Mustafi is a new signing too. His performance against Sp*rs was newer, shinier and better than any game in many a month. Koscielny, Mustafi and Monreal are about as mobile a back three as you might want, and with Kola and Hector providing cover on the wings we just may have the makings of a defensive unit that can take us places.
*nods sagely*
“What bt8 said”
cba @33 ??
babycham, bath? what the heck?
and holic, where’s joe? i thought i’d been reading most everything, though i haven’t been writing much in the last year. hopefully nothing dire.
@34, you missed a trick…shouldn’t that be under thunder t’s char?
personally, i miss the days when tea or drinks or lars’ wallet or shaft’s mustache wax or wofie’s jimmy choos, or even lady nina’s back nine were the subject of extended conversations…
bt8b@35: Kos is 32 and Nacho 31 so they’ll have to take us places soon.
“Tokyo begins with tea. It’s the Japanese way of saying you’re welcome” Headline for a trade-related ad I wrote in the ’70s for an Australian bank.
And for those who like girls in skimpy denim shorts (and who doesn’t?) here is a poster I created for the same bank in the same era … https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1642527922447226&set=a.1089493461084011.1073741825.100000701012434&type=3&theater
Misery ebbing away it seems
With the help of two cans of ale and three or four out of context tea references. 🙂
Skimpy denim shorts and bilateral trade deals butting heads. Such were the times but Levi Strauss did okay.
Ned, Kos has his achilles situation as well but I’m hoping he is good for at least two more seasons at this level. Within a couple of seasons Nacho could be moving inside having shown us he can play the centre back position quite well on a number of occasions. No group of five players is likely to stay together for very long, but knocking on wood this one will be able to play at least through next season and develop a clean sheet habit. We have now won 11 or so home matches consecutively, and our defensive stability must have played an important role in that so long may they continue, and come on the clean sheet at Burnley.
bt8b@44: a couple of seasons would be good. The question is the succession. Is Holding, Mustafi, Chambers the back three for 2019-20? Will we have to buy, particular to replace Nacho on the left side of that back three? Or will someone breakthrough from the Academy, Bielik, Pleguezuela or Bola, for example, though we look a little short in left-side central defenders coming through?
Liverpoo threw away a 3 goal lead
in the CL – been there, done that.
Morning Chris,
A great poster !
The tea is the Japanese way of
saying get out at the end of dinner
🙂
Morning Ned,
Holding and Chambers – good name
for a law firm.
Both Rob and Calum started well
and had some problems since –
like many a young CB before them.
Calum did well it seems at Boro but
it’s a big season for him back in the
spotlight. Rob has more time at the
moment I guess but with Mert
retiring and Gab gone we’ll need to
make some CB decisions come the
end of the season.
Dunno know about you Ned but I’d
honestly take 1 out of the 2 making
it at this stage.
And of course if I was a praying
man, I’d say one daily for the
achilles of Kos. Or is that achillae?
Thanks, Matt. Would you believe it took a whole afternoon to get that shot exactly right? 😉
absolutely, I’d believe that!
Cheers H! I know one LWC at my place of work. Conspicuous by his absence so far this week. The cunt.
Heh Chris @ 51. Great art takes time.
Wednesday afternoon and still feeling good here, Holic.
I’m pleased to say that never having taken the plunge into Twitterland, I was completely unaware there even was a “teagate”. Sometimes being constantly (too) busy has its advantages – at others, not so much.
Personally, although I don’t get involved, I understand Twitter to be the home of the knee jerkers and loudest screamers. It should be a good thing, putting people in touch with each other who would never otherwise be so. But every time I see anything re-posted from Twitter, someone else is lining up to claim the account is a fraud, or the information is lies.
Better to come here and get the FACTS !!
Everyone seems to be talking about religion and tea …… ?
Good god, their hides deserve a good tannin’
Howdy, cba ??
These drinks are definitely rated … PG
We don’t want the barman to lose his license Cynic.
cynic, you can leave the tips on the bar for trev, and holic.
bt8, we’d be mugs if that happened.
Interesting… (well, maybe not).
I’ve just re-watched the MoTD highlights of Saturday’s NLD, after downloading and watching a full video of the first half. This confirmed my thought that Auntie Beeb hadn’t shown the incident early in the match in which Özil (?) was fouled when clear in on goal and the ref waved play on. This was a decision that I have read somewhere Mike Dean may have been trying to redress by awarding the free kick against Sanchez for the foul on Sanchez. I have no idea whether either or both of those decisions was correct, nor am I particularly exercised about the non-award of a free kick against Mustafi for offside. (If he was offside, it was only minimally and only for a very short time. If the lino had spotted it, it would have been an amazingly excellent performance.) The decision that does interest / exercise / enrage me is the one by Auntie to devote a lot of air time to discussing the damage that one questionable decision had on the Tinies and to devote no time at all the the damage done to the Mighty Arse by another.
It’s almost enough to make me wonder whether maybe the Beeb aren’t entirely impartial.
COYG
Has anyone had their copy of ’89 delivered yet?
I ordered mine last Monday, and received a confirmation from Amazon. Then, on Sunday I had an email saying it had been dispatched and the tracking link in the email said it was due for delivery by 8.00pm. The package wasn’t delivered, and the tracking site now says it’s due by this Friday.
Oh yes, the tracking site also says they are sorry my package is late.
Better than nothing, I guess.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Pangloss,
I ordered my 89 through the sidebar here and it was delivered on Monday morning ?
I aim to watch it as soon as my continuing tendency to bask threatens to wear off.
Pangloss@60: Spot on. The headline on the BBC match report was “Arsenal score two first-half goals to beat north London rivals Tottenham for the first time in seven Premier League games” whereas the headline could have been “Arsenal score two first-half goals to extend north London rival Tottenham’s misery to only one win in six games”.
Thanks Trev.
Ned – If I remember correctly how the scientific method works, if we can successfully predict things based on these observations, then we can get our Conspiracy Theory reclassified as a Law.
COYG