By Bulldog Drummond
There are, surrounding Arsenal today, quite a number of civilians who acknowledge only three concepts – one they are (by their own claims at least) Arsenal supporters, two that Arsenal are rubbish and three if only they were allowed to manage the club, by the appliance of common sense and quite possibly a bottle of gin, Arsenal would be top of the league. Rather than third.
Hidden beneath this camoflage is the fact that they are bored half out of their minds with boredom. They might also be, we may guess, like Richard Hannay “pretty well disgusted with life”, while like that old rascal Carruthers in “The Riddle of the Sands” are “finding success on the pitch increasingly tedious”, And they would willingly say anything to stir their own lives up a bit.
So they pick up the aftermath of every event, and have their say. But if we give them the agenda, dear friends, they can teach us all to think through our arses. Time to stand up and fart, says I.
Or put another way: time to go through the factors of the aftermath, and cosh the blighters a jolly good blow to the chops.
Here’s the Aftermath News…
1. Arsenal have lodged a complaint with Uefa over the bottle which was thrown at Arsène Wenger as he left his technical area at the end of the game against Besiktas.
2. Mr Wenger was also openly critical of the Serbian referee which could mean that he (Mr Wenger) is charged with undermining civilisation and inviting flying saucers to land. “It’s very difficult to understand but, in the second half, the performance of the referee was very bad,” he said. That’s fighting talk. The punishment would be a touch line ban because while Uefa is happy to have attempted leg breaking on the pitch, a word against the refs is not on. Pierluigi Collina said recently that refs should stop petty fouls. I don’t think he also meant that the big ones were ok to let go.
3. Aaron Ramsey will miss the return having been sent off for being in the wrong place (ie fairly near the ref). The fouls on Necip Uysal and Oguzhan Ozyakup were fouls, but the cards were totally out of place in a game where far worse was not punished. But it means that Ramsey gets a break, and we’ll have the triumvirate of Mesut Özil, Per Mertesacker and LukasPodolski back. Sadly Demba Ba has got the message that he can do anything to anyone and get away with it. He needs a slap round the chops.
4. Slaven Bilic might be banned after being sent off – if so we need to have a camera on him to see if he sends messages to the bench. Remember when Mr Wenger tried to do that and Uefa banned him again even though they hadn’t told him not to. If both managers are banned, will they have to sit in different parts of the stand, or could they sit next to each other comparing notes about referees.
5. Arteta is out for a couple of weeks at least, maybe more. But that’s what you get with Uefa refs.
6. Giroud has scored 40 goals for Arsenal across two seasons. Eight less than Henry in the same period but Giroud played 10 games less. He scored a wonder goal against Man C, but he is a hate figure as the AAA are determined to do to him what they did to Gervinho – boo him so much that he will move on. Want a definition of insanity – turning on Giroud at this time is my definition.
7. Sánchez is getting the hang of things and will be able to play centre forward within a few weeks.
Sánchez has pace and power and when paired up with Theo Walcott the attack is going to be momentous. Giroud can carry on scoring four in ten all the time, and add an extra problem to defences by being the distraction that allows Theo and Alexis the chance to weave in. We could also see Sánchez in the centre when Giroud needs a break.
8. Chambers is amazing where ever he is played. In any sort of sane society Wenger would be lauded for getting this man-about-the-defence into the team and giving him the confidence to play. Do we hear a word of it? Well, stupid question really, given that the agenda is written by the AAA and their media allies.
But we really should be singing Wenger’s praises for this deal alone. Chambers isn’t 100% but then nor was Tony Adams when he joined the team. Nor was Henry. Nor was Bergkamp.
9. No one quite knows what our team for the Everton match will be and that is great news. We have the Germans back, and of course Ramsey is still with us. Only Arteta is out. The choices we have are terrific, which leaves Everton guessing.
10. The AAA will react to anything, say anything, and work on the premise that if they say it enough the media will follow, and if the media say it, it must be true.
Last season our one defeat at home in the first match resulted in predictions saying that we would not only not get into the top four, but would actually end up mid-table. Dead certain. Not guessing. Clear as the hand behind my back.
We hadn’t signed people, it was a disaster. One defeat and we were dead. This time, as Walter pointed out, we have won the FA Cup, won the Community Shield, won our first match, and drawn away in the Champy League. And we are going to be relegated.
And that’s where we stand. The media and their natural allies shoulder to shoulder. Somehow the sheer oddity of their position can leave the mouth hanging open.
Memo to self: close mouth.
———
- Woolwich Arsenal: The club that changed football – Arsenal’s early years
- Making the Arsenal – how the modern Arsenal was born in 1910
- The Crowd at Woolwich Arsenal
But when we challenge the AAA on their bullshit and call them out for their nonsense, some with a desperate but misguided need to “hear out both sides” call us bullies who are no different from the agents provocateur. There numerous outlets for those who want to abuse the players and manager, can’t we have this sanctuary to ourselves in the name of fairness?
Screw the AAA and their apologists.
Keep it up
I have no idea as to the goings-on at London Colney.
Therefore I will not lambast any player, or claim that Mr Wenger and Mr Bould are not speaking to each other, after ten seconds of TV coverage!
The game is subject to the camera, the camera operator and the Director. Finally, the editor.
The scribblers of the press, especially the Telegraph examples, are only interested in some obscure angle, nothing to do with the footy that actually happened.
I, certainly, can see no point in wasting any time on the AAA.
Is there anyone out there, reading Bulldog Drummond, the novels?
Just get that dm
8. Chambers is amazing where ever he is played. In any sort of sane society Wenger would be lauded for getting this man-about-the-defence into the team and giving him the confidence to play. Do we hear a word of it? Well, stupid question really, given that the agenda is written by the AAA and their media allies.
He got 5 out of 10 in the SCUM.
Just saying.
However, unlike the author of riddle of the sands who was executed for his deemed extreme beliefs, the AAA enjoy free speech.
I’m all for free speech, but does there have to be sooooo much whining?
BTW, good book, and not a bad film either although lots of changes.
Bulldog Drummond the novels? Sounds like a best seller!
http://positivelyarsenal.com/2014/08/21/what-this-arsenal-team-really-needs-2/
The sentiment here is shared by many Arsenal fans. Especially those who are not interested in blaming the club for problems that affect all football fans, the kind of people not impressed by people who say they help the fans but have done as much as the FA have done to help the likes of RedAction over the long years.
Wenger has every right to be critical of that ref. is it just me, or has just about everything possible gone against us since the club made ridiculous fools of UEFA for trying to help their highly placed Scottish friends over the Eduardo incident? Seems like legia Warsaw came up against a similar force, albeit they were a bit more guilty as charged than we were.
Assuming we get past this qualifier, just hope we win our group, as we know, Bayern, Real or Barca await in the first knockout round if we do not.
Bulldog
I thought the crowd were Ok to tell the truth and the thrown bottle the only incident. Also, as you say it’s not so terrible that Aaron will miss the match but much more significant that Bilič is also suspended. Giroud may be a bit fresher by then and will have the benefit of Özil’s passing to help him, and I’d like to see Chambers get another match to increase his European experience, but suppose he’ll have to shift Per or play DM in place of Arteta.
There’s no reason to be concerned about this match.
Was there a reason for mentioning that the ref was Serbian? I don’t think that was why Arsene Wenger criticised him.
The report of the match in the Telegraph gave a fair representation of the match and Arsene Wenger’s views on it.
Pat
I don’t know for sure, but Arsène may have been making mischief by inferring that there could have been a conflict of interests with them A) speaking the same language and/or B) one being a Serb & the other a Croat.
Pat
By them I mean the referee and Slaven Bilic
Concerning the AAA….why dont they just move on to support another team if they are not satisfied with wats hapenning here,of go and form anoda team where they can manage by themselves.
@Mandy
There could be something in the UEFA/Scots/media/anti Arsenal propaganda. However, my view was the incident was a convenient one for certain groupings to use. These groupings already had it in for Arsenal and were energized by other slightly earlier changes.
But I agree the anti Eduardo media campaign reached an unjustified crescendo.
@Franck
The AAA are organized and have a purpose, they will not easily go away without certain major background changes.
Yes bjt, what UEFA tried over Eduardo was quite incredible and unprecedented. And we all know this organisation do not like being taken on by lawyers. Of all the blatant dives in European history…..they chose to pick on poor old Eduardo……and embarrassed themselves in the process. What hold do Celtic have? I don’t know….but know someone in the blogosphere who does……
Sorry, off topic, but a player arsenal apparently targeted….according to the press, but lost out to Liverpool is having a good conduct clause put in his contract
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-want-mario-balotelli-sign-4087028
And we all know how water tight Liverpools contract clauses are!
Having said that, believe with Caution…..this is a Daily Mirror article
Great work.
Love how the press are trying to make the Balotelli story a triumph for Liverpool over Arsenal. Makes Sanchez’s very public snub of Liverpool all the sweeter 😀
Ballo clearly wanted to join Arsenal first and formost, just like Cesc. MBs photos in front of Arsenal shops was designed to send a message. The media and rival fans will always know this….maybe partly why there is so much vitriol heading our way for now.
Balotelli is just going to Liverpool because it is his kind of city; London is not.
Ray from Norfolk, Virginia
That’s true, Italians just can’t get enough of Liverpool. Such a stylish place. It was European City of Culture in 2008, but you wouldn’t normally expect to see culture & Liverpool in the same sentence.
Aaron should have had more sense.
Stupid bugger, but he will certainly learn.
He deserved 2 yellows for his lack of professionalism.
Great, great, player though.