Dooooom. Gloooooom. Not really though, shut up.
Remember the first Arsenal match of last season when we played Newcastle and scored loads of goals and Gervinho got sent off for not throwing his weight into it and knocking Joey Barton flat on his arse? Ah, how much van Persie made that match. I’m pretty sure that even after all those goals and that spectacular performance, they had still written us off before we’d even left the pitch.
Same old, same old, this year I’m afraid. A nil-niller against a north-east side again (because van Runslikeagirl didn’t score at all in that match actually, he didn’t want to, you see), and it’s all doom and gloom among us Arsenal supporters.
Er, is it? I’m ever so sensitive to the grey mist of depression befalling my comrades, you see. Like a dog. But I didn’t notice it too much after Saturday. Did you? It seems everyone noticed the miserable mood among us except for us. The fear and the worry and the frustration so written about over the past 48 hours seems to be very much absent from the source from which it is alleged to originate. Not that that’ll stop ‘em of course!
Olivier Giroud and his spectacular face entered the field of play with about 25 minutes to go and had two fairly clear-cut chances, both of which he failed to put away. Ever since, all that has been written about is how disappointing we all found him and how concerned we are that we’re never going to score a goal again. Yet all I’ve seen is people saying ‘Don’t be silly, don’t be disappointed or concerned.’ I haven’t seen anyone be disappointed or concerned. WHERE ARE ALL THE DISAPPOINTED AND CONCERNED PEOPLE, MEDIA? Anyhoo, he said the following afterwards:
“Last season was wonderful here for Robin, but before that, he took time to settle. I am just asking people to be a little patient with me. I am not here to make people forget Robin, because he has made beautiful things here, but I just want to bring something new.”
Something new, with reinforced ankles and an unblackened, lying, tongue, one hopes.
“I know Arsenal is a great club and needs a striker ready and efficient quickly. I need games to get confidence, and it is up to me to succeed.”
Really, if he’d scored on Saturday, while it would have been good and excellent, it also would have activated the worries in me a little. We know only too well what it’s like to have a player hit the ground running and then end up doing little more than just running, headless-chicken style, as his career progresses.
Believe it or not, there were positives to come from the match. The defence for one. How we have missed Per Mertesacker. He’s just so cool and steady and sturdy and long. Meanwhile Jenkinson had a super game. And Szczesny, if he’d had anything to do, I’m sure would have done it quite exemplarily. Santi Cazorla was just ahhhhhhhhhh. So delightful to watch. I’m now torn between calling him Sexi or calling him Caphwoarla due to the sheer unf-ishness of his play.
It was a fairly frustrating day otherwise, with Sunderland fans going on like they’d won the league at the end of it, and us just wondering why we’d bothered really. But there’s no cause for suicide. It’ll all come good sooner rather than later, this is a really exciting season we’re about to see.
I feel this is a completely pointless blog to be honest, as everything that could have been said has been said. But don’t listen to any of the people paid to talk about it, because the only place they have been speaking from is most certainly not their mouth or brain.
Oh also, Song’s off. The more I think about that one, the less bothered I feel. Maybe naïve, he was key and good and bla bla bla, but if he’s being a prick, then bye bye, frankly. It’s great that Wenger seems to have become a bit ‘Well ta-ra then, gimpy’, because this has been needed to be done for donkeys’ years. If you don’t want to be here, don’t let the door hit you on the arse on the way out. He’s another player made by the trust put in him by Wenger and to all the people pointing the finger at the Club for getting rid, they might want to remember that a few years back they were probably pointing the very same finger at them for keeping the faith with a player whose style was more fit to a donkey exercise yard than a Premier League match.
Same goes for van Tooth. I’m sure we all feel like mugs for having lapped up all his words last season, and sung his name, and loved him, and been fiercely protective of him, but hey, aren’t we silly to believing the best in people! He plays tonight. May locusts fly up his nose and the tendrils of Medusa’s hair wrap themselves steadily around his ankles and squeeze. May his dinner be cold, his water bottle broken and his eyes crossed, and may it rain on him until the end of eternity. He’s moved to the right place for that last one.
I now eagerly await the arrival of Nuri Sahin, a player I have absolutely no idea about, but that apparently does want to be here – how unfashionable! – so he is as welcome as a really welcome thing.
Next week’s blog will be less shit, I promise. Oh by the way, there is someone who keeps coming onto my blog using different names (but the same IP address, deerrrrrr) and just copy and pasting other people’s blogs into the comments. Stop that.
Bye for now!
Matt
303 days ago
Good to read a balanced opinion on the game. Were enough positives for sure for me. Can’t wait to see more of Santi too.
jimmieD
301 days ago
First time reading this blog, nice,sensible reflections, certainly not shit.
A female who likes football, knows about football and more importantly is amusing about football? Holy hell! the papers could use somebody like you.
My son may be wrong, he said “You am nuts!” he may be correct, but in a good way.
Looking forward to the season and reading this.
ILIITIWG!*
* I Liked it, I thought it was good!
p.s. Condolonces on your loss, very sorry to hear of it.
Damien
303 days ago
Song isn’t a big loss. He kept roaming out of position and bombing forward like a manic. We have enough talented passers going forward that Song was surplus to requirements if he kept refusing to maintain his defensive role within the team. Still, hope we replace him with someone to provide defensive cover to the back four.
Damien
303 days ago
Is there such a thing as a Donkey Exercise yard?
The Clock End
303 days ago
Really not worried about losing Song. Vastly overrated, positionally awful.
Nuri Sahin + one more defensive player and we will be all set IMO. Absolutely buzzing for Stoke.
Nice article!
Anne
303 days ago
Your blogs always delight me, even when they’re not about too much of anything in particular. I will say that Nuri is very very exciting. Having witnessed his miraculous season with Dortmund as they stuck their fingers up Bayern’s nose, I know he’s capable of truly great things. I only hope he can get back there after his woeful lost year at Madrid. (Still angry about that one. He would have such a glorious year winning the title AGAIN with Dortmund!) It’s sweet and lovely that he actually wants to be with the Arsenal, and I hope it comes through in the next couple days.
Football’s back baby!
g clarke
303 days ago
media undermine arsenal constantly seems to be national sport maybe arsenal should bring in media lawyers to look at getting compensation
El Greco
303 days ago
Hey, Sian, thanks for your ‘opening remarks’ – glad to know you’re back in the saddle…as it were:-)
RVP leaving was another good piece of business by AW. If the guy wanted out, the next best thing is to get the best price…and £25M or so is great business for a 29 year-old.
As for Song leaving? Well he was a ‘good’ servant but not a ‘great’ servant, hence the reported £15M transfer fee.
If we consider the market, ‘Great’ players with potential go for £20+ (unless we’re talking the likes of Carrol), ‘average’ players from between £5 & £10M. So Song is a ‘good’ player, and Arsenal should not be in the business of having ‘good’ players.
All this might point to the type of players we’ve brought in as replacements. Unless we get them young and cheap, and turn them into world class players, the market does not lie.
cheers….
The Cabbie
303 days ago
About this time last year( well a few more game in) the media were telling us that we could get relegated ,got that right did they not .
The idiot on Talk Sport at 4pm said that AW should get the sack .
I do look forward to his Daily Arsenal it does light up his IQ.
The reporters and pundits are not real news men so lets have a go at the Gunners again .
If they knew anything about football they would be saying what 2 great deals. Song was a liability and I am so pleased he is going ,and what the heck Barca want with him I have no idea,
RVP for over 20 mil was quite fantastic ,yes I would have loved him to stay.
Looking at our new Spaniard in midfield ,what a gem well done AW.
Our new strike force ,lets wait and see shall we,but not the media they have made their back pages etc because they think it sells papers.It does not , it shows they have no idea ,and when they are wrong will they stand up and say so ,some chance.
This season is the first for a long time that I am excited about,and I have had a season ticket for about 40yrs off and on and saw my first match in 1949.
tim t
303 days ago
Can’t agree with you more…especially Talkshite’s AD and his daily Arsenal spot.
ManU are mugs to pay rvp over 200K a week.. if the player was only interested in the move to win trophies
Sian
303 days ago
What a great comment, The Cabbie! I hope this season lives up to some of the ones you must have seen first hand.
tim t
303 days ago
There were lots of positives on the team’s performance last sat. However that can’t be said about the negative attitude and response of some of our so called fans/supporters?
Is there any wonder that the players are put under too much pressure to perform due to the negative vibes oozing from the geatmosphere generated by the oohing and ahhing and boos?
Hence the team tends to play with the handbrakes on in most occasions. Unless the support changes it will be groundhog’s day all over again.
Daniel
303 days ago
I love how Giroud is already speaking about his confidence and his role, but I feel a bit sorry for him having to “urge fans”, explain himself and compare himself to Roger Von Flappyarms. If he hadn’t made the moves to get himself into those positions in the first place, then there would have been nothing for the brainless press to mention – or everythingl, not sure. But I see only positives in his short performance. A goal would have been nice but leave it out. Dennis Bergkamp?
You’ve covered all bases for me, I also think Sexi Cazooh-la-la had one of those “I’ve been here a while” debuts. He will be key to us this season and he likes a shot too, which is lovely.
It’s never a shit or pointless blog from you. People want/NEED to hear what you think of it all. It’s comforting in a world of football bile. And that bit about your hopes for that mug’s debut tonight is pure perfection, I want to take it for cocktails.
Mike
303 days ago
A solid, if unspectacular, performance from a team that needs a bit of time to gel.
What amazes me is that not one of the ‘brains’ in the media has spotted that Song is the last remaining player associated with David Dein’s son. Strangely their collective ‘intelligence’ failed to see the connection between Henry, Fabregas, Clichy Nasri, RVP & Song (among others).
IMHO, the Deins and Usmanov have been less than helpful. Usmanov supposedly wrote a 10 page letter to the board within minutes of RVP announcing he didn’t agree with the way the club was run. He criticised everything and adamantly stated he didn’t want to damage the club. What bull. If you don’t want to damage the club, don’t go public and perhaps have a word with your close colleague about his son’s persistent policy of advising our best players to leave.
Dein and Usmanov may not agree with the way the club has been run. And it’s an amazing coincidence (lol) that most if not all of the big name players in the last few years who ‘coincidentally’ have Dein Jnr as there agent have all had a problem with the club whilst those that don’t are quite happy. Hmmmmmmmm.
Song is the last, perhaps now we can get down to a dressing room where outside influences are not as damaging. Just a shame that there hasn’t been anybody knowledgeable enough in the media to work that one out for themselves. Or perhaps they have but they just prefer bashing Arsenal……………after all, why change the habits of a lifetime!
Trixter
303 days ago
Nice level headed blog, largely mirroring my thoughts on leaving the ground on Saturday. Cazorla looked class, and considering he was jet-lagged and making his debut playing with Arteta for the first time I think there is a lot to be positive about.
Yes Walcott, Diaby & Ramsey showed their familiar weaknesses, whilst Gervinho promised much but delivered little, I can’t wait for the Stoke game after a week of intensive team training.
Sahin plus a.n. other could push us towards a title tilt.
Paul the Gooner
303 days ago
I am glad im not the only one who wondered where all the doom and gloom from the fans was. I knew the media would leap on the side the moment they had a blank day in front of goal, so its good to be out of the way early. They seem to have conveniently forgot the games last season where we didnt score a goal even with the greatest striker who has ever lived (seriously, this is how good he must be the way they are bigging him up) in our side.
I have not been overly distraught at the loss of van persie or song, yes it would have been nice if they wanted to stay but they didnt, so good luck to them elsewhere.
And im sort of with Cazorla if he has indeed been suggesting we replace the lost players, because if all their sale was for was to recoup the spending over the summer then i feel Wenger really hasnt learned anything. But Sahins arrival as well as the potential Llorente bid looks to be the promising movement we needed.
Im keeping the faith until we have played a few games, only then will we know what our chances are looking like.
great article, will have to keep with your blogs this season.
feng
303 days ago
Woohoo finally! Could you clone yourself and replace everyone on soccernet please? Except Phil ball, he’s a ball.
Laughed out loud at the thought of van persie being despondent about his broken loved-it-since-i-was-a-child water bottle.
Cheers!
Sian
303 days ago
Paul N
303 days ago
Really good and quite funny.
I loved this line regarding song.
“He’s another player made by the trust put in him by Wenger and to all the people pointing the finger at the Club for getting rid, they might want to remember that a few years back they were probably pointing the very same finger at them for keeping the faith with a player whose style was more fit to a donkey exercise yard than a Premier League match.”
Now, that is the truth.
I feel the air is fresh around Arsenal now…lets all take a deep breath, shall we? ahhhhh! no more big headed players who used the club and crapped on Arsene and the support! I am soooo glad that they are gone. Yep, if you don’t want to be here and you feel you are on the board…be off with you!
Onto the new squad, It really feels like this set of players will push on and accomplish great things. I like all of the signings, they just need time to gel and we will see something special!
Arsene Knows Best!
vj
303 days ago
Always good reading your blog.There are many negative arsenal fans unfortunately,whining on about Wenger and van crappy on a fans forum here in Asia so you’re lucky there’s no grey mist around you.
ON the bright side,really love the club’s approach this summer. It feels a lot more decisive and love that they’re not going to take any bull from the players and that’s something I can really get behind.
No matter what the press say year after year,we haven”t lost our star man.As long as Wenger’s around,I’m not worried.
And Santos.I love that gay!(sorry)
Sian
303 days ago
Who doesn’t love that gay!
Elvis
303 days ago
i’ve spent a lot of time reading arsenal blogs today and because of that yours is truely a relief.
i very much liked what i saw on saturday, mertesacker might be a different kind of defender than vermaelen or koscielny but he’s just briliant in reading the game and standing in the way of a final pass like a rock. it’s great having him back. i just feel like having to write this because i’ve come across alot of “slow and not sharp enough” comment about him in the last hour.
i really look forward for this season in the most optimistic matter in years.
also, i’ve seen sahin playing at dortmund and you’ll be delighted, believe me, that guy might be young but he’s the real deal, great tackling, stunning passes, advanced technique – the idea to get him on loan to give jack the time to recover – really smart, i think.
gary
303 days ago
Women and Football don’t mix. Stick to the cleaning love
Sian
303 days ago
Idiots and computers don’t mix. Stick to being a prick all on your onesies, lambethgaz.
tim t
303 days ago
LOL @ GARY THE PLO*KER///he must be a spud.
Paul N
303 days ago
If this is the type of commentary we get from women, I dare say we need many more in the mix.
Some of the best posters I know are women.
An excellent write up, to say the least.
1NilToTheArsenal
303 days ago
Great blog and great write up of an opener that may have been disappointing in the end, but had hints of potential sprinkled throughout like the Spanish pixie dust Carzola seems to leave in his wake.
A single point and a clean sheet are waay better than losing to Newcastle United 2-1, or losing a top player to injury (Aguero) and almost losing to Southampton (Nasri of course, had to spoil the fun).
If we can stay healthy now, grind out a few points in the upcoming matches and work on working together, October fixtures may give us more time to gel as they look easier on paper.
Hang in there, Gooners. RvP and Song are history, they don’t matter anymore. What matters is Stoke away. COYG!
A Prick
303 days ago
I think I love you. Never change
Paul the Gooner
303 days ago
I know i shouldnt bother listening to such one sided crap, but talksports anti arsenal drivetime show is gloating at the fact we didnt score in the first game without van persie at the club.
Although unlikely, what do you reckon they will be saying if ManU lose tonight and Van Persie draws a big blank on his opening game?
There will be no back tracking on the Arsenal gloating, it will all be how he had no time to settle (all of which will of course be Wengers fault somehow) and he will score 40 goals this season in a united shirt.
And the worst part about it is they only like to poke at Arsenal fans because we make up a large portion of the listening audience, so its a desperate cry for a reaction each and every time.
Having said that, thankyou to Liverpool for making the majority of their show about your performance this weekend
FunGunner
303 days ago
Hilarious again, Sian. That’s one scary curse you’ve put on Van Tooth! He should be worried.
We demand more regular blogging from you.
Treez
303 days ago
I hope you’ve blocked ‘gary’ – what a complete tosser with no idea what a good blog looks like… And a dinosaur to boot. Love your blog – it always makes me smile.
Martxxxxxxx
302 days ago
Nice one Sian as usual, and writing this just as ive watched Fellani steal the thunder from Van Persies debut. I never realised how long and thin Van Persies face was till i saw him sit beside Anderson, weird really. Might be just me but i do like the look of this Sahin guy, more so than M’villa who i think is no better than Diaby (hes more like the Tonka version of Diaby tho). Anyone notice how Talks’ite still can’t say Cazorla but call him Carzola – geniuses! Had a weird thought the other day, could Kos play defensive midfielder? He’s quick, good reader of the game, has now experience and passing from defence has vastly improved. Just wondering. Keep up the good work Sian. Take care n stuff.
irishgray
302 days ago
Sian – Awesome write up as always
I too was quite bemused by the medias claim that we were all ‘doom & gloom’ after our opening match. I talked to several Gooners in NYC and they were all impressed by our new signings (Cazorla in particular) and some of last years ‘panic’ buys – Per, Gervinho, Arteta (as always) and young Jenkinson. In point of fact, several wondered if we were better off letting Theo go along with Song if it meant the Ox stepping up. A bit too far for me as I like having Theo in the team, like him as a person too to be honest.
I just finished watching the Utd – Everton game, and all I can say is AHAHHAHHHAHAHHAHHAHHA!!!!!
TOSSERS!!!!
Maybe we should put in a bid of $20m for Fellaini?
Nice to also see some old friends popping up on your comments section Sian, the cream of the crop if you ask me. They know who they are
Welcome back Sian!!
irishgray
302 days ago
Martxxxx – I had the same thought late last season re: Kos playing DM. He is very defensive minded and when he does come out with the ball from defense, his footwork is exceptional. It does sound good too, doesn’t it? Per and TV at CB, with Kos sitting right in front of them.
Szezzzzzzzzzzny
Sagna Per TV Gibbs
Kos
Cazorla Arteta
Theo Podolski Gervinho
Subs: Fabianski, Santos, Diaby, Ox, Giroud, Ramsey
Alan
302 days ago
You’ve done it again, bird. Lovely stuff.
Girl Gunner
302 days ago
Sian,isn’t your blog a joy to read!!
We didn’t the result we wanted on Saturday,but I think this new squad is going places..
I don’t know much about the Nuri guy,but It seems he’ll be a good addition, so yaay!
About the Gary guy, maybe he was the one posting links on your comment section,the different-names-same-IPaddress-guy? N u hit him where it hurts? Either way,he’s was being a jerk,to say the least..
Also, Fellani did his thang yo!!
hahahahahahaha.. Rooney and RVP couldn’t save ‘em..hahahahahahaha!!!
PS: I liked the “Olivier Giroud and his spectacular face” part..So true!!
Alex (@WindAFC6)
302 days ago
Another great blog Sian, the smile… is on my face
Seriously, it appears somehow when I look to the top of the page and see there’s a new blog post and doesn’t go away until pretty much 1-5 minutes after I close it, mind you it may re-appear if I remember the most funny parts of the blog :’)
Keep it up, judging by the always increasing amount of comments from when I started reading last year (2nd season here yo) you’re beginning to get the wider recognition from Arsenal fans that are regulars on other blogs.
Oh look there’s that smile again
walter
301 days ago
Well the silence from Arsenal is deafening and that is usually a great sign.
But on the internet and in the English papers, the rumours are spreading like mad that Nuri Sahin will join Arsenal on a one season loan spell from Real Madrid. If those rumours are to be believed he should be announced any day now.
So what do we know about this Turkish-German player?
He was born in Lüdenscheid (Germany) on 05 September 1988 and is 23 years old. He is 1m79 (or 5ft10in) and plays in midfield and is a left footed player.
So what could we find about him? Is there a better place to search than with people who have seen him play at Dortmund?
He became a first team player at Borrusia Dortmund at a very young age and is still the youngest goal scorer in the Bundesliga. Nothing seemed to stop his march to glory. He made his first appearance for the Turkish national team but then he suddenly had a bad spell. Dortmund sensed he needed a break and send him to Feyenoord Rotterdam. He won the KNVB Cup with Feyenoord that season. In those years Wenger named him one of the best talents in the football world.
He then came back to Dortmund and became one of the central players of the young team under manager Klopp, a team built with lots of own youth players that won the Bundesliga in 2011. Real Madrid came along and off to Madrid he went. He won the league with Real Madrid but only played a handful of games so he will not have been that happy in Madrid.
How do they describe his playing style? He likes to play in a central role and is not afraid of going in the challenge. He has a great long ball and has an eye for an opening before anyone sees it. Some could say a bit like Cesc. (Is that putting pressure on him?)
His education in Germany also has resulted in him adapting the German way of life and playing football. He always is hard working, in training or in a game, he always gives himself 200% one could say. He likes to float around midfield, but most of the time plays a central part and he can defend rather strong. He is called a real fighter on the field.
I think Podolski will know him from the Bundesliga and an incident between them in a game between Cologne and Dortmund where they stood nose to nose. A bit like Vermaelen and Van Persie once in the Ajax tournament.
He could become one of those typical Wenger buys. Didn’t make it at a the “big team” and then coming to Arsenal to give a fresh start on his career. We all know Wenger has a hand in turning such players in to real big players.
The talent is there, if he gets match fitness and sharpness he could become a big player for Arsenal this season. And who knows maybe for years to come if the loan can become a permanent deal.
Tc1168
300 days ago
Sian.. As usual a witty but very informative blog.. I have high hopes for this season and don’t feel the loss of Song will affect us too much. I think in time Coquelin will prove to be twice the player and person that Song will ever be.. I feel though if Park, Chamakh and Bendtner leave we could end up light on strikers and hopefully our failed move for Mirallas means this is something Arsene may look to address….
Looking forward to your next piece of journalistic nectar…
Mick Warren
299 days ago
Get Sahin,the next Ozil.Voted Bundesliga player of the year2011.Left to rot at Madrid.
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