We all live in a Toblerone World

Finally some proper football but it's not all in England!

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:47:23 -0600

As I sit watching FC Basel in Swiss cup beating their fierce rivals, FC Zurich, 4-1 at home it's good to see club football back on. Tomorrow I'm off to my Bundesliga game at SC Freiburg who take on Werder Bremen. Bremen are in 2nd place and Freiburg are just above the relegation scrap but we can hope. Anyway it's my favourite league with cheap tickets, standing on the terrace and drinking a beer! It also means that by the end of the weekend wenwill have had enough referee controversy to confine the Ireland game to history! Bis Bald

Coming Soon - Hypocrisy, A Celtic Conspiracy...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:23:27 -0600

Has this year become the year the outrage of the people will finally lead to change and revolution? Will fans throughout the Kingdom take up arms and ensure that the villianous cheat is hung, drawn and quartered or, at the every least, insulted on every blog going until the sound of their indignation finally extracts a confession in front of the Pope.

I was trying to work out why the act of so-called "cheating" has seemingly upsurged this season and I say that with quotation marks because the word has such a stigma to it as if it is the worst thing one human can do to another. I imagine that Hell rejects murderers and rapists as it's too busy trying to cope with all the professional sportsmen and women who have taken drugs/ dived / feigned injury / handballed / claimed a throw-in when it hit them last / pulled a shirt in the box etc AND, most importantly GOT AWAY WITH IT!!!

The real question is whether "cheating" only despicable if something truly tangible is gained? It can't be that (remember the Eduardo dive) or is it, expects OTT reaction, only when Johnny Foreigner does it against the underdog (or celtic community it seems this season). Then I remember that the Ngog dive was mentioned for a day or two and then disappeared. So what is the connection - it's obvious really as it's that despicable and actual living embodiment of all things that we call "cheating" - Arsenal! The media has pinned us with a label and that's it - we cheat, we are the worst of all and even our ex-players can't rid themselves of the disease. Oh FFS the pikey totteringham cnut cheats more in one game than most other players and spends the rest of the time telling the ref how he should do his job!

However, at least we have another day another football/sport/news conspiracy is spawned - at least it's another one for one of the Observer Sport Monthly Top 10 series... though the "cheating" in football could probably be a top million. It's just that 99 times out of a hundred the "cheating" either isn't seen in such a high profile game or have such a major impact. Calls for replays are just bollocks - though perhaps a Video Gamer could recreate all those games changed by the odd bad decision or professional play (aka "cheating") ....

Have the Irish Govt banned the sale of Gillette products yet?

Globalisation and Watching Football in a Foreign Tongue...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:47:58 -0600

I'm too annoyed/depressed/unsurprised by the injuries (so far) during the Interlull that I can't really manage any words about The Arsenal today. Instead as a football fan who has no problems with Internationals that actually provide tension and interest I've been flicking around the multitude of channels showing the play-off games for South Africa. The Egypt - Algeria game certainly had an atmosphere that would make the NL derby seem like a church coffee morning. Look out for clips on the normal channels of the Algerian commentary at the end of the game! Ukraine couldn't even sell out a stadium for a second leg play-off game which tells you a lot - not sure what but a lot... Meanwhile I wait for the French commentary on the France - Ireland game (watching out for injuries to Sagna & Gallas, of course) and await news of Arshavin's decapitation in Russia - ever the optimist me...!

Interlull Latest - the Swiss have some decent Young Boys...

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:07:02 -0600

Slushing around in the primordial goo that surrounds our favourite passage of time, the Interlull, allows us to experience other aspects of football and today the locals (the Swiss) are all excited by their Young kids (does Wenger have any of them on his books yet!).

I'm not talking about the actual (and most incredulous sounding name) Young Boys of Bern though they are top of the Swiss league but the Swiss U-17 team. They've only gone and won the world championships in Nigeria, beating the hosts in the final too. It's amazing that a country this size can do far more at youth level than the country with a larger population, wealthier clubs and a greater history and induction into the game of football.

The story probably doesn't register in the UK but it should be front page news in terms of showing up the FA and the Premier League clubs (with one or two exceptions like Arsenal) who have no idea how to coach and develop young footballing talent. On a recent podcast (see episode 14) the wisest comment came from a comedian, Kevin Day, when he said that it's a sad indictment of our game that we (meaning the media) fawn about Arsenal's playing style because we are so unique. He rightly said that we should have dozens of clubs trying to play football this way - where technique and movement are taught throughout all levels of the club from the youngest academy player to the first team. Aside from United, where apparently the kids only play 5 a side, and maybe one or two others many clubs still focus on results even in the youngest of sides. As a result big lads thrive and the potentially gifted but weak are discarded. Of course, the exceptional get through but how many have left the game, scarred and bitter, due to the coaching levels across the UK?

Sleeping your way through the Interlull

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:07:45 -0600

would be a bloody good idea but I have no idea what sort of drugs I would need to be able to sleep for 10 days (or, at least, 3-4 days) whilst the Interlull drags on. As it's not a real option I've gone for the slightly less (or more) painful option of looking after the in-laws for a few days. It has meant that I've had little time to look at the complete lack of real football news.

From an Arsenal perspective all I'm hoping is that our players manage to survive without injury. Those most at risk are probably the French players as a "spirited and hard working" Irish side is the wonderful euphemism for getting stuck in to the French side but hopefully a European referee can manage that unlike English refs who see it as "part of the game" as do all the pundits. One day the media as a whole will stand up and realise why England (a huge country with millions laying the game) generally under perform in major competitions. We still, despite the odd player such as Rooney, have not grasped the idea that technique and ability are far more useful than hard work and spirit. Those last two can beat the first two but only if those with technique and ability can't be arsed to put a little work in (and that happens quite a lot). Ever since I started watching International sides in the 70s we have seen all sorts of countries (often with populations far smaller) embarrass England with their technique but still we have 11 year olds playing on full size pitches. It even happens at Premier League academies so it is no wonder that the skill levels are way below what you should expect from a country the size of England.

It's Here..... (in Scary Jack Nicholson voice)

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 15:18:38 -0600

THE INTERLULL has returned ..... There will a void of footballl news fans will walk the streets in a Zombie state. Blogs will have even less interesting stuff written on them if written at all Be afraid be very afraid

A Nice Way to Go Into the Final Interlull...

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 03:04:58 -0600

Whenever a two week Interlull breaks up the football season it's always important that you and your team enter it with a good feeling. Second in the league (which may or may not be the case this evening), with a healthy goal difference and 3 wins in a week (11 goals scored too) is probably about as good as can be. We send our international players off with best wishes and pray that they all manage to return without any injuries (particularly those playing in the play-offs). Now we just hibernate for two weeks until the real stuff starts all over again.

Yesterday's game was one of those that we probably would have struggled to win last year. We rode the initial storm (I think we could still have won comfortably if Wolves had scored first as Blackburn did recently) and had a little luck with two ogs (but for the second one we had a two on one attack anyway). One of the strange things about us is that we should be the worst side in the world any opponent would like to play against when 2-0 down. They have to try and score and we have more options, skill & creativity than any other side to enable us to score at will on the break. Yet we managed at West Ham to sit back, give the ball away etc and it was pleasing that yesterday we got the third and fourth goals to seal the game.

I'm not sure how bad Diaby's injury is (it might just be a miss the Interlull games type) but it may just give the opportunity to Ramsey to show what he has to offer. He's 19 and so he'll make mistakes but he seems to have all that is required to make it and prove a very able player alongside Cesc (even though he has generally come on as a substitute for the captain).

During the Interlull I will have to try and come up with some philsophical and analytical debates on other issues from the season so far.....

Lies, Damn Lies & Statistics...as Arsenal hit 50 goals.

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 11:38:26 -0600

We can say a lot about our current form and one of those things is that we seem to be rather good at creating and taking scoring opportunities this season - 50 goals do not lie. However, this site (Premier League Statistics) does a lot on the attacking side but very little on the defensive side so I'm not able to work out if we are actually better defensively than last year or not. I mean, we're told our new central defensive partnership is significantly improving our defence and scoring goals as well but I'm just not sure.

I can discover that we already have 6 players (Van Persie, Cesc, The Verminator, Diaby, Arshavin & Gallas) who have scored 3 or more PL goals and that we have 4 players with more than 4 assists too. However, I just can't help but look at how many soft goals we have conceded this year and comparing ourselves to Chelsea who have only let in 8 goals so far.

However, it's not that bad we did concede 6 in those 2 weekends in Manchester when we could and should have got a couple of points at least. Then there is the fact that last year's title winners were pretty awful in the games against the other "big 4" clubs so maybe this year we have adopted a new strategy. We just need to continue thrashing everyone at home and winning games over the so-called smaller teams away. That just means that Van Persie is right in saying that tomorrow's game is actually very important. A win before the Interlull and before United face Chelsea will send everyone off in good heart.

It won't be easy but defensively Wolves have looked like a lot of promoted clubs, open and vulnerable. That doesn't mean we can put on our "arrogant and complacent" hats on (see second half West Ham, Alkmaar(A)) and be focused "100%" - there cannot be 110% focus people please refrain from saying that! The form guide says "easy" but this year's PL has been nothing if not contradictory in many respects.

The Sublime Beauty of Scoring Goals and yet...

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 12:02:03 -0600

Sometimes we can make the simple game of Association Football look as though it should be taken from the green football pitch at Ashburton Grove and transported on a tour of the Louvre, the Tate and Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art....

We don't score goals, we can create beautiful shapes and complex patterns that can only be imagined in the minds of the great artistic talents over the ages. Our goals link the mathematical mind of Da Vinci to the French Impressionists and on to the surreal art of Dali. I know I'm going a little over the top with this metaphor but there are days when you just want to express your adoration for the creative talents that lie wherever you look amongst this side (even Gibbs came close to scoring and today is one of those days.

If I hear the media comment of "but they haven't won anything for four years" once more I think my radio will disappear into the Rhine (well more likely my laptop or iPhone) as I wonder what planet these journalists are on. Yes we are a big club and we would all like trophies but realistically all I can ask on the financial structure (no Sheiks here!) that we operate is challenge for trophies each year and reach the top 4. I doubt many fans would be interested in playing our first team in all our Carling Cup matches but our squad is bigger now and we can mix and match a bit but look at the money spent on Chelsea's bench.

There is the crux that I have to admit galls me as we can challenge for the league and the Champions League but I just think we lack that physicality that Drogba & co can provide. We will need to show real determination in our next three league games (2 away at tough grounds and then Chelsea) to give real belief to this side that it can handle the tough stuff.

European Tax Change - another exciting Football Topic!!!

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 13:06:35 -0600

Not much to talk about except to say that let's hope that the Arsenal team manage to avoid complacency and arrogance in order to make serene progress to the knock out stages. Though I know we'll never ever do it the easy in this competition and we'll stillbe worrying about it when we play Olympiakos in our last game!

Meanwhile I read this rather small story today regarding changes in tax law in both Spain (where players may strike) and France. It seems that though players such as Ronaldo, Alonso & Jermaine Pennant (!!) have taken advantage of Spanish law that means they only pay 24% tax it seems that has changed very recently and so we might not have to pay our players quite so much to keep them here (Arshavin springs to mind as someone who seems to have a very good grasp of UK tax rates!).