As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
Oops! Picture didn’t attach! Anyway it was Wrighty’s and Cole’s reaction to the second goal. Cashley looks sick. Fuckin good!
Watched MOTD highlights this morning and still buzzing!
Oops! Picture didn’t attach! Anyway it was Wrighty’s and Cole’s reaction to the second goal. Cashley looks sick. Fuckin good!
Watched MOTD highlights this morning and still buzzing!
I may be slow on the uptake but I've just found out that winning the FA cup means we go straight into the group stages of the Thursday night cup and N17 will have to now play THREE one leg qualifiers! This weekend just got even better!!! (Apologies to those of you who knew this already and may well have posted the info already but I've not been able to read much today ((double vision and throbbing head))).
Like many others I suspect/hope this win has jolted me back into optimistic rather than sufferance mode. I was feeling the tug of optimism more and more since Arteta's appointment especially as we started to beat top 4 teams but honestly I wasn't all the way there in my readiness to immerse myself as I have done in all but the last 5 years or so. Don't get me wrong, I still have my doubts about the quality of the squad for the long term and still find myself bemoaning (sometimes out load to the Mrs and kids) the depth of talent compared to the likes of Bergkamp, Henry, Pires and Freddie et al. However, I wanted to share a brilliant moment for me with you, that might get you off that fence about our prospects or at least make you smile.
After the final I was on dad taxi duty for my 15 year old daughter picking her up from a socially distanced BBQ at a friends. Like any good dad I have indoctrinated my kids with the truth that there is only the Arsenal and that supporting anything else is 'pure evil'. The last few years have not dislodged it from the family DNA but I was worried that the Arse had become like a friendly old relative we don't speak about anymore who was once great but now a little batty and visits from them have now gone from being a great experience to one of sufferance and slightly disappointing. When we do speak about them it's usally to take the piss a bit in a good natured way. Anyway I digress... Not wanting to be a crap Dad I waited outside in the car for Daughter to appear rather than embarrass with a knock at the door. So as I arrived a few minutes before 10pm pick up time I watched highlights on the iPhone. Got totally engrossed and didn't see or hear Daughter getting into car. Her first words to me were "Daaaaad" with a roll of her eyes.
"What have I done now?" says I.
"Watching Arsenal, reruns" she says.
"Actually its the cup final highlights. We won today"
"Really???? For real?"
"Yes"
Then the moment...
A 1000 Megawatt smile on her face that 15 year old teenagers only reserve for special occasions. In that moment I knew that she had not forgotten, the love was still their albeit suppressed and buried for a number of years. She still cared. She still wears the red and white in her heart. That's the moment that turned me fully back into belief mode that I may have got my Arsenal back.
Emi Martinez when told after the game that the paycut for Arsenal players was reducing from 12.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent as a result of qualifying for the Europa League :
Emi Martinez when told after the game that the paycut for Arsenal players was reducing from 12.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent as a result of qualifying for the Europa League :
Hard not to like our new Number 1 is it. What a humble man waiting 10 years for his chance. From memory, he was in goal for that 7-5 cup tie at Reading and I was thinking no wonder he's our third choice goalkeeper.
But this season my god, if there is such a thing as safe hands mk2 we got it. I get nervous when European keepers elect to punch, but this bloke is fearless when he goes for the ball he gathers/catches it and that takes soo much pressure off the defence.
Emi Martinez when told after the game that the paycut for Arsenal players was reducing from 12.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent as a result of qualifying for the Europa League :
Hard not to like our new Number 1 is it. What a humble man waiting 10 years for his chance. From memory, he was in goal for that 7-5 cup tie at Reading and I was thinking no wonder he's our third choice goalkeeper.
But this season my god, if there is such a thing as safe hands mk2 we got it. I get nervous when European keepers elect to punch, but this bloke is fearless when he goes for the ball he gathers/catches it and that takes soo much pressure off the defence.
As previous seems to have a good attitude as well, had no chance for the goal...and hes done well since taking over from Leno
There are many upsides to this win apart from the revenge on the chavs and consigning the god forbids to the Europa qualifiers.
Firstly to those that were involved they have a future at Arsenal ,it's important to young players .
Those who were not it's goodbye ,Arteta's position is now cemented and unlike Emery I think he will have more say in the comings and goings.
Ozil now knows he's dead in the water and will not play again under Arteta,and whilst he is happy to do nothing on the money his agent will try and move him to Turkey or the USA or at the end of the contract his golden egg will lay no more !
Even if we get 50k a week back we need to flush this giant turd !
We might get some funds from Stan ,if we had lost we would have got Zip !
We are far from the promised land but we are no longer wandering in the desert like the lost tribes of Israel !
Like many others I suspect/hope this win has jolted me back into optimistic rather than sufferance mode. I was feeling the tug of optimism more and more since Arteta's appointment especially as we started to beat top 4 teams but honestly I wasn't all the way there in my readiness to immerse myself as I have done in all but the last 5 years or so. Don't get me wrong, I still have my doubts about the quality of the squad for the long term and still find myself bemoaning (sometimes out load to the Mrs and kids) the depth of talent compared to the likes of Bergkamp, Henry, Pires and Freddie et al. However, I wanted to share a brilliant moment for me with you, that might get you off that fence about our prospects or at least make you smile.
After the final I was on dad taxi duty for my 15 year old daughter picking her up from a socially distanced BBQ at a friends. Like any good dad I have indoctrinated my kids with the truth that there is only the Arsenal and that supporting anything else is 'pure evil'. The last few years have not dislodged it from the family DNA but I was worried that the Arse had become like a friendly old relative we don't speak about anymore who was once great but now a little batty and visits from them have now gone from being a great experience to one of sufferance and slightly disappointing. When we do speak about them it's usally to take the piss a bit in a good natured way. Anyway I digress... Not wanting to be a crap Dad I waited outside in the car for Daughter to appear rather than embarrass with a knock at the door. So as I arrived a few minutes before 10pm pick up time I watched highlights on the iPhone. Got totally engrossed and didn't see or hear Daughter getting into car. Her first words to me were "Daaaaad" with a roll of her eyes.
"What have I done now?" says I.
"Watching Arsenal, reruns" she says.
"Actually its the cup final highlights. We won today"
"Really???? For real?"
"Yes"
Then the moment...
A 1000 Megawatt smile on her face that 15 year old teenagers only reserve for special occasions. In that moment I knew that she had not forgotten, the love was still their albeit suppressed and buried for a number of years. She still cared. She still wears the red and white in her heart. That's the moment that turned me fully back into belief mode that I may have got my Arsenal back.
What a brilliant post mate. A really uplifting read.