Summer Lovin’

Well, we did it…not quite the dizzy heights of 3^rd last year, but Champions League participation is confirmed for 2013/14, and we managed to prove those pesky Spuds fans wrong yet again. A lot has been said recently about how we celebrated getting 4^th as though it was a trophy – I don’t really care how they celebrated it, to be honest. Our aim for the last few months has been to qualify for the Champions League, and we did, but that doesn’t mean that next year our targets will be the same.

 

The Loyal Family

Loyalty is a funny thing in football. Is there any loyalty left in football, or indeed, did it ever exist? Whereas an abundance of loyalty can only lead one to become a fan favourite, disloyalty is one of the cardinal sins of football, and the player (or indeed manager) to commit such a sin will undoubtedly become a villain for the rest of their life. Of course, every cloud has a silver lining, and more often than not, the traitor will be welcomed with open arms at their new club.

Do Arsenal need a new goalkeeper?

Hi all, just a quick notice that the Ravecast discussing the Fulham match is now up, just go to the page at the top to access it. But for now, this is the latest Guest Post from Ricky Dobbs, or as he’s better known @NorthernIrishGunner, an Arsenal member who unsurprisingly, heralds from Northern Ireland. This is his first ever blog, and I think it’s a great read – don’t forget to comment below with your suggestions for any goalkeepers, or who you think the most realistic target is.

The Great E-Scapegoat

Writing on the back of that 3-1 win against Norwich, I’m a very happy Gooner. Relieved, but happy. We deserved that, no question about it – you could tell by the relief etched all over Mr Wenger’s face when we got our 2^nd. As I’m sure you’re all aware, this win was massive. Not just for the 3 points, but for the morale of the team (not to mention the detrimental affect it’ll have on those bottlers from Shite Fart Lane). Our season could well be defined by this current vein of form we find ourselves in at the moment, and from where I am, things are looking rosy. However, being Arsenal, there has to be SOMEONE who’s disappointing us, no?

Unsung Heroes – Part 4

For today’s installment in the Unsung Heroes series, I’d like to welcome someone who I’ve admired for a very long time, Martijn Stolze. Martijn is a Dutch anglophile, student in Utrecht and devoted Gooner. Follow him on twitter at @hahostolze.

Sometimes Unsung Heroes are unsung for a different reason than being unknown or not fully appreciated. Sometimes they are unsung for different aspects of their game. Sometimes they are unsung because their reputation has been tarnished. Sometimes they are unsung because what they managed to do is not in the public eye. For Eduardo Alves da Silva, it is a combination of factors that makes him an Unsung Hero, and one still fondly remembered by Gooners around the world, if, sadly, not by many others.

Fine Art

Hi all, and firstly an apology for the lack of ‘clinical finishing’ from yours truly. Time’s been very tight recently, hence the postponement of Les Artilleurs Live (now moved to Thursday night, 8pm). But that’s all in the past, and there’s just one final mention that needs to be made (especially in light of my last post) – congratulations to the Young Guns for coming 4^th in the NextGen Series. I didn’t catch the 3^rd/4^th place playoff, but the semi-final looked like a cracking game, and in the end the considerable difference in down time between ours and Chelsea’s previous games could have played a very large part. Our lads performed teriffically throughout, facing tough competition, and they’ve done themselves proud.

Alternative Captain Fantastic

Please bear with me! I know that at the time of writing, the second leg of the Champions League last 16 tie is imminent, and thus your thoughts are (naturally) elsewhere. But friends, bloggers, Arsenal fans – lend me your ears! In this post, I’d like to challenge some misconceptions, maybe say a few things that some of you may not know, and entertain you too (and who knows, maybe you need something to break up the tension of your day?). This post is about our young, midfield general, who is of course, Arsenal through and through. Oh, and it’s not who you think…