My Grandfather took me to my first football match. It was not virtual, but on the actual ground, Nick Hornby Arena, for a local derby between Arsenel and Tottenham. It was their first Premier League clash following the Dark Centuries, when Arsenel had struggled in the lower leagues, while Tottenham had gone on to win their legendary 18 Champions League titles in a row, even winning the Penta in 2432 (Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Cup and the Toto Cup).
My Grandfather was a sucker for Arsenel, just like all our ancestors back for generations. In fact, when nations were eliminated my Grandfather had immediately taken Arsenal (as it was called back then) as his primary identification marker.
"Some suckers take some old nation state, a religion or some city! But not me! I am an Arsenal man, because that is REAL!", our ancestor appears to have said, although no definite proofs have been found in his Life-Social-Media-Footprint that otherwise registered most of his life to an embarrassing level of detail.
I had not really wanted to go to the Nick Hornby Arena. As most kids in our generation, more accustomed to the virtual world, I was more comfortable with the crowds of Avatars in the Immersive Internet, where nothing physical could hurt you.
"Nonsense kiddo", my Grandfather had said. "You will love it! It has happened to everyone in our family! And who knows? You may be the first to see Arsenel defeat Tottenham for three-hundred years!"
I did love it. And I have loved Arsenal ever since. That match in the Nick Hornby Arena became legendary, not just because it was the first victory of Arsenel over Tottenham for 311 years, but also because it was the return of the legendary Arsene Wenger to manage the team.
"Ever since Arsene Wenger left Arsenel in 2018, everything just went downhill", my Grandfather was telling me as he usually did when he wanted to educate me about history.
"The Sea Rising, the Alien Invasion or the Robot Rebellion were just mere details compared to what happened to Arsenel! After 22 years of being one of the best clubs in the world, it just went downhill. Back then fans never knew how good they had it with Mr. Wenger, but they soon knew all right! Only ten years later Arsenal were playing in the lower European Leagues, mainly against other shite clubs from Finland and Catalunya!"
Indeed, things had gone from bad to worse. Arsenal's best result for 298 years was a quarterfinal against FC MidtogOstjyllandGymnastikOgIdraetsforening in the Danish Cup, where they only lost on penalties (and to pour salt on the wound, it was a John Jensen who scored the winner for the Danes).
During the Dark Centuries, when Tottenham was winning everything and an evil Alien Force was ravaging the planet, and people were returning to religion, Arsenal fans had gotten together to erect shrines and pray to Saint Arsene: please come back and lead Arsenal back to glory! It was then that the club had been renamed Arsenel, and initially things had looked good when they made it back to the Championship, where they had stayed for some decades as the Robots, who had helped defeat the Aliens, rebelled when their team of Real Madrid Robots was destroyed in the Champions League final by none other than Tottenham (and to be frank, every Arsenal fan had supported the Robots, meaning that they had fared quite well during the Robot Rebellion).
But it still took another 160 years before Arsenel were back in the Premier League. By then the club had been bought by a Jovian multi-billionaire who promised Arsenel fans all over the Galaxy that he would make Arsenel champions of something, but only managed to get them back in the Premier League after a legendary promotion match against Charlton Athletic played on the low gravity of the Moon (Charlton fans have been complaining ever since that the low gravity was the reason they kept shooting over the goal).
Nobody knows where the idea first came to create a new Arsene Wenger. Some rumours said it was after two drunken Arsenel fans working at the robot facility on Mercury, visited Madam Tussaud's museum, where they had seen a pretty bad wax-android version of Jose Mourinho discussing Relativity Theory with David Bowie. They posted it on Instagram, and soon Twitter-Galaxy was swarming with the hashtag #createanewWenger.
Arsenel fans all over the Galaxy poured all their economic and scientific efforts into the endeavour. Of course there had been many advances in cloning and bio-engineering, but to create a true exact copy of a historical figure had never been successful until these Arsenel fans took over. Some decades later Arsenel signed their new (old) manager Arsene Wenger, and he was to have his debut as manager in a clash against the defending champions of Tottenham.
311 years since Arsenel had last beaten Tottenham I was there when Arsene Wenger led them to a legendary 5-3 victory, and eventually the first title since the FA Cup in 2017 (also under Arsene Wenger).
I was only a kid who fell in love with Arsenel. Since then I have seen Arsenel win 12 Premier League titles, 17 Champions Leagues, 3 FIFA World Cups, 15 FA Cups (where Mr. Wenger beat his own record from the 21st century), and an unprecedented 23 Toto Cups! Five Hundreds years after Wenger left Arsenal, we are again winning because Arsenel can only win anything with the great Arsene Wenger as manager!
My Grandfather is not with us any longer, but today, FA Cup Final 2518, I am taking my own Grandson to Wembley Stadium in Paris to watch Arsene Wenger lead Arsenel to another victory against Tottenham!
PS: The match ended 5-5 and went into extra time, but we are still awaiting to hear the final result
Showing posts with label Arsene Wenger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arsene Wenger. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Two teams that will not be champions
Liverpool and Arsenal tied 3-3 in a very entertaining but poorly played match. "Entertaining for the neutral but not for the knowledgeable" as I saw on a tweet that was later deleted. Liverpool are currently on a roll; they play intense and high pressure, and with a Mohamed Salah who is at the top of his career (I have never been a big fan, and I am still of the opinion that he misuses too many chances) they are a scoring machine. But football is also about defending, and here Liverpool can in no way be hoping to win the title! 0-2 ahead, in full control, and it only took them 3 minutes they fall apart! While defending is absolutely dreadful, you also have to question why they were not 4-0 ahead against a dreadful Arsenal. On top of that you have a goalkeeper in Mignolet who costs goals: I still wonder where his hands were on Xhaka's equalizer.
Jurgen Klopp is a great manager because of his approach to football, confidence in his young players and passion for the match. But if he does not also focus on defending, he will remain a great manager without titles.
Arsene Wenger has given Arsenal more titles than such a club could ever hope for. That said, one has to wonder whether he is over the top, or whether it is even his responsibility that his players seem unmotivated for such a match. Arsenal's first half was a disgrace in attitude and fight in front of their fans. There were some improvements in the second half, where Alexis Sanchez 1-2 goal seemed to give them some faith. But in the end one came away with a bad impression of players like Alexis and Ozil, who really only show glimpses of their quality. Maybe Arsenal needs an overhaul, and maybe, just maybe, it will have to start with the man who they owe everything to, Arsene Wenger.
In any case, a great match, but I will come with a daring prediction (because all prediction about the PL are notoriously hard): none of these teams will be Premier League champions!
Jurgen Klopp is a great manager because of his approach to football, confidence in his young players and passion for the match. But if he does not also focus on defending, he will remain a great manager without titles.
Arsene Wenger has given Arsenal more titles than such a club could ever hope for. That said, one has to wonder whether he is over the top, or whether it is even his responsibility that his players seem unmotivated for such a match. Arsenal's first half was a disgrace in attitude and fight in front of their fans. There were some improvements in the second half, where Alexis Sanchez 1-2 goal seemed to give them some faith. But in the end one came away with a bad impression of players like Alexis and Ozil, who really only show glimpses of their quality. Maybe Arsenal needs an overhaul, and maybe, just maybe, it will have to start with the man who they owe everything to, Arsene Wenger.
In any case, a great match, but I will come with a daring prediction (because all prediction about the PL are notoriously hard): none of these teams will be Premier League champions!
Sunday, May 28, 2017
Champion Wenger
Lately Arsenal fans have been trashing their manager over 20 years, Arsene Wenger. For yet another year Arsenal did not win the Premier League title, and for the first time in 19 years they did not qualify for the Champions League.
No matter what, today Arsenal won the FA Cup, 2-1 in the final against the PL champions from Chelsea. This is the 7th FA Cup title under Arsene Wenger, now the most-winning FA Cup manager ever.
So is this a team with no titles???
I really do not understand Arsenal fans' criticism of Wenger, as their mediocre club could never have done better. Has Manchester City done better with all their money and fancy managers????
Arsene Wenger is the best manager that Arsenal will ever have, and they should be thankful about this latest title. Because if Wenger leaves, Arsenal will be waiting many many years before they win any other title.
No matter what, today Arsenal won the FA Cup, 2-1 in the final against the PL champions from Chelsea. This is the 7th FA Cup title under Arsene Wenger, now the most-winning FA Cup manager ever.
So is this a team with no titles???
I really do not understand Arsenal fans' criticism of Wenger, as their mediocre club could never have done better. Has Manchester City done better with all their money and fancy managers????
Arsene Wenger is the best manager that Arsenal will ever have, and they should be thankful about this latest title. Because if Wenger leaves, Arsenal will be waiting many many years before they win any other title.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
One of the eight best in Europe
What happened to Arsenal? They lost 1-3 at home to Monaco in a match that all Arsenal fans probably expected would give them a comfortable victory before the away match. No Arsenal fan could have imagined that Monaco could defeat them, and perhaps that is what happened: the players were infected by this underestimation of an opponent that may not be among the fashionable cream of Europe, but is surely a competitive side! They all seemed to ignore that, and perhaps most of all Arsene Wenger who should, if anyone, know Monaco.
Arsenal is out. They are still a strong team, but whether they are among the eight best teams in Europe is more than questionable. On the other hand, Monaco is.
Who in Arsenal would have thought?
Arsenal is out. They are still a strong team, but whether they are among the eight best teams in Europe is more than questionable. On the other hand, Monaco is.
Who in Arsenal would have thought?
Sunday, May 18, 2014
The champions
I managed to watch both matches yesterday on two screens in a bar in Monrovia. And both teams I was supporting came out as champions.
For a week I will be Atletico Madrid fan, and yesterday they took the first step in what could be their greatest season ever. 1-1 against FC Barcelona was enough to give them the Spanish league. This is the first time since 2004 a team other than Barcelona and Real Madrid has won the league, and the first time since since 2008 that the top-two is not Real Madrid and Barcelona.
So this is fantastic for Spanish football, and a victory against the rich-man arrogance of the two big sides.
That said, and from a more footballing perspective, Atletico Madrid are hardly a very entertaining side. They are defensive, strong pressure and good counter-attack. Simeone plays the kind of football that so many people hate Mourinho for playing. Simeone is a great coach, and it will be hugely interesting to see him coach another team some day.
Martino has been a flop as Barcelona coach. I could have told them that: when he coached Paraguay he played anti-football. Without Puyol the weakness of Barcelona's central defense has been exposed throughout the season. Without Xavi and closing the wings, Atletico managed to make Barcelona's possession seem like little else but... possession...
I think that Barcelona will take much longer rebuilding than Real Madrid, who in my view are likely to be champions next year.
The FA Cup final is always a fantastic match, and this year it was no exception. Arsenal were huge favourites against Hull, but the Arsenal defense did not hear that the match had started before Hull were ahead 0-2. Hull fought bravely and Arsenal pushed with everything, and finally they managed to get 2-2. In extra time Aaron Ramsey scored the 3-2 winner for Arsenal, who now took their first title in nine years.
One cannot help feeling a bit sorry for Hull and their great supporters. That said, Arsenal deserved the title mostly because of their great coach, Arsene Wenger, who has been under increased pressure this season as title remain absent from a club that expects much more. It is not easy to win titles (statistically you have to admit that most teams don't), but more important is to be true to a style and football approach, which in Arsene Wenger's case is about good, intelligent football, using many young and talented players.
So congratulations to Atletico and Arsenal fans! I had a few beers for both teams yesterday, and I am sure that there are many people happily hungover in Madrid and London today!
For a week I will be Atletico Madrid fan, and yesterday they took the first step in what could be their greatest season ever. 1-1 against FC Barcelona was enough to give them the Spanish league. This is the first time since 2004 a team other than Barcelona and Real Madrid has won the league, and the first time since since 2008 that the top-two is not Real Madrid and Barcelona.
So this is fantastic for Spanish football, and a victory against the rich-man arrogance of the two big sides.
That said, and from a more footballing perspective, Atletico Madrid are hardly a very entertaining side. They are defensive, strong pressure and good counter-attack. Simeone plays the kind of football that so many people hate Mourinho for playing. Simeone is a great coach, and it will be hugely interesting to see him coach another team some day.
Martino has been a flop as Barcelona coach. I could have told them that: when he coached Paraguay he played anti-football. Without Puyol the weakness of Barcelona's central defense has been exposed throughout the season. Without Xavi and closing the wings, Atletico managed to make Barcelona's possession seem like little else but... possession...
I think that Barcelona will take much longer rebuilding than Real Madrid, who in my view are likely to be champions next year.
The FA Cup final is always a fantastic match, and this year it was no exception. Arsenal were huge favourites against Hull, but the Arsenal defense did not hear that the match had started before Hull were ahead 0-2. Hull fought bravely and Arsenal pushed with everything, and finally they managed to get 2-2. In extra time Aaron Ramsey scored the 3-2 winner for Arsenal, who now took their first title in nine years.
One cannot help feeling a bit sorry for Hull and their great supporters. That said, Arsenal deserved the title mostly because of their great coach, Arsene Wenger, who has been under increased pressure this season as title remain absent from a club that expects much more. It is not easy to win titles (statistically you have to admit that most teams don't), but more important is to be true to a style and football approach, which in Arsene Wenger's case is about good, intelligent football, using many young and talented players.
So congratulations to Atletico and Arsenal fans! I had a few beers for both teams yesterday, and I am sure that there are many people happily hungover in Madrid and London today!
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Arsenal massacre
There is no other word for what Chelsea did to Arsenal today: a massacre.
6-0.
Everything started wrong for Arsenal when first Samuel Eto'o, and then Andre Schurrle brought them ahead 2-0 in good attacks exploiting Arsenal's weaknesses. The 3-0 goal proved highly controversial. I was watching the match in a bar in Monrovia, and nobody understood why Kieran Gibbs was sent off when it was clearly Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who had saved the ball with the hand inside the area? Apparently the referee has admitted it was a mistake.
What a lousy referee, and why do they not use TV images? (during the long time it took for the referee to make the decision, the entire world had seen ten times who the culprit was). In my job, I would get fired for a smaller mistake.
That said, this meant nothing to Chelsea's superiority, and 6-0 was none too small against an Arsenal team that had obviously given up after the third goal.
Chelsea is now the best title contender, but there is a long way to got with Manchester City and Liverpool on its tail. Arsenal on the other hand, definitively lost their title aspirations today. The question is whether it is also time to get rid of Arsene Wenger? He remains one of the best coaches in the world, but has he lost the passion for Arsenal? Is he too content as it is going? I doubt Arsenal would do better with any other coach (even with some of the best), but the question of whether he should continue has become a bit more open with today's massacre of his side.
6-0.
Everything started wrong for Arsenal when first Samuel Eto'o, and then Andre Schurrle brought them ahead 2-0 in good attacks exploiting Arsenal's weaknesses. The 3-0 goal proved highly controversial. I was watching the match in a bar in Monrovia, and nobody understood why Kieran Gibbs was sent off when it was clearly Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who had saved the ball with the hand inside the area? Apparently the referee has admitted it was a mistake.
What a lousy referee, and why do they not use TV images? (during the long time it took for the referee to make the decision, the entire world had seen ten times who the culprit was). In my job, I would get fired for a smaller mistake.
That said, this meant nothing to Chelsea's superiority, and 6-0 was none too small against an Arsenal team that had obviously given up after the third goal.
Chelsea is now the best title contender, but there is a long way to got with Manchester City and Liverpool on its tail. Arsenal on the other hand, definitively lost their title aspirations today. The question is whether it is also time to get rid of Arsene Wenger? He remains one of the best coaches in the world, but has he lost the passion for Arsenal? Is he too content as it is going? I doubt Arsenal would do better with any other coach (even with some of the best), but the question of whether he should continue has become a bit more open with today's massacre of his side.
Monday, August 17, 2009
"It takes time to make a flower"
The English Premier League season started this weekend, and on BBC I heard an interview with David Ginola, who referring to Manchester City's massive investment in new players, nevertheless didn't believe that they would be fighting for the title this season: "It takes time to make a flower", he said poetically, and many other clubs that have invested massively in new players may want to listen!
Manchester City nevertheless started the season with an away victory against Blackburn, and I think that if anyone is going to challenge the big four, it has to be Manchester City, and I think it will be very exciting to see how they do with all the new big egos on their team.
After letting Ronaldo go to Real Madrid, Manchester United is not looking as awesone as the last three seasons, and they may have to fight more to retain their title. Wayne Rooney is one of the players that will have to take on a bigger role, and it started well with him scoring in their narrow 1-0 victory over Birmingham.
Chelsea is again looking to take the title, now with Carlo Ancelotti as coach. Their star Didier Drogba looks in great shape for the new season as he scored both goals in Chelsea's 2-1 victory over Hull.
Liverpool missed many chances in their 1-2 away loss to Tottenham Hotspurs. Although Liverpool will surely end in the top four, I do not believe they will take the title: Liverpool is better as a cup team, and they will continue losing in matches that they should win.
Of the big four, Arsenal is perhaps the one that is less talked about as they have not bought many players. Still, they started this season strongly with a 6-1 away victory against an Everton side that should be stronger. Emmanuel Adebayor may be gone to Manchester City, and Arsenal may be lacking in quality strikers, this seems not to have affected them as the season gets underway!
I would certainly watch out for Arsenal, where Arsene Wenger is again building up a powerful young squad!
In any case, it is good to have some of the major leagues of Europe on the way!
Manchester City nevertheless started the season with an away victory against Blackburn, and I think that if anyone is going to challenge the big four, it has to be Manchester City, and I think it will be very exciting to see how they do with all the new big egos on their team.
After letting Ronaldo go to Real Madrid, Manchester United is not looking as awesone as the last three seasons, and they may have to fight more to retain their title. Wayne Rooney is one of the players that will have to take on a bigger role, and it started well with him scoring in their narrow 1-0 victory over Birmingham.
Chelsea is again looking to take the title, now with Carlo Ancelotti as coach. Their star Didier Drogba looks in great shape for the new season as he scored both goals in Chelsea's 2-1 victory over Hull.
Liverpool missed many chances in their 1-2 away loss to Tottenham Hotspurs. Although Liverpool will surely end in the top four, I do not believe they will take the title: Liverpool is better as a cup team, and they will continue losing in matches that they should win.
Of the big four, Arsenal is perhaps the one that is less talked about as they have not bought many players. Still, they started this season strongly with a 6-1 away victory against an Everton side that should be stronger. Emmanuel Adebayor may be gone to Manchester City, and Arsenal may be lacking in quality strikers, this seems not to have affected them as the season gets underway!
I would certainly watch out for Arsenal, where Arsene Wenger is again building up a powerful young squad!
In any case, it is good to have some of the major leagues of Europe on the way!
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Great Arsenal
I have never been much of an Arsenal fan. But I am full of admiration of the new Arsenal team Arsene Wenger is putting together. Although they have had a bad season in the Premier League, they are doing well in the Champions League, where success has escaped Arsenal for years.
After defeating Real Madrid in the last round, tonight Arsenal defeated the Italian Serie A leaders of Juventus 2-0 in the first leg of the quarterfinals. On goals by a splendid Cesc Fabregas and Thierry Henry, Arsenal now has one foot in the semifinal.
The way they have been playing, they might finally go all the way!
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