A guest post this morning, Chipping Norton’s finest bass player, author and tunesmith, Steww takes the reins. Yeah, it’s him ———————————————————————————–>
There was a recent tweet, widely quoted, from an ex pro, possibly an old England centre forward, I’m a little hazy on exactly who, they all blur into one after a while. Anyhoo the point is whomsoever he was he was passing comment on the fact that a player had decided to leave his current employees and move to Liverpool. Not a particularly fascinating piece of information, and hardly ground breaking during the transfer window. And not I hear you cry in any way relevant or interesting on A Cultured Left Foot, a blog dedicated to all things Arsenal. Well, allow me to amplify, to elucidate if you will. The relevance to this blog is that the comment concluded with the suggestion that the player had chosen Liverpool instead of Arsenal and that this proved beyond reasonable doubt that winning trophies – any trophies – was far more important when it came to signing players than, well, than not winning trophies.
It’s hard to know where to start when dismantling the creaking structure of this poor pundit’s logic, it is however immediately and blindingly obvious that the entire false dichotomy is based upon the baseless. A house of cards built on a folding table in an earthquake. Firstly he couldn’t know that the player in question had actually signed for Liverpool because in the days which followed and up to the time of writing he still hasn’t signed for them. Secondly he (the pundit) couldn’t know that he (the player) had been sat toying with a coin saying to himself, “Arsenal heads, Liverpool tails”. No-one could possibly know all of the teams which may or may not have been interested in signing him, and that’s before we get to the breathtaking presumption that any of us can know someone else’s thought process.
No, this was a classic piece of punditry and was put out there for one simple reason, viz, to point out to an information hungry world that Arsenal didn’t win any trophies (again) last time around and Liverpool did. I happen to have a few Liverpool supporting friends. They are to a man and woman entirely lacking in the boorish , overbearing, Sky editorial parroting ignorance which makes it impossible for me to talk to the few Man U followers I know. The keyboard player in my band is a Pompey fan. We had no problem finding common ground last season. In fact he hated Redknapp far more than I did, and with good reason. I conducted a highly unscientific straw poll among this selection of cup winners. Simple question, would you swap any of your trophies over the last few seasons for Arsenal’s top four finish? And you know what? They didn’t even hesitate. There was absolutely no doubt in their minds that Arsenal had, in the last few years, been far more successful than either of their clubs. In fact one even went on to say that Champions League football and financial stability was infinitely preferable to a Coca Cola or Rumbelow’s or Milk Cup, or whatever it is now.
And yet despite this there are still so many of our own fans, people who purport to support the club who disagree. They somehow contrive to look at last season’s league table, and without apparently taking any kind of artificial stimulants, and despite seeing Liverpool languishing five places beneath us, eighteen points behind us with a goal difference eighteen goals worse than us, they think that somehow the Scousers had a better season than us. Personally I feel there is a connection between the risible punditry referred to above and these shamefully inadequate ideas. “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” rings as true today as when that nice Mr Goebbels first coined it. I happen to think Liverpool are better than us in one regard; as Billy sang, they don’t buy the Sun. Apart from that it isn’t up for discussion, the table never lies.
I was thinking about the team from Anfield not just because of all the transfer tattle involving both clubs recently but because they were playing up North the other night. Up North to me in any event – if of course you live in, say, Totegan on the Scottish North Coast, Hearts play about 280 miles away and are probably considered shandy drinking southern handbags. I watched a little bit of their match before other commitments dragged me away and I couldn’t help comparing the atmosphere of a European Champions League night at the Ems with, and I mean no disrespect to the good burghers of Tynecastle, a Europa League qualification play-off first leg in Edinburgh. Of course it’s true that the event lacked any passion for me, I had no axe to grind with either team, but even so there really was no comparison. Every now and again it is good for us to look away from our red and white painted navels , turn down the wireless and fold up the evening paper, and use our own eyes and ears, work with our own perceptions. We need to actually look and see where the eighty nine teams that finished below us really are and get a real sense of our achievements. There are some big spending clubs, many clubs with long and proud histories, and many who have never and may never achieve any measure of greatness, all of whom would give their eye teeth to play at the level we play at year in year out.
And we take it for granted.
Now there is one hugely important point I wish to make. None of us who believe we have achieved and done so at the highest level despite the lack of trophies are happy with the status quo. Seriously. Don’t be fooled into thinking that I or any other of the ‘uber fans’ and AKBs that frequent ACLF actually go to bed clutching a copy of the league table and read out the 89 names in a feverish mantra of denial every night. No. We want to win stuff just as much as the next miserable git who thinks Liverpool have beaten us to a signature, won the race, pipped us at the post, as if there was some kind of parallel competition under way and we just lost points. No, people like us actually throw things around the room when our new centre forward misses the best chance of the match against Sunderland just like you do. We also scream and shout at the TV or laptop when the team patiently pass it out of defence as the final seconds tick down and we also feel that sick twist in our guts at the sight of any of the financially doped teams in the open topped bus with their tin pots and champagne. The difference is that while regretting what hasn’t, we don’t belittle what has been achieved, we don’t believe it helps to make endless negative comparisons and win lose or draw we believe in staying strong, drawing on each other for support in the dark times and believing, always believing.
Why not join us? The results will be what they will be anyway, but it’s a whole lot more fun to stay positive, be part of a community of like minded supporters and go through the inevitable ups and downs of the season with a smile on your face. Even if it stretches to a grimace occasionally.
’til Tomorrow
So true Irishgray, not seriously hurt but cannot play for a few weeks.
Well, I think the red nosed still does not find a way to put Rooney and RvP together.
Dexter – Tiote is a decent player, would not mind him in the squad.
Only thing is Toon asking price is something like £20m!!!
He was all over the pitch but was laying pretty deep before he came off Dex. At one point I thought he was playing left back.
Haha! Thanks Markus!
Penalty to the Chavs, no contact on Torres. Can you guess the ref? 1-0 Chavs
I see Chelsea still getting dubious decisions.
Dups – Well Phil Dowd is the referee so yes, the Chavs are getting the carrot whilst the Magpies get beat with the stick.
Side Shoe Bob hurt himself
3 penalties in their first 3 games, money well spent Roman, money well spent.
Phil Dowd is a referee? I don’t believe that
Zinc, and dodgy offsides
I hate to say it but though it was a dive by Torres, from Dowd’s point of view he had to give it. Looking at it in real-time, it definitely looked like a penalty. Bad defending to be honest.
So Chelsea get a penalty a game and free game winning offside goals and we get this:
About fucking time this happened!!
http://arsenalarsenal.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/rule-change-will-stymie-stoke-in-arsenals-favour/
Not watching any soccer today.
Neither am I lol
Its hilarious listening to that idiot Waddle pontificating as to how Pardew should change tactics. What the fuck does this twat know about tactics? he is a walking labotomy. Just like George, but not as full in the bosom.
Dexter – George does have a nice rack doesn’t he? As for Waddle, what a maroon!!!
2-0 Chavs, well worked goal by Torres. Still a diving cunt though.
Dexter – The only thing worse than listening to Waddle is having to listen to Warren Barton and his half-time analysis. So on that note I am going to head off for the day and shoot some pool, drink some cider, ogle some cute women, strike up a converation with MaryJane and eat some really tasty but altogetther unhealthy food. In other words, the usual Saturday for me.
Have a good un man. Sounds good.
Bob – a little pub just outside Bradford On Avon at a place called Avoncliff. It’s at a lovely spot where the river Avon, the railway and the K&A canal intersect. There is a rather nice aqueduct for those who like that sort of thing. Good grub and they brew their own ale. It’s Wiltshire I think.
I think I’ve been there, steww. In a life a long time ago with a girlfiend who live in Bristol. Nice garden?
Football fans. Delusional?
MOTD, not a piss take of AW?
Do I drink cider?
http://www.stoke.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=291315
Philmar – Defending Utd again are we?
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Irishgray – You’re making spurious claims again. Didn’t mention Manure ONCE in my post.
Steww,
Your post is one that I have been waiting for and I am so very happy to read it!! Absolutely top, top, top post. Can’t say much more, really, except my twin brother (for reasons unknown to me) prefers Liverpool over any other football team in the world. We have had countless arguments over players, managers, formations, etc… but one thing he has always agreed on is that Arsenal have been far and away the more successful team of late, and he envies the success that I get to cheer on more than whatever Liverpool have accomplished in the last few years.
Thank you Gris Gris.
Bob – the garden goes right down in terraces to the rivers edge. it’s beautiful.
Sounds right. Been there. Romance and beer and water. Perfect
Bob – an ex and I used to own a little camper van. We would arm ourselves with the Good Pub Guide and the AA road map and just bugger off whenever we got the chance. Found some truly inspired pubs.
Busman’s holiday for me as I ran a bar at the time. Avoid the places like the plague nowadays. Just occasional visits for food and if the band is playing in a pub.
@STEWW
Very well done friend. Enjoyed the read. Good luck and happy hunting to the GUNNERS tomorrow. No better place to pickup the first three points of the season. Rivals my ass.
UP THE GUNSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers goonerkam.
Steww, If I were to to do a guest post on ACLF, this is what I would say.
Brilliant stuff!
And a happy birthday to your princess.
Neil Armstrong has taken his final giant leap
Requiescat in pace
Top post Steww.
Piers Morgan? What a man to look up to – devasted CNN ratings to the worst ever level. That takes a special kind of pratt.
Everton to finish above Liverpool this year?
Irish – I’m well thanks, especially after last night’s Bison Tikka Masala, with a cranberry reduction, Pasty.
BTW – Neil Armstrong won’t be on Dancing With The Stars anymore.
“However, several clubs were a good way below the new criteria. Both Liverpool and Everton had 8,140 sq yds of playing surface – 370 sq yds below what is now acceptable. Of course that could be because the locals pinched a few hundred yards of turf to sell off the back of a truck.” Arsenal Arsenal
Thanks to Devon_Gooner on twitter
https://twitter.com/devon_gooner/status/239458276738203649/photo/1/large
I wonder how frank is? i wonder if he has opened his curtains yet.
Steww (I hope you do not think I am being forward by addressing you by your first name, even though we have not even met, you can call me jjg), thank you for a brilliant article.
You said so much of what I believe.
Is winning, everything? It’s nice, but let’s be realistic, teams like the Invincibles come around once a century (we almost did it in 1971, losing only once to ? wasn’t it Stoke, 5 – 0 away?). Even the red faced one, with all his money and so called world class players got nowhere near it.
Let’s win, but with some sort of style and when we don’t, hit our heads against the wall and then look forard to the next game.
All of you. enjoy tomorrow’s game.
I, regretably will not be able to watch it, as I will be on my way to Manchester for a family engagement. I was looking forward to seeing SC play. He is so exciting a prospect. Well done AW. Perhaps he ahs another one up his slieve.
There will always be next time.
I cant see rooney and co being happy with the dutch dick waltzing staight into the top dog spot.
I think fergie has not forgotten rooneys threatened betayal and fergie has got himself a new no 1 pet.
what other fukin name can you address steww by J??
Chelsea winning for fun is seriously annoying and worrying. I hope there is still enough time left for them to implode (dreaming?).
Dukey;
I imagine Frank and ateeb are consoling each other with the idea that RvPs statement and subsequent move are all part of his master plan to make Arsene and Arsenal see the error of their ways and he will return and say it was all part of the plan.
SV;
You ARE a miserable sod mate.
Yogi another great post. Didn’t get a chance to read the comments. Thanks for your efforts. You are a fantastic writer. Results today pretty much expected. Sorry to see RVP scoring. Great to see the spuds drops points again. Chelsea going to be really tough if Torres starts to score regularly. ManU struggling on defense. Hopefully that will only get worse
Bill, this is Steww’s work.
Just realized it was steww who did the post. Great work steww. Sorry I read it so quickly that I missed the fact that you wrote it
Bill
What did you make of ManU’s piss poor defence?
I dont care if I jinx shit, but whatever happens, I expect ours to be loads better in the long run. Hope you and any other nay sayers feel likewise? All the best, Im mashed man.
Morning troops, glad you found this morning’s guest post fromw steww and outstanding stuff it was too. Normal service restored today
http://www.aclfarsenal.co.uk/transfer-gossip/the-big-match-preview-stoke-city-vs-arsenal/