I have now moved the wife and kids out to her mothers 'up norf' and I am spending my last month in N7... sad times. But I'll be back every other weekend or so for matchdays - well maybe... we'll see.
So where was I? Oh yeah - Burnley, kids, well done never mind... seriously though - they did well and it never going to be easy for them - it was great experience for them (i.e. a physical away cup tie with a lower league team and a hostile crowd) and they did alright. I think, if anything I would have let Simpson start and show a bit more faith, after all this is his kind of game - not sure why Wenger slung in the semi-first teamers as:
a) They didn't want to know and
b) It's disruptive to the reserve side that earned the right to play the match
Maybe Wenger knew that we were going to be out muscled and it was damage limitation... or maybe he couldn't be arsed with it and needs the 'reserve' players in the first team to cover for injuries... anyway - it's only a tin cup and it has Redknapps name written all over it - so best for the kids to get beat now rather than mugged at the hands of full strength, first team Tottenscum and give them a chance to release another Arsenal related DVD.
Talking of Tottenham - their new stadium plans yeah... carbon fucking copy or what? Apparently - so I hear from an architect - the basic plans are the same but they slapped some panels and a fucking cockerel on the side and changed the roof so the crowd can get a better view of the replay screens - other than that - identical... I reckon Tottenham love us in a very 'repressed' way. They want to be us!
Hmmm.. what else - Oh yeah, Roy Keane... he fell on his sword - or was he pushed? And if so - who pushed him?
On the 3rd of December the collective came up with on of it's theories in the media section (the collective is a small 'detective' group what we have set up to try and sift the sweetcorn from the shit of the British media to guess the real agendas behind the spin):
Newspaper: The Sun
Reporter: Steve Brenner
Date: 3/12/2008
Game/Team Ref: Roy Keane /Sunderland
Link: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1997504.ece
ColonelDecker: Keane looks set to be the 'New Gallas' They want him out for sure, I think this is a witch hunt after his outspoken views on the press recently. Therefore IMO it is not encouraging bets against Sunderland, just 'he's rumbled us! Lets get him out quick'. Thoughts?
DogFace: I believe that either Keane will be sacked or Sunderland will be relegated. He has rocked the boat by telling the truth and will be slapped by the 'hand that feeds'.
KeepTheFaith: Yeah I said a few weeks ago I thought Keano would get the sack if they lost to West Ham, He must realise what's going on because he has toned it down a bit lately.
Theory: Keane/Sunderland will continue to be targeted until he leaves.
Updates: Keane has resigned
It didn't take long before Keane went - the writing was on the wall... it's a shame and this is yet another example of the lengths the game/gambling/media machine will go to punish those who do not stick to the script. Keane is a fucking hero and those gloating fuckers on MOTD comparing him to a tramp or father Christmas and all that shit should be even more ashamed than they should be already (if that level of shame even exists).
And while we are on the subject of shame... let's talk about Eboue.
Eboue whoooaaaooh
Eboue Whoooaaoooaaa
He comes from Africa
He's better than Kaka
Now you all know that I think Eboue is a good player right - he plays with his heart and he plays for the team... it's obvious for anyone watching that he is exactly the kind of player we need in the team - shit kickers think twice when Eboue is on the field because:
a) he draws the foul and tries to get players booked when they foul him.
b) he kicks players back... hard.
I hear a lot about him being a cheat - but he merely reflects what the referee is letting the other team get away with... in his own way he tries to level the playing field. Now my two over riding memories of Eboue as a player are when he stuck that cross on to Henry's head when we beat the Mancs 2-1 and when he fucked up John Terry's foot for trying to injure Fabregas. Both good memories. So what I want to know is this - when Eboue came on against Wigan the other day - why was I the only one to welcome him back with a cheer? And what the fuck was with all the booing? Arseholes!
I have a theory - it's called 'ticket exchange'.
I have noticed that the 'tourist factor' dramatically goes up in some of the less glamorous fixtures - the ground fills up with utter cunts... I know - they are fellow Arsenal fans - but seriously, you should hear some of the shite I have to listen to from these idiots... generally they are stereotypical 'grotesques' harking back to the days of Neil and Graham when 'real [White/English] men' were fielded for Arsenal who could 'stand up in the challenge' - they hate Eboue (who they refer to as anything other than 'black' which I suspect is the real reason) and Denilson (who they call frail and bambi) and smack self defeating tabloid gleaned platitudes off each other like wet fish in an effort to appear knowledgeable to all those around them (who incidentally wish they would shut the fuck up). I would prefer a half empty ground to be honest - we don't need pricks like this... at least they've laid off Gallas now.
Eboue will prove them all very wrong... if he stays.
The Wigan game, other than that, was formulaic of most games this season - as was the Middsbrough game something is going on... we play well - we go up - we stop trying, defend or 'open up the game' to suicidal levels.
Also - Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith has left the board and there is speculation as to whether she will sell her shares - from what I know she is fairly 'traditional' in her views on how a football club should be run - so this does not sit well with me with regards to Kroneke's influence...
...There may be trouble ahead!
