Morning all.
One from Adam this morning.
The International break brought some much-needed respite for Arsenal fans. The desperate zero point, zero goal start, the transfer window, the pressure on Mikel, the pantomime villains Stan and Josh, the Edu interview and last but not least, the rather odd yet intriguing rumour that Antonio Conte is sitting by the phone somewhere in Italy with his bags packed just waiting for the call. I wonder who started that one?
It’s been like a 3rd rate soap opera.
But the pause has been a breather and perhaps a chance to take a look around the wider Arsenal world and consider just what is happening off camera.
Personally I have no time for social media. If used intelligently I can see that it has its place, but are the numerous Arsenal websites, like this Highbury House, part of it? Are the ever-increasing number of YouTube channels devoted to the club really anything more than a few people trying to make some money off its back, or is there perhaps something deeper going on here? Then there’s the absurdity of Facebook or Twitter. If that’s the centre of your information diet then I promise that you will never go hungry again. I prefer to starve myself of that particular tyranny.
I ask this because, as I am sure hasn’t escaped your notice, the noises, indeed the cacophony away from the club is far, far louder than those on the pitch these days.
I have seen many YouTube commentators exorcise their own personal demons by spilling a torrent of hatred and general unpleasantness that I imagine could be a lot more to do with their own lives and desperation to be somehow relevant than any balanced and dare I say considered view of the club. Far from being remotely retrospective in their opinions, these people have elevated themselves to soothsayers and prophets, usually of doom. Their mantra is simple and it actually has very little to do with Arsenal. They are in the business of taking a mundane intellectual stance and issuing predictions as to what we will see or have seen. What team should have been played as opposed to that which was played. Who should have joined the club rather then who did join the club. Don’t get me started on shapes and tactics.. please.
Ok, I get it. It’s the old Mystic Meg prophecy shtick. So, after setting themselves up for the inevitable failure they will then defend a losing position by twisting and turning the facts and wrestling with their furious inner demons by adding that of course, they always hoped that this or that ‘might’ happen. Their anger has an upside of course. It earns them money. What a great deal for them! They are disappointed with the inescapable fact that the rest of the world has somehow failed to realise their brilliance so they’ve hitched their wagon to Arsenal and channelled their resentment through the club, the owners, the manager, the Director Of Football, the stadium. You name it, they hate it but won’t turn down the chance to monetise it.
They always know better and they have the platform to let you know about it. Safe and totally secure that they will never be in a position to have to back their ideas in anything other than the virtual world they live in, they will I think always be with us, dragging themselves along by grimly hanging onto the coat tails of a club that they, in no way represent. They just shout louder and get angrier. They are Arsenal’s shock-jocks. For them the opening 3 losses are like a delicious bowl of pasta because they predicted it and they devour it with relish. Perhaps a big club failing is always more interesting than a financially-doped club winning. You just need to present your Arteta Out card at the door. But, it is a free country and all views are um.. welcome? As long as you activate the button of endorsement.
What is evident is that there isn’t enough news and I use the word loosely, coming out of the club to make a daily YouTube channel except in the most tedious and scrappy way imaginable. The next best way to ensure that the like buttons are ‘smashed’ (never clicked) with regularity and that the money continues to dribble in to ensure an endless supply of baseball caps and beard grooming products.
What about the sites that appear when you open the most prominent Arsenal news outlets on the net?
News? – “Newly received, or noteworthy information, especially about recent events”.
You may notice that there is no mention of the word fabrication or made-up rumour within that definition. Who among us haven’t reluctantly pushed the link that might read something like “New Arsenal Manager To Be Announced” only to read the words “According to reports on (yet another click-bait site)…blah, blah,blah? What a bundle of utter shite! Yet, they get the hit. They know it’s rubbish. We know it’s rubbish. It certainly isn’t news and in some perverse way these sites have no issue with deliberately misleading and winding up fans of the club they claim to endorse. These people I imagine see themselves as sports journalists. I don’t see them in that way. Most of them are chancers and some of them, we know the ones, are leeches, sucking the blood from the club and their readers for a few measly pennies while making a name for themselves for being angry men, forever sowing the seeds of discontent based on little or no real information.
Misery loves company and there’s money in it too.
But, should you think I don’t like or frequent any of these sites and channels, that actually isn’t the case. I listen to 3 or possibly 4 of the regular podcasts and I think they are excellent. Arseblog, Arsenal Vision and Handbrake Off are really intelligent, insightful, amusing and respectful too. A deeply held belief or ideas with some reasoning behind it is fine for me whether I agree with it or not. A couple of YouTube discussion channels seem well worth watching as well and some websites like HH have their heart in the right place as a platform for polite discussion but surely everyone could up their game, cut back on the abuse and have a bit more respect for each other and even the club.
Perhaps we just need to be a little more selective and pause for a moment’s thought before pushing that button because, where Arsenal are concerned, negative propaganda is literally everywhere these days which will go on until the club shakes itself out of its torpor.
Personally, I hope it’s soon.
Excellent Adam. Thank you…
Morning Rico and Adam ,thought provoking . I have a few thoughts on the matter and will give time to formulate a response . Speak later.
couldnt agree more Rico.
rather than..
couldnt agree ; more – as is the mantra of AFTV and others. 🙂
Morning Potter. Certainly food for thought, there really are a lot of tales out there to do with Arsenal. Mostly spin, fibs and utter poppycock.
Not all, but an awful lot.
It’s Adam’s piece this morning Iain.
It’s funny really as NN once contacted me, threatening to ban HH from their page because I’d once written ‘according to reports’ instead of naming the source.
Morning Rico and all
Interesting piece Adam I use to like some of the sites on YouTube but have now turned off them,
In a way Arsenal have no one to blame but them self after the way they treated the fans and now being at the bottom of the ladder doesn’t help. However saying that we have to consider too that some of the stories written are by fans of others clubs claiming to be Arsenal fans
Top class post Adam, a man of few words but when he does opine it’s always worth reading.
Morning Rico and all the gang…
For some reason, coincidence I suppose, but I went on NewsNow on Monday evening and checked out the number of Arsenal related posts Football.London put up, I do odd things like that occasionally, anyway from 6.30am until 10.09pm that doyen of the click bait crowd posted 23 posts on Arsenal. Think about that, 23, what are they saying to us? Could it be that they see the Arsenal fan base as a bunch of mugs, you decide?
And all that when absolutely nothing was happening at Arsenal bar the Edu interview, what a croc of sh*t that website really is and doesn’t wannabe journo Chris Wheatley write for them/sold his soul…
Then there’s the appalling Lee Gunner a man whose life must be absolutely dreadful because he is the living and breathing exponent of negativity. I really wouldn’t want to live in his world.
Finally there is Just Arsenal News, news?!!!
Where we have the archetypal click bait site that sources all its ‘stories’ from other click bait sites and packages them up for us fans to discuss, they do actually have a comments section and that’s probably the attraction. I go on there myself in the vain hope of reading something original but I’ve not found it yet…
Morning Geoff, I read very few these days. Far too busy. Lol
Morning Kev. 23?? Wow.
Good day all. and what a day it is. From early morning, once the sun had burnt off the mist over the meadows, unbroken sunshine and just the lightest of breezes, idyllic. 😎
A terrific post Adam thank you. I normally limit my reading to HH and have no contact whatsoever with Facebook Twitter and all the other social media sites. At seventy-eight life is too short.
My grand daughter tested positive this morning for Covid and has to self isolate for ten days, it’s the poor kids fifteenth birthday on Sunday and now all her party plans have been consigned to the Covid dustbin. Although we are both double jabbed, my wife and I have tests booked for 14.30 in Norwich as we were in their house, but did not see my granddaughter, yesterday evening.
Sensible Cicero.
Rotten news re your granddaughter, hope it goes as quick as it arrived. Fingers crossed both your tests are negative.
https://dailycannon.com/2021/09/mohamed-elneny-finds-agreement-in-principle-with-galatasaray-for-permanent-exit/
Elneny could be off then.
It’s been a bad week, hope your Gran daughter gets well soon Cicero it can’t be nice for her or your Family, The disabled centre were My 2 boys go almost went into lock down but lucky the person who reported positive found out the test was a false reading.
well I am having an early night got my Nephews funeral in the morning,
Rico hope that story is correct then we can have Elneny off our books then.
Turned the radio a local station on yesterday as I drove home from Norwich . The first thing I heard was the co host female telling a story about someone that had been caught for a driving offence and had been given 3 points on their licence . Her co host chimes in with ,”” that’s 3 more than Arsenal “”
This is in Norwich , and last time I looked they didn’t have any points either but there is only one club getting the rise taken and having listened to the station regularly on that journey I can’t remember them talking about football before.
Because of the gullibility of our so called fan base and the numerous sites that glory in the demise of the club ,we have become an easy target .
The only way to stop it is to not give them their clicks and like most of us after a quick morning scroll down the headlines where you can spot the same story being regurgitated time and again, in the main you can ignore them and walk on knowing that there is nothing to see there.
Sadly there are millions that are not so perceptive and will keep opening their threads .
Cicero , sorry to hear about your grandaughter . Was she just back at school ? my one caught it last week of term before Christmas aged 7 . She didn’t have a Christmas as her time took her until new years day.
Despite all the protestations the school yard is a ripe area for super spreading . It doesn’t matter about bubbles and separating classes . The kids go home on the same bus and mix with their siblings who mix with others and after a short while it’s just a covid soup.
Hopefully she will be one of the ones that doesn’t get too affected by it. In our case although it has now gone she is often listless , has no energy and is putting on weight which in young girls is a very touchy subject.
But that’s for another day.
Me too Geoff..
I used to fall for some of the headlines but that was when I was new to this blogging malarkey. Incredibly, the number of websites on NN has probably tripled in the eleven years HH has been running, Avenell Road before then. The problems started, imho, when the advertising emails started doing the rounds because it was easy money.
Problem is, it’s encouraged glory headlines followed by 100 words about nothing. All for hits as we know, but money too. I blame NN to a degree as they let it go on.
Very sorry to hear of your sad appointment tomorrow Geoff, my condolences to you and your family.
Thanks all for the good wishes, I’ll pass them on when contact is allowed.
Arrived half an hour early for our covid tests, no problem said the receptionist, we went straight in, had the test and were out within twelve minutes.
Where did you have to go to get the tests Cicero , asking just in case we have to . Was it in Norwich ?
I take it you are both allright.
Blimey, sorry Geoff, I missed the bit about your nephew. That’s so sad. 😢
Westwick Street walk in centre Potter, you can use the carpark opposite, where Toys R Us used to be. Book through the NHS testing App.
Awaiting results, 🤞
Good luck Cicero, sorry to hear Geoff, not good times.
Our old boy Szczesny in goal for Poland tonight. Should I say I hope he clatters Kane? Probably not. 😉
Too late… lol
Good evening Rico and all
That was a good read Adam. I enjoyed that.
honestly Potter…..couldn’t you phone in and tell her that even she has more points than Norwich. Even her co-host has one more point than Norwich. You get my drift?
More than ever I hope that we get to winning ways. Maybe (I know it might be fantasy but I dare to hope) we will do so and we begin shooting up the table Stranger things have happened.
But at least it will leave those who are making fun of us blubbering and speechless.
Kane has lost the ball almost every time he has touched it.
Evening Devil.
He’s just a goal hanger and penalty taker Cicero.. lol
Well he hung around and finally got a goal. Then they lost concentration and gave away an equaliser.
Sorry to hear Cicero, Potter and Geoff about your sad associated news, it’s been a very difficult 18 months or so where everybody it seems has been touched one way or another. Football can seem quite irrelevant at times by comparison.
Thanks everyone for your kind words my nephew was 42 years old he cut his finger doing gardening and it got infected coursing a blood clot on the heart and he passed away less than 24 hours later. So hard to take.
Potter I laughed at the story about 3 points more than Arsenal, all we need to get some wins so you can ring them and give it back. LOL
Good Morning Rico and all
Seems that Daniel Ballard had quite a good game yesterday against the Swiss. There were so many comments on Social Media about him.
Saka did not play so that means he will be rested for Saturday.
Good news that Saka didn’t play, we need him rested for our the next match,
seems the Elneny story is starting to grow hopefully we can get him of our books he has good but I feel his best days are behind him.
Good morning all. Our 19 year old Estonian ‘keeper got 9 out of 10 for his performance against Wales last night by keeping a clean sheet to achieve a nil nil draw.
Both of our Covid test reports came back negative this morning. 😀
I left his name out. Karl Hein.
Both of our Covid test reports came back negative this morning. 😀
Good news ,
Seems that Ballard could be a good one , he’s had great reviews at all of his loan clubs . We should see him next season .
He is 6 foot 2″ only 21 and might have a bit more growth in him , which makes him 2 1/2 ” taller than White at the moment .
However we need to tie him down as his contract is due to expire at the season’s end I believe.
That’s so sad Geoff. 😢
Morning Devil, all.
Excellent news Cicero.
Agree re Ballard, perhaps he’ll replace Chambers or Mari next season.
Pleased for Hein too.
New post up now