Match Reaction v Chelsea (neutral)

[I am invisible]

Well, time for a quick tour of the spuffs forums then...

[Marc Overmars]

Poor old Spuds. Always in our shadow.

I also love the fact Nketiah has won more than Kane.

[Mac76]

look at Ainsley, who looked like he’d been frozen out for being late to training, and who swallowed his pride and got his head down and worked - who’s got a medal this morning and who hasn’t?

Until we’d sorted the culture out there was literally no point in signing anyone to improve the team - the casual, unprofessional and ultimately toxic atmosphere would have ruined anyone we’d recruited. Now, we can bring new players into this club and they’ll immediately know what is required of them - the manager will enforce it and the other players will enforce it. They won’t walk in and see Mesut Özil sitting around, doing fuck all for £18m a year and think that’s ok. We can build on this.

Yeah there's a nice little video of AMN on the offish site looking a million miles happier than he did earlier in the season amd saying he's loving it at RB and happy to play amywhere to get the minutes

I thought Arteta was waving his dick around too much but it's paid off, you can't argue with beating Citeh and Chelski to lift the cup

Good on all of 'em, though i'd still flog xhaka and mustafi while their reputations are no longer rock bottom, they're not good enough for where we want to go

[Penguin]

Really interesting reading what the players have been saying - there’s been a general feeling that these players were uncoachable and would simply down tools or go on strike if we actually made them work for their money, but they’re fucking loving it! They love the discipline and the correction and the clear direction, and they’re loving feeling and acting like professionals again.

I really feel that this is vindication for what Arteta has been trying to do in terms of resetting the culture at this club. We now have players literally in tears because of what representing this club means to them. Loanees and players who had one foot out the door in January throwing themselves in front of shots. No-hopers and utility players doing a solid job wherever they’re played. It’s shame there’s still a couple of hold-outs - we could have really done with a fired-up Özil and a more professional Guendouzi - but that’s on them. As Arseblog says, look at Ainsley, who looked like he’d been frozen out for being late to training, and who swallowed his pride and got his head down and worked - who’s got a medal this morning and who hasn’t?

Until we’d sorted the culture out there was literally no point in signing anyone to improve the team - the casual, unprofessional and ultimately toxic atmosphere would have ruined anyone we’d recruited. Now, we can bring new players into this club and they’ll immediately know what is required of them - the manager will enforce it and the other players will enforce it. They won’t walk in and see Mesut Özil sitting around, doing fuck all for £18m a year and think that’s ok. We can build on this.

Laying the foundations was the most important thing for Arteta to do this season, and I think it's fair to say he has done that. He still has a HUGE job ahead of him but as you said, without the foundations and the right culture there's no point to anything else.

It won't be plain sailing but I'm looking forward to the journey we're on.

[Marc Overmars]

Yes Arteta has proven his credentials. As the kids would say, put some respect on his name! Back him and see where he can take us. He’s more than earned the right to have a go now.

Standards at this club have been non existent for a long time, mostly due to a fading Wenger and a joker in Emery. It shows the importance of a personality like Arteta who definitely carries himself in a way the players respect. Emery was heavily disliked by the team for dropping Ozil, I bet none of them fuckers would dare question Mikel for doing the same.

[Letters]

I thought Arteta was waving his dick around too much but it's paid off, you can't argue with beating Citeh and Chelski to lift the cup

Yeah! None of our previous managers would have managed that.

[Letters]

Well, time for a quick tour of the spuffs forums then...

[Letters]

There are days as a football fan where you just feel at ease and at peace with the world. This is one of those days, I was very close to welling up at the final whistle.

Arsenal

Famously, I'm increasingly jaded by Arsenal and football in general. I don't watch that many games now. Wenger going piqued my interest somewhat but this season has been such a bloody car crash I got a bit fed up of it again.
Always loved the FA Cup though and feel privileged to have been at 6 Cup Finals from '93 to 2005 (7 if you include the '93 replay). Just think about that for a minute - we are a load of spoiled twats. How many football fans get to see their team at that many FA Cup Finals? Only fans of 3 or 4 clubs in the country would get that chance. For many fans it's a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Despite my general ennui with football I've always followed our FA Cup campaigns a bit more closely. Was pleased when we won the Quarter Final but when I saw the other teams who were left I thought "Oh well, it was fun while it lasted". Gave us zero chance against City, I still don't know where that performance came from. City have been a bit brittle at times this year but we still needed a really good disciplined defensive performance which I didn't think were capable of. Yesterday I thought we had a chance but it was hard to call. Wasn't too despondent when we went 1-0 down as I felt we'd score but we were wobbling a bit and I feared that Premier League Arsenal had shown up. But we played our way back in and by half time we had them on the ropes. Things did go for us a bit, I don't think the decisions were too bad against Chelsea but certainly with the injuries they kept getting it did feel like the gods* were looking down on us kindly. They were dancing in the streets of Letters' house at the final whistle
(*not that they exist, obviously).

Must admit I've been wobbling a but with what I'm continuing to call "all this nonsense" going on in the world, so yesterday was a much needed lift.
Will get some papers today to continue to bask in the reflected glory!

Arsenal

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Poor old Spuds. Always in our shadow.

I also love the fact Nketiah has won more than Kane.

Nketiah did the double, has a league winners' medal with Leeds.

[GP]

Nketiah did the double, has a league winners' medal with Leeds.

Double, Double, Double!

Eddie has won the Double!