Hello Gooners,
I am not sure how I got roped into writing for GFS, it must have been while I was under some heavy medication that The Dog made me sign up. That or I am a sucker for stray dogs in general. Actually I was pleased to be asked but then found out it was for a season review, cheers Dog. So I thought, why the hell not and lets throw in some review of the GFS blog too. A different approach I grant you but that makes it all the more interesting for me and I really hope for you too. So lets get stuck in shall we?
August 2011 (The fun begins)
A new season had yet to begin but Arsenal were already in the headlines and not for the reasons that Arsenal fans wanted to see. Cesc to Barca! The saga was building to a sad finale, the Arsenal Captain was left out of a pre-season trip to Lisbon, Arsenal were being tight lipped, Nasri was being...well Nasri and an injury list was all ready building. Little did we then know that Jack Wilshere would play no part in Arsenals' season. A loss of the Emirates cup and the songs of the away fans still ringing in Arsene's ears of spend some money, still fresh from the last game of the 10/11 season at Fulham. If there was ever a time when Arsene Wenger felt the weight of the fans on his shoulders and a dark rain cloud settling over his head it was now. Cesc went for what most felt, was a paltry sum and Nasri followed out of the door to join up with Clichy at the Money trough know as City. On the bright side, Robin Van Persie was handed the captainship and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joined from Southampton. However the fans were already starting to split into pro and anti Wenger camps and no ball being kicked in anger.
Newcastle 0-0
First game of the season and a name that will dominate headlines and Twitter alike over the coming season. Joey Barton. A game where he tangled with Song, who was lucky not to get sent off and Gervinho, who was. I just wish he had punched Barton rather than the tame slap he gave him. That would have been a worthy red card. All in all a good defensive showing but lacking up front and no real chances made in open play. Something that would be seen time and again this season.
Liverpool 0-2
Nasri made his final start for Arsenal and also made his last passing shot at Arsenal fans. Frimpong looked great but was sent off and Koscielny got Injured. Rookie errors made this a game to forget.
Manchester United 8-2
If Liverpool was a game to forget, this was the stuff of nightmares. It was no suprise that Wenger cut a forelorn figure in the dugout. No passion or pride shown in the red shirt and the most goals conceded since 1896. No investment in the team since the selling of Cesc et al showed gapping holes in Arsenal. Even RVP missed a penalty. In speaking to The Dog about this game he tole me he and Surfergirl were reduced to singing "2 8 to The Arsenal" to raise their spirits, me, I just downed spirits and hoped to wake up from the nightmare.The proudest we could be was because of the away fans. A real credit to the Arsenal name, unlike the team that day. A fix was needed from the transfer market but more of that in September.
Overall August was a very dark month. The worst start ever in the Premier League, only one point gained and a big split between fans over Wenger. On the plus side the Champions League offered some respite by beating Udinese over two legs to qualify for the group stages. There was time to do business in the transfer market and the birth of a new blog due. As the song goes "Things can only get better!" as for Arsenal fans, they were praying for a miricle.
September 2011(Last day panics)
Have they? Haven't they? Will they? Won't they? The closing of the transfer window was at best for Arsenal, a concern, for Gooners on Twitter, absolute chaos. For me? It was like watching a man on Christmas Eve. He gets up and thinks, great, I have the whole day to get what I need, no panic. He gets on a bus with a cheerful smile and looking forward to the day ahead. As he gets off the bus he sees a friend who invites him for a Christmas drink. Just one he thinks and then off to buy! Before he knows it, the shops are nearly shut and in a blind panic he sets off to get what he can. Including the local garage as that is all that is still open to buy......... anything........." please you must have something my gran would like?"!!! Arsene's trolley dash looked like this.
Per Mertesacker- age 26yrs with 75 caps for Germany.
Mikel Arteta- age 29yrs and vastly experienced in the Premier.
Yossi Benayoun- age 31yrs with 83 caps for Israel on loan from Chelsea.
Andre Santos- age 28yrs with 22 caps for Brazil.
Park Chu Young- age 26 with 53 caps and captain of South Korea.
The above would cost Arsenal £28m approximately and over the coming season, one would get into Arsenal hearts and have fantastic hair. One would hardly start but still make a good impact. One would get a nickname from a childrens book,another get an injury and you can guess the one brought from the garage!
These joined the other signings of Jenkinson, Gervinho (another nickname earned), Miyaichi (Who?), Campbell (In then out on loan). We also said goodbye and fond thanks to Fabregas, Clichy, Eboue, Traore and Lansbury to West Ham on loan. A not so fond farewell was also said to Nasri (insert your insult here), Bendtner(No your not!), Denilson (Could have been great), Vela, JET and Sanu. So the shopping and shfting was complete. Was this a change of heart from Wenger? The board adding pressure resulting in spend? Or a manager grabbing at straws? Time would tell!
Things started ok for Arsenal, scraping a win at Swansea with a 1-0 and more importantly a clean sheet and followed by a Champions League 1-1 away to Brussia Dortmond but then came this.
Blackburn Rovers 4-3
On paper it was said that this would be a win for The Arsenal over a struggling Blackburn. It seemed to be the case when Arsenal went in at half time 2-1 up. The defence looked ok and the new boys looked to be settling nicely. Arsenal, however, have a way of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Two own goals, zonal marking proving to be worse than usless, giving up the lead twice. We had also by now conceeded three owns goals in this season and that was the highest Arsenal had let in over the last two years combined. Blackburn also moved above Arsenal in the league table, so 17th with just 4 points in the season so far and the press having a field day. As The Dog told me " Did you know, Arsenal have not won a trophy for 6 years?" became a press regular with reporters, in my opinion being just lazy!
It was just after this that I found myself on a ten hour flight for work. As I was reading about Arsenal a guy leaned over and said " Bloody funny that, Arsenal deserve it!" he was a spud! We did not speak for the rest of the flight! The rest of September did get better. Arsenal won 3-1 beating Shewsbury in the Carling Cup, 3-0 in the league at home to Bolton and a Champions league win against Olympiacos 2-1.
Then on 26/09 Gunning From Sussex was born from an idea in a pub by The Dog and Mrs F. The basic design was first done by The Dog and this is my favourite piece from this month.
Written by The Dog it had hit the nail on the head on Arsenals current situation. He also raised in another piece this month that RVP was being linked to Man City but should sign a contract. How apt for today!
October 2011 (Bloody neighbours and more)
October weather in England was doing its usual thing at the beginning of the month. Hot and Sunny unlike the football being played by The Arsenal. Could it get any worse? Yes with the following......
Spurs1-2
"We played with the handbreak on" said Wenger. "Not another leg break?" said I. Yes sadly another poor display against our neighbours and old rivals. Another erratic display, poor defensive play, Gervinho really not doing the job he is paid for and Van der Vaart, lucky not to have got sent off for a second bookable offence of handball, to score. 1-0 at half time. Arsenal scored swiftly in the second half but Spurs went ahead again and The Arsenal laid down and let it happen. To top of a miserable day Bacary Sagna broke his leg too. On the up side Clive Allen threw a paddy at not having his hand shaken at the end of the game. Well tough luck for the Spurs water boy! He was rubbish for the London Monarchs too!
So came the international break, by this time both the team and Arsenal fans needed a break from one another too. A lowest ever start to a league season, Arsenal were 15th at this point, having won 2 games, drawn one and lost 4. A total of 7 points from 7 games. In looking through the GFS archives I think these three blogs sum up Gooner feelings and hopes during this time.
So back with Arsenal and the break from the Premier seemed to have recharged the batteries. From the 16th started a winning run, Sunderland at home 2-1 and Stoke 3-1. In the Champions league a win away 1-0 against Marseille and a Carling Cup win 2-1 against Bolton. Arsenal were now 7th with 4 wins, 4 lost and a draw collecting 13 points along the way. It was the end of the month but would it be all smiles or halloween horror when facing Chelsea?
Chelsea 3-5
With an advantage of hindsight you can see where the label of "come back kings" became ingrained in the press. At 2-1 down going into the second 45 minutes it looked as if the defensive frailties which Arsenal had shown all to often would ruin the momentum gained but who would have thought two falling downs would change all that. Theo Walcott tripped, fell, but got up to score and perhaps in that moment gave the team the fire in the belly to attack. Although Mata made it 3-3 with a great strike it was the second fall of the day which left the impression. John Terry sprawling from a poor back pass and there was RVP to make it 4-3. Could Arsenal hang on? Yes and to top it all it was RVP's hat-trick. Arsenal's first away win of the season, Chelsea's first defeat and Wenger's 500th victory since taking charge of Arsenal. The end of game celebrations showed the meaning of this win and going some way to blow the memories of Man Utd and Spurs into the distance.
This was also a growing month for GFS too.Instead of just one writer the site could now boast a total of 7 different contributors, some from comng from Twitter and the rest from the Sussex family, different views and some live blogging too.
Well that is that for part one, well did you expect it all in one go? There will be parts 2 and 3 to follow and it just gets better. Well some parts anyway.
Till next time and thank you for reading
@Arsenadale 
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