It’s not much longer now. Pre-season has concluded, a taste test of the Emery era has been served, and football that matters is only hours away. I’ve always believed that preseason should be taken with a grain of salt. I felt disjointed lineups and teams playing at half speed can lead to few concrete observations. […]
“Woah Mr. F! Arsenal signed that guy that dresses like superheroes and does backflips!” – 4th Grade Student As you may have surmised, I teach young children for a living. I do so in a close-knit elementary school of approximately 400 students (ages 5-12) located in Upstate NY. All the regular inhabitants–students, teachers, parents, staff–share […]
It’s tough to think of many collective entities that aren’t enhanced by the sound structures and frameworks around them. It’s why successful businesses embrace universal “best practices” like establishment of success targets, clear performance expectations, and defined roles among personnel. It’s why many of the best footballing clubs have been as proficient working back defensively […]
Tuesday may well turn out to be a landmark day for this current Arsenal side. Ainsley Maitland-Niles penning a long term contract extension and the almost certain capture of Lucas Torreira from Sampordia. A day where we committed to stylistic change in a vital area of the pitch. An attempt to enhance the area most […]
The collective Arsenal conscious is a complex beast with many layers. Few would doubt that. The seemingly infinite forms of social expression and the wide-ranging opinions that result are simply a byproduct of a new era. It’s time to embrace Arsenal as such a multi-faceted subject instead of fixating on contrarian or polarizing viewpoints. Large […]
It was the drop of the shoulder. Yeah, definitely that. The bit of misdirection done by contorting the body with the utmost authentic intent. Sometimes it helped him dribble the opposite way; other times it meant catching defenders off balance with a hypnotizing shot feint. This was Santi Cazorla to me, and this “sleight of […]
Our world has been turned upside down of late. We have been witness to our club toeing the line between the emotional release surrounding Arsene’s resignation and renewed optimism about to be instilled by a new manager. As the feel good sentiment and powerful feelings surrounding Arsene begin to subside, we wait for the last […]
As I began my research on Atletico Madrid, one ideal became evident: the club is Arsenal’s polar opposite. The juxtaposition of these sides is clear and should make for an incredible 2-legged tie. Under Simeone, Atletico embody an identity based on organisation, discipline, and graft in a system where roles are meticulously ingrained. On the […]
As a child, I had no knowledge of Arsenal Football Club. Spoiled for choice, the allocation of my sporting heart was split between my favorite collegiate and professional baseball, basketball, football, and hockey teams. Playing Fifa in my mid-teens provided the initial exposure, but almost non-existent Premier League media coverage meant I could not become […]
“Dynamic” and “Incisive.” Those are the terms I associate with the attacking brand of Arsenal football I fell in love with over a decade ago. In recent blogs, I’ve made mention of the identity crisis at the club and the deviation from the swashbuckling, eye-catching offensive ethos we developed over the course of the Wenger […]
