Il N' Y A Rien De Place

So there we were in The Fountain.

Junior Goonier joined us with 3 of his mates just after kick off.

Between us we were 3 Liverpool fans, a dyed-in-the-wool Arsenal fan and a Leicester City fan with a slight lean towards the Arse.

Tight start with neither side able to get flowing and both making silly errors when passing.

The odd tense moment.

But then Arshaven was heading for goal when he was brought down.

Great. A penalty.

But no. The ref gave a goal kick.

Revenge was sweet though with that lovely strike from Arshaven just a few moments later.

Nothing sweet about the penalty awarded against Almunia though.

The own goal by the Arse that followed just made me feel sick.

And to then have a wonderful goal in the dying minutes disallowed as offside.

No wonder it was all too much for Wenger.

Sent in disgrace to the stands.

And then a scene that almost made the loss worth while.

Wenger with nowhere to sit, so sweetly defiant.

An iconic football moment I would say.

Fishin' Blues

My lover sent my boy a pie.

My boy, Junior Goonier was very pleased, not least as it arrived just after a 4 day stint of fishing. Apparently he was living on bacon sandwiches and hadn't eaten properly for days.

We aim to please.

Anyway, it meant we got to have a bit of a natter. Haven't caught up with him for ages

Like my lover and I, he thinks Terry can be bought.

And like we said - then where would Chel$ea be?

Owen to the ManUre. Shrewd move on Fergie's part we reckon.

MO could well be headed for a renaissance.

So what about Cesc? Would he go for the right amount?

Seems it may not be down to him at the end of the day.

So much going on. So many worries. Will the Arse get the players they need to prove what they are capable of within their tight budget?

I do hope my boy's not worrying himself too much about it.

An Appealing Explanation

Some of you may be feeling a bit confused about this whole ManUre/UEFA appeal thing.

So I thought I would offer my help.

Darren Fletcher gets a red card in the second leg of the semi-final of the Champions League. And gets sent off of course. Most people consider unfairly.

Arsenal score from the resulting penalty.

Darren Fletcher is suspended for the next match. The final.

There is no appeal process against such decisions.

Which everyone agrees is very silly.

But then UEFA hint that they might look kindly on an appeal.

So the ManUre submit an appeal "on compassionate grounds".

That appeal is then refused. Out of time and no evidence of a wrong decision.

The ManUre have 3 days to appeal this appeal decision.

Even though there is no appeal process.

Hope that has clarified things for you.

PS Tonight's picture has nothing whatsoever to do with this story. I just think it is groovy.

No Dummies

According to my friend Sandy, the Women's FA Cup final yesterday was a great game, with some really good football.

When I told my lover he said "Of course. They spring from the Arsenal camp" (I'm writing it down so he can't subsequently deny it).

I wonder if Uncle Arsene ever has anything to do with them?

Not at the moment I'm sure. Too much else on.

It's a bit of an upward struggle he and the boys face tonight. But if Arsene says they can do it - I believe him. He's no dummy!

And talking about dummies, lets all cross our fingers we don't get any diving and tantrums from Mr Ronaldo this time.

Talk about throwing your dummy out of the pram!

Spit Happens

In a surprise move, the FA are to issue new pitch-side equipment.

An FA spokesman said;

"Spitting is the great untalked about in football. But a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.We want to provide the means for people to spit with dignity. And to avoid the odd misunderstanding"

I'm sure it'll work.

Aren't you?

Movin' On Up

I'm sorry but I won't be dissuaded.

Arshavin's first goal for Arsenal is one of the best goals I have ever seen.

I felt a definite tingle of excitement at that moment.

The Arse are on the up.

Better still for them that Spurs beat Aston Villa this afternoon.

My expert in the field, Junior Goonier, told me that despite it being against the grain, he couldn't help but wish 'Arry's lot luck today - which clearly paid off.

Those boys are movin' on up.

Football Heaven And Hell

A sprinkle of French fairy dust and all of a sudden you find yourself in football heaven.

Lovely!

And talking of football heaven, have you booked your seats for this yet? Released 27th March.

Not that Leeds United could ever really be described in the same sentence as 'heaven'.

'Damned United' fits the bill much better.

Unequivocal

I spoke to my Gooner correspondent in the field today.

Georgie Junior.

Or Junior Goonier as I'm going to call him from now on.

(How embarrassing am I to have as a mother?).

I said to him;

"People are saying Arsene Wenger has lost the plot and it is time to go. What is your view on that?" (I chose not to mention that my lover has taken to calling the French genious 'Arsnic Wenger')

"People who say that", says Junior Goonier "People who say that need to go back to where we were when Wenger arrived. He has achieved so much with the club. We have had a difficult season with injuries. If we can get a place in the Champions League then we should, but if we don't then it is the UEFA cup and prepare for next season. We will come back."

Pretty unequivocal I would say.

And I trust his judgement.

Unequivocally.

How To Make Friends

Home at last!

London is OK in its own way - it's the home of the Gunners after all.

But being more a country girl it's nice to come back to snowbound Gloucestershire.

And I come back with three more friends made through football.

It started when during one of the breaks, whilst waiting for the trainer to return, I was reading my March copy of FourFourTwo.

"You don't look like a typical FourFourTwo reader", a voice from across the room said.

So I told him the story of how I came to football. That it wasn't long ago and that I approached it with cynicism. How now I love the game with a passion and write a daily blog.

I gave him my card.

By this morning he'd taken a peek.

The conversation was joined by the man next to me. Who is a Liverpool fan it turns out. And who thinks Robbie Keane is a nightmare and Rafa is brilliant.

Then at lunch time today I sat next to a Chelsea fan and we agreed it was time the special one returned.

Football's such a great way of communicating isn't it.

Today's The Day

Mystery of the day: What's going on at Arsenal?

Best quote of the day: "I wouldn't sell them a virus"

Boast of the day: I'm the man

Surprising geographical change of the day: Norwich, it would seem, is now in Scotland

Consolation of the day: My lover couldn't answer any more questions than me of this quiz - i.e. nul points!

Highlight of the day: Georgina Best sang a solo in Gloucester Cathedral.

Behind The Scenes

So Mr Gallas has lost his captaincy and place in the team as a result of telling tales out of school.

Good decision I would say.

Despite the fact that, if we are honest, most of us are probably secretly fascinated with knowing what goes on behind closed doors, our sense of moral reasoning usually tells us that we all have a right to a degree of privacy.

Breaching that right is only really justified in a whistle-blowing situation in my humble opinion. And this was not that. If I was Wenger and the other Arsenal players I would feel very betrayed by Gallas' actions.

Of course none of this applies to a behind-the-scenes peek at Leicester City FC ..............

It's A Hardknock Life

Honestly!

Turn my back for a minute and my lover behaves like a mouse when the cat's away.

Well he needs to look out 'cos I'm back - claws sharper than ever.

Actually he's lucky because he is in my good books tonight.

We had my son and daughter over for supper. It's the first time my boy has met my lover so it was a big night.

My lover was on his best behaviour - to such an extent he managed to last almost the whole evening without saying one bad thing about Arsenal. His one little slip was forgivable, given the high quality of the food he cooked.

Anyway, one of the things we talked about was that I promised to buy my son an Arsenal top. Trouble is he can't decide whether to go for home or away. I offered to buy him the other for Christmas but that doesn't work for him.

Sometimes life is so tough.

Horrah For That Man!

According to Third Sector, the charity newsletter, Rob Green the Westham goalkeeper is a runner-up Celebrity Charity Champion.

He spent his summer holiday this year raising more than 30k for the African Medical Research Foundation by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

The other strength of his contribution is the way he has used his celebrity status to attract publicity for the project, as well as linking football-playing street kids into the charity by providing a great role model.

I don't know about you but I think that is pretty groovy.

Which is more than can be said for the two goals he let in yesterday against the Arse.

In The Eye Of The Beholder

According to the Telegraph today, Chelsea "won ugly" last night.

That's the third time I have heard that expression.

The first time was when my lover said that England had won ugly against Kazakhstan a few weeks ago.

Then last night he was chatting to Luton Andy on the phone. They agreed that Liverpool, Chel$ea and ManUre all stand a chance of winning the Prem this season because they can win ugly. The Arse on the other hand (according to these two pundits) can't and do beautiful or nothing.

I can't say I'm entirely sure quite what it means. I presume it means that a scrappy goal is as good as a magnificent one on the score sheet.

Of course there are some people who could never be considered ugly - no matter how poor the football.

The Boys Done Good

What a great night of football last night.

Wenger and the boys defeated their critics and have every right to celebrate after their fantastic display against Fenerbahce.

And Sir Alex is undoubtedly justified in enjoying a little wine following the ManUre's sparkling win (despite several dodgy refereeing decisions) - which would probably explain his very purple nose when he was interviewed last night.

Whilst we are on the subject of these two managers, it seems there is evidence that a degree of peace has broken out between them in recent months.

It's no surprise if there is mutual respect - they are after all both high achieving managers and in my view very gifted in their own individual ways. What they certainly have in common is the ability to remain successful despite the massive change that has gone on in football during their management careers.

Presumably one of the secrets of their success is an ability to adapt...........

Rock And Roll

I didn't get to Cheltenham to see Leicester play in the end.

Which is a shame as we beat them 4 0. Yes I said 4 0.

Which makes us top of the league. For the first time in my fanship.

Rock and roll!

And talking of rock and roll, how great to see the Arse stuff Newcastle (sorry Mosher!).

It might have been a bit more interesting if Newcastle had turned up.

I'm telling you there is trouble there. Did you see the way Nicky Butt completely blanked Keegan at the end of the match?

I have some sympathy. Try as I might I can't warm to a man who comes from the Keith Chegwin school of charm.

Rock and roll he ain't!

I'm In Heaven

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder.

It's not always true.

For example, because I am not seeing much of this man these days, this man is rapidly replacing him as my trigger for a slightly increased heart rate and general object of my affection.

And his team played great football against Liverpool this afternoon. Although that goal from Torres was class I have to admit.

But as a general rule, I do think absence does make the heart grow fonder.

Why else would my lover and I be celebrating the return of the Premiership season with a football fest?

The morning spent gardening, listening to the buildup on the radio. The early afternoon spent listening to the Arse just about manage to beat WBA, then the Foxes only manage an unlucky draw. And late afternoon at the pub with half a Fosters and a bag of Mini Cheddars watching the Sunderland/Liverpool battle.

And there is still MOTD to come.

What a great day.

Always The Bridesmaid Never The Bride

I know I shouldn't keep posting about Arsenal, being a Foxes fan and all that, but I do feel sorry for them.

And there is something just a bit unsportsman like about Ronaldo - brilliant as he is. I saw some nasty sneers and mocking looks on his face today.

You are very clever and very talented Ronaldo but beware for pride will have a fall.

Wenger may not have won anything this year. But I still rate him.

In the meantime, I would simply like to dedicate this to the great Arsene Wenger.

Better luck next year mate.

No Laughing Matter

This won't be a long post tonight. I'm exhausted with the emotion of watching the Liverpool/Arsenal match.

What drama. I so wanted the Arse to win. They seem to just miss out all the time. And Walcott. He is a complete dream.

I went mad when Adebayor's goal went in. I thought that was it. And then to lose out to a penalty which was almost a carbon copy of the one Arsenal didn't get awarded in the first leg.

Babel's goal was the icing on the cake for them of course. But you couldn't claim that either team didn't put their heart and soul into trying to win that match.

Amazing.

So I have had a great, if agonising footballing evening Which began, interestingly, with a conversation on air with the man who runs this business. Who is also a Luton fan. (Well he would be, being into laughter therapy, wouldn't he? You'd certainly need a sense of humour)

Apart from that he was OK and we chatted about all sorts. My first foray into the local radio station I told you about the other day.

Oooh errrr!

Little did he know he was interviewing the soon to be famous Georgina Best.

You heard it here first.

Lump It, Hump It And Hope

By general consent The Arse was robbed last night.

It led to an interesting debate on Talk Sport this evening as I was driving home. One of the more informed debates I have to say. Fans of various teams ringing in and talking football properly, with passion for their team but a degree of objectivity too.

The discussion was about the top four and the sort of football they play.

Man U of course are simply on fire. They have great teamwork going on and whilst they have the odd hiccup it is hard not to view them as pretty amazing.

Chelsea, despite being up there, are not renowned for their beautiful football. And of course dear Avram (whom I heard described as a fat Larry Grayson today to me amusement) is getting some stick about his tactical abilities.

Then there is Liverpool, who in my view have some fine players (including the beautiful Torres. Which reminds me I must tell you sometime about my fantasy of what might happen if Torres and Renaldo ever got together...............................). They lack consistency however, and on a number of occasions now have, in my humble opinion, lacked shape and flair.

Finally of course there is The Arse. I know you would argue that results are what counts at the end of the day but I am a great believer that the means should justify the end. I would love to see them have a major success won through skills rather than simply power and brawn.

It's like someone said on Talk Sport. There is the beautiful football school of play. And there is the 'lump it, hump it and hope brigade'. Win or lose I know what I prefer.