Morning, all.
Blogs is out of motion so I’m masking this morning.
As a few of you who comply with me on Twitter will know, I’ve a long-standing disdain for Leeds United. It dates again a few a long time to a pub in Harrogate and an incident with certainly one of their followers who labelled me, “Harry Potter Speccy Twat”.
It’s truthful to say, I didn’t take too kindly to that and I’ve been wishing absolutely the worst for them ever since. And look, I’ve had a fairly good run of it…to the purpose, I’ve satisfied myself I’ll have cursed them. In case you’re going to get in comparison with a wizard, you may as properly channel that vitality. Proper?
There was all the time one thing about Leeds I didn’t like. I reckon I suffered some type of PTSD off the again of all of the FA Cup replays within the early 90s – regardless of what number of instances you killed them, they simply wouldn’t die – after which, after all, they fucked us twice throughout title run-ins in 1999 and 2003. Solely after the latter, which occurred the identical 12 months as ‘the incident’, did we flip a nook.
When Leeds visited Highbury in April 2004, it was private. From my seat within the North Financial institution Higher, I felt like I used to be conducting Thierry Henry’s masterclass. On the way in which to a 5-0 win, every of the Frenchman’s 4 objectives crossed a line by means of my undesirable alias. Harry Potter Speccy Twat.
“Electrifying, electrifying” was how Martin Tyler described Henry. It actually was. That win will endlessly be certainly one of my favourites at Highbury. We performed with the strut of a workforce that was on the verge of profitable the championship and Leeds appeared like a aspect destined for relegation. Their destiny was sealed not lengthy after and for 16 years they remained largely out of view, at one level dropping right down to League One and flirting with administration. Oh, how I laughed.
After we did should face them, the scripts for cup video games have been equally satisfying. Leeds thought they’d us overwhelmed in 2011 just for Cesc Fabregas to disclaim them a giant-killing win with a stoppage-time penalty. After which my private murderer, Henry, did for them a 12 months later, capping his return from America with one of the vital outstanding moments the Emirates has witnessed. I’ve all the time sensed Titi hates Leeds too.
As you may think about, when Leeds returned to the highest flight in 2020, I wasn’t greatest happy. Worse was that everybody appeared to have forgotten what despicable cunts they have been. Certain they performed some good soccer underneath Marcelo Bielsa, however spare me the weekly 5,000-word lengthy reads about it, I believed. My solely consolation was Covid denying their followers the prospect to look at a half-decent workforce in particular person.
When Leeds went down a 12 months in the past, I stored my fingers crossed for one more tumble down the English pyramid. It hasn’t come to move. In such circumstances, you simply should refactor your expectations. What can be probably the most painful final result for them, I requested myself.
How about squandering automated promotion, making it to the play-off remaining after which dropping at Wembley? That’ll do.
All of which is to say, this morning I’m doing my greatest Nelson Muntz impression – pointing my finger within the common path of Leeds and shouting HAHA.
I used to be out of city yesterday, so I didn’t watch their showdown with Southampton, however because the outcome was confirmed and my prepare edged nearer to London, it dawned on me that King’s Cross can be filled with depressing Leeds followers making an attempt to get again north.
Certain sufficient, because the doorways opened, there they have been. They got here in all sizes and styles however had one factor in widespread; the disappointment of their eyes.
I couldn’t assist however grin as I weaved between the white and yellow shirts on my strategy to the Victoria Line. Sometimes, one would let loose a defiant roar, however his phrases would simply hold within the air like a rancid fart. No one cared to affix in.
I’m a 41-year-old man. This sort of factor shouldn’t make me pleased. Nevertheless it does. And it all the time will.
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As you might have guessed, it’s a deathly quiet on the Arsenal entrance. After every week off lots of the gamers have worldwide friendlies developing. I hope we’ll hear from a few of them this week in any other case it’s going to be bloody quiet on Arseblog Information.
Elsewhere, the massive story to drop yesterday night was about Pep Guardiola doubtlessly standing down as Manchester Metropolis supervisor on the finish of subsequent season. I’ll consider it after I see it, however can properly think about he’d fairly be elsewhere ought to something come of the 115 expenses which were levelled at his membership. There’s speak of an unbiased fee reviewing the case subsequent spring with a call to comply with a couple of months later. Who is aware of what that can deliver? Carnage, hopefully.
In the interim, all Arsenal can do is deal with themselves and, for me, meaning tying down Arteta to a brand new deal and sustaining a stage of stability that places us in the absolute best place to fill the void ought to they be penalised with a factors deduction or extra.
As we all know, Arteta’s present contract ends in a 12 months’s time. Hopefully, we are able to type that out sooner fairly than later.
Proper, that’s your lot for at the moment. As I discussed, it’s a financial institution vacation right here so I’m going to benefit from it by trawling some Leeds boards.
Have a very good one. Blogs can be again tomorrow. 🥸
