Sairax Makes Her Podcast Debut & Other Random Nonsense

By: Sairax | May 11th, 2011

Arsenal certainly don’t make it easy to write about them on a blog every day. Instead of feeling joyous and giddy over some late season wins, I’m finding myself trying to forget about losing to Stoke over the weekend and ignoring the random transfer gossip swirling around the interwebs. If any any rumour you hear actually comes true, I’ll give you a shiny penny. I think I’ll still have my penny at the end of the summer. I mean, Mancini wants Cesc (who doesn’t?), Madrid are “offering” us Lassana Diarra, and we are “offering” Sagna to Bayern. The last one is at least a bit new and creative, I’ll give them that.

Yesterday, Manchester City beat Tottenham to secure a top four finish that will see them in the Champions League next season. They are now only 2 points behind us and there are only two games left in the season, so if our players think they can phone in a performance like they did over the weekend, then they are mistaken. The last thing we need is to have a Champions League qualifier on our schedule before the season even starts, not to mention that the very thought of us finishing fourth after we were so close to the top makes me cry tears of blood.

On a lighter note, this means that Tottenham will not be in Champions League next season. This amuses me. It also means that they may not have any European football at all considering that Manchester City’s top four finish makes it so that Stoke gets a Europa League spot. The other Europa League spots will go to Birmingham, for winning the Carling Cup, and to whoever finishes fifth, which is likely Liverpool. Liverpool will be facing Tottenham this weekend in, so that will be a big game. Last season, Peter Crouch scored the winning goal against Manchester City, sending the Spuds to the Champions League. This season, Crouch scored the winning goal again, in the same fixture, only this time, it was against his own team and it got Manchester City to the Champions League. I find this to be comical. Feel free to chuckle with me.

That’s all I feel like discussing today. But hold on! You might be interested to know that the day has come where you get to listen to me spout rubbish rather than just read me spouting rubbish. That’s right, I have followed in the footsteps of our lord and master, Martin, and made an appearance on the Arsenal Review USA podcast. You can listen to it online here or download it on iTunes here. Make sure you also go back and have a listen to Martin when he was on after our losses to Barcelona in the Champions League and Manchester United in the FA Cup. I’m thinking Martin did something horrible in a past life to have to go on a podcast after those results. Click here to relive the misery.

***************

Don’t forget to follow the Arsenal Offside on Twitter for the latest news, links, and updates!

Some Related Stories:

Category: Arsenal News, Randoms

« Bendtner Unhappy With His Current Role | Home | Chamakh Still Has A Part To Play For The Gunners, Plus Injury Updates »

Sly Kil

Remember the man who changed the face of the Premier League? Remember the man who won the Double in 1998 and built the Invincible side of 2004? Do you remember that man? If you can find that Arsene, the Arsene we all fell in love with, I'm sure we can all learn to love you again, I promise.
You built powerful, combative, direct, flamboyantly attacking teams, the likes of which had never been seen before or since. But, somewhere along the line you changed and it breaks my heart to even say this but, if you can not or will not change back to that man, well it might just be better for all concerned if we started seeing other managers and you found yourself a lovely new club to play with.
After you saw how effectively the Spanish national side and Barcelona F.C. were dominating the vast footballing landscape it's understandable that you tried to copy their style and formation but you have to admit that you've failed to see the full picture and neglected to copy ALL of Barcelona's methods. That is why we are having this conversation AGAIN, ARSENE!
While Barcelona were waiting for their current golden generation to blossom they made big money signings such as Rivaldo, Eto’o, Ronaldinho, Overmars, Henry and more recently Ibrahimovic and David Villa. These players helped show the fledgling Barcelona team what was required to win trophies, and they also added quality in areas that even their marvellous youth system couldn't always provide for. I understand that you might not have always had the best financial resources available to you, due to the costs incurred by the construction of the London Colney training complex and the Ashburton Grove stadium, but surely now you could spend just a bit more freely? You really are starting to look like a right old miser, even though I admit your fashion sense has come a long way since 1996. Well, except for that massive blue jacket you just insist on wearing when it's cold. Are you really that tight that you couldn't even get yourself a decent jacket? You used to buy World Cup winners like Henry and Pires and proven winners like Sol Campbell, but now you buy players like Silvestre and Squillaci. Yes, I know that French football is no longer the force that it once was but you must realise that you can sign players from other countries besides your native France.
If you look at the way that Barcelona and the Spainish national team play you should notice that while they play attacking possession football they are also extremely hardworking without the ball, positionally aware and defensively solid while we, on the other hand, are anything but those things. When you guided us through that unforgettable unbeaten season we conceded only 26 goals, ten goals fewer than we have already conceded this season. Where has the team spirit gone? The tight defence? The mental strength? Maybe you broke up that side a bit too hastily, Arsene, and now you are breaking all of our hearts.
You used to know the value of big, strong athletic players but by trying to copy Barcelona and going for smaller, more mobile players you failed to consider just how different the Premier league is to La Liga. In La Liga the game is slower and far less physical than in the premiership and I would be interested to see how Barcelona would get on over the course of a full premiership season with our weather, playing on our pitches against the leg breakers of Stoke and Birmingham. You need to go back to signing experienced winners and physically imposing players like Patrick Viera, otherwise it might just be time to say Au Revoir and move on with our lives.
Don't look so sad. Yes, I know it's hard. It's hard for me too but at least we had that great unbeaten season, a couple of fantastic Doubles and we almost had Paris.
Every time I walk into Ashburton Grove I'll think of you. A part of me will always love you and look fondly upon our time together but things just can't carry on as they are. It's just not healthy.
Casimir

Paragraphs my friend. They're golden.
TJ

We all fucked up... HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY ABOU DIABY! 2 hours late.. :(
sofreshnsoclean

great podcast, sairax...although the 'no gooners in Toronto' comment did kind of hurt a little...
Sairax

I didn't say no gooners! Just said I haven't met them in person, plus I mentioned they gather downtown :)

Thanks for the kind words!
sofreshnsoclean

touche.
The Ghost of Silvestre

@sairax:disqus You were great on the podcast. Keep it up!
Sairax

Cheers!
J___V

Well done sairax, thought you handled yourself very well. Clearly it's a whole lot easier & safer to come on here and write a little piece in complete anonymity. I for one was quite impressed and weirdly enough quite proud to hear our very own speaking so confidently. Good job!
Sairax

Thanks, appreciate it!
Zain Cannon

Well, when it comes to Arsenal these days, everything turns to shit. Another BS season! ffs!
Jordan

It was so incredibly difficult to sit through these meat heads talk about Arsenal, in the most American way humanly possible, just to hear if Sairax was hot.
JG

You were great, Sairax! I think I'm going to make space for the ArsenalUSA podcast, it's actually quite good!
Sairax

Thanks JG, I was pretty nervous!
Poon Licker

sairax is a girl??? wtf??
JG

Old news dude.
Sairax

*tumbleweed rolls by*

*crickets chirp*
Homey_Mills

So now we know why the Ax was waiting so impatiently. She was waiting for all the compliments to roll in. I see now.
Darren_V

I don't think ANYONE really wants to talk Arsenal anymore.
Homey_Mills

We're all too busy listening to the podcast. Actually, it occurred to me that it's weird they'd take a Canadian to talk on the Arsenal USA website.
DanKing9

Well they had LadyArse from Northern Ireland on before, but I know what you mean