What I can and can’t control

21 comments

1. The hat I am wearing today is a Napoleonic infantryman’s helmet made from purple tissue paper and dried porridge and there’s NOTHING you can do about it

   1. Or the fact that now we know have to know about it

2. This is very Buddhist, Tim. I approve.

3. Love this post. A terrified friend in Kyiv just reminded me that her country hosted the Euro 2012 final, and the champions league final nearly 4 years ago.

   Yet Americans on the right, notably Trump and Carlson, are lionising Putin. Many on the far left held up American imperialism as an excuse for Russian imperialism.

   It’s wearying. I can’t wait for the football.

   And oh, seize and liquidate Chelsea and kick out Abramovich. Third will be assured. To our Chelsea brother, Kante’s Inferno, who sometimes dips into the chat, im kidding about all except sanctioning Roman. Heavily.

   1. I don’t disagree on any front. If you look at the history of the deals that benefited the oligarchs, Abramovich aligned himself with Putin to reap benefits of state contracts that would allow him and other business partners to prosper. He is involved in this whether we, as Chelsea fans, like to admit it or not. He, among many other factors and influential people, helped install Putin and he has yet to denounce him.

      I hope things don’t devolve further, but yeah this is truly disappointing. Football has been used time an again to try and wash the sins of men who willing stain their hands with blood. I’m glad UEFA is pulling the St. Petersburg final. I hope football can begin to take a stand against all these malevolent actors that threaten our peace.

4. This is exactly the game I was scared of last time we played wolves. Go behind from an error and they lock it up

   1. That was awesome

5. There’s no better feeling than an injury time winner!!!

   1. From Lacazette 👀

6. Dang. That was not at all how I pictured the match going. Especially after falling behind and with no ESR.
   But there was a lot of hustle and determination out there. Laca was not great, but kept at it for all 95 mins. That effort was FINALLY rewarded.
   I’d also call out Xhaka, who was working extremely hard all the way through, and Eddie N, who worked hard and looked good in his short amount of time.

   1. Xhaka was huge in that game.

      Chalk up another W for PARKA!

7. Two years ago we would probably lose this game 3-0. Today, we win 2-1 despite really not being able to connect the dots in the final 3rd. This was all heart, all grit, and it will do wonders for the team’s morale in the remaining games after what has been a tough run. I was impressed with Lacazette’s resolve. I can’t recall the last time I’ve seen a striker so out of form and yet so determined to make something happen. In the 90th minute he’s winning a throw in off Moutinho near his own corner flag, then turns around to gee up the crowd with genuine emotion on his face. You love to see it. Though I think he was crossing it to Saka for that winner I have to say: he and the team deserved that bit of luck. Pepe was a turnover machine and a liability defensively, but equally his piece of skill in the penalty box turned the game. I hope we give him more of a run because he’s fun to watch and I think he can go on a little scoring run for us.

   Wolves did not deserve it. For one, they already profited from a piece of luck for their opener. For another, that display of utter S***thousery was just astounding. The time wasting, milking the injuries (who needs a TWO ASSIST to leave the field for a pulled hammy??? I have patients who literally have no legs who don’t need a two assist), the painfully contorted facial expressions and dramatic hand gestures every time there was a decision to contest, hounding the referee everywhere he went, and then that farce of a substitution with Jimenez, it was truly a masterpiece from Jorge Mendes FC. It was like watching XI Mourinhos. The winner felt doubly sweet coming against this pathetic lot. The shame is they’re actually also good footballers and I’d be having their #9 start for Arsenal.

8. Hugely distracting day, so have no idea how play unfolded. But sounds like a great, battling result. And hey, Auba scored in the Europa too, so the texts will be pinging between him and his two Francophone buddies who also got on the scoresheet. Rooring for him to do well, as much as I’m rootingbfor us for top 4. Onwards.

9. what a fucking show! arsenal threw down. the team fought to the last minute and won. arteta was masterful with his substitutions. both eddie and pepe made an impact; especially pepe with a goal and what should have been an assist in just over ten minutes. last week, i referred to him as a weapon x. anyone who’s familiar with marvel comics, particularly x-men, will know what i’m talking about when i say weapon x. that man is special. the emotion on lacazette’s face was of such elation. he really needed that moment. i love the fact that arsenal refused to lose. let’s see what we have moving forward.

   for the wolves goal, i loved it; obviously, not from an arsenal perspective but a football perspective. i knew it was a matter of time before either gabriel, white, or thomas got caught in possession and it would lead to a goal. they’ve been getting away with some bad football that’s worked out via dumb luck. i watched an arsenal training video on youtube yesterday and gabriel got caught in possession by saka in similar fashion; holding the ball too long. that chicken finally came home to roost today; hopefully, lessons learned moving forward. big up to hwang for a great bit of skill to get that goal. i like that guy; wonder how much he’d cost.

10. Son and I at airport in line for Jersey Mike’s (Tim cringes – his choice not mine). Watching match on my phone. Arsenal score and we scream like little children -drawing everyone’s stares.

    I love this team.

    1. I don’t cringe! A man and his son have to eat.

11. “That feels like so much more than 3 points. Our boys played some wonderful football and never gave up. The fans were behind our team from the start. The fans AND the players won us 3 points tonight #ARSWOL #Arsenal”

    Gilberto Silva, on twitter.

    What a superb endorsement of the players, and of their effort.

12. Felt like more than 3 points- yes it sure did. Those are the kind of wins that really deliver belief.

    PPG is creeping up, it’s still only 1.85, there is more consistency and quality to find to become a real top 4 team.

    But we’re now on track for 71 points and with more performances like that we should hopefully at least stay on that path.

13. Very interesting and self reflective post. It would be illuminating to see what other people put in their lists of what they can control and not control. I guess some factors would be geography, socioeconomic status, education, upbringing and personal health. Glad we vanquished Wolves finally! Pepe the super sub brought the element of chaos we needed to break their defense.

14. Thought I should drop by the IHOP. Been awhile.
    Has the International House of Pessimism changed the menu?

    Still– enjoying watching this season unfold!

15. I’m so happy that Arsenal never got in bed fully with Alisher Usmanov.

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