As the quiet week continues, it seems like the perfect time for this post.
As you know, the comments on these articles are open to everyone. It’s hugely important to us that we have a range of diverse opinions, and it’s great when articles, posts, and so on, spark discussion and debate.
However, it’s also worth reminding people that we do have a comment policy here which we expect people to follow. You can read that comment policy here.
These rules are not open to discussion or debate, and have been crafted with the experience of 14 years of doing this website.
When things aren’t going as well as we might like, there tends to be a lot more conversation, and that’s understandable. There’s generally a lot more to say about a game in which things went wrong than a routine 2-0 win. That’s human nature.
What I would remind people of is the fact that we’re all Arsenal fans here. Your view on playing styles, the manager, the board, Doris the Tea-lady and whatever else may differ, but at the end of the day we all want to see the club do well.
I would ask again that you respect people’s opinions, even if you disagree with them. There is no need for personal abuse of other commentators, or the people who write the articles.
It is possible to want a change of manager and to express that without resorting to some of the worst online excesses. Similarly, you can want him to stay without writing off those who want a change as cranks or lunatics.
You don’t have to be one thing or the other. And one of the worst things that has happened in recent years is the increased polarisation and division of fans who believe they have to nail their colours to a particular mast and stick to it regardless.
In the words of Chris Rock talking about politics, “No normal, decent person is one thing. I’ve got some shit I’m conservative about, I’ve got some shit I’m liberal about.”
There’s room to find nuance in situations, so be open to ideas that you don’t necessarily hold yourself. You don’t have to agree but it’s a shame when people close their minds completely.
Also, if your comment is held for moderation, please give us time to release it. There are a number of reasons this may happen, and we do our best to go through them as quickly as we can.
We do appreciate everyone who visits and leaves comments … well, almost everyone … but part of making this place enjoyable for everyone comes down to you guys too.
Thanks!
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Doris the tea-lady is a saint! Anyone who says otherwise can go to hell.
I will find you …. and I will kill you
Doris the tea lady hasn’t been the same since we left Highbury , I blame the lack of better tea than the PG tips she has already
That’s harsh, you need to remember the budget constraints she endured because of the move. All had become used to teas like Assam, Oolong and Broken Orange Pekoe, real world class teas. When we moved to The Grove she had to make do with Typhoo, Tetley and Twinings Everyday, and had to use her years of experience to get the best out of the bags she had.
She deserves more credit, and respect.
Doris has been coasting since that one season when she had zero spills all season. But since then she’s been Spilly McSpill-face, and the board just wont see the light.
Doris Out!
Thank you for giving us this platform to give our opinions. Your constant hard work does not go unnoticed. Well up, blogs!
Well said!
Remember opinions are like butt-holes; everyone’s got one and thinks everyone else’s stinks!
I think my butt-hole stinks
Like some people say: God created pundits to make astrology look accurate. All of us, post-game pundits need to remember this.
Cool.
We all want the same thing. Arsenal competing at the highest level.
Playing football how it should be played. Playing the fast pace one touch football we saw in the 03/04 season.
The team that got us in the Champions League final in 2006. The sad thing is we’re not that far off.
Some things are glaringly obvious, but yet risks are still taken and it all comes back and bites us on the arse come the end of the season.
Same old same old!
Or you could say, the intriguing thing is that we’re not that far off.
I know, I’m a half-full kind of guy…
Well said blogs, but a shame that it needed saying.
#DorisOut
sorry, couldn’t resist.
What???? Doris is irreplaceable! She has done so much for the club! And what replacement Tea Lady would you suggest, not many of her quality out there…….
#Dorisknows
😉
We only sign top top top quality tea ladies
Though not the top quality we demand, but word is out that there is one looking for a job in the name of Maureen, a Chelsea reject!
Tea lady jobs are demanding, and if you can’t manage to stay afloat with oil money, I highly doubt if that Portuguese lady could do a job at the Emirates as a tea lady.
would you rather fight a bear with a net or a shark with a knife ?
Shark with a knife, full stop. What good is a net against a bear?
wow wow wow, does the bear have the use of the net and the shark have the knife?
If so im going shark, I have the reach on him.
Shark with a knife.
I mean, come on! Bear with a net? Leo shot that thing with a gun and nothing.
That depends. Does the shark have frickin’ laser beams?
Shark with a knife. It won’t be able to bite me with a knife in its mouth. No hands, innit!
Shark. On condition the battle is fought on land. Thank you.
“If you’re not with me, then you’re my enemy” – Anakin Skywalker
We all should remember Arsenal is ideally a Jedi club, not Sith like many of our opponents on the pitch.
If you’re here and reading this, we’re on the same team as fans so let Force Awaken once again.
Bring balance to this space, and not leave us in darkness.
Only a sith deals in absolutes – Hermione Granger, Captain of the Enterprise.
CUNT!
Well said. We all have our own views but at the end of the day they are centered around our support of the Arse. Many moons ago I was vocal in us not wasting millions on an AC Milan reject called Vieira coz we were rumoured to be in for Jason McAteer (ask your parents). I kinda changed my mind quite quickly. And that’s true for all of this. Time moves on and our views can be held fast or we can be swayed by what unfolds. Wenger might go and we could do well or bomb and same if… Read more »
Moffat out.
I commented on a Jack Wilshere article recently and for whatever reason it wasn’t published. The comment wasn’t abusive, simply me saying that he should keep his head down and focus on getting back on the pitch instead of out on the town.
Anyway this particular article seems double standard from Arseblog who regularly calls Phil Collins a c**t amongst many others in routine abuse across several platforms.
Que?
Sometimes things get lost, it wasn’t intentional and apologies if that’s the case.
Also, it’s not a double-standard. We’re not all Phil Collins fans here. And nobody’s speaking directly to Phil Collins. And he is actually a cunt.
Actual Phil Collins quote confirming the above “Beyond a certain point, the music isn’t mine anymore, it’s yours” …. you can keep it Philip.
Isn’t the use of the word ‘cunt’ sexist, in as much as the use of the word ‘n****r’ racist?
There are other ways of making one’s distaste about someone else known without invoking the most derogatory term for a part of the female body.
swing and a miss budy
Oh good lord the PC crowd are in today….
It’s not even comparable to that word, seriously.
I agree, it’s not comparable but still not ideal as using female genitals as a term of abuse and male ones to express admiration unthinkingly reflects and reinforces attitudes that most football fans would these days frown on a bit –
cunts bad, balls good.
I can live with it, though, which is fortunate as I don’t see it disappearing from fan sites any time soon. Good that faggot has done in the last few years. It’s not that long ago that it was a common term of abuse for players who had a bad game.
you’re right, i’m not arguing that they are comparable. i’m arguing that the word ‘cunt’ is incredibly sexist and misogynistic. therefore, if sexism is not allowed on the website then the word ‘cunt’ shouldn’t be.
but this is just my opinion.
Don’t take it too personally, being called a prick or a cock isn’t terribly complimentary either.
I’m in agreement, c word has always made me flinch a little… however it’s all about the intention behind it’s usage. Hopefully we all appreciate this site for it’s self-aware / ironic / sardonic use of language (thank you). I’m a left-wing vegan living in a small town …learnt long ago we all perceive things from different angles, pause for thought, respect others approaches if those intentions are decent.
I get that. But it’s not used in any way that isn’t more in line with calling someone a ‘prick’ or a ‘bastard’ or a ‘wanker’. It’s certainly not used in an explicitly sexual or demeaning way in reference to female anatomy. Anyway, good feedback.
There are some occasions where using an insult like “coffin dodger” to describe someone sitting in the middle lane at 50 work. There are other times however when I really need to get rid of the vehemence that is festering inside me whenever the names Morihno or sp*rs or even Phil Collins crop up and nothing really replaces the satisfaction of using a word like cunt to describe my feelings. It’s therapy really.
@CJ I agree that cunt and twat are sexist and I don’t use them myself, but I’m not offended by people who do because most of us use swear words purely out of habit, without thinking about what they actually mean or how they came to be swear words in the first place. I use bugger and sodding, which are homophobic and date from centuries ago when homophobia was universal. I also use God as a swear word though, since I’m atheist, it’s not one for me in any meaningful sense, just a way of swearing I’ve culturally inherited. Cunt… Read more »
@Miranda i think using/incorporating god as a swear word is different from words that have been used to degrade the gender, race, or sexual orientation of a group of people. there’s nothing much in saying jesus fucking christ, in my opinion. although, many christians would be mad at me for saying that. in any case, i am not trying to force my beliefs or ideals on anyone. i have used the words ‘cunt’ and ‘twat’ in the past, but i try not to nowadays. i just thought that Blogs was doing a very commendable thing in addressing the increasingly toxic… Read more »
Miranda!
You are worrying about “cunt” as being sexist.
Here’s some male sexist ones:
“You fucking prick”
“”You fucking knob”
“You are talking bollocks”
Here’s an idea, let’s ban all genitalia swear words apart from “arsehole” as that is not gender specific??
What a wonderful “PC” world it would be…
PS. Thanks for not mentioning “fishes tit”. 🙂
oh fuck off, social justice warrior!
So what’s your opinion on social justice? In my experience people that use pc or sjw in a negative are usually bigots. Though I don’t know you so ???
You mean like one of those French sticks?
He doesn’t smell of fish and doesn’t start leaking when he gets happy our someone touches his head, or does he?
See I dont mind a bit of Phil on the ol stereo from time to time.
A bit serious today, are we…..
Lots of people need to read ‘Letting Go: The Pathway to Surrender’ by David R. Hawkins. Talks a lot about opinions and pride (ego). ‘Why not just love a certain concept because of its beauty, because of its inspirational quality, or because of its serviceability? If we view our thoughts that way, we no longer need the pride of being “right”. If we hold the same view of our likes and dislikes, we are no longer prone to argumentativeness.’ ‘The prideful person is constantly on the defensive because of the vulnerability of inflation and denial. Conversely, the humble person cannot… Read more »
I’m proud of you!
Tl;dr: don’t be a cunt
I’m curious about why some people’s comments are moderated. Mine are, despite the fact that I’ve never broken the rules, nor would ever be likely to, as must be obvious from the way that I write (like a vicar’s wife from the 1950s). I don’t do text speak, personal abuse, racism, homophobia or sexism, though, since sexist language is normal on a football site, I’m surprised it’s even included in the comment policy. What’s the point of subjecting some people’s comments to pre-vetting? Is it a subtle form of discouragement, a mealy-mouthed way of saying ‘We can’t think of a… Read more »
I can’t say exactly. For some I know fine well. We’ve added that person to a moderation list. You’re not on it in anyway. I can only think that perhaps your IP is shared with someone who was moderated previously, but I don’t see it. I am sorry about this as I know it’s frustrating and I try and release comments as soon as I possibly can. I know you don’t break the rules etc, so it does bother me when good people get trapped. Most people who are moderated/banned don’t use a genuine email address either. I have tried… Read more »
Mmm, that’s odd. Don’t think it can have been my IP as I wasn’t pre-vetted initially; it just happened suddenly for no obvious reason that I could see. Some glitch in the system, I guess, but it doesn’t much matter, apart from making work for you.
I presuming you’re like me Miranda and full of really bad dad jokes. I’m actually just sending this in now to check if I’m still on the list. I’ve pretty much given up commenting because the comment is buried deep by the time it peaks its little turtle head out for a quick squiz round the corner…
Sorry, I don’t know why 🙁
Miranda it’s nothing personal I am sure.
As Bloggs knows, my posts all used to go into moderation for no reason and then they didn’t, and we have never been able to find the cause.
Some of my comments get moderated, I suspect the site has a drivelchecker.
Comment of the day Sir!
For the last decade or so, Doris has lost it. Before her tea(m)s used to be strong, now there is just too much milk. Also, she always gives us either three or four sugar sachets. I want only one! Doris out!
Is this a good place to point out that in the 3 seasons before this we averaged just letting in exactly one goal per league game, regardless of who the goalkeeper was (Ospina, Sczez, Fabianski, Martinez – I think this period isn’t long enough to include Don Vito, but there may be others). By definition some of these almost certainly let in less than the average, some more. Don’t know who did which though. Now guess what Cech has let in exactly on average 1 goal per league game for us. It is possible we are a worse team by… Read more »
On the other hand, there seems to have been no problem with a poster calling me a twat the other week for saying, quite reasonably, that Wenger should leave despite the win over Watford. Therefore, I’m assuming the prohibition on personal attacks doesn’t apply to those on yours truly. Feel free to go to town guys!
No, we don’t allow personal abuse at all, but we can’t see every comment. Doesn’t matter who it is, name calling is nonsense.
If we see it, we remove it, end of story.
Is masochism allowed?
I’m a twat.
You know yourself better than any of us. Go for it!
Where did they hang this poster?
Thank you blogs. I really appreciate the forum you generously provide for us. It is pretty much the only place I bother being involved in any sort of online discussion, and this is because of you and your team’s hard work and follow through. It is impressive fortitude to do this more or less every-single-day and still have it in you to allow us, the baying mobb, to continue to put you through it. I like adding to (subtracting from?) the conversation, and certainly have moments of hackle raising. I also recognize there are periods when that’s much more likely.… Read more »
Birds and squirrels aren’t nice. Birds crap on you, and the grey squirrel has hounded the red squirrel almost to extinction in Britain, the bastard. Stay indoors and be safe, but watch out for your dog. He eats meat and you’re made of meat.
Dog eats meat, but I can open doors. Dog likes open doors and a full food dish.
Dog is in full agreement with you on squirrels and birds. Especially squirrels. The fuckers chatter at her from the low branch and try to drop acorn shells on her. Even a deluded fool can see it’s time for a change of rodent.
Squirrels out.
Well now that we’ve lost the slim hope for the title last week-end, I’m sure there will be much less angry Gooners coming here to express their frustration.
Arseblog piss off! No waaaaaiiiittttt!!!!! I’m just kidding. Do u know how many of us thrive off of this majestic piece of masterclass Artwork that we know as Arseblog. So Mr Arseblog please keep up ur fabulous work, we may not win trophies every year, we may have not won EPL in years, and we can still recall that final agaisnt Barca as if it was yesterday, so what was I saying? Yea, if there’s one thing I’m hella sure of, it’s that we got the best football club related website/blog in the entire freakin world. And as tears of… Read more »
John Terry is a cunt
It all sounds perfectly fair to me.
I have been following you blog for 36% of your 14 years and i must im thankful to read yours since i think your opinion is the most sensible i can get, given the quality of sports journalism who hate Arsenal before Hitler thank you.
cunt, dick, bastard, balls, prick, …….whateva mehn, lets roll
A late thank you for the post of the day. Polarisation is a c… (nah, I won’t)
Can Doris play as a central striker?
I was raped by Doris the tea lady.
it all went tits up when the screaming lady disappeared.
she used to keep the invincibles on their toes.
I think it’s only appropriate that all comments be in the style of Arsenal Gentleman going forward.
I assume we’re now far enough into the debate to invoke Godwin’s Law, so… SS, Gestapo, Hitler etc. Fill yer boots.
Also, people are twathammers.
I can’t believe no-one has taken the opportunity to reference the Belinda Carlilse track that echoes the theme of this particular blog/news article . . . let me redress that balance . . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NbT1A4w8u4
Your welcome.