Leicester 1 v 1 Arsenal

Leicester City 1 v 1 Arsenal

I've had to limit where I go for Arsenal information.

The media as watchdog is absolute shit
The TV telling you what to think

The Jam – Art School

Too many don't watch the game and make their own, informed, impressions. Too many take to the Internet, Twitter particularly, quoting whatever the guys in the commentary box or telly studio as if that's the absolute truth.

I think, to a lesser or greater extent, that that's because, as football's hit a peak of popularity, there's no end of plastic fans and supporters about, and there's no end of men and women who've never kicked a ball in anger spouting opinions they're unqualified to spout.

Unfortunately, among those doing the spouting, are tabloid and broadsheet journalists.

You better speak up now if you want your piece
You better speak up now it won't mean a thing later
Yesterday's news is tomorrow's fish 'n' chip paper

Elvis Costello – Fish 'n' Chip Paper

Flick through the papers after any game.

Players will stroke passes. The ball will be blasted over the bar. They'll hurtle into tackles, pick out slide-rule passes and caress it into the net.

They'll report on the goals, talking points like penalty awards, red cards, and the like. They'll then transcribe extracts from the managers' post-match interviews (freely available on You Tube, if anyone wants them). Job done, hit 'send', laptop lid slammed shut, kettle and slippers on.

It isn't all like that. The Blizzard is a collection of longer, better, football writing, the football equivalent of The Nightwatchman.

If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same

Kipling – If

Having your own opinion isn't always so useful, socially, and that's probably behind a lot of willingness to spout cliché and repeat what everyone else is saying.

I've always thought If's a bit overwrought and over-quoted, but that triumph and disaster line's spot on. To the plastic fan, it's as if they've got that bang on the head condition where they forget everything every morning.

Yes, a draw with Leicester is a disappointment. It isn't the end of the world. Collectively, Twitter / Facebook /Blogs / email / text / electronic communication generally and collectively is prone to being bipolar, flipping between those imposters without the slowdown and opportunity for reflection the shades of grey in between represent.

It could be going better, result and performance-wise. We should've bought to replace the Verminator in the summer, because we're light on the defensive cover front. We need to find a way to get the best out of the personnel we've acquired over the last two seasons.

Most of all, we need to ditch that awful blue away kit.