The North London Divide | Where Arsenal and Tottenham Collide!

I thought I would ask this question now as judgement’s could be clouded if you go on and win a trophy and a player scores an important goal or has a particularly good game in a final, big if I know!

Who is the player that you Gooners feel has contributed the most to your cause as we reach the final few weeks of the season?

Here is a short list of contenders that I would be considering.

Gael Clichy – This kid has made the left back position his own since the departure of Cashley and his quality is there for all to see. He’s had another consistent season and even managed to score his first Arsenal goal.

Bacary Sagna – A player that gets some unfair criticism IMHO, even if he does resemble Venus Williams. He’s made 40 appearances this season and has become an important part of the Arsenal side.

Denilson – Denilson seems to be another player who the fans aren’t yet 100% behind but he’s another that has been a constant in the Arsenal team this season. He seems like a good character and not full of arrogance like Gallas and Adebayor so gives a good balance to the side in that respect. With 3 goals and 7 assists, his contribution can’t really be knocked.

Samir Nasri – I think this guy is another of real quality that Wenger has brought in. I’m not sure he would bleed for Arsenal but on his day he’s a special player and has been compared to Pires by Wenger. 8 goals and 4 assists in 30 appearances make him one of your most consistent players this season.

My knowledge of Arsenal is obviously not as good as most of you Arsenal fans so your player of the season likely won’t come from my list. Feel free to let me know where I’ve gone wrong!

Here’s another guest post, this time from Arsenal fan Goonblogger from The Goon Blog.

The ultimate day of Spud mocking could come at our game against Wigan if we claim three points and the Spuds draw. I have been mocked several times by disgruntled Spuds about celebrating the fact they can no longer finish above us but it has happened so many times now its become an annual event…up there with the likes of Christmas.

With Sp*rs looking about as consistent as…well Sp*rs…..I have a feeling that St. Totts will fall on 11/04/09 this year and I for one will be celebrating it with copious amounts of laughter and alcoholic beverages.

Arsenal on the other hand are looking like a team possessed and really going for glory, the return of the non-spitting Spaniard and club captain Fabregas, along with the Tognator, Theo Walcott and soon
Robin van Persie and Eduardo, the attacking talent available is probably the most potent and classy than is available anywhere else, Europe or worldwide.

I’m sure all Gooners remember that last years St. Totts fell at the earliest time ever…the start of March. I will give you a rundown of a few previous dates:

07/08: 9 March 2008.
06/07: 21 April 2007
05/06: 7 May 2006: Lasagne anyone?
04/05: 2 April 2005
03/04: 13 March 2004
02/03: 24 March 2003

Pleasant reading from an Arsenal perspective and St Totts looks sure to be an annual event for many years yet!

Catch my daily mumblings on the Arsenal world without fail on The Goon Blog.

‘til next time arsefans.

Up the Arsenal!

This is a guest post from lifelong Gunner’s fan Vertino about the man most Gooners love to hate, Robbie Keane. Vertino is author of the blog Gunners Today

When Robbie Keane finishes his careers he might well feel satisfied. Or he might not. “Arsenal have been successful, and that’s hard for Spurs fans to take.” Not my words, the words of the famous RK15.

Prior to joining Liverpool, the club he supported as a kid, Keane spent 6 years at the Lane. This nowadays is considered to be a good measure of loyalty. Keane didn’t attract half as much scorn and derision as Berbatov’s departure (who let’s face treated Tottenham as a transit stop to Old Trafford). Yet just 6 months or so later, Keane fled Liverpool as though it were some sort of prison camp. If re-signing Defoe was not laughable and frankly ridiculous, I had no words to describe this re-signing. I mean wasn’t it just the other day when he appeared on Soccer AM talking about his favourite Liverpool players? Funny how things change, isn’t it? Mind you I don’t expect much from a club whose manager claimed he was an Arsenal fan, then a West Ham fan etc etc etc. That’s no way to win approval from a club who hates those two clubs more than a fat kid hates exercising.

Keane’s goal scoring record is not in question. Wherever he has been, he has scored goals. Well, apart from Inter Milan where he was only there for like half a season. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Leeds United were the club who rescued him from his Italian nightmare back then. Another season at Leeds before they fell apart and lo and behold Hoddle decided to take a chance on him. Managers came and went at the Lane but Keane survived. At one point he even came oh so close to taking Spurs into the Champions League but a combination of TH14 and well, crap Spurs performance really, put paid to that.

Despite winning the league cup last season, Tottenham’s season fell apart. Keane realized perhaps then, that he couldn’t achieve much else so he jumped at the opportunity to join Rafa’s revolution at raving mad Anfield. However there was a problem. Apparently he didn’t fit in the Liverpool system. Well done Rafa! But more importantly, Keane didn’t feel the need to give it at least another few months before he left. Instead, Liverpool were so incensed by Harry Redknapp’s alleged continental style tapping up of Keane, that they actually opened negotiations to sell him. And Keane did just what Liverpool wanted. So he’s back now at his “spiritual home” as Hoddle called it.

I can’t help thinking, you’re part of a team that is challenging for the title and the Champions League and you decide to join a club that is in relegation, at best mid-table mediocrity. And yet, Keane could have the last laugh (a rueful one perhaps) when Liverpool travel to White Hart Lane. Way to go, Robbie Keane!

Hi all,

This post is guest written by Avenell from the Arsenal Blog Avenell Road

He is the first guest writer to appear on The North London Divide.

If you want to write a post on The North London Divide then please contact us.

This is Ave’s post. Enjoy.

I was looking for the April fools day joke on Sky Sports News today……. I think I have found it, no, not that Alan “elbows” Shearer is going to manage the Trophy less ones until the end of the season.
No, its even funnier than that. The Spuds want a new stadium. And it’s going to hold 59,000 fans. Are they serious?

They spend £50 million pounds on players a year just to avoid relegation, yet now they want to build a £400 million pound stadium just to be like us.

How will they survive this move without a Wenger who spends under £2 million pounds a year net? They spend 10 times that on compensation for ex managers who have all failed to break into their “Holy Grail”, the top 4! Ha ha

Just to make things more interesting they are building on the site of White Hart Lane. So where are they going to play for 3 years? Maybe Wembley? I can just picture 32,000 Spuds huddling into the corner of Wembley on a cold Channel 4 Thursday night. It is going to be a sight for sore eyes. But a funny one at that!

This could be the last move made by the Spuds to join the Premiership elite because it is obvious they can’t compete on the pitch at the moment. If it all goes wrong it could spell the end of the Spuds as we know it.