Archive for Guest Bloggers

A Girl Arsène Once Knew

May 9, 2013 Arsenal, Guest Bloggers 5 comments

Today on NLIR I am pleased to introduce a new guest blogger Dalitso Njolinjo (@chocoteddybear) . Dalitso is usually a film blogger but has decided to write for NLIR about his true love, Arsenal. Take it away Chocolate Teddy Bear…..

So, I have a friend (she’s more than a friend, she’s a lot like family) and she’s a stunner. Everybody thinks so. Awhile back she was the talk of the town, but then she got together with this Mediterranean looking bloke and to be fair, they were good together – but truth be told, she let herself go.

She used to be with this French-African bloke. I’ve always wondered what happened to him.

Anyway, she and her man were together for a good while. Always smiling and holding hands. I was happy because she was happy. Her family loved him, so did the rest of her close friends and almost 3 years ago things went sour.

It turned out that this fella was still in love with his old Mrs from his hometown. He always carried a torch for her. When my friend first caught a whiff of this old girlfriend poking around, she asked him if there was anything going on and he denied it. She believed him. I believed him. There was no reason to suspect otherwise. Read more

CAM Role Beckons Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain?

May 1, 2013 Arsenal, Guest Bloggers 10 comments

Today on NLIR I am pleased to introduce a new guest blogger Manas Saraswat (@ManasAFC) . Manas is an Engineering student from Delhi and has a deep love for everything Arsenal. Take it away Manas…..

Much has been made about Arsenal’s midfield this season. From general team balance, tactics and player positions we have seen a lot of different things being tried as Arsène Wenger tries to accommodate his players and build a solid squad capable of playing his brand of elegant and easy-on-the-eye football. If the last few weeks are any indication then we have finally recaptured that balance, mainly in midfield which has been the reason for our improved defensive solidarity over the last 10 games.

But as much as I’d like to dissect and analyse the mechanics of the Arsenal midfield, I’m not here to talk about tactics and formations as I’m sure you’ve read about a lot already. I’m here to talk about a player, whose improvement in recent weeks has gone rather unnoticed by many, to discuss his role in the team and the impact he’s had recently and also a possible relocation in the squad to where he might be a better fit. In recent weeks there have been suggestions from fans that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain might be better suited as playing in an attacking midfielder role in the centre of midfield and I am of a similar opinion. Read more

Wenger Still Has Fire In His Belly

April 25, 2013 Arsenal, Guest Bloggers 14 comments

On NLIR today I am delighted to welcome Martijn Stolze (@hahostolze) . Martijn is a Dutch history student with a love for Britain and has been a Gooner since 1997. Martijn has written an extremely emotive piece and I’m sure you’re going to love it. Grab a beverage and strap in for an epic ride.Take it away Martijn…..

You can’t blame Arsène Wenger if over the last two or three seasons he has looked glum, burnt out and tired. You can’t blame him if he has felt despondent and absolutely lost. This is a man whose love for Arsenal FC is absolute and unequivocal.  But also a man who has seen his hard work, on one of his finest generations, fail and falter at the last hurdle too many times, and seen the lure of money and glory rip apart the teams he set about to mould in his image. A man who was on par with the greatest manager in PL history when the influx of money set the PL alight. Yet during recent weeks Arsène Wenger seems a man repossessed. The fire in his belly that drove his incessant desire for perfection, for better, for prettier, seems to be roaring at its fullest again. And just when we needed it.

Very few things are as harsh on a person as their position in history. In the last few days the glory of Sir Alex Ferguson has been sung by all those who love him, need to suck up to him or those who respect the man’s achievements. Looking through the Guardian’s review of the titles he won it makes it very obvious that the only man who consistently got close to his all conquering teams was Arsène Wenger. But Arsène Wenger is not a man en vogue today. He is not popular. His legacy isn’t being remembered the way it should. Not even with some of the fans of the club he has helped into one of the biggest and most valuable in footballing history. That has got to sting. I know it stings me. Read more

Why Ramsey Is My Player Of The Season

April 23, 2013 Arsenal, Guest Bloggers 63 comments

Today I welcome a man who blogs for NLIR almost as much as I do. I’m delighted to have him and you’re going to love his writing, put your proverbial hands together for Mr Billy Dunmore (@EducatedGooner)  Take it away Billy…..

The subject of Aaron Ramsey has been blogged to death this year, but I felt unashamedly compelled to justify why I think that the young Welshman deserves the title of Arsenal’s player of the season. I expect many will disagree, many may even disregard this view, but I hope that some readers will appreciate where I’m coming from, whether they end up agreeing or not…

Firstly, I’d like to state that within the constraints of conventional parameters with which we measure how well a player has performed throughout the season, I understand why most fans will most likely opt to choose a player such as Santi Cazorla. I won’t attempt to argue against Santi as the probable popular choice for our player of the season, but rather I will put forward the reasons why Ramsey will almost definitely be my choice. At the end of the day, the way you judge my opinion is up to you, but I respectfully ask that you read on with an open mind and don’t assume that I am blind to the achievements and performances of other players in the squad, because I’m not. Read more

CDM: Do Arsenal Have The Answer?

April 4, 2013 Arsenal, Guest Bloggers 14 comments

Today I welcome Billy Dunmore (@EducatedGooner) , as a guest blogger to North London Is Red. Billy is a North London Gooner and has been writing since November 2012. He is a self-proclaimed ‘blog-whore’ who roams the cyber streets in search of blogging pimps to host his articles and I’m delighted to have him on NLIR again. Take it away Billy…..

I can’t quite remember when people started talking about the need for a central defensive midfielder at Arsenal, but there is one thing I am sure of: everybody’s talking about it now. So, as every sensible person with a good business brain does, I’ve decided to throw my hat into an already ram-packed ring of strong-viewed Gooners, thus further crowding an already overcrowded market. Clever, no? Well, you may not think so and up until recently, neither did I. However, I thought that it’s better to put your own view out there, than to just simply sit back and soak all the rest in, whilst batting your eyelids furiously. After all, that is the nature of the modern-day, intrepid bloggers that dominate cyberland from behind their keyboard fortresses, armed with nothing more than opinions and hot, often caffeine-filled, beverages. *Sips Coffee* So, here goes…

The original Wengerball CDM

The original Wengerball CDM

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