Beware The Ides Of, Er, November!

November 1935, and Arsenal’s third defeat of the season is at the hands of Aston Villa in front of a packed Highbury. Three years on and our fourth defeat of the season came at Grimsby in, you’ve guessed it, November. A decade on and Derby turned us over in the same month. 1952 and it’s West Bromwich Albions turn to inflict upon us our fourth defeat of the season with Christmas over a month away.

A month to the day before Boxing Day 1988 Derby County were the third team to beat George Graham’s Gunners. In November 1997 we lost to Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday, and Liverpool. Four years on, having already lost at home to Leeds in August, the eleventh month saw us fall to Charlton Athletic.

Ah, you’re ahead of me I can see. Yes, in each of these seasons Arsenal went on to be crowned Champions. There is a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth at the moment. That’s understandable, it’s what we fans do when our team slips into a little trough. Some of the criticism is justified (I’m afraid so Thierry!) and some is a gross over-reaction.

Now is the time for cool heads, which would appear to be in short supply both on the pitch and in the stands at present. A testing month awaits Arsenal with Liverpool and Tottenham visiting the Grove, plus a visit to our unhappy hunting ground at Bolton, all in the next six games.

Throw in a Champions League clash with Hamburg and it’s clear that the next month could well shape the remainder of the season. Let’s show some patience, and draw comfort from the seven examples above. It ain’t over until the fat lady sings, and right at this moment I can’t even hear the plump bitch clearing her throat!