“Wenger: Win strengthens philosophy - ESPN Soccernet” plus 1 more

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Wenger: Win strengthens philosophy - ESPN Soccernet Posted: Arsene Wenger believes that beating Barcelona proves that Arsenal are on the right track and should not change the way they approach the game. GettyImagesArsene Wenger celebrates with Robin van Persie after he scored the equaliser • Leyton Orient v Arsenal preview Arsenal are now into their sixth year without a trophy, something which may change when they take on Birmingham City in the Carling Cup final on February 27, and critics have suggested that the Gunners need to add steel to their artistry. But Wenger has never wavered from his policy of buying promising young talent and nurturing them into first team players, as well as not overspending on top-name stars and playing an attractive passing game. Many claimed Arsenal would have to play a more defensive style to beat free-scoring Barca - as Inter Milan had done last year - but Wenger stayed true to his beliefs. Arsenal defeated Barcelona 2-1 at the Emirates on Wednesday night which gives them a chance of making the quarter-finals of the Champions League, though the La Liga leaders remain favourites to progress at the Nou Camp in three weeks' time. "I'm very proud for Arsenal FC. Everyone urged us to play differently to our nature,'' said Wenger. "This win can strengthen belief in our philosophy, which is more important than pride. "It was a special night for my team. Our players showed exceptional strength and togetherness. The victory will reinforce that. The age of the team which started is very, very young. What we can do at this age is very promising for the future and our target is to keep them together. "We have the FA Cup on Sunday and that competition is very different. In England you have to be focused for these kind of things.'' Theo Walcott is expected to recover from a mild hamstring problem in time to face Leyton Orient in the cup but defender Johan Djourou is out after suffering a back problem. "We have a little concern about Walcott's hamstring but it should be all right,'' Wenger told Arsenal's official website. "There will be some rotation. We will see what I do. We play Sunday, Wednesday and then Sunday again. But I have shown in many competitions that I have the same belief in every player.'' This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php Five Filters featured article: Collateral Damage - WikiLeaks In The Crosshairs.

Possum Philosophy: Remembering my father, my friend - Southwest Virginia Today Posted: By Stephanie Porter-Nichols Published: February 18, 2011 BY ROBERT CAHILL Due to publishing and printing schedules, this column is being written on Wednesday. Before the changes, I would normally have written it either on Thursday or Friday, and this particular week, it would most likely have been Thursday. Were my Dad still alive, he would be 86 years old on Thursday, Feb. 17. My sister, brothers and I still miss him terribly. It is a strange thing, for me at least. He was 52 when he passed away in 1977. At times it seems like it was only yesterday. At others, it seems as if he has been gone forever. By the time I turned 15 or so, I thought he had to be the dumbest person alive, the grouchiest too. By the time I reached my early 20s, I was amazed at how much smarter and easier to get along with he had become. Of course, this realization had nothing to do with me actually starting to mature and become an adult. Dad was quite a character. He had a brilliant mathematical mind. When handheld calculators first came out, someone bought me one. Dad took great delight in showing us how good he was with figures. He would have us write down long columns of four- and five-digit numbers. He would add them up using only pencil and paper, while we would race him, using the new-fangled calculator. He always beat us and was never wrong. We were amazed, to say the least. Both he and Mom were determined that their children would make good grades. He was almost obsessive about it. In those days, if there was a problem between teacher and student, you better believe that the vast majority of parents came down on the teacher's side. My parents, especially Dad, were no different. In those ancient times, corporal punishment (a butt busting with a paddle) was not only permitted, it was encouraged. Dad always warned us that if we got a spanking at school we could expect one when we got home, and he meant it. However, in fairness, if we did have trouble at school and could convince our parents we were innocent, they would back us completely. But, making our case was no easy matter, not what you'd call a slam-dunk. It would likely have been easier to plead a case before the justices of the Supreme Court. But fortunately, none of us were in trouble very often, so it was rare that we had to make the case. In fact, our parents generally knew the truth when we told it (but they also recognized a fib as well), and as I said, if you were honest, you had their complete support. Dad could be a formidable foe in such matters but also a wonderful ally on the rare occasion he was convinced I was an innocent man. Dad also had an amazing memory, especially when it came to jokes and particularly off-color ones. He could sit for literally hours, telling jokes you wouldn't hear at a church social. I think he must have known every joke ever told in that genre. And the amazing thing was he could rattle them all off, joke after joke, almost without pause, never missing a beat nor faltering in his delivery. He was a natural born stand-up comic. Naturally, Mom was not overly fond of this trait, but his sons and all our buddies thought it was amazing. In today's parlance, he was "the Bomb" when it came to adult humor. Dad was one of the youngest in a family of 12 kids and had a different upbringing. My Grandmother Cahill suffered an injury while still somewhat young. Dad lived with his aunt Pearl and her husband, Charles DeBusk. They became very close. As children we always thought of uncle Charlie as a grandfather. Amazingly, we learned just a few years ago that Charlie had indeed gone through the process of legally adopting Dad. So it just goes to show, I think the reason we thought of Uncle Charlie like a grandfather was because he was, technically, our grandfather. My Dad was from the old school. None of this "it's perfectly OK for men to cry" for him. I don't remember seeing him cry very often but I do remember the first time. I was about 4 or so. Sadly, my Grandfather Cahill, or Granddaddy Sam as we called him, had passed away. In those days, the body of the deceased was often kept at home for the visitation and that is the way the family chose. I had no idea what was going on. I just knew that something strange was taking place. They had scrubbed me and put me in dress clothes in the middle of the week, pretty rare for me. Then when we got to my granddad's house, Dad carried me up the front steps, not out of the question but I was big enough to navigate them on my own. It was when Dad picked me up to carry me that I noticed he was crying. Like I said, he wasn't a crier so I was confused. We walked through the front door into the living room and there was my grandfather, with whom I was pretty close, in his coffin. At that age I am not sure I knew what was wrong, but I did realize something was. My granddad was asleep and wouldn't wake up or so I thought. It is strange the effects events have on our lives. I was never really comfortable in that room again. At least not until I was grown enough to realize what had taken place and to accept it. Fortunately, my Dad did live long enough that we became friends again. I miss him terribly. Hardly a day goes by that I don't think of him. I cannot imagine what he would be like if he were still with us. But I would bet he would be an absolutely irascible old man who spoke his mind regardless. He always was. I can't imagine even old age could change that about him. I hope he and Mom are in heaven enjoying a wonderful birthday for him. And I do hope he looks down and says, "Well that boy's OK." After all, that would be high praise from a fellow like Dad. A freelance journalist, Robert "Rocky" Cahill writes regularly for the News & Messenger. His Possum Philosophy column appears in each Saturday edition.  This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php Five Filters featured article: Collateral Damage - WikiLeaks In The Crosshairs.

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