caspari

Andrew Caspari - Was COO/Diocesan Secretary for CofE Diocese in Europe. Long time editor at BBC News/Radio 4 /BBC Sounds. Husband, Christian. Arsenal, Theatre

[caspari @caspari]

@rogermosey Cut @BBCNews more and it will be fatally undermined and less able to provide the range and quality that makes it the best justification for the BBC as a public service. YouTube implies relying on 3rd party commercial platforms driven changing algorithms = a dangerous strategy.

[caspari @caspari]

@classicjacko @NickCohen4 The only thing worth paying for is presentation direct from the stadium and the licence fee isn’t for flying people across a continent for 4 weeks. England in quarter final yes and that will happen. The rest of the critique is just bash the beeb. Shame for the staff though .

[caspari @caspari]

@trevjrho Wow. Again . Many congratulations. The best by far and has been for decades. Well done

[Tim Stillman ⭐️⭐️ @timstillman_]

Ultimately, after this game, both teams went away and carried on with exactly who they were. Arsenal ground it out and didn’t concede a goal. City played some good football but slipped up twice away from home. City v Arsenal counted for very little.

[caspari @caspari]

It’s not done ….. it is now .#arsenal

[Arsenal @Arsenal]

This belongs to all of us.

[caspari @caspari]

Thank you @bbcproms and @RoyalAlbertHall @classicjacko - 1020am and 7700 queue places later all wonderful tickets booked. Berlin Phil tricky but achieved . What a great summer of music ahead and terrific operation too. Folks still waiting? Hang on in there.

[caspari @caspari]

@classicjacko @RoyalAlbertHall Wishing you a bumper season which looks on the cards. Congrats on the latest audience figures too.

[caspari @caspari]

Exciting morning - the annual ritual of the @bbcproms @RoyalAlbertHall ticket sale waiting room. Starting 7740 in queue. The wonderful planner is filled in. Really looks like a terrific season. Thank you @classicjacko and team. Fingers crossed .

[David Yelland @davidyelland]

Irrespective of any leadership bid it is now crystal clear the UK tabloids pursed Angela Rayner irresponsibility and vindictively, forced her from office, danced on her political grave. Surely any fair onlooker will contrast this with their blind backing of Nigel Farage and inability to investigate his £5m gift from a Thai-based backer who appears to have at least two names.

[caspari @caspari]

If only Labour MPs spent as much energy attacking Nigel Farage as they have attacking Kier Starmer.

[Matthew Syed @matthewsyed]

The ministers urging Starmer to go are feeding the hysteria. The next leader will be subject to instant leadership speculation and the next, and the next, whether Labour, Reform or Tory. Britain is becoming ungovernable. And the media fixation on this tittle tattle is not helping

[caspari @caspari]

Wes Streeting has a majority of 528. Even if by some miracle Labour were to win or be the largest party in the next election he will struggle to hold his seat. That will spark chaos. Labour seems intent on self harm. Focus on country not party.

[Tim Stillman ⭐️⭐️ @timstillman_]

I think it's fine for some of you to just say, 'I don't like Arsenal and don't want them to win the league' rather than pretending you have some kind of moral objection based on play style or a VAR call or whatever. It just looks sour, be honest about where you are coming from.

[ALASTAIR CAMPBELL @campbellclaret]

Whatever complaints MPs have about Keir Starmer, they are now descending into the kind of headless chickenry that - whatever and whoever the outcome - will make the situation even worse for Labour. If there is a grand plan starring Catherine West and a few PPSs, then it doesn’t feel terribly thought through. A period of calm would do none of them any harm. The general election is a fair way off. The next legislative programme is about to be unveiled. There are better ways to reach such an important decision and better times too. You are MPs not commentators who exist to feed a frenzy.

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

Will Arsenal be worthy champions if they get over the line? There is plenty of criticism of Arsenal's football, the set-piece arts/dark arts, the antics of Arteta in the technical area, and triumphalism of some fans such as the one with that presumptuous “champions” shirt. Throw in the usual club tribalism and that season-defining VAR decision (correct call but officials inconsistent in punishing grappling this season) and there’s plenty of antipathy towards Arsenal.

But it is a truism universally acknowledged that the team that finish top first are worthy champions. It’s a marathon of 38 sprints and Arsenal have demonstrated the required ability, character and stamina. They have had their mentality questioned all season (and before). From Raya to Rice, Gabriel to Gyokeres, all of the squad have shown resilience. Battlers, not bottlers. Rice in particular embodies their will to win.

It’s good to see a club keeping faith in a talented manager during the near-misses; keeping financial balance (top with fourth largest wage bill); and building a squad so that hugely capable players can come off the bench and make a big difference as Odegaard did against West Ham. And isn’t it more refreshing to see a range of champions (if they do hold on)? Five different clubs have been champions since Arsenal in 2004.

It’s also important to see a club committed to their academy, creating a pathway for Saka, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman and others, and giving them a chance to shine; it’s good for sustainability, culture and connection with fans. It’s encouraging to see a club working with fans to improve atmosphere (tifos, coach greets). 

Off-field, too. All clubs have vital community departments; Arsenal in the Community is widely acknowledged as the oldest and one of the most impactful at home and abroad with around 100 full-time and part-time staff. There is much good about Arsenal. If they do hold on, Arsenal will be worthy champions on and off the pitch. #AFC

[Tim Stillman ⭐️⭐️ @timstillman_]

The day Mikel Arteta picked us up, we were 11th in the table and even being in this competition was light years away. It took time but what he’s built this team, this club, back into deserves the ultimate respect.

[Roger Mosey @rogermosey]

Cuts in the BBC are inevitable. But once again it looks like they’re going to make the wrong ones.
https://t.co/HqVu8iU5gQ

[caspari @caspari]

Wonderful from Arteta

[DailyAFC @DailyAFC]

Mikel Arteta on planting an olive tree at the training ground… 🌳

🗣️ “I got somebody to talk to everybody at the club & make a word cloud, I wanted to see what the biggest word is. That word, I didn’t like, it had to change. That’s the challenge with the tree.” ❌💬

[Charles Watts @charles_watts]

1-1 away from home. Not a bad result in the end. Game swung on the Atletico penalty obviously and Arsenal rode their luck a bit for 20 minutes or so after that as Atletico got the momentum. The subs (and Alvarez going off) tipped the game back towards Arsenal.

I just can't get over the penalty overturn though. Soft decision, maybe. But once that's given on-field you can't overturn it. Clear and obvious error? Not a chance. It's a joke that it got overturned. Simeone was basically reffing the game in that second half.

Anyway, it's all set up for a huge night at the Emirates next Tuesday.