Lucky? Did You Say Lucky?
Apr 10th, 2008 by 'holic
So what else can go wrong now? I plucked up the courage to watch Arsenal TV for a while tonight. Arsene Wenger on the news discussing the loss of Mathieu Flamini is painful viewing. When he adds that Bacary Sagna won’t make the weekend I reach for the bottle. Lucky Arsenal? Don’t make me laugh.
We have got results in big games with weakened sides before, but looking around the sites there won’t be too many people, even Gooners, tipping an away win at Old Trafford on Sunday.
I will be back with a fuller preview probably late tomorrow, by which time I hope I can see in my minds eye a way of us pinching a result. Lady Luck will have to be involved somewhere along the line I’m sure, and goodness knows we’re due some good fortune.
What A Sad Exit
As if the week isn’t bad enough there is now an almost inevitable spilling of blood by Jens Lehmann. He is understandably frustrated at losing his place at Arsenal just at the time he had cemented his international place with Germany in the autumn of his career. Voicing that frustration with a month of the season remaining doesn’t help anybody though.
Jens was a wonderful signing at a time when our need for a top ‘keeper was great. He seems blind however to the problems we faced at set pieces last season when his reaction to close attention from opponents distracted his team-mates. He does not even mention the fact that he was dropped after costing us two really bad goals in the opening games of this season against Fulham and Blackburn.
Obviously he will not be with us next season. I don’t know if he intends to retire after the European Championship, or if he will move on to another club for one final payday. Whatever he chooses I wish him luck, and I hope he will find it in himself to remember great moments with us during the invincible season, and on the run to the Champions League Final.
Anybody got any cheery news?
24 Responses to “Lucky? Did You Say Lucky?”
I wish ‘holic!
It’s hard not to despair about all the misfortune we are currently facing although I’m trying to hang on to the mantra that ‘what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger’.
I think Arsene should never have opted for Almunia. Had he been faithful to Jens, we would have done better. But, injuries and bad ref decisions cost us two trophies this season.
Almunia’s done ok. Not a great keeper, but he’s proved to be more reliable than Mad Jens.
Hopefully Jens will go, but does Arsene stick with Almunia as number 1 and buy someone just for back-up? Or does he buy someone who takes over as first choice? If he does that, he effectively demotes Fabianski to no 3. Tricky one!
Cheery news?
I thought I had some, but can’t remember them.
Well I’ve got some brand new football boots if that helps, ‘holic.
I shall buy you a pint next time you’re in the Tolli, ‘holic.
What more cheery news could you possibly hope for 😉
Someone said to me recently, Gerry, that Almunia may not have lost us any games, but he hasn’t won us any either. I think we all know what they meant by that.
Thanks Ollie, and KT. I’ve not been infected by doom, just gloom! We should emerge from this season better prepared for what lies ahead.
Goonerholic – I agree with the person who told you that Almunia may not have lost us any, but he definitely hasn’t won us any like Mad Jens did even up to last season!!
Maybe a penalty save against Spurs suggests otherwise, Farrukh?
Maybe also the save at 2-0 against Bolton?
Great call the first one Ollie. I take it back Manuel.
Well … we could sign Ben Arfa – that would be good news, no?
All I have seen is that Almunia is good at stopping long range shots to an extent and thats it. Neither of them is good firstly, though I think Jens might have stopped that penalty .. MIGHT. Lets not talk about free kicks and him because last year we lacked in defence and thats why Sagna was signed and we are crap without him as Sanderos and Toure are pathetic. I still prefer Jens over Almunia as Almunia just doesnt seem to have that brain to be in right positions ever and has never been extra ordinary good. I mean the 4th goal against Liverpool could have been stopped, he isnt good. We definetly need a good keeper, 2 TALL strong defenders, a left winger with Walcott on right and probably a striker as RVP isnt a injury free player, so is Rosicky who by the way is effective for Czech cause his natural position is central midfield something that Wenger is stupid to understand. Plus Diaby is a central midfield player, its like he would play players out of their positions but will never buy players! Freakin idiot!
Let me all ask you this question. Do you get a tension in your stomach when you know Almunia has to face a save? I don’t trust him to make the saves, forget the big ones.
No I don’t stonroy, after a season of Manuel in goal, I pretty much trust him now.
I can’t recall any real clangers this season and he’s been solid.
I think he deserves first shot at the keepers jersey for next year.
Almunia is a decent keeper, but if it’s a good shot, then it’s going in. Penalty save against Spurs was ok, but lets face it, a penalty save doesn’t make you a good goalie, because you can just choose a way to dive, if you make it, awesome, but if you dont? well you weren’t expected to save it anyway. It’s compeltey different to how keepers position themselves for every day keeping, and not a true reflection of reflexes either.
Manuel just is not good enough if we want to challenge for honours consistently.
With this goalkeeper situation, I think Wnger Had to promote Almunia to no.1 after the start Lehmann made, and Almunia just hasnt given him any reason to change it back.
I think thats fair enough and how he should be picking the team…
Its just a shame he didnt apply these same rules to Diarra when he was here,
He played miles better than Gilbero in every game he was in the team and he should have been an automatic 3rd choice midfielder
Can u imagine if wed had Diarra to bring in for Sagna, or to bring on when Flamini got injured?
If Wenger had put him into the team in these instances, he probably would have stayed cos at least it lets him know hes got a chance here.
We let a world-class player go when we needed all the help we could get and didnt replace him. Maybe that was the turning point of the season…
Peter: What games did Gilberto play in before Diarra left? Please let me know.
He played in a few when ppl were injured.
It was made clear that when Gilberto was fit, he was ahead of Diarra despite the fact he wasnt playing as well,
My memory fails me a bit, but I basically remember Diarra having a 3-game run in the team, including a carling cup game and a match against Villa, dont remember the result, but I do remember him completely bullying Gareth Barry physically and technically;
but once we got our players back, Diarra wasnt even on the bench with Gilberto preferred.
I apologize I cannot remember more of the games
Please name the games that Gilberto played in?
Gilberto was not in any games before Diarra. It was after Diarra left that Gilberto got a game. Even in CC and FA Cup. Diarra was a moaner and I am glad that a player, who could not last 6 months without moaning, is gone no matter how good.
And Diarra said he was not fit (in the head) for some later games in the cups. That is not the attitude required, Gilberto may not have been at his peak but his attitude is 1st class.
Ok, apologies, I cannot complete this task,
I have tried to look at past results and teams and match it up, but the injuries I cannot keep track of as well
I disagree,
Diarra played extremely well in games with flamini and other midfield partners, such as Villa 12/1, but didnt click at all with Gilberto. He played 2 games with him, and was then dropped even from the bench against Chelsea.
Hes a world class player, in my opinion if Gilberto hadnt been around hed have had a decent amount of chances and may well have stayed. Being dropped against Chelsea is wat hurt him really and I think thats when he decided to leave.
Theres no doubt if we’d had him in the squad for this recent run we’d be far better off, esp against liverpool.
Plus, I dont like saying bad things about Gilberto, but this season, the liverpool game aside, his attitude on the pitch has been poor. What is worse, a guy who talks a lot of shit but works hard on the pitch, or a guy who acts loyal but gives u nothing in the games, unless its a champions league quarter of course
You can always spot those who have supported the Gunners for less a decade. For it takes that long for them to discover that 99% of the media hate us. The men in black all seem to think that we are either dodgy foreigners or soft southerners who need a good kicking to toughen us up. And to make it worse its all our fault that THE ENGLAND TEAM IS CRAP. Its all Wenger’s fault, how dare he build a team that plays football to make ones heart sing, to win more honours in the last eleven years then any Arsenal team since the 1930s . I started supporting in 1945 every one hated us then and as my father told me they hated us ever since we moved from Woolwich. SO GET BEHIND THE TEAM THEY NEED YOUR SUPPORT AND IF YOU ARE TRUE GONNERS YOU WILL GIVE 100%
Steve, how can you say that Gilberto did not get any games before Diarra left? Gilberto was in the CC squad in the initial rounds of that competition, he also came on as a sub a few times in the league.