I Know I Shouldn't, But…
Feb 11th, 2009 by 'holic
Have you had a really good look at the fixture list? I must confess since the fixtures were first published back in June the only thing that stuck in the memory was that we faced Chelsea and Manchester United in the last three games. Thankfully Stoke at home is the ‘anchor leg’.
With Liverpool away coming just three weeks before the Chelsea game we face a tough run in. The upside of all those tough fixtures being bunched at the end of the season means we now have a run of games that, whisper it, should provide us with the opportunity to reduce, if not overcome, the gap between us and the top four.
Yes, I know, you don’t have to mention Fulham, Hull, Stoke or Manchester City. I do remember, sadly. That doesn’t alter the fact that our eleven match unbeaten run should extend to eighteen before we go to Anfield. Have a good look.
21/2 Sunderland (h) ; 28/2 Fulham (h) ;
3/3 West Brom (a) ; 14/3 Blackburn (h) ; 21/3 Newcastle (a) ;
4/4 Man City (h) ; 11/4 Wigan (a) :
Now come on, put on the head you had last week when you were excited by the Arshavin signing, not the one you started this week with. Should we really contemplate dropping points, let alone suffering a defeat in any of those games if a top four place is to be a realistic aim for the remainder of the campaign?
I’m realistic enough to accept we will not be pipping Manchester United to the big prize in May, but the three teams immediately below them can, I think, be reasonably expected to drop points as the sharp end of the season looms.
I also think we need to be in that top four before we go to Anfield to stand a good chance of remaining there. Our season hinges on those next seven games. In the words of the former Mayor of Carmel, “Do you feel lucky?”
45 Responses to “I Know I Shouldn't, But…”
we will make up the points if we start playing settled teams in these games. choose 11 players and stick with them esp the centre backs who seem to constantly change. only replace when the better injured players return. then the point gap along with the fact villa play chelsea, man u and liverpool in this period) will be gone
We really ought to be winning 5 of those even given our injuries. My hope is that Bendtner can find consistency from a starting role in the next few matches and that before too long we see Eduardo and Arshavin integrated and if that happens I can Arsenal beginning to play free flowing football once more that has been missing for a good few months. I don’t see Villa as our chief worry, but more that Villa, Chelsea and Liverpool are there to be shot at and overtaken but we’ll need more than flat 0-0 draws to do that. So if we take those 17 points minimum I can certainly see us level or better than Chelsea and perhaps Villa too.
Not sure I feel lucky, but I am quite hopeful. With the quality of the players due to return, we ought to start closing that gap.
Assuming of course that we don’t get more players broken in internationals.
Just watching Romania vs Croatia.
As soon as Eduardo came on he made two crunching slide tackles, since then he has been croatias best player, creating space, tackling back , some fancy flicks and an assist for the 2nd goal all in less than 30minutes on the pitch!
Dudu’s back!
I’d rather play the Chavs and dirty Manx in those last few fixtures rather than now. TW14 and Captain Fab should be back soon, and AA23 will manage to get a good few games under his belt by then. If we can discover form for the next 7 fixtures and hit the run-in with all these players back, who knows what we can do? At the very least, I can see us getting into the top 3. The doomers will disagree, but I think there are many reasons to be (cautiously) optimistic.
And I forgot to mention Dudu, our best finisher by far!
What kind of pervesion makes a fan think he should apologise for thinking his team can still do well, while it’s still possible?
What kind of Arsenal fan is apologetic about his support?
Easy fixtures, & love your optimism, but do you think that the team is going to start playing well all of a sudden?
I know I shouldn’t but…..can I have a glass of Glen Grant please?
Thanks.
Laphroaig for me please …
Thank heavens for some positive gooner conversation. Could,nt agree more with what has been said. With all the wounded returning I have a real positive feeling about the end of this season. Who knows the spirit of ’89 may still be alive.
Does anyone know who is going to be coaching the chavs, Scolari took his backroom with him, Hiddink isn’t going to bring his Russian mafia, so that leaves ‘butch’ in charge when Guss goes home. That should be laugh a minute for the chav superstars. I can see them finnishing lower than Everton.
Dudu set up Croatia’s 2nd goal tonight.
http://tinyurl.com/bhhx43
Surely the bloke you are quoting was the mayor of Carmel, not the governor…
Well spotted EuroBlue, and amended, thanks.
Welcome jock. I have a feeling it is Chelsea and possibly Liverpool, not Villa, we are chasing for that top four berth. It will be interesting to see how Villa deal with squeaky bum time, which starts about now! I think they will be ok.
Can I not serve you with something a little more fuller-flavoured than Glen Grant, Ollie? I have my reputation to think of π
“…when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Hopefully it’s impossible we can screw up to the degree we did in the 1st half of the season, so . . . . .
Oh and as you’re at ther bar can I have a Wild Turkey, please
Well do ya, punk?
I’ll have a can of Party Seven and large helping of flem, please.
7 wins in a row? You are kidding. Who would have thought that we would get 3 points from the three recent games? I would be so happy to be proved wrong, but I thing the fourth place’s gone. The hangover will be tough. The is still no sense that the manager and the players understand the seriousness of the situation. Is it arrogance or just indifference?
new boy inthe bar π nice to see not all the blogs doom n gloom! Imagine how good we are without the injuries i mean defence not too bad we just beenlacking our fast penetration;0
lets have just a healthy sprinklin of positivity eh?
C’mon the arsenal
Stop. Just. Stop.
Points will be dropped by Arsenal let alone anyone else.
Get used to being in the UEFA Cup for the forseeable future.
It’s not dooming, just realism.
Welcome simon, you will get used to me being unbearably cheerful on occasion π
New bottle of Turkey for the G man. I was on the committee of a social club when that was introduced over here and managed to blag a case. Why did I leave that village?
Dream on sad Gooners, you’re dead and buried this season and probably next too! Champs of England, Champs of Europe, Champs of the World! Watch and learn sad cockney f*ckers! Man U for ever!
Yes, it is somewhat hard to find ‘holic and I’ve no idea why you left tha village- it sounds perfect!
p.s. please ask eric to fuck off back to Torquay
Champs of England, Champs of Europe, Champs of the World!
So that was all three of your teams we ripped a new arsehole at the Grove this season then π
Manchester born and bred Arsewipe!
You have my sympathy mancborn; well sort of . . .
The lack of punctuation renders your description accurate, eric dear boy.
Surely that’s born & reared being from up there? Just think for him it’s a night out for his family a night off.
On the other hand ‘holic credit where it’s due.
I thought it was quite an achievement that he managed to write in English at all . . . . .
7 games unbeaten for us only means 7 points on current form…
This is the start of a vital period for us. Get our season back on track and who knows what will happen from there on in.
We could be getting players back at just the right time. Edurado looking hungry tonight. Theo and Cesc due back hopefully at the end of the month. Arshavin will hopefully settle quickly and who knows, we might even get a special guest appearance from Rosicky?????? Now I know that is a long shot but fingers crossed…. Being the optimist I would like to think that we have 5 fresh players for the run in and that might juts tell in our favor.
One thing does worry me a tad. Hiddink to CSKA Fulham? Now here is a theory. Let’s imagine that Arshavin hits the ground running and starts to turn on the style. CSKA still struggling and now find themselves 5th. Then in April Russia have a couple of games and of course Arshavin is involved. We would then have the situation of the Russian manager/CSKA manager dealing with one of our star players thousands of miles away. I wonder what Roman will think of that???? More to the point, I wonder what he or Hiddink will do about it??? Anyone else starting to expect a few heavy tackles in training, or two full 90 minutes etc etc. I would not put it passed either.
Ericthered???????? Brilliant???? Nice to see you know your place in the food chain.
With our current form we will struggle against a nationwide team.If our opponent crowds the midfield we will struggle against a pub side.
21/2, 14/3, 21/3, 11/4 – for a drunken second I thought those were the odds of us losing the games!
After most of the evening in the Wenlock, I obviously have far too much real ale floating around in me, so make mine an Ardbeg for the road please ‘holic.
Winners look forward. Well done ‘Holic!
I’d say we are a few weeks away from playing great football again. With Eduardo and Walcott back and Arshavin ready we should get that attacking edge we’ve been missing too often this season.
Your list should also include the FA cup games against Cardiff and Burnley as well as the CL round against Roma. If we pass these obstacles we will be flying for the rest of the season.
That said there was a bad news for us today. Essien is back training for Chelsea. He’s the one player that gives them enough steel to grind wins even with their old-timers. In 4-6 weeks from now Chelsea will stop dropping points so we better catch them before.
I’ll keep my hopes alive with a glass of Pinot Noir from Oregon tonight. Allright, maybe more than one.
It is crucial the gunners start on a winning run say five matches on the trot.Failure to susutain the winning run with AA or not will consign the gunners to non cl or worse non UEfa soccer. The players must deliver to justify AW’s faith in them or he has to shoulder the blame for not getting experienced players.
Like it or not if this season is a failure and AW continues buying kids Arsenal will become a mediocre club.I’m afraid his call for patience is not good enough. All kinds of excuses have been touted for the Arsenal slump.To be frank the rot started after 2004. Yes the gunners won the Cup in 2005 but to many neutral it was a fluke. Likewise last season promised so much only to be stopped in the final third of the season
It’s obvious AW’s policy aint working and if he persists it will be time wasted.
I tell you, the wait is over my gooner friends.
You have toiled and dreamnt for far too long.
I know some like the Spuds will cry out, “what about us?!”
I would tell them that they are where they belong.
I have come to take you back where you belong…not behind some English Goose dressed in a Russian Skin, or some Liver floating around in search of a wolf or Behind a baby punching above its weight. For now, i might allow the Mancs to enjoy their Period of Bliss until May when I can find out what I can do about them.
I come to you in form of a Croat blended with Russian Vodka, Swirling at the newly discovered Theo – Speed, emblazoned with Czeck Finesse and Blessed with the Legend of Cesc.
Ladies and Gentlemen. i give you
EdyArshCescTheoRosc 9400M, THE FUTURE!!
OK ‘holic, I trust your own selection . I’d never tried Glen Grant and wanted to.
I tell you what. The major difference between AW and other
managers like the red faced/nosed nad benitez is that these
guys play to win with less fuss. AW places entertaiment
above winning so much so gallas said we shd play ugly to
win but which is against AW’s philosophy.
I’m afraid Arsenal have been found out with their intricate
build up and as a result find scoring goals difficult.
are you certain you’re not the cleverest man to have ever watched the arsenal?
cold carlsberg and some salted peanuts por favor
i can understand why people are so worried about our position but i just can’t get onboard, whichever way i look at it the outcome is positive, of course we need to start winning more than drawing but when you look at the circumstances we find ourselves in then the worst is behind us.
have you broken ebooway’s legs yet?
5Ws and 2Ds from the upcoming games is what I’m hoping for. I think if Arsenal can pull that off, with the players we have coming back from injury and getting integrated back into the squad, we’ll be in good shape. We’ve made it tough, which is why this stretch is so vital.
I’m actually glad our next match is the FA Cup v. Cardiff. It gives Arshavin some more time to get match fit, and maybe it’s another chance for Eduardo to see some action before the Prem starts up again.
It’s been a strange season so far, Holic, and I don’t have a single doubt that there will be a few more twists and turns before it ends. Before the first whistle blew AW said (and I’m paraphrasing) “no matter what, Arsenal will be competitive”.
Could he have imagined that in terms of “no matter what”, we’d lose our first game, lose to Hull (who?), surrender a 4-2 to Tots, lose to Stoke, lose Cesc, lose Theo, lose Kolo (walkabout), lose Willie’s head and his captaincy, lose Nasri to soft injuries and Diaby to perennials, nearly lose hope that Rosicky will ever return, not see Eduardo inside twelve months? And in between thump Manure, Chelski and draw with L’pool with ten men?
And yet, here you are. Whispering. Maybe we can go through the next several games unbeaten? Don’t whisper it, Holic. SHOUT IT! Proclaim it! Climb up on your roof and roar! Loudly. Andre’s here. Theo’s lifting weights. Song and Denilson have come on a ton. Wilshere’s on our bench with Vela, Ramsey and Merida. JD20 is a star and Nasri and Robin have scored two of the best goals seen this side of Auchtermuchty. AND, we’ve got Cesc Fabregas and he’ll be back!
Yes, we can. We can win all of these games. Not a shadow of doubt in my mind. I think we can go undefeated to the end of the season. Might be a draw in Rankchester. Yes, we’ll take Cardiff, then Burnley and take our chances in the quarter finals. The tide went out on February 23 at Birmingham last year. It started to come in last night with Dudu’s return in Romania. It’s turned. We’re on our way back. There’s silver at the end of this slithering snake.
In anticipation “I said we would be competitive. We learned, we grew, we showed great maturity, great composure. I am very proud of my young team. The best squad I have had at Arsenal. The next decade is theirs” AW May 2009.
Too late for the Glenlivet, barman? I need a wee yin after a’ that.
All I can say barman, (sorry about the puddle on the floor), is it’s the excitement of all our players coming back”, What a run in we can look forward to.
It was “Bergkamp’s The Man. ” that caused the puddle.
Sorry, “It was βBergkampβs The Man. β comment, that caused the puddle.
We will win the league next season, I don’t normally say things like that but I really feel we will do it.