Van Persie, Vidi, Vici
Feb 24th, 2009 by 'holic
It may be Shrove Tuesday, but tossers were in short supply on pancake day as Arsenal saw off the challenge of Roma at the Grove. A one goal triumph was scant reward for the efforts put in by all in the red shirts.
By now I am guessing most of you will have witnessed the contest, or at least the highlights, so I don’t have to detail the fourteen chances we fashioned. I could concentrate on the miss of the night, but that would be churlish.
Emmanuel Eboue, for now I owe you an apology. I thought that your temperament would be a drawback for us this evening. I’m delighted to hold my hands up and say I was wrong.
Eboue was not the only one to impress though. Manuel Almunia was asked to produce one outstanding save all night, and duly obliged, tipping a Motta drive round the post. The back four were solid, if largely underworked, and the several ‘holic pounds weighed heavily on the shoulders of William Gallas. He was almost set up by Kolo Toure from one first-half corner, but Paddy Power once again won his personal duel with me!
The midfield were simply tremendous. Denilson did not put a foot wrong all night, and if Diaby and Eboue could just have found the final ball to match their approach play we would have been celebrating a very large margin of victory. Then there was Nasri. How good is this little fella? If we can find a way to incorporate him, Arshavin, and Fabregas in the same side, look out.
The only player to not produce something close to his best was the luckless Bendtner. A smart tactical ploy had him patrolling the left touchline and cutting in for crosses from the right. Sadly he was wearing boots designed by Picasso, and although he gave everything, on the night the ball was bouncing off him far and at uncomfortable angles. He will have better nights and I look forward to seeing them.
Then we had the matchwinner. Robin van Persie is a shoe-in for Arsenal’s player of the season. The Dutchman toyed with Mexes all evening. Indeed Robin was a very intelligent and clever cat to Mexes’ extremely stupid mouse. The goal arrived when Arsenal’s new talisman got between marker and ball in the box and drew the inevitable clumsy challenge. Up he got to dispatch the penalty himself.
A question remained. Mexes, already booked, had denied his man a goalscoring opportunity. How is that not at least a second yellow? Another referee may have put the oaf out of his misery. Were we really once linked with a move for him?
Sadly the second half saw the removal of Diaby, seemingly injured. The crowd could have been more patient with his replacement, Song. The one player we have who is good at putting his foot on the ball and taking the speed out of the contest did just that. We were one up and he concentrated on keeping the ball rather than surrendering it cheaply to dangerous opponents. Those who audibly rebuked him for sloth perhaps forgot what happened in the closing minutes at home to Tottenham.
So we will travel to Rome with the considerable benefit of not having conceded an away goal. If we can nick one out there it will make the Italians’ task very difficult, and for all our faults we still look well set up to deliver that goal on the break against a side who will have to be more adventurous on their own patch.
All in all, a good job jobbed, I think.
42 Responses to “Van Persie, Vidi, Vici”
1st drink? I’ll have what your having ‘holic but make it strong . . . .
Gallas was stalwart tonigh, to be fair. Credit to the guys.
first drink… no ways!! Jack str8 up Holic, heres to an very pleasent performance to all on the pitch tonight!!!
Some of the finishing did leave alot to be desired.. but one cannot fualt the build up play. And one goal in Rome should be more than achievable!!
Well done Eboue and well done to all at the ground for clapping him off the field when substituted. He would have enjoyed that and he definitely needed it!! Midfield was excellent, the defense, however, were good but they do have there momnts that makes you sit on the edge of your seat as long as we nt have a 2 goal cushion, which is y i think we will need a goal in the 2nd leg. I think CLichy made one or two bad decisions on defence this eve….
So job well done, bring on Fulham! but I really ope the guys ca lift themselves for this one and every other league game this season because they really really need to!!! the UEFA CUP idea is really starting to scare me as it looks very possible at the moment…
But Nick, all he had to do was score, and I would have been well and truly wedged up. Very inconsiderate of him 😉
oops, ul for the first drink!! garret pipped me while i was tying…. haha
why describe mexes as an “oaf” ? he was great for roma tonight apart from when he gave away the penalty. he is a solid defender and would easily improve our defence
Good to see someone enjoying the drinks, in more ways than one, although you sound more Essex than South African, if you don’t mind me saying…
Well in G, first drink is always on the house.
Can’t agree with you there, someone. Robin played him like a fiddle. If you have taped the game have a look at the times he bought free-kicks from him and got him wound up. Have a look at the couple of occasions he caught him after the ball had gone and trotted off before Mexes realised what had happened. He well and truly mugged Mexes tonight, and no quality defender would have been so gullible.
Btw, can somebody – or someone in this case 😉 – explain to me what was going on during tonight’s football? I mean, players getting booked while warming-up, never mind Kolo and William turning up hours since the game restarted… Crazy tuesday, eh?
Thought tonight was full of positives and you have summed it up well Holic. It was a good team performance and at times we ran Roma ragged. They had players going down with cramp in the end, they had been run that hard.
We should have made more of the chances we had but we can not change that now. A clean sheet was a must. We defended well and Gallas was enormous yet again. The best thing he ever did as an Arsenal player was to shout his gob off in the press.
Midfield were solid. The difference for me was Diaby, He seemed to gel the whole system. He was strong in the challenge and dynamic going forward. It makes such a difference when we have someone in that position who is prepared to run at defenders. Just wish he would use his left peg a bit more. It does work I take it???? I agree totally re Denilson. I have championed his cause many times on here and really do feel he will be one hell of a player. I thought tonight he was outstanding. Foe me, the most improved player in the squad. With the balance right in the middle Nasri was able to have a bit more freedom and looked great. I was immensely pleased with his work rate. As I was with Eboue who had very much one of his better games.
All in all a very good night. If we nick a goal over there then I think it is game over.
One final point. We have now only conceded 3 goals in the last 11 games. We look a lot more solid than we have done in ages. Get the likes of Adebayor, Eduardo, Cesc, Theo and Rosicky back and we will not be far short. Add Arshavin to the list and perhaps things are not as bad as some would have us believe.
The same 6X please Holic. And where is my Weller that I requested for the Jukey????????
Keep the faith my fellow Gooners.
Sorry, one last point. Is there any news on Diaby? he looked to go off because of an injury but I can not find any details??? Anyone have any updates that they may have heard????
We were awesome tonight Eboue was fantastic our crisp moving passing sexy football left Roma grasping for breath!
On the house!? Can I change my order?
Make that 12 cases of Wild Turkey and 1 of JD on the side.
Ok, bit greedy, so I’ll go back to a nice red.
Good blog, good performance although I have to say Eboue’s 2nd half “rabbit in the headlights” bit in front of goal was rather, er . . . Eboue.
Do you still have that rope and stool?
What a bore……… more of the same, can’t score even against an ordinary italian side devoid of any depth of idea! As always Bendtner fails to perform, Diaby does bugger all except get the ball caught under his feet, Eboue made to look ok because they allowed him the space to run as they knew nothing to worry about could ever come from him, Denilson was his usual self nothing special very average, Song was his usual self when he came on slowing the pace of the game down to a crawl because thats the way he thinks and that killed our biggest threat to Roma – they like other italian sides don’t like the pace that english sides play at. Europe suits this Arsenal side best as they are allowed more time on the ball and are not pressurised as they are in the EPL we stand a chance if we don’t play another EPL side or Barcelona. This is still an average side – a pale imitation of the Arsenal sides of the previous ones under Wenger!!!!
Denilson was indeed superb, he has not had the plaudits, this season, that his efforts deserve. Hopefully many of the fickle gooners will now see him in a different light.
Eboue done very well, and as suggested, seemed to tire badly after the hour mark.
However, i don’t agree about Diaby being superb on the night, he was good but not superb. Simply because he held on to the ball for far too long at times and seems reluctant to release early incisive balls.
Aside from the near everton pass-goal move being recreated in the first half, with a chipped pass from abou to robin… he was poor in distribution.
I thought Diaby was brilliant, his ability to take on players made a huge difference, it just opened up the game so much more for us. It was only when he went off that Roma got into the game more.
But how bad were Roma at times?! They gave away the ball so much under no pressure…I just hope we haven’t wasted the opportunity to punish their performance and finish the tie.
Strong continental larger please ‘holic. Cheers.
Thoroughly enjoyed this evening. Flashes of genius mixed with a fantastic work-rate from all but Bendtner and even he had a couple of moments. Shoulda/coulda/woulda been 3-0.
We seem to have 2 Eboues. The one we love to criticise and the one that showed up tonight and for 25 minutes against the spuds. Fascinating.
As for why we can’t put a similar performance on against the likes of sunderland (just typing the word is depressing, maybe that’s why) is one for AW and his sports psychologists.
Fulham next. A turgid, torturous, fist thumping, why oh why, 0-0 anyone?
Did not realise what a good save,no great save Manuel made in the first half from Motta until I saw the TV highllights.He is becoming a really good goalkeeper and with the return to form of Gallas and Toure the defence looks sound.
Should have scored more but lets not be greedy.A one nil win is a very
good result.Would not criticise any of the players including Bendter.
Tonight his touch let him down but he put in the effort and never hid.
`holic I dont want to crawl but the comments on your blog put most of the other Arsenal blogs to shame.
Music for tonight Tom Waits.”No fish in the jailhouse tonight.”
Cheers.
I agree with Holic’s assessment of Mexes.
I’m glad AW never signed this bloke. I’m not sure if the club was ever really interested but he was linked several times about 5 years ago.
Do you think Denilson and Diaby/Song have been instructed to stay back and not join the attack? There seemed to be a number of occassions where the ball was cut back into the box and whilst I was anticipating a central player running onto it both Denilson and Diaby/Song were camped on the half way line.
All three of these players lack positional senese at times. Cesc can charge into the box but quickly assess a situation and cover the defence if required. I don’t think the others possess this quality yet and hence they are told to stay back rather than join the attack, forget where they are and fuck everything up…
Obviously it is a bit different when they are running with the ball.
I’ll have a flirtini…..
be quiet john. everyone played great today and we could have had more. bentner was good in the build up but his first touch was terrible when it matteredhe could have had 5 goals today. holic, i didnt hear any abuse of song at all. but i was a bit frustrated to see him so slow to close down the opposition
i feel like a gin and tonic for some reason. enough gin to disguise the quinine please
peter
John. Did you actually watch the game????
Stringfellow Hawke. I think the thing with Diaby was the way he gave the midfield more shape and balance. He frustrates the hell out of me at times. He always seems to be that close to being a real top drawer player. However, his running and chasing allowed others a lot more time and created more space. He was also a threat going forward, although I do take your point about the final ball.
Steve T,
I think Diaby was always going to be brought off after an hour – provided we had a lead anyway.
It was his first game for a while and to say he is injury prone is clearly an understatement.
Yes he certainly gives the midfield a better shape. Denilson and Diaby are a more complimentary central midfield partnership than say Fabregras and Diaby.
I would hope his injury is not too serious and he can form a solid, consistent pairing in the middle of the park with Denilson.
Lets be honest, Fab4 is due back in April, and will need time to get back into the groove, therefore this season seems to be a write off for him now. Keeping Diaby fit is essential.
Guys. I think John is a wind up merchant!
Nope not a wind up merchant……..just not someone who doesn’t watch a game through rose coloured glasses!
Can anyone explain to me how Arsenal could kick off second half with out both CB? Sounds like a mistake that A schoolboy team could do, not for a club in the Champions League…
Except for that great performance from the team, they restored a lot of my faith in them last night!
Best game since Cardiff, the future looks brighter and brighter.
Agreed with everything you said ‘Holic but for Song whose efforts pale in comparison to Denilson (and ley’s say it, Eboue). I start to wonder if it’s an Arsene grooming ploy to play him in midfield while planning to make him a CD in the long run. With his current attitude I’m not sure he will get much action once Cesc, Rosicki and Walcott are back.
As for Mexes, it would be foolish to judge him on this game. He’s wanted by many top teams, was voted best serie A defender last year and is now a regular starter in the French national team. He would be a much better signing than say, Silvestre…
The next 8 days will be crucial for next year’s league. The upcoming CL rounds are worth a lot of money and the clubs that won’t make it will have to revisit their summer transfer ambitions. Time to cheer Juve and Real.
Champagne’s been cold for a while, let’s open that bottle.
John it’s time to take off your shades, they darken your outlook.
“Sadly he was wearing boots designed by Picasso”
Haha.
The result is a good one, we were the only team to win yesterday, and conceded no away goals. We could have won 3-0, yes, but before the match we would have bitthen the hands of anyone offering us a solid 1-0.
I hope Diaby is OK, he is very important in the absence of Cesc.
Off to see the replay, which now starts on local TV. 🙂
I was heartened to see that “The Beast” has lost nothing of his touch since leaving us. I started to worry once he’d gone off though.
Be nice to get even one of the walking wounded back in time for the replay.
Campari and soda – of course
A pint of the blackstuff please, landlord.
Yes, the future is bright and No we are not looking at life through rose tinted glasses.
Patience is a huge virtue in life… and even more so to a Gooner at present.
Keep that faith, it shall be rewarded.
Great upbeat post, with some Leonardo-like brush strokes, (I did enjoy Picasso’s boots), holic on a really good performance by the Gunners. Glad you’re over Saturday’s hangover.
Found myself wishing Eduardo had been on the bench around 60 mins. He brings close control and a sharpness that we miss with the bigger front men. Never mind, he, Theo, Ade will be back for the next leg and touch wood (touches head) Cesc and Rosicky for the next round.
Anothe super game by Denilson. He’s really coming on.
I keep getting Wee Lou McSparrry as the commentator over here. Talk about downbeat! Was he a funeral parlour director in a previous life? And what does that fellow Fat Pat the half-time muse on Setanta have against AW and the team. Is he a spud?
One goal at the Stadio Olympico in a fortnight and we win the tie. Of course, it would have been nice to have scored on 1 or 2 or 5 of those chances, but the important thing was the clean sheet.
Fingers crossed that the commitment and attitude showed last night by Arsenal will carry over into the match v. Fulham.
Is it Jeckell and Hyde, chalk and cheese or is the team just paradoxical? Whatever it is we need to see consistency and I think it is a confidence thing. More good games and good results should see confidence levels rise and wins will surely follow.
I thought everyone in the team played with energy, passion, commitment and at a tempo that unsettled the visitors. It is probably wrong to single out individual performances in such a good team effort but I thought Diaby did very well in midfield and Nasri showed that perhaps he should play in the centre all the time rather than on the wing where his talents seem somewhat wasted to me. Denilson worked extremely hard and looked very comfortable in a slightly withdrawn role and this is probably his best position. Van Persie showed his class and caused Roma problems all night as did Eboue whilst Bendtner put in a spirited performance in an out-of-position role.
The goal misses are a worry but probably due to a lack of confidence and thus composure at the vital moment and I think this will sort itself out in time. We have Eduardo, Adebayor, Walcott and Rosicky, all goal scorers, to return to the team and of course Fabregas so things look a little better now than on Saturday night. However the team must push on from here, we have seen good performances followed by mediocre too many times all ready this season and we can’t afford any more. We are still in the CL and the FA Cup and there is no reason why we couldn’t win one or even both of them, it won’t be easy but it is far from impossible.
John have you been smoking crack?
Denilson was magic last nite, for the first time he looked really top drawer.
Nasri was a busy little so and so. if we had a decent striker(I view RVP a second stricker like Dennis) we’d of walked it.
we wove lovely weaving passing moves over the pitch and footballisticley just lacked goals. Willy was huge, and the late great kolo was mr arsenal again.
I loved it, we sang our hearts out and i thought the FANS spark was back.
COME ON YOU GOONERS.
Good point, the support was really fantastic from the go!
Let’s hope they’ll carry on against Fulham.
I could do without Song starting against Fulham. While he does slow the play up and it was exciting to see him pass the ball forwards a few times, I don’t think he helped us that much defensively as Roma looked the more likely to score once he came on. His slow lumbering style is not conducive to our team and with Denilson stepping up his DM game and the back 4s recent solidness, i think this team does not need him in the center and becomes much worse when he is there. Also looking forward to seeing Nasri Arshavin Walcott and Cesc playing together. Diaby and Nasri were great, Eboue is looking good up to the final ball, and I hope we demolish Fulham, or at least get a win.
So do we try to use a similar formation v. Fulham on Saturday? Or is that strictly a tactic for European competitions? I can see us reverting to a more traditional 4-4-2 and grinding out a 0-0 or 1-0.
25John
Nope not a wind up merchant……..just not someone who doesn’t watch a game
Fixed
Hello Holic,
Have you noticed that the club is finally making financial figures available? There’s a detailed word document and a Gazidis interview on the club’s site and there are 2 good summarizing articles at the Telegraph.
Figures are not Liverpool kind of bad but not very rosy nonetheless.
Anyway this is the key for any fan who wants to understand the reasons behind the club’s recent decisions and what the future holds for us.
Thought the figures showed increases in profit, both at match day and with tv money? Small glich with the flats but only to be expected in today’s climate. That wont last forever.
We were also quoted in official figures as the 6th wealthiest club in the world. The future is very bright people…………………. Just as long as we can get into a Champions League position.
We played well and dominated for long periods, but once again the chances went begging. A guy just behind me became so frustrated with Bendtner that his criticizm of him became ever more heated, cukminating, after another bad miss, in his screaming you p***k! I had to agree; but not with my neighbour who said, “he must score”, when Eboue homed in on goal. He predictably found the side netting. AW is clearly getting frustrated with Bendtner, as his recent remark that we would be surprised how many starts he had made this season indicates. Bendtners confidence must be shot to pieces, as he wouldn`t even try for the 60/40 balls. We all know that Eboue would just about make the bench for a team like Wigan, and AW`s support for him is ever more puzzling. And so to Fulham, a team playing with confidence this season, as the spectre of relegation isn`t cramping their style. It`s a near certainty that we will have the vast bulk of possession, and make and miss a host of good chances, but outside of Arshavin and just possibly van Persie, I cannot see anyone scoring for us. Most of us would like to see Vela starting in place of Bendtner, and I would definately have Ramsey in for Eboue.