The Final Curtain – But Will Ade See It Fall?
May 22nd, 2009 by 'holic
Well, here we are then. The final match preview of 2008/9. Who cheered then? I heard you. All of you!
That may not be quite right. I’m hoping that after the first leg of the FA Youth Cup Final tonight I will have cause to do one last look forward to the return leg next Tuesday. That would be quite something wouldn’t it? Twenty years to the day since Michael Thomas rewrote the history books in the final minute at Anfield the lads are going back there with a chance to pull off another famous victory.
Anyway, on to the visit of Stoke City who beat us by two throw-ins and a submission at the Britannia Stadium earlier in the season. To be honest most attention will be featured elsewhere on the final day. The top four places are resolved which leaves an unsightly scramble to qualify for the new Europa League, and a fascinating contest for the final two relegation places.
I may be wrong here, but I suspect most Gooners would swap a final day result for the pleasure of seeing the obnoxious Phil Brown and Brian Horton tumble back down where they belong. Boro look doomed but I’ll be keeping the fingers crossed, just a little, for the Geordies and the Mackems.
The list of absentees on Sunday seems to be growing. Long term absentees Rosicky, Eduardo, Clichy, and Gallas were never going to make it. Samir Nasri is also sadly gone in the fetlock, which is a shame. He started the season with the only goal against West Brom at the Grove and I was hoping he could sign off in similar fashion. Adebayor’s mysterious ‘groin’ injury seems conveniently timed, but Fabianski has passed a fitness test and will continue to deputise for the absent Almunia.
The final ‘holic pound will be ventured on an outside bet in the hope of clawing back a chunk of this seasons heavy losses. The final throw of a desperate man is on an enthralling 4-1 home win.
I will be hanging on at the final whistle just to see who is, and more importantly who isn’t, on the end of season lap of, er, well circuit of the ground anyway. I will be on the opposite side of the stadium to the Rocket pre-match, but I intend to start my own one man march to the Grove in support of Arsene Wenger, and Pat Rice, and the man who orders the chicken balti pies, at around half past three.
If you are going I look forward to singing my lungs out with you. Those who are watching from a distance, well, I hope you get a half decent stream. Have a great Bank Holiday Monday those of you in the UK, and here’s wishing a happy weekend to ‘holics everywhere.
Cheers.
36 Responses to “The Final Curtain – But Will Ade See It Fall?”
First drink of the day?
Looking forward to singing my lungs out with you too.
I think a long and loud version of ‘There’s only one Arsene Wenger’ would be an effective and much appreciated way of making a point to the doubters and foot-stampers. See you all on Sunday. Stu.
May I make a suggestion?
Spread the word to Sing Adebayor’s song at the top of our lungs!!!
The guy hasn’t deserved the criticism he’s been given.
He single handedly won the game against Villareal with that flash of brilliance and his performance last season alone earns him more respect.
But the real reason to do it is to take away his excuse that “the fans no longer wanted me so I HAD to go”!
I despise Booing, I believe it to be the most idiotic, counter-productive, pointless exercise.
Booing your own players is NEVER going to produce positive results, its only going to make matters worse.
Plus its not as if its only his fault! Wenger played him and stuck with him for the whole game in bot legs of the semi! He could have subbed him!
Cheer his name and let him think twice before he blames us for his exit.
I’ll have a large one – you can choose. Just make it large.
Cheers ‘holic. Btw, what were you offered for a 4-1 win?
Here’s to hoping Arshavin gives us something to savor over the summer as we eagerly anticipate him being a force in the team both omestically and in the CL!!!!
Gooner49-
I disagree with your comment posted here.
“But the real reason to do it is to take away his excuse that “the fans no longer wanted me so I HAD to go”!”
Have some self respect!
I understand why you would say this, and like most level headed supporters I totally agree with your points about NOT booing your own players, this should go without saying really. But he doesn’t deserve to have his name sung (as a hero) because of his actions, even if he did score 30 goals last season and kept us in the CL @ Villareal this season. That is part of his job. Things he should be doing anyways. The fans shouldn’t boo him, but treat him as he has been treating the club / supporters for awhile now: indifferent.
Singing his name would suggest we appreciate his efforts, which we do. But when the player clearly shows he doesn’t appreciate the club / supporters by running his mouth and lazily trotting around on the pitch, he should be gone.
I lost alot of respect for Ade after he stepped up during the 07 08 season but acted like a prat in the summer that followed. Coming out in the press and announcing you would ‘love to play for Milan or Barca next season’ and toying with the club / supporters who put your face on the map is shameless, especially to resign at the end of the summer. Im not sure if he thought we would overlook his comments and revere him like the god he thinks he is, but I’m not buying it.
Don’t get me wrong, he has had moments of brilliance and has some unique skill and deserves a spot in the Arsenal first team, but not with that attitude.
Maybe my views on professional sports are a little too “old world”, but I hate every day of my job and would love to play professional football as a career. And if I did, you can be damn sure I would be humble and relish every moment playing for any club.
Just my opinion though :p
Good stuff ‘holic, I’m going with a 3-0 myself but will be staying at the end too, for a good old sing song. Agree with all you say about Ade, he has constantly let himself down this season…and a striker that doesn’t understand playing the line and/ or offside, especially one that has the pace to sacrifice a few yards, isn’t ‘top class’. Wenger goes on about intelligence, about professionalism, and therefore implies integrity – Ade is a rather dim mercenary and therefore should go. If for no other reason then to rid the dressing room of his ego.
Has to be said, I am really looking forward to next season, got a feeling its going to be specia
Enjoy the game.
I watched the re-run of a 2007 Arsenal match the other day. I can’t recall the opponents or the score but I do recall Ade running,chasing and harrying for the ball for 90 minutes. And then I recalled this season and his inordinate laziness and disinterest. If he and his greedy agent want to know why the fans have deserted him, let them watch the 2007 match and ponder well.
1) I agree with Gooner49.
2) Thanks Goonerholic for acknowledging the overseas fans.
3) You know a lot of supporter’s would sell their left arm to get a chance to see a game at the Grove. We — don’t want to generalise but we are least 2 — support the team from a few thousand miles, have to wake at impossible hours to watch a game, crawl the interweb for dodgy streams in foreign languages, etc… but you know what: We love it, We love the Arsenal and I can’t begin to understand how some gooners can boo our players… I know why and this and that but come on… honour the Club and support the team!!
Go Gunners!!!!!
Jackie wilshere, well said mate, I have to agree, the sooner Ade’s gone the better our club will be. The guy seriously pisses me off with his nonchalant strolling around the pitch, and getting caught off side every other ball. Bye bye Ade
Some good points all, thanks.
Snail, I have to say I am very disappointed at what is on offer for 4-1. Best out there is 22/1 from sportingbet, and Skybet go 20’s if you have an account with them. Sad to say Paddy Power and Willam Hill have 16’s, and Stan James and Ladbrokes have 14’s. That is piss poor, particularly for an end of season game.
Luckily I have some Ladbrokes vouchers from the last home game so I shall be able to top up my punt with some ‘free’ bets, but it doesn’t alter the fact that the prices are not what I would have expected 🙁
Several reasons why we should keep Adebayor:
1. He is the only current Arsenal player who has the potential to come close to 30 goals in a season
2. even with his sub optimal performance this season (mainly due to injuries) he is our highest goal scorer this season with 16 goals
3. This season is the worst time to sell a prized asset, the market is down and cash is scarce (remember the economic crises) i would rather be buying than selling
4. Realistically what 30 goal striker would we be able to get with the 15-17m max we would fetch disposing of him in a fire sale? or would we be stuck with Bendtner who would at best do 10 to 12 goals a season (we saw him in action while Ade and Van persie were injured/suspended)
5. What effect would selling him have on other players who are asking for experienced signings who understand the premiership and have bags of experience, and and the ability to win games
Please guys lets not act like spoilt brats by throwing our best toys out of the window because we are angry. Lets support our players and let them prove they are mecenaries by leaving if they will.
Ozed, you were making perfect sense until you spoke of Bendtner being a 10 to 12 goalscorer. Check your facts first.
This season, when you are so critical of him as a stand-in, he has scored 15 in 27 starts.
To “Fuse” I agree with what you say, I would give my left n*t to see the Arsenal, but being I live across the Atlantic on the East Coast of the USA it makes it a bit difficult, money wise that is…. I don’t understand the booing of the squad either, I mean you pay the money too go see them, why go there and be miserable, and grouchy, and all around a real “pooper-scooper!” I’ve been lucky cause I haven’t missed one single match on the tele over here, I have 3 channels that show the EPL and Arsenal is always on one of the three including CL, FA cup, etc….and you better believe I;’m excited about that as well…. So I just wanted to say that “Booing” does no-one any good at all, and as far as Ade is concerned he’ll get his just dues I promise, just look at Hleb, and Flamini, they got there moves and they’re ridiing the ol’ pine bench for there new clubs, hahahahaha; up the Arse!!!
Agree somewhat with Ozed
Ade has been the scapegoat for our failings as a club. People have interpreted some of his quotes to make him out to be the bad guy, because every club needs one.
He is still a fantastic player, if he lifted his workrate a little and got his confidence back, he could easily be a 30 goal a season striker again
holic,when you say Adebayor’s mysterious ‘groin’ injury seems conveniently timed, surely that means that le Boss has finally realised that regardless of ability or lack of,whichever way you look at it,he needs to go,as he is a disruptive influence within the squad. I am interested as to how you see it.
Be careful what you wish for people! I really cannot understand how the same people crying out for experience want to get rid of a player who is not only experienced in playing in the PL, but also playing in the Arsenal team. Ade is not popular, so he is a convenient scapegoat for our season as Gooner points out. There are other players in this team who have not played to their best this year, but they get judged by a different standard due to their popularity. It is pure hypocrisy. Flamini left for money but people are crying for him to come back – do you really think he would be working as hard without the motivation of playing for a lucrative contract? Ade may have been ill-advised and agitated for more money in a way that people find distasteful, but he stayed. All players want to be paid the going rate for their skills – get over yourselves. If you want big name stars with massive transfer fees, they will expect to be rewarded likewise. They will not be playing for Arsenal just for the love of the club. They are professionals, not fans.
Am I the only Gooner that wants Hull to stay up? Firstly, because despite Brown’s vituperative lies, I still hate Newcastle and Shearer more. Secondly, Hull will definitely go down next season if they survive this and a nice revenge shoeing home and away next season really appeals. That said, I really hope Boro stay up and wouldn’t complain at all if I saw a load of fat, crying Geordies AND saw the orange quickly drain to a paler shade in Brown on MOTD on Sunday night.
The problem with Adebayor is not that he lacks talent or skill. His physical attributes are awesome and he has good technique.. so what´s the problem? His head. He has a rotten attitude, thinks he´s some big star and that Arsenal owes him for staying, when it´s in fact the other way around. Adebayor would be nothing if it weren´t for Wenger. I think there are dozens of forwards around the world who could get the number of goals that Adebayor gets playing in front of the most attacking minded team in the world.
Also, his contribution is not only measured in goals.. the reason I stood up for him when he was starting at Arsenal was that he had a great work rate and was difficult to play against because he was always running at defenders and pressuring them. He doesn´t do that anymore, not as much at least, I think he´s been lazy most of this season. These guys need to be held accountable for their performances and behaviour and I think Adebayor just isn´t a proper Arsenal player
after last nights adventures in drum&bass i think i’ll lay off the booze but i’ll raise a glass of aqua mineral to another season of top blogging mr holic!
Adebayor’s contribution on the pitch is irrelevant when stacked up against his behaviour in the press. For that reason alone he should go. Look what happened to Gallas when he was slightly outspoken in the press.
Anyway, I don’t really care about players who see their future as elsewhere. They are dead to me.
Those are crap odds, ‘holic. Whatever happened to the odds going up by at least ten for every additional goal?
I think I’ll have a Port to finish the evening off.
Cheers.
Can I just say how bored stiff I am reading on here various posts from various people who seem to think that all that happens at home games is players and the team get booed all the time. They do not. The team does not get booed all of the time. The majority of criticism seems to come from those who for geographical reasons are unable to attend matches. I have friends all over the globe who are fans of English football. They also get up at all hours of the day and night to catch a game so I know exactly what you go through. But you can not tell me that there has not been an occasion when you have not shouted at the big screen in frustration when things are not going well? It is called emotion. It is passion for our club that makes us all react that way. We all feel the same regardless of if we are at the game or sat in front of a TV.
There have been well documented times this season when fans have voiced their displeasure. Certain players have come in for stick at various times. The team has been jeered off after certain performances. I am a season ticket holder who also attends a few away games each season. I would be lying if I said I had not voiced my displeasure at some of the performances this season. But it is only through emotion and frustration. Those who watched the home games against Hull and Villa on the TV can not tell me that at the end you were standing in your living room clapping and saying “well played lads” as the team walked off?
The support this season has generally been very good in my opinion. 2/3 shareholders chuck their toys out of the pram and it is headline news for a week. Let’s all stop jumping on the bandwagon and start realising what we have and remembering who we are. Let’s stop berating the fans on forums like this and let us all start getting behind the club. It is bad enough reading over hyped shite in the papers without us adding to it. Do we need to give the media a bigger stick with which to beat us with? I think not. For those far away please do not believe all you read and hear in the press. There have been reactions this season but nothing that would not be expected. And I for one, who spends God knows how much each season following the club I love have had enough of being slated by “fellow fans” because of the apparent way we behave. It is not like that. You will always get the odd moron but that does not mean everyone is the same.
Get behind the team. Get behind the club.
Keep the faith……
Keep the faith
Some fine Gooners turned up yesterday. Great post Steve, thanks.
Dutch, how could you, the memory of ‘elbows’ is fading and Phil Brown and Brian Horton must get their just desserts!
Snail, agree about those dreadful odds. I have to find eight different Ladbrokes kiosks this afternoon to place my ‘free bet’ vouchers. I don’t know if there are that many in there.
dino, where have you been? More importantly, how have you been?
stroller, my views on Ade have been well documented lately, I think. I would love to have back the Ade of before a year ago. I would love to believe that this year has been a blip, but I have a horrible feeling his head was turned last summer and he wants away. If that is right Wenger won’t hold him and risk spreading discontent in a young and impressionable squad. Shame really because we could do with his experience, but if that comes at a cost then let’s get some cash for him and spend it on strengthening the squad.
Thanks for the reply Goonerholic.I sometimes feel that Le Boss has lost the respect of some of the players,and all is not well in the changing room.We need a better balance of experienced pros to mix with the younger players.Personally,I hope Gallas stays,at least for another season,as one could argue he has been our best player since January,after losing the captaincy,and IMO Fabregas doesn’t need the added responsibility of being captain,therefore Arshavin would be my choice.I believe we are only two defenders away from being the complete team,and with the ANC next season,the defense has to be the priority.
Holic, it’s half time, will they pay out yet? No more goals! No more goals!!!
Heh, White Ox, I’m here to say the same thing. No more goals, please, for the sake of the ‘holic pound!
😉
Blimey ‘holic… Drinks are on the house?
Steve msg 22. A fantastically articulated dosage of reality my friend. I agree completely.
“and more importantly who isn’t, on the end of season lap of, er, well circuit of the ground anyway” Excellent!!!
‘Holic, thanks for your contribution this season. It has been a pleasure reading your musings on the events in the Arsenal Universe in 08-09. I particularly enjoyed the entry about your indoctrination of your grandson, I think on the day of the game in St. James Park. Wonderful!
I know you’ll continue writing, but have a good off season. At least I don’t have to worry about you moving to another club, unlike some players I could mention!
-an Irish Gunner
I forgot to say: Well done on getting the final prediction absolutely right!
Ox, Snail, dunleary, I hope you were all on as well.
What hurts is I normally have twenty-five or thirty ‘holic pounds on my bet. Today I had a fiver.
Bastard 🙂
Never mind. A free day for all that.
Thanks Don. I just think we are alot better that the press and media make out.
Stroll in the park today but once again I thought Denilson was awesome, even if he did give away the pen. He has had some terrible stick this season but I firmly believe that he will be one hell of a player.
‘holic
Congrat’s on your punt, couldn’t beleive what Paddy Power gave me for my usual 3-1 home bet, taking the piss but irrelevant. Great day, beautiful weather and a great atmosphere the only downer was on arriving back at The Blackstock finding Newcastle and ‘Boro had dropped and then watching Phil Brown giving it large after getting tonked again. 8 points from 21 games? What a c***. On the upside we get to give him some abuse next year, definately be behind the dug outs for next seasons Hull game, hope it comes early on. Very sore head today.
Murphy’s Law ‘holic, if you’d have plonked the thirty quid on Eboue would have scored late off his arse. But no, sadly I’ve not been game to follow the ‘holic pound this year so I was not on.
Or is it sadly? Anyone keep track of whether ‘holic’s in front this year? I have my doubts…
Nice way to end the season, have fun working yourself up about transfers this summer and remember, if you get too anxious I am a pharmacist and Valium will cure your PTT (Pre Transfer Tension).
Ox, I suspect the ‘holic pound is down over the course of the year, which is why I too was not on. However, this result is enough for me to want to track the pound’s destiny more closely next season; this despite the fact that one swallow does not a summer make…
😉