Inept Webb And Almunia Make For Another Groundhog Day
Mar 27th, 2010 by 'holic
Numb. That’s the word. The ire subsided relatively quickly. This was always going to be a tough test, and Birmingham put up a much more spirited resistance than their neighbours could muster as O’Neill’s hoofers lay down and died at the bus stop in Fulham.
The strange thing was for ninety-one minutes we appeared to have got it all massively right. Arsene picked Campbell, although the absence of Silvestre from the bench may generate further mention in the week. Walcott, a double-scorer here two years ago was recalled, and Arshavin quite rightly rested. Battles such as this are not his forte.
Yet, as two years ago we were hit by an injury-time sucker punch at St Andrews. We clearly shot ourselves in the foot. We had the points and then surrendered them tamely.
At the risk of opening myself up to charges of sour grapes I have to say Howard Webb’s performance raised more than a few eyebrows. Song and Clichy went into the book for first fouls that appeared mild in comparison to some of the stuff being produced by Carr, Ferguson, and particularly Gardner. The three of them were given a great deal of rope before they all finally earned yellows for persistent (you can say that again!) offending in the final twenty minutes.
I will be interested to see Gardner’s ‘challenge’ on Fabregas again. My one view of it this afternoon left me with the impression that both were lucky to complete the game, for entirely different reasons. I’ll backtrack if I am wrong, but clearly a raging Arsene Wenger was of a similar view in his post-match press conference.
A tense affair didn’t really get going in the opening half. Diaby sidefooted narrowly wide early on, before Campbell headed a corner just over. Both keepers were called into action a couple of times and both looked assured. Indeed Almunia looked back to his unflappable best. As we would discover later, appearances can be deceptive.
The second half was following a similar pattern until Arsene injected fresh legs, in the shape of Arshavin and Nasri, for Walcott and the industrious Rosicky, for the final twenty minutes or so. Immediately the game turned into a game of attack against defence, with Birmingham pinned back in their own half.
The feeling that the breakthrough was inevitable was magnified, and came to fruition with ten minutes remaining, when Nasri forced his way to the edge of the box and placed a superb strike just inside the far post. His fellow substitute proved more wasteful when presented with the opportunity to double the Gunners advantage. Arshavin’s miss would prove expensive in the second minute of added time.
There were mistakes in the centre of the defence, it is true, as a straightforward punt created panic, but when Phillips hurried his effort straight at Almunia he could not have believed his eyes as the keeper appeared to stumble into the save and succeed only in parrying the ball into his own goal. It was calamitous, and sadly far from his only blunder this season. Best left there I think. No point in overdoing the criticism. We know we don’t have a viable alternative and we have to hope he holds it together in the remaining games.
So, on a day when Chelsea and Manchester United strengthened their goal difference further, we dropped a point in one of the most difficult of our remaining fixtures. How very Arsenal to put us in this position. A defeat, I suspect, would have sounded the death knell of our title challenge, but typically they have left us a scrap of hope, although we do now need both of our rivals to suffer unexpected reverses.
While frustration will doubtless surface for the next couple of days it is perhaps already time to forget this game and concentrate on the next match. A more mouthwatering prospect for the neutral there could not be, but Arsene will have to earn his corn restoring wounded pride in the days before Wednesday.
Hopefully it will be only pride that needs treatment. Both Fabregas and Song were on the receiving end of ‘robust’ challenges from Gardner, and both looked a yard short of pace before the final whistle as a result. The thought of taking on Barca without them is not one to be contemplated for too long.
I Get This Twitter Business Now
Thanks to all of you who have elected to ‘follow’ me on my first day on Twitter, nearly five hundred of you and rising. I’ll be honest and admit I just didn’t get it before, and I resisted for as long as I possibly could. It was, however, a welcome companion to the game. Thanks to Marion, who I think was the one who queried why I was not on twitter on a link I was sent from topsy. You shamed me into it, Marion. Thank you.
If you want to read even more ‘holic nonsense you will find me on Twitter as TheGoonerholic.
Try and enjoy the rest of the weekend ‘holics. Not easy I know, but it could all be very different next weekend.
159 Responses to “Inept Webb And Almunia Make For Another Groundhog Day”
After waking up at 2am here in Australia, it was very tough getting back to sleep at 4am, when the game finished. Frustrating, almost heart breaking.
But, as you’ve said, life goes on and we need to look to the next game.
That will be my mission for today.
Nasri Peach Slumps to Suckers Salad as Fruity Fawlty Fumbles
For the second time in two visits, a late equalizer from a team of mid-country journeymen may well get between Arsenal and the title. A result, that would have been judged a fairly good draw earlier in the season, now threatens to be one slip too far down the slippery slope.
The twin substitution of Nasri for Theo the Anonymous, and Arshavin for Rosicky looked to have made ALL the difference. An immediate transformation occurred. Arsenal finally had eleven players on the field and it showed.
Suddenly, 60 minutes of ponderous progression turned into a crispy cracker, with Diaby the imperious pushing, probing and nearly claiming the opener as Arsenal drove purposefully for a win. Arsenal were hard done by. Howler Webb’s decision against Abou was harsh.
The “winner” (as it should have been) came shortly after. Nasri, wide on the right, picked up the ball and drove hard toward the Bummie goal. With only one thing in mind, he slammed an un-savable beauty low into the bottom left-hand corner.
Two more gilt edged chances followed. First, Nasri failed to make the most of a superb, through ball from Cesc. Minutes later, Bendy set up Arshavin with the easiest chance of the game, only to see shot-style match hair-style, and a result in a pitiful plonk past the upright. (“I would’ve scored” – quipped Her Nellieness).
Ninety minutes came and went. We continued to attack. Free kick. “Only two Gooners up – good, we’re playing sensibly”. A brilliant effort from Cesc, really tested their keeper. “Could be 4-0! No way we won’t win it now”.
Free kick for them. Soft – where did that come from? A hoof forward. Ping Pong! And then, just when we needed him to do a relatively modest piece of goal-keeping, Manuel turned from last week’s penalty saving hero to this week’s fumbling fawlty. One each. One minute to play.
It wasn’t just his fault, of-course. AA’s miss and Howler’s blunder were equally big events. But, if we don’t win it this season, Manuel will have to take a bow as the man who contributed most. Would Vermaelen have nipped the danger in the bud? We’ll never know.
Still 6 games to go. Manure still have to play the Chavs. We can still win it, ‘Holics. One point is better than none, but the two we lost today may be 2 we live to regret.
Peach melba with a whisky top please, barman.
“It could all be so very different next weekend” – attaboy, ‘holic.
Well despite my disappointment for this weekend I am truly looking forward to a mouthwatering clash against the mighty Barca, And I apologise if my somewhat pragmatic yet negative viewpoint upsets anyone, I really doubt I will be feeling so down after that game win or lose
Only you, BtM, only you could entertain on such an evening 🙂
Harsh judgements on the substitutes I thought. Walcott did drift out of it in the second half, but Rosicky was everywhere, and I thought the two that came on benefited from the softening up work done on the opposition in the first three-quarters of the game.
The Birmingham goal was clearly offside. I don’t know why this hasn’t had more mentions in the press. The player beside Phillips is clearly a yard offside when the ball is played in. Either the linesman didn’t flag because he was blind, or because his interpretation was that he was passive.
The goal was a fluke. Ordinarily the header did not have enough force to trouble goalkeepers. Almunia made a hash of it of course.
A very disappointing day. Made more so by the utter capitulation of Bolton and Villa.
You’re ok draped. I don’t expect everybody to agree in here. Just argue your points without abusing other posters. We’re all Gooners, and it is always difficult to accurately detect another’s intent when you cannot look them in the eye.
Don’t think Chucho was active, Muppet. That rule mystifies me, but while it is in force we have to play to it. I was more puzzled by Diaby’s goal being disallowed by a very late whistle. A point I forgot to make in the blog.
I don’t see how one can say that he wasn’t active. I think he was in line with Phillips at the final point of contact. If he was on his way back out of the area when the ball was played in, it would be understandable. Remember the OT late goal that was denied. Wasn’t it Gallas who was offside, but also not active. Yet that was given.
http://football-talk.co.uk/2542/arsenal-videos-watch-almunias-horrific-mistake-plus-nasris-superb-goal/?
If you look at this youtube clip, the 2nd one in the link, and look at the replay from 50 seconds onwards, you can see that Chucho is clearly offside, and it should have been flagged offside straight away.
Holic this is horrible, this is the worst feeling of the season. What made it so bad is that we all new Almiunia needed to go and this all could have been prevented. If it was a great shot then i wouldn’t feel this way but It was a final minute blunder and now we have to be honest and say that the chances of gaining 6 points on our rivals is too much. We lost it because Arsene couldn’t pick someone up cheap enough, and we have to admit that trophies are not as important to him as a deal in which he comes out the better for it.
Not unless he plays the ball, Muppet. Your interpretation is the one that makes most sense, but sense and the current offside law have not been bedfellows for a while now.
Got a text off WST which summed it up mate. Cant repeat it on here. Never mind. Havana Club and ice please.
Although not the end of the league challenge, it’s just frustrating when the game should have been wrapped up before the 93rd minute. they had done enough and Birmingham just got lucky.
Still, we move on to the CL for the next few days and then resume at home to Wolverhampton, just after the United/Chelsea game. So we may be feeling a little bit more positive come 5pm next saturday.
Hopefully Cesc and Alex Dimitri Song Billong are ok.
COYRRR
Very annoyed still. Oh where shall I vet my rage?
Tia Maria on the rocks, please barkeep, I need some poison to give my guts a reason to churn.
Muppet/muppets the rule states the player in an offside position has to play the ball to be offside, the same rule for all teams. Diaby’s “goal” was disallowed because an arsenal player had commited a foul in the build up.
Evening all.
First time poster here. Looking through some of the comments, especially BTM’s, and just wanted to say well done for keeping the faith. I refuse to stop believing in these boys.
Of course we’re all entitled to feel gutted after losing a goal in the last minute but I am so proud of this team. We’re younger and hungrier than the others. We’ve been dismissed twice already this season and come back.
I think that we’ll do Barca on Wednesday, Untd and the Scum will draw at the weekend and the league will go to the wire. Everyone keeps going on about our tough game at the lane but untd have to play away at city and chelsea at liverpool. I refuse to give up. Come on you Gooners!!!!!
Heh Esso!
Did the words tippy, tappy, horse, and cunt, appear in said text 😉
Sure Whinger. So at Old Trafford, did Gallas play the ball when he was offside ? Does anybody remember ?
Don’t vet your rage on the dog, Snail.
I am really getting sick and tired of these “keep the faith” people…What does that mean? People think it’s noble to keep the faith in a team that is just not up to snuff and when you question those words they attack you for not supporting the club. A little bit of information here, if you don’t keep the faith on something that you think is not right it doesn’t mean you don’t support the club it just means you question things that you feel are wrong with it. I know it’s a bit off topic but I had to say it.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article7078076.ece
Cunt!
I disagree stonroy. Faith requires belief, not proof. You can stop believing, but I prefer to remain agnostic.
Gallas was definitely offside, but it was questionable as to whether he played the ball. It looked like Patrica Evra headed the ball down. In which case the goal should have stood.
Snail, Snail,
Vetinarianism and philosophy both in one evening? Much more of this and you and Mrs Snail will be off to another one of your Television Studio soirees.
Muppet, on such tiny and pathetic inconsistencies the games are won and lost. I hate it too. I hate Webb more though.
That studio wont have me back, BtM, not after last time.
Snail, nah, I understand it now. The Gallas incident was flagged offside because he influenced the play directly, although he didn’t necessarily touch the ball. Maybe the linesman thought he did. Chucho didn’t influence the play, wasn’t involved in the goal, so fair enough.
All in all, a totally depressing weekend. We have to hang in there and hope the chavs and mancs draw against eachother next week, and then hope that they both slip up somewhere.
Lets play `pin the tail on the donkey`, so who takes the wrap this time, the ref., Alumunia (he`s always good for a slug), the Russian, the pitch, the weather or was the ball too soft.
Truth is we can`t do what Chelsea and United do on a seemingly regular basis, score goals. If we are going to persist in overpaying players for sub standard perfomances we deserve all we get….nothing.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Shin Ryujin. Shin Ryujin said: Inept Webb And Almunia Make For Another Groundhog Day: Numb. That’s the word. The ire subsided relatively … http://bit.ly/a6yDjh #Arsenal […]
I didn’t mean to antagonise with that comment, I’m just trying desperately to cling on to the positives – and I genuinely believe there are some key ones.
This team shouldn’t be anywhere near the title race when you look at how the other clubs have been managed compared to ours. And when I say that I mean irresponsibly.
When things are going well wenger gets descibed as a genius but it’s probably more appropriate to descibe him as an alchemist – going against the grain to prove that you can actually polish a turd. Song getting boo’d against Fulham anyone? However, I agree that with the spanish waiter he’s bitten off more than he can chew.
I don’t think Wenger is the Messiah, god knows he’s got his flaws, but this season the boys have improved massively compared to last year and what’s to say they won’t do the same again next year.
A quick mention for Diaby – I thought he was immense today.
And a quick grumble about referee Webb. The first half went like this:
Arsenal foul – booking
Arsenal foul – booking
Birmingham foul –
Birmingham foul –
Birmingham foul –
Birmingham foul –
Birmingham foul –
Birmingham foul –
Birmingham foul –
Can you spot what’s missing?
By the way I`m tiring of hearing that old cliche ` have faith`.
“Faith is what you have when you know it ain`t so” Mark Twain.
Aussie Jack, until Wednesday we had scored more than the Chavs and until today we had scored more that Manure, so on a regular basis we had been doing so. I think our failure lies in our inability to kill games off. That is what those two teams do better than us.
The Blues goal wasn’t offside. Benitez isn’t active.
From a Birmingham perspective – it was an even game until we got a bit nervous and got far too deep around the 65 minute mark. For the next 15 minutes Arsenal had us pressed – we weren’t making the ball stick up front and the goal was coming.
After Nasri’s strike, we went gung-ho and exploited the frailties of a team trying to play an over the hill defender in the English Premier League. Got a bit of luck with the goal, but I thought on the run of the game, our defensive performance merited a draw. We could’ve opened the scoring had Dann not kneed the ball over the bar following Johnson hitting the post.
I was just frustrated that we didn’t test your back four more, because I really do feel that that is Arsenal’s main weakness.
Oh, and Abou Diaby was immense. Every time he got the ball, he was industrious and seemed like the only Arsenal midfielder who was willing to stick a good boot in! Gave away a few fouls on Ferguson and Bowyer which, if we were Wenger, we would’ve moaned about – but actually us Bluenoses appreciate that side of the game.
Good luck in the title race, but I think United will have a bit too much for both you and Chelsea.
@snail…you better take it easy..the players should be home resting now even while they still get paid…there is nothing you can do as a fan than keep supporting our beloved team come rain or shine…keep the faith but am sorry to be blunt….the probability of getting the league now is low with manure having 4points clear,,if you pray manure should loose against chelski,we still got to be 3 behind chelski with a million goals difference…but i have a deep feeling spuds could do us a big favour..provided we beat them first….beating them will make them go into manure amd chelski games with all theyv got…cos theyv got the fourth spot knocking now..nomater what it is….i just hope we will be at our best come champions league..atleast messi hasnt scored in their last two,theyv not been so convincing lately as well…keep keeping the faith
You didn’t deserve anything from the game willvbcfc, you got lucky.
You took Fabregas out of the game early with a disgusting tackle, which McCleish termed euphemistically robust. You are an atypical side with all puff and no flair and you will never win anything.
What’s the point ? If you had attempted to play football, you would be congratulated, but you parked the bus and resorted to 60 yard upfield punts. Where is your ambition ?
And before you accuse me of sour grapes, I said the same thing to a Sunderland fan after they beat us, and they then went on to not win in 15 games.
Muppet, you are aptly named.
You can sit in your little cockney bubble and recall of your memories of playing football as a youngster with the women’s institute all you like – but to the rest of Britain, football is a CONTACT SPORT.
If you watch Gardner’s challenge back, he slides in, realises the ball has gone and tries to pull out. It certainly wasn’t as bad as one by Clichy on Gardner in the first half which Wenger gesticulated wasn’t even a foul!
‘You are an atypical side with all puff and no flair and you will never win anything.’
Nice of you to praise us for our amazing achievement of being unbeaten at home since September, including points gained against Chelsea AND Man Utd – wouldn’t you just love that acclaim?
Maybe sometimes you could do with adopting a slightly tighter gameplay and then you wouldn’t get ripped apart by the rest of the top four!
Oh, and I see over the last five years your trophy cabinet is just about as bare as ours!
willvbcfc
Glad you appreciate that diaby was “immense”.
That’s what happens when players develop – you know when they’re allowed to keep both their legs…
Diaby would have been that player this time last year if it wasn’t for Dan Smith of Sunderland.
God knows what Eduardo would be right now if it wasn’t for your mob. Booing Arsene Wenger because he moaned about the Taylor challenge – really? Pathetic – I hope you do an Ipswich and go down net year
And booing Eduardo as his name was called out. What is that about?
Willvbcfc,
Football is a contact sport, but not the sort of contact that you revel in.
I don’t praise or congratulate you for anything. For what ? You have a slow pitch, so you make the most of premiership officiating by packing the midfield and squeezing the play, putting your foot in. If I wanted to watch a physical game, I would watch rugby. As it is, I prefer football, and the beautiful game.
McCleish would have taken great delight in the fact that Fabregas was almost taken out, and I’m sure you did too, admit it.
Go back and watch your beloved brum. It must be like watching paint dry.
Play nicely gentlemen please.
will, glad to have your views, but you have to realise you will get some flack on an Arsenal blog. Let’s douse the flames, eh?
But holic, this is what arsenal is up against. Typical view that we can be kicked to bits with impunity. I don’t mind being beaten. Hard as it was, the chavs and mancs had to be congratulated. But when you have rival fans, pundits and opposition managers condoning over the top tackles because it is to the detriment of arsenal, it is extremely hard to take. Arsenal have had the most number of serious leg breaks out of any team in the premiership, but all we hear is how the culture of english football must be preserved. Yet, english football as we know it, hasn’t been successful.
Webb is a fraud.
Plain and Simple.
No, I don’t take delight in anybody getting injured. As a true football fan, I love to watch good football. However, physicality is just as much part of the game as fine touches.
When you combine the two sides of the game – you get top quality and successful teams. Refer to Chelsea or Man Utd, who have been caning your arses in the league for successive seasons because of it.
Also, Big Dave, I’m not an Arsenal fan, but even I know that Diaby broke his ankle back in 2006.
He’s a great physical and skillful presence. Excellent player.
I don’t agree with the Eduardo taunting. That’s just wrong. What happened was a freak accident and should be left in the history books
But Wenger is a different proposition.
He makes it very hard for fans to like him, because he is eagle-like at spotting injustices toward his team, but never manages to see the dirtiness of his own team and is never gracious towards any successes that the opposition may have.
Denounce our style of football if you want, but it got us a point today and has got us to ninth in the league, which is a great achievement for a newly promoted club.
Outside of your little London bubble, good, passionate, local-based clubs, with a great work ethic and never say die attitude will prosper whether you like it or not.
Absolutely agree Muppet, but we just reinforce their belief if we slag ’em off when they show up, rather than argue the point with them rationally.
Fuck me, did I really say that? You should see me losing it at the games 😉
Freak accident? Give me strength
And who gives a fuck what fans of other clubs think of Wenger
will, I am passionate about my local club.
I have not watched the game yet but have managed to see the goals. Thanks for the link Muppet. Player is not offside according to the barmy rules that we have these days. Stats I have seen show that we had ample chances to me and hosed long before injury time. And Manuel? Manuel? What in God’s name is that all about?
We talk a lot about refs. The Chavs played in midweek at Pompey and could have been down to 9 at half time for what can only be described as two separate assault. Tommy V was sent off last week for something that I have not heard one football fan from any club agree with. Even Spuds I know thought it was ridiculous. My point is this. If Tommy V plays today do we concede that late on? We will never know the answer of course but I know where my money is
Keep the faith….. (Not you Stonroy)
Goonerholic – that’s fine, but saying that our brand of football is wrong, just because we didn’t roll over and die for you is stupidity!
Also, keeping it calm 🙂
Our keeper is a JOKE…… I also got up @ 2am to watch this boring bit of crap !!!
Please please Arsene get rid of Almunia ,he will cost you your job.
Will. Freak accident??????? Not too sure you really meant that???
Go back and check the stats of most fouled club. Most fouled players etc etc. Most players injured as a result and you will see why we all get a tad pissed off.
I have absolutely no problem with good hard physical games. But it is common knowledge that managers send teams out to go in hard and to get at them when they play The Arsenal. Then when we see injuries like Diaby, Edurado and Ramsey etc is down to the player being too good or a good “honest English tackle.” The fact that you have a large section of fans that find it amusing to make fun of what happened to Eduardo tells you all you need to know.
Actually will, you play to your strengths, and as long as referees have a laissez faire attitude to some of the stronger ‘challenges’ then nobody can blame you for that. On the days they penalise you for it though, don’t do what you accuse us of and start bleating about it.
Pleased for you that your side has done so well by being difficult to beat. There was a time when we were like that, to be fair. But that was before the advent of thirty odd quid for the cheapest seats. Supporters should demand more for their money these days.
Willvbcfc,
Look. You didn’t deserve the draw. So go away, and take your comments about the mancs and chavs being in pole position elsewhere. We don’t rate Birmingham. You make a case about a contact sport, but that is missing the point. Leg breaking is not the beautiful game. The sort of physicality which you advocate will ultimately result in broken legs. McCleish’s “Robust Tackle” will result in a broken leg. Doesn’t happen very much on the continent. It does here. Because of a dangerous status quo of dinosaur managers and pundits. Let’s just leave it there. You add nothing to the premiership and you will fade into mid table obscurity. Sorry.
Gutted.
But my glass will be half full come Wednesday.
I’ve met Martin Taylor on numerous occasions. When something is an accident, it implies that there was no genuine intent toward the outcome of the incident. Martin Taylor didn’t try to break Eduardo’s leg. Eduardo was too quick for him and the rest is history.
Shawcross was the same. He went to kick the ball.
You’ve been unlucky with injuries, granted. But there isn’t a vendetta against Arsenal by professional players or managers. Blues have had two leg breaks in the last five years – that’s football.
Anyway, this is all becoming a little bit too much about Birmingham and not enough about what matters.
Let’s get it in perspective. This afternoon was disappointing but not disastrous.
This league is far from over and this team is only going to get better. Football is binary – you’re team is always going one way or the other. Last sunday evening Chelsea’s whole struture was being called into question, now all of a sudden Ray Wilkins actually has a clue, do me a favour.
We got done today by a fluky goal. It hurts, but f*ck it. Let’s get back up and get on with it.
Why the fuck do other teams fans bang on about London and Cockneys; is it like they have the biggest chip on their shoulder that they do not live there??
Birmingham City, the new Blackburn Rovers!
the gaffer ain’t up too the task plain and simple, fergie going for 4 in a row having had too sell ronaldo let tevez go and coped with his fair share of injuries also and there’s a team of pensioners across the river, both have spanked us good and proper and are rightly fighting it out for the premiership. THANK YOU GEORGE GRAHEM FOR LEAVING A TEAM OF MEN BEHIND YOU WHEN YOU WERE PREMATURELY OUSTED
Willcbcfc,
Too many accidents. Sorry… don’t believe it.
Everybody knows the tactics against arsenal – “They don’t like it up them” – “Let’s get in their faces”.
You don’t hear this applied to any other team in the premiership.
I don’t think anyone ever suggested that either Taylor or Shawcross were deliberately attempting to break another pro’s leg, but when you make reckless/dangerous challenges that only require a slip in timing or positioning and you are going to hurt someone badly. There was no need for either of those challenges to be made in that way and better defenders would not do that!
Will. Before you make yourself look really silly with comments like that, look up the legal definition of the word Reckless. Pay attention to the meaning given when dealing with assaults. You will find it tucked away under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. You might actually get it then……..
@Muppet – Gardner’s Fabregas challenge wasn’t anywhere near the category of a leg breaker. You’re starting to clutch at straws there!
‘You add nothing to the premiership and you will fade into mid table obscurity. Sorry.’
I would’ve wished you all the best, but I didn’t realise Arsenal fans shared the same characteristics as your pig headed manager!!!
……..
ANYWAY, I don’t want to get embroiled in those sort of debates. They’re meaningless. Chelsea and Man Utd seem to cope with the rest of the Premier League’s physicalities. Last time I checked, over the last five years they’ve been doing pretty well.
Maybe it’s your side that needs to evolve a bit.
It was a good game today and I, for one, enjoyed it.
One last thing – SteveT. I’m a referee myself. I know the term ‘reckless’.
I also understand the meaning of the word ‘unfortunate’.
Arsenal need to man up a bit. Until then, you’ll always be easy to play against.
Look at it that way, Gooners!
Then let’s leave it at that Will, eh? I’m looking forward to watching Barcelona at the Grove on Wednesday. The next game is all that matters now.
Yeah, good debate.
I will be rooting for you against Barca!
“Arsenal need to man up a bit”
Now I understand why Eduardo’s name got booed today by the same group of fans that watched him get decapitated a couple of years ago.
You are only wasting time digging it with a brum fan here….you should be able to imagine what a brum fan will say with the kind of football they play..physical leg breaking contact sport rubbish…i can bet you wil never hear a barca fan talk the way hes been talk..til d day your pink head coach go home with broken legs after a trainning session…mayb you will learn about physical and fair tackles in football..sweep d brum off here
Barca, gentlemen?
Do we play Song at the back if Cesc is knacked?
I dont normally get involved in forum sledging, seems a little purile to be honest, but the notion spouted by this will fella, that Arsenal need to ‘man up’.. perfectly captures the caveman mentality that has laid waste to football in this country for the past 50 years.
How exactly should arsenal ‘man up’.., maybe ramsey could climb to his feet and use the part of his leg that is hanging to curl in a free kick to diaby’s head for a winner. Or perhaps edu could cellotape his shattered tibia back together and dribble past 3 players before calmly slotting the ball past a despairing keeper.
Arsenal need to man up?, or perhaps teams in this country need to spend more time honing their skills and technique so that they don’t have to rely upon organised thuggery and intimidation to defeat superior opponents.
And every four years people scratch their head and wonder why england are discected and dumped out of the world cup. Unbelievable.
As for today’s game. Brum harried us but tired after 70 mins. The game was in the bag, a freak equaliser. Pissed off, but it happens. If we can take maximum points from the remainder, i still think we’ll be champions.
As for barca, i’m sticking my neck out and going for a 2-1 victory.
That Man U v Chelsea game can’t come soon enough. It’s out of our hands now, I think we need a minor miracle, maybe a 0-0 draw between the two of them. All we can do is win the rest of our games. Still looking forward to Barca game, just hope the lads aren’t as disappointed as we are and carry that into the game.
If I wanted to read what a birmingham fan thinks about Arsenal.. actually it’s irrelevant, I just don’t.
Good match report except for absolute nonsense on Almunia who almost made a point blank save after some poor defending in front of him…….
Watch it again!!!!
Diaby Superb
Webb cr*p
Excellent post j
Here’s something to take your mind off the game for a bit: a brilliant article on Arsene Wenger:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/arsene-wenger-am-i-too-intelligent-to-be-a-football-manager-you-can-never-be-intelligent-enough-1919257.html
Someone posted it on the arses a little while back, but I think it deserves more mention than that.
Just watched the highlights (West Midlands version I think) on Sky. Didn’t see the two ‘soft’ yellow cards dished out to us – they weren’t highlights I guess. Also, while Gardner does get a piece of Fabregas in the first half, he also seems to get the ball too, so not sure we can have any complaint about that. Birmingham did have their fair share of chances and maybe a draw was a fair result. Just a bit crap that at 90 mins, we didn’t have the wherewithal to kill the game and be ‘professional’ with the remaining minutes. It is what other teams always do against us.
Just unlucky on the day? Probably.
About the offside I think the Birmingham player was not interfering so not offside. BUT on the other side of the field a Cesc free kick was headed in a corner and the linesman raised his flag for offside from Bendtner, who was in an offside position, some 4 meters away from the heading player and this time the ref gave offside and not a corner for Arsenal.
Coincidence ????? No this is the FA plot from 2 seasons ago all over.
TV send off last week and this week 2 clear fouls and penalty’s and no player send off ????
Coincidence ???? I don’t believe in fairy tales for a long time.
Snail,
on the tackle on Cesc and I am a ref and I think a know a bit about the rules. Gardner gets the ball with his right foot and then he kicks Cesc with his left foot.
So he kicks a player after the ball has been played away and this is a foul. It was a mean foul aswell as he had played the ball and so he had no reason to carry on with his other foot and kick a player at knee height.
Thanks for the clarification walter. It’s been a long day and I am tired.
Don’t forget you lose an hour tonight, Snail 😉
I think Will is a ref as poor as Webb is in fact. 😉
And he said:
“You can sit in your little cockney bubble and recall of your memories of playing football as a youngster with the women’s institute all you like – but to the rest of Britain, football is a CONTACT SPORT.”
As a collegue I would like to advice you to read the rule book but is not as simple as “football is contact sport”. If it would be as simple as that than you could kick the shit of the opposition and win the game.
But no, not all contact is allowed and it is one of the fifa instructions to protect the health and well being off the players.
One of the most important things as a ref is to protect the skillfull players. I really would advice you to read the instructions we get over here, yes in another country, from fifa.
And according to Fifa the instructions and the rules are the same for everyone and everywhere.
So what you, even as a ref, think in Britain doesn’t matter. It is what Fifa tells that is the thing that matters.
Just try to think why o why England has won shit the last 50 years and this for a country that has the best league in the world ? Because of the fact that the rules in World Cups are the rules the refs in the EPL should go for and not that ‘as long as their leg is nog hanging off, it is oke for me’.
If a player makes a frontal tackle with 2 feet and the other player manages to get out of the way by jumping up, the most of the refs in the EPL don’t give a foul and according to the Fifa instructions this is ALWAYS a foul, if you make contact with the ball or not.
Not too sure about that title `Holic, I think it was a pretty fair result in all honesty. We missed some clear-cut opportunities and got saved by the post twice in as many games so it’s not like we can complain too loud. Birmingham have an excellent home record and they showed why today as they were really efficient in making us stutter. I don’t find any shame in drawing there, the lads did well and we’d be happy with the result if it had happened earlier in the season. If anything we should not have put ourselves in a position to need 13 consecutive wins.
Birmingham were physical but they were nothing like Hull and such. We can’t always blame the opposition for mistimed tackles when we are the quickest team in the league.
And welcome to Big Dave! It’s not that often that we get a new contributor of his caliber when we hit a bump on the road.
‘pig headed manager’ – no need to get personal William eh?
So you’re a ref? I’ll wager that this summers world cup will be officiated in a continental way. I’ll explain. The directive to your union won’t be ‘ref it like the Premiership – you know good old fashioned robust tackling. Let em know you’re there. Play lots of advantage’.
Oh no William. Now if that’s the case, what does that tell you? Remember, this is the World Cup. I’ll tell you what it tells me. It tells me we are a little primative in our approach to ‘physical’ contact in this country and perhaps it’s you that needs to evaluate some of your ways ESP as you are a ref. God forbid you should officiate any game my son plays in as he is only 10. Young players look to refs as they develop to know what is permitted.
Being quick to the ball isn’t a crime William, but you sure make it sound like it is. Shame your pal Mr Taylor was too slow. Remind me – where does he ply his trade now?
What is ever going to change in the “physicality” issue to even things up a bit for us.
Just finished watching Football First and as has already been noted in the Drinks, we had a succession of (over)”robust” Birmingham challenges which went uncautioned, followed by first-offence-yellow-cards for Arsenal.
Denilson is then described by the commentator and his snide-kick as ‘very fortunate to get away with a very late challenge’. Maybe my rose-tinteds are getting the better of me, but to me he didn’t seem to do much more than decline to jump out of the way of the Brum player.
Bowyer then lanches himself at Walcott in a typical ‘man first, ball’s a bonus lunge’ which is instantly excused as ‘nothing malicious, just mis-
timed’.
How will we ever rid ourselves of the ‘don’t like it up ’em tag’, when i’ve yet to see a referee who will allow us to stand up for ourselves?
Why do refs dislike us SO much when we foul less and dissent to decisions less than any other team?
We practically have to win every sodding game twice.
Brilliantly encapsulated history of life on the old North Bank ‘Holic.
AFC1974, that is what I mean.
I see every week tackles in the EPL that the ref don’t give a foul and that in other country’s is foul + red card.
And the rules are the same in the whole world and in a world cup you pay the bill for the bad refs there are in the EPL.
The best solution would be to get refs from other country’s to do the games in the EPL. That decision would help the English team more in the world cup than lets us say making Mourinhou the English manager 😉
Quite agree Walter. A ref exchange directive would be a start. Makes you laugh when you realise we are better protected in the CL!
As has been stated, Gardner knows he will win the ball and does so, but he also makes sure that his other leg comes round and catches Fab4 just below the knee, when physically there was no need for him to do so. Dirty cunt!
There’s a lot of drinks today! Anyone care to pass me a lager?
As for the discussion about playing Song in the back four against Barca, isn’t Vermaelen eligible? It has to be Sol and the Verminator doesn’t it??
Unless Sol is on meat-pie leave, saving himself for Wolves.
I think, if anything, I’d prefer Sol to bust a nut against Barca and use Sylvester against Wolves… though his omission from today’s squad has me wondering if that could happen.
Of course, if Song is moved back up the pitch, Denilson would be relegated to the bench… How will that affect his form?
Very interested as to how we’ll line up on Wednesday.
Oh, and as per my original (first drink of the day) post, my mission is complete.
The frustration has passed.
I have only seen MOTD. Football First will be second.????? We can talk about the physical side and shit refs all we like, but we also need to look at ourselves. How many saves did Hart have to make? Was he man of the match? Did we give away a comedy goal in injury time? It is time for players to stand up and be counted.
We have problems at times with a cutting edge. For various reasons, this season our strikers have not produced enough. RVP was on fire before he was injured. The other stats make for dismal reading. Eddie, Theo, Carlos and Nic have a total of 9 league goals between them. That’s just not good enough. That fact is accentuated even more when you realise that Tommy V has 7.
We have played some wonderful stuff this season and will continue to do so. I just feel that at times we just lack that bit of class where it really matters.
Right, Barca time. How can you not get excited about that? What is Russian for ” it’s that onion bag thing attached to those white posts.”
Steve T. Still keeping the faith. Bring it on…….
A day of doom,
oh what can lift the gloom?
Emmanuel and Andrei
playing so very gay
Manuel*
How does one “play so very gay?”
Now, there’s something to ponder.
Laureate-like MH, very uplifting!
One thing is obvious-the average opposition fan does not care about the rules or fair play, the beautiful game. They simply don’t care about kicking the skill out of the game or playing a blatantly negative game at home with 6 men in your own box and the rest running around kicking anything that moves in midfield. They will swear blind it is a mans game and after all they pay good money to enjoy watching us being kicked off the park by people like Lee Bowyer. ALL they care about is getting a result.
The kindest thing you could say about the officials running the EPL is they are ineffectual-Why are our best referees and linesmen so consistently bad at officiating fairly? What stood out in this game? -a blatantly offside equalising goal and the disproportionate treatment of foul play in favour of the home team, Why was Song given a yellow card for a first minor mistimed tackle? Fabregas was kicked out of it. It has to be said that the hand of Ferguson was all over the way Birmingham were set up and performed. It works-with the help of the referee and a below par performance from us-it works.
The fact is referees don’t have to worry about even handedness-as long as they ensure United win the league and they don’t upset Sir Alex- Ferguson- the bully effectively in charge of English football.
Everything Benitez says about bully boy Ferguson is true-then some more.
It was job done Sir Alex.
Quick one before going to bed. Regular readers know that I love these boys to bits. So I’m not trying to slag them off in a big way here. But we winand lose as a team and missing an almost open goal must be seen in the same way as not saving the shot Almunia didnt today. One goal for or obe goal against, it’s all just maths and all counts the same. I’ve been screaming at Almunia a few times this season but today it was just one of those days for him. As we said about Bendts (Whom I really do rate, especially in the long rub) a few weeks ago. You will always do a small mistake on the odd ball in every game as a goalie but thats why you have 10 (yes ten) outfield players plus subs to score more thanthr opposition for.
I wouldnt mind a new number one, in the future, but Ill not let anybody out the blame just on Almunia for this game. We could have scored one more and we should have scored one more.
Not our best game. Not the refs best game. We deserved half a goal more but a draw is what you get when you play a half-decent team, away, with the ref in this kind of mood, and when you don’t go that extra inch to get that second goal. We win and lose as a team.
Having that said, bring on Barca! Thats the games we deserve to play! Up the Arse and (yes, I really mean it) keep the faith. Football is a game where the best team not always wins, remember the invincibles drew quite a lot and them we remember as some gods through a haze of nostalgia. We’re still on a quite a long unbeaten run and until football is played by robots, and the results are calculated by maths only we can not, never will, win every single game.
Sorry for the spelling. Was writing on the phone…
Wow, just read my post and it really is, well, untidy. I blame the phone, the loss and the Rioja. Perhaps not in that order…
Hope my message got through
Hoilc, INEPT WEBB?
I hope and think you are being sarcatic here right?
This Webb macho Police force fair individual is a complete toss pot!
Gave us two yellows and then after a an hour of play he booked same players who comitted fouls time again and again to me he knew what he was doing!
Can UFEA pleaese strip him off International duty please!
BOWYER DIDNT GET BOOKED WHEN TACKLED WALCOTT WHAT THE FUCK?
And Clichy got in the book for not even touching the player…
Seems like they put a game against us is what most of you said on here….
I’m sorry they didn’t exis in the secons half and Sir Webb made sure of that
CORRUPT FA AND THE REST OF THEM !!!
Almunia did fuck up amd hey he should take the blame however seeing those twats celebrating their goal was like a greatest thing in their life.
Just goes to show what sort of Hoofer Woofer bunch players they have hoof and woof….don’t forget to foul on your way and make sure you make it look as if the other team has fouled.
Spineless team and club ….enough said!
PS. Almost forgot….
WEBB YOU’RE A WASTE OF OXYGEN… PEOPLE LIKE YOU SHOULD STICK TO POLICING BEACUSE YOU OBVIOUSLY DONT KNOW FROM BAD OR GOOD
Jesus if they would come with a 45mm then he would get involved!
@Toby: no problem, your optimistic message was readable.
Almunia is as good as gone unless he performs miracles that will result in some silverware. The signs of his demise have been showing for a while since even before Vito Mannone was used for a few games. He has been lucky that Fabianski was injured for the first half of the season and had a massive blunder against Porto otherwise he would have experienced the Lehmann treatment. It’s really a shame that he went on the wane just in the season when we needed him to be at his best because he used to be a decent consistent keeper when he took over from Lehmann up to sometime last season
Anyway he will be good enough Wednesday and that’s all that matters, fingers crossed…
Hello, first time poster here. I am a ST holder at St Andrews as well as being a big Arsenal fan which stemmed from far too many years in the wilderness and finally deciding that the only way I was ever going to see top flight football and European games was to adopt a second club…….hence my dozen or so trips to the capital every season for the last 12 years or so. I make no bones about it, it was a “glory” move in an attempt to see some quality, but believe me when I say, I am as heartfelt and vocal in my support as any Gooner on any day……..except for the twice yearly match-up with the team I was born to support (born in sight of the ground!)
I appreciate my views will not be welcome here and my support most likely will be mocked, but it really is a shame that Wenger doesn’t have an ounce of class when it comes to sportsmanship.
I have watched how teams bully Arsenal and play well outside the boundaries of what is fair, but I do not think for one minute that Taylor ever meant to do any harm to Eduardo…….yet Arsene decides to do a three page spread in the nations biggest rag and virtually do Mcleish’s job for him. All he had to do was pin it up in the dressing room, his teamtalk done for him. Today was the one day I’d of gladly seen Blues lose as the thought of Manure or Chelski winning the title is sickening…….I just think it was a bad time to drag something like the Eduardo incident up, he should of been playing it down instead. And as for some of the comments on here, I suppose they are from fans as blinded as Wenger…..William Gallas’s challenge on Mark Davies in January was one of the worst for this and many seasons, one Wenger was quick to apologise for, however as there were no broken bones the fans, the media and the clubs quickly move on. It wasn’t Williams first x-rated tackle and I doubt it will be his last, yet we don’t see him as dirty, robust, over physical do we?? Hmmm, maybe peolple in glass houses etc,etc.
Anyhow, I agree with earlier comments that Diaby was immense and was also a tad disapointed with Theo. Theo ran Ridgewell ragged at the Emirates, yet made very little attempt to do the same today, he really needs to find some consistency in his play, and let’s just hope that Fabregas’s quiet game will see him turn it on against Barcelona. The less said of Almunia the better!!
@ BrummieGooner
You have just wasted an hour of your life. Your last 5 lines actually talk about the game and make valid points. The rest???? You have just wasted an hour that the good Lord had bestowed upon you. .Think wisely old chap. Thou does not want to join the ranks of those other Oxygen thiefs.
Support your team fella. Don’t jump on our coat tails.
Groundhog season. Same crap every year.
Man utd or Chelsea wouldnt waste their throw ins & Goal kicks..during the last 5mts of a game when defending a slender lead…by gifting it straight back to the opposition, would ????????
when that was happening -from 85-90mts – that reduced my frustration after conceding the goal – AS I WAS EXPECTING US TO CONCEDE AND IT HAPPENED !!! Thanks Sagna and Almunia for sending out those warning signs !!!
Man utd or Chelsea wouldnt waste their throw ins & Goal kicks..during the last 5mts of a game when defending a slender lead…by gifting it straight back to the opposition, would they ????????
when that was happening -from 85-90mts – that reduced my frustration after conceding the goal – AS I WAS EXPECTING US TO CONCEDE AND IT HAPPENED !!! Thanks Sagna and Almunia for sending out those warning signs !!!
Wow, it was just too hard to get a good night sleep tonight, only thinking of what will happen with UTD’s game with Chelsea and city and stuff like that…
I refuse to give up cause I’m sure next week will bring it back as it was before that draw – the only difference is that we’ll have 5 games left.
Guys, I’m taking the flight for the Barca and Wolves games, but have no tickets for the Wolves game, do you know where I can find some?
1. The pitch was crap. Cannot believe that teams are allowed to get away with such pitches but look at Wembley and maybe that explains a lot.
2. McLeish’s interview before the match about AW’s mind games essentially struck gold. They kicked us without impunity and we suffered. I hate the sight of that smirk on McLeish’s face. As an aside, for once, I’d like someone to kick the crap out of United’s players, try and take out Rooney and see the kind of reaction and press Fergie would get. Big Sam, you have an opportunity here.
3. Someone needs to give AA a kick on his behind. Maybe that will get him to put in the effort and the application to match the obvious talent. He’s been a disappointment this season after the promise of the last.
Bitterly disappointed in the cold light of the morning but still hopeful. We need a reaction at the Emirates. Screw Messi and company – if Rubin Kazaksthan can beat Barca why not us?
Question, will coming second be taken as an achievement considering the highest we have been – post 05 is third?
I definitely would.
And in CL, if we are going to go out – I rather we go out to Barca , than to Mourinho or Ferguson!
Certain things stood out from the game:
1. If we have to play only Bendtner as lone striker then god save us.
2. If Aluminia was our first choice keeper with joker like fabianski, then god save us.
3. Arshavin should now focus on football pitch more than his website. Should now let his goal scoring do the talking.
4. English Managers who claim, before the match, that they will “have a physical game” against us turn to “didnt have any agenda,” after the match are nothing more than wimps.
5. I have always believed that the best Insurance policy against fouls these days is to announce that “they will not let Arsenal play their beautiful passing game” other way of saying they will tackle us left right and centre
6. Yesterday the referee was very fair to Birmingham. He was seen counting and telling Blues players that nothing after 3rd foul from each foul. Discounting goalkeeper it meant they could commit 20 fouls before being booked. The same yardstick was not for us.
7. Song yellow card – first such foul of the game by Arsenal. Similar one by Carr went unpunished. Clichy – carded perhaps being in 5mtrs of the blues player running to our goal. There was daylight between clichy and blues player when clichy got yellow carded.
8. Nothing for challenges on Fabregas, Song (double legged from behind), continuous pull backs on Rosicky, Theo and the rest
9. Indians have always considered Britishers or English to be those believing in Fair Play and rule of the law. I believed too, but seeing the premier league, I have started doubting this.
coco the clown has to go-to think we could have got shay given for peanuts,it’s heart breaking-realistically he’s cost us the title bar a miracle!!!as for howard webb-i seriously think he’s got an agenda against us-but wenger too much of a gent to complain about having him officiate-he let brum away with murder…
Now I’ve seen it another twice, I know there is no reason to retract what I thought about Gardner’s tackle on Cesc in the first place. Yes he wins the ball with his lead leg, but the cowardly sly chop at the knee with the trailing leg is far from what Hansen should have been calling “a great tackle”.
Another disgraceful episode on MotD.
Brummie, “Theo ran Ridgewell ragged at the Emirates”
For the period up until the thug put him out of action again. Do you watch games, at all?
You can see Theo galloping past him here.
At least we have a game midweek to take our minds off yesterday. It would have been awful if we didn’t and were stewing all week. I don’t think we can blame individuals like Almunia. Our problem is the same: we simply don’t kill teams off quick enough. To be fair this kind of result had been coming for a while. I never thought we were going to win all of our remaining games, we were always going to drop points – and I’m sure Chelsea and United will too at unexpected places. I still believe that IF we win all our remaining games, we’ll win the league.
Think it’s about time we should have foreign refs in the premiership. Send the likes of Webb, Atkinson abroad to Italy, Spain or France to ref games on their own match days. You do wonder about a referees impartiality.
Though, Webb would of had no allegiance to any of the two teams playing yesterday, being from up North its still possible to influence the game so your favoured team gains an advantage. Whereas a foreign ref would be totally neutral.
Afternoon Holic & Holic`s
Its time to lay Birmingham to rest, we drew down to a goalkeeping mistake ( wow I have typed that a few times ) as Matt said the man is as good as gone but the best we have at this moment in time.
BARCA
Barca rested a few players last night only to have to bring them on to get the win ( excuse me if they didn’t win as I turned over and they were 1-0 up and cruising and I haven’t checked the final result ) sorry off point, The point is that Messi didn’t start the match but was fully fit as a few others were also left on the bench. It wasn’t Barca`s strongest side is what I am trying very badly to put across.
Why ? I hear you cry. They are worried about Arsenal that’s why. You do not leave your trump card on the bench against a very good Mallorca when Real Madrid are breathing down your neck. The big guns were brought on because they needed the win. If Barca were winning you can be sure Mr Messi wouldn’t have been brought on.
The team should take heart in this as it shows a lot of respect for the Arsenal. Barca haven’t travelled well in the CL this season which should also be a lift for the team. Arsene gets the lads to take one game at a time and when the players are interviewed you hear them say this all the time. So Birmingham PAST Barca FUTURE, the lads need to forget the last game and be fully focused in the game at hand.
The Emirates has been a fortress in the CL and with the fans dying to see the game of the season I could only imagine the atmosphere in the ground. ( I cant get a ticket so all you lucky lucky lucky fans lift the roof and let the boys know you BELIEVE )
The game itself will be a passing masterclass by the 2 best footballing teams on the planet. We have to be on our game from the first whistle, we will not be allowed to find our feet in the game so all systems go from the off. We need to play keep ball for the first 10 mins or so to stop Barca building any momentum. We do not need to find a killer pass in the opening seconds just let the team settle and ease a few nerves as this will be the biggest game of their lives for most. The only other team I can think of with such marauding wing backs as us is Barca. So the wingers Theo,Arshavin or Nasri or whoever the boss thinks best have I think one of the most important jobs of all. Their full backs must be pinned back and too scare to come forward, it will be a monumental task for them but a task I believe they can do.
Our midfield must always be on the move and deny them space, this wont be a game for jogging back. Denilson will have a massive job as I think Verm & Song will start at the back. Denilson will have to stretch them hamstrings in this game. Cesc will be the deciding factor in this game if we win or loose. If he pulls the strings as only he can we will cause them problems they have only had nightmares about with our movement and pace.
Bendtner has always been a very confident lad and that is what we need. I think the kid is ready to step up to the mark and lets not forget his very tender years. If the lads put in a 100% and do their best we cant ask any more.
I strongly believe we can win this I really really do. So to all you going to the game.
LIFT THE ROOF AS THIS IS THE ARSENAL !!!
My Head Hurts Badly 🙂 Ive got the hangover of the century and for that i blame copius amounts of anything and everything i threw down my neck last night to make the pain subside lol,
Disspaointed check Gutted check dejected check but still with a small glimmer of hope shinning through this hungover haze, When i done the run in i had us down for one draw and the rest victories the draw coming at the lane so this was a kick in the bollocks but dosent mean the end quite yet , Do i think we will win it no but there is still hope, And of course a massive game on wednesday night which could get this result right out of the sytsem,
Must put a word in for Diaby yesterday that was one of the best performances ive seen from an Arsenal midfielder away from home since the Days of paddy he was truly immense and was running that midfield on his own, He really is maturing into the player we all hoped he would become, Song Campbell and Nasri were also superb,
Negatives, Im afraid Al has cost us again and the sooner we can get a keeper that dosent cost us 5-10 points a season the better that mistake yesterday was as bad as ive seen from a supposed top class goal keeper it went against everything your taught from a young age with regards shot stopping, We are still badly in need of another top class striker as Wenger clearly dosent think Eduardo is yet up to speed and Bendnter although doing well will not score the required amount of goals on his own for a title winning side, Im pretty sure most new what was required in the last transfer window but yet again Wenger didnt act and we are paying for those mistakes, I just hope this close seson him and the club decide to really have a go at it and spend the required money on the 3-4 players that will make us a powerhouse,
Up The Arse,And as 71 says above lets give Barca a masterclass
The referees were blind or they were paid by Roman the cheski
Resign please, Almunia! I wrote to Arsenal 4 years ago regarding you as a rubbish. So please resign or Arsenal is not going to win anything for another season.By the way ,bring Fabianski along with you.FUCK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!
Not offside? I don’t understand how the blues player benitez can be cosidered as not interfering with play.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27819898@N08/4469157615/
Good to see minds beginning to turn to the Barca match, 1971. Which made me realise that I’d scribbled some thoughts down at the time of the draw (I was upside down on the other side of the planet at the time, blood had rushed to head). My memory, not good at the best of times is nuked when brain is inverted. Here they are now, ‘Holic. Better late than never? Or never than late in this case?
THOUGHTS ON BARCA DRAW
Antonio Gaudi is spinning in his crypt under the cathedral that bears his name. Pep Guardiola’s heart-burn has him reaching for the Pepcid AC. Thierry Henry has a dose of the runs and Alexander Hleb is counting his blessings that he’s “out of there”. The temperature in the Med is a full five degrees lower defying global warming.
The reason? Cesc the Catalan and his Young Guns are rolling into the Catalonian Capital for a shoot out at the Nou Camp Saloon. A bunch of the boys are already whooping it up in a nearby hole called Malamut.
Well, Abidal, Albidammed! The Young Guns don’t give a peseta that the Barca attack is Messy. Hey, Pedro, they’re gonna give your dial a good clean and leave it without a Marquez on it! They’re gonna Puyol here, there and everywhere till Toure doesn’t known whether he’s a YaYa, a Kolo or a GaGa. You won’t get a Milito peace and you’ll be feeling decidedly Pique by the time we’ve turned you Iniesta out, turned Dani to Alves and Alves back to Dani.
Xasee, Xavi, until you’ve donned your bolero, danced the Emirates tango and sambad with Denilson, your paso-double is a f*cked-up foruca of a foruca flamenco’d fandango, not worth a jota.
Don’t think that the introduction of a lttle bit of Eatern Europe is a gonna help you either! Bojan, Ibrahimovic and ChyGrynskiy may be good for a spelling bee, but that’s as much good as they’re ever likely to bee.
Travelling fans bring your Tinto and Rosada because your faces are gonna be Bianco when we send you back to your Cava all covered in mermelada!
Over two legs we’ll Rollada Barca right out of the Competito.
“Who Dares Wins, Rodney (you Plonker)” – Del Trotter, 1971.
The officials were abysmal, but they didn’t lose us the game. Almunia made a bad mistake, but he wasn’t the only one. The most frustrating thing for me was that at the end of the game, I couldn’t look at the scoreline and feel all that indignant. I never expected to go there and dominant, but I had hoped that when it was over, I would feel like we deserved three more than they deserved one. Obviously, you sometimes have to take the three even when you clearly deserve none, but still…of the disappointment I feel, that might be the worst part.
Regardless, the game’s over, and we are where we are. Now, it’s on us to stand behind Arsene and the boys. We control what we can control and hope that the two above us slip up, something by no means unprecedented this season. There’s still hope…and at the end of the day, we’re still the fucking Arsenal, and they can still go to hell.
BTM
I love reading your posts as they have never left me with anything else than a smile on or dark days. Keep posting i will keep reading.
Barkeep a drink for BTM please
Did anyone see MOTD last night? Hansen disgusted me- referring to the tackle that nobbled Fabregas as an excellent one- before showing pictures of him on the sidelines getting treatment, and congratulating the defender, and then showing how Fabregas was suffering again, before saying that it showed that the tackle worked.
I mean, that’s disgraceful.
@5 – I saw what you did there, ‘Holic (smile).
Right with you on Rosicky who, before the game, I’d hoped would play.
Regrettably, I felt that Theo never really drifted in before he drifted out. The boy has talent. Of that there is no doubt. I think he just needs to take the courage of his convictions in both feet and really show the world what he can do. That can’t come quickly enough for me. Until he does, I feel we play with ten and a half men when he starts a game.
Benitez isn’t offside as he’s deemed to be inactive when the ball is played – therefore if Sagna doesn’t attempt the clearance the ball goes to him and he’s flagged offside.
Bizarre ! By playing the ball we are penalised – it’s so ridiculous you can’t make it up.
All this is of course irrelevant if the keeper simply catches the ball as per his job description.
Bit of a Bummer.
My low powered life has me in a “high powered” meeting in Houston at 1.45pm Central Time on Wednesday, slap bang boom on top of kick-off time against Barca.
I’m with a bunch of Dallas Cowboys (in every sense of the words). The likelihood of getting them to reconvene in a local sports bar is NOT high. I don’t think they’ll welcome Slingbox to the meeting. What to do?
Looks like it will be Her Nellieness to the rescue and a re-run on tape around 3.00am London time. Holic, please keep your twittering to yourself. I don’t want to know the result (or even who our scorers were – you can tell me theirs, ’cause they won’t score).
One good thing is that we don’t have to worry about our captain:
“We don’t need to talk about my future,” Fabregas told the Daily Star Sunday. “I don’t understand all the rumours about me.
“I’ve always said that I’m happy at Arsenal. I can say a thousand times that I won’t go to a Spanish club, but nobody believes me.
“Arsenal is my home and I don’t have any plans to leave.”
BtM: Big bummer indeed. Hope we won’t have to hold it against you.
For the Brum game, while others blame Almunia, I blame Steve T. He jinxed us. Had he botthered to watch the game they would ever have equalised…
Back home. No ‘sour grapes’, ‘holic. Howard Webb was, once more, abysmal and inconsistent in the way he dealt totally differently with both teams.
the fact that he also blew his whistle very late for a somehow still mysterious reason when he realised that Diaby was about to score was another one of his hallucinating decisions.
Excuse me for not following you on twitter (well I am not using twitter ;)), and I’ll have some very nice rehydrating non-alcoholic drink of your choice tonights.
thank you again for the evening updates too!
Cheers Mr. 1971! As usual, you’ve got the right spirit and attitude, at least for my likes. I wholeheartedly agree with your analysis and sentiment about Barca- we may not win, but we certainly can and should feel absolutely confident of that.
‘Holic, I’m glad you later mentioned the Diaby goal, because Webb’s robbery was exasperating. Based on the timing of the whistle and the placement of the ball for the free kick, it seemed clear that call was not against Cesc but against Diaby shielding the ball THAT WAS AT HIS FEET from a defender who flung himself at all costs to stop the inevitable and fell over in the attempt. Unbelievable ref’ing, although apparently not as we’ve become quite used to this sort of thing. I hate to be one of those ‘oh the Arsenal are so mistreated’ lot, but fucking hell, it’s hard not to feel that way when you see the decision coming our way week in and week out, and compare them to the decisions (cards, penalties, etc.) given to Chelsea and Man U.
True, the game should have been killed several other times and not left to Webb and Almunia (god, I’m actually starting to feel sorry for him- he can’t TRY to be making so many crucial mistakes, but it’s fucking painful for all of us…) to decide for us.
Let’s show the world what we’re made of Wednesday!!!! (Taylor and Shawcross have already showed what they are…)
Cheers Matt. Just as I was strating to get over it???? Still, I will take in on the chin and make sure I am in place good and early on Wednesday night so there is not a repeat performance.
Keep the faith.
Also, @ Sajit 109:
In the grand scheme of things, I would have to agree with you that it would be a real achievement. That’s a bit hard to swallow with both titles potentially still there for the taking, but second is a hell of a lot more than anyone predicted last august, let alone the absolutely stunning amount of injuries we have sustained this season- I’d have to count 2nd an incredible victory for us.
On the other hand, I have a bit of ‘fuck that we can win!’ attitude still coursing through me, which I hope to keep up til May.
@Matt: I pray you are correct that Almunia is gone next year. But I’m not totally convinced that Wenger is totally convinced.
2nd day after a disappointing game is always easier to write than the first day, but I don’t want to write much. That’s why I admire ‘Holic for writing so soon after every game, not just after happy results. Every day is still a great day to be a Gooner, and I’ll back them to the hilt against Barca, against Wolves, and everybody else. Our season is definitely not over yet!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oOHhDXlGJQ
It’s time tae come oot o’ the closet.
In days gone down I was a dark blue. I was nine when this video was shot, living in Fife and traveling to Dundee to see the greatest team on the planet strut their stuff.
If you watch carefully you’ll see Arsenal old boy Ian Ure make a cameo appearance (No 5). But the man who used to make us sing in these days was Gillie. I was judged “too wee to go to the final game, fir there’s gonna be an awfy big crowd, so there is, and when Gillie scores ye micht get trampled”
You’ve just got to love the Dundee dialect – right? “Eh dinna ken why i evir left”. Hot bacon baps! Where did all of these years go?
For me, this is as emotive as the night video at the Emirates that the gaffer posted a few weeks back. I hope you Holics can enjoy it too. Maybe we’ll have a final Saturday to match in may?
BtM, that’s priceless film and dialect. So glad you came oot o’ the closet!
Hi guys, can anyone help please?
Does anyone know where I can get tickets to the Wolves game? I’m taking a flight to London for the Barca and Wolves game and have no tickets for Wolves game. Can anyone help?
If anyone can help Snir you can leave a message at gooner(at)goonerholic(dot)com and I will forward it.
BTM – Gillie played for the Spuds. Keep your dirty thoughts off this board. 😉
PS – looks like Dundee’s bottle has crashed. Hope this is where the similarity ends.
‘Holic, get a link on your website for your Twitter account. I can’t find you by searching TheGoonerholic on Twitter?
Terribly frustrating for you lot – plenty of chances to kill us off but you didn’t take them – but I can’t see what good comes of Wenger losing his rag afterwards. We don’t shy away from the physical side but it wasn’t a dirty game, and let’s not forget that the single worst challenge of the afternoon was Clichy on Gardner. The more Arsene moans the more encouragement it gives teams to employ just the sort of tactics that unsettle Arsenal. Everybody knows they don’t like it up ’em because their manager admits it. How does he expect other teams to approach the game?
I may just be reiterating what has already been said (I haven’t got the time to read all 140+ posts right now), but I just have to get a few things off my chest in regards to Saturday…
Unbelievably bad goalkeeping by Almunia. Yes, I know, as others have pointed out it should have been flagged off because Benitez moved towards the ball and clearly intended to play it (there was an almost identical situation at the other end where Bendtner was flagged offside despite being much further away from the ball than Benitez was). But I am not going to blame the ref, offside or not you can’t have a keeper who makes such howlers with such regularity.
But it doesn’t end there.
Why oh why didn’t Nasri just blast the ball into the fucking net instead of trying to pass it to Arsjavin when one on one with Hart?
And what’s up with Arsjavin and sitters? Bendtner served him the ball on a plate to just roll into the net but noooo, another crap finish. One can only imagine the uproar had it been Bendtner.
OK. Next game, please.
alright goonerholic,
Glad to see you’re still firmly ensconced in cloud cuckoo land together with your manager, and glad to see you still remember us on Small Heath Alliance
I’m not sure what Wenger’s problem is about having some dignity or grace when you don’t win but he seems incapable of it. Mind you his lack of dignity prior to the game meant that he was always going to get a warm reception from us ‘noses.
I notice you didnt mention that we missed the most glaring chance of the game when Dann managed to put the ball over the bar from a yard out, nor to mention that the worst foul of the match was commited by an arsenal player when diaby (i think) scissored gardner around the waist, but I’m glad to see that you still dont understand the rules of football with regards to fouls. Gardner’s tackle on Fabregas was a superb tackle, tough but fair. I’m sure old school gooners like Adams, Winterburn, and even Vieira wold have been proud of it. I kind of hoped you’d not go gobbing off about the tackle before you’d had chance to watch it again (you did a similar thing over Martin Taylor) but obviously you suffer from the same foot in mouth disease that your manager does.
Oh well, I look forward to next season’s visit with glee
“Let’s all do the Wenger”
sour grapes or not, holic, you’re spot-on re Coward Webb!
The minute I heard Coward Webb was officiating, my heart sank. I never ever expect a fair game from him for any of our games. The thought honestly went thru my head “dear god, this has to be a conspiracy!” Our most difficult fixture in this current run for the title, a game with such emotional significance and they put Coward Webb into it! Thank you, FA!
That said, I already had low expectations of the game – both Chelsea and Utd have dropped points at St. Andrews, I didn’t think we could do much better. I honestly expected a draw. But to see how we conceded the goal made it all the worse. I don’t blame Almunia entirely – the failure to be clinical in front of goal (with several easy chances) is even more blameworthy. That said, I’ve never understood how a world class manager like AW could ever believe Almunia is good enuf to be the Arsenal #1 on a permanent basis. Almunia’s a decent keeper, no more no less.
I suppose dreaming of a perfect win record until the end of the season with injuries mounting and tough CL games coming up, PLUS a difficult away fixture like Bham, PLUS hoping for both Chelsea and Utd to falter was too much to ask. Still, we have to keep fighting. My concern right now is for Almunia’s mental state–the fans can’t show him that they blame him entirely for messing up our league title chase, we need him right now at his best confidence-wise.
On the bright side, Xavi and Iniesta look like they’ll both be out on Wednesday. I watched Barca against 4th place Mallorca on Saturday (an away game for Barca). Messi didn’t play in the 1st half but he had to be brought on in the 2nd because Barca were really struggling. They managed to win it 1-0.
Birmingham will be lucky to finish top half.
Oh, and it’s too bad that Nasri’s wonderful goal (just like Theo’s 2 great goals in 08) is getting sidelined by the media and gooners alike.
Haven’t read the entire thread yet but has anyone mentioned THE PERPETUAL DIVING BY THE B’HAM PLAYERS?????????? You know, those tough manly northerners!
143A_n_E and JohnBCFC, did you two actually WATCH Arsene’s press conference after the game or are you just going by lazy press reports written by reporters who are ALWAYS going after “Wenger rages!” headlines?
One reporter kept badgering him about whether or not Cesc was out for Wednesday’s game v. Barca — Arsene kept saying he didn’t know, the reporter wasn’t satisfied with that, he kept asking, Arsene lost patience and said for the umpteenth time that he didn’t know, how much clearer could he make it? The idiot reporter said it wasn’t clear so Arsene said he didn’t know how much clearer he could make it!
Then the reporters kept asking him about how he felt about the tackle on Cesc, clearly wanting him to come out condemning the tackle — they clearly wanted more headlines about Wenger “blasts bad tackle!” Arsene lost patience and said they were constantly looking to make controversies after everything he says, he spent far more time criticizing the press than speaking at all about your little club.
Indeed.
The press in this shitty country make me sick, and I’m fucking English.
God how pathetic must it be to follow a shitty team like Birmingham City when all they can find time to do is troll on an Arsenal blog following a game that they didn’t even win.
Fecking no-marks – launch the lot of them ‘Holic.
What iSnail said. Except the ‘English’ bit 😉
Birmingham City have conceded the fewest fouls in the league this season, to label us as a ‘hard’ team is ridiculous.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rankings/4949054/Premier-League-Statistics.html
I know that you think that there is a conspiracy to deny you the league title (again) and to cripple all of your players, but do you really think that there is also a conspiracy in favour of us, and if you do could you come up with a plausible motive for it?
OK, Coward Webb wasn’t very good in our game on Saturday, but I’m watching City v Wigan and Carlos Tevez just tried to stamp (but missed) with both feet on Gary Caldwells leg when Caldwell came sliding into a tackle. What does Stuart Atwell do? He brings out the red card – for Caldwell!
Zico
They obviously have got nothing else better to do! The follow a club who plays no style of football what so ever. They hoof the ball and hope for the best and foul with it on the sly!! To those two you could never have a manager like Wenger too much of that english talent at St. Andrews ha ha!
Let them come and here and write their bollocks who cares anyway. They think we will get upset and that is exactly what they are looking for.
Enjoy your mid table season Brummies that is all you are gonna get!
I like your name 152 🙂
Can someone explain why the silly voiced *unts at the opposite end to us were dancing like chimps?
Arthur and Zico, glad to see unlike the Murphys you are bitter.
I love the way you seem to think we ‘hoofed’ the ball. In fact we only ‘hoofed’ it because you have an aging centre half whose turning circle is larger than that of a oil tanker and our centre forward could turn and out pace him. For long periods of the first half we simply passed the ball around quite nicely thank you. Hence your 2 players getting booked for cynical fouls due to frustration.
And as for our mid table season, that will do me just fine thanks. It far out weighs our pre-season expectations as a newly promoted team.
Now how has your season gone in terms of your pre-season expectations? I guess watching chelski and manure fight it out for the title was high on your list of ‘must do’s was it?
oh and here is a more balanced report that you might like (tongue placed firmly in cheek):
http://www.birminghamcity-mad.co.uk/rprt/mtch/blues_1_arsenal_1__rons_report_511899/index.shtml
Dude a report from a brummie? Bitter not for you my son!
To add to your insane thinking we were written off at the begining of the season, weren’t Citeh suppose take our spot? Arsenal to finish 6th? Please you sound like one of those deluded pundits!
I’ve no idea what people were saying about arsenal at the start of the season, believe it or not i was more interested in the likes of hull and burnley and avoiding relegation.
anyway here’s to renewing our rivalry next season and let’s hope we are talking about the football between our teams and not your manager’s pathetic rantings about tackles, the pitch, the ref, or any other injustice he perceives to have taken place.
good luck against barca
http://www.smallheathalliance.com/file.php/1/424/veng2.jpg