Right, Who Wants It!
Mar 5th, 2010 by 'holic
A few weeks back I did a deal with the management that meant I would go to the Sunderland home game and not Burnley. How mad am I now? Hopping, is the word. Hopping. Who would have expected the visit of the clarets to provide the potential for the most atmospheric home game of the season to date?
Red Action and Arseblog have moved quickly to get impressive ‘Aaron’ banners produced, and at the end of an astonishing week the differences between Arsenal supporters will take a back seat as the Gooners unite behind a side who could be ten games from an unexpected and remarkable triumph.
A game that might have been another relatively quiet afternoon at the Grove now promises to be a demonstration of Gooner unity in the face of appalling media misreporting of the assault by Ryan Shawcross on Aaron Ramsey last weekend. Nothing fills one with a more bullish spirit than a perceived injustice.
It would be wrong to claim that ‘no-one likes us’. Many of those who have offered their ‘professional’ support to the butcher of the Britannia will tell you they love watching us play at our best. There is no doubt though that those who have allegiances elsewhere also love seeing the triumph of the beast over beauty, and are not slow to express their opinion. The difference between intent and recklessness has been done to death this week, so I don’t need to explain it yet again.
Still, enough of Pulis Dickus and his anti-football, it is time to concentrate on Burnley. In the past I have made no secret of the fact that I have a soft spot for them. They were a top flight side when I was a mere pup, and offered a serious challenge to the only decent side that the shambles up the road ever produced in the early sixties.
Leon Cort may live to regret his aggressive pre-match assertions, however innocently made. The one thing that neither side can afford tomorrow is a seemingly reckless challenge that results in a serious injury. Nobody would deny Burnley the right to defend physically but fairly, and in this of all weeks nobody could argue if Arsenal are prepared to match the opponents tackle for tackle, nudge for nudge, and trip for trip.
My experience of these occasions is that actually it will end up being a relatively tame affair. Both sets of players will be aware of their responsibilities. In particular I recall being at a European Fairs Cup tie against Lazio in 1970, following a street brawl when the Italians attacked the visitors after a post-match dinner in Rome. The second leg was built up as a grudge match, but everybody involved knew that best behaviour was the order of the night, and Arsenal triumphed 2-0 with some ease.
It is a dangerous assumption, but tomorrow could see something similar. The Burnley lads will not have felt the raw emotion that will pour out of nearly sixty thousand energised Gooners. They will be aware that the cameras will zoom in on every fifty-fifty challenge.
It won’t just be the fans who are pulling for Aaron. I am convinced that this group of players are determined to put on a show for the Welsh lad over the closing ten games, and they will now certainly enjoy massive backing as long as they can keep this run going.
Regulars will know that the ‘holic pound is targeted at value. Arsenal to win at 1/8 is no value at all. I have this feeling that Cesc Fabregas at 9/2 is a decent shout for the first goal. He finished the game last week by dragging his side over the line, and the penalty-taker has a double chance of setting us on our way.
If you are there tomorrow, I am jealous as hell. It is going to be one of the big days at the Grove. If, like me, you are praying for a decent stream, good luck to us all.
Have a great one ‘holics. COME ON YOU RIPROARING!
50 Responses to “Right, Who Wants It!”
As we married chaps know, it is dangerous to go on strike against the management, but this is ridiculous. My wife and daughter are making me distinguish between Arsenal’s “important” and “unimportant” games so I don’t watch them all, but they seem unable to understand that every remaining game this season is a massively important season-decider. Lucky for me the game tomorrow starts at 7am our time and they don’t like to get up until 8ish. The first half is all mine, so let’s get a 3-0 lead by halftime!
I’ll have some of that! Oh and a Chateau Neuf De Pape, from te darker corner of the cellar.
Well in Nas.
Great energy piece Holic. I really hope that the team will be stunned by the fire coming from us gooners tomorrow. I want them to know how much we are behind them in this final stretch.
Cheers ‘holic!
Heh, that second paragraph makes it sound like RedAction and Arseblog at what Boulogne and Auteuil are to PSG 😉
Joking. Just don’t be jealous.
Can’t be choosy though, so whatever (drinkable liquid) you offer me, I will drink.
Cheers, will spare a thought, and a Guinness for you tomorrow.
DURING THE VIEIRA ERA, AW WAS REMINDED BY THE MEDIA EACH TIME HIS TEAM ADDED TO HIS TALLY OF RED CARDS AS MANAGER OF ARSENAL. TODAY, EACH TIME HIS PLAYER(S) ARE MAIMED BY ROUGH OPPONENTS, HE IS REMINDED HOW SOFT THIS CROP OF HIS IS – MISSING THE PRESENCE OF A VIEIRA, ETC!
Am i missing something here? No. It’s what is called biase and hatred. Some shameless former players mascarading as football analysts/pundits think we the arsenal forget. referees turning a blind eye as if uninterested.
WHAT I KNOW THOUGH IS THAT, INSTEAD OF POINTING FINGERS IN EVERY DIRECTION, WE NEED TO POINT AT THE EXACT BULL’S EYE OF BLAME. IT IS THE FA THAT PROTECTS OUR BELOVED GAME, IT IS THEM WHO KEPT REMINDING AW OF HIS RESPONSIBILITIES AS MANAGER WITH THE RED CARD TALLY. THEY CANT NOW TURN A BLIND EYE WHEN THE TEAM HAS BECOME THE EPITOME OF SAINTWOOD AND is now the VICTIM. ARSENAL PLAYERS ARE TODAY THE MOST ON THE TREATMENT TABLE EACH TIME BECAUSE THE FA IS FAILING US. THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED.
Come on you reds!!!
Win by a 4 goal margin and we’re TOP, even if it won’t be for long, (you never know though) How sweet would that be?
Pint of cider please guv”
Cheers.
A worthy read
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/guillem-balague/The-Guilem-Balague-Column-If-Shawcross-had-been-called-Santa-Cruz-or-Aldo-Duschler-and-Ramsey-Wayne-Rooney-would-the-reaction-to-that-tackle-in-England-have-been-different-article344131.html
Great stuff mate. You will certainly be there in spirit. Glass of water for now as I’m gonna be right on it tomorrow and the liver needs a rest from yesterday. Up the Arse!
Thoughts with you after yesterday, Esso. Herself has a clue what tomorrow holds now as I have just loaded the fridge with a case of Guinness!
what website could i watch the game on tomorrow?
Irish Gooner.
You should be able to find it here mate;
http://www.myp2p.eu/index.php?part=sports
Nice post. I too am jealous having passed up the opportunity of being there tomorrow. What will I be doing instead? Most likely painting the nipper’s room while listening to that ingrate Alan Green on the radio. Not quite the same somehow.
I’m actually hugely optimistic, and think we might absolutely smash them tomorrow. Burnley are dreadful on the road, and we can rip through sides at home, especially with the crowd screaming us on. 5-1 is my bet, slightly longer odds than yours I accept!!
I can’t wait.
I have had a copper or two on that at 28’s Pete. Thanks for dropping by. Love your work.
Fingers crossed one of them comes in then! Cheers ‘holic. Have yourself something from the bar on me.
I am hoping that Saturday will become backlash day. The day when this team roars like a caged lion with the raging hump. If we start of firing on all four then I am hoping for a cricket score. I intend to arrive early tomorrow. A couple of over priced scoops and then time to announce my support for Aaron. Then? Then it is game on. Arshavin is back, Theo has bucket loads still to prove and Bendtner is getting better and better each game.
Win by 4 clear and we go top. All be it until the mancs play. My prediction? A rip roaring goal fest. 7 – 1 to the mighty Gunners.
Keep the faith.
Looking forward to it. Should be a cracker!!
I know what you mean behind the 8 ball but not nasri. Luckily, kick off is 4 am our time on Sunday morning. I will be able to watch the game uninterrupted then lol!!
And to think when my wife asked “who are they playing?” I said “It’s only Burnley”….
‘holic – how the mighty have fallen – last time Club level, and now settling for a shuddering stream of the internet…..
Media stupidity makes it all the more hard to move on from what happened. For example, a football news site links to a story about the Ramsey statement, with this:
“Ramsey grateful for support – 5th March 2010
Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey on Friday spoke for the first time about suffering a broken leg in a challenge with Ryan Shawcross last weekend – but made no mention of the Stoke defender.”
BECAUSE IT’S NOT ABOUT SHAWC.. oh why do we bother.
If we don’t win the league, I can accept that – as long as the lads play with 100% effort and commitment for every single one of the remaining games, I’ll be satisfied.
oh and just to clarify – commitment to the team cause, not commitment to reckless tackling
Tell me about it zico. It hurts, man. Luckily I have a Windoze netbook as well as the Macs, so if once again only sopcast is constant I will be ok. I feel sorry for so many people recently who have struggled to catch the game.
Spot on jt. Far too much of the coverage this week has been about that mong. Let him stew for a couple of weeks without a game, while Aaron spends months rebuilding his leg, and his career. Shawcross is a privileged cunt.
Sopcast is a god send, especially for guys, like me, living abroad.
It may be a few minutes behind veetle and other links, but it sticks and crashes a hell of a lot less and the picture quality is usually great.
Gr8 blog again ‘holic. Not trying to get you jealous but over here in Oz it’s on live and I will have nudged a few steady ales down by the time it comes on..11pm….STILL at least you guys get to see the game AT the Emirates…..COME ON YOU GUNNERS!!!!
Cheers Rob,
I suspect this one will be on live virtually everywhere but the UK. The Premier League will wake up one day. Do they really think that not showing a 3pm kick-off here will stop me going to West Ham tomorrow? (the only other 3pm Premiership kick-off). Do they think I would not pay for a quality viewing rather than chasing the streams?
You know, I suspect they do. They are that out of touch.
Under the thumb….grow some cahunas and put her in her place….1.Kids, 2. ARSENAL 3. Wife!!! 🙂
You guys are so lucky that you can be at ANY game whatsoever as I am here in Israel and going to an Arsenal game has to be a journey…
Most definitely will be in London for the championship parade 🙂
Rooney’s not playing vs Wolves therefore I can’t see them getting more than a draw to put places 1-3 level on points (I was sure Chelsea would lose to City last week and I hope it’ll be the same 🙂 ).
This years is so ours!
Still shocked that here in Chicago I easily catch every Arsenal game live with my sports package and paying only a little extra and in the UK you have to settle for streams… I can only imagine.
Heh, Jamie. You are a young ‘un, or divorced, or you live a damn sight closer than me to my birthplace. Sometimes you have to make a little sacrifice for the bigger picture 😉
Evening Holic
Shame you won’t be there tomorrow,it will be a very emotional day for all Gooners,though not quite as emotional as the night we won the Fairs Cup after many long years of mediocrity.
That night i am sure there were more fans on the pitch than in the stands after the final whistle.
I was one of them,and the outpouring of emotion,tears/shouts of joy,hugs of sheer disbelief with total strangers, the looks on the players faces,are one of my abiding memories of being a Gooner.
The point i am making is that nobody expected us to win against a top class European team in Anderlecht.
They had some great players,the captain Van Himst,2 top class forwards in Devrindt and Jan Mulder,and the great Trappeniers in goal.
We were totally blown away in the first leg and really on the night Anderlecht could have scored 4 or 5 goals,such was their dominance.
But Ray Kennedy scored a late goal which gave us some hope for the return leg at Highbury,although most newspaper pundits thought Anderlecht would still win overall.
The rest of course is history,a 3 nil home win against the odds and our first Trophy for 17 years.
So to this season and again the pundits from all forms of info,radio/print/television etc,have written us off.
Nobody expects us to win the Premiership,but Fate in the form of Ramsey’s terrible injury,and a vital win at Stoke have given our team the incentive/drive/collective spirit,call it what you will,to look down the road ahead and see a Golden opportunity to play their way to the most unlikely/unexpected Title triumph since Leeds imploded in 1971.
We still need Utd/Chelsea to drop points,but in this Topsy Turvy season who’s to say they won’t.
Our Destiny is still not in our own hands yet,but the True Believers among us who have kept the Faith despite all the evidence to the contrary,will be willing the team on to Glory.
Evening ‘holic.
Well….I want it! Quite simply a 4-0 win to the Gooners.
Arshavin & Cesc & Bendtner on the scoresheet.
Keep on believing.
Nuff said.
yeah would love to see niklas get his 4th goal in 4 games (including denmark)
Indeed tomorrow’s game and the remainder of the season can be historic if we can seize the moment and march on to glory. But the stars won’t line up for Arsenal, they have to make it happen. Thanks, Clive.
Cheers ‘holic,
As always, great post. Can’t make it to the Emirates tomorrow but I’ll be just as fired up as the crowd with my Bloody Mary in hand trying to find a reasonable stream at 7:00AM in California. Arsenal to win 3-1 for Ramsey. Bartender, a Grey Goose and soda please.
Come on you Gunners!
For what’s been a shit week – it’s nice to see a LOT more unity amongst gooners everywhere. The players will do their bit – I wish I was part of that crowd tomorrow but I’ll be shouting my arse off…we can only win one game at a time, but I still have faith that we’ve got the best boss in the game to motivate the eleven on the pitch.
Keep the faith….we have a very special team
also…(sorry I always forget one thing) nice job by
Dara O Briain in the Guardian “Spare us the sanctimony about Ryan Shawcross being a nice lad”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/mar/06/aaron-ramsey-broken-leg-ryan-shawcross
(apologies if already posted)
this should provide more enthusiasm for the fans and players alike:http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/official-statement-from-aaron-ramsey
Morning all, on which should be a day that sees every gooner line up behind Ramsey and lift the roof with support at the Emirates.
I was delighted to hear the banners will be raised for our fallen star.
I hope he gets to hear of the support that will be emulating out of the ground to wish him a speedy recovery.
On the game, I hope Diaby is fit ! Him and song have been a revelation this season. I feel a stunning performance waiting to happen with Arshavin on the left ( he is much more dangerous from there ) Bendtner to get another, stocking the confidence fire nicely. Cesc to get just a hatrick because he was taken off at half time to rest him for the porto game.
Actually I would gladly take 1-0 as long as we get the 3 points I dont care who scores.
Come on you Arsenal !!!
Unfortunately I can not afford to go to every game, a stream form the link above is always a good way of seeing it.
If we can get an early goal I know we can smash them, not sure what bet I shoud do but I think Holic could be indeed correct here!
Come on you Gooners…
We Love You Arsenal We Do…
We Love You Arsenal We Do…
We Love You Arsenal We Do… Ohhh Arsenal We Love you…!!
and followed by:
There’s only One Aaron Ramsey…!!!
If you have a pc then sopcast 81774 looks excellent.
The ‘holic pound strikes again!
The Holic pound is riding high !
Shame Bendtner didnt finish it of just after.
Thanks for link H2H
Good one Holic and I didn’t listen to you this time, let’s hope Cesc will be ok for Porto now….God please be kind to us!
Lets do em in the second!!!
Come on Arsenal….!!!!!
How How How has Bendtner not scored yet !
Made hard work of that eh? Still, job done and concentration remained good. Is it tempting fate to say Walcott might be coming odd at just the right time?
Keep the faith
* coming good (although coming odd also?)
That was a scary finish but somehow I knew we wouldn’t concede, good to see Arshavin getting on the score sheet. Theo just answered all those pundits wonderful move, he should move inside more often and a great goal too!
Bendtner was just plain unlucky, so many chances and he missed them all, I suppose if we would have drawn this game we would ask questions. he should really do better at this level. We should have burried 5 if not more against Burnely today, however I’m not complaining.
I’ll have a double JD and Coke please barman
Angry Theo is definately a match winner!
Productive run after run – great cut backs and crosses (the one for DB was top notch and he shouold have buried it!).
What happened to Cesc?