A Last Farewell To Super Rob? And Who Else?
May 14th, 2011 by 'holic
I cannot remember the last time I missed the final home match of the season. It is a ritual, grabbing the last opportunity to see the team in the flesh for a month or two. A good man has come to the rescue and provided me with the opportunity to wave goodbye to a player or two at the Cottage next weekend.
The strange thing is that I am not particularly sorry to be missing the Villa match, other than the opportunity it would have presented to sing “Super Robert Pires” once more. That moist-eyed moment aside I shall be glad to avoid ‘the walk’, and what could be a less enthusiastic than usual response to the lap of appreciation at the end of the game. I hope I am wrong, but I sense there could just be a mixed reception for the boys at this one.
It is wrong to say that there is nothing at stake. By the time we kick-off the result from Chelsea will be in and we will know if we are more likely to be fighting for second place, or scrapping to avoid fourth. Mathematically we still need to win the last two outings, but that will require a marked change in attitude and application from those that so tamely surrendered our last title aspirations at Stoke.
The mood and performance may be lifted by the return of Thomas Vermaelen, likely to come in for the injured Laurent Koscielny. Was it really back on September 10th that the club website told us,
“Vermaelen picked up an Achilles injury on international duty. The centre back captained Belgium in their defeats to Germany and Turkey over the weekend but came back with a short-term problem.”
That short term problem ruled him out for eight months. Let’s pray to all our Gods that he never picks up a serious knock.
At the time of writing it is unclear if either Cesc Fabregas or Samir Nasri will be fit to start. Conspiracy theorists will be watching their body language at the final whistle. Will there be tears, or exaggerated applause for the fans from either? I hope that by then we have secured three points and the home support will give them a rapturous farewell, just in case.
The ‘holic pound has enjoyed a decent season, but has fallen away of late. I hope for a bright performance on a sunny day to lift spirits, and have punted on a 3-0 home win, available at tens with Paddy Power. On paper Villa have a side that could frustrate, but I’m told by a couple who support them that their attitude isn’t what it should be. Perhaps I’m being optimistic, but we are owed a performance after last week. I’m sure that will be drummed into the starting eleven. Come on Arsenal, one more decent pay-day please?
Oh ‘Arry, You Just Keep Giving
“Maybe expectations have been raised, but they don’t have any brains, they don’t understand. If they think we should have Champions League football every year, then what’s been happening during all those years we didn’t qualify?
Come on ‘Arry. As a gooner born and bred you have surely known for a very long time that Spurs fans are, and I quote you again, “idiots“.
Credit Where It Is Due
Congratulations are due to Manchester United. Whoever comes out on top after 38 games are always worthy champions. You can’t help but feel though that with their eleven draws and four defeats they did their level best to give us a crack at it.
Have a good one ‘holics.
107 Responses to “A Last Farewell To Super Rob? And Who Else?”
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First! Yay!
Lars dived.
No no no 8ball, I just exaggerated the situation ever so slightly to make the referee aware of the foul!
Haha.
I see Martin Atkinson off to a good start, missing Huth cleaning out Balotelli with an elbow. Should be a penalty and the Stoke thug sent off.
Watch the bastard score the winner…
Nice Blog ‘Holic , but as a result of our tame end to the Season , i hope you’ll forgive me if my little contribution concentrates on the cup final rather than tomorrow’s game .
Ah Cup Final Day – a day for evoking many childhood memories .
My first is of course 1971 – Charlie George and all that – Oh what a day , six years old , don’t all seasons end like this ?
My father watched in some amazement as I sat , munched , and stared with an intensity borne of a man who had found a religion and knew it suited him , all the way through cup final It’s a Knockout , the inane post-breakfast player interviews , the Road to Wembley , the teams on the coach on their way to the ground , Abide With Me , and finally and most satisfyingly the post –match interviews of the victorious Gunners , as they swigged their way through their celebratory bottles of milk . Hey , this was impressive , I could only manage a mugful – any more and I began to feel slightly queasy . These Gunners were proper proper men .
1972 and the omens were not looking good . Cloud and drizzle had replaced the glorious sunshine of the year before , we had lost Cup Final It’s a Knockout , the inept Barnett was in goal , and worst of all , my hero Ray Kennedy had been relegated to the subs bench for eating too many pies .
Sure enough , Charlie’s piledriver hit the bar instead of going in , and Clarke’s header ensured the Cup went north to dirty Leeds . My father was apoplectic that we had lost to a team he considered were the worst kind of cheats , and in a move that I like to think was at least 2 decades ahead of its time , adjourned to the garden before the presentation , and decreed that our footballing re-enactment would concentrate much more on the 71 final than its 72 equivalent .
In truth , I think my father took it harder than me – his insistence that he be Charlie George is more than a little worrying even to this day. As for me , after a good cry , I wasn’t too worried , after all we get to the cup final every year don’t we ?
1973 and how I laughed at Leeds – revenge was sweet – even if it was the less than mighty wearsiders doing the inflicting . 1974 Newcastle vs Liverpool – and filial duty was strained . My father hated Supermac and I hated Liverpool . As Supermac’s claims became ever more bombastic , Dad would tut and mutter that Shankly would sort him out . In the end I went along with him , and peace and harmony was restored as the Scousers cruised to a 3-0 win .
1975 was wholly unremarkable other than the slight consolation that we were knocked out by the eventual winners ( west ham ) , and that Bobby Moore played for the gallant losers ( fulham ) at the grand old age of 63 .
1976 and the hopelessly loyal 9 year old of two years previously had been upgraded to the altogether more mature 11 year old model , confident of his opinions and not afraid to express them ! Whisper it quietly on these pages , but I did nurse a quiet admiration for the Mancs throughout my childhood.Not a full blown affair , God no , no chance of playing away , not even a polite kiss , more a slight admiration from afar such as you might have for your mum’s friend who you knew was pretty tasty in her day .
Even as a child I knew that there was something fantastic about Georgie that the more mundane skills of Peter Marinello could not replicate , and that Bobby Charlton stood for all that was great in the English game which those pesky cheating foreigners would never aspire to .
I even liked the Tommy Doc new breed of Hill , Daly and Coppell , and no amounts of “ you’ll regret it son “ from Dad would sway me .Of course I regretted it , supporting opposing sides was not great fun , and needless to say , Dad got to be Bobby Stokes in the garden afterwards .
1977 and back on the same side again – anything to stop the extraordinarily smug scousers from completing the fabled double . Dad seemed to have forgiven Stuart Pearson , ( he had called him a “ fucking dirty wanker “ at Highbury that year – the only time i heard him swear ) and we celebrated his incredibly spawny winner .
1978 and back to the real deal – the mighty Arsenal were back and only little Ipswich to beat to boot .It goes without saying that with regard to Supermac , my father had undergone a Damascan conversion that would have put St Paul to shame . As soon as the bandy legged one put pen to his gooner contract , any tuts , shakes of the head and mild disapproval , had been wholly replaced by indulgent laughter at his boasting and the catch-all phrase “ I like a bit of confidence in my centre –forward “.
I was now at secondary school in Enfield and was one of very few gunners in a school of Spuds . For a non religious boy my prayers took on the fervor of a trappist monk .In truth no amount of divine intervention would have saved us that day . Taking to the field with six unfit players including the woefully out of sorts Supermac , Dad and I watched in growing bewilderment as we failed to create anything of merit , Ipswich did a passing impression of Ajax , and Willie Young helpfully laid on the winner for Roger Osborne to deliver the final blow .
Tears and no garden re-enactment . Boy did I suffer on Monday – as the Spuds , already drunk on their wonderful achievement of promotion – gleefully rubbed it in . That their own club was so far in our shadow was lost on them – some things never change !
1979 and we were back – this time there would be no spud crowing at the end . The grotesque finale to the game nearly finished me off – I’m sure my heart still suffers the odd murmur which relates to that day .
Had we lost , I would have proposed immediate expatriation , and I think my father would have agreed .As it was , Alan Sunderland ensured that I sprinted round the block for no other reason than to show off my replica yellow shirt . One agonising programme voucher short to be there , but as far as I was concerned nobody deserved this victory more than me and boy was I gonna milk it .
Enjoy the game fellas – come on the sky blues – drinks for the barman and all in the bar .
You should have emailed that to me TaBS, I would have published it.
Wonderful stuff, thank you.
‘Holic, that was a nice piece of thuggery by Huth. If he is not suspended after the game then something is wrong. A very deliberate elbow to the throat of an opponent, a straight red if ever I saw one.
And what a shit game this final is so far. TABS, thanks for providing something far, far more interesting that that pile of shit on the telly!
Wow – thanks Holic but i would never presume so much , had way more to say but had to stop to watch the game , and thank you Lars for your kind words .
Huth and Shawcross really are a pair of c*nts – sorry but no other word will do – how Shawcross ever got an England call up is beyond me .
If the Mancs get an early one in the second half , i still harbour hopes that Tony Penis and all he stands for will be utterly humiliated .
Toure’s the man !
Fuck Shitteh and Fuck Stoke. Meteor please.
Anyway, Guinness ‘holic.
please
Interesting to see your Villa preview drift towards closure on this season and the final game at Fulham. My creative juices (deuces?) appear to have dried up completely, lacking the spark that competitive tension brings to ignition of a wandering warble of withering words.
It doesn’t help when a switch on the box brings a substantially inferior duo into blunt focus on Wembley’s turf. A bunch in blue assembled at five times the cost of our Arsenal, playing against Pubis and his bunch of bone crushers, who as we all know, are just NOT that kind of boys. Flip the channel and there’s a dodgy penalty on show bring the league to a finish. Flick again and the CL final is being previewed and the injustice at the Nou Camp flickers back into my mind’s memories. Open the ‘net and all there is is “Cesc to Citeh” and “Nasri to Neverland” to frustrate
And is missing The Walk (Wake) tomorrow a very big miss? Well, yes. I’d like to be there with my “You DO NOT Speak for Me” placard – walking alongside expressing a different perspective to “charge us less and while you’re at it, fire Le Boss and sell most of the players and while you’re at it reduce their wages, and – oh, yes, on top of all that start winning some silver with us fans money”. Would my placard sway them? As much chance of that, as Eboue scoring the winner in the FA Cup final today.
So to the game. Arsenal have to win this to restore some semblance of proper perspective on the team’s contribution to the game in Europe this season. That contribution has been HUGE and there is no way it can be allowed to peter out in a sequence of defeats at Bolton and Stoke and anything less than two wins in the final two games.
I’m expecting a win, I must say. I have a feeling that Vermaelen’s return will spark a toughness, attitude and spirit that has been lacking recently. So, I’ll go with the Holic Pound at 3-0 to The Arsenal tomorrow. I’d love a Van Persie hat trick and I’d love to see both Cesc and Nasri play. They’ll both be at the Emirates next season (and yes, they’ll be there playing for Arsenal).
Enjoy it if you’re going, Holics. If you see “the walk” shout some respectful differences of opinion from me, would you please? Steve T and the kids, I’ll be listening out for raucous sounds from Block 71!
Gin and tonic with cucumber for Her Nellieness, Holic. Guinness for me.
Well, at least the team trying to play football won the game. And let’s now hope that the whole team goes on a massive bender to celebrate the win and that they then lose on Tuesday when they play Stoke again in the leage.
With you on both points, Lars. In fact, would happily join in the bender.
What a shit game. How the fuck did we lose 3-1 to Stoke last week? I hold my head in my hands in total frustration at this entire season.
Congratulations Kolo Toure, Brian Kidd, Patrick Vieira, and even you Platt. Chuffed for ex-Gunners. So pleased to see Stoke beaten, but we have a great big sky blue wake up call there for next season.
Very magnanimous of you ‘Holic , i’ll raise my glass to Kolo and PV4 , ( we missed a trick not bringing him home ) , but i’m afraid Kidd and Platt leave me cold . Neither of them proper Arsenal men , notwithstanding their short stays . Kidd wasn’t fit to lace Ray Kennedy’s boots , and Platt looks too much like an alien for my taste .
Difficult to see , peaking into the future , how we compete with such monstrous and immoral expenditure , – we can only hope that firstly the new financial restrictions , ( which i profess not to understand ) , have teeth , and that secondly , City quickly resume their capacity to self-destruct .
“Platt looks too much like an alien for my taste…” absolute quality laugh out loud stuff Tabs – don’t dare take a 3 week break again!
Can’t say I feel particularly happy one way or the other about the Cup Final today – its like the CL final – I just want(ed) both teams to lose.
Win or lose today, I think City would already have been planning to spend ridiculous amounts of money again this summer – and I am not convinced that these new financial rules will make a blind bit of difference to them or Chelsea – I’m sure there will be people paid very handsomely to find every conceivable loophole that they can, and its not as if the administrators at Fifa/Uefa have ever blinded us before with their brilliance, is it?
It’s gonna be a long summer – when’s the first Test?
Cheers Zico , i’m sure you’re right re the financial regs , but i’d at least like to know what the rules are , before City , Chelsea et al , start to try and break them .
Hows the HT Reconstruction coming along ?
i have a wonderful memory of walking into the old park lane stand at the spuds in the 70′s when brian kidd was our number 10, loads of hair, thin, a great player… all i could hear as i was about to come into the turnstiles was a deafening, ‘kiddo, kiddo, kiddo’ from the gooners, in those days we got the whole standing terrace behind the park lane goal… the northbank & clock end combined and made a deafening sound at the lane, i think we won that day too… i remember a molotov cockail being hurled from our end onto he ‘shelf’ and it caught alight, all the gooners were singing, ‘white hart lane is burning down, poor old tottenham’ fucking funny it was
And let’s now hope that the whole team goes on a massive bender to celebrate the win and that they then lose on Tuesday when they play Stoke again in the leage.
Lars , lets hope they parade the cup before kick off , winding the Stoke lot up and world war 3 breaks out. That might be worth watching.
Going to have a Mojito , as the mint in the garden is coming through.
Pretty sure the petrol bomb was Dec 78 or April 80, ak. Long after Kiddo had gone, but yes, they were great days when we had a decent number of tickets at the Swamp.
potter, you might be on to something there with the winding up…
Thanks Holic for keeping the bar going throughout the season, my first in the bar.
Here’s to many more drinks. Preferably happier ones ahead
*bottoms up*
I don’t mind a Guinness today!
Thanks G.
Question for ITV watchers this afternoon. Did anybody else hear the commentator say Nayim was the only Spaniard to have won the FA Cup?
Where on earth does he think Fabregas and Reyes (2005) were from?
‘Holic , that comment made me initially sit up , but what he actually said was that Nayim was the only Spaniard to have won the cup at Wembley . Hate to come out in support of Tydelsley , whose appetite for well rehearsed cliches knows no bounds , but on this occasion …
I heard that Holic – it was Tyldesley – a first class Twonk, as we all know.
Tabs @ 19 – the HT is back in the sidings awaiting a major refurbishment. Will be watching the comings and goings in the transfer market with great interest, before allocating seats.
Good man TaBS, we’ll let him off this time then
zico, be prepared for a few to get off at the next stop, whilst a fair few should board the HT as well. Busy summer ahead.
Zico , wise words tho I’ll be booking my ticket come what may .
‘Holic , i suppose we may have too , tho there are a thousand and one other misdemeanours we could do him for – the worst of the front line commentators by some distance IMHO .
@16 holic – with you, Im glad that our exes won something
Different subject – what do people think of AW saying that his priority is keeping star players – for me its not up to his usual ‘psychological’ standard – clearly encouraging agents galore to start stirring.
We lost key players in previous years who thought the grass was greener elsewhere and then had to rebuild for umpteenth time……
CG @30 i wouldn’t read too much into it . Maybe i’m being a bit glib about it , but doesn’t AW often say this kind of thing ?
Clearly persuading both Fabregas and Nasri to stay will be a priority . Whether he will be successful , I truly have no idea , though i’m pretty sure he wont let Fab go for anything less than the going rate , which given the ridiculous sums being paid by others , should not be less than £50m . I seriously doubt Barca are in a position to pay that , and if Cesc continues to insist that its Barca or nowhere , my inclination is that he will still be at the club come august , as will Nasri .
Almunia and Denilson are dead men walking , and whilst i dont anticipate the cull some are predicting , I don’t think the same strenuous efforts will be made to keep Clichy , Squillaci , Rosicky , Bendtner and Arshavin .
‘Holic & ‘Tabs,
Thank you both for your servings of pure gold, would either of you care to share a serving of pure black for your efforts?
‘Holic, the quote from The Grand Tax Evader just reeks of smallclubitis and a self interested man with more than one eye firmly fixed on succeeding Capello. I’ll also wipe away a tear for Super Bobby P tomorrow and look forward to participating in a rapturous welcome back for our Verminator, bless his titanium socks. Any news on Cesc’s or Nasri’s fitness BTW?
Tabs, it looks like 1965 was a real vintage year
1971 Cup Final will always be my favourite Arsenal Cup Final memory. 1980 (I was there for that one) always my worst.
Zico, apologies but I already opened the bookings for the HT Mk II, depleted or otherwise. I’ll be b*uggered before I start giving refunds based on transfer market performance. We don’t necessarily have to have more signings (although it’s be nice), our main problem is that a few too many of our players are behaving like the lion in The Wizard of Oz. Heart transplants for some and an avoidance of yellow injections might just be the tonic to push over a line or two in 2012.
Bottoms-up all
tabs @ #31
Jesus, we finally disagree on something! I think AW will make every effort to keep both Bendy and Clichy.
The rest, spot-on.
BTW, I rang my local council yesterday afternoon as there was a nasty pong in the air. Did they have a major problem with the local sanitation?, I enquired. No, was the response but the Stoke team are staying less than a mile up the road.
Apparently, the hotel are still mopping up the drool from the shared room of Huth & Lenny.
Holic, seems like an end of season post and may I say thankyou for articulating manys a shared thought on this blog. When times are tough this place feels like Cheers ( insert soundtrack here). Now I am away to finsh my Tyskie to the apt strums of The Who…dont cry dont raise your eye its only teenage wasteland…fade out
Cool tune, noel73.
TS – not often I disagree, but we DO need signings. And we need to be more flexible about the way we play and the formations that we play.
Something better change as Hugh would say
Heh zico!
More than anything, I’m trying to set my self up to avoid the disappointment of when, come the end of August, excuses are made about lack of availability, not being able to compete with Citeh/Chavs/Farca/Real in the transfer market, etc. that leaves me feeling a bit flat and possibly worse.
I stand by the sentiment though. So much talent is already in the squad, it just needs to have that do or die willing mentality instilled into it. Maybe that’s as hard to fix as raw talent?
Hey ho, I’d like to lift my mood now as I’m getting revved-up to support our team tomorrow.
Maybe an injection of Merson p*ss would help?
On the day that SAF wins his 12th title, and having said that he will make 3 major new signings in the close season, AKB announces that Pat Rice will stay on as Assistant Manager.
Rice has been a wonderful servant to the club but this is yet another indication that nothing will change on the management side of the club despite 6 years without a trophy.
Rice’s intention to stand down was an opportunity to bring in fresh blood, as a minimum Wenger needs new coaching staff to challenge him and the players, and to sort out the basics like defending set pieces which he is clearly incapable of doing.
Depressing; I’m afraid I’m totally indifferent as to whether we finish 3rd or 4th, whatever happens this club will not win another major trophy until we change the way that players are coached and managed.
No doubt we will hear the same old guff trotted out time and again next season.
Hey TS – always a pleasure to drink a black one with you – though a bit pissed as i’ve been lounging at the bar off and on all day – and jolly nice its been too .
Thanks for your always kind comments . I wanted to write about 1980 , but sadly ran out of time . In 1980 my father and i made sure all programme vouchers were intact . The cup final was the last game i attended with my father . The terrible disease that was to claim him 4 years later had begun to rear its head and i have a feeling he knew at the time it was his last game .
I know the Barca final in 06 had much wider significance for the club , but the West Ham final remains for me , for purely personal reasons , the one game that i would change the result if i so had the power .
He was a great Dad and a very committed gooner , and he deserved more than the sullen teenager he got on the way home .
I was too busy revelling in my new found maturity – a cup final loss and no tears – at 15 it would have been embarrassing . It was a maturity that lasted all of 4 days until Rixy missed that penalty against Valencia , and i cried a river !
That Valencia game was the last time i cried at an Arsenal loss , but have got pretty weepy at many victories since , esssentially because they invoke memories of Dad .
As for Clichy and Bendtner , we’ll have to agree to disagree Old Son . Whilst i dont think either will be ushered towards the door , I dont think Clichy will be offered the contract he’s after , and i dont think the Prince of Denmark will be given the assurances he wants about his position both in the pecking order and on the pitch .
If we could get 25 m for the pair , and on the basis it was re-invested in recruitment , i’d take it .
th
TS – have a pint of Carling – much the same as Mersons piss i would imagine !
West Upper – though i cant agree with the sentiment of your last 2 paras , i do agree that , club legend though he is , Ricey should have been ushered towards to the door , and the fact that he hasn’t just gives more grist to the Black Scarf Brigade’s mill .
tabs @ #38
Thanks for sharing mate, really appreciate that. God, I forgot that we went on to lose in Europe too after that final against The ‘Ammers – must be a subconcious (spelling?) protection mechanism or something.
Really hope that we might get an opportunity to share a real pint or two after a home game next season.
Hmmm…. maybe you’re right about our very own Hamlet
I’m having a terrible attack of what’s best or isn’t for the club right now, must be severe PMT (Pre Match Tension) and knowing that those Northern Chavs are breathing down our neck for third with their tails high.
More drinks please Mr. Barman and one for yourself. I want tabs welll and truly sozzled before he leaves
TS i’ll look forward to that real pint next season , but in the meantime i’ll take another pint of the good stuff – cheers .
No probs finishing third – or is that the drink talking !?
3 zip tomorrow .
Since everyone is in the feel of end of season, let me thank Holic and Holics for this season’s posts.
Ollie, TS, Lars, H2H, Zico, Bt8bbnn, Steve T, BtM, Clive, Matt, Trev and every other Holic (sorry if I missed somebody), thanks for making this bar the first place I visit on the net.
As for City – The worst wish we could have asked for was their qualification for UCL, it’d be that much easier for them to sign players now.
To be honest, I don’t really care what happens around us in terms of transfers, it’s who WE bring in and out that will decide the championship next season.
Zico – Where do I buy the tickets to the HT from? This year’s HT stopped a couple of stops short of where I needed and I had to walk the last few stops. I hope it doesn’t happen next time !
Going to be an Early start on Sunday. I aim to be in the Tollie by 1.30. A few beers, spot of lunch and watch the early kick off. Then a stroll to the ground avoiding the gobby minority who as BTM says, speak for so few of us. Beware of the gobby yobby mentality. Never have been a sheep.
Not really sure what to make of the game. I am hoping that a substantial amount of pre match IPA will make it more enjoyable whatever happens. I am hoping for a result and a performance that the fans deserve and I am hoping for a convincing win.
The lap at the end and how it is received will very much depend on what happens on the pitch moments before I think. If the unthinkable happens then my guess is that Bob Marley and Exodus will be playing loudly in the ears of many.
Final note about Super Bob. One of my favourite Arsenal players of all time. I had a tear in my eye when he returned in the Champions League. I have no doubt that Sunday will be no different.
BTM, kids at home for this one. Proper blokes day out, but still giving it both barrels from block 4.
Come on Arsenal, only two more chances to show us your stuff. It’s the virtual Tollie for me I’m afraid, but I’ll be with you in spirit.
I did get to watch the final moments of the FA cup final last night with mixed feelings. On the one hand it was great to see the Stoke players crying but I really could not understand why they had to cry for they hardly did anything of note in the match. Anyway watching Man City lift the trophy made me envious of them and I really hope it would be Arsenal with any trophy next season. We just need to somehow win the first trophy then the floodgates could open. It is high time Wenger to gets the taste of silverware.
I also happened to watch closely the owner of Man City. He did seem to have a spring in his step and was eager to congragulate his players. He has tasted his first success on the football pitch I fear this cup success would only act as a catalyst to splash more in the transfer market.
Steve T @ #44
‘Beware of the gobby yobby mentality’
Yup, could not agree more with you. It’s just about the last thing we need right now. What will it achieve? We still have 3rd slot to secure with an eye out for 2nd if the footballing gods are kind to us and we’re prepared to fight like lions for it.
If you’re in The Tolli post match would be great to share a pint and a thought.
Either way, enjoy your day!
Morning coffees/infusions all round please Mon. barman, ta.
Heading down today and wondering which Arsenal I will see, the one who beat Barcelona, Chelsea and United or the one whom failed to score against desperately out of form Sunderland and Blackburn. Having lost at Stoke I sense the team will want to put the record straight, my problem with this team is that one result seems to enough and we’ll get another following the next set back. How many big wins have not been followed up? Chelsea then Wigan, United then Stoke. Would this team who have failed so calamatously of late dare not show up, I think the prospect of a lap of dishonour may bring a spritely rousing win against a lowly Villa side safe but struggling and nothing to play for. Fail to win and play without passion and pride and I won’t be around to clap their efforts.
TABS. Can I take a moment of your time to thank you so much for such an evocative piece of writing. Both your first comment about those early CF’s and your post about 1980 were emotional reads.
Thanks and can I buy you a large one in gratitude?
Snir @ 43 – the intention is that next season’s Happy Train makes it all the way to the Terminus
To all Holics going today – hope you have a great day out – I am hoping to have arrived at my destination in Suffolk by kick off so I don’t have to suffer “death by Talk Shite radio”.
COYRRs
zico @ #50,
Cheers and I second, third and fourth that motion. Don’t forget the mittens to cover up the fact that you don’t have webbed hands
snir @ #43,
Thanks to you too, to me you’re as much a part of this bar as any of us. Right, enough kissing.
Come on you Mighty Reds, laters all….
Big Raddy @ 49 – thanks for your lovely comments – an early afternoon cool lager is just the livener i need – thanks again .
TS , Steve T , and others – i may be able to sneak into the Tollie post match if i can persuade my usual drinking buddy to forsake the Compton Arms in H and I .
I was wondering how we all recognise each other on these occasions , do we all wear red and white carnations in our buttonhole whilst frantically waving copies of our 1971 Arsenal programmes ?
Steve T – Spot on re the walk of shame – anyone who thinks this is a protest about escalating prices rather than a cheap pop at AW is sadly deluded .
Right , gotta fly but if anyone can in the meantime propose solution to identification issues outlined above , i shall be back in about an hour ..
As a starting point you could find the little Frenchman with the red hair, and say “Hellollie”
I am going today and also feel strangely disconnected from the whole thing although there is surely plenty at stake.
I will go via the Tollie to avoid my usual route where the “march” will be.
I will have a good shout for Sir Bob and hope to see TV5 back in action. That was diagnosed in September as a “small, small injury”. Thank God for that then.
I hope the lap of appreciation will be a chance for the players to appreciate US, but i won’t hold my breath.
Very, very sad to feel like this at the end of a season. I can’t ever remember feeling so empty, not to say let down.
A subdued Come on You Reds!!
Snir @143 It’s an honour to be in such gallant company
Szczesny, Sagna, Vermaelen, Squillaci, Gibbs, Song, Wilshere, Walcott, Ramsey, Arshavin, Van Persie
Good post Holic!
A round for everyone in the bar! Come on you REEEEDDDDDDDSSSS!
Squillaci and Gibbs on the same side? What are we doing??
Nasri
They need to wake up yet again!
Here we go again asleep like there is no tomorrow!
Bunch of retards!
I cant watch this anymore they are collapsing!
Very depressing!
Couldn’t get any better for the last home game of the season! They are showing true colours now this is just awful what else can you add to this?
Shocking!
Ref is now helping Villa to win the game! What a cunt!
2 penalties not given.Why didn’t we put this level of commitment in from the beginning?
If every shot that hit the woodwork this season we would be 8 points ahead!
Went in off the woodwork.Too depressed to even get my sentence right!
Villa cheating diving cunt!
Arshavin is a such frustrating player arrggghhhhhh
How was that a foul?
Looking at the recent performances of Arshavin I’d venture this is the last farewell for him…
Please replace Arshavin with Rosicky
“This team showed again great mental strength but weren’t rewarded for their efforts ”
-Arsene’s post game interview.
ATG
Hmmm, Rosicky? I’m a bit drunk so I can’t tell if you’re joking or not..
Rosicky is injured.Most of our players are injured most of the time!
I rather Rosicky than Arshavin!
And here we go we got denided a perfect goal what the fuck is that CUNT REF up to?
May I enquire as to which of Rosicky’s performances this season makes you believe so?
Orient? The Barcodes? Sunderland away?
What was wrong with that goal?
Love you Robin.
Chamakh playing well today.
We deserved to loose this game even though the REF was Villa’s 12th man.
If we played with the same commitment before they scored their two goals this game would of been a different tale to tell!
To be honest I had too many disappointments by those who wear our colours. Time for this season to be over please!
For a gooner Darren Bent surely likes to score against us.
Mental strength my ass.
Workrate is enough for me RvP Arshaving just plain fucking lazy!
Before the knives come out (and they will)…….the officiating in that game was simply abysmal. We had no fortune whatsoever and the ref lost control very early on.
I thought we showed loads of spark and effort…..but we simply have to start playing a 4-4-2 at home at least.
Also….of our last 25 league goals how many has RvP scored? 17??? (just a guess)
Ticked off at the goals conceded, but how can that guy be called a referee. Should have been 2-2 at the least (obvious pen and perfectly good goal denied). And just like that 3rd place is no longer under our control.
Great to see Chamakh back on form. Deserved a goal.
Steve T will be on after he gets home claiming that we lacked width again. He’ll be quite correct. Another completely anonymous game for Walcott and one to forget for Russia’s finest haircut. You may well be correct on his future, Matt – but Rosicky isn’t the answer either.
This is so stupid of us.
Getting 4th place is horrible in terms of building the squad. Arsene’ll have to buy the players sooner than what he would have wanted and everything will be earlier meaning less rest for the players.
What a crock.
We will be flirting with relegation if we keep up this recent form… only 11 points from the last 12 matches now… that’s seriously hopeless. Can’t remember such a spell like that before.
BtM
Maybe you are are correct but Arshavin’s workrate is just dreadful, Wlacott was another player that frustrated the shyte out of me!
Time for some changes please Le Boss!
Hiding behind the ref’s incompetence would be a bad idea.
We deserved to lose.
I’m pissed.
Sorry, that’s a typo, 11 points from last 10 (TEN) matches it’s meant to be.
11 points from 30 since the Carling Cup Final. Pretty shocking.
Van Persie has scored 17 of our last 27 league goals…amazing stat but only good in one sense. Where might we be without his form since Jan?
I am sorry to say but Wenger has sucked out all the testosterone out of our players.
This is all in the heads. The same team beat United, rather easily I might add.
Get a psychologist and a drill sergeant on board!
Not sure how many fully paid up members to the AKB gang there will be if we are in the bottom three with 11 points after 10 matches next season.
There’s more than just a problem that can be resolved by chequebook here.
Bloody ell!
We should have got that penalty and MC’s goal should have been allowed!
These are the sort of decisions which went in Man U’s favour during the season, when people said they were playing poorly and still won!
Oliver? tsh!
@Mark: Indeed there won’t be many Wenger fans if we’re in relegation form next year. Unfortunately there still will be too many anti-Arsenal moaners if we’re top of the league.
I’m sure it was everyone’s expectation when MC arrived that when we needed to break down defences 4-4-2 would be a good formation
We switched to 4-5-1 for TH and 4-3-3 for Cesc, I agree it would be smart to revert to 4-4-2 for the team…
That and starting playing full on from the get go.
I just don’t get these players… Last season they beat the small teams with ease and lost to all the big teams.
This season they beat the big teams but lose to the small teams.
What’s up with you guys? Can’t you do both ?!
we actually did fine against the bottom 6….it was the lower/mid table fodder where we didn’t get the job done.
Incidentally….we won’t start next season with 11 points from ten. I think with moderate changes we’ll be just fine. I’m more concerned with getting the tactics more flexible based on the opponents that overhauling the personnel. We only go to an all out attack when we are trailing…..it’s our strength…we should be playing the first half in that manner more often.
I’m considering skipping the Fulham game so I can clear my head…it’s been a rotten few months.
Fuck, it has become ingrained in the minds of everyone associated with the club – the players, the manager and the fans, this kind of late season capitulation these past few seasons
Something strong to clear my fucking head, please
Leighton baines you probably think this blog is about you , Leighton baines bet you think this blog is about dont you don’t you – sorry just thinking about next year already . + benzema and Cahill – when arsene does eventually leave – I’m applying for the job!