From Boos To Booze, An Astonishing Day
Jan 29th, 2012 by 'holic
Well, what a ninety minutes of cup football that was. Something for everyone, I think you would have to agree, from those who enjoy venting their spleen through every possible emotion through to those of unshaken faith. If you landed today from another planet, that is why football will always be the most popular show on Earth.
It was quite interesting to observe the mood of those who could not be in the stadium today on Twitter and a couple of fora as the game got underway. The view of the first-half bore no resemblance to the vitriol that poured out during the half-time interval. Now if I can confess that is somewhat understandable I also have to say that only in scoring was this a game of two halves. Both sessions saw us controlling the ball and Villa relying on breaking at pace to unhinge us.
In the first half their game plan worked, but so many appeared to have forgotten a fine Given save from a Thomas Vermaelen thunderbolt, a strike wide of the near post minutes later by Theo Walcott, Tomas Rosicky’s fierce drive that Given failed to hold, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s powerful drive. Arsenal didn’t play badly, but neither did the visitors, and when the opportunities presented themselves they pounced.
The first goal was a fairly typical one for us to concede. Set piece from the left, one man went out to meet two attackers, the cross was inevitable and Dunne made sure he got head and shoulders over Laurent Koscielny to head home. The second was less familiar. Villa broke from their own half and Bent was freed by Ireland to strike at goal from the inside-right channel. Although Fabianski parried the first effort Bent followed up to squeeze it in at the near post from an angle that could only be described as acute in the extreme.
Somewhat understandable is how I described the crescendo of jeers that greeted the half-time whistle. I will accept that perspective is not a ready ally when two down at half-time after a string of bad League results. Less understandable to me was reading that the announcement of Andrey Arshavin among the substitutes was greeted with boos before the kick-off. I’m not his biggest fan for sure, but any proclamation of support for your club surely requires not getting on the back of a player who clearly has confidence issues right now, before he has even kicked a ball in anger. Substituting him for the Ox last week may yet prove to have consequences not envisaged by the manager at the time.
All Arsene could do at half-time was to rally his troops, implore them to come out fighting, up the tempo and get at the back four with more gusto. That they did so with such style was uplifting for players and supporters alike, and let us hope it is a turning point as squeaky-bum time approaches. We will need to demonstrate such determination again many times during the pointed end of the season.
Eight minutes in we had a penalty. There was no doubt about the award. Dunne cleaned out Aaron Ramsey and the referee showed the patience of a saint in not issuing a second yellow to add to the one the perpetrator had picked up in the first half, for going through the back of Rosicky. Robin van Persie fired with deadly accuracy to Given’s right as the ‘keeper went left. Game on.
Three minutes later an astonishing weaving run to and along the goal-line brought about an equaliser for Theo Walcott. The hapless Hutton in attempting to clear could only hit it against Theo and watch it rebound into the net. Always amusing to see a former Tottenham man suffer. The jeers had turned to the sort of backing that can only help matters, although it has to be said the number of empty seats give the lie to the official attendance of 60,019. From my wide flat screen it was evidently around three quarters of that at best. Still more than any other London club can accommodate, but slightly worrying nonetheless.
The absentees missed the completion of a remarkable comeback when Koscielny produced an astonishing burst from the back, pursued by Bent, and the former Tottenham striker pulled him down from behind in the box. A second clear penalty, this time hit to Given’s left by the skipper, and in eight remarkable minutes we had turned a two goal deficit into a victory. Yes, over half an hour remained (with four extra minutes), but one Clark header from another corner aside, we restricted Villa to precious little possession with which to hurt us.
In recent weeks we have been so quick to criticise that it is only right to credit so many today. Eight remarkable minutes may or may not have an effect on our season. If finally we respond to this latest wake-up call then good. We can look back on this as the game when Ramsey recovered the form that has eluded him of late. Hardworking and creative, he concentrated on what he can do with the ball today rather than over-stretching himself. We can look back on this as the day when Walcott and the Ox showed what a threat they pose when receiving the ball in sufficient space to get a direct run at defenders. We can look back on this as one of the many days this season that Koscielny has shown he has so much to offer this side as an offensive central defender.
Most of all though I hope that as the injured start to return, and as long as the performances continue to produce their just rewards, that the support can come together behind a club that deserves a decent run-in. The healing process may just have started in eight second-half minutes this afternoon. Now perhaps things will start to look up for a club who, unlike their more illustrious rivals in Manchester, are not out of all the major cup competitions by the end of January.
Enjoy your week, ‘holics. Indeed enjoy your week all Arsenal supporters. I’m off to get well and truly sozzled.
323 Responses to “From Boos To Booze, An Astonishing Day”
Arsene Croons as Big Eck’s Villains Lay An Egg – Cock a Doodle Doo
Alex McLeish, aka Big Eck Poo Pong MacPlop and his villainous gang of Huttonesques, stole south to take on the mighty Arsenal in pursuit of Old Big Ears. To add spice, Big Eck was gurgling incoherently to anyone who would tolerate his guff about outsmarting Le Prof. Again. Gurgle, gurgle.
To see Big Eck on the touchline is to see an underperforming, over-egoed popping-eyed red rooster stomping around on an undersized dung heap. This was the man who sent Birmingham out to “shake Arsenal up a bit” on the day Eduardo’s career was shattered. And so let me say right up front, what a pleasure it was to see the way this game unfolded and left him gutted.
The rancid red rooster walked to the half-time tunnel with an over-egged smirk on his beak. No doubt the ginger pecker was strutting up and down in the dressing room. “We’ve got them” he’d be doodle-doing from a stance on top of his very own Poo Pong MacPlop dung heap. “Wenger’s oot ramorra, I’ve trumped him, a’ we need tae dae is keep it tight in the second half, doodle-doo.”
But that wasn’t the story that unfolded. That wasn’t the way the eggs were scrambled. The dung heap became a villainous shit heap as Big Eck wilted, doodled his last doo and sunk slowly ‘neath Le Merde of one more Arsene Wenger master-class.
The full backless look is about to become passé. Bacs was back on the bench today and a very welcome sight at that. Arsene picked a vibrant, exciting young eleven with a nice twist of maturity down the spine. Fabi in goal was a surprise, but he clearly needs the opportunity and I’m pleased he’s transcended My Pal Al.
We had the lion’s share of the first half, but were overly cautious and respectful. Try as they might, Ramsey and Rosicky didn’t quite have the quality of pass needed to slip the forwards through. We lost a poor first goal. (Steve T will berate the CBs. He does it much better than me, so “no comment”). The second was an opportunist goal for Villa. Very much against the run of play but Bent took it well.
It didn’t look good. But this is Arsenal we’re talking about. The spirit, the drive, the passion was there in spades in the second half. Rosicky had his best game for yonks. Ramsey was massive. Both wingers came alive and at the back, there was the best CB buy of the decade, Koscielny. Fabianski benefited from the outing and did just fine.
The penalties were absolute dead certs, but we haven’t been given dead certs in recent games and hence three consecutive defeats. Robin Van Persie showed his class, showed his cool as he slotted home numbers 24 and 25, bring back memories of the great Ade.
In between, Theo took the wrong option but the ball ended up in the back of the net courtesy of a Hutton screw up. Magic stuff, enhanced by the sight of Sagna and Arteta coming back into the fold and Gibbsy just around the corner. A superb result that sets us up for an FA Cup and ECL double both topped up with a third place finish in the league.
Citeh, having spent gazillions are in but one competition. And they didn’t have the mismanaged summer of catastrophic lows over which some continue to gurgle in their underpants.
Wasn’t a bad game
EXCELLENT stuff, Holic. You hit it right on the nail there. Enjoy your well deserved sozzle.
Glorious scrambling of the ‘eck there, BtM. Enjoyed every word 😉
Facking ‘ell Holic and BtM…how do you guys do it?
BtM… I’m assuming you read the post before posting your own?!
Rules is rules 😉
GT, from the last bar;
I had a call from Arsene just five minutes ago, but had to inform him that I had played for the Sant Cugat over 40’s in the qualifying round of the Catalan Geriatrics Cup. This falls unfer UEFA jurisdiction, and so my glory days were torpedoed… 😉
Is that an open bar I spy???
I never did follow the lying grass, but was sent a few of Piers Morgan’s tweets today. His knees jerk more readily than Harry’s eyelids. Such a weak-willed and cowardly attention seeker I have never encountered before.
Typifies the ‘hard of thinking’ that choose to attach themselves to a great club.
Think AW planned it this way – draw the boos out of them that were looking to do it at HT – then come out fighting, get a result and put a stop to it. Then win the FA Cup and the Champs League and if we can still be bothered – finish third or fourth. There i’ve said it, and i’ve been thinking it for ages and ages and ages so it must be right
UreDS!
If it isn’t, It’s on me, Catalan!
And Well Played as Per Mertesacker ‘Holic
It breaks my heart that even after today’s display of fight and talent, there are still ‘fans’ calling for Wenger’s head. Should a fightback have been avoided? Of course. But I was pleased as punch to see that this side has fightback in them.
Thanks as always ‘holic. Drinks all round for the fans.
A re-run of the game is on tv right now here in Sweden and I just saw the RvP/Cuellar incident, and there is no way RvP is deliberately elbowing Cuellar in the face. Cuellar comes in strangely low, and Robin’s elbow isn’t even raised. He’s holding his arms in a very natural position, and the ref is also very well placed and is looking at it from about five yards and it looks like he is actually about to put his whistle to his mouth to give us a free kick (presumably for Cuellar barging into Robin with little intention to play the ball) but plays the advantage.
Now to read the ‘Holic and BtM reports!
And BTM i see you made similarly modest predictions re the rest of an interesting season – that seals it surely!???!!?
The reaction of this bar seems rather reasonable this evening. We must have won. 😀
Great reports, ‘Holic and BtM.
Evening one and all.
Another balanced piece Mr.H. We saw the same game through our widescreen TVs. Such a fine line between delight and disaster. I saw, what I felt, was a superb comeback given where we were at half-time. Props to the team and the boss for making it happen. Great performances from Theo, O2TC & Rosicky today. Le Coq did well too in a non-favoured position. Onto the North East for the next round. I think we can get through.
The thinning of the crowd was the big concern for me today.
Bolton, here we come!
UTA!
You may be looking through slightly rose-tinteds there Lars. Certainly no force was applied by Robin, he didn’t swing it in, but my view was he held the elbow high to protect himself and caught the fella. I would have wanted something had it been a Villa player on one of ours.
For Mcleish to highlight it when his own side were lucky not to lose Dunne only goes to confirm what a complete and utter imbecile the man is though.
Sadly, Jokily, we’ve got to a place where an unentertaining 1-0 win, week in, week out would be MORE satisfying for too many than the highly entertaining encounter we witnessed today and last Sunday.
We won today, we should have won last weekend and throughout these 180 minutes (randomly picked from the last two games, but you’ll get my drift anyway) a squad shredded by injury played some breathtaking stuff.
The “us fans has paid us money and its fine to come along and undermine the team’s confidence by booing” mentality has begun to permeate deeply into the psyche of many of the spoiled kids who come along these days (or pay their season ticket money and don’t come along to show their disapproval/fear defeat and can’t take it) as was the case today with 60,000+ tickets sold but many of “us fans” staying at home.
This is supposed to be sport for entertainment and relaxation in our precious time off work, not some means of justifying personal under-performance by booing at others’ best endeavours.
Lurky Oliva from Last Bar, we can only hope, so Villa’s healing period can begin. God I hate his face, got cunt written all over it when I think of it in my mind… ‘shudders’
BtM @ 1, eloquent as ever 😀
‘Holic @ 7, I was actively tweeting him from about HT onwards, what killed me dead was when he was like ‘real fans like me won’t be happy at 2-0 at Half-Time’ 😆
I’m sorry, even if he is a Gooner, Lord Sugar’s more of a Spuds fan than Piersy is a Arsenal fan. I lost respect after he called for a job switch between Wenger & Mourinho, what a prentenious airhead, as funny as he is on occasion, if you can’t eat your words, shut up.
Excellent write-up per usual, no mention about Sagna’s return? I thought it was pretty momentous still, even more than Arteta’s and Henry’s (from Injury).
Going overboard about Bacary’s return can wait for Wednesday when he will surely start, Wind.
Same for Arteta.
They arrived after the much-maligned had turned around the ‘mess’ they had created. The starting eleven deserve the plaudits today.
Guess Arshavin never came on for the protection of his mental state, an astute move by Wenger.
Him and Chamakh need to get their confidence up, not only for their own prides as professional players, but also because they should both realise that they’ll be earning their wages at the Arsenal until the summer at the minimum since none of them will be sold this Transfer Window.
BtM
Superb, loved it. Always a delicious pleasure watching Poo Pong MacPlop get Egg Fu Yung on his ugly, pock-marked coupon.
F*ck you Alex. That’s twice this season and we’re going for the treble too. Hope we come back from 3-0 down next time…. ahem…. well maybe not that 😉
Indeed ‘Holic.
Oh yeah, about the Henry Returns Tour T-Shirt, no e-mail in my Inbox or Junk, should I be worried?
TS @ 22, definitely not that mate! 🙂
‘Holic & BtM: excellent posts both.
This was an odd game in so many respects. We played well for 75 minutes and really well for 15. Yet we gave up two goals, arguably against run of play but which betrayed some old weaknesses, and scored three arguably were all lucky, two penalties that on another day wouldn’t have been given (and on other days haven’t been given in similar circumstances), and a deflection off Theo that he knew nothing about. Yet, no doubt that the result was the right one on the day.
In addition to all those others at the bar have rightly praised, Mertesacker deserves a mention in dispatches, too. His play is undemonstrative but his positioning and experience make him highly effective. There was one moment this afternoon where Villa broke down the left. Coquelin was beaten or MIA. Mertesacker took half a step towards the danger, realized that if he didn’t make it or was beaten the Villa player would be clean through and bearing down on an empty penalty area, retreated to the edge of the box whence he easily cut out the cross. No last ditch heroics. Just really good defending born of knowing what to do and where to be.
A very fair and balanced report.I was at the game and totally share your distaste t the booing of Arshavin. I have seen some clowns in the red and White but I will never boo an Arsenal player in that situation.Arshavin needs total support when on the field.He is one of the most complex individuals we have encountered and despite the emergence of a great star in the Ox we need as effective an Arshavin as we can ave while he is with us.Similarly the hapless Fabianski will not be helped by the idiots who exacerbate his obvious nerves.
The Emirates is rarely a cauldron but it does need to be more intimidating for the opposition than our own players.
A special word for Ramsey.I have rarely seen a player cover as much ground as he did today,usually to great effect.he is a work in progress but I believe he will one day be a great player for our club.
Lars@12 & previous drinks, ‘Holic@17: there was contact, clearly, but it was a typical clash of a forward and a defender going for a high ball in the middle of the pitch. If McLeish thinks it deserved a red card he is just being a sore loser.
Don’t think so Wind. Hard to email Teeshirts 😉
I will check tomorrow on the progress.
Apologies.
The Emirates is rarely a cauldron but it does need to be more intimidating for the opposition than our own players.
Brilliant.
Sums the place up, on occasion.
TTG@26: every team needs a midfielder who does the thankless donkey work. Not many teams play their workhorse as the forward midfielder, though. Ramsey at the moment reminds me of the young Ray Parlour. Not many realize yet quite how good a player he is or how valuable to the team. I’ve mentioned this before at the bar, but if Ramsey was scoring goals, we’d all be hailing this as his breakthrough season.
Excellent writing Holic and BTM. Had to listen on 5 live as on a chaps ski trip to Suisse and no TV or stream available. So your reviews leaven the somewhat anti – Arsenal style of A Green.
I think this fight back could have more significance to this squad than simply keeping us in the FA cup.
A Macallan all round. Slainte.
A huge amount to agree with here tonight.
Piers Morgan is a colossal stroker, no doubt about that, although I prefer not to mention his name too often – the man is a disease who feeds on the oxygen of publicity.
Great to have Bac back. Best right back in the country. That said, young Coquelin had a fine game today and i’d hope we can squeeze in a few more starts for him in the week ahead.
Ramsey – hats off. Came out after the break and bossed that midfield for fun. No idea why there are mugs getting on his back – he has rough edges but given time and a bit of luck with injuries will become an Arsenal legend. Could still do with a breather, mind, and the little Mozart is thankfully coming into a decent run of form.
Mertesacker, slated by the brain dead ESPN commentary team, had another fine game. Really effective signing and Is helped immensely by having some pace back in the team at right full back.
Kos: pure class, what more can be said?
I still think we should be spending a few bob this week, but the manager has made it clear that’s unlikely to happen.
With that in mind I think it’s time for every Gooner to throw their weight four square behind the team and manager between now and May.
I agree fully on Rambo. He is still on the recovery trail too. We have yet to see the best of this young fella.
Evening all,
Enjoy your sizzling ‘sozzled’ session ‘holic.
Heavy work commitments have curtailed my drinking in this fine establishment, thankfully there’s just time for a quick drink before I hit the sack.
Just one question:
Why did we have to go two goals down before we played with urgency, fire in our bellies and at a high tempo?
N7G@32: as per my @25, agree 100% about Mertesacker. Blessed with not having to hear the ESPN commentary, I never had any doubts about how fine a game he had.
Holic and BtM: great reports!
Ned and Holic: I have looked at it several times, and the one at fault is definitely Cuellar and so thought the referee. He doesn’t go for the ball at all, he barges into Robin and Michael Jones sees it all perfectly from five yards and is without a doubt about to give us a free kick (he starts to move his hand towards his mouth to blow the whistle) but the ball falls to Rosicky so he plays the advantage. This also means that as the ref saw it and did not act on it then if the FA has any consistency at all in their actions, they can not do anything about it even if it had been a deliberate elbow to the face.
Haha ‘Holic, many thanks 🙂
Damn.
Embedding disabled.
http://youtu.be/QGdCJeSu82Q
Oh, and I agree with Ned about Mertesacker. Really solid all game.
Thundertiny@26: spot on. Agree with every word.
The belly full of nerves has turned into Guinness lite..a shot for all at the bar!
It makes me sick to the pit of my stomach when the fair weather fans boo the team. If they hate the team that much they should stay away from the Emirates and let fans who are prepared to get behind the team come to games. Anyone who supported the team during the dark days of the sixties when we never looked like winning anything will tell you that we cheered the wins but NEVER booed the team off. Some young fans have had it too easy in recent years.
Lars@36: the only weakness in your argument — “if the FA has any consistency”…
Geoff @ 34 teknikally that was 3 questions overall..
And to try to answer your questions – sometimes sport goes like that – and the rare joy on this occasion was that we were able to come from so far back, against premiership rivals at a time when the team/manager/club were under a bundle of pressure from all sides – including our own. A great cup-tie what we won!!! Shomething to shelebrate shurely in shuch shircumstances – no!!??
Ned: I am very well aware of that weakness, unfortunately.
Geoff @ 34, I was honestly asking myself that question at Half-Time and in the beginning of the 2nd half. Hopefully the team and manager themselves will find the answer to that question.
NBN @ 35, same here, I was shouting at the screen when he his goal-bound header was cleared off the line, the only worry about him that he’s the only post Old Trafford signing not to have scored, but at this rate it will come sooner than later, cos he’s a badass Mertesacker! 🙂
Interesting little Twitter exchange earlier with @ArsenalMedTeam, who are in fact Not the Arsenal Med Team 😉
Fancy running out to…
After the wife and kid have gone to bed tonight I get to watch the game on the DVR. It helps already knowing the result though. 🙂
I can imagine it ‘Holic, you’d start walking out from about 0:22 to ‘whoever (for whatever team we’d be playing at the Ems), & The Arsenal!!!’ That would be so epic after coming back from a CL away game or something 😀
Guess who just got back today… (8)
Unfukkinaccuntinceptaloadofukkinbolloxable!!!!!!
I REFUSE to watch shite like that. Left at half-time!!!!!!!!
Heh!
Lovely, LeG. Lovely.
🙂
LeG Rash, priceless:)
Our “more illustrious rivals in Manchester” will harldy be envying us. I’m sure we would all much rather be serious Premier League title contenders and be guranteed Champions League football next season.
I am sober, should be a sleep already but thought it’d be rude not to read this blog.
And then I drank these 54 drinks. Too many good posts to quote.
Very small turnout of ‘holics but top man snowy brought us the luck.
Good night all. Bust day tomorrow but at least I should be in decent mood, maybe tired but not hungover.
Ok I’ll add one last one : great post at 55 ‘holic though i suspect you’ll edit it and make me look like a fool 😀
Toooo quick you are. Well it’s still great
Bust day? Heh. Busy of course
Yeah Toolsy, I’d much rather hope to be just in the Champions League next season than be in with a chance of winning it now.
Where is the rolleyes emoticon for these fucking braindeads?
Toolsy, of course they’re envying us. We’re STILL IN the ECL THIS year. They can only lick windows while they look through and wonder at the “Club in Crisis”
Live in the here and now. The future will take care of itself. We’ll qualify anyway. Nae sweat.
Manure are not serious PL challengers. Citeh will win the league.
Ollie, you mean ‘good man Snowy’.
old, play nicely with the pets I allow you…
Nice to be on the winning side again.
Have just watched what purported to be highlights on ITV London. I don’t know why they bother. Lucky if they showed 10 minutes of the game but still allocated time to have a silly joke about the groundstaff mowing the lawn in the background post match. Cringe-worthy stuff.
Nice post Holic and the inimitable BtM. Can’t believe you are STILL pining over Adepaywhore, by the way 😉
Think I’ll go and see if I can find Feelgood for a couple before closing.
UTA
Miss Jacks enjoyed sitting in your seat today ‘holic, thanks.
Her 100% record is still intact.
Think about it
😀 @ 55
Scene: Intergalactic Spaceship Farket on a scouting mission to Earth is preparing to beam Gooner Tarray – the ship’s disposable person who is designated to beam down to uncharted territory because he is basically disposable – into what it believes to be a quiet section of the capital city on a small island off the French coast of the North Sea…the instruments are knackered after 2-light-year journey:
Captain: Now do you understand that we can’t exactly be sure where you will land but we are fairly certain it will be quiet…ship’s computer says its some kind of book depository called a Library…as you know we will have to beam you naked…but you will be cloaked for 2-minutes after landing..that means you will have to transform into an Earthling within that time OK?
GT: Yes Capitain. Find an Earthling and assimilate within 2-minutes or I am Farked..
Captain: Remember to keep your communicator open on all channels. Goodbye Tarray and good luck!
(Gooner Tarray is beamed down inside the Emirates Bar and quickly realizes that he is in the wrong place. Instead of a quiet book depository he is amidst a throng of inebriated Earthlings clad in what appears to be battle garments and war paint. Without delay he selects his target – a male of the species, mid aged, and looking very nervous – and assimilates his body just in time..)
GT: Good. So far so good. Now to switch on my communicator. This Earthling seems a little unsteady on his feet but he looks unremarkable in every way so I will be able to blend right in…
(But as soon as his first objective is accomplished he is faced with his first crisis…one of the Earthlings is attempting to communicate with him)
Earthling: Yer fucking pissed you cunt and the game hasn’t even started yet…come on we’ve got to find our seat…come on…
GT (Furiously trying to find the correct channel looks confused) er nab, nab, coor nab, nab..HICK!
Earthling: Oh come on…you do this every time Gareth..now you’ll probably fall asleep again and have to make up shit for the blog tomorrow…by the way how’s your bollox?
GT: Ooooh fuck, fuck, nab, nab, bollox, fa, fa, fact!
(The two Earthlings make their way through the throng of other Earthlings to what appears to be a vast out door Arena where Earthlings were engaged in some kind of ritual jumping and uttering load sounds…Gooner Tarray found this to his liking and immediately started to emulate the Earthlings behavior)
Earthling: Gareth??!! What the fuck? What the fuck you doing? Remember who you are and what you represent mate..
GT: Fuck yee..cup…cup..we’re gonna win the cup..la la la la..
Earthling: Here is our seat…sit the fuck down before you embarrass us in front of our mates…hey chaps wassup?…fucking wankers’ gonna lose today again I reckon..
Other nearby Earthing: Yea the cunts…Wenger Out! Wenger OUT!!
GT: (finally getting his communicator on the right channel) Come on UUUUUUU Reeeedddddds…
Other nearby Earthling: What’s the matter with Gareth?
Earthling: Fuck knows…he suddenly started acting strange…anyway here they come the fucking cunts…Booo, Boo, Booo, Wenger Out…
GT: (thinks to himself this Earthling seems to be insane. I may have to neutralize him before he blows my cover)…
Earthling: (shouting) See no fucking end product. Tippy-fucking-tapping football you poofs! Boo, Boo
(Gooner Tarray locating his Neutralizer aims it at the Earthling and lets off a blast…the Earthling staggers back falling into his seat with a surprised look frozen on his fame..)
Other Nearby Earthling: Fucking ‘ell Carlos what’s happening? You look paralytic mate..
GT: Paralytic yes..fuck him…come on you reds…
(All of a sudden the whole arena goes quiet – except for a small group of other Earthlings in the far corner)..
GT: What has occurred?
Other Nearby Earthling: They’ve only gone and let one in haven’t they! Fucking cunts…Boo…spend some fucking money..
GT: What da Fuck..is that bad? And how is spending some money now going to help?
Other Nearby Earthling: Uh?
(Gooner Tarray looking around for a better vantage point to view the players sees that there are some quiet, sad looking Earthlings a few rows down. He sees that there are vacant seats among them. He makes his way towards them…just as all the Earthlings fall quiet once more – except of course that little group of noisy cunts over in the corner…Curiously he thinks to himself…I am developing a distinct dislike for those Earthlings…)
<<<>>>
Neighbour, your point being? 😉
Oh my, GT, I shouldn’t snigger, but…
LeG Rash @ 49, hahaha 😆
‘Struggles to remove grin’
Toolsy @ 54, I’d like to ask you, what kind of FA Cup holders get turned out of the competition in the 3rd round? Maybe those in the 2nd or 3rd divisions, but surely not the reigning (former) champions!? And at home!?! Embrassing indeed. 😳
GT @ 66, you pitched a curveball there, or should I say bowled a spinner? 🙂 Had no idea you were going for Gareth the Cunt and Whathisface, impressive indeed 😉
Does the anthology of your best rest in the pipeline?
Oldgooner #60: Yes we’re still in the CL and they’re not. But they’re still in the PL and we’re not. What difference?
The bottom line is that our friends in Manchester will be playing Champions league football next season with the PL trophy in one of their cabinets, whilst we’re labouring in the Europa League with an increasingly average squad of players. Or are you too “fucking braindead” to see that?
True ‘Holic, it seems that GT & Theo have swapped, Theo’s gained the end product it seems 😛
Please tell me the Arshavin booing was a joke..thought Amy Lawrence was bang on today with her assesment of what his role in the team should be in particular comparing his work rate to that of Begrkamps. Am mystified with this constant need for a villan
Fair play for returning Toolsy, but seriously, look at what you have typed again. Sad man, sad.
If anybody missed Amy’s piece today…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jan/28/arsenal-andrey-arshavin-fa-cup
…and yes, of course I love her. What Arsenal supporter doesn’t?
Oldgooner, having looked at and re-read my post, I still cannot picture any Mancunians begging us for mercy yet. Yes I agree it’s pretty sad 🙁
Props to the team for the fight back.
BUT why the fuck don’t we defend short corners properly, it’s happening repeatedly. We got away with it today but we’re NOT good enough to leak stupid avoidable goals like that.
However, there were lots of positives besides the result and the pleasure of putting one over Mcleish, everyone out there put in a pretty good shift. The worry is that we are not offering much goal threat at the moment. One goal from open play which was a fluke. Good striker please before the end of the month!
Uck, who likes a pessimist… 😐
WU@76: one reason that we got the penalties was that there were some driving runs into the box for once. I’ve been banging on here for a while about how poor our conversion rate is of the chances we create. You are right about our defending of short corners — and long ones, too.
Commendable fightback from the boys!
Nevertheless, the supporters need to get their act together. If it’s true that there were boos from Arsenal supporters when Arshavin’s name was announced, then that’s utterly disgraceful.
Arsenal Football Club need to be mindful of developing the reputation as the club with the fans that boo their own players. We might be slipping down a death trap as it relates to this booing situation.
Sooner or later,if this cancer isn’t eradicated, I think it might work against us when we try to buy good players. Oh well, I guess these same idiots doing the booing will just blame Wenger then.
‘Holic@74: the question raised by Amy’s piece is why AW bought AA. She is right that he is the sort of player around which a team has to be built, but at the time of his arrival AW was building a team round Cesc. I know AW has a propensity for converting players from one position to another, but AA has clearly proved no Pires or Ljungberg.
Once McLeish cries, I’m happy.
Time we got a bit of luck/fair refereeing.
Good on our red and white warriors for getting the job done.
London Pride anyone?
About the attendance, it might not be 60,000 at the start, but you will notice a stark contrast of attendance between first half and 2nd half (just check the highlight). So some went home at half time. Embarrassing the team didn’t get the support they badly needed after half time.
Great comeback, it’s time like this reminded us how important it is to keep the faith, and support the team.
And @piersmorgan tweet about two type of supporters made me cringed. How can we have him as a fellow Gooner?
I love you Arsenal I do.
Fuck Yeah!
Part 2:
No sooner had Gooner Tarray ensconced himself among the much quieter group of Earthlings, they all got up and started to move away….with his communicator set to “Decipher” he scanned the Arena, making sure to get a good scan on all the symbols and sounds..then he dispatched a request to the Ship…moments later he received his answer:
Ships Computer: Gooner Tarray I am assuming you will want this information relayed on the Telepath Channel?
GT: Affirmative Computer..
SC: From the data you sent it appears that you are among Earthlings engaged at one of their most sacred rituals called football…you are located at Emirates Stadium, the territory of the Arsenal Football Club…this sacred ritual is part of annual celebrations called games where large numbers of Earthlings gather to cheer teams until a conclusion is reached…according to our data banks the Arsenal is the finest exponents of this ritual on Earth..
GT: (pointing his communicator towards the still stunned Carlos and his mates a few rows away) “then why are some of these Earthlings so disagreeable?”
SC: According to our data-banks they are commonly referred to as CUNTS – no further information is available..
GT: (pointing now to the noisy group of Earthlings in the far corner) …and who are those?
SC: These are referred to as Brummie CUNTS and there are volumes of data available on them and their leader…do you want me to unload this information to your communicator?
GT: No thanks….I am beginning to form an impression of who these CUNTS are. What can you tell me about the rules – if any – of this ritual? It appears that the team in red has succumbed to the team in white and now many of the Earthlings around me have run away!
SC: No this game (as its commonly known) is of two periods. You are currently in the period between the first period and the second. The majority of the Earthlings present have gone to perform their ablutions and take on more fluids…it seems that they are easily dehydrated… You have assimilated the body of an Earthling dressed in Red & White. That means he represents the Arsenal. The small groups of CUNTS dressed in Maroon & Blue are there to represent Aston Villa a team from a small desolate part of that island known as Middle Earth…the predominant sounds you are hearing are BOOS and is a sign of discontent among the Arsenal representatives…be very careful Tarray…these Earthlings are known to be unpredictable & can sometimes resort to violence. You will have to be on your guard..Is there any more information I can give you?
GT: OK they seem to coming back. Thank you Computer. Please update the Captain of what has happened up till now..over & out.
Gooner Tarray now fascinated by the goings on around him watched as the Earthlings seated next to him started making melodious sounds and waving a piece of his Red & White garment above his head. Tarray in order not to stand out imitates the Earthling’s behavior. Soon he gets a heady feeling and a tingling sensation all over his body..
GT: This is fucking great…fuck off you CUNTS ha, ha, ha..
Earthling Nearby: Yes fuck off…Cunts…cause we are the Arsenal and we are the best…we are the Arsenal so fuck all the rest…
GT: Wheeee this is great…
(Suddenly the Earthling beside him leaped up in the air and embraced Tarray. Startled he reached for his Neutralized but noticed that all the other Earthlings around him were also engaged in embracing and shouting CUNTS.. some making signs with their hands towards the small groups of CUNTS in the far corner…and then to his delight the Earthlings broke out in the most moving and melodious sounds Tarray had ever experienced..)
GT: (using the Telepath Channel) Computer what has occurred?
SC: It appears that the Arsenal have scored a goal and that seems to have made the majority of the Earthlings extremely happy..
Tarray stood mesmerized by the team in Red as the advanced in intricate patterns using their feet to control the spherical object. The team in White retreating but succumbed at last when a player in Red advanced deep into their territory and smashed the spherical objected home…all around jumped up again…Tarray prepared this time started kissing the Earthling beside him…the Earthling looked happy and returned the kisses…the audible level of the sounds became higher
GT: Come on you Reds, Come on you Reds…
Momentarily the Arsenal team advanced again towards the territory of the CUNTS and Lo the player was upended by a big brute on the retreating side…up stepped the Arsenal player who seemed to elicit the most favorable sounds from the Arsenal representatives..he placed the Spherical object down and kicked it in the corner. The custodian of the territory was deceived and went in the opposite direction…This brought about the loudest levels of melodious sounds…Tarray truly moved joined in passionately and so passed the remainder of the game until it was brought to an abrupt ending by a shrill sound…..As Tarray observed the departing players a sense of sadness came over him…he knew that he must soon return to his ship and leave all this wonderful experience behind…Suddenly he was shaken from his reverie by the Earthling beside him:
Earthling: Look we are going over to the Tollie for a few pints..wanna join us?
Gooner Tarray: (Not quite understanding what this request entailed but sensing that it must be a continuation of the ritual said the first thing that came into his head:) Fuck yea!..
After all what could possibly go wrong on a wonderful day day like today….
<<<<>>>>
Our last 25 goals per season man, Dr Z. And capable of laying on a baker’s dozen for RVP as well, all while perfecting his celebratory dancing and pouring on the entertainment for the purists.
I’d have him back tomorrow to support the Dutch Master. Was undermined by the same classless booing by the BBB which greeted AA’s name today as I recall it. C’est la vie, as they say in Togo.
I think there’s a gliimmer of hope that I might make Villa home, QPR away and Citeh hoime. Any chance I might be able to share a wee yin with you?
GT
Re Alien encounters,
You must have plenty of time on your hands somewhere on an Island in the Carribean,to pen not 1 but 2 Mighty Posts in a very short space of time.
What with you,Edwin,BTA,Prof Tes,Shaft,Feelgood’s ‘Altered States’ mind,+ asstd other Alter Ego’s,
I think I’m the only Goody 2 shoes in the Bar.!!
Cheers
The ‘ Butter wouldn’t melt in my Mouth ‘ Sweeper.
BTM
Top Post at No 1!!
Re Ade,the only regret from me is that he had his head turned by his Agents,who promised him all manner of riches if he defected from the Arse.
Talk of AC Milan that fateful summer when his agents were prostituting his wares,and quoting bucketloads of cash,unsettled him,and fatefully all the behind the scenes chicanery,was posted on the net and in the papers for all to see.
The backlash from the fans was inevitable and made his position untenable.
What we could have achieved with him at the pointy end of our attack,doesn’t bear thinking about when you consider how close we have been in the past few seasons since he left.
As usual the grass wasn’t greener on the other side,and i am sure that Ade like many others who left the Arse for the filthy lucre,wishes he had never left.
Agents are the scum of the earth.
Cheers
The Sweeper.
@Toolsy, no disrespect but we are still in the PL—last time I checked we hadn’t been relegated. As for our friends in Manchester —sure as hell aren’t mine—playing in the CL next season and the Gunners missing out, I concede that it might happen. Then again the blue half of Manchester won’t be playing in the competition for long with FFP beginning to bite—a person would have to be “fucking brain dead” to think losing 200 million pounds a year was a good way to run a club. I’m also not sure that being 1st or 2nd in the league at the moment really makes up for having already gone out of the CL and FA Cup, two things which Wenger’s “increasingly average squad” some how managed to do. Perhaps we’ll just have to agree to disagree.
Sweatfest
Carlos is having a roti with some beef curry in a south London restaurant. He is seated facing the door and looking casually at everyone that enters the establishment. El Jefe stands across the road casually checking his Iphone while leaning against a decrepit building. Carlos checks his watch for what seems like the millionth time and wipes the sweat that has accumulated on his forehead using the back of his shirt sleeve. He regrets ordering the “Will Make A Saddhu Sweat” level of curry spiciness, but only slightly. He asks loudly for another glass of water. Shaft drives up in his black Camaro blasting “Lift Off” by Kanye West. He walks in from the street holding a silver briefcase while Carlos slurps his water in a vain attempt to stop the burning of his throat. Shaft joins Carlos at the table, places the briefcase on the floor and slides it towards Carlos using his foot.
Carlos: You took your time.
Shaft: Yeah, whatever. Great result wasn’t it? I thought having him give 2 penalties was a bit over the top but the boys did good.
Carlos: Yup, I couldn’t stop laughing at the end myself amigo.
Shaft: Me too. Anyway, the listening devices are all in the case. I gotta say I’m skeptical about this intel about Djourou. How’d you come by it?
Carlos: An anonymous tip came over the line to our man in Zurich. Apparently there was someone dispatched to countersurveil our meeting in Zurich last year. That was around the time we were having fondue remember?
Shaft: Go on.
Carlos: Turns out, there was someone there with their eyes on us that night. We pulled security footage from the traffic lights in front of the restaurant and did spot someone that seemed to be Yohan Djourou walking in soon after we left.
Shaft: Sounds circumstantial to me. Doesn’t he go home to visit his parents whenever his schedule allows it?
Carlos: I figured it wouldn’t hurt to check it out though. He did seem like a different person after his shoulder injury. Could’ve been turned…
Shaft: Alright, spike his phone and see if anything comes up. By the way, how’d your cover get blown?
Carlos: Well, while still in cover as Chief Scout at the Lane, we all got called in for an emergency meeting with Ole Twitch himself. Me, Jordan, Bond, Sherwood and that fat little twat Clive Allen were instructed to shred everything, put Rosie in her kennel, put fresh fruit in the trough for the players while he’s at court, that sort of thing. It was all going smoothly when Leg Rash walked in and started high fiving everyone. I knew I was fucked so I pretended to be getting some more pies for VanDerVaart and blew the coop.
Shaft: Ah well, our job was there was done anyway. Control’s happy at the results of Operation Twitch Off so our new orders from Command are to return to our original objective, Blatter. Does Blatter still trust our Platini?
Carlos: He shouldn’t have a reason not to. But this is Alain Prost we’re talking about.
Shaft: Hmph. We gotta get everything in place and ready to go before it all turns to sloth shit, literally.
Carlos: What does that even mean?
Shaft: …
Carlos then gets up and exits the restaurant carrying the silver case without another word. Then a voluptous Indian waitress walks up at to Shaft’s table and asks him if would like to order anything.
Shaft: I’m alright for now pretty lady. Do you mind telling me your name though?
Lady: My name is Meena. Meena Mountabooti.
Shaft: That’s a fine name if you don’t mind me saying so.
Meena: That’s a fine moustache if you don’t mind me saying so.
Shaft: If you got some time I have a few minutes and could do with a good waxing…
Shaft then pulls out his tin of Bear Grease moustache wax and shows her.
Meena: I hope you don’t mind if we use this instead for…extra thickness…
Meena then pulls out a tin of Lucky Tiger moustache wax from inside her white, curry-stained apron.
Shaft: Holy Lata Mangeshkar…
* * *
Meanwhile, Blatter and Platini (a fat Alain Prost) are having a meeting in his cave of sloths.
Blatter: I can’t believe that skinny bastard managed to beat poor little red Mac.
Platini: Well, it was a spirited performance monsieur. I enjoyed it very much.
Blatter: What was that?
Platini: Err, I mean, I was enjoying it very much during the first half but it was a shame that they came back in the second.
Blatter: That’s what I thought you meant. I thought that ref was on our payroll? You know we can’t have Arsenal doing well in the cups.
Platini: My mistake monsieur, our ref got sent to Anfield instead.
Blatter: Scheiße…what do I even pay you for? Anyway, I’m a little busy. Can’t keep my boys waiting…
We then see SAF, Pulis, O’Neill and McLeish rolling around and wrestling each other in a ring of pigshit for Blatter’s amusement. Blatter dons leather assless chaps, urinates on them and begins recording them with his 8mm film camera.
Blatter: Come on, get into it! You want my refs, don’t you?
Platini makes his way out of the cave silently, somehow managing not to vomit.
BtM @ 85
Already checking the Happy Train schedule – City looks favourite.
Hehe 🙂
http://www.theda.co.uk/2012/01/forums-and-phone-ins-saved-from-meltdown-by-arsenal-comeback.html
MASSIVE 😆 @55 (never knew Bale was so adept at riverdancing, by the way)
LeG@49: so much said in so few words, perhaps one of the best posts I’ve ever read in this bar.
GoonerTerry@various: whatever you had in your cuppa last night, I want some of the same!
BtM: if Adebayor hadn’t had let his success get to his head he could have been an Arsenal legend. But as it turned out, his head grew too big and he became a seriously disruptive influence in the dressing room. Quite sad, really.
Shaft, great stuff as usual!
i wish we was manky an’ all!
Benhan @ 82, I couldn’t discern that people had left from my stream, only that there were patches of red upturned seats in the East & West Stands, and that they grew bigger immediately after Half-Time. A shame, that was one spirited fightback from us, + our 1st home penalties of the season. If the match wasn’t televised they’d be put down as an urban muth of them being given 😆
And PiersMorgan makes me sick looking at some of his Arsenal related Tweets, I name him as the head of the Wenger Out Brigade, probably started supporting the club in May ’04 knowing him.
GT @ 84, There’s your End Product, well in man!
Shaft @ 89, when Meena brought out the Lucky Tiger wax, I was like :o, put down my phone on the bus, and took a forced break so I could recover. Shaft’s reaction was my own, one of shock and delight. 😀
Don’t be surprised if there’ll be some transfer news today.
Mainly about Barrios.
Not trying to tease or keep secrets or whatever, that really is all I know right now.
Barrios has been doing the rounds for weeks now. Some “sources” say we have had a bid rejected. Others that it has been accepted and we are in the final stages. German papers saying it will be announced today.
As I have said before, when the club announce something then I will believe it.
Yep. Bild saying the destination will be decided today as he’s got plenty of PL suitors.
PL only option though.
Others are saying he’s set for Fulham…
News should pick up later today.
Boots it long…..
Barrios huh?
That would be nice if Wenger and the club could pull it out of the bag in the closing stages, and would further support Ivan Gazidis comments to Fox Soccer yesterday about the board having money available this window.
I hear talk about Mariappa who can play at CB or RB, from Watford, who will accept £2 million. Wenger had him watched on Friday against Spurs, plausible?
Get in!
From Catalan to Wind to Snir, liquid football!
Well in lads 🙂
You couldn’t make it up. The fucktard at Le Grove moaning about the crowd booing. Who do that pair of cunts think whips up that reaction? I must be living in a parallel universe. Cunts.
BtM, another cracking read with one small fly in the ointment.
“the great Ade”?! I couldn’t disagree more strongly with your sentiments on that point.
Great he was not. A one-season flash in the pan, he most certainly was.
Other than that, spot on!
@102
Spot on.
What a pair of clueless, self-serving, hypocritical twats.
SteveT@96: I see you have the same attitude as I do in regards to transfers. If they happen, we will know about it soon enough.
Lars. A few summers back we were linked with a total of 176 players. Players we were watching, had an interest in, going to make a bid for, were signing on 24 hours etc. Hence my opinion that it is all pants until something concrete is put on the table.
Eck = that twat Phil Brown in the ‘Spitgate’ allegation.
Nothing but sour grapes from a petty little man seeking to draw attention away from his team’s momentous capitulation in a game they might have won.
Didn’t think it possible until today, but that pathetic excuse for a manager has just fallen even lower in my ‘already-Mariana-Trench-proportions’ estimation of him.
A very very strange and hectic day started with a long trip to watch number one son engage in a game of egg chasing. 4 trys, 2 hot dogs and a coffee later I am hot footing it along the M25 in a desperate bid to get him home, get sorted and head off to the Grove.
My arrival some 25 minutes before kick off was met with a general feeling of apathy. It was a big sort of “whatever” type of feeling. An almost resigned lack of interest. It was as if very few would have actually bothered if it was not for the fact that it was part of their season ticket. That just did not seem right to me, but again rather than criticise I rather pose the question, Why? Why was it like that?
The game itself was the stereotypical game of two halves. I thought we started quite brightly. Tommy V hits a thunderbolt but little else seemed to trouble Given. Then for some strange reason we decided to make things interesting by gifting Villa a goal. No idea why, no idea why we decide to catch 40 winks at these set pieces, but for some strange reason we do. A floated ball deep into the 6 yard box is left for Dunne to pop it into the roof of the net. Poor defending all round. I glance down at the front cover of the programme to the picture of a Pat Jennings towering above both forwards and defenders to make a challenge for the ball. I look a Flappy and the defence and think what might have been.
The Villa second was also poor. How we got caught on the break like that just before half time is beyond me. Again we just seemed to switch off.
The second half started as it should have. There was considerably more urgency about the whole team. It was as if we had realised that this was not a training exercise and was in fact a real game. The two pens were stone wall pens. No doubt at all. Not the first time this season that Kos has made those kind of dynamic runs from midfield either. In between was the second that was fortuitous to say the least. That said I am a firm believer that you make your own luck. For large chunks of the match Theo did nothing to suggest that his cross completion rate of 12% was not misrepresentative of his efforts. His goal owed a large amount to the work we all want to see from him.
From 3-2 I could not see Villa scoring, even with The Equaliser between the sticks. What was interesting for me was watching TH12 warm up for 20 minutes plus. Even on the side lines he kicked every ball. Every incident he seemed to analyse to death and impart his views on anyone else warming up. Not only has he been world class, not only is he a massive fan but he would also appear to be a massive student of the game.
Big plus points for me included the ever increasing presence of Kos, the cool level head of the BFG and the work rate of Tommy R. Now there is a man who has been having his Weetabix. AOC continues to also show what a bright future he has. Rambo may not be in the form of his life but for someone who could do with a breather I thought his energy was absolutely non stop. Le Coq also deserves considerable praise. However, the biggest plus has to be seeing Bacary Sagna take to the pitch again. How we have missed him.
The one negative has to be between the sticks. We still do not have a credible alternative to Woj. That not only leaves us weak but it also leaves Woj in a bit too much of a comfort zone for me.
Now, lots have mentioned the boos. I would suggest that if you do not understand why paying fans have expressed their views in that way at half time then you have never been to a game and have no emotional tie to this beloved club of ours. Football fans have evolved. It is not like the 50s/60s/70s etc. You do not turn up, pay peanuts to get in, stand with like minded individuals and then get the bus home with the centre forward. The whole game has changed. The average fan has changed and people need to grasp that fact. If you are really bored then go back over previous match day posts when we have been losing or making silly errors. Enough venom is spouted in moments of high emotion that some in the cold light of day may well regret. Holic, why were you not at the Grove yesterday? Because it was the third home game on the bounce. What was your comment re the Spuds ticket? You have reached a price ceiling. Those two comments alone sum up what the vast majority of fans feel. Going to football is not a cheap option anymore. It is bloody expensive, not just in money terms but all with the time it takes out of your personal life. These changes result in difference and less tolerance I would suggest. I hate to use the phrase but fans want value for money these days. Many Arsenal fans feel just that little bit short changed at this moment in time. Maybe this explains why tolerance levels are not what they could be. All of that said, I can in no way condone those Oxygen Thieves who deemed it appropriate to boo Arshavin as his name was read out. Such buffoonary I had hoped was something that I would never hear at the Grove. It is these fuckwits that need to take a look at themselves and quite frankly just do one.
BTM, re Ade. We have done this to death and I am very much with Clive above. He was the master of his own downfall. The crime was not in his sale, it was in the fact that he was not replaced. Top write up though.
So there you have it. We progress, the ginger sweaty has the hump and we can all smile again. Now just for more of the same against Bolton please but without bearing the gifts of yesterday.
Onwards and upwards……
Heh…
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/404559_334181949946990_272497132782139_1043634_1503651213_n.jpg
Frankly I think the people who boo would still probably boo if the tickets cost a fiver.
Morning Holics
I was an arm chair Gooner yesterday but had the advantage of the audio commentary on the A/Player.
Why we persevere with the slow passing build-ups is a mystery when we now have pace to burn on both flanks. We didn’t play badly in the first half, we were just ineffective ,despite having what must have been 65% possession.
Villa were looking dangerous on the break, Agbonlahor giving the Le Coq a hard time on their left and Bent full of running down the middle. We did have a number of corners and shots on goal in the first half but we had allowed Villa’s defence to cut down the space in the box and attempts on goal were easily gathered by Given, apart from an early strike by TV5, from a free kick outside the area, which forced the keeper into a flying save.
Villa’s goals from breakaways have been described elsewhere and both came from defensive frailties, Fabby not to blame. Half-time didn’t come too soon! The booing at the interval was not surprising in view of recent events but totally counter productive. True fans do not boo their own players!
The second-half was a revelation, I would love to know what was said in the dressing room. Suddenly we used our best assets , we attacked with pace and directness .The rewards came in that crazy spell of 7 minutes,we looked a different side and put Villa in their place. They had no answer to our driving runs which resulted in the spot kicks. RVP did the rest and Theo scored the comedy goal of our season.
We may have rescued our season, showing that self belief that has been lacking since Christmas, should help our cause at Bolton but this is the Arsenal and we have been here before. Everything is crossed for Wednesday.As for the RVP elbowing incident , I am afraid it passed me by.
See you all at the Ems on Saturday. As always COYRs
Excellent job Steve T & Deila, that makes 3 excellent summaries from 3 different perspectives, more of the same please 😉
Lars, a mahoosive HEH! @ 109 😀
When Arsenal went down 0-2 on the stroke of halftime, I immediately thought of 2 strikingly familiar matches with Villa. The first was during the 98-99 season. Bergkamp scored a great goal in the 45th minute at Villa park to put Arsenal up 2-0. Villa then scored 3 second half goals to win. In the 2001-2002 season, Villa came to Highbury and led at halftime 2-0 (not sure if the second goal was late in the first half, but it could have been). I don’t need to tell you Arsenal triumphed 3-2 that day. So I was confident at halftime yesterday that history would repeat yet again….erm
Steve, a good read @108. I do want to slightly disagree on the goalkeeping issue, though. Very few teams (if any) in the league has a second-choice keeper who is on par with their number one – at least where the first-choice is not also pants. Keepers are also different from outfield players in that they (in most cases) actually benefit from being in a comfort zone because knowing that they are the first choice allows them to stay calm which of course is extremely important for a keeper. A keeper can also not hide behind his team mates like, say, a winger can so he is under constant scrutiny anyway which in most cases keeps them on their toes anyway.
I also don’t think Fabianski was that poor yesterday. There was that situation where the ball took a rather wicked bounce (note, though, that the bounce wrongfooted Bent just as much as it did Fabianski) but other than that I can’t say I saw too much wrong with his performance. Maybe, just maybe, he should have been able to deflect the Bent shot before their second for a corner kick, but the shot came from quite close and was hit really hard so I can’t blame him too much for that one. And in the second half especially he came out for a couple of crosses where he clearly communicated well with the defenders because they moved to give him space. There was also one rather difficult cross in the first half from a free kick that did quite well to reach and punch away in a rather tight situation.
Agreed Lars @114, I don’t think Fabianski had a bad game. It’s really harsh to criticize his performance yesterday as in my opinion he shouldn’t be held responsible for the goals conceded.
Arrrgh Just realised the Newcastle games been put back to a Monday bloody gits – have my tickets and choose that one for the Fact it was a sat at 3pm, That reminds me why i shelved the ST !! On a brighter note also got tickets for Charlton Orient should be a good day 🙂
I also don’t feel too badly about Fabianski’s performance but he was dwelling on the ball so much at the beginning. You could see from the get-go he wasn’t going to get time on the ball but he seemed to dilly-dally a lot in the first 30 minutes. Bent’s finish for the second on the rebound was amazing though, pure skill
As always – we win, and just the regulars are here.
We lose, and BBB’s can’t stop their little fingers. What’s the matter boys? Scared of being happy? 🙂
Afternoon All ,
Great Report Holic , and a word of thanks to BtM for not only a masterful drink @1 , but also that some back-drinking has revealed his very wise interjections during the game itself .
Prior to the game , the announcement that Fabianski would start gave the Spoilt and the Poisonous another excuse to give further vent to their outrage and their wholly misplaced superiority complex . Those of a more understanding and altogether more perceptive take on both the challenges that AFC now face and the hole in which , prior to the game , AFC found themselves in , merely crossed all fingers and toes and clutched their rabbits feet ever tighter .
So then , onto the game itself . A game of two halves ? Not really no . Sure , we upped the pace in the second half , we looked hungrier , more resolute and more enterprising , but it should not be underestimated just how much goals change , not just the scoreline , but also the game itself .
In the first half , Arsenal had zipped the ball about pretty well , I thought . Both AOC and Theo had shown pace and desire through the flanks , Rosicky passed and probed , Coq dealt very well on the whole with the tricky customer that is Agbonlahor , TV5 looked far more comfortable and attack minded than he had done last week , whilst Koscielny continued to look imperious in everything he did .
Those that state we offered nothing other than a TV5 thunderbolt strangely ignore Theo’s commendable decision to stay on his feet after a cynical scythe only to ultimately blast wide , Ramsey’s quick feet in the area which drew a fine save from Given , AOC’s instant control and half-volleyed shot which displayed a technique which can’t be taught , and a fine interchange of passing which fashioned a shooting chance for TR7 , with which he might have done better . Hey ho , I guess you see what you want to see .
Villa’s goals were depressingly familiar . A switch off at a corner which exposed Ramsey to a 2 v 1 situation , and then out muscled from the resultant cross , followed by a lightening quick breakaway which was actually a very good goal in both its inception and it’s execution . To blame Fabianski for either goal is incredibly harsh , and surely is borne out of memories of previous mishaps , rather than what actually occurred yesterday .
2 down at HT , and off to a chorus of boos . During the interval I was left to my own ruminations . Another week of having to defend the Club and the manager from those who are only too happy to both swallow and contribute to a media driven agenda of a Club in crisis , loomed large . It was not a happy prospect .
The most dangerous enemy is the enemy within . Their numbers are swelled with every set-back , their pronouncements ever more vitriolic with each game that does not go to plan . Time surely to stand up to these people , time surely for the silent majority to reclaim the ground . Those that rationalise what these people are doing or make excuses for their idiocy , simply don’t get how counter-productive their actions are . Are they helping the Team ? Of course not . Are they making the already difficult job of the Manager that much harder ? Of course they are , for that is their agenda . Are they making it easy for the wider media to portray us as a Club in meltdown ? You bet . Do they make us look a laughing stock , a group of fans that no longer deserve the Club we are privileged to support ? Absolutely .
We were an unproductive 45 minutes away from the lunatics taking over the asylum yesterday . Make no mistake , there is only so much stick a man as erudite as Arsene will take before he walks . Time for every Arsenal fan to ask themselves is that what they really want ? It is madness . Time to take ’em on . Zero tolerance .
Back to the game , and the players showed what some of the crowd failed to recognise – a basic understanding that had we lost yesterday , the boos and the condemnation would have been used to further destroy the reputation of one of the few sensible voices left in the game , a man of vision , intelligence and honour .
Whatever the reasons , Arsenal looked half a yard quicker than Villa
. Song and Ramsey , tentative in the first half exerted a vice like grip on the game , which they never really threatened to loosen . Rosicky , the little Mozart , looked every inch the conductor . RVP was suddenly at the heart rather than the periphery , and Theo gave Warnock , of England lest we forget , a torrid 45 . I’ve given Theo stick the last couple of months , so only fair to doff my beany hat when he has an afternoon where he delivers .
An early goal was crucial . Theo , Ramsey and TV5 all went close before the first of two stonewall penalties arrived . My only observations on the goals were that one is unlikely to see 2 better penalties all season , Theo deserved his bit of luck , and Kos’s run bore all the hallmarks of Rudi Krol in his pomp . Only a matter of time before Kos starts belting them in from 40 yards .
2-0 down , 3-2 up within 7 breathless minutes . The world suddenly looked a better place . Arteta replaced a flagging Rosicky and brought his usual dose of calm to the proceedings . Only one scare when a piece of defending as inept as that which lead to their first goal resulted in a free header which thankfully was straight at Fabianski .
And so by the end , the boos were replaced by cheers . Thank God for that . However , no-one should doubt that the toxic atmosphere persists , and that it is merely postponed until the next time the oppo have the temerity to win a game against The Arsenal , and put these people’s noses out of joint .
Fight back , you’re either with us or agin us .
A 5th round tie in the North East ? Why eye mon !
Off to do the back-drinking .
Lars @ 114: I was also going to pick that same bone with Steve T @ 108. Thanks it saves me the trouble. I also agree with Delia but would adjust her comments to: “Real fans SHOULD never boo their own players”. To Steve T I would say that I understand the financial sacrifices a fan has to make these days , and I do respect his views normally, however I can not understand how he – and others – don’t understand that booing your own players is counter-productive (it reminds me of those people who kill their own children because they claim that they love them!). The visiting team must get such a boost when they hear the boos ringing out. I hear what you say about the nature of the changes as well as the fans…but if this is what it is changing to then our great game (and our great club) will die on the vine I am afraid. This makes me very sad indeed…)0;
Glass half-full then?
Well said, tabs. Have a drink on my tab!
tabs @ 119, “Fight back , you’re either with us or agin us .”
Excellent words, couldn’t be truer.
TABs @ 119: Wow! Nectar for the spirit my main man…that is pretty much how I saw the game myself. I would only qualify that both Villa goals were excellent and would have beaten most teams. For the first – a well worked short corner and out-swinging cross – was met by an excellent header from Dunne climbing all over Kos. I have said on here before that I believe that we should be executing the short corner more with RvP receiving and delivering the out-swinging cross to the middle / or far side of the six-yard box. The short corner will also unclog the box as defenders can’t afford to pack the box..Their second – and best goal of the game – was classic Arsenal so no one should imagine that that goal was not of the highest quality..
As for the rest: you know that I am with you 100% my friend as I have said again & again, and above…Keep up the good work because coming from the likes of me – who no longer attend games – it sounds inauthentic, but coming from a man like you, who spend just as much money as the rest of them, people are more likely to listen to you…
“A floated ball deep into the 6 yard box is left for Dunne to pop it into the roof of the net. Poor defending all round. I glance down at the front cover of the programme to the picture of a Pat Jennings towering above both forwards and defenders to make a challenge for the ball. I look a Flappy and the defence and think what might have been.”
“We still do not have a credible alternative to Woj.”
If you think the above is me being over critical of Flappy then I guess we will have to agree to disagree. I do not think he had that bad a game. I just do not think he is good enough. I saw nothing yesterday to change that opinion. His distribution 4/5 times in the first half either put us under pressure or gave the ball away. From watching the back four it is clear to see a whole different air of confidence when he plays instead of Woj. There is a nervousness about the whole operation.
I have just watched the first goal again to see if I was too harsh. I do think he has to take a certain amount of the blame. The ball is floated into the 6 yard box. Dunne wins the header at the back post and only 3/4 yards out. Personally I expect my goalkeeper to get something on that. As I said, just my opinion. Hands up all those that would feel confident if Woj was to get injured and miss the rest of the season????????
GT. I have never once suggested that booing your own players is either right or productive. Far from it. All I suggest is that it is an emotional reaction by fans. Those that descend into torrents of vitriolic abuse have no place. But we know fuck wits exist in all walks of society, not just football grounds. Human nature alone means that there will be different opinions. The way some are expressed may leave a lot to be desired. But as I said above, I would suggest that to ignore them is foolish.
My opinion was that the crowd reaction yesterday was generally positive. Yes there are idiots, there always will be. But generally, from block 4 anyway the reaction was loud and positive. That alone after a season of some turmoil is a positive that trumps the fuck wits.
As I said, just my humble opinion of course. Nothing more, nothing less.
Sorry. Can I just suggest people check out the Villa second goal again. Yes it is a decent break but is should have been halted by the half way line. Our centre backs are stranded up field. The rest are pulled all over the place. Again, if you think we defended that well then again we will have to agree to disagree.
Good right up Tabs. A tad over rose tinted in places for me but I agree with large amounts of your post.
Just saying like. 🙂
BtM @18 – Absolutely on the money . Agree with every perfectly placed word .
Ned @25 – Agree with your comments re the Bfg . The media are now pursuing their own agenda , and couldn’t wait to highlight the one time he got dragged out of position . It is preconceived and ignores the reality that the Bfg had a quietly effective game , and got very close to his oh so elusive first goal . Also agree with your thoughts on Ramsey @30 .
N7 @32 – A very fine post and a conclusion that every true Gooner must both applaud and endorse .
LegRash @49 – Brilliant . Sums up the stupidity much better in one sentence than I managed in a paragraph .
Holic @55 heh 🙂
GoonerTerry @66 and @84 – Heh , what did you put in your pipe last night ? 🙂
Just one thought though . Why is Carlos being castigated as a booer ? Head of Security on The Happy Train shoots booers , no questions asked . A booer he is not .
Holic @74 – Great link , superb stuff from Amy . Those that booed Arshavin yesterday should have it force-fed to them .
Clive @87 – Have to agree with you and others . Adebayor brought it on himself . Don’t think he was dealt with that harshly by the crowd , notwithstanding his non-appearance in his last year . That his name was no longer sung was entirely understandable given that he was making eyes at every Tom Dick and Harry .
Shaft @89 – Heh 🙂
Steve T @108 – In response to the question posed in your second paragraph , the answer would appear to be quite simple . A recent downturn in results , a downgrading of the FA Cup , and cost . I think it depends on whether you approach the question with a glass half full or a glass half empty stance . Arsenal still got the biggest crowd of the weekend , notwithstanding the above . Why ?
Enjoyed your match report .
On the booing however , we could not be further apart . You state ;-
” I would suggest that if you do not understand why paying fans have expressed their views in that way at half time then you have never been to a game and have no emotional tie to this beloved club of ours.”
Really ? Surely you are not serious . I have been to far too many games down the years and have developed a far greater emotional tie than is perhaps healthy . I have never booed and your assertion that I lack an emotional tie because I neither boo nor condone it , is frankly insulting .
I would go further . Those that booed at HT made a conscious premeditated decision to do so if things were not going to plan . It had nothing to do with “showing your passion ” , and everything to do with “me , me , me !” Those that took that decision betrayed their lack of understanding of what Arsenal are , where we have come from and and what we now represent , their lack of comprehension of what forces Arsenal now battle and the precarious position we now find ourselves , their wholly distorted view of what constitutes support , and their wilful blindness to where this behaviour might lead .
I’m with Charlie . I’m not convinced it had much to do with cost , though agree it might be an aggravating factor . The booers were around in the seventies and the eighties , save that they did not come out on a weekly basis . If they think their expenditure entitles them to actively undermine the Club , then they should keep their money in their pocket and treat their partner to a night at the Cinema instead , with enough money left over for a cheap Mexican afterwards . We are better off without them .
Lars @109 – Heh 🙂
Delia – Nice report , and Lars , good stuff on the goalkeeping issues .
Right , I need a lie down .
Songinho strikes again. That pass to Ramsey for the first pen was a thing of beauty in it’s weight and precision.
Steve T @127 – There was you being nice , and there was me having a pop . Oh dear , apologies . I fear the emotional tie thing rather got to me . Agree with what you say in regard to the booing @125 .
Have a drink on me Sir .
GT , Lars Wind – Cheers for the kind words .
I’ve only read the first 30 drinks so far, so –
good rports ‘Holic and BtM.
What I would say, as one who was in the crowd – and Wind, I paid £150 for daughter amd me, not £50 !! – albeit a diminished one, was that after the cerebrally challenged had booed the team off at half time, the rest of us shouted / sung / willed that team to overhaul the Villa in the second half.
The atmosphere in the stadium during the second half was great.
Boo – work again, finish this later 🙁
tabs
Great work above.
I agree re: the booing, but find myself wondering if part of all this isn’t simply a reflection of the fact that it’s very, very difficult for any club to fill a football stadium with 60,000 genuine, honest-to-god, died in the wool “supporters”. Especially when the tickets are as dear as they are these days.
That’s part of the reason why we’ve struggled to get a proper atmosphere going at the new stadium (bar a few memorable occasions), and now it’s part of the reason that we get the “customers” booing.
If all the negativity were a reflection of “passion” then we would be one of the noisiest and most energetic crowds in the country. Clearly (to me at least), we’re not, so it’s curious that this passion only appears to regularly manifest itself in a negative manner.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s a majority of fans in that stadium who are fully behind the team and can’t be faulted (god knows our away support is as good as can be found across the country), but we’re being let down by a minority of tourists who are just passing through.
The fans might occasionally signal their annoyance with a bit of negativity here and there, a “spend some fucking money” and so on, but it’s the tourists, led by coward cheerleaders like Piers Morgan and the two simpletons over at you-know-where, who think it’s acceptable to boo Arsenal players and fling open hostility at the club’s most successful manager of all time while at 1-1 in a crucial match against our biggest rivals.
pipe, anyone?
Tabs. Read what I put again. I do not agree with it either. I just said you have to understand it and to dismiss it out of hand I feel is wrong. For the record I did not boo at half time either. I let out a big sigh and went to have a leak. To right the evil surely you have to understand the evil?????
Happy to share a drink with you anytime. Perhaps, just some of yours at 128 is that emotion that I was talking about??? As I said, we all have emotions. How some are expressed, especially at the ground I would like you question unreservedly. And have done so on more than one occasion I would add.
Beers all round.
(back drinking like crazy…so much good stuff…the other blogs won’t get a look-in today I’m afraid..)
Holic: for you http://youtu.be/wq1JJvxjbYc
Wind @ 71: I’d gladly swap my “end product” with Theo permanently if it meant him playing like he did in the second-half every week..
Clive @ 86: Heh…you a Goodie2Shoe..erm OK them…Cue Harry Corbett again…(0;
CoR @ 89: wonderful stuff…
N7 , Cheers .
Sensible stuff above . It would need greater brains than mine to explain the complex reasons for the increase in negativity that has resonated around the Stadium recently .
Some perhaps are obvious and relate specifically to Arsenal – the increase in cost at the same time as a perceived lack of spend and a trophy drought , the failure of the Club to adequately explain to the fanbase the financial position .
Some are more general and I think are borne out of societal change .I’m not convinced it can all be laid at the door of the “new fan” . To suggest that it never went on at Highbury is I think to look at the past through rose-tinted glasses .
The affectations of Piers Morgan and the self-serving hypocrisy of Le Grove , would in years gone by have been dismissed as the nutter in the pub who doesn’t really get it . Nowadays they have a ready made platform , to an audience of thousands , some of whom will agree with them . The dissatisfaction feeds on itself , becoming self-sustaining and with its own momentum , and notwithstanding any evidence to the contrary that doesn’t fit with their pre-conceived notion of where the Club is going wrong . I think to a certain extent we shall all have to get used to periodic explosions of discontent when things go wrong .
Whether we like it or not, tabs, many of our problems often appear self-inflicted, not least going to sleep (again) at a set piece for the first goal.
This is just one of many things that punters get frustrated by, and I’m like Steve, whilst not one to participate in it, myself, understand where it originates from.
I was out yesterday and only caught part of the live commentary on Five Live. I left the car at 4:35 when Alan Green said Villa had offered nothing, then got back in the car 15 minutes later to find out we were 2 zip down at Half Time. I found myself cursing vehemently and I wasn’t even there!
My point is that we could remove some of the frustration if we could learn from mistakes, no?
TABs @ 128: Carlos is code for Pedro…sorry I made a slight error – should have used the [name withheld] tag when I couldn’t recall the other cunt…(0;
Steve T @134 ,
Agreed . Cheers for the beer . 🙂
And er TABs…I use only the finest Westmoreland-grown organic herb in my pipe…
Dr Z , I think I’ve said enough for one afternoon !!! 🙂
Of course I understand the frustration . I , like you and every other supporter , shared it . What I refuse to understand is why some decide to express that frustration in ways that can only undermine the Club they profess to support .
I am absolutely shattered. didn’t sleep well, good thing I was completely sober as I don’t think I could have handled today otherwise.
Actually a massive thanks to The Arsenal, I couldn’t have handled it if we’d lost either…..especially as it turned out that the English guy accompanying the customer…..is a Villa fan! 😀
Good lad though, and, of course, like most of them he hates McLeish too.
Everything went well though, it was just the mental strain, I’ve been sleep all day and had to talk through most of it.
GT @138 and 140 – Understood on both counts . 🙂
And I mean ‘sleepy’. On the positive front though, I though I’d be mumbling and pronouncing everything wrong but I was mostly OK.
‘thought’ not ‘though’, see, I can’t even muster the strength to type all the characters…..
I need to see a doctor sharpish Stan Collymore yes Stan Collymore has written a piece although it’s only a couple of lines but I forgive him as he is Stan Collymore praising the Arsenal away fans saying they are among the best and loudest around I really need a lie down !!!
http://www.francefootball.fr/#!/news/2012/01/30/124730_sagna-j-avais-les-larmes-aux-yeux.html
Awww, bless him.
When I saw that Aneka extended his loan with Stevenage, i thought ‘hooray, he’s going to put them to the sword’. But now I see he’s uneligible (why? :s). Cunts.
Aneke. Not a cross between Anelka and him.
Snir???
Tell us about this Eisfield kid we seemed to have signed from Dortmund! 😉
Ollie never fear a Luke Freeman hatrick will do the trick !!
Good point, Chippy!
Right, really really tired but I can go home now.
Before I leave, blimey, I see that Eboué has scored!
Ollie@147: what does Sagna mean by “les poumons qui me brûlent”. I understand the literal translation but is it idiomatic, as you might say in English ‘my heart was racing again’?
From the official FA Twitter account:
“The referee has confirmed he saw the incident involving Robin Van Persie and therefore the Arsenal forward faces no further action.”
I would have preferred it to say “Alex McLeish can just go do one, the unbearable twat – we will not be looking at the incident in a million years” but I’ll accept the official version too.
Lars@155: McLeish should be charged with wasting FA time.
I am pleased they showed the game on ESPN, if it was shown on Sky SSN would have been showing RVP’s alleged elbow every 5 mins pressuring the FA to take action.
They only showed the genric after game rant by Thick Eck, Phew!
Ned: he definitely should.
And it’s quite funny how these proponents of “roughing them up”, “showing them we’re there”, “it’s a man’s game”, “next they’ll be banning tackles” et cetera ad infinitum always start screaming blue murder as soon as the so-called “softies” bite back a bit.
Friendship money paid to an employee? Please give me a break.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jan/30/milan-mandaric-harry-redknapp
8 ball. It’s all true. I have from a very reliable source. A close friend of mine was told the full facts by arry’s goldfish. Honest…..
Steve, Didn’t arry’s dog eat the goldfish before he was able to spill the beans??
As usual, a well measured volley from the ‘holic. It occurred to me while reading this that just over a year ago we participated in a match where the away team went into the break with a healthy advantage in goals, only for two penalties for the home side to turn the match on it’s head, in front of a noisy crowd.
Now there are certainly differences to this match and our capitulation to Newcastle last season, but I sincerely hope the reversal of fortune regarding the result sees a similar reversal in our form after the result.
We have big matches coming up in short succession and after a January with no league points gained we need the shot in the arm this kind of turnaround can provide, both on the pitch and in the stand. It’s a bumpy ride so far this season, but some times it really is good fun.
I suppose McCleish has forgot how one of his players gave Kos a slap around the head after they scored at the end of the League Cup Final?
I haven’t.
Hope his fucking head explodes.
Ollie: “I though I’d be mumbling and pronouncing everything wrong but I was mostly OK”….Or so you thought dear boy, or so you thought…(0;
Booing has been around forever.
I remember when the Christians played the Romans in the day,it was the Colisseum Cup Final and Jesus was having a stinker.!!
John the Baptist was ruling the roost in midfield,and 3 times he played Jesus in on goal with sublime passes only to see him fuck up all 3 chances.!!
The crowd were giving Jesus a hell of a time,booing him every time he touched the ball,you could see the confidence draining out of him with every passing minute.
You could hear the crowd yelling out, ” fishes and loaves,you’re havin’
a laugh aren’t yer.”
and another,’ you’re not fit to carry the Cross you tosser ”
After Jesus was mercifully substituted,his Father explained to his chastened Son that, ” People pay their money and are entittled to voice their opinion, that’s their right.”
” They don’t stop to think of the corroding effect it has on the target of their anger,only that it makes them feel better for doing it.
The only consolation for you my Son is that many many many lifetimes from now,the same thing will still be happening to some other poor souls who are trying their best,but are being constantly villified by the crowd,who don’t understand that 2 negatives don’t make a positive.”
” It is easy to cheer when things are going well,but it seems it is much harder for people to cheer and encourage when things are going wrong.”
” Such is Life”
Wise words Clive 🙂
8 ball. My understanding is that a cat burglar saved nemo from a fate worse than death.
Clive. Same thing is happening today. I have sympathy with big J. 2000 years on and we still can’t deal with a cross.
The mancs were way ahead of us. 30 plus years ago they bought Moses with the single aim of getting crosses over to Jordon.
Steve T – heh 🙂
If Biblical orthodoxy is to be believed , then big J didn’t once “score” in 33 years . That would have tested the patience of any set of fans .
But TABs its not unusual for the “Saviour” not to get among the goals…after all how many Goalkeepers do that? (0;
Tabs. Do you think Chamakh is religious then? He may have taken the big J non scoring bit a tad too seriously for my liking.
🙂
GT – very true .
Steve T – All is now explained . Chamakh’s non-scoring is down to a religious epiphany 🙂
So Clive, you must have seen him. Was he really a white fella with a beard?
Holic
Contrary to popular myth,no he wasn’t.
He was actually Coffee Colored, sank a pint in less time than it took to blink, was hung like a horse, and shagged every Hand Maiden he could lay his hands on.!!
Just like any young bloke really.!!
By the By,
April April is having some T shirts made up for the Big Hand Job Expo up the Cross on Saturday night,on the front she is having printed the words,
Your Rod in My Hand
Means Only One OutCum
That girl will go far.!!
She is also experimenting with a new grip she has invented,
It’s called the ‘ Front On Double Handed Death Grip ‘
Only problem is,their have been several Cardiac Arrests among the
OAP’s on her books that she has being trying it out on.!!
So a bit of fine tuning may be in order.
I will keep you posted.
Cheers
Clive
AND – I may have REFUSED to watch or listen to ANY of the so-called second-half on SUNDAY, but I REFUSE to let that stop me forming an entrenched and enormously MASSIVE negative opinion about what I can only describe as an utter farse: THE TRUTH is we got LUCKY. If you IGNORE the 3 goals we scored in that second half we’d have lost that game 2 nought. FACT! And that’s not acceptable in MY opinion. Double FACT!!
🙂 🙂
I note that with 45 mins to go to TDD , Snir is unusually quiet . One can only assume that one of April April’s girls has gone to work on him and has worn the poor chap out !
Leg – Succint as ever 🙂
I think Snir is on the phone to Podolski as I type.
Heh 🙂
Hehe, LeG Rash @174: Brilliant! I always thought tabs was LeG Rash though?
As for this talk about the Saviour, I don’t know if he is the second coming as yet but Baby Jesus Jack Wilshere needs to come out of the cradle and get cracking on parting the Premiership Red Sea…or should that be making loaves and bread for “60,000” gooners at halftime?
Took a day off today btw. So tired and lacking the strength to face my nitpicking boss today…maybe I’ll clean my apartment and monitor our transfer countdown 🙂
Not me Canons . The genius that is Leg is AL .
For real? I guess since both “AL” and “LG” share an “L” I should’ve guessed 🙂
Anybody think we’re really bringing in 3 players today? Not sure but seems like deals are close to completion….according to the tabloids
Can’t see it Canons , but it would be nice to be surprised .
Great summary, goonerholic. Thanks.
@ LeG Rash
ha ha ha ha ha ha!
I sometimes think those Le Moaners are beyond parody, so thanks for proving me wrong.
Re: CoR @179: Let’s try to keep the pressure off LJW just a little bit, do you think??
Re: Legrash @174: Hard to argue with you. 😉
Hand job expo up the cross? What marketing genius thought this up??
So to finish what I started above – “2nd half atmosphere was great” –
and it appeared to me that as soon as the team showed some real urgency, pace and desire at the start of the second half, the non-booing section of the crowd really decided to have a go too.
You could really feel the ball being willed into the Villa net, and the place went mad when the second goal went in.
I have never booed our own team, or manager, in any circumstance, and never will. I cannot see it does anybody any good whatsoever.
Frustration I can understand and definitely do share, but booing is not for me.
The most frustrating thing is that we do not learn from our mistakes, despite repeated promises from players to “step up” and “do better for the fans”.
The second Villa goal yesterday has been widely praised and was, indeed, an excellent finish from a very tight angle.
However, if my real-time memory serves me correctly, we had five defenders chasing two attackers and no-one thought to mark the guy, Bent, who was most likely to score.
And that, after we had already conceded a carbon copy of the Giggs-Valencia goal against ManUre.
It isn’t as if the players are not good enough either. There was some great work from all of our back four yesterday, but two lapses of concentration could have resulted in some very ugly abuse for both team and manager. And all so unnecessarily.
With the exception of LeCoq, that was an international back four yesterday, and those lapses are not good enough.
That is what drives some people, wrongly in my opinion, to boo. Me, I just rip a bit more hair out.
But, hey, this is Arsenal we are talking about, and to win 3 – 2 from being 0 – 2 down is just so much more exciting than going out there and killing the game and winning 3 – 0.
It just takes supreme confidence to execute a game plan like that !
TABS, great work above, and many other regulars.
Just one question – where do you get the time ? 😉
@187: 8ball, pressure is what makes diamonds though 😀
2nd Villa goal a classic counter-attack after Mertesacker was in the Villa area and not able to get back. Certainly we should have had better cover?
Lofts a perfectly weighted and pressurized ball for CoR and/or Trev and/or unidentified lurkers …
The Scene –
Clive-The Sweeper-Waterman is sitting in a corner of the bar explaining to a shocked but enraptured Wind and Snir Geuli, what it was like to support The Arsenal back in the day.
The day being the Seventies.
‘Holic looks over occasionally as he listens in on Clive’s tales of much tougher times, and tips The Sweeper, here and there, a knowing wink.
Clive : “Well, young fellas, I was just leaving the Arsenal Supporters Club bar on the corner of St. Thomas’ Road one Saturday afternoon, after a couple of swift orange juices.”
“As I stepped onto the pavement, four bleedin’ Tottenham fans jumped me and all started to pile in with fists and boots.”
“During the ensuing punch-up, I did manage to knock one out, although I must admit it wasn’t the most comfortable wank I’ve ever had . . . .”
😉
looks the other way and ignores 8ball’s pass, as last time he got in the penalty area his team “mates” had a right old go at him, and got him carded for self assisting.
Meh ! Shoot yourself if you think you’re good enough !
To be fair though, one man against four cocks is to your advantage 😉
*Boots the ball like a mule in heat toward the auld onion bag*
*Ball rebounds off the arm of a defender but naturally the referee waves play on much to CoR’s chagrin*
GoonerTerry dives in head first…
…and misses the ball..
The ball rebounds off the post and there’s a chaotic scramble in front of the net …
It’s 8ball who started the play with that lovely chipped pass @193
The crowd goes wild!!
Trev @194: Not far from the truth, I’m sure. 😉
Trev I can see it now…knock one out indeed…(0;
8th ball: They all count – you know what they say – winners know how to win ugly..
btw Trev you bear a horrible grudge..
I would’ve scored today but the boos from the kids put me off 🙁
Well in, bt8b. Did you know anything about it?
Piers is completely right and we all know it in our hearts, Stan must already be feeling the heat as the CNN anchorman hold so much sway in the USA, the rumor is that Mourinho for Wenger swop
Carlos Vela takes out a linesman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEAGALr_9go&feature=youtube_gdata_player
NBN, I knew nothing about it but I’m still basking in the glory. 🙂
A spell in Spain seems to have increased Vela’s nasty quotient if this video evidence is anything to go by. 😉
It looks like most of the top teams are playing on Tuesday giving us a chance to size up the results before our Wednesday encounter with Bolton. I hope this isn’t overly hopeful but something tells me it could be time for Theo to do something big.
Bask on, bt8b, bask on.
Vela is a maniac! 12 game ban
Has this been verified?
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4097722/Transfer-news-Arsene-Wenger-buys-rookie-teenage-Thomas-Eisfeld.html
Well in 8ball!
GT, Trev indeed holds a grudge 😉
Re: Top drinks above, too many to mention
I have to say I am in the “never boo your own team” camp. And even if people want to express their discontent, why don’t they it full time? It makes so much more sense than booing in the middle of the game or at HT for example
Not quiet, I’ve just had a lot of personal stuff to tend to like moving back to Raleigh from Cary and studying for my Math test that I have today.
I finish Uni at 3:45 ET giving me about an hour till the deadline passes.
You can count on me to give you an exciting last hour of the transfer window… (reminisces about TDD summer 2011 with the Arteta craziness…)
The Sweeper@165: ah, I always thought 54 referred to 1954 but now I realize it is actually 54 BC!
Trev@194: 😆
My prediction for transfer deadline day is that we will either buy one or more players or none at all. Remember where you read it first!
Trev @ 194, 😆 😆 😆 :mr green:
I had to read it twice but I love it!
Mr Sweeper, regardless of the plausibility of it, you legend 😉
Bt8b, great century @ 200 off the back of you sparking the attacking move @ 193, unlucky GT but excellent play for you and CoR.
Larsene knows!
Cannons, I have an agreement with Arsenal that they get to announce new signings before I do 😉
Too right GT . . 😉
Cheers Lars, Wind 😉
More work now 🙁
Just this once then, Eisfield has signed. 400k if Jamie Sanderson is right. Sun and Standard say 600k, maybe confusing pounds and euros. Not a first team signing for now.
As Jamie just said on Twitter – confusing after they secured Aussie Cup on a long contract in the summer.
Still… better than not signing anyone.
Now – is he PV4 or Amaury Bischoff? The fun never ceases…
Trev
I see you have been taking my name in vain.!!
I do have a reputation to uphold.
I have enough trouble dealing with Feelgood and his eccentric band of Inhalers and Imbibers.
I cannot get a seat on the HT as only ‘ Pretty Vacant ‘ passengers are allowed on board.
This to me is clear discrimination,
I have sent letters of complaint to the relevant Management,but i might as well be pissing in the Wind.
As i cannot drive owing to suspension of my licence until 2045,and a Lifetime ban on London Transport due to transgressions on my part during the ‘ Death Wish ‘ Competition in the Tunnel at Hampstead Heath Underground Station in 1965,i have no other means of Transport.
This has all fallen on deaf ears as the only criteria for the HT is
No Imbibe,No Inhale,No get on the Fucking Happy Train.
Sometimes it is very very trying being a G2S.!!
Morning All ,
Trev @190 – Cheers for the kind words , and one right back at yer for your own excellent post .
Trev @194 – 🙂 🙂 – Brings a whole new meaning to left hand haymaker .
Tiggeronfire @208 – If only you were .
Harsha @215 – Wise words .
Snir @216 – Already looking forward to your input in that last hour in a somewhat masochistic way . 😉
Lars @217 – Heh , 🙂 🙂
Well , seems the latest rumour is that Hazard is on his way to the Ems as I type . Yesterday he expressed a preference for the Premier League , and that revelation has been followed today with the news that Arsenal have edged in front in the race to sign him . Apparently Arsenal are now favourites to sign him as a result of his long-standing , but thus far unrequited , love for Rita Jones , 27 , who works for Greggs Bakery on the Holloway Rd .
Miss Jones is quoted as saying “Eden likes my buns and wishes to be closer to them ” .
Jim White from Sky Sports News is currently stationed outside Greggs . His last report , delivered in hushed tones , stated that nothing whatsoever was going on , although there was a flurry of activity when Ms Jones was seen to be serving a coffee and a ham and cheese toastie to one lucky customer .
I will endeavour to keep you posted .
Clive, (Goody) I seem to remember offering you a Season Ticket, gratis, earlier in the season, on behalf of the Feelgood Foundation.
If we can’t get you on the train, how will we ever corrupt you? 👿
Goody 2 Shoes , – 🙂 🙂
Pissing in the Wind ? The boy will not be happy with that ! 🙂
I’m thinking of forming a band…..
Of eccentric inhalers and imbibers.
Who’s with me?
Dr F
Do you think you could be as good as “Dr Catalan’s Medicine”??
Their one and only album (same name) was like a supernova lighting up the universe, before imploding and leaving a dark dark hole of nothingness….
Dr F – Tabs and the Tabloids didn’t give me the level of global fame that I require , and indeed deserve . Count me in …
Any chance I can play the tambourine ?
Mr C 🙂
Wolfgang will be on tambourine (plus Qualudes and Red Wine)
Dr C, I had you down as the (frenzied) rythym guitarist.
Tambourine !! YESSS .
I can play the drums.
And the Sweeper, I presume, will play with himself.
@225: How fat is Rita Jones tabs? I might want to get in on some of that action…but only if it doesn’t mess with the Hazard deal 🙂
Lars 🙂 – on form today Sir .
Canons – Not fat enough for you , easy Tiger . She’s only 22 stone .
The drama of the day , however has been heightened with Rita’s last proclamation that if she doesn’t get her Eden , she will go on a cake only diet as both a source of comfort and a means of building herself up .
Jim White’s last report was interesting . After asking Rita for the umpteenth time whether anything was going on , she threatened to sit on him if he ever spoke to her again . He hasn’t stopped talking since .
Tabs @225,
Don’t encourage Trev with Smiley Faces,this will only encourage him to come up with another outrageous story and further erode my reputation.
Dr F @ 226,
I do remember that offer,but my long list of demands including an Ensuite Spa Bath ,were apparently too much for the Management and the offer was withdrawn.
Tabs @ 230,
According to Mrs Dale’s Diaries,you never stopped playing it in the Village Hall Happy Clappers ‘ God Is My Saviour ‘ Band.
She also mentions the Storey Boy played the Flute,and the Feelgood Boy played the Lyre,which Mrs dale considered to be totally appropriate.!!
Lars,You naughty boy,
Do try and keep up.
I have Tiffany October for Phone Sex,and April April’s magic hands for the 2 minute Tango.
If you are providing your own Hand Relief then you are leading a very sad life.!!
Harry Redknapp has applied to join the band. Reckons he has a lot of experience on the fiddle…
Apologies Goody Two Shoes .
I remember the “God is my Saviour” days well . Broke up after the Band Members started to argue amongst themselves . I wanted to be a little bit more Rock ‘n Roll – cross dressing , heavy drug use , that sort of thing – but my fellow band members were just too puritanical and wanted to stick to “the message” .
Oh what might have been …
Holic @237 – heh 🙂
G2S @ 224, oi! 😉
Saha to the LWCs apparently. Transfer fee should help Harry pay his lawyer bills no doubt
‘Holic @ 237, heh heh 🙂
Anyhoo, now that I’ve wasted the entire day watching the internet and playing MW3, should I now clean my apartment or just hit the hay to be fresh for work tomorrow? Bear in mind I’m already drinking a beer and it’s 10pm 🙂
Great news Dr F, although may be more accurate to describe it as frenzied guitar arrythmia….
Holic @237!!! heh.
I guess Wind has his own section, and will be blowing his own? Steady Wolfie.
Talking of which, I hear that Wolfie has plenty of experience with triangles….
I’d heard about this transfer day deadline madness – don’t think this was what I had in mind…..
Some searing images there Goody – Feelgood on the Lyre with a dose of the Happy Clap.
“There may be trouble ahead……..”
Happy Clap has to be an oxymoron, surely?
Mr C 😀
Speaking of music, I hear that Tottenham, jealous of the magnificent “Arsenal Anthem” by Danny Graft, have been looking for a theme song of their own. They have now found one where they feel the opening lyrics of the song fit in so well with their local surroundings and the actions of their club’s manager:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwKFGEu7MgI
Benik Afobe just stated NOT going on loan…. maybe replacing AA in squad if he leaves…?
Oooo the suspense and inrtigue ! 🙂
Here is a band: http://www.myspace.com/music/player?sid=25573813&ac=now
Personally I can’t see a happy ending to allowing Goody2Shoes on to the Happy Train…just saying
Tabs, apparently Chelsea are favorites for Hazard because of the signing on fee they offer.
They offered Mata 7 million and that won it for them. Using the same tactic with Hazard.
I’d be extremely disappointed if Hazard decides to give up on playing for AW after Zidane is out of the picture.
G2S specialises in Happy Endings……
Hazard seems like a bit of tart to me – could be high maintenance.
Booze cruise?
Almunia, Arshavin and Squillaci reassigned to be porters to on Booze Cruise?
Wtf?? We rejected a loan till the end of the season from Fulham for Park.
Obviously it means no new striker will be coming them but will Park ever play????
*then
Is anyone else sat staring at Sky Sports News just willing the ticker to announce the sale of Arshavin and purchase of Barrios?
I swear to god, if I focus hard enough it might actually happen.
N7 – AA will be leaving to Russia and their window closes on February 24, so no need to rush.
Besides, he traveled to Bolton with the team.
And Barrios is Fulham bound…
This is frustrating… Why do we always stall??? We should have signed him, good player.
Plus we need to sign to show ambition to RvP but I get the feeling that he’ll give us till the summer TDD to make signings and not decide before that.
Yeah Snir, but those are all just facts.
If I can find a way to force sheer, concentrated will through the TV set I swear to god I can make this whole thing work out for us.
Snir , unlike you my friend . You are surprisingly behind the times . Hazard said yesterday that England was his destination of choice and that he preferred a club with history citing Arsenal and Liverpool , to Chelsea . Keep up Dear Boy !
And thats without even factoring in Rita Jones into the equation . Latest news from Sky Sports is that Rita , 27 , is now on her lunch break , and they don’t anticipate any movement for the next 2 hours .
Dr Z , Mr C , and all aspiring musicians …
About this band thing , presumably Clive is looking after the “brass” section ?
Can we be like this band please , please , please . I wanna dance like Paul Davis !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vurAeEZW-gE
Tabs, I know what he said yesterday and that’s why I’m ruling out Zidane.
As for history, that’s not exactly what was said this time as opposed to previous occasions when he did specifically state AFC.
It went like this..
The 21-year-old Belgian international announced in October that he intends to leave Lille at the end of the season and when asked on Canal+ where he would like to go, he replied: “England.”
“After thinking about it, I’m leaning towards England,” he said.
“It’s a style of play that suits me and it’s there that you can learn the most.”
Hazard conceded that Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were among the clubs he could join but said: “Nothing has been decided yet.”
“I want to play at a big club, but I don’t want to sit on the bench,” he said. “It needs to be a club that plays good football.”
Canal+ pundit Christophe Dugarry told Hazard: “I bet it’s Chelsea.”
Hazard, though, kept his cards close to his chest and replied: “Well, you’re free to place your bets.”
Snir ,
You promised us that you would only subject us to an hour of this blatant sensationalism at the end of the day !!
Why the early start ? We can have too much of a good thing you know 😉
Are you looking to break the 1000 drinks barrier again ?
Clive is a dab hand on the shuffle board….
“I’m ruling out Zidane ” .
I know we brought TH14 back , but ruling out Zidane is just common sense . I ruled him out some time ago , probably just after he retired .
So, to date, our transfer business this window amounts to three reserves forwards, a reserves defender and a third or fourth string keeper loaned out. Um, er, that’s it.
Tabs, I’m half asleep and that made me laugh out loud. Kudos 😉
I get the feeling we’re not signing Barrios or any non-hg for that matter cause no one wants to buy our deadwood so we can’t get a non-hg over 21.
Will somebody EVER sign Squillaci and/or Almunia?!
Snir
Probably not. Would you?
A top club? No.
Mediocre club, yes.
And first with the news – Ryo off to Bolton .
Unlucky Snir 😉
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/ryo-joins-bolton-wanderers-on-loan
Lol Tabs, didn’t even bother with that one.. Was done thirty minutes ago but I’m focusing on arrivals 😉
Snir, we don’t have to sell anyone to make room. We can just leave players out of the squad.
“…..1000 drinks barrier”.
What barrier? 😉
Speaking of which, tabs, I can’t get near your youtube links until I get out of here, as we have nasty internet police in my office.
I think we’re just skint, as usual.
That said, it would seem barking mad if we sell Arshavin in February, when we can’t use the cash to bring in a replacement.
Lars, I thought of that but it doesn’t seem like something AW would do.
Dr Z – a little treat for you this evening then . 🙂
Paul Davis is quite the little mover , though Brian Marwood’s attempts might best be described as sh*tty , perhaps foreshadowing his move into ” bit of a tosser ” status with his move to the oil gazillions .
Snir @274 – Ha! Sore loser !
“I only sing when I’m winning , I only sing when I’m winning …”
Oh , and also when I’m bangin’ on my tambourine 😉
Yes Le Grove, it is horrible when Arsenal fans are at each others throats. I wonder which pair of Talk Shite style cunts stoked the fire?
Cunts.
Barrios going nowhere according to his agent.
Apparently hazzard has all but ruled out the chavs in an interview saying he wants to join a club with history.
In fairness, Chelsea have history. Ten whole years of it.
Snir ,
Just interested in what technology you are using to be first with “the scoop” ?
I currently have 9 computers on the go , 4 televisions , 1 Roberts radio , a hot line to Rita Jones (and supply of cream cakes) , 3 bat phones , and one of April April’s girls to mop my fevered brow !
Snir has his balls….
I could be in trouble … 🙂
Tabs, I’m at Uni so no technology whatsoever :).
Snir , lulling me into a false sense of security ? Don’t think for a moment I’ll fall for that old line 🙂
Snir
Just out of interest, if you have no technology, how are you communicating with us?
Scary powers…. 🙂
Maybe Snir is Robin and is stealing access to the bat phone??
Miyaichi to Bolton, I see. This after LJW saved their season two years ago. Isn’t it time this weekend they repay us their debt of gratitude?
Noone’s actually hoping anyone signs for us are they?
I’ll eat my hat if they do…
Salt and pepper, Camberwell?
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/thomas-eisfeld-completes-move-to-arsenal
Haha Zico, too right!
Well in Dr Z ! 🙂
Notwithstanding a room that resembles Houston Space Centre , it appears you beat me to the punch .
As for Snir , it appears he is paying for his lack of investment on the technological side of things 😉
GoonerTerry takes it from the goalie and plays a nice little pass up the left flank..
(then he goes off to collects his girls from school…)
Rumour has it, Snir threw his crystal ball at a doomer in a hissy fit and has been prediction-proof ever since.
What he needs is a set of Feelgood Tarot Cards. Every card is The Fool 😉
Switching from his customary right-wing, he collects GT’s pass and weaves into the middle, cross-stiching style. Lofts it over to…
Zico @ 296, heh 🙂
This transfer deadline is so slow that it’s taken two and half hours to get from #290 to #295. Be back in half an hour for #300?
Collects the ball off GT plays it inside to..eisfield..
Great play without the ball from lurky oliva, he is now all alone on the right side…
Zigic’s fat head blocks the lofted ball, but no fear as Wind sends the ball fowards towards the opposition goal with a piercing through ball for…
Nice my first goal!
Or less… Goes to the corner and does the “writing a check” celebration with Garsguns.
What a goal for eisfield:)
Wind looks up dazed, the ball not at his feet. Seems that Garsguns has already put in it the net, goes off to congraulate his teammate, begins to wonder about theories of time delocalisation… 🙂
That is Eisfeld by the way
Wind, with all lurking talent of ours, are we going to the reserves squad or what. I haven’t score for a month or so, and I don’t see you on the scoresheet lately either:)
Nice assist Joshua to get our new man off the mark.
I know right Lurky Oliva, don’t know what’s happening. Maybe our prior dominace back in November made us dull, so we lost our cutting edge.
Back to the training pitches for us mate 🙂
Tottenham two up 🙁
Chelsea on down 🙂
I love the fact that this DDD is sooo nothing at all – fuck you Sky Sports! 🙂
on = one , above .
Mr C , I actually watched it for about 5 mins earlier , before the sheer inanity of it all meant I had to switch off .
They actually showed footage of that twat Jim White entering the building like some sort of Gladiator .
Wtf ?
Like you said , fuck you Sky Sports .
Some plonker just chained himself to one of the goalposts at Goodison Park!
DDD = Dull Deadline Day (rescues type failure)
TaBS – seriously?? I second your WTF. 🙂
Lars, he’s not in much danger of being hit by the ball 😉
If Jim White’s a Gladiator then I’m Spartacus.
* Feelgood in the background* “I’m Spartacus…..”
zico, that is true probably true!
I’m Spartacus
No , I’m Spartacus .
I’m definitely not Spartacus . Never fancied that crucifixion malarkey much .
Spartacus, there’s a preview up —————————>