Guest Post One – Fab And BFG Get Us Through
Apr 13th, 2014 by 'holic
Big thanks to the first of two guest posters today. Regulars will know Arthur the Gooner wears his Arsenal heart very much on his sleeve, and I am very grateful to him for contributing on this bleary-eyed morning. Enjoy, all, and thanks again Arthur.
I’m no blogger, just someone who looks after the team and the club to push forward. This game was not only for the fans but also for Arsene Wenger. His last life line? Surely the boys were up for it? The team sheet said it all Sanogo up front, confidence was not our best friend at the time. No wonder Arsene said this:
“Wigan showed why they knocked out Manchester City in the quarter-final, and for a period we had everything against us, but we showed some character, resilience and nerve to do it.”
Most of us thought it’s not going to be an easy ride. The team sheet made me wonder but nothing spectacular was going to take charge. I just knew for some apparent reason this was going to one of those afternoons! Confidence was flat and no wonder why but we had to dig and I believe we just did that in a way.
We started on the bright side, first fifteen minutes I thought we are going to score and take the lead. Instead we dropped off and allowed Wigan to make those runs at us. First half was decent enough but no where near the Arsenal we love to see , the Ox was the only player who pushed it forward and it almost paid off. We didn’t take our early chances, game leveled after that and we played with that fear or as some prefer to describe it a handbrake. I know my nerves kicked in at half time. I was livid in a way, crying out for some sort of reaction from the players and from the Le Boss.
When we resumed I thought to my self here we come, for some strange apparent reason we do play better in second half’s especially this season so why not to grab winner at this stage? My wishes and prayers came to a halt when in 63rd minute McManaman took to the ball, drove into the penalty area and for all the players to make a mistake it was Per Mertesacker who committed the foul. Michael Oliver pointed for the spot kick. Penalty converted and same old song was ringing in ears here we go again!
After their goal we regrouped started to have some sort of belief that would carry us over to the other side. We pressed and pressed and got rewarded and yet again out of all the players Per Mertesacker managed to find himself in the box to deliver the equaliser.
The game finished one each after 90 minutes. There was no time to reflect but we had to keep going.
Extra time was rather unlucky for the Arsenal, Ox hitting the woodwork didn’t do us any justice. I honestly didn’t want this game to go into penalties I was worried for too long during the game and thought we would not get there if push came to shove. How wrong was I?
I’m not the flamboyant person when it comes to penalties, I was strolling around in my living room backwards and forward. Fabianski in goal, the penalty expert, what on the can go wrong? He saved the first two and that was enough, the players converted and the game was won as it should have been in 90 minutes.
We weren’t the best we can be but we got there in the end and that is all that matters!
11 Responses to “Guest Post One – Fab And BFG Get Us Through”
Cheers Arthur! Lovely stuff.
Odd all of this but I’ll sneak back and claim 2nd heh. Esso THG oil recipe thanks hope you had a great day with the Yin and Chapettes. Cheers.
Nice report Arthur. We really were put through an emotional wringer yesterday. A very strange experience.
Thanks Arthur –
at least you got to enjoy Fab’s penalty saves after the earlier torture.
ATG – you were tanked last night!! But by golly you were there for the match and beyond – brilliant work and posts (perhaps Dr F and Steve T may now have figured out your enthusiasm for Number 2 Pole in the goal but they’re both perceptive enough to recognise that thankfully).
Very impressed that you casually accepted Mr ‘Holics request and came through with a great post great work.
Thanks everyone appreciated!
Good stuff Arthur 🙂
Sterling effort Arthur.
Cheers, Arthur. I hope ‘holic will repost this again (as a new post) after a few days so Bath’s report can get its fair share of comments and then yours can do the same.
LHTG
I know I was paying the price today though 🙂
Well done Arthur.
Your last line suns it up perfectly.
“We weren’t the best but got there in the end and that is all that matters.
I have been a consistent and persistent voice of one of those who wanted the proof of our moving forward in a trophy and anything less would be seen as a definitive failure in my eyes.
What this bar and the drinkers in this establishment has taught me recently is ” we are going to a wembley final of the FA cup” and that is fantastic, regardless of the quality of our own football.
To guts out a win in penalties when our team is really struggling has to just deserve a tip of the hat, as hard as it was to watch.
Canons definitely outwards.