Guest Post Two – Zico’s Request Fulfilled, Job Done
Apr 13th, 2014 by 'holic
Again I owe a huge thank you to one of ours. Bathgooner, as some of you know, is great company on a matchday, but he has also been hiding his creative skills from you, until today. Thank you so much, bath, for helping me out of a hole this morning. Here is his take on yesterday’s win.
Job done but there have been better times at the dentist. The team selection was a bit of a surprise. Sanogo was to lead the line instead of HFB – a surprise 4th start in such an important fixture. Perhaps this was the result of an FA Cup promise like the widely publicised agreement producing the expected replacement of Szcz by Fabianski. Or was it the replacement of a knackered forward by a thrusting young warrior?
We started briskly with the clear intention of gaining an early lead and Sanogo forced a save from the Wigan keeper with an early downward header from a fine Ox cross. A bit more pressure followed without achieving that lead. Gradually the first half settled into a somewhat handbrake-heavy holding pattern with lots of possession, little penetration and no threat from Wigan.
Ramsey was busy and willing, making some early forward runs and incisive passes. Ox was energetic and seemed to have the beating of the Wigan fullback but he saw too little of the ball as it was passed round the backline and midfield. Wigan had the odd spell of passing through our midfield but never threatened Fabianski. On our forays, Sanogo’s touch was generally poor and Poldi was pretty anonymous apart from a decent free kick effort that went just wide. Sagna fired a ball from a corner across the goal. A ball over the top fell nicely for Sanogo but his touch was heavy and though he got a shot away, Carson blocked it. The first half finished with a sense of a game that hadn’t really started.
The second half was more of the same with a bit more activity from Poldi. Wigan were keeping a high line and pressing Arteta and Ramsey whenever they got the ball from the centre backs. They had clearly watched the videos showing how to neutralize the Arsenal attack and were doing a pretty good job of it. Their offensive efforts were extremely limited but on one of the very few occasions they got into our box they got a break when Per slid in on one of their runners and the ref gave a pen. The ref did seem to have to think about it before he gave it but on replay it looked a pen. In the build-up to that incident Nacho went down holding his groin after a challenge just inside our half thus causing the break that led to it. It looked like a foul to me but the ref didn’t see anything wrong with the challenge but Nacho had to be stretchered off before the pen was taken. Fabianski came close to saving the pen but it was 1-0 to Wigan and it really felt like the boys had 20 minutes to keep Arsene in a job.
Either the stimulus of going one down or the appearance of Kieran Gibbs on the left that seemed to wake us up. Sanogo stabbed an Ox cross wide. Suddenly our left side was alive and Gibbs and Podolski interacted well to create several chances. Poldi took a knock and the boss replaced him with HFB to a generally negative reaction from the crowd. However the net result was a 4-4-2 formation and much more goalmouth action. Sanogo hit the woodwork, drew saves from Carson and Gibbs had a shot cleared off the line. After a spell of pressure BFG got on the end of an Ox cross ball from the left of the D to the far post and it was 1-1. The BFG was the happiest lad on the planet and brought a huge sense of relief. I cannot recall any major chances thereafter and so we were into extra time.
Kallstrom made his second appearance in an Arsenal shirt to replace an absolutely knackered Rambo and generally acquitted himself well. We pressed throughout and in the first 15’ Sanogo produced a neat turn and shot in the box that Carson tipped over while in the second 15’ a tiring Ox struck the bar after a lovely move left him with a rare clear sight at goal. Wigan’s biggest offensive efforts were a couple of feeble dives in the box and a couple of corners well cleared. Apart from a brief wander out of his area to little purpose (fortunately with no negative end result) Fabianski wasn’t called upon to exert himself. And so to penalties.
It felt as if Arsene’s future hung on a game of chance. Fabianski pulled off two great saves of their first two pens (one low left, the other low right) to give us a great start whilst Arteta, HFB, Kallstrom and Santi executed their penalties perfectly, giving a very dynamic Carson no chance at all. Wigan’s 3rd and 4th were scored but by then the confidence inspired by Fabianski’s first two saves seemed to carry us through. (You really do need to forgive his past blunders now, Steve T).
In summary, Fabianski was not stretched in 120 minutes and apart from the pens had little to do. The defence was generally solid but Gibbs for Monreal was a definite upgrade going forward. Arteta, Santi and Ramsey beavered away constantly but with too little end-product. A fit Ozil would certainly add value. Ox looked our best option until HFB came on but saw too little of the ball. Sanogo is mobile, has more pace than HFB but is well short of the finished product and for me was a surprising starter in a game of this importance. In truth, Poldi adds too little to this team. HFB was another definite upgrade and the ball retention up front and link play with runners markedly improved when he came on.
Thus your request has been duly fulfilled Zico. Not pretty. Laborious. Exhausting for all concerned. Make no mistake, this team is desperately in need of an injection of creativity and confidence. The rest of this season is going to be sweaty. It will, however, end with a day out for us all at Wembley.
212 Responses to “Guest Post Two – Zico’s Request Fulfilled, Job Done”
[…] Goonerholic: Guest Post Two – Zico’s Request Fulfilled, Job Done […]
Boom – as that first post has to be disallowed
I’ll take the 2nd spot then.
3rd
Alright then 4th
As long as I finish in the top 4 then I’m happy 😆
Nice report bath! Although it was surely Sagna that hit that header that hit the post, although it looked like Sanogo? That’s what I thought when I saw the replay after the match anyway.
I’m wearing my Henry legend T-shirt today.
The question is, was this good timing or a coincidence?
The answer is it’s neither. Everything is already written. 😉
*boilk*
My mate was at the game yesterday and he messaged me from there saying the atmosphere was electrifying and posted a photo of himself cheering wearing his JVC 89 special in red – already written mate!
Already written! 😉
For me that semi carried on where the last final at Wembley left off!
Wonder how the actual final will go?
When asked about the point of signing Kallstrom, Wenger did say he could score an important goal during his short stay with us – already written!
Hope it ain’t the last!
who d’you have
to sleep with
round here
to get a guest post published
broken hearted
tear soaked keyboard
short circuiting
watery electrical fizzles
below
night becomes day
“you have mail ‘holic”
day becomes night
bonanza starts
bonanza ends
even
the cartwrights leave
“not you too, Hoss? ”
.
nice post bath
well in
BG @553 (last posts) welcome, great English (better than mine!) and a great introduction keep at the drinks don’t be shy – heh. TTG @582 boss post nicely summarised thank you.
The game – listening to the commentators, reading the press I obviously watched another match. Laboured at time certainly, but give me a break fucking plucky Wigan keeping the mighty Arsenal under control and always in the game and ready to causally pick up a gear and plant us on our arse. I’m sorry but that’s wishful thinking. We bossed the game, however our lack of strikers was painfully apparent. Sanogogo one or two nice touches apart needs plenty of work. Heavy touch, wrong options – sure potential – big, speedy and reasonable movement but he needs plenty of playing time away from the first team. For sure Steve T nails it.
As mentioned earlier it was park everything by Wigan and look for penalties. Nailed penalty for them and my impression that Nacho pulled a muscle and was then buggered rather than he was taken out. Other than that not much.
We beat them, the lads stood up to the pressure, Wigan weren’t in the game and the team looked solid.
Last couple of observations – was I mistaken but did the ?Ox grab the Wigan’s keepers drink bottle and have a swig before half-time? Fuck me don’t you know they all have diseases? And boy didn’t the Wigan players know how to use their arms to block the ball.
We won. See you on Tuesday.
“Dad! We went mental at football yesterday, did n’t we?”
“We sure did son, brilliant was n’t it?”
“Oh yes, can we go again to Wembley again, or to an away game?”
“Sure we can mate, if I’ve got some work and tickets. See that’s the thing about going over the Arsenal mate, it’s just magic. Sometimes life gets a bit grindy, but you just have to keep on putting one foot in front of the other, that’s what adults do. Then you get the chance to go and meet your mates and catch up someone like Sharpy who you aint seen in years and has done Chemo and come out the other side of it, but still loves The Arsenal. And you drink beer with them and have a laugh and then go in the ground and shout abuse at the opposition, and jump around like a drunken idiot and fall over and hurt your back when Arsenal score a goal. And the next day, you’re covered in bruises you can’t remember collecting, and your throat’s sore and your voice sounds like its died and never quite recovered. But you just feel on top of the world, and for a bit the rest of life’s turgid drudgery can go hang itself, it really does n’t matter. That’s why you never stop going while you can mate, even if circumstances and finances mean it’s not really very often and you have to rely on friends and fellow supporters – some of the best people you’ll ever meet in your life, to help you out.”
“Yeah, but Dad, went mental at football yesterday did n’t we?”
“Course we did son, loved it”.
Yesterday saw a special day for me – my 14 years old son’s first big Arsenal Wembley appearance. A regular for some years at the Emirates I hadn’t been able to get him tickets for the CC final (a bullet dodged – I went and it was a miserable experience). Outside there were Gooners everywhere in the sunshine – a Wembley day out is to enjoy. We were, as usual, ridiculously early and so were among the first to take our seats. But unlike the Birmingham day many Gooners also came in early to soak up the atmosphere. I’d been struck three years ago by how the Birmingham fans were in en masse 30 minutes before kick off, whereas our “too cool for school” lot scurried in, just like at the Ems, one minute before the action started. This year there were many more of us in there early. Thanks to our moderate amount of away credits we were able to get into the “singing bit” in block 132. The atmosphere was electric as “She Wore” rang out again and again and again along with all the other favourites. I won’t repeat Zico’s excellent match report. Our emotions swayed from optimistic to pessimistic but every time things seemed bad someone would start another chant and we’d be off again. Next to me, my son was singing louder than I’ve ever heard him on the North Bank (and he’s pretty loud there). We got both goals wrong – we were convinced (from the other end) that Per had got the ball and it was no penalty, and also fairly convinced that Per was just offside for the all important, game changing equaliser. Celebrations were checked as we looked at the lino – but he was off towards the half way line and the goal stood. Pandemonium. We couldn’t do it in full time, but here was Fab running towards us for ET looking totally pumped up, urging us on to even more noise. Ox’s cracker off the inside of the bar had us convinced it wasn’t our day and every set piece for Wigan had us worried. Still the chanting and singing went on – maybe not totally in coherence (everybody kept trying to start new songs) but heartfelt. Penalties and amazingly, from Fab’s first save, it was a breeze. At the end, Fab ran towards us as we sang Super, Super Fab to him (can’t ever remember that happening before). Catharsis. Nobody there was kvetching like some on the phone ins or internet about the performance. We had won. We were through.
I really don’t like new Wembley. I don’t like the soul less feel, the force 11 rock music relentlessly pumped out before the game which destroys any atmosphere, the overblown preamble, the empty seats right over the tunnel which are all you can see when watching on TV. But as we walked away we looked back in the darkening London night sky, at that ridiculous Arch, all lit up, and we decided that maybe, just maybe, we could get used to it. A great day, that will live long in the memories of me and the teenager stood next to me. That was special.
Bring on the Cup Final!
Excellent summary, Bath. We saw the same game.
The boys did what they had to do.
And considering our pre-match confidence level, the absentees we had and the tenacity of the opponents, the victory is more of a mean feat than most would have you believe.
One worrying observation though is that our attacking play is easily and completely neutralised by sides who press our deep lying midfielders and refuse them to settle on the ball. This was the cause of the perpetual sideways and backwards passes involving the back four and the keeper.
Arsene needs to do something about this in our remaining matches.
Esso,
If there’s a bigger Gooner than you out there I’ve never met him.
Glad the two of you had a great time.
Great match reports by all and sundry but special mention to Esso, proud of you and your son, mate.
Great post Bath it was rather emotional last night!
Lovely post Bath. Given the pre- match ‘ preparation’ I’m always in awe of the detail our posters are able to recall.
I think its fair to say the jury’s out on Sanogo. Work in progress certainly but is the raw material there. He has something but so has Gitoud. Great strikers have nearly everything. I mean neither Henry or Bergkamp or even the Dutch skunk were noted as great headers but it would never have surprised you if they produced a bullet header of huge quality. My expectations of Sanogo at the moment are that he might nail an easy tap- in and having overcome that barrier may go on to blossom. I’d rather we weren’t having to see that apprenticeship develop in the harsh glare you get at the business end of the season.
But we haven’t got too much choice with a knackered Giroud as the alternative. Is there a last hurrah for TGSTEL- no way Jose or if we are willing to expose Sanogo might we try Akpom too. Whatever it is rank bad planning .
Fabianski in his farewell tour shall no longer be called Flappy even as a term of endearment and we might dwell on those who showed the right stuff, none more than the Ox and Aaron Ramsey who metaphorically ran his legs off in his first game back. 115 minutes at Wembley was way too much of a comeback but our injury problems are such that we has little choice. And Kieran Gibbs did extremely well when he came on. A much better player than Monreal.
On a sunny April day let’s watch today’s games with a song in our heart and expectation of a hopefully sunny and happy day in May.
Esso- what a lovely piece. My power to you and your boy mate. You describe the essence of Goonerdom beautifully.
It can still be a lot of fun if we let it!
Esso – Fuck me a cynical gooner like me reads your’s and Countryman100 posts and a I’m weeping like a pitiful girly-man. Top blokes both -lucky kids to have you looking after them. Top posts.
Bath – nice job. Not an easy one to write about.
Countryman – good stuff.
It seems quite clear that those who went to Wembley just made a great day of it anyway, while those of us forced to watch and listen – ugghh – to ITV have, as bath said, had more fun at the dentist.
Ttg ( from the end of previous drinks ),
Some interesting observations that you have beaten me to in writing.
Have to go now but I’ll try to add a bit later.
Lastly, the very best of wishes to the great Bob Wilson, now fighting another form of the disease that claimed his daughter much much too young.
esso
now we’re talkin!
cracker
hope yer arse bone
comes good
fell on mine
donkeys ago
walked like a wee’in
with a full nappy for months
.
howdy ‘hol an all
hope yer all fine an dandy
es we are at Wembley again and that is all good. Are weva great side, a good side or an average side. Against the mighty Wigan we had a side bereft of ideas and passion that being an average to poor Arsenal side. But we did had a single person who summed up those qualities and that was the Ox. It would have been nice if the the rest of the mid field and the forwards could have been on the same wave length and sense of occasion.
Is this the first season that we have been hit by injuries ( no its not. The last three to four seasons !). Did we have the funds to buy quality players in either of the transfer periods. YES. 100 mil. Was there any quality players about in summer or winter that were better that what we have ? It does not take even a poor coach to say yes to that. But what have we ended up with again this season. I will tell you.
A manager/coach over the last 17 years that after the glory years, 2005 and before, has promised us more of the same that never came. Gave us teams that was so full of potential but failed to deliver ( my thought again here, they just needed a blue chip addition to the side like another Viera or better or a genuine quality leader on the pitch). A manager who can reel off the names of players that we almost signed and out of that almost signed a team that would of lived up to our past invincibles.
Yes it is great that we are back at Wembley but what side will turn up. We are the Arsenal but we were best.
We have a manager/coach under AW who has failed to deliver to the fans/supporters of Arsenal ( but a huge hit with the share holders ). He has failed to move the side forward to be real contenders as he said he wanted us to be. And to cap it all for all to see for our most important game of the season we had Sonogo up front to replace our slow first choice striker. A young player who would not get into any premierships first team and blessed with a first and second touch of speedy fossil but lead The Arsenal out to Wembley. Its that well done Wenger ?
Beautiful stuff Esso @ 15, got me welling up a little bit me!
Very nicely put Countryman @ 16, glad you and your son had a great day 🙂
cba
@13 @25
too right about it.
guest post ?
Please. Yes.
Bonanza – gosh there’s some age.
Electrical fizzles,
was it the keyboard? The tears? Not drizzles?
Donkey’s now there’s a thing.
Me, the chickens.
Thank you
I don’t hold
wi no chickens
LHG
#easy as 1 – 2 – 3
#simple as do-re-mi
+
insert
something hilarious
which
i am both
incapable
and
arsed
to deliver
just now
.
oh
and
‘holic
think
you should make space
on your site banner
for esso’s post
shown it to loads
all loved it
Nice one Baff.
Good to see that you have not killed off the art of a paragraph, unlike some of the drinkers in here. 😉
We’re in the final.
The same mantra applies, just fucking win. 😎
Well in bath & ATG from the previous post.
I don’t have much of a voice left this morning but now starting to feel that warm glow of a Wembley final beckoning.
#UTA
Cba
If you’re going to fall on any bone a Gooner should fall on his Arse bone!
Oh and Esso, top post @ 15 (paragraphs not required). 🙂
Zactly
thunder T
but painful
hope
himself
escapes
well
.
and
zicoo
get
you
ya
paragraph
nazi
yoo
.
🙂
Nice posts from both Bath and Arthur, we all saw the same game I guess, except that I seem to have much more faith in Sanogo than the rest here.
Holic, I have a suggestion. I don’t know for sure, but as long as I remember this is the first time here in this bar, that we have two posts at the same time.
Both are quality posts, but we tend to post our comments on the last one, so my suggestion is- if there is a similar situation in the future (2 posts for one event) in would be more appropriate to put them successively- but in one post, so the ‘Holics can comment on both at the same time.
Cheers
And come on City.*
*washes mouth
[…] It felt as if Arsene’s future hung on a game of chance. Fabianski pulled off two great saves of their first two pens (one low left, the other low right) to give us a great start whilst Arteta, HFB, Kallstrom and Santi executed their penalties perfectly, giving a very dynamic Carson no chance at all. Wigan’s 3rd and 4th were scored but by then the confidence inspired by Fabianski’s first two saves seemed to carry us through. – Goonerholic. […]
Great post, Bath! Enjoyed every sentence.
@14LHTG
Thanks a lot. I guess I am still learning my trade here…hence my slow transition to the new article. Anyway, I hope it is fine if I cut and paste something I wrote earlier on (in response to the yesterday’s article).
—–@587BosnianGooner
@Lurky
Thanks for the warm welcome. Tamo gdje vecno since sja, tamo je Makedonija, narod i zemlja koju volim ja….
I am glad we agree on Sanogo.
@Thundertinygooner
Thanks for nice words. Feel very encouraged…as you can see from my (too) frequent postings now. This is how Sanogo will be the moment he scores his first….hahahhaa.
I fully understand your argument about Arsene being past his prime. I also feel like that from time to time but as the anger subsides (and boy was I angry after Liverpool, Chelsea and, especially, Everton) I start rationalising things and, each time, I arrive to the same conclusion: after divorce one can find a more beautiful woman but will she be a better wife.
Arsene has shown the loyalty to the Club which borderlines craziness. Ordinary manager would tolerate one or two seasons without serious strengthening and than he will go. The moment bigger club calls they all go. The same goes for players. Remember RvP. The moment he saw our potential to be below his expectations, he wrote us a letter. That is the way ordinary people behave in todays world. Wenger, my friends, is extraordinary. God knows how many offers he rejected from clubs with bigger wallets than ours. He knew full well that by staying with us he will miss the chance to rule the world. But he stayed nonetheless and told bayerns, reals and barcas to f… off.
Now, for some of you it may be enough to erect him a statue or to have him as one of directors. Not for me! I want him to be our manager for many years to come. Football evolves but it is not exactly IT…the pace of changes is well within Arsene’s reach. In fact, some of those changes were generated by him. He has hunger of a 30 yrs old and I am prepared to stick with him for many years to come.
Now, the only thing I would like to have a word with him about is our INJURY RECORD.
Thanks for the kind words fellas. It’s the first time I have tried to do a match report and to be honest the experience greatly increases my respect for Holic, Arseblog, ACLF and others who do it far more brilliantly and on a regular basis. Frankly it’s an astonishing feat these fellas have achieved.
A toast to Hoc, Holics and our cup finalists.
COYRRR
and welcome Bosnian Gooner….you have no reason to worry about your English.
@33
– Hoc (a throwback to Latin class, clearly).
+ Holic
and Zico – paragraphs rule OK, pal.
Based on the first 25 minutes, Liverpoo are a different level. City didn’t even come close to the goal and it seems that are going to be battered. A team that has Clichy and DeMicelis in the squad deserves no better. And it is 2-0 now…
Nice work, Bath. Thought you assessment of the individual players in particular was spot on.
LHTG@14: That swig caught my eye too, but Ox was drinking from a bottle on the pitch earlier during a break in the play. Tthat could have been the same one. I doubt that an Arsenal player would drink from another team’s bottle if only because they don’t know what is in it. The announcement of the sponsorship deal with Gatorade last year talked of developing specific nutrition plans for individual players. Mine was always Guinness. All the essential nutrients.
Still think Sanogo is going to be a hell of a player if he ever learns to finish. He has that quality of unsettling defences.
Nice one Bath and cheers to arthur for his insights.
Also Sterling stuff from our on the spots, Esso and c’100.
Bosnian. what others have said, your english is fine, better then wot mine is. 😉
Watching the L’poo v Citeh clash. Pool blew them away in the first 30 minutes, the two nil lead well deserved and it’s left me wondering “what if”. Citeh just starting to claw their way back when the half time whistle went.
Good morning, Both. Or is that Bath in your accent? 🙂
Just like the ref (v Chelsea), it seems the BBC also have trouble recognising Chambo and Gibbsy.
Sagna had headed against the post and Carson had again saved superbly from Gibbs before Mertesacker arrived at the far post to score with a stooping header from Gibbs’s scuffed shot.
Good Morning, Arthur too. A Wisniowska morning, perchance? 🙂
I know I was partially in mind Zico @ 30, Holic’s just greenlit me, get ready for something special tomorrow my friend wuhahaha… 8)
Bosnian @ 37, a belated welcome, and please do not worry, your English is stellar mate 🙂
Hey Bath.
You’ve been full on quoted on The Guff on Arseblog.
I can say I knew you way back when. 😉
Sterling plays like possessed.
Heh H2H. The pleasure was all mine.
Autographed portraits in the pipeline! 😀
😆
And it’s a stonewall second yellow for Suarez.
Suarez, on a yellow, proving he can still cheat as well as he can score, with a blatent dive.
Ofcourse the ref bottles it.
Cracking goal by Silva. Come on you less bad guys!
Suarez is a complete reptile.
Hi All
Great read bath and great drinks Esso and Countryman100.
Its a shame that going 1 nil down was the only thing that spured the team into real action. The 1st half was a keep ball exercise that proved no real threat or penertration to the Wigan goal.
I have read a few bloggs around and im shocked to see how many people thought this was going to be a walk in the park ? Wigan are on a great run of form and we have been devoid of any confidence which was only going to lead too a nervious game. I have no finger nails left and must of lost a stone in sweat, by God my Arsenal put me through the ringer yesterday *WORTH IT*
I was delighted to see the reaction to going 1 nil down, i would say a few of the team have lost the use of thier legs this morning and going to training for a warm down would be classed as cruelity in most countries. Props to the OX our most dangerous player on the day, props to Sanogo for the willingness to chase and hurry the Wigan players, the desire is there but not sure the ability is thou.
The sheer delight in BFG face was brilliant to see, my choice for the future captain. Bac put in a great shift as well and the final looks to be his swan song *shame that*
Fab silenced alot of his critics in his selection with 2 outstanding saves and yes i have been one of those critics in the past. Shame on me. Delighted to see rambo back in the fray and what a time to come back with all to play for we will need him. Gibbs transformed us with his introduction, huge threat and why the hell he didnt start as he is better the Mono imo.
The rest had a poor game again imo, MA,LP,SC and OG it was a semi final for gods sake !
We are going to the final so who really cares about thier performance now ?
Come on you Gunners !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Citeh come alive.
Nt sure which one of those are less bad guys! Bath.
2-2
He he he
And Arthur, great read
H2H – think back to the 80s then think about last summer then think about the smug ex-Scunt pundits and how much more smug they would be if their successors win it. Not close even with oil-rich criminal owners.
Suarez reaping what he sew, sowed, whatever. Penalty not given
Divine justice via Clutzberg.
Too right there Bath, definetly smarmy bar stewards and the fallout of smug if they won would be unbearable.
Still a bit of a poo sandwich v glass of piss choice though. 🙂
Ashamed to say my gut is rooting against red more than against blue. The idea of bitey , stevie, and david brent beating us to the title would be a very bitter pill to swallow. Following on Talk Shite radio is hilarious though !
From backdrinking I see your all share my sentiments
Bosnian Gooner,
Fine work, sir – your Bosnian must be damn fine if this is your “not so good English” ! 😉
Glass of piss wins no contest
agreed on both counts there chrisg
glass of piss on the bar 🙂
You forget, chris, that the glass of piece is from a syfilis ridden aids tramp.
$ity, scouse or $helski ?
Thats not a choice ! That is pure evil !
So choose
1. Oil oil oil oil we have brought the league.
2. We invented the game. *In their minds*
3. Oil oil gas gas we have brough the league with the most vile manager ever to draw breath.
Where is the choice ?
Nice to be able to bring on Aguero off the bench
Bad Kompany.
Bummer.
When did Liverpoo signed Kompany? I must have missed that
Oooo 3 2 scousers “one of the games of the decade according to Psycho Pearce “
Well, it’s in the Mickey’s thieving little hands now.
Re yesterday’s match, nobody has mentioned the biggest managerial blunder. Why was Gomez, Wigan’s PK taker, not taking a penalty in the shootout, especially when going first?
I know….who cares? And who was fifth in line for Arsenal?
Maybe the Old Bill will lift ’em.
Man City
What a bloody let down
Liverpoo deservedly won. I still think that Chelsea will win the PL title, mostly because I hate them more than other two.
There is no way they will lose to Swansea. No absolutely fucking way. Nope. Not a chance. They will not lose.
We were grim and the game was dire .A fantastic turn out by Gooners deserved better but in the end the result was all that mattered.
I worry about Tuesday night’s line up, will we have enough fit players other than yesterday’s unused subs? I can’t see the Ox and Rambo being available .
The very late train home was full of celebrating Gooners and distraught Norwich fans.Have just about recovered from the lofty heights of the top tier.
See you all at the Ems on Tuesday.
Cracking game at Anfield, pity about the result.
I wonder which pundit will slate the L’pool players for celebrating like they just won the league???
so mourinho spawn, brendan rodgers looks like he is going to win the league after 2 years. yeah, they haven’t built a stadium, but they don’t have oil money and haven’t won the league for 24 years. bitter pill indeed.
i think their wage bill is lower than ours as well. just sayin’.
Just popping in to say marvellous stuff Baff – great report. Wonderful day. Good to see you and the bathlets at The Green Man.
Right, back to the Nuerofen.
MF, this season Liverpoo got as much referee decisions as they needed, 12 penalties, no Europe competition distraction, had 15+ less matches than us this season, and tones of luck.
Add to that, they still haven’t won anything at the moment, so should we envy them? My simple answer is- NO.
Lurky @87, add
In massive debt.
Still playing in a slum.
Carrying the weight of expectation of a third world city.
Next semi time.
Stripeys v Stripeys
Check out Chelsea’s bench today – wow. Little horse my arse.
Everyone got confused by Maureen’s accent, he actually called the Chavs “Little Whores”. 😉
Bayonne@79 – Might have been something to do with Gomez being subbed off.
It was a good night tabs 😉
Bath and ATG, good work on the guest posts.
matt foley: I’m not sure their wage bill is that much smaller than ours, if it even is. Suarez is on massive money if media reports are to be believed and what many also seem to forget is that they have spent enormous amounts of money on players in the last few years.
Lurky, Liverpool have played 13 games less than we have (2+6+2 CL, 1 LC, 2 FA Cup). That is a huge advantage for them, and I hope that if we do end up in the Europa League next season that we play League Cup style teams there and rest the first team in those games. That would not only keep the first team more fresh and rested, it would also be an opportunity to give kids like Zelalem and Crowley a bit of experience.
Or maybe all his dog-like barking made him a “little hoarse”
Blimey, Sheffield 1-0 up!
Bath, H2H and Trev your kind words are very much appreciated.
Lurky@87 and Bath@88, cannot agree more. In addition, if Suarez leaves for Real Madrid they will be back to UEFA League football.
Damn, this was a good year to win the title.
1 up Blades.
Towards the goal……….
Lars, my point exactly.
Sheffield 1 up.
And what a disgrace Maureen is. Dowd decided it is only a foul. But after Maureen appealed, he gave the red card to Chico. For his second foul in the game. Two yellows for two fouls. Fuck off Chelski. Hope Abramovich gets arrested and sell your club to pay his caution. Fucking cunts
Lurky, without even knowing. 🙂
The style I score this days… Sign me up, Arsene.
And thanks H2H of course, who else.
Swans down to 10, fuck murwhingoooooooooooo !!!!!
1-1
2-1 Blades. WTF
Woeful defending on show at Wembley.
Pangloss @ 92: Gomez wasn’t subbed off, so why wasn’t he first in the queue at the shootout?
Even Fabianski was puzzled why he wasn’t up first.
But as we said before, at this point, who cares?
And if Sheffield win their semifinal, can you imagine the pressure AW to win that one?
Wind – It certainly was my friend 😉 See you on Tuesday.
3=2 Tigers
4-2
Better that we play Premier opposition in the final.
And put one over Mrs Doubtfire to boot.
I have just corrected Tony Attwood on his suggestion that we get more injuries because we play much quicker than any other PL team. If he saw Liverpool today he would have seen what fast, incisive forward play looks like even though Citeh clawed their way back into the game really well. I was delighted to see a side who move the ball as Liverpool do win . It’s classic pass and move football, they make the pitch big when they attack but Sakho is a crap defender and Mignolet is poor on crosses . I still have an awful feeling that the spawn if the Devil will eventually triumph with the boring dross that they play and for that reason I hope the Scousers win it. I’d love Weasel- faced Nasri to fail to win and for Mourinho to get nothing.
Looks like it will be Hull at Wembley. In December we played one of the nose one – sided games I have ever seen when we beat them 2-0. We really can’t complain about that
4-3
4-3
5-3
It’s Hull in the final.
Bosnian G
if english
is yer second language
then
likewise
me
ie
.
no
.
😉
Evening all.
Great report Bath. Not much I can add to that and what has been said before. Love reading the accounts of Esso and Countryman and their tales of taking kids to football. Something that has always been close to my heart.
The game should have been much easier than it was. God knows why we make it so hard at times. In the end we have the prize. Another trip to wembley beckons. I can’t wait. I just hope that two hours on the wembley turf have not taken too much out of the players.
Something that no one has mentioned is the amount of empty seats. The Wigan end was a disgrace but there were loads of patches of empty seats in our end. When I think of all the Gooners who would have loved a ticket???
Re the title. I would hate for the scousers or the chavs to win it. The chavs because of Maureen and all the chavs. The scousers because they will never shut up. The other main reason is that I don’t actually think they are better than us bar their attacking line. All it will do is remind me of how we fucked it up and it will drive me nuts.
On to Tues night. Another must win game. Hopefully top 4 is still achievable. Then on to wembley in the May sunshine for one final fling.
Happy days.
Nice one Steve.
I mentioned the empty seats yesterday during the game. (just after kick off) I was pretty pissed off.
Well done AtG and Baff. Arthur, you was robbed; your post not receiving the commentary it deserved… but both efforts were well worth the read.
Chuffed with the result yesterday. Fully behind the lads for Tuesday and the remainder of the season. But have not changed my mind regarding the Boss’s future.
We can discuss at a later date, but suffice it to say, I hope we send AW out with one more Wimberley win…
BMBD
Evening H2H. I must admit, you were one of the first I thought of with all those empty seats. It was disgraceful.
We got speaking to a couple of arsenal fans on the tube home. They had seats in the Wigan end. Despite all the “spares” they would not move them. Lucky that they got no grief from the pie eaters.
It was the same story today Steve.
I’ve always thought that semi finals being held at Wemb;ey as just wrong, except if it was to host two (big) London clubs.
Today’s semi was played with two Yorkshire based teams, surely there’s a stadium oop North (Old Toilet for example) that is more then capable of hosting such a game.
It’s only because the FA couldn’t really aford such a stadium and they need the semis to pay it off.
Diego Costa may have seriously injured (fracture?) his leg after colliding with the post in scoring a goal… how lucky can chelski get????!
Hope he’s allright!
Steve T
Reluctant as I am to disagree with someone who has such a good understanding of the game the Scousers have an infinitely better forward three than we do. Had Suarez signed we would have won the title already..Sturridge v Sanogo??? And Sterling was their best player today. I agree we have a much better defence and our first choice midfield is a match for theirs but I have to give credit where it is due. Sadly also, Rodgers is a much more innovative and flexible tactician than Wenger. Yes they are annoying fans but today of all days I will cut them a bit of slack. And they’ve shown you can win the league without spending the earth which gives hope to us all.
I haven’t seen any of today’s game. However there were 82,000 there yesterday so I think it justifies it being there. I just wish they would sort out the ticketing a lot better. A bit of common sense and loads more get in to watch.
Diego Costa just a bad cut evidently. Good news – Atletico for La Liga and the Champions League!
TTG. We sing from the same song sheet. I agree totally. If we had added the strikers that we should have done then….. Well, who knows what would have happened????? That is why I get frustrated. We sit with hundreds of millions in the bank and one forward????? I am more than aware that it’s been done to death but when I watch the scousers and see what they are doing and can’t help but think what might have been????
Diego Costa???? Why did we not dip out toes in the water there in January???? 37 million release clause if you believe what you read??? If you don’t ask you don’t get???
Let’s hope he is back playing very soon.
BB, looks like Costa will be fine.
bbc 4
never
before
has
diddley
cliches
lowered
more
b4
Steve T @128, the only 2 possible rational explanations for our failure to strengthen our attacking options in January are
1) Arsene had already ‘hit the wall’ and decided to retire and therefore decided to leave the money for his successor to use in the summer as he could identify no ‘value’ signings in January.
2) We have deals for high cost targets in the summer that will meet our needs and consume our entire budget.
We will soon know. However there are other irrational explanations that will really piss us off. Neither of the above exclude sealing a 6 month loan deal for a proven top level striker not currently making his first team – I cannot believe there wasn’t a single individual meeting those criteria available.
We could have got Remy for 8 million. Not the ideal long term answer but a short term solution until the season ends????
Just one of many possibles in my opinion.
Both equally as plausible Bath. Not sure we will ever know the real answer.
Remy though currently crocked would have added considerably in terms of attacking options and rest for HFB. In the summer he was probably ruled out by Arsene on moral grounds as the rape case was still outstanding. Not sure if his loan deal at Mags prevented any further move in Jan.
In any case a snip at £8m. Much better value than Benteke imho.
It’s two years since we sold RVP. I just don’t go with the there’s no one available or affordable out there that makes us better???
as
‘hol always
says
in
his inimitable
way
to paraphrase
don’t fuckin. feed
the
fuckin vermin
.
very
different
vermin
here
.
Strange
I wrote these thoughts down earlier today and decided not to post them yet in case folks saw them as a dampener on the celebrations.
However, as Steve T, bath and ttg have addressed some wider issues, here goes – not dooming I hope but, as ‘cba’ would say, anyhoo –
So, the result was all important yesterday and we did eventually get the win. It was, though, another dispiriting performance, and I’m not looking forward to seeing out another season clinging desperately to 1-0 wins. I know it’s only the results that matter, but this level of performance is not good enough considering the talent at our disposal.
A couple of things I heard yesterday, confined to a seat in front of the television, worried me about the management of our team, and club.
When asked pre-match about the decision to play Sanogo instead of Giroud, Arsene Wenger’s answer was –
“Sanogo is playing because Giroud has played a lot, has been a bit fatigued in the last few games and you can’t play the whole season with just one striker.”
The debate has been done to death since August and I won’t reiterate any of it here, but that statement is numbingly obvious at best and intensely annoying at worst in the circumstances.
During the game itsself, it was painfully clear, even against Wigan, that our passing game has been found out. Pressure on our holding midfielder(s) stops us building from the back partly, I think, because their lack of physique means they are pushed over and lose the ball, and partly because there is not enough close movement around them. Losing the ball in front of the back four, and the failure of Arteta’s legs to recover ground has exposed our centre backs again, and our early season excellent defensive solidity has evapourated.
Lee Dixon was asked at half time whether Arsene Wenger was likely to make any changes for the second half. His answer will hardly come as a shock, but it was “from the horse’s mouth” stuff. He said that Arsene Wenger is just not the sort of manager who will move personnel around or dictate tactical changes – he prefers to create an environment where his players play and learn about tactics for themselves.
Now that may be fine when your players are Vieira, Pires, Henry, Bergkamp, Gilberto Silva et al, but it is a very different kettle of fish with our current squad. A younger breed of managers have realised that is no longer enough.
I absolutely hate to say this having always been so pleased and proud to have Arsene Wenger, for all his qualities, as our manager, but the team lately looks like a collection of individuals playing with no plan, no belief and no threat. Players seem happy to play endless square and backwards one-twos across the midfield and back four. Noone wants to take the responsibility to run ahead of the ball into spaces behind opposition defenders, or when we do attack it seems to be single handedly hoping for the best as backup runners are not determined – or allowed- to break forward.
We are a team built to attack who no longer dare to do it. The team mirrors the current appearance of the manager – gripped by the fear of failure, starved of adequate options and shorn of conviction and positivity.
We all appreciate why it is so difficult to compete with the limitless supplies of Russian and Arabic funds, but our current paralysis seems to go beyond that to me. The boldness and desire of previous Wenger years has gone.
I would love to see him bring it all back with a rejuvenated squad, not to say a rejuvenated self. He has given, in his own so often used words, “absolutely everything” to Arsenal, and now appears, to me, exhausted.
Maybe a World Cup and a very large amount of money to spend will re-inspire him. I sadly have my doubts.
We’ll all stay right behind the team anyway, but something, whether that be manager, players or mentality, does now have to change.
blind man
on a gallopin horse
can see
what
you see
trev
scarcely any
could’ve
put the tin lid
on it
better
.
top post
shite post
true post
.
now
fuck off soldier
.
you
and
yer home fuckin truths
.
grumpy still
.
bugger off
.
*puts on johnny cash *
*johnny cash* ?
Read it again, cba
.
One piece at a time
.
😉
no
Oh, oh
.
cba’s got some fulsome blues
.
😉
I thought Johnny Cash was the change froma condom machine ????
🙂
Bath, Steve and Trev.
Terrific posts which mirror my thoughts except I would like to add one extra theory to Bath’s very plausible list. A ( quality) journalist that I know told me some time ago that he thought that Wenger did not have the nerve to spend large amounts of money. Since David Dein left he has repeatedly changed his mind on targets and I understand has caused great consternation with the scouting and negotiating team. I believe that Wenger is a naturally cautious man who does not find it easy to splash the cash and I think he just can’t make key decisions any more. I hear that Morata may be lined up in the summer but surely these deals are contingent on us reaching the Champions League?
He dithered on Higuain preferring Suarez ( Higuain got a hat- trick today) and then we know the Suarez saga. But as Bath says we surely could have lined up a loan deal that improved on what we have upfront. In both windows we spent the last couple of hours striving to sign Pastore, Ba, Di Natale, Papiss Cisse, and Kalou. Apparently we bid for Schneiderlin at gone ten o’ clock on the evening the September window closed. OK we didn’t pull it off in August but to fail again in January when we were top? It defies belief.
Trev analysed almost exactly where our problems lay now. We have suffered with personnel problems because of injuries but really we have to be more flexible . Everyone knows how to play us. If they are fit ienough they may hold us and if they are good enough they will beat us. And the problem is while Wenger stays it won’t change. So we are blessed with someone who has become an increasing liability , albeit it a liability that has got us into the Champions League every year ……And someone that many Arsenal supporters could not countenance sacking. So a Cup win would give him the perfect opportunity to go out on a high. If you haven’t read Amy Lawrence’s piece in today’s Observer do try to. It is a beautifully affectionate yet exasperated description of yesterday centred on the agony she sees Wenger experiencing…he’s certainly a complex man.
Spot on Trev by the way.
Trev, well written. Your thoughts on the shooting from distance- issue.
Psychological reasons- the players refuse to take responsibility mainly because of fear?
Lack of confidence?
Inability- we don’t have good shooters?
Tactical- they are forbidden to shoot?
Other reasons?
I ask that because I think that some of our players, like the Ox, Cazorla, Podolski, Ramsey and why not Arteta and Giroud are actually good at shooting from distance. But they often refuse to shoot when on good positions and tend to overplay and loose the ball when looking for a perfect goal.
Ox proved once again yesterday that he is a real menace when shooting, but he is the one of two players in the team that is not scared to shoot. The other is Gnabry.
Arteta was famous for his distance shooting at Everton. I can’t remember when was the last time he tried his shot for us. No matter that he is more defensive minded nowadays, he actually gets into good shooting positions, but refuses to shoot.
I am asking this, mostly because we are capable of scoring plenty from distance, but we almost never seem to do that. Distance shooting would make us more direct, less predictable, maybe less vulnerable at the back.
You quoted Dixon, who says that Arsene prefers to leave decisions to the players. But I don’t think that is the case on this particular issue.
My opinion, of course, would like to hear others.
Trev, I agree 100%.
It’s time for change of some kind.
This cannot be allowed to continue.
Either Arsene makes the changes with our new found wealth (even under pressure from someone – but who?) or he is part of the change.
“Now that may be fine when your players are Vieira, Pires, Henry, Bergkamp, Gilberto Silva et al, but it is a very different kettle of fish with our current squad.”
That one sentence tells you all you need to know. The quality has gone and we have done nothing to replace it. You can add the likes of Cesc, RVP, Nasri plus others to that list. The figures quoted show a net spend of £11 million in the last 8 years????? How can that be right when we go into an FA cup semi final and our only starting striker has the same goal scoring record for arsenal as me????
I have always believed in evolution, not revolution. Sadly I think we are very much passed the evolution stage and have been for some time now.
TTG’s comment is poignant. I have said here loads of times before that I would have him back in a heartbeat. I know that is not the popular view but you can see how much he is missed by AW. Also, very interesting to read what Amy Lawrence has said.
I’m not going to say anymore, you all know my views. I just think we are so far off at times. What really frustrates me is that I really don’t think we should be, or need to be for that matter.
Good point Lurky. I have been frustrated for years about our reluctance to shoot from the edge of the box rather than try to wriggle through a packed defence by passing. OK lots will be blocked but several will get through and some will take critical deflections. Even if we just did it occasionally it would cut down the number of predictable attempted wriggles through the middle.
Holic, you have mail.
Fabianski interview
“To be honest with you I did some homework but none of them [the Wigan penalty takers] were on my list!” he told Arsenal Player.
“The guys who stepped up to take penalties [were different] so I was just guessing. It was more intuition rather than my homework that I’d done.
“I was surprised that [Jordi] Gomez didn’t step up as the first one. Then I saw Caldwell and Collison taking the penalties, so I was just guessing.
“I did look at YouTube and things like that, but I didn’t see anything of Collison or Caldwell on there.”
Youtube? Intuition? Just guessing?
Don’t get me wrong, they were very good saves. But, what happened to tapes, preparation, analysis, consultation with the coach etc?
I don’t want to sound to harsh, but what are they doing for the whole week on training, except stretching and telling jokes to each other. Watching football clips on youtube? I am watching youtube ffs and I am available.
It makes me wonder and I am serious, do we actually prepare for the games focusing on every opponent team particularly, on their weaknesses and strengths or do we practice the same things over and over again no matter the opposition, hoping for the same results against different opponents?
Heads up, Lurky. It could be that you are number 1 on Arsene’s list to replace Flappy. Especially if you are watching football clips on youtube. Qualifications mastered already! 🙂
And Steve T if you have scored the same number of goals as Sanogo the same could go for you too. :
I don’t know about AW anymore either. He hasn’t beaten Mourinho ever, got outfought against Martinez and Rogers…remember, this man almost has more PL managerial experience than all the other PL managers combined!!!
The 5-1 and 6-0 losses to Liverpool and Chelsea still make my blood boil. Why defend with such a high line when there is no pressure in midfield and when BFG is at his weakest, when we playing so well defending deep?
We easily beat Liverpool at home in the league (one of the few teams to successfully nullify SAS) and beat them in the FA cup…they are no where near as good as people have making out.
However, Liverpool show just how important it is to have pace in the team…whilst we have to rely on ONE player for that!! (Tho Ox is quite quick too).
Trev@138:
What an eloquent and perceptive post, I think, poignant as well. I believe that whatever change comes about, it will be for the best! Let’s hope and back the team to see this season out on a high note 🙂
Steve T@148: sorry mate, didn’t realize you had already used the word ‘poignant’ 🙂
Of course we need a striker, but we haven’t had one since RvP slunk off and only had him fit for one season, and yet we still managed to score goals. Apart from Rambo, still our second top goal-scorer, our miserable midfield have contributed very little this season. How often do we see any of them even within shooting range? Not often enough.
Midfielders Premiership goal stats:
Tomas Rosicky 2 goals in 23 appearances
Mikel Arteta 2 in 26
Lukas Podolski 4 in 15
Jack Wilshere 3 in 23
Mesut Ozil 4 in 22
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 2 in 13
Santi Cazorla 4 in 27
Mathieu Flamini 2 in 24
Not all appearance were starts, but you get the idea.
We need a couple of attacking midfielders as much as an out and out striker. Or at least get some of what we have forward more often.
Öskar
Trev … given your Wembley record I hope we don’t have to Tonya Harding your other leg to have you stay well clear on final day?
I’m looking forward to it. With luck we can take Hull to penalties where we appear to be on much safer ground than in general play. We’ve won seven out of eight of our last shootouts, let’s make it eight out of nine!
Öskar
Lurky, your final point was on point. I think AW of late (read, the last 6 years or so) focuses on getting the team trained to play it’s game without focusing tactically on the specific opponents. I think he has said much the same himself. When it comes off, it’s a great thing to behold, but when it doesn’t come off, the squad looks like a one-trick pony. As was written and attributed to Sun Tzu, a general who knows himself but not his enemy will succeed in half of his battles…
bmbd
Location: 献身 (pronounced Kenshin, roughly translated as “Dedication”), an unlisted secretive Sushi bar in North London, without a menu or a regular entrance. The only way to enter the restaurant for the first time is to know someone who knows how to get in through the backdoor of a ground floor apartment in Highbury Square whose front entrance can be opened only with a code that changes every minute and you need to have a synchronized code generator which comes in a key chain that you may or may not be approved to possess depending on how you treat the place and the food in your first visit. The Sushi master Tanizaki was a disciple of Master Jiro Ono in Ginza when he fell under the spell of the bespectacled foreign manager of the Nagoya Grampus, his hometown club who suddenly became very good. He had followed Arsene to London without fully completing his apprenticeship much to the dismay of Master Jiro who eventually forgave the young Tanizaki, seeing in the depths of his disciple’s passion the reflection of his own obsessiveness.
Settings: The inside of the restaurant is very much unlike Jiro’s sacred and musical alcove in Ginza subway station. Upon first entrance if it reminds you of a Karaoke bar for the perennially inebriated that is because it is a Karaoke bar for the perennially inebriated, albeit one that serves the best Sushi in Europe. However today there is not a single drunken expatriate artist or diplomat to be seen, in the corner a very old man in a saffron overall sipping Lagavulin from a chipped tea cup with the bottle held loosely in his left hand, a hushed silence reigns and Tanizaki himself is seen to be bringing morsels of foods from the kitchen. There is no one else around. There is no music playing. It is worth stressing that there is no music playing, and not even a hiss is audible from the sound system which is visibly on.
Arsene enters, followed by Bould, each wearing identical costumes of simple black cashmere vests and dark blue cotton pants, but red loafers. Their entrance is meant to startle the audience who have been watching the old gentleman sipping Lagavulin for a few minutes now. The old man doesn’t stir.
[Arsene](Solemnly, bowing just a little): Roshi.
[Bould] (Surprised, and almost prostrating reverentially): Roshi!! After all these years finally …
[Arsene] : Roshi, I have brought the team.
The old man now slowly stands up, still holding the Lagavulin bottle in his left hand. We will call him Roshi for the rest of the play, because he is. Roshi.
Roshi walks slowly towards Bould and Arsene, his steps are faltering but his overall movements seem oddly steady and even rhythmic. As he approaches them he squints his eyes and a smile floats across his face.
[Roshi]: Ha, Wenger-san, you must give baldy here some of your hair. No hair, no lasting power. Ha ha.
(Audience should notice two things: they can hear some guffaws of suppressed laughter coming from the kitchen and the fact the Roshi’s accent and dictions are truly unique: a hint of Japanese, a hint of Californian, a hint of Candian, a hint of Martinique creole…the man is from everywhere)
Bould looks bemused and a bit annoyed. Roshi offers him his bottle of Lagavulin, Bould holds it in both hands and starts pouring in an array of small tea cups arranged haphazardly on the table.
[Roshi]: Bring them in. Bring them in.
[Arsene] (takes a few backward steps and whispers loudly at the backstage): Entrez, les enfants. Asseyez-vous.
A torrent of excited young men rush in murmuring to each other, all wearing simple black cashmere vests and dark blue cotton pants, but red loafers. The light slowly focuses on each of them individually and also in distributed clusters and it becomes apparent that these are Arsenal first team footballers.
[Poldi] (super excitedly): Sushi, I love Sushi. Never been here. Where is the menu?
Roshi throws his chipped tea cup towards the general direction of Poldi — by now it should be very clear to the audience that he cannot see too well — which catches Poldi by surprise and he tries to volley the cup towards an imaginary goal. He connects well, the cup flies straight at the kitchen, and at that very moment Tanizaki was opening the kitchen door with one hand and the other hand holding a big plate of sea urchins. The cup hits Tanizaki at his nose, he drops to the floor and the urchins all are strewn everywhere.
[Roshi] (smilingly): Aha!
[Arsene] (mischievously): No Sushi for Lucas tonight! But he can have as many of the urchins as he can collect from the floor. No problem.
Poldi looks aghast. Then first time in his adult life he starts to sob. He starts with a muffled whimper but soon it turns into a blood curdling scream. Ozil, seen by the audience now eagerly to have started drinking his cup of Lagavulin, is now heard to tell Per who looks genuinely bemused “Es ist unfair”.
Roshi walks towards Poldi in a motion that looks rapid and slow at the same time. He punches Poldi in his groin.
[Poldi] (suddenly stops screaming and a wide smile appears at his face): Aha! (Then walking towards Ozil jauntily) Mesut bai, don’t drink all the whiskey, remember it is not allowed in your religion, he he…
In this pandemonium Santi and Sagna seem to be fighting on the floor for those very tasty bites of Uni scattered everywhere, and Bouldy is now bringing Tanizaki back to life with drops of Lagavulin through his half-closed mouth. Ox, a keen observer of the fight for food on the floor finally decides to take sides and kicks Sagna right on the chest who is now clutching for breath. Santi now stands up, joyously, and offers Ox a single piece of Urchin from the floor. Ox knocks him out with a venomous left hook that even makes a ‘puff’ noise as it lands on Santi’s small face. TV5 and Arteta now rush in to bring calm but one look at the glaring Ox make them stop on their tracks.
The light now focuses on another part of the stage, it is the corner of the restaurant where the Karaoke system has now been turned on and has started to make a mild noise. The audience can see Rambo, Theo (who is sporting an odd looking beard and nursing a rather tall glass of sparkling sake) and Szczesny consoling Jack who has gotten up on one of the tables dangerously and dementedly repeating “he must be stopped, he cannot do this to us.”
[Arsene] (walks towards the system, picks up a microphone, and says): I really don’t have anything to say to you tonight. I have brought you here to meet Roshi, maybe his presence can open your eyes to the possibilities that I had seen in all of you, and maybe Tanizaki’s food can show you what dedication for perfection can achieve. Eat, drink, and listen to Bouldy.
[Koscielny and Giroud] (who until now have been present in each spotlight, but haven’t been heard to be have said anything, joined in a chorus): Une chanson, patron! A song!
[Arsene]: Okay, I will sing you a song. Let me choose one for a few minutes first.
Then he starts talking to Tanizaki who has now fully come back to his senses and sharing drinks with Bouldy.
Flamini & Rosicky approach Kos and Giroud.
[Flamini]: I bet ten thousand pound Boss would sing some Jacques Brel. Deal?
[Rosicky]: Twenty thousand and I think it would be something by Cohen, maybe something from “Songs of Love and Hate.” He is always humming those…
[Kos and Giroud]: Who?
[Kos]: Non, he is generally humming some Serge Gainsbourg shit or something like that…
[Giroud]: I am with Matthieu. Brel it is.
Arsene is now seen walking back to the front of the sound system, Tanizaki goes to the control board and presses some buttons. A simple drum is heard for the first few bars, then some lovely guitar riff joins in with bass and piano following. Arsene swirls around and starts singing in perfect tune, in his inimitable accent:
“Yes, star crossed in pleasure the stream flows on by
Yes, as we’re sated in leisure, we watch it fly yeah”
Everyone stops whatever they are doing. The guitar rings in the bridge . Arsene, eyes glistened…
“Men, they build towers to the passing yes, to their fame everlasting
Here he comes chopping and reaping, hear him laugh at their cheating
And time waits for no one, and it won’t wait for me
Time waits for no one, and it won’t wait for me.”
The group has now started to move closer to stage. Roshi and Tanizaki have started to dance around Arsene , Roshi pretends to play the air guitar for a few seconds before stopping with a grimace and dancing while nursing his left shoulder with right palm.
Arsene sings …
“No no no, not for me
Nooo not for me
Duh duh da na na na, not for me…
”
The timeless melody lines continue on and on …
[ If you are not familiar with the song, try this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0P5CYu-Ais ]
Lurky @ 146 we have always been a bit shy in distance shooting, don’t really know why. Though I’d add Rambo to the list of players who aren’t afraid to shoot, and at least try to go for it. He’s had some real thumping goals this season from distance, I remember being so happy that at last someone was not only trying but the shots were going in as well.
Dr. F,
Masterclass…quite how you found the time to compose that while being immersed in San Juan is beyond me. if you have the time, do take a cab to Santurce…there is a wonderful little restaurant in LA Placita – Jose Enrique, I think it is.
You will not be disappointed.
bmbd
Oskar @ 156 that is indeed a pretty dismal output of goals from what is supposed to be an extremely talented and creative midfield. I’d say we can discount Ozil though, if only because he’s been heavily involved in the creation or assist of many of the other goals. When Ramsey and Ozil played together they were combining excellently and seemed to be building a really good understanding of each other’s play. Then both of them went down. But that’s something to look forward to next season. Additionally, the return of Walcott will prove to be a massive boost in scoring output I think, and again the understanding between Walcott, Ramsey and Ozil is a very potent one – I don’t have the stats in front of me but the trio, given their game time together, have all assisted each other and played key passes to each other with great results. And I also am very optimistic in Oxlade Chamberlain developing into a goal threat as well. So with the addition of a real class striker with a lethal finish, I do think the elements and personnel are there to make it work.
Lonestar @ 161: Thanks. Thanks a lot.
The idea for this came to me in the flight from Boston to San Juan. Back at hotel today with the two year old and his mother off to bed exhausted, I am still up in that strange state of exhaustion-alcohol-coffee fueled exhilaration, listening to the waves break…thought might as well write it down.
We had earlier drove down to Santurce — actually it is pretty close to where we are staying — and hung around a bit in La Placita. We did try to get a table at Jose Enrique, it was the weekend, the wait was for 45 minutes and the two year old was restless. So gave up and drove back to the old town. Next time definitely, especially given your glowing recommendation.
I am fully, absolutely, unabashedly in love with old San Juan. A very small city with only a few hundred years of history, but there is a vibrance and creative fertility, mixed with the architecture, the blue cobblestoned roads, the ocean, the food … we should really have visited this place earlier.
Night.
I cannot believe i am saying this but what Roy keane said did make sense to me, roy said they celebrated finishing 4th and now they are celebrating beating wigan on penalties, they are Arsenal Fc. I mean thats exactly what i felt when watching the game.
There were like more than 200 people here in our late night screening and i couldnt believe people at half time saying thank god we dint concede, i mean ru kidding me???
Wigan cannot match up to the shoe laces of Arsenal Fc, these are games wherein we should destroy such teams say 4-0, worry is that, has our standards become so low now?
A game which had nothing except a set of players playing for the sake of. all passion shown in the end does not merit the lack of it in the first 90 min. Did our players know who they play for and what was the occasion? .
Hull again will play the same way as wigan did, hull obviously have better players and if Arsenal dont turn up then it will be a heartbreak which will be unbearable.
The ruthlessness that we had is nowhere to be seen and for me the pressure has made us succumb and become so meek that at times i wonder where is the real progress we have made.
The cup win may take the monkey of the back but it wont cover the cracks.
Boyonne @ 108 (finally!).
Sorry, you are quite right Gomez wasn’t substituted. I remember seeing his name go up on the scoreboard and I thought it was for a substitution, but it was when he picked up a yellow card.
Once, more apologies. Small drink of your choice waiting behind the bar.
Apolgies once more for the misspelling, Bayonne. Drink now upgraded to a large one.
I really must proofread my drinks.
I really must proofread my drinks.
I really must proofread my drinks.
I really must proofread my drinks.
I really must proofread my drinks.
Vinay at 164, agree with loads there, but that is probably the best performance by any team in any penalty shoot-out I have ever seen. Certainly at club level. We lost the toss. Fab made two brilliant saves first up. Their goalie was a complete nightmare on the line. Then, our scorers were our 3 most under-pressure players in recent weeks, plus a newbie with a crocked back. Those pens were superb, even Santi’s in it’s own terrifying way. Credit where it is due. We have no captain (Stevie Gee up anybody?), no coach effectively, our 3 marquee signings post RVP have had their confidence smashed, our long term marketing campaign involves 5 young British stars (3 or 4 of whom tend to be crocked), our stand-out player in the slump (Sagna) only gets offered a two year deal, our first choice CF for big games has never scored a goal. Things are very very very bad but please don’t stop a bunch of lads celebrating when they were minutes away from, well, you know… You’re right Hull are better than Wigan but we start level. No I don’t mean 0-0. Long and Jelavic can’t play and we have no strikers (well none in the right frame of mind) either. Here’s hoping the powder keg blows some time in the next month. I still want 4th of course but the thought of Stan appearing for the final and Verm leading us out onto the hallowed turf (even if Kos back, what odds both Gibbs and Nacho out?) is pretty embarassing.
Very nicely done Dr Faustus @ 159, even gave the song a listen too 🙂
I’m not at all sure we’re past the evolution stage, to borrow Steve’s expression. Let us not forget that any team would struggle badly with the amount of injuries we’ve had this season. Fix that bit and we’ve come a long way right there. I know we can say we should have cover for injured players but every team, even Barca at their best a few years ago, have two or three players they can not do without. Take Iniesta and Messi out of that side and they’d have been much less of a team. Take Suarez and Sturridge out of Liverpool this season. The title-winning Man City side without Aguero and Yaya Toure, ManU of ten-ish years ago without van Nistlerooy and Keane, the Invincibles without Henry and Vieira etc etc etc. We can buy all the players in the world but if they are injured they will be of no use anyway.
However, if we finish outside the top four (confession: I think we will) it will be much more difficult to add to what we have and also to keep what we have. If I knew that it wouldn’t really affect the transfer side to miss out on the CL I wouldn’t actually mind that much but it will most definitely be a kick in the balls transfer wise so I am not looking forward to a summer of watching good players turning us down. I mean, in isolation, what’s really the difference between fourth and fifth? Nothing, really, in terms of just the league. But the implications it will have on the transfer side due to no CL footie… no, prefer not to think too much about that at this point.
Lurky@151: I think you are misunderstanding Fabianski slightly. He researched the most likely penalty takers, and that’s what all keepers do. You can’t research 22 players, you have to focus on the most likely. And yes, YouTube is a common tool for doing that research. I know we want to believe that they have all this high-tech gizmos and specially prepared video clips but it’s all there on YouTube and loads of players (particularly keepers) use it to study opponents. Some even use it to study themselves to see what they can improve.
Vinay.
When was the last time a team won a penalty shoot out in any competition and did not celebrate? I get the point you are making but I would suggest that if they just shook hands before disappearing down the tunnel then they would have copped all sorts of flack??
Keane is a violent thug who by his own admission actually went out to injure certain individuals. He is a total wanker. End of really.
Imagine the state of our boys in extra time if they’d had a CL 1/4 final the previous wednesday? Here’s hoping we can actually get 11 out tuesday night.
I just cant believe that the scousers may win it. Mightily impressed. i have to say. Did they add many players before the season? Brenda looks very comfortable in his job right now. Unlike the other managers.
Pool were looking for a top 4 finish at the start of the season and now may just win the thing.
Bet Wenger feels jealous about a team that did not cost much to put together, a shit back 5, a team set out to score more than they concede. It could have been us a couple of seasons ago.
Also looks like they get a lot of decisions their way. Gerrard has to kill some one before getting a red card.
If only our players had greater belief and gave 100% every game. In a world cup year thats strange.
Frustrating times. Hope they give everything and bag the maximum pts on offer. How I wish.
I would celebrate winning a penalty shoot out if it was in the back garden against my kids. That’s what you do at the end of a shoot out.
The notion that our players should have simply shaken hands and walked off the pitch, after two hours of running, cramp and pressure, is fucking barmy.
Presumably the fans shouldn’t have celebrated either. Just filed quietly out of the stadium.
Roy Keane has said a thing or two about us that rings true, but he can do one, as can all the other ex Utd players clogging up my TV screen. Worry more about the shambles at your own club, and a little less about us.
@172
The truly weird thing about Liverpool is that virtually all Rodgers signings last summer – and he spent a fair bit of money – have been stinkers.
@174 always a tough place to go get a win is anfield. have they lost there this season?
even fergie in his pomp was resigned to losing at anfield.
they used to play this long ball crap which brenda has changed. not easy to play them now. need high energy clever players.
can see them dominating the scene in coming years.
we need our old Wenger back to put them in their place.
@DB10
I don’t see them dominating the scene.
Next season they’ll have champs league football to contend with, and I don’t think they’ll have another campaign like this for injuries: Steven Gerrard, for example, is 34 next month, has played a lot of football and has stayed fit all season.
They’re absolutely flying right now and would give anyone a game, but I think they’re playing at a level they won’t be able to maintain in the long term, and that back line still looks ropy to me.
They’re a very good side, and will deserve the title if they win it, but they’re not so good that I think future success is guaranteed. In particular, I think that if they were to lose Suarez it would be an almighty blow to them.
All of that said, fair play to them – they’ve done great this season.
Why anyone would ever listen to what Keane says is beyond me. He is one of the biggest bellends the game has ever seen.
DB10: that the current Liverpool team was assembled on a shoestring budget is starting to become a really annoying myth. They have spent shitloads in the past few years. Henderson cost about £15 million, Suarez £25 mil, Sturridge £16 mil, Aspas £10 mil, Sakho £15 mil, Mignolet £10 mil (which is quite a lot for a keeper), Joe Allen £16 mil, Glen Johnson £18 million etc etc. And that’s not to mention those who flopped spectacularly and were sold on for massive losses like Andy Carroll and Stuart Downing, who incurred combined losses of upwards of £40 million.
Hi All
Trev@138 agree with it all !
The drinks in here are varied and make a great read, there is no other place that is so pro AW. To question him after so many years seems to boarder treason and a trip to the tower is in order.
Trev put it very well, my opinion is that i think Aw has lost the dressing room *Or I am talking bollocks, quite possible* in the last few games AW seems reluctant to even walk to his tec area, this is unheard of. To me that says something, he looks like a man who has run out of idea`s of how to turn it around this time.
Arsenal`s debt to AW is enormous, he has changed us from top to bottom and for this I can offer no higher accolade than thank you very mich sir.
I have been an AW supporter all through so its strange that I now believe its time to go up stairs to the board and support a new manager. This could turn out very manu`esc and be a huge mistake but to me its time.
We have now been walking down a very dark tunnel for a couple of months with very little light. Aw has been berated for no tactical knowledge and the most common one he was called was naive. I personally blamed the players for lack of desire and passion, now it could be that they know whats going wrong yet leaving it to the players to put right isnt management. If its upto the players to work out there own tactics and grow as players once they have been given the formation to play makes me think there are bigger problems than what I thought.
stick or twist ?
And I agree with N7. Liverpool need to strengthen considerably if they want to keep this form going next season. Having no European football has been such a massive advantage for them (Gerrard a case in point there as N7 says). And I am far from convinced they can keep Suarez if Real come calling, winning the league or not. Hell, Liverpool winning may even make him more determined to leave as he would then be able to say “hey, I’ve kept my end of the bargain, now let me fuck off to Madrid”.
I spoke to one of my less repugnant Scouse mates yesterday who told me most of the neutrals want them to win the league out of everyone one else in the top 4 (swapping us with Everton as their temporary participation does not yet qualify).
I told him no offence but I do not want them to win it as they piss me off more than any other supporters. In response he told me that apparently Gooners are the worst as they (scousers) have had to sit on the sidelines for the last 24 years hearing about Henry, 49 games unbeaten and Wenger!
To be honest, it would be good for them to win it out of the other three out of principle. But for the sake of their sodding jobseeking gobs, I wouldn’t mind keeping them quiet for another year, at least!
To be honest the only person at City that pisses me off is the lesbian, but I would sacrifice him for the scousers!
Afternoon all.
If L’pool don’t win it this year they can forget it for quite a long time (IMHO).
Next year with CL games thrown in it’s a completly different prospect, their squad isn’t big or experienced enough to handle the rigours of three games a week. N7 echoed what I said a few weeks ago about Rodgers’ record in the transfer windows, suffice to say, it’s not good. Although he has pretty much worked wonders with what he has, the fact that he’s made that carthorse Henderson look like something resembling a footballer warrents the highest praise.
He’s not scared to change his formations and cuts his cloth accordingly, something that we seem incapable of. He’s also implemented modern techniques, instilled a winning mentality with help from sports pschologists. Maybe not everyone believes in that stuff but it looks to be working for them.
If they do win the league then they deserve the plaudits, I will (begrudgingly) admit that they have been one of, if not, the best teams to watch this season.
Keeping his best players fit throughout the season has been a huge advantage for Rodgers (dare I say it)!
Roy Keane?
Sociopath and Wanker.
The end.
what zico said @ 183.
Keane is a malignant growth. Should be excised or blasted with radiation.
A propos of nothing very much, is there a reason ‘Holic why Bruce Rioch is missing from the line of successive Arsenal managers on your blog banner? Just curious…
Some good thoughts from the usual suspects above, and a special tip of the hat to Dr F.’s omakase.
Brian Clough used to say that tactics were what the opposition did to get around not being the better team on paper. The logical conclusion of that is that if you are the better team you don’t need tactics. That is essentially AW’s position: the best team wins and he will put out the best team (even though all the academic research says football is the most unpredictable of all the main team sports).
That is not to say AW is tactically naive or inflexible. You don’t get to win as many games at the level he has and for as long if you are. His Arsenal teams have played in very different ways and in different formations over the years, and against Wigan on Saturday, for example, he switched formations mid-game.
What has put his managerial philosophy under increasing stress is that (i) it has become harder to have the best team because the club has became relatively weaker in the buy side of the buying and developing players equation; (ii) the overall technical level of players in the Premiership and CK has increased immeasurably since AW arrived at Arsenal; (iii) the overall standard of managerial tactical nous in the Premiership at top and bottom has improved considerably over the same period, and (iv) confidence is so important to his sides, and that drains rapidly when things go wrong or if the manager can’t instill it in his players, as it increasingly has because of (i), (ii) and (iii).
There is one other factor, to my mind, which matters a lot. One reason that the best teams are the best teams is that they have power and pace aplenty to negate tactics designed to contain them. In recent seasons, and especially this season, that has been absent in sufficient quantity either because we haven’t bought it or it has been injured.
http://news.arseblog.com/2014/04/ozil-rosicky-and-diaby-join-first-team-training/
BTW where is Niclas Bendtner?
Keane needs to cheer up! miserable git! 😆
As long as I get my sunny bus top parade this year Keane can eat a fat one! 😉
http://news.arseblog.com/2014/04/arsenal-get-25000-ticket-allocation-for-cup-final/
25k tickets for the final… I mean, I knew it would be bad, but not that bad. Either pay through the nose for Club Wembley spares where the atmosphere will be sterile compared to in the stands, or catch it on terrestrial TV, or even worse, a dodgy stream that you can hardly close the ad’s on. Even more thankful that I got to go to the Semi Final now.
Wind, the FA Cup Final has always been like that. Tickets go to every FA affiliated football club in the land and then some find their way (at a price) to real supporters.
I’ve only ever managed to get to one Cardiff final and that was on tickets I accessed through a very good friend with many connections.
Not convinced that I will get a ticket for this one.
Arsenal have responded:
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140414/club-disappointed-by-ticket-allocation
Bath, so you can’t track the corporatism of the FA Cup to New Wembley’s construction? What a shame.
Sorry guys i dint mean to endorse keane’s view completely in what i said, all i meant was we are Arsenal and we need to easily beat teams likes wigan.
I have no problems with the celebration, i mean i am even now delirious with joy and for once i felt as if the germans were taking the penalties, such was the confidence.
Apparently we have 8 injuries for tomorrow, well well well, with Andy Carroll in the lineup tomorrow and with our injury list, tomorrow could be a long day, well hope not.
This article will not come as a surprise but boy is it annoying and frustrating. As Trev’s excellent piece showed recently some of our injuries are likely to be the fault if poor conditioning and training methods.
The figures on injuries do make you weep though
http://www.givemesport.com/454710-premier-league-top-10-most-injuryjinxed-teams-revealed/
Afternoon Holics,
Yesterday was well a hangover day and I managed to catch up on some sleep finally.
Been busy at work and it certainly looks busy in here too as always.
Thanks everyone for the kind words! Appreciated!
Only 25000 tickets? That’s very disappointing indeed!
http://www.givemesport.com/454710-premier-league-top-10-most-injuryjinxed-teams-revealed
Sorry I don’t think my previous link worked
Dr. F. – 45 minutes wait would indeed be too troubling for a two year old…the Management and I ventured over there at night and had very little trouble walking in. She was preggars at the time with our second (we went down there on a babymoon…I’d never heard of such); so we saw as much of the old city as her ankles would permit.
So many great little places in the old town. Sorry I can’t remember more. If you will be there for a couple of days, I will ask the Management, her memory is far better than mine.
bmbd
Perception in football is everything, but it can change so very quickly.
A few short months ago we were top of the league, there was a new found belief around the club and fanbase. Most of us knew that we weren’t quite there yet, we knew that there were a few pieces of the jigsaw that were missing, but there was still a feelgood vibe surounding the Arsenal.
Fast forward to today, and even though we are in with a good chance of ending our trophy drought (sorry, can’t remember how long it’s been) the club as a whole seems to be in a state of dissaray. Our fanbase, has been unfortunatly divided for quite a while now, but differences are not that big anymore. Opinions, some that have been entrenched, are starting to shift, regarding our long serving manager. Even his most stanchest supporters are starting to doubt whether or not he is the man that can take us forward.
I’ve always supported Le Boss, but I did start to grow a bit weary during last summers (lack of) transfer activety, that was the first time I openly questioned his leadership. After the window shut I returned to backing him because, as I see it, that’s what supporters do. We are now at a watershed moment, do we continue with a man, a true gent, that has given everything for us for the best part of two decades or do we begin a new chapter in our Arsenal story?
I’ve read with great interests all views here on this site, here are a few of my own, in this post I’ll focus on transfers.
I read that it is imperative that we finish in the top 4 so that we can attract the best players. I can see the logic in this statement, but don’t believe it to be true. Afteral, we’ve qualified for the CL every year for donkeys, but where are our top signings? Who have we honestly brought in that wouldn’t have fit just as well in teams like Spurs, L’pool or Everton? How many of the signings over the last few years have took us to the next level?
I understand that we were working on a budget for a number of years due to the stadium, but even with that in mind our transfer dealings have been pretty poor. Look at the last few seasons;
After getting humiliated at Old Toilet we splurged. We brought in Per (decent International) Arteta (ageing solid pro), Benny goon (stop gap loan) Santos (overweight shirt swapper) and Park (who?) We also added Jenkinson from League One’s Charlton and Gervinihio from Slaphead United. If you’re honest only two of those players have made any real impact, only the BFG has really improved us, Arteta had a good season but his legs have started to go. As for the rest, you all know the score.
Our next transfer dealings seemed to have a bit more of a plan to them, but if one was being sceptical, you could point to the fact that we got Nacho and Santi on the cheap from the sinking ship that was Malaga. Poldi was snatched from the relegated Koln. The HFB was the only one who’s club had achieved anything, but I don’t think we had to beat off challengers with a stick to gain his signature. The fact that our leading goalscorer and captain left after these purchases came in, but the money stayed firmly in the bank was a major gripe for many.
This leads us up to last summers dealings, which, for me anyway, remains a giant shambles. Everyone and their mum knew what we needed and by all accounts there was funds available to help us land those targets, the club came out and said as much, we all sat waiting for that that would “excite” us, yet we started the season with a returning Flamini, who happened to be training with us while out of contract and Sanogo, a rawer then raw freebie from France’s b league. On the last day of the window we finally landed a big fish, the mighty Mesut joined us, and although I will admit he gave the club an almighty lift, I’ll never be convinced that his signing was nothing else then a fortuative accident. The stars alligned and we were able to nab him, it was a major coup, but I cant see there being any real plan behind it, it was just us being in the right place at the right time, Real’s new manager branding him surplus to requirements and the Madrilians needing some cash to offset the massive layout for the diving Noddy faced spudite.
It’s not just what came in, it’s what didn’t come in. Surely there had to be someone out there that could have helped us with our run in, we knew what we needed in the first weeks of the winter window, yet we found ourselves buggering around on the final day ending up with an injured journeyman. Yes the real damage was done in the summer, but the winter did offer somewhat of a reprieve, a second chance to add to a stretched squad, but we failed to sieze the opportunity and know we’re paying for it, a title push has become a scrap for 4th.
Now, think of the players that have departed, many were at the top of their game, now tell me honestly, except for Ozil. possibly Per and at a stretch Santi, how many of the others are players that other top CL clubs would welcome into their side. Was it really imperative that we were in the CL to attract that calibre of players. Don’t get me wrong, some of them are more then decent, but imho they’d be just as much at home at clubs fighting for lesser honours.
Fellow ‘holic Clive posted a few weeks ago that we only bring in third/fourth tier players and he’s dead right, with this in mind how has the CL qualification helped us as a team? I do realise that it has helped us as a club, keeping us financialy sound, but on the playing field I can’t see the benifits. Finishing in the top 4 must be our goal, but I don’t believe it should be an excuse to build our transfer policy on. Teams outside the CL have also great players, pay them and they will come, CL or not.
Hypothetically, say we finish in the top four and given our dealings over the last few years, do you really believe that the current regime will be able to identify and attain what we need to complete our squad?
I’m afraid to say that I have more then a niggling doubt.
Tim Sherwood said that he liked Tactics because they taste nice and made his breath all minty fresh.
Just saying like.
😀
183
met keane once
eyes looked through me
not at me
difficult to do
as
i’m
dangerously handsome
so
socio keano
interesting
mind you
i’m guessing
it was petty jealousy
.
small man
.
twonk
Agreed H2H,
I know we can’t afford their salaries, but they weren’t in the CL when they were building a lot of their squad.
And the argument that we must get into the CL to attract players becomes redundant when you don’t try to buy them.
And when all’s said and done, there wasn’t much evidence that Suarez wanted to move from non-CL Liverpool to CL Arsenal last summer.
Well said brother Holland. It’s not rocket science is it??? If you sell your best players each year and don’t replace them it will only lead to one thing.
The definition of Insanity:
doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein
Albert clearly knew as well.
I have been in a very small minority who have generally defended RVP. For those who still want to abuse him and have him strung up from the nearest lamp post just have a look at what he said. From memory it was that he had had several conversations and that he disagreed with the way the club was moving??? Now, I understand fully those that feel he could have chosen a better way of announcing he would not sign a new contract. But two years down the line there appears to be a lot more evidence on the table to suggest that he may just have had a point.
H2H,
9 out of 10 for well thought out post. 1 out of 10 for spelling. 😉
We cannot do the deals – someone is to blame. We just don’t know who.
From 1 Sept we all agreed that lady luck would smile on us if Giroud kept fit until the opening of the next window. I refuse to believe that there wasn’t someone out there better than Sanogo or Bendtner.
Just because Diego Costa stayed put doesn’t mean that there weren’t other players to look at. Fuck, I bet there are a host of strikers currently playing in South America (the new home of the striker) who are better than those 2.
Our lack of activity in January does not auger well for the Summer.
By the way, H2H I do think that if we finish out of the top 4 it WILL make it easier for players to turn us down or give them reasons to turn us down in public, which would generate its own shitstorm in the media.
Just sayin’
1 out of 10 for spelling.
A lot higher then my usual score. 🙂
😀
I guess football must be the only sport where tactics are inconsequential…
How is it now that we’ve never beaten Maureen? Oh that’s right, they’re just lucky cnuts who play anti-football…oh wait, that’s a tactic, right?
bmbd
dangerously handsome cba?
You don’t have an eye patch and a parrot on your shoulder, I hope? 😉
It used to be a truism back in the “colonial days” that, “Whatever happens we have got The Maxim Gun, and they have not.”
But those days for Arsenal have long since passed…
bmbd
Wind special >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>