Guest Post – Wind’s First Trip To Wembley
Apr 14th, 2014 by 'holic
Another contribution about Saturday’s FA Cup day out at Wembley, this time from Wind, wide-eyed student, enthusiastic supporter, and all-round good egg. Thank you so much for sharing your day with us here. This is the last of a trilogy of guest posts on the semi-final. Please also take the time to read the excellent contributions from Arthur and bath in the previous pieces. Cheers all.
Disclaimer – Wind recommends that ‘holics take at least one break in the middle of reading the following post as he will not be held responsible for repetitive strain injury of the eyeballs, carpal tunnel syndrome in the wrists or any other ailments caused by even the edited length of this post!
The day started with me waking up late on the day of my maiden appearance at Wembley Stadium. Not late enough to not edit my FPL team, but late enough that my plans to meet up with some top gooners from the Twittersphere were slightly delayed. A quick tepid shower was had, the outfit for the day was decided (my biggest debate was between Arsenal shirt under or over hoodie, I went for over in the end) and I was ready to leave. I was fairly calm in the days running up to the game but my nerves showed in the end, as I spent 20 mins looking up and down my house twice for an Arsenal drawstring bag that was already on my back.
With a potential disaster averted and my Mum’s oyster card with glorious, shining week bus pass wheedled away from her (the life of a student, eh?), it was time to leave the family home. Disappointingly, my Semi Final ticket hadn’t arrived in the post on Saturday morning (it was supposed to have come by Thursday at the latest and most likely won’t have been delivered in a pyrrhic manner when this post is published). Thankfully, I had taken the precaution of getting a duplicate printed, waiting for collection at Wembley Stadium.
Cash for the day was transferred and withdrawn and the journey began in essence. After emerging from Holloway Road Station, the first stop of the day was Piebury Corner for a truly exquisite ‘Thierry Henry’ with mash and gravy. Worth every single bit of £7, it was just something else and I may just have to return on Tuesday for a different pie with the same mash and gravy. I didn’t manage to make it to the Tollie for a pint before heading to Wembley as I saw the party of Gooners that I was supposed to have met hours earlier at Piebury Corner departing as I approached.
One Underground journey to Wembley Park Station later and we were joined by a multitude of Arsenal fans. Upon exiting the station, the view was of the giant arch of Wembley Stadium flanked by buildings, towering above everything else in the immediate skyline.
The travelling party began to dissolve into various groups as tickets had to be given to various Gooners in the area etc. I myself had a ticket to collect and so it was off to the West Ticket Office. After navigating my way there (quite confusing really, sort the signage out Wembley!), the photographic ID was quickly flashed to a lovely attendant behind the glass and I was a Semi Final ticket up.
I made my way to the ‘Wembley Village’ area near the stadium where street bars were set up so I could meet some of the initial travelling party that departed from the Tollington. All of the bars in the area surrounding the stadium were set to close at 4:00pm and I joined the queue around 3:50pm with a pint or two of cider in mind, but I was turned away by the security staff. After checking out the other street bar in vain, I managed to convince one of the security guys at the first one to let me through (“I can’t go in there (Wembley) dry mate!”) and I relieved my thirst & attempted to quell my rising nerves to the tune of £4.90 a pint. As painful as those prices were, you do what you must on certain occasions, as I’m sure you fine gentlemen and ladies know, and that was one of them.
Pre match chatter undertaken on the matter of the Arsenal starting line-up, it was time to head into the concrete and glass monolith. I was the only person out of us sitting in the East End of the stadium so I said my goodbyes and made my way over to Entrance D. I’d heard so much bad about Wembley prior to the game, and how it can’t hold a candle to the Emirates. Now after having been to the former, I concur with those sentiments but my exact words after entering my block were “Flipping hell.” It was a sight to behold for the first time indeed as the pitch of the Emirates was, and my seat was duly taken, conveniently next to the stairs. They played The Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’ over the PA system, which was a nice touch as we were able to sing Giroud’s name along to it, it was actually the first time I’d heard the actual song!
The game kicked off and the Ox could have put up ahead in the first 30 seconds but his touch was too heavy and it wasn’t to be. As surprised as I was that Sanogo started, one thing that I appreciated was that he didn’t hide and kept on trying with the chances that he either made for himself or were made for him. On the flipside, I felt that he could have had another 120 minutes and he still wouldn’t have managed to put the ball into the net, such was his luck on Saturday that nothing at all would come off for him. In my opinion we were on top in the first half, but our attack just lacked that cutting edge to slice up their defence.
The second half was pretty much more of the same for me, with hope rising and being tempered in a steady cycle until one of their players collided with Monreal. Michael Oliver allowed play to go on, leading to their penalty as the BFG slid in late. From the moment it was awarded, a sense of disbelief came over my block and it translated into stunned silence at what we were seeing, if it could’ve been converted into words, it would’ve spelt out “Not again”. My neighbour stared ahead blankly, and his neighbour had his head in his hands. Gomez dispatched it but the cry of “Arsenal! Arsenal!!, Arsenal!!!” soon went up again. We looked a far better side when Gibbs entered the fray, the left side looked ‘alive’ for lack of a better adjective, and you can pretty much pinpoint our resurgence from his substitution onwards.
The period between us conceding and Mertesacker’s header was the tensest of the entire game for me and seemingly many others in Wembley, exponentially many times more than the period of extra time or the penalty shootout at the end of the game. I believe that this was because the negative scenarios caused by the result remaining the way it was were set to ‘loop’ in everyone’s minds, perpetuated by the Everton’s result putting us into 5th in the Premier League and the recent memories of losing to Birmingham in the Carling Cup Final of 2011. As a result, from what I could see and hear and feel, the team was willed on in a different way than what you would usually see at the Emirates.
Many other Arsenal fans were turning around, constantly imploring the rest of us to give more to support the lads, and as a result of the heightened atmosphere I was pounding my thighs with my fists in frustration when we’d come tantalisingly close to the equaliser, screaming my throat raw in support, attempting to will them on with my entire being. I even tried to start a chant of “Red Army!” something that I’d chickened out of doing on many an occasion at the Emirates when things were nowhere near as bad.
I didn’t participate in the booing of Podolski’s substitution because I don’t need to be ‘seen next Tuesday’ by anyone and he just wasn’t that effective on the day. In all honesty, I was surprised that he came off for Giroud as I was expecting a straight swap for Sanogo like vs Everton in the previous round. I’d also like to point out, that Arsene Wenger went 4-4-2. Fair enough it was a desperate attempt to get back into the game, that worked but seeing is believing people. Maybe there’s still time for him in the remaining 6 games of the season to show more of the change that we thought was genuinely occurring in the first half of the season.
For all the bravado that was and could be shown externally, internally I was slowly sinking into a maelstrom of negativity and doubt, and then Mertesacker scored and it was dispersed into sheer joy and relief. The last time I’d celebrated a goal with as much raw, undulated passion and vigour was Giroud’s goal vs Swansea this season to put us 2-1 up, partially because it represented salvaging our season in the league potentially. Mertesacker’s goal represented salvaging our immediate relative sanity as Arsenal fans, the remainder of our season as a whole, and our manager’s job all in one.
Kim Källström did a great job anchoring the midfield predominately on the left when he came on for a shattered Ramsey, and could have scored the winner with a wayward volley attempt towards the end of extra time. Even later than that as he had the last attempt of the game but soon after it was time for our keeper to take his place on the goalline. I was a bit worried when Wigan won the toss and obviously chose the east end of the stadium where their fans were situated, but with my older neighbours bricking it, I decided to be the calm one in the ‘All will be well.’ guise, even though it was my first ‘live’ penalty shootout. And indeed it was well.
Personally, Fabianski’s performance in that shootout especially and the match as a whole was enough to convince me there and then that he should start in the Final. I don’t see how Wenger could begrudge it to him after his heroics but there are more domestic games to be played and it will be Szczesny starting them. Who starts the final is surely not a foregone conclusion by any means. Giroud and Cazorla’s chants were sung for them as they dispatched their penalties and I booed the Wigan players as they stepped up to take their respective penalties until I had exhaled all of the air in my lungs.
Mad celebrations with all in reaching distance around me over and the players well applauded as they celebrated with the fans in the west side of the stadium, I turned photographer for myself and a fellow fans who asked before playfully being told to go home by the stewards as one congratulated me on the result with a handshake. The tube journey back towards North London (free due to open barriers at Wembley Park Station and a Gooner attendant at Holloway Road Station) was particularly memorable, We were kept truly entertained until it was time to switch lines.
I reached the Tollie with my friends Mario and Christa who I know from Twitter and we were finally able to wind down with drinks, pork scratchings and crisps, it really is the simple things in life that give you the most pleasure.
In summary, it wasn’t the greatest match that I’d ever watched in the flesh but it was a great day, with great friends and gooners throughout and a great ending. I doubt that I’ll be lucky enough to get a ticket to the FA Cup Final but I’ll always truly be content that I got to witness what happened on that day, especially when I consider my uncertainty that I’d even get a ticket for the occasion in the first place. A dogged, but resolute performance imbued with character. Onwards & forward to our game vs West Ham on Tuesday, and you can bet your house that I’ll be there, roaring the lads on.
Come On Arsenal!!!
74 Responses to “Guest Post – Wind’s First Trip To Wembley”
1st?
Now to read the post 😉
Wow paragraphs!
Nice one, Hurricane.
Good stuff Wind. Cheers for that.
Arthur, need a translation of the latest tweet to me.
A sam mi się odtwarza bez zgody skurwisynek
Help 🙂
Now, a wind special in my house normally involves my 10 year old, a curry and a silly boyish smile all over his cheeky chops.
😀
Good post Wind,eyes sore from reading, and getting over the little sleep from Friday to my Sunday return from Wembley.You wern’t in Block 516 by any chance? I’m still hoarse!! LOL.
Thanks Zico (I knew you’d enjoy the paragraphs!) & Esso 🙂
Heh Steve! He sounds like a charmer he does 😛
BT62Gooner, many thanks, and what are the odds! That was my Block 😀 Row 13 myself, you?
Holic
No problem 😉
And he/she/it starts to play on it’s own without my permission little son of a bi***
Nice one Wind mate.
Nice photo of Wembley, but I miss the Twin towers, does that make me old?
Laughed at the fact that you’d never heard “Hey Jude”, before realising that probably just answered my own question. 😉
Lovely attendant? West ticket booth? This could be worth a transatlantic journey in itself! Did you at least get her name, Wind??
Great report so far but being sidetracked by said attendant, I will have to read the rest next. 🙂
No problem Wind,Row 7 seat 83,had one of those £4.90 ciders down in the square aswell!! lol.My first Wembley trip.
Thanks H2H 🙂 I heard a lot of nostalgic talk about those towers on Saturday regarding their uniqueness in terms of international stadia, but what will make you feel old is that I wasn’t even a twinkle in my dad’s eye, let alone a passing thought by the time you had been to the old Wembley at least once 😉 And subsequently, I think I can guess word for word what question that was mate :p
Well done, Wind.
bmbd
Got to the bottom of it. Whew! Great to hear you booed their penalty takers. It seems to have had maximum effect. 😀
Haha bt8b, what could I do, with a sheet of glass between us? 😉 Tell me what you think of the rest of it 🙂
BT62, I was in Seat 72 in my row, we probably crossed each others paths multiple times on the day unknowingly, what a day for our first Wembley trips eh? 🙂
A very lovely and well written review of the day bro. Nice to see your fellow Gooners are such a warm and friendly bunch! xxx
Thanks Lonestar, and indeed bt8b, cheers 🙂
Thanks Sis, and I told you so haha 🙂
Top stuff Wind mate.
Nice one, Wind.
I’m available for typing related repetitive strain injuries, by the way. 😉
Excellent post Wind, glad your first Wembley trip was memorable.
Nice one Wind; also props to ATG and Baff for their efforts.
COYG
tabs, Trev, Uply, Pangloss, thank you gents.
Shush Trev, they’ll cotton on to the racket! 😉
Nice work Wind, a very enjoyable read and a very intimate view of a stressful but ultimately triumphant day. This will be the 13th FA Cup Final,one of them a replay) Arsenal have been in since I have supported them and I have seen nine of the previous twelve. I have been to the new Wembley several times. During the Olympics we took my grandson to his first game and were in a Club Wembley. I well remember the cost of the Beef and Noisette Potatoes that doubled for Burger and Chios.
The other bit of Wembley inside feels like a food hall rather than a football stadium but I sometimes feel the inside of the Emirates lacks atmosphere as well. But it is a much more attractive stadium . When you see stats like that and I think that I have been to five League Cup finals it does make you realise how lucky we are to support a club like ours. Since Spurs last reached the FA Cup Final we have been to The Final EIGHT times so when they tell you they are a Cup side quote that back at them! Here’s to an eleventh victory!
Fantastic read Wind 🙂
Drawstring bag on your back, classic 🙂 Quality !
Just caught up on some back drinks
H2H@200 previous post. On the money *sadly*
Thanks ttg & Arsenal1971 🙂
Wind,i’m sure we probably did,a result the club and fans badly needed,good end to a day away with other Wembley virgins,and gooners everywhere.Sing loud and proud on Tuesday,hopefully we’ll have more trips like this in the near future.I thought i was the only one booing! lol
Nice work, Wind!
Haha quite a few on my row were BT62, it was probably concentrated from our Block! I will do mate, and hopefully indeed 🙂
Thanks Lars 🙂
Great stuff wind,only home from London after taking in the two games I don’t think I’ve ever travelled so much in the last few days planes trains automobiles,i was in st joes social club for the Saturday and I have to say the atmosphere was electric,gunners singing there lungs out,brilliant.all the arsenal songs I’ve never heard anytime I’ve been to the emirates were great.wasn’t the best of games but I’ll take the win all day.
Glad you had a great time, Garsguns, nice one.
It was a very pleasant read, Wind. Enjoyed it. Thank you.
Cheers H2H
Cheers Garsguns, glad you had such a great time mate.
Thank you, Lurky 😉
Evening all. Aqui es que pienso:
1) Anyone talking about the nature of our victory on Saturday can bore off. We beat the defending cup holders. This is a team who beat City away last round and did the same on a neutral venue last year; they are a decent team. Quite aside from that, any cup tie away from our own place is a hard game. Always is. The championship team stuff is disingenuous to. They were a Prem team for the last 5 years and look well placed to bounce back up again.
A win is a win. Until they start putting asterisks in the record books next to favourites who win the league, or Roy Keane gives back every medal he won clogging and hacking next to 3 other midfielders far more talented than he ever was, that gibbering cunt can fuck off. Preferably to make himself a paper hat that says ‘dunce’ on one side then lists every managerial job he has fucked up, meaning every one the lunatic ever got given.
2) Fabianski should not be dropped for Tuesday. In a season of baffling decisions that would really rank up there.
3) We showed balls. After 6 weeks where mental decrepitude, a missed penalty, and some of the most insipid excuse for attacking football you can imagine ruined our Prem and European dreams, we bounced back. With all the pressure, impending doom, and weight of being favourites we toughed one out. Some of the sourness of this season will infer a lifetime for me, the 6-0 mainly, but this may yet be a springboard for greater things in the future.
4) It is sickening to see the scouse mugs do what they are doing. They need to get some credit now – this will be only the third team to ever go for 100 top flight goals in a season I think – but by god if only we had shown some balls and ambition in the transfer market. I know it is done to death, but Higuain is on his way to about 35 goals this season. Exactly what you would expect from him. Ho-hum, but what a fuck up.
Bin-dippers tearing it up with a bloke they signed form the Dutch league, a Chavski reject, a player who couldn’t get in a shit Inter team, and some lunatic pervert who is 15 and looks 12 but runs quick. This title was always there for the taking and we bottled it in every imaginable way.
5) As if the “Iranian Messi” weren’t exciting enough, this came along:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-target-casemiro-you-need-3413728?
Seriously jizztastic stuff. Love the bit about him getting flogged off because he was too lazy/portly, so then they bought Denilson in. Just seems like it is meant to be.
6) Lastly, we have a good base at out club. Outfield I make it 3 defenders and 5 midfielders and whatever you call Theo who are top, top class at the club. Another 4/5 solid older pro’s. (I’m assuming Sagna and Tommy V leave.) That means we need to add a good 6/7 players this summer. Having stood still for 2 windows (and hoarded every penny) it isn’t and ideal situation, but it should be possible.
UTA
Nice post Wind. Sounds like you had an excellent day.
Good read, Wind. Felt like I was there with you.
H2H, you can only feel old if you remember Watkin’s Tower, a never-completed Eiffel Tower lookalike that stood in Wembley Park before the old stadium was built there.
Great stuff Wind.
Who does he pick for the final????
Very simple. The strongest side he has available.
Nice work, Wind.
H2H – great post @200 in last drinks. Agree 100%.
Total bloody shambles.
Steve T @41, starting with Fabianski, mate. 🙂
I suspect we may have a new looking defensive roster next season. I think Sagna, Vermaelen Monreal and Fabianski will go and Jenks will be loaned out. I have heard a whisper from Reading friends of mine that we will dgin their goalkeeper Mc Carthy as back – up to Ches but beyond there it’s much too early go tall especially if we miss out on CL
Bath. If he is the new number 1 then play him for the rest of the season. I’m quite happy to leave it in the hands of the manager, but what I don’t get is the changing around.
Play your best team. End of.
To be honest, having watched Sanogo try and control a ball I would be tempted to play The Flapster up front.
It’s an old chestnut, but applies to Sanogo….he traps a ball 10 yards.
At the moment his first touch is a pass.
Actually I do think the back 4 generally look more comfortable with Szcz tho’ most times that Fabianski has played this season, so has TV5 and it’s therefore a very different beast entirely and not in the least comparable. On balance psycho-Szcz strikes me as the better long term bet tho’ there is a bit of TGSTEL about him.
However Fabianski put us in the final and therefore deserves to play in that game even if it’s his last hurrah for Arsenal.
And I did like Alex Manninger a lot too!
nice stuff, wind, put me right in the thick of it, and sharpened my anticipation against the day when i can do the same, either the grove or wemberly. but £4.90 for a pint of cider? that’s robbery. and i thought we had it bad with $9 budweiser (from the usa).
props to atg as well, since i didn’t get under the wire to praise his post…or baff’s, for that matter, well done you three.
bath, NBN, Steve T & Cent, thank you one and all 🙂
Thank you kindly scruz 🙂
I think Monreal is a decent defender and capable deputy to Gibbs. Given the number of other positions we need to fill I can’t imagine we will let him go.
With the expected outs, we need a new right back, cover at GK, 2xCB. That’s 4 spots. (With Bellerin highly rated, probably makes sense to keep Jenks as cover for the new guy. If they really think he has a future as a started though a loan would be best. Doubt it though.)
Add in 3 starters ahead of that, couple of players for depth, all of a sudden we have a huge shopping list:
Starting RB, DM, LW, ST
Depth/upcoming talent at GK, CB, DM, ST
Buckle up.
Last one before bed. My team for tomorrow:
Flaps
Bak, BFG, TV, Gibbs
Flamini, Kalstrom
Rosicky, Santi, Poldi
Giroud
(How the fuck did we end up with NB52 and Sonogo as our striking depth? No wonder we lettered out. Shocking shit Arsene. That said, I quite like this Sonogo fella, first touch of a rapist, but got something endearingly maverick about him.)
Szcz will be back. Bac will probably be rested. Flamini is still suspended. Otherwise close (but no cigar) EP. 🙂
Translation:
They weren’t able to sell enough tickets at the regular price.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27029190
hard to keep up with posts on here.
great stuff wind. makes the work day go fast.
all in all we are there and that is still all that matters.
lots to resolve in off season at the club, but agree with plenty of others, that is for another time.
H2H @ 200 in previous post.
interesting read and agree that CL has not helped us buy quality throughout the team as you would expect.
Everton are a good example of good quality tier 2 buys that have worked for them when teamed with a good coach and a good team strategy without the lure of CL.
cannons outwards
Cheers Wind.
A nice “little” read.
El Puno, your post about Sanogo’s first touch was crass.
And hilarious. Excellent!
Thanks aussie, glad to have helped 🙂
Haha Homer! 😉 Cheers mate.
As I said in the ‘Black Monday’ round only five of our present squad would be in my ideal XI – Sir Ches, Kos ,Özilla, Rambo and Theo. We need 6 new players, two fullbacks, a CD, two attacking midfielders and a striker to replace Bacs/Jenks, Gibbo/Nacho, Per, Flam/Mikel, Santi, Jack, Poldi and Ollie G, all of whom can take their turns on the bench.
£200mil should cover it.
Wake me when reality takes over again…
Öskar
Still laughing, El Puno @53…and feeling ashamed of myself for laughing.
Top post.
bmbd
Could it be scruzgooner, pik or norcal in the video of Arsenal fans celebrating the FA Cup semifinal win at Maggie McGarry’s bar in San Francisco?
http://www.arse2mouse.com/post/82739729037?
It could’ve been me at one time. Good memories.
Good morning all.
A bit of Shake and vac required???
Was this the longest drink ever in this bar? But a great read Wind, your eloquence match your enthusiasm and passion.
Lonestar from the previous drinks: well we finally returned back to Boston after a week at San Juan. Except for the Jose Enrique place, we managed to sample most of the other eateries we had planned to, starting from the old establishments of Cafe Mallorca and El Jibarito, inseparable parts of San Juan’s daily life, to more of the eclectic modern places like Aquaviva or Dragonfly or Perla where we were staying… But as you said, one week was way too short.
Those who are talking/dreaming about 6-7 new signings, all I would say is really? 🙂
I would be happy if we get a good quality DM and a left sided genuine goalscoring forward who can play centrally as well as in the wings, and a versatile RB/CD. And if Fabianski leaves his replacement. And if Sagna leaves his replacement. I would hope that they both stay. Same for TV5.
Do I think that would be enough to win us the league next season? If only we manage to keep the majority of our players fit for most of the season.
bt8b, no, but it might be me for the final…if it is a 9 am local start again I’ve already opened discussions with my lovely. 😉
This is my take on the strikers we currently have:
Sonogo: I like what has. Big but quick, hard working, and a little bit maverick. Think he has been unlucky not to score a few times (Bayern, Liverpool, Wigan) when a goal would have really boosted him. He’s a keeper, but ideally with a season out on loan to a Prem team. Not sure one will take him and play him though. Basically looks like Adewhore when he first arrived and could see the same sort of level from him when he develops. (As a player not a tosser.)
Giroud: Good link man, can finish from 6 yards, but sooooo reliant on his team-mates to do the running, dribbling, creating for him. Ideal situation in my mind is that he is an impact sub for us next season and can rest the main guy. Is to the counter-attack what a nuclear bomb is to home renovation.
(His horror miss against the Chavs at home and the rocket that slapped the crossbar against Everton last minute are my abiding memories of his season. Might be the moments of his Arsenal career. Decent, came close, but not good enough when we really, really needed it. Pop those 4 points in at the end of December and we may never have been caught.)
Main guy: “You still there Arsene? Arsene? Stan, I think the phone cut out.”
Akpom: I’m making a mess of the ceiling here. Kid looks like he has it all. Already the best finisher at the club (on this list.) Crazy skills as well, pace, decent power. There is something audacious in his play that I just love. Reminds me of Kanu and on good days I see a young Ibrahimovic – without those shit-stain ‘Zlatan’ ads that make Walrus Allardyce blush for him.
Apart from Akpom though, who realistically isn’t playing much for us next season, we lack pace up front and anyone who can control the ball in a tight spot and work a shooting opportunity for himself. With the way teams play us both would be handy. I’m hoping Sonogo goes on loan and we buy 2 strikers, the main guy and someone young a bursting with pace. The latter would give us some variation we really need.
UTA
Nice one Wind, very nice. Read this morning that we are working on additions for the next season. Great stuff (hopefully it is true)…because a) prices go up after the WC, and b) it looks to me like an indication that AW intends to stay with us.
IMHO, we need a pair of fullbacks who are skilful, fast and with good engine…Alaba-type of player or even Sagna a few seasons back. Gibbo fits the criteria but he is prone to injuries. Monreal is OK…but we need great players not OK players.
I think Draxler will be good for us but I pray for Diaby to come back stronger than ever. That guy…oh my God. He has the best ingredients of Yaya Toure and Pogba plus something else which is unique for him. Should have been the best box-to-box in the world…what a shame. Arteta is gone…I am afraid that TR7 too will not be able to retain his current work rate. They all can be squad players capable of slotting in some games (that goes for Flamini as well).
I also hope we will have the pleasure of having Jack at his best next season. It is so painful to see him (at his age!) struggle past the players. He used to do that for fun…his burst used to make me jump off my seat even if he starts running in our half. Will we ever see him do that again? Just like Diaby, he should be one of the best in the world. Remember that match against Barca at Emirates…he was unfazed by the likes of Messi, Iniesta or Xhavi.
Strikers? I like Mandzukic…his work rate is fantastic. Theo will be around next season but I still think we need another striker in the mould of Eduardo. OK…this is just my wish list. I trust Arsene and his staff know much better.
Wind – I’ve heeded the disclaimer! I’ll get back to the post later!
I just came to say…well, well, well, the fckuing clarets? We all know what we have to do tonight lads!
This game has Rambos name all over it!
Anyway, nuff said! Time to soldier on!
😉
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Wind, Bath, ATG – all a top trilogy of posts to do Mr ‘Holic proud. Each giving me a different perspective of the day. Drinks on the bar and a tip of the red and white cap to you. Thank you all.
H2H@ 200 last posts, Dr F as always, El puno for some poignant and astute postings, the regulars and lastly Steve T and others – yup I’m an Arsene sort of guy and a gooner, but I have to agree with you all as to where we are at, what we need to do, what’s wrong, and why we have only a single striker.
I thought that over the last few seasons we’d done desperation, last gasp, cramping and crawling over the line, and finally we’d managed to move on and maybe third was for the taking – but no my Arsenal have found a new way to press my stressed button. Arsene has obviously thought and said LHTG and all you ‘Holics – we’re going to really take you to the wire this time – a losing streak to boss the relegation bound so enjoy the ride in and you can appreciate what you’ve had.
Fingernails dragging on the floor as we get pulled towards the end.
Nice imagery, LHTG.
Great write up Wind! I have forgotten to mention it here last night!
It’s some tough weeks ahead of us but what did we really expect from our club we always like to make it extra hard for ourselves 🙂
The worst fear I have is for Chelski to win the CL which means only three teams qualify right?
ATG – no, four teams qualify whether Chelski win it or not.
Well done, Charlie !
Last thing we need right now is more reasons to stress out !
Blimey Arthur ! 😉