The Not So Final Farewell
May 3rd, 2014 by 'holic
The last home game of the season. Tell me it isn’t so. It doesn’t seem so long ago we were hoping that there would be rather more at stake than a fourth place finish. Even that will be resolved if Everton come a cropper against Manchester City in this evening’s televised match.
To say we have experienced a roller coaster ride is a huge understatement. Massive highs, leading the league in January, beating Tottenham, Liverpool, and Everton in the FA Cup, and deep lows in away fixtures to the three sides now looking likely to finish above us. So close, but no cigar. Elation and frustration have been experienced. That’s life, never mind football. Villa at home apart, the fervour that built in the autumn months was destined to be blown away by the winter chill and icy blasts at City, Liverpool, and Chelsea.
Of course the FA Cup remains a realistic possibility so this won’t quite be the final goodbye to the season in North London, but only the extremely fortunate will have secured tickets for that match. Personally there will be parts of the season that will stay long in the memory for all the right reasons, but also this was a season when I sensed the relationship between club and supporters changed a little more, and not necessarily for the better. That is a subject for another day.
We go into this match with a doubt about the fitness of Bacary Sagna, who seems destined for a move in the summer. I am sure he will appear at the final whistle and be afforded the reception he deserves for his service to the club. Otherwise it will be the squad that has achieved successive victories over Newcastle United and Hull City. I wonder if the starting eleven may change based on Everton’s result this evening? Should the blues get a result then Carl Jenkinson for Sagna would be the only likely change.
The Baggies are not mathematically safe from the drop as I type but that could well change this afternoon as well with Sunderland, Cardiff, and Fulham all needing results away from home. Ridgewell and Gera are ruled out and Reid is a doubt. They are finishing the season strongly having only lost to Manchester City in the last month. A Berahino goal was enough to secure the points against West Ham last week. Twice we have drawn 1-1 at the Hawthorns this season, winning a tricky Carling Cup tie on penalties.
I’m looking forward most to seeing a midfield including Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, and Santi Cazorla continue where they left off against Newcastle on Monday night. Well that and the several pints of Guinness with old friends and maybe one or two new ones at the pub pre and post match. Hopefully the ‘holic pound will again provide some beer tokens. What are the odds on a third consecutive 3-0 win? A skinny 9/1 is the best I can find, and I’m on it.
It being the last home game, and an early kick-off, and a bank holiday to boot, it is likely the match review will follow on Monday at some point. In the meantime I hope you and yours have a great weekend.
Cheers ‘holics.
234 Responses to “The Not So Final Farewell”
I’ll ‘ave this 1
…and the Spuds lose! 😀
WBA were worth watching, enjoyed that!
Oops, you know what I mean
Come on Sunderland!!!!!!!!! 😀
Stone me, it’s surprise day! Hope tomorrow isn’t!
Ah, finally a fine final preview to the season finale, Holic. 😉
Seems like ages since I was able to be there but my pre-season training begins in the pool tomorrow. An x-ray on Tuesday revealed that the tibia and the tuberosity (the shin and the bit holding the patella tendon that had to be sliced off) have now reunited, so the hard work can now commence.
Three weeks ? If only.
Have a great day if you’re going. Hope to see you next season.
I have to say I’ve really enjoyed this season, even though it was ultimately frustrating. Definite progress from the last few years, competing for many months. In the Cup Final for which me and my lad have tickets. The season ended league wise when first Rambo, then Theo got injured.
However, in the ground, it’s been great. I haven’t used my expensive seat in the North Bank all season except at half time (I’m an old man, of an age with the landlord, I need a 10 minute sit down at half time). The atmosphere inside the ground, after the Villa match, has been terrific.
I’ll be renewing our STs in a heartbeat, I’ll continue to go to every away match that our credits allow us too and I’ll continue to jeopardise my career by ducking out of midweek late afternoon meetings to get down to North London.
Lets win the bloody Cup (still some of my favourite memories over the last 50 years) and crack on again next season.
In a grim world, The Arsenal is still a reason to be cheerful. Fuck the negativity on t’internet.
Hear hear countryman.
I hope this afternoon’s result doesn’t prevent Giggsy getting the job permanently. Thank you agents Vito and Seb.
COYG
Hear Hear Countryman!
Baggies are virtually safe; if Chelsea beat Norwich, the bottom three will be sealed (Sunderland massive GD vis-à-vis Canaries).
And how in the world did Arsenal contrive to drop five points against that pile of manure up north?
Lars *previous drinks*
Phil Jones Blackburn Rovers £17,000,000 June 2011
Ashley Young Aston Villa £16,000,000 June 2011
David de Gea Atletico Madrid £18,000,000 June 2011
Shinji Kagawa Borussia Dortmund £12,000,000 June 2012
Nick Powell Crewe Alexandra £4,000,000 June 2012
Robin van Persie Arsenal £24,000,000 August 2012
Alexander Buttner Vitesse £3,900,000 August 2012
Ángelo Henríquez Universidad de Chile £4,000,000 August 2012
You are quite right about the VP deal, but my point was June is alot earlier than the end of August.
Giggs pulled Mata off and put on Welbeck. Welbeck….
Welbeck who did notbing besides fall down and blaze a couple 20 yarders over the bar.
Than after that it looked like Sunderland came back strong. Nonmidfiled pressence for United. Sunderland shoulda put another one in too.
Glorious to watch, especially the Dutch Skunk skilking around.
Cant believe we dropped 5 pts against that pile of shit from machester …. am thoroughly enjoying rvp’s fate …. back to his sulking best
John terry crying, RVP sulking ….. call me petty , but am enjoying it !!!!!
arselove – you’re petty.
And dead right. 😆
From the last drinks. Get well Lurky.
And B Jean – rather see Spuds or ManIOU waste thier time in Europa. That Such a tougn call!
And it feels so wrong pulling for city to win. But we need 4th. And I cannot stand Liverpool.
I would be at peace with City winning the league …. they have good players who play positive and on top they have a very classy manager unlike the cunt overlooking “affairs” (plenty of it there) at chelsea
As for liverpool lesser said the better …. they have a racist cunt who i doubt has changed one bit but the world now thinks he is the second coming of jesus ….. Jesus Christ!!!
Icy blasts directed resolutely outward.
Speaking of landing the ‘holic pound, as I believe you did a couple of weeks ago, my favorite betting song has been running through my head today. Up on Cripple Creek says the odds were 5 to 1 as I recall but could that be the score if Poldi is on fire?
Get well Lurky. 🙂
Arsenal 1971, the June deals were not done in World Cup years. The selected players go to preparation camps shortly after the end of the season and the international managers will not permit players to be distracted by transfer negotiations until they exit the tournament. Roy Hodgson, for example, has recently made a statement to this effect.
Transfer deals can be done before the WC if we wish them to be done. Its upto us wether or not we do push for the deals to be done. I would prefer they were thats all.
Aguero.
City has depth.. even with Aguero out…!
Very weird at Goodison. Everton fans sitting in complete silence as €ity gradually take them apart.
Wasted 45 minutes this afternoon watching Nürenberg and Schalke alternately – scouting Dmric and Draxler. Nothing of note. Both players periferal in the extreme. We already have players that good – don’t waste your money, Arsène.
For those who don’t have the Everton-City game on TV, good stream here:
http://www.hdfoots.com/stream1.html
Nice to see Everton giving it 110%
And more.
🙂
First weekend of May, just uncorked a bottle, 4th place “trophy” awaits:)
Come on Cit-eh!
It ain’t over till the fat lady sings!
……..
…and she’s singing!!!!!!! 😀
4TH
Thank you city.
or 3rd!!! 😀
The fat lady has left The building.
Dream on BB.
Well I hope this season will hopefully be the last 4th place fight. We should be challenging for Titles as from now on. Pls no more excuses, get your squad in place, physios need to start doing their jobs. Let’s go win the FA cup COYG!!!!
‘Holic – maybe you should have waited with your bet. Today’s result may well affect the team AW puts out tomorrow.
That was a really good match – football as it should be played.
(Apart from Dzeko’s “shoulder injury”. Well played Lee Probert.)
A relatively rare stress free afternoon at the Emirates awaits ; still want to see us do a win mind you !
A decent win in the sunshine followed by Norwich parking the bus and scoring a winner in the last second would be sooooooo nice.
I do think we’ll put on our best side tomorrow, there’s still a faint chance to catch chelski and what better way to go into the finals by winning our last 2 games, does wonders for the confidence. Lastly we have players coming back and they need games!
Nice to be able to breathe without having to wait for the last game of the season! Added bonus.. we have a final to win!
Up The Arse!
🙂
^ That’s a last minute Norwich winner against the Chavs not us of course !
We can be a bit creative in the selection for the last two games and might start Bellerin, Sanogo or Akpom and Zelalem in either match. Also might be worth putting Fabianski in if he is to play at Wembley. Young motivated players looking to make an impression are a better bet than blokes pulling out of tackles before the final or getting red cards which affect our chances.
Seeing City today we could have been contenders if we had invested more and avoided some of our major injuries.
As much as I dislike City they are most bearable option to win the title this year, so it is great that they have beaten Everton and that we are spared last day nerve wracking match to decide our fate this year.
I am still dreaming of third place though, having to go through qualifiers in World Cup year is less than ideal.
May the Fourth Be With You Gooners 😀
I can’t stop laughing at the Scousers who are now all blaming Everton for them possibly not winning the league! Always the victim, nothing’s ever their fault….
Tomorrow night we could be 16 points ahead of Yoonited and 10 ahead of the Tiny Totts. Yoonited may finish close to twenty five points behind the eventual Champions. That’s quite a decline Mr. Van Gaal will have to arrest when he takes over.
Happy St. Quattro’s day everyone!
This is a big relief to not go into the last 2 games under any preassure and we can all breathe out a little bit.
This may be good news for the baggies and the cousin lovers, but I really want to see Arsenal hit a 79 point high,even if it just to ponder over the summer on the might have beens.
Cup final places beckon in the team so there should be no complacency.
Signing of the season?
Agent Tim, by a long margin.
He should be on the open-top bus with us.
While it would be great to win both fixtures, would rather see more of the squad players see action tomorrow rather than next week. Give Fabianski and TV5 a last hurrah; give the Corporal, Sanogo, Kallstrom, Flamini full games; full rest for Santi, Giroud and Arteta; full/partial for the Per/Koscielny combo. Give Ramsey and/or Ozil part rest. Since WBA is virtually certain of safety, there’s no real “spirit of the competition” issues.
Then, use your planned side for the cup final at Norwich, both for a tuneup and to address any “spirit of the competition” matters if Norwich is still alive.
Should be able to win both regardless….
Lots of speculation about tomorrow’s team – me included. But as Chelsea play after us, I guess AW has to go all out for the win in the very, very faint hope that Norwich pull off a huge shock.
Great preview Holic, makes me wish I was gonna be there tomorrow even more. But exams and the like must be undertaken 😛
It was a good day of football today, saw the 2nd half of West Ham beating the Spuds to do the triple over them with my West Ham supporting (house)mate, joining us in having done the same, they enjoy beating Sp*rs I reckon but not as much as us of course 😉 It’s a shame Birmingham dodged relegation, maybe next season eh?
Everton vs Man City was a good watch also, Barkley’s opener was spectatular (kicking myself for taking him out of my fantasy team in the early hours :/ ), but Aguero scored a goal of similar if not slightly less quality and Dzeko put the game to bed when he wasn’t indulging in his theatrics 😛 Lee Probert’s handling of the situation didn’t fill me with confidence for the FA Cup Final though… *gulps*
Considering where we were and where we could have been come the end of the season, securing 4th place wasn’t celebrated, just accepted & acknowledged with relief as now we can start to prepare for the eventual rebuilding and the necessary improvement to the squad in the summer so we won’t be saying “What if?” towards the end of the next season.
With the money from the new deals, hopefully we can spend to accumulate earlier in the summer instead of waiting to see if we win the qualifier & with it gain that £25m. The way the squad has been capable of playing this season with everyone fit, I don’t doubt that we’ll be more than equal to anyone we’re due to play to enter the CL proper. But, if there’s any minor discrepancies within the squad before we play, I don’t see the problem with spending to sort them out to increase our already relatively high chances of qualifying, then reducing that outlay with the CL money.
I’d hope Wenger will fully or partially rest a few players (Ramsey, Özil & Giroud come to the forefront of my mind) and give a few others starts (Källström, Rosický, Sanogo) but I’m sure he’ll have the max points total we can still achieve of 79 in the back of his mind when he’ll be picking the starting 11 so we’ll have to see tomorrow how he’ll line up the team. Most of what Bayonne Jean has said @ 49 makes enough sense to me anyway, and the last line of that drink rings true.
Watching €ity players celebrating today does make you wonder whether they really see winning the league as such an amazing achievement.
With the amount of money they have spent, and the players they have, failure to win the league could, in their case, justifiably be a reason to sack the manager.
And Nasri.
Excellent results for Spurs and Everton take the shine a bit more off their shining gems (?) of a season. Tarnish, tarnish, tarnish. Not to mention the trials and tribulations of the formerly scheduled-to-be Sir David Moyes of course. Considerating that a few short weeks ago we were on the fast track to finish 5th or 6th this roller coaster ride of a season seems to be headed for a rollickingly positive finish. Just keep it up boys. 🙂
Wind, bath from previous drinks – re transfers and Wenger quotes,
I do hope this summer is not going to be another saga of confusion, indecision, inaction and excuses why things can’t be done.
Once the World Cup is over, no doubt the small matter of a pre-season tour will be looming into view making meetings difficult again. Then, of course, potential targets who want to play in and win the Champions League, will want to rely on others to negotiate us safely through a qualifying round before putting pen to paper.
I would love to think that targets have been identified, contacted and all but signed up in decisive, early off-season negotiations. Murmurings I have heard do not completely convince me that that will be the case.
Come on Arsenal. Just do it……….
Get well soon, Lurky.
Totts game is hilarious.
Adebarndoor passes back to the W Ham keeper with a glorious chance to score – El Kabong sent off again, first half – Adebarndoor and Paulinho (?) step aside in the wall to let WHam score straight from a free kick – Dawson carded for another clumsy tackle – Levy sitting glum faced, considering forking out another £110 million, no doubt……
Makes you wonder how we can dislike them so much – they’re such a laugh.
Sorry, Dave. 😉
Nice preview H. Looking forward to a pressure-free stroll in the sun tomorrow with some exhibition football and a convincing performance and several goals to justify the lap of appreciation at the end.
COYG
and get well soon Lurky.
good news on the knee Trev – get to work, fella – no slacking.
All the best towards your recovery Lurky.
Hmm Trev, let’s hope that it will be the case for once in recent years, a change to the usual off season routine is desired by the fan collective and needed.
@ Trev – Highlight of the Spurs game – https://vine.co/v/MrPa1zHurW9
I agree with bath, we don’t wanna see any shirking from duties of Adepaymemorerian proportions when it comes to your knee’s recovery Trev 😉
Hmmm … what with Lurky, Trev and Oskar (the dog) all out injured, perhaps we should rename this group Physio’holic.
Feeling fit and relaxed myself … Spuds beaten, Manure beaten, 4th assured … can it get any better?
Excellent game from young Barkley today, capped with a great goal. Well worth considering to go with our other home squad members.
Öskar
Are the Spuds and Manure battling out the final Europey League place, or trying to avoid it??
Öskar
With everything relaxed I see a lucky 1-0 to the Arsenal as the most likely result tomorrow.
Öskar
Cheers Holic! Have a great day today mate
I had an absolutely brilliant time yesterday with Charlie and then meeting up with many stalwarts of the Arseblog community for the first time in ages. Lovely, lovely people.
Here’s hoping all you Holics attending today have just as great a time as I did yesterday. To those not attending, I know you’ll be there in spirit – Sláinte!
Trev’s piece on transfers chimes with what I’m hearing. After last year I get twitchy when we are associated with so many players. It suggests that we haven’t refined targets and Arsene is prevaricating. The summer was a nightmare until the last day and the January window arguably cost us the title. I was really perturbed by the ‘ we are nearly there and don’t need many additions quote last week’ . It rather suggested Groundhog Window to me. I would have thought there is a real chance we will lose Fabianski, Sagna and Vermaelen. That’s three players who need to be replaced and we desperately need a strong defensive midfielder and at least one top striker. So two or three additions won’t cut it Arsene and the notion we can’t do anything before he World Cup is also very troubling.Trev underlines the issues that come up with late transfers. Nice quality signings done early would put all our minds at rest.
Roller coaster season indeed Holic
Just keep winning boys
No mercy from here to the FA cup final
Thanks for the kind words, Holic’s, much appreciated.
Hope the handbrake is off later and you all enjoy some beautiful Arsenal football.
Get well soon Lurky.
We need at least some signings early in the window, but if we have to wait until the last day of the window to acquire another Mesut Ozil then I will be happy.
Just off to the Grove and no pressure! A weird but nice feeling.
I agree Oscar, Ross Barkley is a good player, would love to see him with Arsenal. He’s got balls and technique, not afraid to go for it all the time!
Interesting article about coping with the pressures of a title run-in, and perhaps applicable to our FA cup final preparations.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27249502
Especially the part about coping when nails have been bitten away and nerves can take no more. As far as I can tell, the “physical exercise” that fans are advised to undergo must refer to a heavier regime of drinking. 😉
“You can’t control the external event, but you can control your reaction to it,” advises Phillip Hodson, fellow of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. “One of the easiest ways of doing that is to take some fairly vigorous physical exercise before the match. That will make you tired, change your breathing, make you hot and then cool down, and that takes you into the phase of relaxation.”
Come on Arsenal. We need these 3 points to keep the feelgood factor flowing forcefully in our favor. 🙂
Sitting outside Costa watching Gooners heading for the station – “There ain’t half been some lucky bastards”, as Mr Dury almost said.
Esso – pleased for you and junior. Bringing him up just fine. 😉
Holics. All is revealed in photo 5 of the 17 of this week’s training on Arsenal.com. A shot of Arsene with his three early summer signings, all touted for their outstanding mobility. 😉
The 😉 is to be sure you are not disappointed when you see their mobilistic potential. 🙂
Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Flamini, Arteta, Cazorla, Ozil, Podolski, Giroud
Subs:
05 Vermaelen
07 Rosicky
21 Fabianski
22 Sanogo
24 Abou Diaby
25 Jenkinson
29 Källström
Ramsey injured again, or given the rest of the season off?
Yup. Looks like our strongest team! Let’s go get ’em!
Diaby to make a second half appearance?
Gibbs was in one of the training pictures but apparently is not match-ready.
Hello BB it looks like it’s you, me and Trev, who is apparently on the Costa Brava or the Costa del Sol. 😉
I see on Sky sports that Jamie Redknapp’s betting tip is for Aaron Ramsey to score first. Arsene must have kept Ramsey out of the team just to spite Redknapp then.
bt8b, I’ll be around, will definitely pop in at Half Time as well 🙂
Wind. I hope the Emirates isn’t as empty as the bar. See you at halftime. I hope somebody will be on the end of Ozil’s tantalizing crosses seeing as Ramsey is not going to be there. Mertesacker to race in from the back??
BBC website making an oblique reference to the name of ‘holic’s FFL club?
“Diaby-olical – Arsenal v West Brom (13:30 BST)
Let’s hope Abou Diaby has seen his last treatment room.
The midfielder – who is no longer wearing the number two shirt, by the way – could make his 124th Premier League appearance today. This is Arsenal’s 321st Premier League game since he signed in 2006. So he’s only missed about 60% of their games…”
Not so oblique, if you ask me. Lawsuit on the cards???
Two minutes to kickoff. Time to go for the century?
Probably about as much chance as Giroud winning a race up the pitch with Raheem Sterling …
Interesting hardly a young gunner in sight
morning, all.
lurky, be well. hope we give enough detail for ya!
let’s go arsenal!
COYG!
We scored yet?
We will soon
og!
There we have it
I am a genius
Giroud
GIROUD !!!!!!!! 1-0 Lurky. 🙂
Giroud!
off a santi corner.
Get in!
Ozil could have had one earlier after waltzing into the brom box and decided to pass.
He is the most unselfish player i have ever seen
OG! 😀
lovely header.
Arteta has a new front tooth – for the style conscious. 😉
The baggies tactic of sitting back could be a bad idea……
For them
Santi and mesut having an easy day
Eandy you are even behind me, and I am not eve watching 🙂
Russian streams I know
Ozil passes are just something else
Hehe Lurky ..it just took me bit longer to type, but had to express the joy anyway 😀
Özil looking very good – pressing – dribbling – incisive through balls.
Yep Trev, an absolute delight to view on this television screen 🙂 Fancy him to get an assist/goal today.
all off the boil at the moment.
Feels like a pre season emirates cup match
A training game almost
Cazorla tried to hit the clock instead of scoring. 🙁
just like that, aus.
Heh Trev:-)
Love it when flamini plays striker
even Arsène and bouldy having a laugh on the bench.
West Brom captain just asked the ref for another ball.
Ref said we have a perfectly good ball already.
West Brom captain said “Yeah, but Arsenal have got that one”.
Possession must be well over 80%.
Boom boom trev
Every one including the ref is so relaxed they will bring out the tea and cakes at half time for both sides
Time to wake up lads – WB nearly scored twice.
Oooh santi from poldi
Very close
okay wake up lads
Glorious ball from Ozil – Foster save.
another beauty of a through ball by özil.
Think Sessegnon just fouled Flamster for the last time in his life. 😉
Must be time fir the ole’s
It is already an arsenal passing festival
Selfish play by og
Idiotic play by OG.
Poldi wide open.
Giroud finally seems to have decided to stop falling over.
Been very strong today
that was a half played like nothing is at stake.
Re: Trev @102. What color is it? 🙂
HT already?
Ozil’s best game of the season? Granted WBA awarded him freedom of the park ….
Bt8 – it’s Iberian Ivory – Ibory ? 😉
I’d like to see us playing without Arteta to see what we miss. It seems like he hasn’t missed a minute of a game in ages. Rosicky on, Arteta off for me.
Trev I say any color is fine but it has to complement (or match) the color of the rest of his teeth. With Suarez it’s different as the objective is to terrify the opposition with the scariest tooth color available.
Has silly season started yet? Definitely, for me, but …
even Arsene shared a smile with Bould and was caught on camera during that half. The players kept their focus well enough but need to stay on it.
WBA look to be doing an inordinate amount of bolding in the box on corners.
no changes for the second half… hope for the boss’s bet to come good!
Is the ox out injured indefinitely ?
Please tell me tis is just a rumour
Of all our young players we have Walcott, Wilshere, Ramsey and The Ox all out injured today – might be something in my theory ?
Not might be trev……
Is be…
Dont forget about gibbs, gnabry as well
Not might be trev……
Dont forget about gibbs, gnabry as well
Trev – i think you nailed it.
Thing is, what to do fix it? More rest betewwn matches for staters i’d guess.
good hustle, og.
Can’t we score a second and put the game into bed
I like monreal. But is it me or does go to ground to slide tackle a little too much?
almost a repeat of the last goal v barcodes, just six inches too high from özil.
kimmy on for mikel.
Kimmy
Monreal booked for holding in the centre circle.
So why are defenders not booked for holding in the penalty area ?
rozza for santi
We need to step this up and get a second goal here. Giving WB too many chances now, and a possible 3rd place would be nice.
Would be crazy not to win this.
Oh. Ozil.
Two defenders all over him tho.
Poldi off the post !
How we’re looking Holics? Away with the family this weekend.
We just dont seem to have that killer instinct unless we get smacked or humiliated the week before.
Were looking decent but not terribly impressive ATG.
WBA has just in 2d half decided to start playing.
have we scored direct from a free kick this season?
Cheers Homer
No speed uo front means we get very oredictable
3 in the middle but no cigar
Do the commentators realise we can actually see what’s happening. Talk about jaw ache. Just shut up now and then lads.
3 points that will do
Is it true that Poldi is agitating for a move away?
Berahino doing his best Gerrard impression there!
3 points and lots of laughs, what more can you ask for on the last home game if the season?
Kids on the field time now 🙂
I guess that was just a run in the sun.
Loic Rémy in the VIP box, according to NBC stream.
Is that going to be the early signing to keep Trev happy?
he won’t sign after watching this today.
back to bed.
What did you expect scruz? End of season – nothing riding on it – FA Cup Final just around the corner. West Brom 99% safe.
The stream I was watching had Stewart Robson as the “expert”.
Boy is that guy bitter!
dkg@172: Robson was on for the NBC Sports in US commentary today for our match. Talk about damning with faint praise. 🙂
We probably played at 60% or thereabouts. A couple of more goals would have been nice.
Norwich is most certainly not going to win against Chelsea today. And if they don’t neither would they have any chance of survival nor would we of 3rd spot. So in the final match I would hope we rest the nucleus: Sagna, one of Per/Kos, Arteta, Ozil, Rambo , Giroud.
Lurky, rather delayed I know, but get well soon.
3 points. Nice One. Our top League points tally in the last 6 season’s. Improvement then. Good to see Remy watching the game in the stands. Despite “Warchest” transfer funds available apparently. You know Wenger will not spend that much. I just hope it’s not another transfer window of pathetic shambles approaching.
I’d love to see us buy Remy, take Campbell back from his on loan stint. Both have pace and both can make the unusual happen. Add in Walcott, OXC, Gnabry & now we have pace going forward in abundance.
dkg,
Remy would be pacy and different to Giroud and a decent option. Whether he is the “top top” striker we have waited for …….. ?
scruz @ 159: Not from direct free-kicks, no. At least I don’t think so or was there one by Theo off deflection? Last season we had a couple by Poldi.
Scruz, might have been a touch of this about today’s game –
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FU6sTWXiHRg
😉
Stepped out for a moment ,we’ve won, yay! and atletico losing boo!
Come on atletico!
😀
And thats it.. Atletico looks down and out 🙁
trev that for the team and a boilk for me and the whole affair was a bit meh this morning. but after a couple more hours of sleep and a coffee the day now has a more pleasing, if not to say rousing, aspect.
and dkg I was half kidding re loic. only half, though 😉
Well that’s 90 minutes of my life I won’t get back. Frankly I didn’t expect much false and my main concern was no injuries or red cards and that Aaron was absent. I understand it is a minor thigh problem but we are talking about Arsenal here!
It was a very low- key game. BFG and Kos were our best players and there were some lovely moments from Mesut who is a very clever player. The most notable thing was how hard Poldi worked and that he stayed on for the 90 minutes again. I would read nothing whatsoever into Remy being at the game just as I would ignore links with Costa, Ferdinand and Fabregas .
Nice pre- Wembley feel about the ground .Amazing to see end of season games with a completely grassed pitch. Looking forward, I don’t think the Norwich game will be a classic!
and oh yeah, fucking bitter old man robson. another game watched on mute.
anyone think Sagna being on at the end rather than being substituted to a rousing goodbye ovation means he is staying?
Afternoon all.
Got in real late this morning, so I just saw the game as live. Not one that will live long in the memory was it? All a bit sluggish and way too second geary for me, I know we won and there was nothing really to play for, but I was still hoping for a bit more then what I just saw. Maybe I’m just a bit too boilked.
Still, a win is a win, it could be worse, we could have drawn 0-0 at home to Naritch, ha ha Maureen you fuckstick.
I’ll backdrink another time, enjoy your weekend ‘holics.
‘Special’ tactical genius unfolding at the bus stop. And with that Chelsea pretty much gives up the title chase. Now he would be talking about how there is not that much difference in PL between the top four… 🙂
Hopefully Sunderland will get at least a point in their mid-week match and ensuring Norwich relegation, so that we don’t have to pretend to care and send out any ‘strong’ team and play as safe as we can. No risking injuries or cards.
Just wish in the these training-ground games that we’d tap in a few more. Ollie G and/or Poldi could have put their feet up early if we’d been a least a couple up.
If we’d drawn and not lost at Citeh, Pool and the Chavs the table would now look like this:
Arsenal 79
Man City 78
Liverpool 78
Chelsea 76
Ah, what might have been…
On Sagna – interesting thought Scruz.
I hope you’re right.
NBN @ 186: Even if we had lost those games, but won at home against a very ordinary Swans, a win away at Stoke, win home against Everton and a very poor ManU, the table would have us at top at 85 and a win away from the league title.
What might have been indeed …
I concur with Dr. F, NBN. I don’t think you can sweep defeats of that magnitude under the carpet. I regret all dropped points but the Villa game on the opening day was a disaster largely facilitated by an incompetent referee. We were far too cautious in both games against United and the draw against Swansea and defeat at Stoke were entirely avoidable. I think those matches cost us dear. We have been unbeaten at home in the League since the Villa match and have rarely looked like being beaten at home either. Don’t remember any late equalisers or many games where we trailed for long.
Wenger has apparently said he doesn’t regret not buying another striker in the January window at today’s press conference. Sorry Arsene but you can be unremittingly stubborn. Giroud was running on empty at times and scores many more at home than he does away because when he lacks support he hasn’t got the pace to make chances on his own. We were unlucky with injuries but then we have been unlucky with injuries for years now- more stubbornness on training methods or medical back- up? We have made a pleasant but small step forward this year and should land the Cup to underline that but I am already slightly perturbed by the vibes coming from Wenger. I wish there was more obvious evidence that he does learn from his mistakes
Wenger :
The regret as well is at the most important period of the season we had two important players out. We have many players who have only played between five and 15 games. That’s where we want to improve for next season.
—————————
So i take it unless an exceptional opportunity arises we won’t be signing anyone. That being said, I do seriously hope that they improve on fitness and injury casualties and our backups step up to the plate!
Sanogo is good on the ball but tracks back less than Hazard! He had better improve if he’s our auxiliary striker!
Joel Campbell anyone?
BB , I wouldn’t be that pessimistic about signings but I do think Arsene could be more upbeat. We don’t need massive numbers of new players. It’s quality not quantity unless we lose three of our current squad in which case we might need about five or six.
TTG,
I really do not think we’ll get anyone judging by what is being said. However, am sure we’ll probably need another backup striker in addition to Sanogo! Hence Campbell??!
IF and that’s a big IF that we can keep all our players fit enough through rotation or otherwise then I really wouldn’t be too disappointed if we don’t get anyone.
AM certain we have the quality to challenge if everyone’s fit when we need them!
@189Ttg, I think you are spot on.
If we played more cautiously and less adventurous vs City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Everton away, and vice versa more adventurous and less cautious vs United, the title might have been ours.
Arsene, respected United too much this season, which cost us 5 points, the number we needed to be first.
At the same time we went full throttle on Chelsea? Suicide. I wonder, will he ever learn playing Maureen, which to me is not that hard. If WH and Palace can, we can either. Just don’t do whatever we’ve done it till now. Don’t attack him, let him have the possession, if he doesn’t want it play long balls, wait on a counter, do not over combine, use every single way to slow the game, wait for your chance it will come.
BB@192: I don’t think Arsene we will ever say that we desperately need to sign X many players in these N positions. But the fact that we were after Bender, Gustavo, Griezmann and Draxler mean that we are after at least two players in that DM and goal-scoring winger roles. If Sagna leaves we would most likely be in for another position, RB who can also cover CB.
I am confident that we will start the next season with a better team.
Mourinho: Norwich didn’t play to win
—————-
You should know you dour C*NT!
You were lucky they were denied a penalty otherwise it’s back to the middle ages again…!
HAHAHAH! 😀
Just finished booking my tickets to and from London for FA Cup Final weekend, next phase is to bag a stadium screening ticket next Thursday, shouldn’t be too hard 🙂
BTW, the touchline-hugging pass by TV5 was just extraordinary. Deserves a special mention… 🙂
Doc,
I am certain we will have a better squad next season! Ozil will at least know what to expect! Theo will be back!
And we will most likely replace those that are leaving. But unless someone exceptional(some of the names you mentioned surely qualify) becomes available(being the key word), i think wenger will most likely look within the squad to promote. That has been his modus operandi, and he won’t change what works for him methinks.
I do hope he gets a striker and replacement for Sagna if he’s leaving though.
CoR – may the Fourth be with you (and all ‘Holics) as well.
Guy, you have mail, sir.
CMBD
…Casually strokes the ball into the net 🙂
– y
+ v
Damned auto correct.
CMBD
Nicely done, cyclone!
CMBD
On another note, Nothing related whatsoever!
Dorset knob throwing contest attracts thousands
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-27259589
Other events included a knob eating contest, knob darts, knob weighing, and knob painting..
😀
har, har –
CMBD
Atletico are one win and a draw away from La Liga!
Very interesting .. Hope they do it!!
How I hate Sunday train travel,engineering work, sitting on Hitchin station drinking tea waiting for a delayed connection from Peterborough. 3hrs home to Finsbury Park ugh!
Gooner Kevin and I did drop into the Tollie for a pint before the game, which turned out to be a rather turgid affair, typical end of season fare with nothing at stake.
Without any runners in the side, our attackers at times looked like a collection of garden gnomes! Kos and the BFG did their best to move things along but couldn’t get their colleagues to take off the hand brake. The atmosphere was flat from the kick-off and the warmest ovation was reserved for Bobby Pires at half time, bless him.
The topic of conversation on the train home revolved around Cup Final tickets, today’s game hardly got a mention.
Intend to have a great day out in Norwich next week, could be a few surprises in our line up, might even see the mighty Diaby.
COYRs
Ttg @182,
Ramsey has a minor thigh problem.
I seem to remember he left the field with a minor thigh problem on Boxing Day and we didn’t see him again ’til Easter.
Diaby was on the bench today but disappointingly didn’t make it onto the pitch.
Or maybe he picked up a few splinters ……. 😉
*regular readers might remember I’m actually a big supporter of Diaby*
BB @203 – heh!
Headline from the article – “Dorset knob throwing contest attracts thousands” –
apparently thousands of Gooners turned up expecting to see John Terry chucked around the place. 😉
Have mixed feelings about Rémy. On the credit side, he has Premiership experience, has scored 14 goals in 29 matches, and is a different kind of player to OG, so would give us an alternative. On the other hand, he’s not what I’d call a top striker, but how many of them are going to be available and at what price? And can we agree on the designation of “top”?
Remy is 27. Mandzukic is just under a year older, but has a better scoring record and extensive European experience. He would of course cost more. He’s played for a top club, is an international, so that makes him a top striker in my book.
Benzema is 26 and has just had his second best season at RM, plus a proven CL player. I doubt he’d be available though, unless RM get Suarez out of Liverpool. On the debit side, he’s too like Giroud and he’d cost a lot.
Anyone interested in Carlos Vela? Seems to have come on a great deal at Real Sociedad (even though his goals have come against the weaker teams) and we could get him on the cheap because of the clause in his sale contract – why put the clause in if we weren’t interested in having him back? But it could just be that the style of football in Spain suits him better.
More of a realistic option than Joel Campbell who hasn’t done much at all in a relatively weak league.
Arsene disguised as dkgooner @209 ….. ?
And, “No” to @210. We have more than enough midgets, thankyou 😉
dkg – you must repeat continuously to yourself all summer, “Pace and Power”.
Qualifying nominations, Trev?
Well, errrr ….. 😉
As for Sagna, it could be that he’s agreed to go to Citeh and AW left him on in the hope that he’d get a career-ending injury.
“Pace and Power” – I guess Lukaku qualifies – still only 20, AW would undoubtedly improve him, but Maureen would never sell him to us.
Why would he go to €ity when they already have Zabaleta ?
Abroad seems more likely to me. PSG or Besiktas, Galatasaray have been mentioned. In other words, noone has a clue. 😉
Walcott has pace, but there are already murmerings of him not being fit by August, so let’s be optimistic and say beginiing of October.
How much pace will he have lost? Knees and ankles are complex joints and don’t always heal 100%.
And being Walcott (i.e. if it can be injured, it will be) he comes back and does his other knee.
We need to plan the squad with Theo out of the equation.
RoyalArsenal@217 – your point being?
One thing about winning the FA Cup for this squad is it gets the albatross off their collective neck.
We can then sell it to Tottenham (the albatross, not the FA Cup) – they’ll buy anything.
53 years and counting.
Trev@216. Agreed, but Citeh are also rumoured and fit the joke better.
*Joke? What joke?*
Because I know you’ll be desperate to put faces to names, ‘holic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAKp_Q8tqSo#t=343
Oops. Ignore the time-stamp on that video. The whole thing will do. :p
TTG@189: Not trying to sweep those games under the carpet by any means. Three defeats of that magnitude against the three teams that will finish above us says something about the psychological state of the team. I am not sure what it is. We don’t generally get those sorts of paddlin’s in Europe against teams of equal or better quality to our domestic rivals.
I wouldn’t pay a word of attention to what AW says about summer signings at the moment. He has got to keep a squad whose league season is to all intents and purposes wrapped up motivated for the Cup Final.
BB@203: Wolfie will be down in Dorset as soon as he reads on that link that Dave Morrison tossed his knob 21.8m.
heh@ Ned 🙂
RA: Not sure of your point but statistically it has little basis:
Points behind champions:
2013-14: 1-10 (min-max; likely 7)
2012-13: 16
2011-12: 19
2010-11: 12
2009-10: 11
2008-09: 18
2007-08: 4
2006-07: 21
2005-06: 24
2004-05: 12
NBN – How does one toss their knob 21.8m? Sounds painful.
The whole transfer thing seems simple enough to me. Reus and Pogba. Game over.
It has been so noticeable this season when we play without speed up front this season, that santi and ozil regularly receive the ball in high midfield positions, but with only giroud to hit, they look up and realise he is only a 50/50 chance of winning a thru ball, so they decide to continue to only build our attack. hence we lose our counter attack momentum.
we seem to always be left only with our regular plan A only of walking the ball into the box.
We have Walcott and the ox, but with them both being young and so prone to a regular long term injuries each season, this seems to be arsenes constant dilemma with his youth program.
so does arsene buy the world class experienced striker that is so badly needed or does he just continue to wait for them to have their RVP breakthrough season.
I give him credit for always sticking with his plans and being loyal to his youth policy, but santi/ozilla when teamed with aaron could truly tear teams to shreds if they just had the suarez/drogba type of quality and speed to hit.
We have two of the best playmakers in the world in santi/ozil, it would be a shame not to use them to their full potential, which is providing world class precision through balls for others to score from.
we truly need to spend in that striking role more than any other.
Thanks lonestar @ 202, nicely done on collecting the coveted tabs position 😉
ECG@228: I assume it all comes down to the wrist action.
Exactly the game I was expecting, and exactly the score I predicted. A complete waste of time.
As for Remy I’d rather have Bony, but would hope for someone better than both. Bender and Reus eg.
And as for Sagna playing the full 90 minutes I’d say it’s more likely because he’s leaving and AW wanted every last ounce of effort from him. Or every last pound of flash.
Öskar
Loic Remy, a holding midfielder and a right back looks the most likely additions this summer and that may be that.
Holding midfielder will not be Lars Bender. whenever we have tried a lot for a player we never get them, so get ready for he is on the way news till end august and then see him in the colors of chelsea or city or even united. I think the more realistic proposition can be schneiderlin or even Diame, i mean we will never get pogba and all, so why not either of them, they seem pretty good and reliable and most importantly know the league.
Right back will be Aurier and i for one worry on that because offensively he is very goo d but defensively gets out of position way to many times for our good.
Striker if it is Remy will mean we will have him, poldi, theo and Giroud plus sanogo, is that enough? well if everyone is fit i believe yes.
So overall get ready for nothing to happen till end of the world cup and then we getting linked to all possible names and end up with the minimum needed, well surprise us boss for once.
May 17th, a day that reckons us now, noriwch is a formality and i am sure they will relegated before that game itself.
Win at Wembley please, do no screw it up guys, the after effects will be severe if we lose, win it for all but most importantly win it for The Arsenal.
Interesting the mood on here( which I totally understand) . I remember in 1980 the last game at Highbury was against Forest and there was total euphoria because we had reached two Cup Finals , which sadly and unluckily we lost. Our league position was about 6th I think. Yesterday there was a subdued atmosphere and little tangible excitement. Wenger has become a victim of his own success and the achievement of 17 successive qualifications in the CL is dismissed as routine. Well it is routine if you do it every year but as United have shown this season it is not easy to do.
The reason is that I think we believe Wenger manages with the handbrake on, certainly financially . His comments on signings are notoriously unreliable and deliberately misleading but I wish he would try and whip up some enthusiasm .Its almost as if he feels buying players to improve the side is less worthy than breeding top players from the egg. In the football world of 2014 there is no alternative.
It’s the old limbo land that Arsenal fans uniquely inhabit . Envied by almost everyone except the mega- rich clubs, always frustrated by injuries and waiting for bigger signings than we get. . But Liverpool through the firm of a superstar and good tactical deployment have overachieved. I can’t help feeling that if we’d released that handbrake it might have been within reach this season
So AW says Rémy wasn’t invited by the club and he has no intention of buying him. That’s only good if he’s set his sights higher. I sure hope Matthäus’s confidence about Drmic is wrong. If AFC are interested, they will of course have watched him more than I have (45 mins against Hannover), but to say I was underwhelmed would compliment the guy.
The problem as always is finding out who is available and at what price – money talks and Citeh, Chelsea, Man Utd, PSG and Monaco all have more of it than we do. The solution to that of course would be Usmanov but he would be a lot of nails in the coffin as far as I’m concerned. I’m struggling as it is justifying how much time I spend watching such a corrupt sport.
The FA may be able to justify their lenient, hush-hush treatment of Sunderland and their illegal player but how do they at the same time justify the 18 point penalty to Altrincham for a similar offence?
Maybe I should just go and support my local team here in Denmark – at least the expectations are lower and they still have terraces.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
In the Adidas F50 Review, its latest offering for quality boots is far the best choice of top football players.
Competitors from 16 teams perform during the rainy finals of the Miss
World Cup 2011 beauty pageant gala. The Koreans dominated
the game and within 25 minutes were leading Portugal
by 3 goals to nil. I quit my job and thanked them for the
opportunity.