Only One Shake We Want Delivered At The Bus Stop
Sep 18th, 2015 by 'holic
Right, Zagreb is done and dusted. Everybody has an opinion about what happened, fair enough. What matters now is we are facing a match that has some significance on Saturday lunchtime. Chelsea, let’s face it, have had a hold over us for some time now. In seven Premier League meetings we haven’t beaten them since that wonderful 3-5 triumph at the bus stop in Fulham four years ago.
But at Wembley in the Community Shield in August Arsene finally got his first win over Mourinho. That, added to the wins in Manchester last season, has hopefully given this Gunners squad incredible belief that we have found a way to play the big matches. In fact, we have done to them what they had got used to doing to us. Sensible, organised defence, and counter-attacking with pace and purpose.
How do we transform into that team from the ragtag and bobtail outfit in Zagreb? All Arsene can do is go back to the team he had been fielding ahead of that nightmare. Recalls for Petr Cech, Hector Bellerin, Nacho Monreal, Francis Coquelin, plus probably Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott.
The timing seems unfortunate. The Gunners defeat on Wednesday and subsequent return in the early hours of Thursday has effectively given them one day to prepare for the biggest match of the season thus far. Chelsea, themselves in disarray domestically, finally showed something of the form expected of them in dismantling Maccabi Tel Aviv at home on the same night.
The press spent today (Friday) attempting to whip up a war of words between Wenger and Mourinho. They are chalk and cheese, that much is clear, but the match will not be won by them, It will be the team that takes their chances, or perhaps get that huge slice of good fortune that often decides the big games. Who gives a flying fig if they shake hands or not? Both sets of fans want the bragging rights that will accompany victory. To the hacks who don’t get that, it’s all about the football, stupid!
The Gunners could see their six point advantage over the reigning champions halved, or put the Blues three points further adrift of defending that title. We haven’t yet clicked into gear, but Chelsea have been, frankly, shocking. The Chinese whispers hint at an uneasy mix of relationships between Mourinho, the medical team he has hung out to dry, and the players with whom they both worked.
A bad result for us would not surprise the pessimists, but over in West London a good result for them is far from assured. I know I have said it of a number of matches down the years, but this one really could go in any one of a number of ways. Let’s hope Petr Cech will be celebrating again after the final whistle, as he has so often in this fixture.
The ‘holic pound
You know I have to punt on a win for the club I have followed through thick and thin for over half a century. In recent seasons it has been with a degree of hope, rather than belief, that I have made my suggestion. Wembley says we have a chance. Chelsea’s appalling domestic form says we have a chance. If we score first we have a massive chance. The punt on a 0-1 to the Arsenal on Wednesday may have been a match early. Paddy Power offers 10/1 against that outcome this weekend and I’m on it.
I will be in the Shed again tomorrow, but my post-match movements will be determined by the result. Don’t expect a review of the match until some time on Sunday, particularly if we win and I am comatose by teatime! If you are there too, say hello by all means.
Have a good one, ‘holics.
163 Responses to “Only One Shake We Want Delivered At The Bus Stop”
Last and first!
Excellent rallying cry Maestro. I look forward to your gentle crowing sometime on Sunday, then.
COYG
Cheers P. Let’s hope so. 🙂
One nil to the Arsenal.
Please.
Nice preview Guvna. Let’s do this for Jackie boy.
I’ll be hunting for a sports bar in Florence tomorrow.
Go win, Arsenal.
I shall be at Lord’s. I’d be happy with a draw at the Bridge. Haven’t got a clue if we will get one . Much tougher to play a good team in Croatia than a poor team at home at the same time . But we did beat them at Wembley so there must be a chance of the Holic pound coming in.
TTG – I didn’t realise you had West Country roots! ComeOn Glos!
nice preview. shall we dance on moaninho’s face in this one? a little polka on his mush would be just dandy, even a 1-0 polka.
i’ll be doing my best to wake up for the 0430 alarm, without coffee. i can only hope the adrenaline from joy will keep me up beyond 0630, to start my day, rather than the crushing darkness of loss. thank god i’d have bed and sleep to manage that, for a couple more hours.
The boys have to fight for every ball and just keep a pressing game going. Timing is ridiculous and the TV chaps should have known this was a CL week; so, do the smart thing by ensuring the clubs representing England get late fixtures or Sunday fixtures (only United got “lucky”, having played Tuesday, next door in Holland). My chief concern is with the Referee, Dean. Let’s hope he isn’t looking to take centre stage tomorrow.
Have a great day TTG. I was at the Help for Heroes T20 at the Oval yesterday. Fabulous day and seats right underneath the changing rooms, so got right up close with some of the greats of the game.
Thanks Holic and Gooner Ref. I have got West Country connections but have been a Surrey member since I was a nipper. But a lot of my attention will be at the Bridge.
I would have gone yesterday Holic but work intervened. Some great players were out there . Glad you enjoyed it.
I was away from the drinks for a while recently as I have been busy relocating back to London, for a few months at least. My travels in the big city took me past the bus stop earlier in the week. I kept my head down and muttered a short hex at the place. I think this should make the difference. Let’s get a result boys.
Cracking four-pinter Holic. And a last moment try for those chasing eggs. Great stuff!
I dunno if it is an old joke or what but I have just remembered being quite young (ten? twelve?) and laughing fit to burst at my old man remarking to me “rugby is a game played by men with odd shaped balls.”
*tries to congratulate Pangloss on his first/last double but ends up choking on replacement cheese sandwhich*
*decides that lobbing them at Trev may be the safer option and goes to take up position at the back of the bar*
*finds cba asleep under a table. does not disturb*
The only game in Town resumes this w/end,and we have yet another lunchtime kick off.
Neither team playing particulalry well,and a match neither can afford to lose even this early in the season.
Quite what has gone wrong at Chelsea is a mystery,having won the Title just a few short months ago,to the jittery mistake prone shambles they have been so far this season.
Bizzare to say the least.
But with us proving yet again that we can throw in a stinker when least expected,it leaves me scratching my head at what to expect tomorrow.
In big games like this,normally the first goal is in most instances crucial,but with the Chelsea defence conceding goals right left and centre,this may not be the case at the Bridge.
I fully expect the side that started the game at Stoke to line up tomorrow.
Quite what our tactics will be,only Arsene knows.
But tactics count for nothing if the players don’t have the self belief that they can actually win the game.
We have not had a sniff at the Bridge for 4 seasons,and i will be very disappointed if we don’t get something from the game.
To all those going,have a good one,and let’s hope the journey home is a happy one.
*shudders to think about waking up under a table with my first sight being a gunnersaurus* 🙂
COYG let’s go into it strong and proud, knowing our season is right back on track with a good performance.
Nice one ‘Guv!
As Steve T, my ulterior ego would say”, “Be the best we can be” and we take home 3 points from those Bus Stop cunts! Anything less and its Groundhog Day all over again!
On other matters from the previous bar; it’s now getting pretty tiresome, insulting and unacceptable to us fans who “demand” the best our team have to offer at all times when we have other supporters who seem to be quite happy tolerating mediocrity, and even at times, find ways to academically and psycho-socially explain it away as if “it’s ok”. Is that because those fans are mediocre themselves in their own lives too? I often wonder such and please don’t give me some Iliad on human psychological frailty, inconsistency in morale and confidence or some other fluffy and “tree-hugging” bullshit?! I myself am one who always strives and prides themself in “being all I can be at all times” within my means and I daily wear a bespoke Saville Row suit, with accessories, whilst on a relatively modest wage for London City family living. Is not expecting the same from your club and its players much to ask? I don’t think so! 😎
Up the Arse all day and all night! COYBG!
You want the team to turn out in Savile Row suits, DanC? You don’t think they’d be a tad restricting for football? I like to think we’d still win that way, but perhaps the red and white would be a safer bet.
As for a bet, 2-0 is the new 1-0, or 0-2 in away guise, and I’ll stick my neck out for it. Providing Theo starts of course, and preferably with OG in the middle.
Öskar
Heh @Oscar @18,
Seville Row suits might be best suited for some of the lads in some matches! They’re so pedestrian at times that they make mannequins look Feo-esque! You might aswell look sharp if you’re not playing sharp! 😎
2 – 0 to the Arse with a Feo14 brace (put through twice by Ozil) and that cunt Dago Costa with a consolation set-piece header. Terry straight Red card as the last man; if he plays!
Walcott flavour of the month.
Dapper Dan, I’m just happy when I get to leave the house without my helmut on.
Low expectations ….
I kid, I kid. Helmut Lang is sooo 1990s.
GSD, solid work hexing those mercenaries!
I fancy Feo to score. And Alexis is soo overdo.
Gregoire from the previous drinks. I don’t intend to go into depth about your rant but I will suggest you get your facts right before beating your chest. My point of view may not make sense to you but it’s not individual to me. Basic reading skills would tell you that. I generally only vent frustration at a result or performance if it is generally sub standard and not what it should be. If you actually bothered to read what I had put then you would have seen that. Earlier in the month I named you several players who had all moved in the transfer window that I felt would have added to the squad. You disagreed with my selection. You then later conceded that I may have had a point when the news of Danny’s surgery broke. Ring any bells now??? So, by all means disagree with every point I make. I really won’t lose any sleep over it. All I ask is that before you chuck all of your toys out of the pram that you at least get your facts right. Otherwise Pangloss gets all excited for nothing.
Drink on the bar for you both.
Nice preview H. Not long back from a fab night out I must say.
I’m not really sure what to expect at the bus stop. Would I take a point? Probably. One thing I am expecting is a far stronger team than the one that took the field mid week. Both sides have produced varying performances this season so it’s anyone’s guess what will unfold. Three points and a sulking Maureen would result in an exceptionally happy lunchtime. I can then, like a few others I see, settle down to hopefully watch Gloucestershire beat Surrey at Lords.
Interesting article for anyone that may be interested.
http://www.espnfc.com/arsenal/story/2618969/arsenal-have-1931-million-in-cash-reserves-as-profits-rise
Nice one, Holic. Hope you have a great day.
That 1-0 to the Arsenal would be just fine.
Evening Clive, can’t disagree with any of that.
Mental strength will be decisive tomorrow. We will need the belief that we can beat them, which should be perfectly possible after the Community Shield result in a game which was not a friendly.
It will also take a bit of mental strength to overcome the possible fatigue caused by some stupid scheduling. Our game should indeed have been the late Sunday fixture but the rights for this one belong to BT Sport who clearly have no cares for the health of the players.
Let’s hope our performance is better than their usual grating presentation.
Very Dapper Dan,
I agree with the sentiment of your @17. Rather though than get involved in the apparently troublesome concept of ‘the best we can be’, I would say what upsets me most is when we do not do justice to what we already are.
For example, our near post defender ducking under the ball and the opposing forward’s challenge at a corner, is unacceprable whether we have £200 million or 2p in the bank.
And to have fellow supporters calling you names for being disappointed at having inadequate – not superstar – cover for vital pisitions in the team is rather ridiculous.
Steve T,
Hope you had a good night at Twickers mate.
Unfortunately you almost spoilt some very good points in your @24 with a rather fanciful notion at it’s conclusion – Pangloss getting excited ?! 😉
Trev@27
I rather imagine Pangloss as the Roger Moore of fans.
An arching of the eyebrow to mark a thirty yard screamer and a slight smile at the end of a classic victory. Alf Ramsey at the end of the World Cup Final!
Rather refreshing in these days of Twitter- based hyperbole?
Dapper Dan. I don’t quite know how to read your @17. It does seem as though two sides are forming and are starting to belittle each others’ views. It’s a good day to remember who the enemy are.
If I take your post at face value then I would simply comment that we all have some level of control over own lives. We have none over Arsenal. And although not a Christian myself I reckon the opening lines of the Serenity Prayer express my own feelings on the matter pretty well…
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference”
Steve T.
Do you and the people you attend matches with have regular discussions about the performance of the crowd on matchdays? Do you think a wall of noise like you get in some Turkish or German stadia would help the team more than our own, often rather timid, appreciation? Do you think that the crowd are ‘the best we can be’ and if not, what do you do to improve this?
All genuine questions (I’m not down very regularly for matches and would like to know what the regulars think of this side of things) and I look forwards to your thoughts.
Have a great day Holics, whatever sport you’re attending. And if anyone wakes up to this still feeling a bit groggy then I’ve left some liveners on the bar…
bt8, Oskar and TTG. Heh to you all.
GSD
Good question about the crowd. I never feel the Emirates is exactly a cauldron of noise but it’s partly because of the gentrification of the supporters who tend to be less passionate and around me much more concerned with half- time catering and catching an early train than supporting with passion. A lot of current fans only started supporting comparatively recently and come expecting to be entertained as if they were going to the Opera or Theatre. That’s not to say at times there isn’t a great feeling of excitement but the performance of some European fans on CL nights puts our home support into perspective.
Our away support , however, is terrific and amplifies the point about the sporadic home support dispersed as the more passionate groups are to various parts of the ground .
TTG.
I agree fully from my own experience with all of that. I am sure there are many definable reasons why we aren’t the noisiest stadium. But as regulars cannot change the players we buy or the selection do you feel there is a responsibility to educate and encourage the new fans who turn up to be the best they can be and give their best for the team? To let them know that this is not the theatre and a different standard of behaviour is accepted, or even, required?
It seems to me that the passing of the torch in terms of the way to back your team on match day is something that would help our team and fit perfectly into the ethos of BTBWCB. In fact, I think failure to do so would certainly not fit that ethos.
But it is all well and good saying that- but practically how is this possible? What do we do to actually achieve this? There are obviously groups like RedAction but I was wondering if anyone has any ideas or knows others who do? How can we get more out of the crowd? If only we had 60,000 away fans- they’re all the best in the league!
Nice one, ‘Holic. Would happily take a 1-0 win and the three points that go with it. In other circumstances an away point would be satisfactory return, but this feels an opportunity, so rare in recent years, to take all three.
I have a feeling that one side or the other might run away with this game. Mourinho will be even more insufferable than usual if we lose.
GSD
We’ve had some nasty arguments around us where supporters have turned on the so called plastic fans about leaving early, no passion etc. I certainly think it’s up to all of us to educate Arsenal fans close to us about what being a supporter I’d. I have a six year old Gooner grandson and his mother and I will certainly be trying to. Ring him up the right way.
Inside the ground it gets a bit emotive. One fan turned on an old lad who had been coming for sixty three years accusing him of lack of loyalty because he was critical of a first half performance. It brought tears to his eyes and he never came again. So it’s a delicate process. I confine my comments to cynical ones as people file past me five minutes before half time about ‘ don’t miss your beer, the football doesn’t matter’ or ‘ oh you again’ . As for those who leave when you go two down, words fail me. I got tickets for my PA and her brother to the first 5-2 win against the Scum and the blokes next to her left after half an hour when we were two down. I laughed like a drain when I thought of how they must have felt afterwards
Cheers for the response TTG- an informative and much appreciated view.
That’s the problem with the tiny buttons on these new-fangled phones, not to mention voice-responsive technology- it’s hard to ring people up the right way!
Not very confident given our poor last match.
Fingers crossed we put in a professional performance for the whole 90 mins and hopefully celebrate a great victory.
COYR!!
Cheers for the preview guv.
Admitedly, the fixture I least look forward to in a season. I might of felt better about it due to our CS win, but Wednesday’s “performance” has put a bit of a dampner on that. Add the ridiculousness of having played in far flung Croatia, returning Thursday and stil managing to be allocated the dreaded early Saturday kick off (notice how Manure played on Tuesday and get the later Sunday slot) only heightens my anxiety.
The meedja, as is their wont, is hyping this one up as the game that must not be lost for either manager, the end of days to whomever victory elludes, a battle of two managers in “crisis”, “season defining” and other such hogwash. There is so much focus on what will happen to the defeated that I can only conclude that this game has draw written all over it, and I’d certainly take that over losing…….
However that’s not what single minded, fuck logic, fact denying, balls out optimistic fandom is all about, so without futher a do, I shall rally a call to arms with the immortal chant;
We are The Arsenal and we are the BEST,
We are The ARSENAL so FUCK all the rest!!!
COYGs.
Top Report Holic.
I hope you’ll enjoy the trip/day for all the right reasons.
I’ll be honest – I’d take a draw with a heart and a half.
ps.
Have a great day out ‘holic, and all you lucky enough to be going.
Love the rallying call H2H.
Have a great day out, Holic.
I sincerely hope that you will be skipping along the Kibgs Road with glee after the final whistle.
Good morning GSD.
Your comments about the crowd are interesting. The whole make up of the crowd changed when we went to The Grove. I sit just to the right of the singing section. It is an area populated by those that are regular attendees and season ticket holders. The atmosphere there is generally good.
Fans being the best they can be? An interesting concept and I’m not totally sure what you mean? If you mean constant noise then I’m not sure I ever remember those days. I also don’t think that those who pay £120 for a ticket to watch a game that had had the start time changed to suit a worldwide TV audience will feel under any obligation at all. This is the problem with fans now being treated as tourists. I’m sure that the club’s take on fans being the best they can be will be measured in what comes through the tills.
As others will no doubt confirm, there are times when the noise is deafening. There are others when you could hear a pin drop. Another byproduct of a commercial age.
From memory the system in Germany is different to the one hear. Clubs are part owned by the fans you can get a season ticket at somewhere like Bayern or Dortmund for s fraction of the cost of one here.
Fans being treated as customers I meant to say.
Indeed, Steve. You can get a season ticket in Germany or The Netherlands for approx’ the price of two category A games.
Cheers Bath sir, enjoy Florence.
Cheers H – hopefully there’ll be a spring in your step when walking back up the Kings Road post match. Difficult to predict the result as we just don’t know what team will turn up on the day….that’s us & them! It will be a double pleasure if we win, success over a major opponent and “The Translator” squirming even more!
Trev @ 27 – every word sir.
Drink on the bar for you Steve T – I’ve no intention of falling out with a fellow Arsenal on here, despite our differing opinions.
Re: the transfer window lack of spending, all I’ll say is that you want us to “be the best we can be”. We are now extremely good, so that means buying *better* players – none of whom were available, despite our obvious wealth. You merely listed players who would come in at the level we’re already at – that wouldn’t change any of the results we’ve had and would leave you with the same frustrations. Welbeck’s injury was the only reason I felt we should have shipped in a like-for-like replacement: not for ‘improvement’ per se, just for squad coverage.
As for today’s game: all 3 results are possible. I’m hoping Alexis is saving up all his bad luck in front of goal so far, for today…
Gregoire…..yr last paragraph 100% – Alexis is due a turn in form ( and luck ) and against today’s scumbags couldn’t be better timed.
COYRRS
“Best you can be” is an excellent goal, and one which I’m sure we all hope the club sets itself. Not so convinced that it’s a brilliant yardstick for constructive criticism. Last season we weren’t the best we could be; it was still a very good season in the eyes of most.
Either way, it’s not worth an argument amongst ourselves. Particularly not immediately before a fixture against the evil empire.
Hoping to see a proper best we can be performance today, and further egg on the Overwrought One’s mush.
COYG
Ooh er, ??
You wot?
TTG @28. – heh! 🙂
My favoured approach to the late arrivers and early leavers – usually the same people – is to “thank them for coming” as they force their way past, blocking my view as we are scrambling for an equaliser / winner in the last few minutes.
With Interlulls every month at this stage of the season, we often only have games at The Emirates every three weeks or so and this rush to get away before the match has even ended just bewilders me.
What is it that draws these people inexorably towards the exits ? A train to speed them home 20 minutes earlier after a three week gap since the last match ?
The players must be chuffed to see the ground emptying, win, lose or draw, during the last ten minutes.
Cheers Steve T. Thoughtful reply as ever.
I’ve been thinking a bit about how BTBYCB relates to fans and I will try to post something when I’ve marshalled some thoughts. But the discussion can wait for now. I’ve lost myself to the anticipation of today’s game.
Its H2H that I blame. Going around getting people all excited like that. I’m all carried away. Football and Arsenal summed up in a few sentences. My Brain can go and do one- I’ll be all Heart watching this!
COYRRFSNBG!
And Gregoire and Uply had better be ready to take the credit/blame when my optimistic, ahem, bet of Alexis for a hat-trick comes in/goes up the swanny.
They made me believe.
COME ON ARSENAL! COME ON ALEXIS!
Cech, Bel,,Gabriel, Kos, Nacho, Coq, Santi, Ramsey, Alexis Ozil, Feo
Bath in Florence???? Does Dougal know??? He won’t be happy.
All right lets blow up this bus stand with some classic arsenal football and come out with three points, it can be done. COYG.
*BOING*
*BOING*
said zebedee
COME ON YOU REDS !!!!!!!
COYG
Come on! At work but donning my Alexis away shirt and going to follow the game ..its been about time we won at that shitehole, so lets do it!
Trev
I was amazed at the Liverpool match that all around me people were leaving. That was a game that could have gone either way. The man behind me who always leaves seven minutes before the end left twenty two minutes before the end.’ He likes to catch a nice, comfortable train home’. Poor old bugger?
Come on Arsenal!
BT Sport just revealed that Arsenal have the worst goals to chances conversion rate in the whole premier league. Just 6.5%. Apart from the glaringly obvious that stat all tells you that some people’s view of Ozil may be a tad harsh. He is someone that creates the majority of chances. If these are going unfinished then that has an adverse reflection on him??
GSD. The fans debate is always an interesting one.
Game time. Bring it on.
Ozil has created more chances in 2015 then any other player (I read somewhere this week).
Oooooo.
A handshake.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!!!!
The lowlife cheat costa wanted a card, give him a end and get rid of him.
Cmon boys!!
Comeeeeeee Onnnnn!
Brainless.
I hope someone breaks that cheating cunts legs and breaks his face and his arms and stamps on his face and maims him for life.cunt.
how the hell is Costa is still on the field ..the fucking cunt.
Sick
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In what kind of game is Costa allowed to get away with that?
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Costa is a horrible human being. We all know that. But why is Gabriel getting involved????? Yes costa should have gone but twice in the space of 4 days, acts of petulance have seen us reduced to 10 men before half time.
Totally ridiculous.
How he did not get first yellow for blatant hands in face on Koscielny..even pushed him down to the ground …Dean is blind..had to see that and well worthy yellow card ..second for clash with Gabriel. Gabriel should have controlled his temper ..but both should have walked..not only him.
Why should I even watch the second half of the game?
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In what kind of game is Costa allowed to get away with that?
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If Dean did not think Koscielny was simulating when Costa chest bumped him to the ground then why did he not give Koscielny a yellow card for simulation?l TOTAL SHAM
I can live with cunts; what I can’t live with is cunts having their own way.
Fist post for me this season.
If I ever run into Costa Ill punch the cheating cunts lights out.
Sorry excuse for a human being.
Costa is such a low life. But he exemplifies the moaninho spirit. If you can’t beat them fairly do whatever it takes…
As much as I never wish serious injury to any footballer from any team, little Shawcrossing would do on Costa, just to teach him a lesson.
Guess who will get the winning goal for them the cheat.
Why get involved – completely braindead, Let the cunt get himself sent off, Just Dim – Oh well still a chance he will go too at some point !!
Even sweeter 3 points now 😉
Up The Arse !!
The thing is, second stupid red in 4 days, Giroud one was more idiotic, from some angle I even like that Gabriel was not having any of that cunts bullshit, in the end, we have been crying out for some spirit in our squad for years ..there you have it, occassional red is always going with that.
And Mike Dean gets wound up, just like that sorry excuse for an official in Zagreb. That’s maybe, maybe, a second yellow, but the straight red is a reaction to the previous 30 seconds. Have to appeal that straight red. If it is three games, BFG needs to get well in a big hurry.
Eandy- I’d agree if it was for a proper no shit challenge but lam that powder puff stuff is bollocks, If you’re going to get a Red at least twat the cunt 🙂
Spot on Chippy. I know Chelski fans who think that Costa is a cunt. We all know he is a cunt. The whole of football knows he is a cunt. Off course he should have gone. But it was not seen by the ref so he wasn’t sent off. So why oh why get involved? Let him sign his own death certificate.
Yeah Chippy, but still..so many times in the past we let ourselves being bullied by behaviour like this. Its good to have character like Gabriel around and agreed about roughing him up in the process.
Bayonne – I think it was red for second yellow, he got first for the involvement in the penalty area and second for that little touch on Costa when they were walking away from the goal.
Unbelievably daft.
Costa is a cunt, not exactly breaking news that, is it?
Gabriel got played.
Poor again at the back sadly.
And that’s the price you pay – Bollocks.
Same goal as we conceded against West Ham. Do we never practice these things?
10 men or not, that was just our usual shit defending of set pieces.
Not a glimmer of hope now. See the game out and go home with a tiny bit of dignity, rather than a spanking.
Good time to find out if we really do have any leaders out there.
Or anyone with a Paul Davis hook 🙂
Ozil off please, Theo wide, OG up front.
There’s only one thing for it.
Starbucks only in future.
All that time taken yesterday on TMO at the Rugby on every tiny detail and a game as big as football lets an injustice as big as today’s go unpunished in real time
Disagree with you Porco. Theo is on the pitch precisely because of the threat of his pace. Have him play up the pitch so it draws the attention of the CBs.
And does anyone else think that Alexis’s play in this match has been very poor? Not only on the fluffed chance, but the many misplaced passes and the Gervinho-like cutting in to black holes in the middle?
OG to make up for Zagreb – It’s written in the stars, I hope 😉
BJ I must confess I’m only listening to this game but given our record in big ones like this, at 10 men it’s hard not to feel pessimistic. *Very* ready to proven wrong!
Be proven, rather
Ouch. Damage limitation lads.
Mike Dean now joins Costa as front bottom of the week.
Sadly that was the right decision on Cazorla and we were doing well at the time
Good old Santi. I guess that answers my leadership question.
Very silly and unnecessary from a player on a yellow.
Dean left us with enough players to make a wall on that free kick? All is good then
Diego Costa hasn’t been sent off in a league game since 2010 according to the Beeb.
Squad is already looking too small!
Robbed,in a word.
Dean is a fucking disgrace.
Mourinho will gloat, but will know that they cheated their way to a win.
Despicable.
I actually don’t feel too bad with this game compared to the Zagreb game. I think the players did okay even with 9 men. Still don’t know why Diego didn’t see a red card.
SAG – Because Dean is a massive cunt, that is why, all three things he did to Kos were yellow card offences, he should have walked with Gabriel..period. Disgrace..total fucking disgrace.
Don’t blame the ref, blame the stupidity of Gabriel and the usual lack of leadership and desire in the team
I am fuming.
Not at my team, because we were royaly screwed. Costa is a disgrace and if there is no retrospective action taken then football is either doomed or must be forced into a rule change.
Can’t complain about both sending offs, but if the proper action was taken (Costa red) then Gabriel wouldn’t have been involved and we would of been the team with the man advantage, totally different game.
How the fuck did Oscar stay on for that challenge on Kos? That was a red all day too. Dean bottled it, again. Shambollic officiating, but it didn’t end there. Costa going at Ox, how the hell did Dean and the lino miss that? You could see by his reaction that even Maureen was pissed at his CF for acting the cunt, he hooked him immeadiatly.
If you want to take a positive from this game, then find solace in the fact that Chelsea this year are a shadow of last seasons outfit and they will be found out, the cheating cunts.
What’s worrying is alexis’s form. He is just not able to work his first season magic, and the whole team looked toothless barring a few chances. Let’s hope it changes soon if we are to get anywhere this season. And hopefully karma will bite the cheap ones where it hurts most soon as well.
To win at their place you need at least a fair go at it. The ref denied us that. It happens.
H2H was right about Gabriel getting mugged off by Costa. No need for that reaction- Dean’s ineptitude does not justify it in any way.
Santi was daft- no idea what his complaint was about.
Generally I thought we played alright. I know what I saw today and I can’t be overly upset given the way that played out.
UTA
Oh well. Never mind. Worse things happen at sea.
Many will want the ref hung drawn and quartered no doubt. The defeat will be down to Dean. Must say I will not agree with that at all. He could easily have given the Chavs a pen for the Gabriel challenge in the box in the first half. I’m not sure how he can be blamed for not seeing every single incident. If we are not going to use a TMO then you have to hope that respective action will be taken on Saint Diego.
Two correct, silly and unnecessary red cards. A free header for their first goal and only two shots on target all game probably gives you a more accurate account of what went on today. Losing players obviously makes it tough but I doubt that Begovic will need to bother showering.
Still, just deal with it I guess and move on. Glad re “rested” half the squad on Wednesday.
I’m off to hide with Pangloss and await the Monday Quarterbacks.
Onwards and upwards.
I think ‘desire’ and ‘leadership’ these days means huddling up as a group and surrounding the referee and forcing him to card an opposition player. Chelsea have done it for a fair few years now and that is exactly what we should have done immediately after Costa chested kos. We did not and that is our only fault.
Uncle – I will disagree with you on this one, I think that team performed well under the circumstances, and as I said, both Gabriel and Costa should have walked, then it is completely different game. If I cannot blame refree after display like this, when can I.
I have no quarrel with both red cards, just with the fact that the same measure was not taken for both sides, that really pisses me off.
I can already see some fans trying to be the best that they can be….the only outrage they know is surprisingly reserved for their own team.
@121
If that ugly cunt had been sent off for the double-assault on Koscielny, then what reason would you suggest that Gabriel should have been sent off for?
Great stuff H2H but Kos’s challenge before he got assaulted was no better and could have gone the same way.
@115 spot on Uncle Charlie.
What a stupid and naive way to lose. It is not the lost that pains me, it is the hope and selfbelief we brought back to those rent boys. They were afraid to attack us even with two man up, that was the level of their fear today. I am afraid this win will do wonders for their season, no matter how they won it.
As for us, we missed this enormously big chance to put the final nail in the coffin of Maureen’s Chelsea.
We are without two of our first teamers for couple of games, with already thin squad. On top of that I think many of our players lack required discipline. Does our manager talks about this big problem with our players? Are there any sanctions against some of them?
Ozil, Ramsey and Alexis are clearly out of form. Won’t even mention Giroud. And we are supposed to play 5 games in the next two weeks or so.
Doesn’t look good and we will need some miracle to come trough this period unscratched, mentally and physically.
Costa had both hands and an elbow in Kos’ face, Steve. He then fell over, stood up and pushed our CB to the ground. That’s two red card offences there. He should of been sent off, brought back on and sent off again.
Oh, dear. This is going to be a long day.
It will be for Sunderland Ned, they are two down in the first 10 mins.
Mourinho is a pathological liar. He is a repulsive twat who warps circumstances. There were faults with our performance today but frankly the referee’s incompetence ( on Costa) completely decided the game.
And there we go holics!!
Was it ever in doubt!!!
Dago Costa + Mike Dean = 2x Cheating Corrupt Cunts!
Trev @27,
Good points!
Gunnersaurus Stunt Double @29,
I’m not quite sure I understand what you’re driving at?! Consistency of performance is a minimum requirement in every career; why should football be any different. Moreover, I do think that we can control that with Arsenal by demanding it as fans. After all, they’re “professionals” and not amateurs and should do that automatically! Anyway, I think we’ll have to agree to disagree on this and see again how the season pans out. Let’s hope that the “inconsistency bug” hits Abu Dhabi Citeh this weekend to keep us only 5 points behind the leaders.
@123
That would have been correct way how to handle situation but I assumed that in a way that Costa should have get first yellow at least for what he did to Kos and second for the whole getting together with Gabriel. Did not expect him giving straight red to Costa as H2H describes because …well..Mike Dean. That he did not give even a yellow is simply laughable.
Even if the retrospective action is taken and he is suspended..it does fuck all for us in the context of this game well doesn’t it.
Ultimately, it goes down to the fact that ref did not act correctly in the whole situation and overlooked whole start of it, booking Costa only for scramble with Gabriel, which is simply wrong decision.
Some days a bad game does ruin my day. Today I am not going to let that lot have the pleasure. They are a right old bunch of silly sausages.
And I found a silver lining of my own… At least I did not swap Santi into my fantasy team!
As I said I’m not even thast dissapointed.
And yes Uncle Charlie, we can blame the ref, he was incompatent.
Costa diving in the opening stages and waving an imaginary yellow is two bookable offences too.
I’ve no problem with either of our red cards and I agree, Gabriel was daft, however, they both should of went, but if Costa was punished according to the laws of the game then Gabriel wouldn’t of even been booked as the Costa would of been heading to the changing rooms for the showers and his post game meal of fried baby arms, the dispicable jizz gargler.
Stamford Bridge: you will never meet a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.
That should have been Wenger’s pre-match team-talk. Diego Costa is a scumbag cunt, and someone at some point is going to absolutely clock him, and it will be richly deserved.
I must also confess to being totally confused by what constitutes a red card these days. Everyone’s saying Gabriel’s actions were a definite red, but where’s the common sense with distinguishing between acts of petulance (a little tap with the boot) and a genuine attempt to harm in terms of purposely flailing arms and elbows in the face? If I’d have reffed the game, I would have totally defused the situation – told Gabriel and Costa to stop behaving like petulant children and given them both yellows (even after Gabriel’s tap), but it seems like Dean was egged on by 4 Chelsea players running at him and the baying of 35,000 home fans.
And as for Mike Dean. Every time I see him ref, he seems to take everything so personally. Is that the sign of a ref that has a power complex or someone with a repressed fear about his refereeing ability. He can only affect control if he flashes cards and looks angry? If you’re confident with the decisions you’ve made, why look so aggressively and disdainfully at the players you’ve just cautioned? Decent refs (Clattenburg, Oliver) always appear more indifferent and efficient.
The performance itself is almost critic-proof because of the circumstances. I felt we were well in it until the red card. Coquelin was fucking immense pre-injury/substitution, and I thought Walcott had a very lively game and was unfortunate to be flagged offside on a couple of 50-50 calls. Alexis needs a goal desperately though – such a shame he couldn’t have equalised with that chance in the 2nd half. Anyway onwards and upwards – we’re still ahead of the scumbags by 3 points!
Am actually fine with Gabriel apart from the sending off of course. But am tired of people bullying us all the time and he stood up to fucking Costa. He could have been more street smarts about it but we need players like him to stand up and not be scared of bullies like Costa. How in the hell was Costa still on the field. Am actually proud of the guys performance today.Alexis do need time off for a few games he is not on track at all.
Dapper Dan.
My apologies for being less clear than I meant to be. I tried to write a post about the difference between getting overly upset about things one can control and things one can’t. Somehow I managed to purvey the idea that I was commenting on ‘consistency of performance’. I think we may be crossing wires on this one.
I have yet to notice your demands make the slightest bit of difference to the performance of the management and board at Arsenal. But perhaps they will do so. I shall continue not making demands of people who do not hear them and who I do not believe would not listen if they did… But maybe people who are well-dressed have more clout in the upper echelons of our club than people dressed as dinosaurs! Who knows?
We will, as you say, see how the season pans out. If there is one thing Man City love it is a shocking run of form- I too hope they find it soon.
Drink on the bar for you. We could all do with one.
Steve T, am always on your side on most issues but not today. Chelsea didn’t do shit either until the sending offs. I actually think we did okay. Mike dean fucked the game up. Give red all you want to but just be balanced with it. No body can tell me that none of their players didn’t deserve a red card too. Even with ten men we were still doing okay and anything could have happened.
A few positives.
We were well in that game, even with ten men I still believed we could sneak an equaliser, Alexis really should of got it.
I also thought that the subs were the right ones, AW obviously felt that we were still in it, didn’t succomb to the temptation of shutting up shop for damage control and went for it. Santi’s dismissal killed off our chances unfortunatly.
Chelsea are shit and will struggle.
It is quite simple in fact, Kos just needed to stay on the grass after being pushed by Costa. That would have been a straight redas I am sure the lino would confirmed the incident and we would have probably picked up three points.
Why our players were not instructed before the game to make advantage of the fact that Costa is a dickhead, when he is such an obvious one. Just use his stupidity and throw yourself on the grass wherever he touches your face and he does that everytime he is on the ball. You don’t need to play unfear, just use his style as your advantage. Not even Dean would stayed calm if Kos played dead on the grass.
It was almost half time, stupid ass Mike Dean could have diffused the whole situation and just blow half time and let players go calm down in their dressing rooms but Mike being fucking Dean had to give Gabriel a red card.
GSD @136,
Salut my well-dressed, mascotted friend! I’ll now partake in some much needed schadenfreude! Up the underdogs!
Cheers Dan.
I see I put too many nots in my last post. A symptom of things getting knotty!
And I do at least have Callum Wilson in my fantasy team… I expect he’ll get himself sent off in a minute.
@h2h 138
I felt the same, in fact I felt that we might score even with two man down. Think that Chelsea playing with fear had something to do with it.
I can’t think of two people in the whole of football who are more perfect for each other than Jose Mourinho and Diego Costa.
Unfortunately they are a lethal combination in the presence of Mike Dean, the referee who danced a celebratory jig as Tottenham scored against us.
Sorry, Steve T, but I can’t blame us for this one.
I’m not actually angry at us at all. Disappointed, yes, that we looked so unlike scoring, and disappointed that when Coquelin was injured we had no proper replacement for him – but that is old news now and cannot be changed.
But you cannot beat a conniving turd like Mourinho, his diving, provocative, cheating henchman in Costa, and a referee who lets them get away with it in Mike Dean.
Pangloss, do pass the tea, old chap !
Today is not a day for critiquing the inadequacies of individual and team performance. The only issue where I was disappointed was that we failed again to organise properly for a free kick but that apart our first half performance was decent and until Cazorla was sent off we were still in with a chance, albeit remote of a point. Social media is showing that Gabriel is carrying scratch marks on his face, presumably the result of Costa’s attention and he should have been able to resist being goaded by that thug but the game turned on a player failing to be sent off for two red card offences.
We were reasonably solid in the first half and didn’t fall apart in the second in freak circumstances. It is impossible to draw deep conclusions beyond that . Sanchez is underperforming but will come back and I thought Theo caused them problems today. Nacho was excellent again. But let’s not draw too many conclusions about a game that really was given to Chelsea by the Costa decision.
My only observation might be that we need a dominating presence out there and the nearest thing to that is Mertesacker. He would have the maturity not to respond to Costa and hopefully would have counselled Gabriel had he been on the field. I love Santi but he isn’t captaincy material as he showed in the second half
Christ! Even that twerp Danny Mills thinks Costa should have gone and Gabriel shouldn’t.
If you know Football Association rules, the only certifiable red card offences even remotely close to what Gabriel did are “violent conduct” or “serious foul play.” It wasn’t “serious foul play” because it clearly wasn’t serious and was off-the-ball. And it was clearly an act of petulance and not violence. If Gabriel had violent intent he would have botted Costa or thrust his hands aggressively into his face (as Costa ironically had just done to Koscielny). Considering it was an incendiary moment in the game, and Costa had been the instigator in all this, Dean should have just seen Gabriel and Costa’s jabbing at each other as part of the bravado/overspill of the incident and defused it maturely, instead of wildly grabbing at his red card as Chelsea players spotted Gabriel’s petulant back-heel and ran at him waving imaginary reds.
Also, I appreciate it’s not the ref’s obligation to make the game a spectacle, but crucially, it’s not his job to increase/react to the sense of petty hysteria generated by the players. He could have managed that situation much better, but as with Ibrahimovic’s red card for PSG last year at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho obviously has his team cynically well schooled in the ‘dark arts’ and pushing for opposition red cards at every opportunity.
Gregoire- couldn’t have said it any better. I have never seen a group f players like Chelsea’s always running after refs waving that imaginary card. What a bunch of twats… Can’t blame carzola neither, what was he supposed to do, just let Fabregas go on a break. He tried to stop him. I can’t imagine any fans out there today blaming our players.
Trev @144
Spot on old chap and that’s all need be said on this match! Hope that Le Coq, currently our most important player, will be fit for our perennial rejuvenation at the Spuds midweek! “Be the best we can be!”
Up the Arse!
Gregoire @146,
When you have three cheating cunts on the same side (and yes I mean that “anti-Arsenal” cunt Dean), then there’s only going to be one outcome! Wankers!
I hate blaming refs but that was abysmal today and it has taken me all this time to be able to post without swearing about the useless, biased, simpleton cunt.
Ooops.
That red card changed the game. Costa is sent off, as he should be, and Gabriel is not dismissed. It may not have meant a win for us, as they are experts at parking the bus and we tend to struggle against those teams, but it says it all about the useless, biased, simpleton cunt (oops) that he could send off Santi Cazorla, the most inoffensive of players.
Fuck football.
For today.
Agree with that sentiment Cynic. Fuck football…. for today.
It is supposed to be about entertainment, a spectacle of skills and movement and interchanges, maybe once in a while even elevated to something artistic. Sure always enjoyed with a degree of passionate tribalism but at the end of the day two sets of players should be able to shake each others’ hands and move on. What happened today is so far away from the concept of Sports I find it meaningless to offer any critique.
And watching the game at TV I immensely enjoyed the encouragement that the away supporters offer to all the players, especially the ones who are in doldrums.
I hope our players never become the cynical manipulative assholes who confuse success with harming a fellow professional’s livelihood and passion (because that is what faking/inciting to get others carded is, Gabriel may now lose his place in the team after a very promising few matches).
Gents. I am not blaming us entirely for today. Let’s look at what happened. First off, Costa is a horrible, despicable excuse of a human being. No shocks there. He is also a crafty fucker. Of course he should have been sent off. I’m guessing that Maureen is the only one who does not agree. The fact is that he is not stupid. Most of his stuff is off the ball. That is why he gets away with it. Dean has not seen the stuff that should have got him a red because it’s off the ball. You have to hope that he gets done retrospectively.
But he hasn’t got sent off. Feel aggrieved as much as you like but that is the reality. So, as others have said before, we deal with it. Gabriel allowing himself to get sucked in was niaive. If he has kicked out then it’s a 3 game ban for letting a low life piece of shit like that wind him up. From that moment it was incredibly difficult.
Santi sent off for two yellows. Again, right decision. No real need to make the second challenge when on a yellow. These things happen in the heat of battle.
To be honest I thought it was just an average game. Neither side looked great in my opinion and I thought that before the sending off that the game had nil nil written all over it. Neither side created much of note.
Our defending for the first goal was poor. Seen it more than once though haven’t we? The second sending off killed any faint hope that we might have had.
So, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think we played that badly today. But we can’t lay the blame solely at the feet of the referee. Sometimes we have to have a look at ourselves and realise that we will meet horrible fuckers like Costa. We have to learn not to rise to the bait and let him press his own self destruct button rather than reaching for our own.
oh fer the opportunity to slap the beard off that shitehawk’s chops
A nice treble of away wins for the Hammers. Still only 5 points from the top.
Payet for them and Mahrez for the foxes have been my favorite non-Arsenal players this season. If Jack doesn’t recover soon enough Mahrez in January would help our cause.
Leicester are now the only team who can threaten the Invincibles as everybody else has lost at least once. West Ham’s record is amazing. That’s champion form!
Add Montero to that duo Dr. Faustus, and you have a deadly trio in your team for less then 15m.
But we are well covered in those positions, so I guess we will have to continue admiring those players playing somewhere else.
Inspiring players, I agree.
TTG @ 156: WHU last season too had started very well. They have a few good players, including one of our very own. I think in away matches their tactical discipline and workrate had caught all the three big teams by surprise. They have been good at managing the pivotal moments.
Lurky@157: Yes, Montero was handful even in last season, he tormented us as well … some would probably laugh at this, but I think he is a better player than Sterling and was surprising to see none of the big teams go after him.
Of that trio, I like Mahrez. A dribbler with composure and good understanding of when to turn it on and when to pass, and can increase the intensity of his performance on demand. I would think a kind of player Arsene can really make into a world beater. He won’t stay in Leicester for long, surely.
Leicester away will be a tough game.
TTG @ 156: On second reading of your comments … 🙂
I meant Arsenal is still only 5 points from top of the table, though. In case you were wondering. 🙂
And yes, we can be champions…
One common aspect in the last two defeats were very soft headed goals conceded from set-pieces. Now that Giroud is not in the first choice eleven, the team needs to quickly come up with another approach to provide that extra protection against set-pieces that Giroud does. Monreal, Alexis are good headers but too short … maybe Cech and the defense working on changing his approach and attack the deliveries more, or in case of free-kicks defense always holding the line very high up…
Thought Chambers did well under the circumstances, and Theo was surprisingly proactive and effective, good movements and even hold-up play. Both him and Alexis should have done better with their chances.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Of all the ways to get sent off petulance and getting involved when there’s no need to are the dumbest. Credit to Gabriel for standing up to Costa, but he was dumb as shit. Santi did at least deserve his. Pity the ref ‘missed’ the real cause of events or we could have had a 9 a side game which would have favoured us greatly.
Sort of what I was expecting frankly, a game where everything goes wrong. But I was more disappointed with the Zagreb debacle than this one. A result there was for the taking but we chose to set up today’s mess.
I’m joining the ‘shoulda bought someone’ brigade. New players are unknown quantities and often perform well early on – Santi, Özilla and Alexis recent examples. But the first two both had poor second seasons and now Alexis is struggling in his. Fresh blood might have given opponents more to think about.
But I’ll stick with this being no real surprise and hope we can move on.
Öskar
Wenger doing his bending over routine again!