I Chose To Have An Enjoyable Day With Friends Old And New
Apr 3rd, 2017 by 'holic
With apologies for the delay here are a few thoughts on the draw against Manchester City. My day was certainly more enjoyable than a lot of others according to what I saw on social media on the homeward journey. A stroll around the spiritual home that is Highbury always provokes the best memories, and maybe a happy tear or two.
I had arranged to meet Mike, the face behind the GoonersinUSA podcast, at the Gunners and delighted to meet many more visitors from across the pond in situ. After saying hello to Ted we took to the beer garden to exchange tales of following the Arsenal while enjoying pints of muscle-relaxing lubricant. It was a lot of fun.
As was the welcome at the Tollie from one of our own. Bergkamp the Man, the ‘holic not the non-flying Dutchman at the bar. “What’ll ye have?” before we talked of our hopes and fears for the afternoon and weeks ahead. A pleasant stroll to the stadium and as we entered the ground there were distant and muted chants of “We want Wenger out”.
Whilst having some sympathy with their cries for change, as a step-grandfather I cannot commend the poisonous atmosphere that is created around the stadium. Neither can I support the level of vitriol being expelled at an honourable man who deserves to leave the club with appreciation ringing in his ears. I understand that this situation is one created by the board and the manager not clarifying the situation in a timely fashion. I am going over old ground. The point here is that the protesters are choosing to make their day unpleasant. To their credit though the support inside the stadium was excellent as a fanbase united behind the team.
Another glass of something tasty, and a chat with some of those we are fortunate enough to share Block 32 with, and so to our seats. We usually play better with the sun on our backs but far too soon we are behind. There is little point in me adding to the criticism of the back four at this late stage. Perhaps one of our holding midfielders might have filled in for Skhodran Mustafi when he advanced to meet the long clearance? Credit too the excellent Sane for his wonderful control and finish at pace.
Whilst the split of togetherness isn’t as it was in the early months of the season there was no visible dropping of heads as we looked to claw our way back into the contest. When we did it was hardly a surprise that Gael Clichy contributed to Theo Walcott’s opportunism by sitting in when his colleagues advanced in search of an offside flag. Walcott deserved his goal for his early endeavours which included a most un-Walcott like challenge which surprised the referee so much he forgot to award a free-kick!
But Arsenal 2017, being Arsenal 2017, immediately found themselves behind again. As the move built there was a sense of ‘City can score when they want and are going to do just that’ about it. I’m told that we supporters don’t know enough about the game to be critical of players or the manager. I know that over fifty years of watching football at the top level has given me an opinion that you really shouldn’t leave Aguero unmarked to finish some wonderful work by De Bruyne.
Credit the Gunners though for digging in and trading blows with the visitors after the break. Mustafi’s wonderful header earned us the point I genuinely believe we deserved, but the celebrations told a story. Alexis beckoned the half of the team that had gone back to their positions for the restart to join the scorer in front of Red Action. Francis Coquelin hesitantly made it half of the distance. It furthers the impression of a squad at war with itself.
Selfishly I prayed for us to find an unlikely winner. The neighbour shared my regular ‘cash-out’ checks. At best I was offered £40 against potential winnings of £290. I stayed stubborn, over-estimating the qualities of my team. “You should have took the forty.”
The post mortem in the pub was less ‘lively’ than what was going on back at the stadium. There’s an air of resignation around the place. We needed the three points but remain perilously poised in sixth place. A couple of pints later everything was put into perspective and I walked back to begin the journey home, passing the now sunlit and becalmed stadium and it’s usual smattering of supporters hoping to catch a glimpse, or more, of the team and manager as they depart.
We used to meet players in the pubs after matches. The times they are a changin’.
39 Responses to “I Chose To Have An Enjoyable Day With Friends Old And New”
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Worst thing we ever did was leave Highbury.
Wenger claims to have built the club but there’s nothing special about what it has become IMO.
Like chopping down a Redwood to make a packing crate.
Morning (here in Osaka anyway) GH.
Thanks for the review and glad you
enjoyed your day.
I haven’t been a regular at the game
for 20 years now, since I moved
away from the UK, and maybe that’s
why I find it difficult to understand why
anyone would go to the ground to
walk around complaining and even
fighting with fellow supporters.
Surely the whole point is to go with
your family or mates to enjoy the
game, have a few drinks and
support the Lads. It was for me
anyway and I wonder if I’d still go
if I was back in London. I think, yes,
simply because my old Arsenal mates
are of a similar mind.
I agree with you though, the sooner
the better for the decision from the
club, no more trying to manage the
timing etc, just say what we are going
to do and let people damn you or not
as is their wont.
As for the game, I was relieved that
we showed some fight (maybe that
relief is indicative of what’s wrong) and
celebrated the second more than
the players. I thought Nacho played
well and we got stuck in so there
were positives. As ever, let’s see what
happens in the next game.
I think we’ve got more than enough for
Wham just now but I hope we remember
how to defend their one trick pony up
front.
Thanks for taking the time for that comprehensive response Matt. Yes, West Ham is now massive.
Cynic, I’m pretty sure at some point in the future it will pay off, but I understand your sentiment.
Cheers H!
You too Esso. Only you were missing mate. 🙂
I’ll be back mate. Not exactly sure when at the moment, but I’ll be back.
You started without me
We’ll have some at Wembley, Seawarrior. 🙂
Ermmm Garden Party
H – I watched that Rocky and Wrighty thing this afternoon and the club will never be the same for me, no matter what it does. No soul.
Could you imagine any one of these players talking about a team mate the way Adams spoke about David Rocastle? “One of my crew, one of my chaps”.
I don’t think this new place will ever engender the kind of belonging to something that Highbury did. Always knew it was a mistake.
Thanks for the account H. I’m sorry to have missed it. I do think that we lost something when we moved. Some inner soul that took the team to another level. I understand the logic of the move at the time and I am sure it will pay off in the long term but the inner soul of the club and team has never been the same since the move and I wonder if it ever will be. At least we showed the grit to get back into that game. Hopefully having found it we won’t lose it again.
Nice one Holic sounds like you had a decent day out. Footballing side still in gigantic need of improvement.
Bellerin is no longer a player who could chase and catch everyone in the league the lad is surely struggling with something of a mystery.
There is not much confidence left in this side, digging deep we did and salvaged a point i’m just glad we didn’t throw in the towel and with Koscielny back in the treatment room i feared the worse but the Brazilian did very well.
West Ham is now a must win game!
I can’t imagine the fans fighting among themselves in the Highbury game the way it was reported on Sunday. Maybe they did but I never saw disagreements (of which there were plenty) come to blows. We are going to the dogs. I think we should stop talking about the class we used to have.
Bellerin has been carrying an injury for months but we can’t afford to let it heal properly, Arthur. So I heard anyway. That’s why he ain’t the player he was.
Anyway, sod it. There’s enough gloom about without this.
Blud.
Or do I mean Fam?
Bath, You take Cynic’s point and make it real. Until we win the title there the waste site will never be home.
But the move was necessary or we would now be behind the swamp dwellers and the bus stop already. They think they have the advantage this season.
Our time is near.
I’ll have what you’re drinking Guvna.
For those who haven’t seen it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2byZj3oz3U
Made me blub.
A thoroughly enjoyable day. Looks like you were just behind me post-Tolly, which is a good thing, as had you left with me I would have encouraged a haddock and chips duet at the Chip Inn and you too might have spent the midnight hour on the big white telephone to Huey. 🙁
City shoud have been out of sight by half time but we could well have stolen the three points in the second half.
Not difficult to see why neither of these teams is challenging for the title or competitive in Europe. How come? City have spent Gazillions and changed their manager every couple of years (and Yanited and ‘Pool). Maybe this ‘change the manager and spend millions’ solution isn’t quite as easy as it looks.
I was very impressed by Sane. A much better purchase and prospect than Sterling I’d say.
The Emirates? I love the place (and the £100m+ p.a. that it contributes to the wage bill). North Bank atmosphere was excellent yesterday (thanks for the ticket assist).
Oh dear, BtM. Retracting the 5 star recommendation for the Chip Chick Inn? Not good.
Trev, re Theo and your last round question “Do you think Theo would get into Guardiola’s team ?“…
Assuming you mean his $iteh team, possibly not because Pep has more options . But if you mean if he was managing Arsenal, probably Yes because Theo is a far better winger than Ox or Rambo or Iwobi, or…. The only option he might consider is pushing Hector further forward to wing where he used to play once. Not that I would do that
And that has been my position since (I admit on sober reflection) I went a bit OTT about Theo. My view of him has never been that he is sans pareil, only that he is the best RW cum striker in the club – assuming Alexis plays LW – and he was, at the time I went on about it, getting minimal opportunities mostly as a 70th minute sub. Now he is a regular, and I am happy to feel a bit justified. But not to say he is, or ever will be perfect, just our current best option.
In an ideal world I would replace him tomorrow with Griezmann or Moura, and maybe one or two others.
I’m glad you enjoyed your day Holic. I come in past Highbury House and so past the demonstration. It wasn’t very nasty but there was discord in the air.
This discord has made my trips and that of most Holics to THOF far less enjoyable and until it is resolved in the only way it can be this will continue. The slightest blip will bring it back, a defeat will seem cataclysmic, the team will suffer psychologically. They looked so out of sorts in that respect on Sunday. That they drew with a good team was remarkable really.
But I travel not even in hope but in resignation at the moment . I do hope we can engender some quality and of course win the Cup but I really don’t expect it to happen, Damage like this needs more than a sticking- plaster.
Frankly if something major isn’t done the consequences will be worse next season
Sorry as it’s not really relevant to
The Arse but I just thought Moy*s
deserved a quick mention as a
complete dick. I’m glad he isn’t our
manager with that sort of pathetic
behaviour.
Anyways, on the next game it seems
Kos is out. My first thought was to
give Holding a chance, but on
reflection I think it is a must
win from both a league position /
confidence point of view and so I’d
go with Gab/Mustafi.
Also it seems Ox / Ramsey will be
available so I hope we change the
CM pairing.
Is Elneny injured? If not he is long overdue a start alongside Xhaka. Or anyone rather than pairing our most likely redcarders, Coq and Xhaka, together again. That is just courting disaster.
Chris,
Quite agree on Xhaka/Coq – I like that
they put in a challenge but it’s heart
in the mouth stuff at times 🙂
Elneny does deserve a chance I think
and personally I’d go with him and Ox.
I don’t think AW will though.
I think Xhaka has to play, O’Matt, I’m just against doubling the risk with Coq. Xhaka and Elneny would be my preference.
Apparently we’ve only beaten Burnley, Sutton and Lincoln since the end of January. I didn’t realize it had been that bad. Let’s get a result against the Hammers on Wednesday. COYR
Wenger with his “top four is a trophy” spiel again. I know Guardiola said it the other day, but it doesn’t make it true.
Funny how it’s only managers who are failing to make a proper title challenge and feeling the pressure a bit who fall back on that tired old thing.
Innit.
hi Goonerholic, the clan up the road are beginning our celebrations a bit early again, the end of April could be last we all see of Arsene..
At last someone who watched the same game as me. Good write up.
The poisonous atmosphere is again making me question taking my 10 year old daughter to games. Maybe these people could take a step back and think how their behaviour may affect future generations of fans…Like allot of you my first trips to Highbury in the late Seventies are golden memories and really want her to have the same.
Cusop, old chum, you have yet to learn the lessons of recent history!
And in the unlikely event that you don’t Spurs it up did you think the last time the world turned upside down you would be on a Zimmer frame when it happened again! ?
Glad to see you are still alive and well, however. ?
The day itself was great for the walks from and to KingsX and sadly we didn’t get to the gathering for Rocky having lingered too long at the Hemmingford.
I thought the game a rather scrappy affair with very little good football from either side but perhaps I was expecting too much following our recent dire performances. Hector is definitely not fully fit, I watch him more closely than most( he is my current idol) and to see him regularly outpaced is disturbing.I think the problem goes back to his injury last season.
Fortunately we didn’t run into those who wish to make a spectacle of themselves. The reasons for the delay in announcing Arsene’s future seem to grow by the day and just prolong the agony of watching factions of our supporters souring the Club’s good name.
I was far from being a happy bunny as we set off by car for Cambridge, engineering work on our line. However, the boys made my day by handing me a belated 75th birthday present, an Arsenal bobble hat ready for next winter!
With Kos out of action I fear for our chances of 3 points tomorrow night. Andy Carroll could have a field day if we don’t tighten things up at the back and get the right balance in the mid-field. I wonder how Per is shaping up, a bit of height at the back is essential, I also wonder whether Giroud will get the nod over Danny who didn’t look comfortable at CF, fingers crossed.
COYRs
when a manager tells the media about what he has done for the share price of the privileged few. Then you know its almost over bar the shouting. but the run in will be fun again and the game at the end of the month could decide bragging rights..
or even a knees up at wembley could be on the cards
Heh! Someone chuck the swampies a few fucking bones. God knows they been waiting long enough.
Interesting suggestion that the Arsenal board is split 3-3 over whether to continue flogging a dead horse with Wenger, but Stan holds all the shares and wants him to stay.
We could have changes on the way all over the place this summer, apart from the one we really need, if the three unhappy board members decide to walk away. One of them is rumoured to be Kroenke’s own son.
Chinese whispers, Cynic? Tut tut 🙂 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>