They Think It’s All Over
May 22nd, 2017 by 'holic
What a strange but largely enjoyable day. That it ended with no Champions League place for the first time in nineteen years seemed to have been accepted long before we took to the pitch. My view of the day may differ from others because I had the advantage of an extremely tasty tapas lunch with the grand’holics before taking my seat in the sunshine to watch what proved to be a fascinating ninety minutes of football.
We needed an early goal to settle any nerves and when it arrived courtesy of Hector Bellerin it felt as though one of the good days was unfolding. Then came the moment that will be remembered about this match for a long time. Valencia’s run was brought to a halt by Laurent Koscielny’s misjudged challenge. Michael Oliver, knowing full well that the Cup Final is next week, could have shown the compassion he later demonstrated to the visitors in spades. Instead he applied the letter of the law and the skipper was correctly shown the red card.
Down to ten men, we somehow adapted to a 3-3-3 and continued to trade attacking blows with superior numbers, and were rewarded when Alexis was on the end of Welbeck’s ball in to apply the finish. It was no more than we deserved. In the minutes that followed the news of Liverpool and Manchester City doing what they needed to do seeped through.
Then came a moment that would be repeated sporadically throughout the rest of the afternoon. From the North Bank a chant of “Stan Kroenke, get out of our club” grew to a crescendo as huge numbers of those present joined in. It seemed a significant moment because few of the Wenger out protests have attracted such a level of support, and I cannot help but think that most felt that at last the real problem with our club was getting the long overdue heat.
Gabriel’s injury as he challenged Valencia was immediately recognisable as a bad one, and another likely Cup Final absentee. The award of a yellow card as he was stretchered off was frankly unbelievable in the light of what Oliver had overlooked elsewhere. That was compounded when Alexis slumped to the turf for the second match running, and his afternoon was over. Prayers will be said in the coming week for his availability next Saturday.
Aaron Ramsey appeared to be brought down on the edge of the box but play was allowed to continue and at the other end Rob Holding was pinged for a handball. Lukaku despatched the penalty and I frantically tried to log in to my bookie to cash-out on the 2-1 punt, to no avail. The 4G at the Grove is patchy on a matchday!
Rambo denied me the punt with a simply wonderful strike in time added on. It was a sublime finish and enabled the end of season lap of appreciation to take place in better spirits than some had envisaged. That was helped by the manager watching on from the sidelines.
And so to the pub for one last time this season. Martin and Louise once again laid on the sausage and chips, and a table of drinkers past and present debated the issues of the day with smiles and laughter. One more trip to London remains, and perhaps the hope some of us were feeling before yesterday has lessened as a result of the injuries and suspension that the day cost us.
That is for another day.
73 Responses to “They Think It’s All Over”
Sanogoooooooooooooooo
Get in
Nice report H
Not seen anything of the game as yet. Will catch up later.
Hope the little ones enjoyed the day.
Thanks for the report as always.
It was a great goal to end the season
🙂
Hello GSD,
@186 in the last drinks.
I just wondered if you misunderstood
my comment @184. When I said
they’ve won nothing again this season
so fuck ’em, I meant Spuds of course
and not AFC !
Every report of the game I’ve read has mentioned the referee and how inconsistent he was and because of this are the media outlets starting to notice how we are refereed to a different set of laws/rules.Look the Pool yesterday nil nil Middlesbrough denied a definite penalty and a player sent off referees are having too much influence to malipulate results
Arsenal have to overcome more difficulties in every game they play what is allowed for the opposition is not afforded to us
Cheers H. Glad you had a good day.
OM. I meant to put @183. I wasn’t referring to your post. My mistake. (Unless H swept something up?) I felt it was very clear who you were referring to… ?
Sc. From last. Saying you respect someone’s views doesn’t count for much when you also ask them to ‘wake up’ because their views aren’t the same as yours. I’m not responding fully to your post- it will be boring for all of us. I do disagree with you though. Thoroughly. Still, opinions are like bumholes. And I’m sure mine serves me as well as yours serves you.
Thanks Steve.
Sorry GSD, I did remove one offensive post this morning. It was nearly two. Please all continue to make your points respectfully. Thanks.
Martin and Louise once again laid on the sausage and chips
I prefer sauce on mine.
On a positive note, I’ve finally managed to get a ticket for the final.
Still on sale to members on the official site if anyone else is missing one?
I did say please though GSD !? Apologies for any offence caused, especially after you kindly offered me an early morning tipple. A bit over the top by me on reflection and I think just a bit of consternation at what the hell is actually going on at AFC. Up the arse (our club…not my, your’s or anybody’s b*m hole).
Hi all. There seems to be a lot of Cup Final tickets available still. Some upper tier sections still green, most still yellow. Log in with membership number and go to match tickets.
Not sure what level of membership can buy today though but looks good for going quite low.
Sc.
No worries. And I completely get the (thoroughly appropriate) consternation The point I was trying to make before H’s cleanup re-jigged the numbers was that this whole situation is so fraught and we are all so emotionally involved and keyed up by everything that is going on at the club that it is easy for us to overstate things or only see things one way (whichever way that may be). The lack of clarity increases speculation and we all go a bit nuts searching for something solid to hold on to. In this vacuum we rely more on our opinions, or put huge weight on news or comments that otherwise we would think little of.
This whole thing is a mess. I’ll be really glad when we hear what’s going on.
On a positive note…
Steve. Get in!
Excellent report Holic. This was indeed a better game than I expected and we beat Everton comfortably with ten men for most of the game. Apparently no Premier League game has been won by two goals when a team played for this long with ten men.
I’m still unhappy about an awful performance by Oliver but there is no way that any credible referee could overlook Koscielny’s awful tackle. It could have ended Valencia’s career, not that he has had much of one! He really did seem to give much more latitude to Everton.
Apparently Mustafi has a serious concussion and is doubtful for Saturday. On a more positive note my ticket arrived today. I’m 8-1-2 on Arsenal Cup Finals that I’ve seen at Wembley and Cardiff. Let’s hope it’s 9-1-2 on Saturday.
Nice one maestro.
The double standards of referees is appalling. There’s no doubt in my mind that that was a red for Kos (what was he thinking?) but the lack of a second yellow being given to Williams on TWO occasions and to Schneiderlin on one occasion defies any belief in objectivity, equality and fairness. I’m very disappointed in Oliver who I believed was better than the rest.
On the other hand the performance of the 10 men made me proud to be a Gooner.
COYRs.
#11
Tickets are still at platinum/gold level.
If they go to Silver I am in like Flynn….but I know they won’t 🙁
Good and fair report, Holic.
I would echo exactly what Bath said @14.
“You don’t know what you’re doing !”, was another chant heard more than once yesterday and clearly directed at Michael Oliver.
The inconsistency of practically every referee at the Emirates, so consistently works to our huge disadvantage, that you begin to worry that they all know EXACTLY what they’re doing.
I know Steve T disagrees, and we will have to agree to disagree for once. That performance by Oliver yesterday was a shocker from someone who is probably considered to be the county’s top official.
To be clear, it was easy to see how Koscielny could be awarded his red card for a crazy challenge in the circumstances. Valencia, however, suffered no injury at all and a monent’s hesitation could have allowed him a Wembley appearance. He is not, aftef all, known as a dirty player.
What a wonderful analysis. A day that felt hollow but the goal and the build up to it by Mesut made up the day.
No Wenger at the lap of honor and he saying he wanted the players to enjoy it, read in whatever way but it could just may also mean the last time we see him at the emirates. Now thats a lump in my throat as i type.
He very well maybe here next season and take the team to the remote places in europe but that is for another day.
Kroenke out as well did not make any sense. What do people expect of him? he is a businessman and Arsenal is his gold mine. He wont sell or leave until and unless it is an extraordinary offer.
We are scrambling at the back for the finals and the sheer thought of having Per against Hazard in the finals, makes me shiver. We really have a limited chance of winning the finals but Kos and Gabriel have made sure it is even more remote. Alexis hopefully is fit and heard Ox is in training so we just will have to score more than the chavs to have a hope, we aint defending a goal for sure.
Finally, the season ends and we ended up as the perennial underachievers. 5th is what we deserved and ended up with and if at all there is accountability at the club, the manager and the majority of the players are due. We need a revamp and we need fighters who are proud to play for us and only us. Thank you holics for a wonderful season and let the prayers, wishes and a lot many more be when we play this saturday.
do you need to bleed Arsenal
to play yer heart out ?
can you be a mercenary cunt
smiling at yer wallet ?
do you need to bleed Arsenal
to own us ?
.
i for one have fuck all interest
in how the results are achieved
of course it’s heartening to see
someone kiss the shirt after a goal
and actually believe the fucker
or
see the suits in the stands
jumping around like loons
it still is a job , though
an overpaid big girl’s blouse riddled job
dependant on ego management and flannel
but
i wouldn’t care a jot if
a few sociopaths
pulled on the jersey
or paid the wages
and took us back where we belong
.
UP THE ARSENAL
Nice one cba.
I’ll repeat a point from yesterday’s drinks.
If two club contrive an event in the course of a match, to take place at a pre-determined time, that is match fixing regardless of whether or not money was staked. If clubs are allowed to do this without punishment, the integrity of the game is shot.
I’m surprised there hasn’t been more fuss made of this. Both clubs should be hammered, yet the Premier League is said to be “relaxed” about it.
Joey Barton should take the FA to court over his ban if even one bet was placed on that outcome (and there was, as well as one Chelsea fan site apparently knowing all about it beforehand. Or emplying Mystic Meg to do their Twitter)
cheers c100
but i’m sure gazing back
misty eyed
with talk of heritage and
ye can’t buy class
will surface
we are classy
we have great heritage
a jolt in the arm will not take that away
.
( i’m going nowhere and i’m very classy )
no
NOOOO
please
don’t titter
NO !!!!!
I will be truly honest Cynic. I’m more concerned with events at our gaff rather than some nothing game at the bus stop.
Hi Trev. I have nothing against giving an official some stick if he’s had a shocker. I’m just bored with the constant criticism of officials when we have a game littered with cheats and where we refuse to use the technology available. There are those that are blaming officials 3 days before kick off. I’ve still not seen any of the game so a bit difficult to make a call on his performance on Sunday.
Today I secured a ticket for the final. It has cost £45. This was the same day I received my season ticket renewal e mail. Now I sit in one of the cheaper areas of the stadium. My ticket for the home game against Chelsea would have cost £65. Just to save some of you taking your socks off, that’s £20 cheaper to watch the same two sides in an FA Cup Final than in block 4 at The Grove!!! Perhaps Stanley and his bunch of Merry Geriatrics should take some note of that? I won’t be holding my breath.
We haven’t sold all our Cup Final tickets . Is that a sign of apathy, disillusion, pessimism about the result, a sign of how small the FA Cup is now or a combination?
I queued for hours to get tickets for semis and Final replays in the past, standing at the old Wembley and thrilled to be there. The magic is fading and I think until we have some real sign of change rather than this contrived , protracted artifice that the decision on Wenger is still to be made it won’t change.
It’s a pity because yesterday we played well but the other results especially the Totts show we have slipped out of the elite of English football and as a result won’t rub shoulders with the European elite.
I just get the feeling that we are being played by the board, the owner and Wenger himself. Not the ideal preparation for what used to be a big game.
One more thing to answer CBA.
I’ve been asked by Oangloss in the past about who I wanted as an Arsenal owner and I joked a richer version of a David Dein. There is a difference between someone who hasn’t supported a team before but on buying into the club devotes himself to making that club as successful as it possibly can be- Abramovich- and someone who runs a sporting franchise ( Abramovich sees Chelsea as an obsession not a franchise) that aims to maximise profits. Success is only important because it generates profit not because it is the dream of every fan who supports a club.
We have the latter but crave the former as long as the owner won’t drag the club down in reputational terms. Until we get that change ( and let’s face it we may never see it) the club won’t win the Premier League again. That’s why the sort of owner is vitally important. Old – timers like me and Holic ( if I may be so rude) want to win the Cup with Big Ears before we shuffle off. At this rate we may not play in it again for some time.
i don’t disagree m’lud
with what i think is your gist
but ‘holic has but a few short years on me
so
(if i may not give a monkey’s about rudeness )
i am also an old timer
and take it as a personal offence
not to be tarred with the same old fogey brush
yer slopping around there
?
anyhoo
shortarse no.2 has finished pre-chewing my supper
so
cheerio
and god bless all here
and
UP THE ARSENAL
Reports just coming through about a serious incident,a large explosion apparently,at a pop concert in Manchester.
Area is in complete lockdown.
God forbid it is a suicide bomber.
Still getting over the shock of IF saying I am ‘innocent’ at the end of the last drinks. Of what I’m too timid to back-read lest I have to disagree with him as I usually do. One day I will have to risk meeting this Kiwi and having an Emerson Bookbinder or three with him.
As for Oliver I believe he was as generous to offenders as he genuinely could be, allowing borderline incidents the benefit of the doubt all game. The Kos tackle wasn’t borderline and had to be red. After which many refs might have been looking for an opportunity to ‘balance up’ by second-yellowing a Toffee, but Oliver continued to evaluate each incident on its merits. Credit to him I say.
Given the loss of Kos and probably Gab in defence the obvious thing to do next weekend is revert to 4 at the back. Otherwise Hazard and Costa will have a field day.
And I’m not just saying that so we get to see Theo again. Theo who has no place in 3.4.3. but can score goals of which we may need many.
Or maybe I am saying it cos of that! 🙂
I agree we have done well enough since switching to 3 at the back, but that has been more coincidence than anything. We’ve struggled to score goals most of the time against some very ordinary opposition, and were outclassed by the only good side we’ve played recently. And we face an even better side next week. Counter-attacking has to be our game, and we need our quickest players up front for that.
Arsenal have begun discussions to sign KAS Eupen striker Henry Onyekuru
Another one to go off on loan for the next three or four years before leaving.
19 dead and scores injured in Manchester Concert bomb attack.
Nowhere is safe.
Waking up to more horrible news. The initial thoughts would seem to be that your worst fears @28 Clive are sadly true. In a place full of kids?? There are some serious scum that inhabit this planet. Thoughts and prayers go out to all involved.
Stay Calm and Carry On
The all world is with you
FAC tickets now ‘sold out’ on website.
Still it’s only football.
Thoughts are with the people of Manchester.
@31. Cynic, if he can outdo Sanogo who are we to criticise? 😉
No words for these ISIS animals.
Their only aim is to kill.
They don’t even know who.
More lives taken in an instant by a bomb.
Others will exit their ruined lives much more slowly.
Utter scum.
Congratulations to the jihadists on the murder and maiming of little children and teenage girls. That advances their cause enormously.
Utter Cunts
CBA
Don’t worry you’re an old git too! First flush of youth has taken us around the U- Bend.
Real Madrid sign a 16 year old
Who will stay with his current club, Flamengo, until 2019
The fee?
A mere £38m
Like you, I have Spurs supporting mates. I enjoyed this email exchange with one of them
(My mate) Thought you’d like this one, sent from one of my Arsenal mates… Diggers been at White Hart Lane for nearly a week now still can’t find any silver- ware…Tony COYS…
(Me) I heard the diggers were there because daniel levy dropped a pound!
(My mate) I heard daniel levy really did drop a pound coin, it was in the shed at the bridge and even he wouldn’t bend down to pick it up …COYS
Sorry shouldn’t have left the last bit on – is it in your powers to delete all after the last COYS Holic?
If necessary just delete whole thing.
when will they learn to live in peace?
Allardyce quote upon resigning as manager of Crystal Palace:
“”I want to be able to savour life while I am still relatively young, and when I am still relatively healthy enough to do all the things I want to do, like travel, spend more time with my family and grandchildren without the huge pressure that comes with being a football manager.”
I ask you, who is more sane, Allardyce or Wenger?
Naughty question, bt8!
Better question: Is either sane?
Holic – congratulations and thank you for another fine seasons blogging.
Between yourself and Arseblog I have been kept up to date and well informed. Very enjoyable read all season long.
Just wanted to let you know your efforts are appreciated here on the dark side of the globe.
I will be in England for the whole month of June – please let me know if you are anwhere near LONDON – I’d really like to buy you a drink.
Going to Sydney in July – long weekend – Arsenal v Western Sydney Wanderers — A glamour tie indeed.
I wonder how many current first team players will be in that line up?
Hoping for a shock win at the weekend – no doubt security will be tight after the latest outrage. If you are going fellow gooners stay safe (take a tank). You should be safe enough – children and teenage girls seem to be the targets of choice – the filthy murdering bastards. Anyway……
Going to try to get to Ireland as well – if I see a bloke with an amourlite in one hand and an udder in the other I’ll buy him a drink too.
Up the Arse.
Goodbye Fat Samuel
No longer to chew your cud
Agricultures loss
Fat Sam will become a seasonal worker, just doing January to May rescuing clubs in relegation danger.
50 up. Raises bat. Touches peak of cap in acknowledgement of the appreciative crowd.
I just had a daymare (?). Fat Sam to replace AW – I wonder what the black bag brigade would make of that?
I’ve still got some programme vouchers from 1969 – would they count towards a ticket for the weekend?
UTA.
So Sanchez is a doubt for the final… Yeah, right. If he was Stumpy MacLegsgone he’d still be in the team.
Thank you Holic. Careless of me.
Well my spies tell me that the likelihood is that Sanchez and Bellerin are on their way out of the club but Ozil may remain because of lack of demand. Pray tell me Gazidis/ Wenger how this situation differs from the early years at the new stadium when we lost Henry/ Fabregas / Nasri/ RVP/ Adebayor/ Cole etc?
Compare this with the number of players the Totts will lose this close season while funding a stadium that costs twice as much and paying their star players significantly less than we are. Can someone explain what the difference is?
Back to Square One again.
We should NOT give Ozil a new contract, we should let it run down and let him go for nothing, if nobody else wants him.
FA Cup final screening at the Emirates cancelled and, if we win, Sunday parade cancelled as well. Both due to security situation and other priorities for police/armed forces.
I’m now hearing the mega contract offer to Sanchez is effectively for a year as he ( like Henry) can be paid more and have the option to leave at the end of his contract. It won’t cost Arsenal too much because they can ask more money for him at the end of next season. But I hear he likes Bayern
Alexis is going to Bayern…or PSG.
If he doesn’t play in the final.. that’ll be the confirmation.
Hoping otherwise of course.
He will play in the Final. Why leave him out if he’s fit?
What an awful game in Stockholm. United are far too strong but have played like Wimbledon. Ajax would struggle to get into the Premier League
Ajax have been bloody awful. Pass pass pass pass pass pass pass pass – it’s like watching… us.
TTG@54. Someone might think from your post that we are not that well run after all? Who would have thought that? Some have been making that particular observation for several years now. For some of us it’s been so predictable.
I will be amazed if Sanchez is still here next year. Hector might have had the DNA phone call and all of a sudden feels a bit homesick
5 Prem teams in next seasons champions league. With our progressive management that should prove no stumbling block to ensuring that top class talent is brought into the club?????
Sorry nurse, what was that? Oh, time for my medication?
I for one fear the summer. Unless we have all been had over by the club and the manager situation was sorted months ago then that remains a total shambles. The whole football world knows that Arsene is out of contract this year. If he is going then who on earth do we bring in? If he’s staying then why have we not made an announcement?
Still, it’s cup Final week. Let’s try and enjoy it.
While it’s nice to win trophies I am yet to be convinced that players wouldn’t prefer the fattest salary they can get (see Ibra at Manure). Usually, of course, they go together.
Problem is we offer neither.
But still hoping for a miracle to wrap up the season… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2a0bDUrec4
Money talks, Steve. Man Utd haven’t had problems getting the players they want, despite being out of the CL, so all we have to do is open the wallet and stop spending £35m on average/poor players and we’ll be fine.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
*ahem*
@63. The problem is, Cynic, £35m would appear to be the new £10m
Not sure where Evonne Goolagong stands on same-sex marriage but in light of Margaret Court’s comments against the same, and the public uproar against Court, as seen in the BBC website today:
“Margaret Court Arena: Name to remain despite ex-player’s same-sex views”
Why not rename the f&cking arena after Goolagong?
Is it because of the anti-aboriginal views held by a large segment of the Australian public?
Oooh Aaah Ray Parlour.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39846711
Yvonne Goolagong is dead so they could name it after her without fear of upset.
Alexis will leave, this summer or the next but will. A few here seem to be of the opinion that Mesut can too but i beg to differ. I still think he is sheer class and that statement of he goes missing too often is nowhere close to the truth. I can pretty much bet that every game he would have created a chance atleast and even if half were converted, everyone will be singing his praises. Never mind.
Hector if he does want to leave to barca, can work if we get a player in return, even a sergio roberto would do.
On to Wembley and with a make shift defense having the great Per Mertesacker in it, i am sincerely started my prayers and increased it many folds, afterall we do believe in miracles. Seriously, if we need to win, we need to score first, hope we defend decent and then hit them on the counter for the second. If they score first, then it could be a long night.
Lastly, Arsene leaving or staying? it has gone on too long and although all indications are he will stay, this unplanned way of dealing these things has left the board red faced again. If he does leave, i sincerely hope he goes on a high by winning the FA cup and going as its most successful manager ever.
What is past is preview.
?
That pseudo- intellectual prat Myles Palmer apparently thinks Chelsea will win 6-1 on Saturday. Or it might be 3-0. Thanks Myles fortunately you know fuck- all.
After all he was the guy who the day before was extolling the virtues of an Ajax team that couldn’t play its way out of a paper bag. Surely no more lightweight team has ever played a major European final. But their centre half Sanchez ? was quality.
Steve T- yes I think we might have made the odd cock- up behind the scenes at our club from say 2004 to the present day. I think I a lot of us are torn between real pessimism for the future of our great club and the underlying love and loyalty we have for a team just about to play its third FA Cup Final in four years. But I have to say Ive never been less excited about a final. Maybe that’s a good sign!?
A sort of preview – part one. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I’m an old curmudgeon who knows nothing. We murdered them??