The Final Countdown
Apr 21st, 2018 by 'holic
For the second consecutive night I sit at the keyboard rather later than I normally would with a very large glass of malt. Notionally this is a preview of a match at home to West Ham United. For once I won’t speculate on what the team will be four days before the first-leg of the Europa League semi-final. Arsene has said he will use the match as a warm-up for that match. I wonder.
Whatever the line-up it will hopefully be a group of players motivated to send Arsene Wenger out on a high over the closing weeks of the season. Yesterday’s announcement should completely change the atmosphere in the ground, and seats left empty in recent matches will almost certainly be occupied again. I am trying to locate a ticket to the final home match versus Burnley for a friend in the USA but they are as rare as rocking horse droppings after yesterday’s announcement.
It’s going to be an emotional early afternoon at the Grove as those in the stadium Arsene persuaded the board to build begin the proper Arsenal farewell for our manager. That farewell will be over seven, or hopefully eight, matches and could end up with his first European trophy in Lyon come May.
The visitors are six points clear of the drop zone so probably safe, but they will be battling for every point until that is mathematically certain. Their manager, David Moyes, was pretty clear that he was expecting a less-motivated opponent when paying tribute to his opposite number.
“Real football people appreciate what he’s done. He is a proper football man, he lives and breathes it, he’s dedicated to his job and his sport. I’d probably wish it hadn’t been announced before this weekend but most people appreciate Arsene and what he has done in football.”
The ‘holic pound
If ever there was a match to be determined by the heart rather than the head it is this one. Although we are short of creative midfielders I could see the improving Alex Iwobi and Reiss Nelson partnering Mesut Ozil in midfield and a determined team, backed by a raucous home support, put on a show. I’m splitting the pound between 5-0 and 5-1 to the Gunners, both at 45/1. I’m an old romantic, ain’t I!
The Second Friday Arsecast
Thank you to all who have sent kind comments on social media in the last 24 hours after the unique second Friday Arsecast was put out last night. Click on that link if you haven’t heard it. I would also like to thank Blogs for the invitation to chew the fat with Andrew Allen and Jim, the man from East Lower. It was like old times and very cathartic. Arsene’s arrival at Highbury predates the era of blogs so he is all we have ever written about. Next season will be very different, for sure.
112 Responses to “The Final Countdown”
Still in a daze myself.
Thanks once again for capturing the general feeling in beautiful words, ‘H.
5-0 to the Arse it is.
Come on you rip roaring reds!
DM@128 from previous
What I wouldn’t give for that exact scenario to play out. Would pay good money for that level of entertainment.
I just wonder now AW is out of the way, who will be the next target for execration? Surely, someone has to fill that void?
Looking forward to the last three home games under AW. Countryman junior has known nothing else and is 19 tomorrow. Here’s to a rip roaring end to the season.
Oh. I almost forgot. Let’s all laugh at Tottenham!
Hope you’re right with the easy win, ‘holic.
I’ve plumped for 3-1, at a more modest 11/1.
‘holic knows
Great preview H.
Unfortunately 1.30 on a Sunday rarely works for me.
I hope that from when the first pint is pulled in the Tolly to the last, that the managers name is sung loud and proud. I hope that in between is sandwiched a resounding victory with a performance to match.
Enjoy boys and girls.
Cba. The Clash are the bollocks. End of
SG – Gazidis and the Kroenkes, obviously.
H – I was going to drop you a line about the Arsecast appearance, but as you’ve mentioned it I’ll do it here.
You were rubbish, mate
😉
Cheers H!
It feels like our season which was wallowing in apathy has been given a couple of injections of adrenaline and emotion. I fully expect Arsene’s name to be sung to the rafters throughout the game but I think if we did get a decent lead we’d ease off so I will 3-1 to North London’s finest
Hoping we will be ruthless TTG. Stupid aren’t I?
Yo Esso!
Hehe Cynic. I know! ?
Holic
Who knows tomorrow might be a special day !
As much as I’ve called for change and still feel it’s for the best (for all concerned) once it was confirmed he was leaving was always going to be bitter sweet.
The man is a legend and deserves massive respect. Respect that’s been sadly lacking. Not least from some supporters hacks and pundits. Who now are spouting vacuous hollow plaudits.
I fucking hope we stuff West ham tomorrow and Atleti Thursday and if the announcement is the motivation the players need then that shows they’ve been letting him down all season.
As for the Torts. The media love in clearly knows no bounds as yet another empty potless season is clearly progress for these gutless chancers because they had a few games during the season and beat Real Madrid when it didn’t Real ly matter.
Re: Solid Gooner @2. After Arsene’s announcement maybe it is time to exorcise the whole cannibalistic charade by getting right behind the team and not having a target for execration next season? Wishful thinking, perhaps, but worth mentioning in my opinion.
and then there was…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdkFG2h9T9E
Nice one, Holic.
5-1 would be a fine start to the send off.
As Dexter said, if they suddenly turn it on now it will not reflect well on the season’s earlier efforts.
Fine preview H. Sincerely hope your punt comes home but I expect us to ease off and like TTG, think 3-1 is the most likely result. I can’t see us pushing ourselves too hard before the SF.
In any case I hope the boss gets the praise from the crowd and the response from the players that he thoroughly deserves.
COYG
5-0, 5-1? Problem is we could be well on the way to it by half-time, ‘holic, but then anyone involved against Atleti will be withdrawn and we get a blank second 45. I’ll go for a conservative 4-0.
It’s 45-1 for a reason, Guv’nor. But I hope you land it. You deserve a bottle of something special for you last two posts.
BtM in the last drinks.
?
Noooooooooo
Thanks Guvna, hope you’re
right on the money with the
forecast.
Haha Bath re your Wagner (last drinks), or, as Thurber put it … https://jimsworldandwelcometoit.com/2012/12/07/thurbers-cartoons/#jp-carousel-2167
I could respond with the 1812 Overture and cannons, but your fat lady has already sung so it must be over.
Re Trev’s and others’ dog/s in last drinks, the current craze for putting any dog with any other and calling it a breed – chihualsation, or pomeranian mountain dog, or whatever – is plain daft, not to mention madder than Nazi eugenics as far as canine health goes.
For the record my own Mad Max is part toy poodle, part maltese, but mostly capuchin monkey.
A nice piece in the grauniad by Alex Clark
with the cracking ending of
Arsene – he came, he didn’t see the
incident, he conquered
The grauniad, Matt? Not the legephart or the lilymaid?
Okay, there’s an ‘a’ missing in the above… 🙁
the fail is beyond the pale,
and the torygraph annoyingly
charges for some articles and
I’m just too stingy to pay Chris
5-1, a nice day out in the sun, a good pizza and the advent of the Big Bren era to chew over. I’m looking forward to it!
Shine on Brightly, Arsene Wenger.
Thank you Holic. So many of us have identified with your previous piece…probably the best thing I have read here so far. One sentence that finished me off: A 61 year old man weeping at the end for someone he met once, at the edge of the pitch after that Highbury farewell, for a fleeting handshake.
After reading this, I had a strong desire to hug you Guvna and all of you holics. Emotional stuff.
Some lovely Spursy stuff on here, particularly the “celebration” cake.
https://www.facebook.com/afcbanter
“then the Big Bren era to chew
over” surely gag over is the
phrase.
still if he’s chosen I think he
should be given a fair crack
of the whip.
And then 15-20 more.
? the cake
and steve 6
i’m glad we agree
the clash are indeed bollocks
?
Someone pinching you headlines, ‘Holic?
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/480/cpsprodpb/A9A4/production/_100982434_arsenal_programme_reuters.jpg
Laca starts as does Osp in goal.
Aaron at AM maybe.
Osp doesn’t fill me with confidence
for when they inevitably bring
Carroll on and punt long balls
at us. Course we can get around
that by being 4-0 up at half-time.
Got my emotions all mixed up today.
Can’t even remember how to spell my name.
West Ham have created a lot of chances and we are lucky to not have conceded. COYG.
hmmmmmm
THis isn’t even schoolboy defending. Getting caught by every long pass.
West Ham have seen how effective Newcastle were with the long ball behind the defence and are replicating that with some success.
I hope the new man has plenty of money to spend
Oh deary me, I thought that with Wenger leaving it would galvanise this lot, must be made of lead and not zinc 🙁
It’s the way the players are set up. If you play kamikaze high lines you need 4 Grain Bolts in defence!
Usain ffs 🙂
Elneny appears to be injured and will be replaced. Looks like a serious injury as he is being stretchered off. Why are we not resting Ramsey, Laca etc., and playing the likes of Auba. No point in getting our leading players injured before a season defining game.
Couldn’t honestly say we’ve looked
very galvanized 1st half.
Shame for Mo and I hope it’s not
too bad.
I hope it’s not too bad for us 2nd
half either.
6 goals in the 2nd half coming up then!!
Stoke doing us a favour against our league rivals Burnley! 🙂
ksn,
I wondered about Ramsey playing
too. AW said Laca needs game time
before the match so i was expecting
him instead of Auba.
If this team has shown anything this season it’s that they can go from shite to great (and vice versa) from one match to another.
Get in Nacho !!!
Nacho – he scores when he wants
Auba could have played instead of Welbeck, OM. Keep as many players fresh and away from injury as possible when we have a huge game coming up. Must get two of Ramsey, Laca and Welbeck off right away.
Dexter you were sayin’? ?
Iwobi off for Auba. Wenger will keep surprising till his last game?
It’s a fair point on Welbeck and
Aaron ksn.
Looks like Auba to come on now.
haha but Iwobi off
anyway, let’s win this one Auba
Surprised at the number of empty seats. Couldn’t really tell how many there were until the sun dipped a bit, but there’s scores of them.
That’s a decent save by the nation’s least favourite shampoo salesman.
Like most of our opposition keepers, even Hart has a great game
The ref is free with his cards to Arsenal players and clearly favours West Ham.
Ramsey!!
cunning stuff !!
nice to see someone else’s
defence cocking it right up
for a change
best not talk too soon I
suppose
Aubade fooled the West Ham defence by drawing Hart away but leaving the ball which just slid into the goal.
Laca!!!! 3-1.
Laca !!
Almost 6!
Now we know what Laca can do in the last 10 minutes of a game. 😉
Get in. One more for the Holic pls
Last five minutes we have moved the ball really well and dominated West Ham.
Finally a card for a West Ham player.
Welbeck taken off at last. Chambers.on.
Laca makes it 4-1.
Laca is just a great finisher.
@60, who the fuck is Aubade. Auba, of course.
This was the cunning plan all along.
Xhaka, win one for the ‘holic!
Not sure that miss will move
Xhaka up the Guvnor’s all time
favourite player list.
But the last 10 minutes turned it
into a good day for everyone
🙂
We looked classy in the last fifteen minutes after going missing for the first hour. The equaliser woke them up.
Four points on Burnley who drew with Stoke.
Dexter@48: Perhaps that should be within one match.
Weird game that. Showed exactly why we’re well off the pace in the league with poor defending, slow build up play and not making any chances and somehow won 4-1.
OM@71: Spot on.
ksn,
I must admit I was surprised
with the sub but credit to AW
– bringing Auba on for Iwobi
worked well.
And 2 goals for Laca – a gamble
that might have worked if his
tails up after that.
OM, West Ham were trying to get a goal and their defence looked all over the place towards the end and Auba made all the difference with his pace and team play. Laca showed what a good finisher he is and after being hooked after 70 mins through the season he showed what he is capable of against a tiring defence. In hindsight it was good that Ramsey and Laca were not subbed off.
Indeed Ned!
I hope Giroud wins another FA cup winners medal. Well provided we win the EL that is. I’m not that magnanimous.
A Manure / Chav final would be
a toughie Dexter, I despise both.
I hope Giroud makes the World
Cup squad though.
Also, it feels stranger seeing OG
in a Chav shirt than it does Sanchez
playing for Manure or even Cesc
playing for the Chavs come to
that.
I don’t mind the shave under Conte and they’ve got more of a chance of beating Mourinhos Manu than Southampton (managed by another twat!).
I don’t get why we sold Olivier to them n never will mind. Stupid decision.
Chavs not shave!
Have to support the chavs against Moaninho.. because of Giroud on general principle alone..
😀
No brainer imo!
“you wouldn’t let it lie”
“you wouldn’t let it lie”
?
.
.
http://louderthanwar.com/a-riot-of-our-own-a-symposium-on-the-clash-belfast-university-celebrates-that-iconic-cancelled-1977-clash-gig-in-belfast-with-conference/
.
.
a symposium
reee fuckin diculous
.
look at the fake blank generation stares
on these posey fuckin clothes horses
daisies clearly couldn’t beat snow off a rope
.
.
.
“sten guns in knightsbridge ? ”
har de fuckin har har
.
.
fake bluster
fake rage
fake politics
real expensive clothes
.
.
.
apart from that
i have no opinion on the matter
.
and
sorry holic the pound nearly made it
?
but fuck it , eh ???????
UP THE ARSENAL
I grew up in South London and
have an abiding hatred of the
Chavs – nothing wankers and
then a murdering…. best stop
there as I don’t want the guvvy
to have any problems.
We have scored 49 goals at home this season in the league so far, more it feels to me than most seasons. Does anyone know how many times we have bettered that total since the Premier League started?
and
I’ll give you
stiff little fingers songs were written
by a DAILY EXPRESS journalist
for free
oh
they were shouty and political too
.
tabloid tripe like
see above
.
.
*chuckles the chuckle of the righteous*
I’ve returned from the match gutted that that selfish bastard Lacazette ruined my prediction of a 3-1.?
Can’t get everything right . Nor could Arsenal in the first half but had we started Aubameyang and Lacazette and left Iwobi on the bench this would have been much easier.
We defended very shakily in the first half, a long ball brings meltdown as far as Mustafi is concerned but it is noticeable how Koscielny has lost pace. Bellerin also gifted them possession for their goal and generally there wasn’t an incredibly warm atmosphere with lots of vacant seats at kickoff although many filled up afterwards, except in Club Level.
I think there is a general wish for Arsene to be accorded affection and respect , certainly round about where I sit. This is slightly offset by the incomprehension about our lack of defensive nous. This really is a very vulnerable side when they are being attacked and in the first half the passing was too slow and predictable going forward.
Nevertheless I thought there were good performances. Xhaka was disciplined and usually used the ball well. Welbeck worked very hard and created problems and would create major difficulties if he played against our back four. Ramsey wasn’t always successful with some of his ideas but created something different and when Lacazette and Aubameyang were on together we upped the pace of our counter- attacks and left them reeling. Neither Holic or I came in on our predictions. They split the difference but it was a game of two halves of the second half and if we picked a different team we might have easily exceeded Holic’s prediction of five.
I won’t be there on Thursday so have only one more chance to see Arsene in the dugout. I hope he enjoys the time he has left.
I just twigged it.
cba is John Lydon.
*stirs the punk pot of the just*
Cue Ned and the Monks!
Lovely day in the sun at the Emirates today, lots of singing, no moaning even when we were pretty crap in the first half and a Grandstand finish when it looked like every time we attacked we would score. Laca and Auba look the dogs when they are playing together and if the new man picks them together, with Ozil and Mikhi they’ll get 20+ each.
Lots of Spud baiting – which was fun.
You’ve won fuck all again
You’ve won fuck all again
Tottenham Hotspur
You’ve won fuck all again!
*flicks the snot of green at cynic*
*parks nonsense – proper gooner in*
Cheers, I’m starving.*ducks*
How’s Elneny by the way, any news?
post of the decade
?
96 that was
97 was
SHITE
Elneny is great!
ready to kick Cholo in the nuts
yeah
C100@93 & Devon Stu@88, In 2004-05, we scored 54 home league goals, and conceded 19. So similar to this season (48-20).The big difference was away form. In 2004-05, 33 scored away and 17 conceded. This season 17 scored and 26 conceded.
We have conceded 4 more goals than Newcastle, and 14 more than Burnley.
full o’ diegos that bunch
diego dis
diego dat
actually Elneny is not dat good
maybe for Madrid then….
TTG@90, me too, Lac set up and then ruined an 11/1 poke.
Fortunately my 3 horse and 4 footie match accumulator clicked, so there will be beer again tomorrw!
Well done Dorset Mick, Im glad Alexandre didn’t ruin your day . I had some of that beer stuff you mention earlier on . I could grow to like it ?
I was shown a new Tottenham version of Viagra
‘ For those who can’t get past a semi ! ‘
Still at Pappagone, HOLIC. Anywhere close? Bath’s round coming up. Get in while you can 🙂
Finally! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Apologies BtM. Couldn’t make today. Four matches in four weeks is too rich for my blood. I’ll be around on Thursday in the usual place. ??