“Justice Has Not Been Done Today, Not For The First Time”
Mar 5th, 2011 by 'holic
This is not a good blog to have to write, and not for the first time this week the best available side we have has frankly not played well enough in a big, big match. Of course it is not as simple as that. The best side we can put out at the moment does not include arguably our best defender, defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, winger, and striker.
It also has to be said, as at Newcastle, that as poor as we were the result of the match was determined by the officials. The referee, from Greater Manchester don’t you know, did not give about a blatant a penalty as you are likely to see when Bramble, having failed to pull Arshavin down by the sleeve, pushed the Russian to the floor as he shot. It is inconceivable that he didn’t see it. The non-award was compounded when Arshavin scored only to have the effort ruled out for a non-existent offside.
The title of this piece is a snippet from Arsene’s post match interview on the BBC. I tweeted in the aftermath that I really would like to believe the officials were just incompetent, and I’m sure that is all it was. However, the referee has already attracted controversy on more than one occasion in a very short space of time as a top flight official. Hopefully his bosses will realise that today shows he is simply not good enough to officiate at this level. The sight of him laughing and joking with his assistants at the final whistle was just sickening.
Perhaps also those who allocate officials might consider the wisdom of awarding a game of United’s closest challengers to a referee from on their doorstep. I’m not suggesting anything other than they have opened themselves up to unnecessary criticism with a piece of poor judgement. I’m sure the oaf in black didn’t set out to determine the outcome. He and his assistant undoubtedly did though.
That doesn’t excuse Arsenal for a performance with the handbrake most definitely on for an hour or more. I hate it when individuals are hung out to dry by those determined to find scapegoats, but even I have to confess a couple of those in red today were simply not up to the job on the day. No names, no pack drill, and I wish others would follow that course. Slating those with such an apparent lack of confidence doesn’t help anybody, least of all the players around them.
It wasn’t all negative, to be fair. Nasri showed once again how important he is to the side in the absence of the skipper, and I was surely not the only one surprised he wasn’t given the key central role from the off today? His close control and quick feet in and around the box are a massive asset. I was delighted to hear the commentator on my stream say he had heard the little fella is about to put pen to paper on a big new contract.
Bendtner too would have had a goal on another day. Mignolet’s remarkable save from his first-half volley was one of those stops that visiting ‘keepers seem to only make at the Grove. Chamakh once again added a different dimension when he appeared, although may look back on his header against the bar and consider the wisdom of heading the ball down in that position. It’s an easy game from a computer chair!
But the overwhelming emotion of the day is disappointment. Disappointment that we are once again dependent on someone else taking points off United. The title is no longer in our own hands. Disappointment that once again we were denied points by those charged with ensuring the contest is fair. Disappointment that players who have had an opportunity to step up to the plate, and justify the enormous faith shown in them by the manager, have simply not performed. Disappointment that we now go into a massive game in the Camp Nou with confidence somewhere below where it needs to be.
Two big tests follow. How many competitions will we still be in this time next week? It’s time to raise the bar boys, please.
222 Responses to ““Justice Has Not Been Done Today, Not For The First Time””
*Sigh*…. Drink please barman!
That can be taken as a request or a command 🙂
Still only 3 points off… Surley there’s still hope…
A beer please sir
credit to Szczesny and particularly Koscielny who did very well today.Sunderland were tricky opponents without having incompetent officials. Denilson and diaby frustrated the hell out of the supporters.Denilson never takes the handbrake off and diaby makes far too many bad decisions when in possession.
Chamakh’s movement gave us a different option but we lacked sharpness today.We need better quality in our back-up players
Straight to the point as always, Holic. I am gutted and want to drown it with a Jameson, please
It very rare that I use the word disgraceful but here it seems appropriate frankly. Appalling refereeing from the officials … it makes me sick to the stomach because this result could prevent us from lifting the title.
Yes we were poor but Man U grind out results all season and move on to the next match. Had the referee’s assistant not failed dismally with two crucial decisions then we would have got a hard earned win and we would just chalk this up as a difficult match and three valuable points earned.
Hopefully Arsene will use it to engender a siege mentality amongst the players and we will go on a run now. However, I fear I am clutching at straws. 🙁
At risk of stating the obvious, liverpool better show up tomorrow. 3 points for united and we could be finished
Wenger blames everyone but his players – perhaps if we took our chances we wouldnt be talking about refereeing decisions. Wait for our season to implode – in two weeks time it will all be over for another year and more excuses for the perpetual whiner. Its predictable – we win nothing – great financial results in the summer – no experienced defenders or strikers signed – fans frustration is voiced and ignored – seasons starts and ends with Arsenal winning f**k all and the process starts over again with Wenger offered another bumper deal for failing once again to win anything – does this sound familar ?
Sorry to be pessimistic but we managed to b–lls it up on the easiest run in last season like the debacle at Wigan and we will do it again.
Hypothetically tho’ lets just surmise that we won today and Utd lost at Anfield and we won our game in hand. That would put us 2 points clear only for Utd to take all 3 points at the Emirates and leave us with bugger all again this season.
We will go out on Tuesday and next Saturday of that I am sure. Who remembers the battling 2nd leg against Sampdoria in the Europen Cup Winners Cup? We could do with a bit of that.
Also we have too many first teamers who are injury prone so we never get the right consistency when it matters.
Going for a McCallan! Gob Bless Holic.
Rawsy
Bendtner and Chamakh are NOT players i would want for a championship push when a goal is desperately needed neither are Arshavin, Diaby and Denilson – all were useless today and simply have to go in the summer. I see no hope for Arsenal and no change in Wengers approach – i would bet my life he does nothing in the summer except buy little boys. Arsenal are doomed to failure with him there.
Paulie, you are not a London gooner. Goodbye.
Well fair point but actually the ball is still in our court as if we won every game we would actually still win the premier league all be it on goal difference(if we b beat Manure 3-0)but you are missing the point!unfortunately you can blame every ref from now till end of season(as Fergie did midweek)but fact remains we just ARN’T good enough as repeated failures allure to……where we fell(or will fall)is that our 1st 11 can beat anyone but our 2nd string just isnt strong enough!Wenger had the chance to buy in January to enhance a charge on all fronts but instead opted to keep his hands in his pockets again…..then I hear him last week after the Carling cup defeat bemoaning injuries&tiredness…..isn’t that the very reason he should have bought?unfortunately I fear the same old same old….referees.injuries,suspensions,bad luck,blah blah blah…..fact is a league begging to be won with mediocre sides but not enough quality at the Arsenal to win it!Hate to say it but this time next week expect us to have only the EPL to win and that seems remote…upthegunners
I just need a drip line of Vodka. Well one for each arm. So frustrated my brain is boiling with heat of a 1000 suns. My Adonis D.N.A screams out through time at wrongs to be righted. The metaphysical wizards have somehow rendered two goals a 0-0 loss. Flip flop flip flop my head swings from shoulder to shoulder. Confusion is coming like blackness in the middle of a night after our sun star has long passed. So it is no longer in our hands the scepter has been torn from our fingers by villainous metaphysical wizards that do not use the common laws of gravity, sight, and momentum that has been laid out before us in our since age started. I do not know how to battle these Demons that can make 2=0, I cannot fathom it at all, and I am at a lost so once again mu Adonis DNA screams COME ON YOU ARSENAL.
….actually keep that may be enough for me got a spot of coffee.
Hi holic, i actually find it amusing that people are still shocked by such refereeing,which, if anything, has become commonplace in this league. you just have to look at every other game to find a refereeing howler, and mind you, we’re not the only ones who’re affected. still, its a point closer. Upwards and onwards.
I just wish we showed the same sense of urgency as we did in the first half. I am no Denilson hater, but he doesnt help his own cause. He just fails to provide either creativity or guile. I’d be very surprised if he isnt let go during the summer.
On the plus side, Arshavin is looking deadly and should have seen his efforts awarded but for the poor referee and his blind linesman.
Only the Irish have given me something to smile this week. So a pint of the dark stuff mate.
I still think we have the ability to beat united at home, but can i say the same for all our fixtures, i’m not too sure..
I recorded the game and will watch it tonight, but for now my only reaction is frustration, with our inability to score today, with the wave of injuries, and with the constant inept decisions by referees. Almost enough to keep me away. Almost.
I’ve ranted enough already. Anyone else wants to share a toast to our wonderful 20 year-old MOTM GK?
First round on me 😉
Hello PG. Jameson for me tonight. The only cure.
rd, I think you may well be right. Let’s hope we’re not.
Is Leon for real ?
I might agree with the Denilson arguement and I hope one day he turns it around. As for suggesting Arshavin was useless then the guy clearly did not see the game today.
I think you summed it up ‘holic in all aspects. However, while we shouldn’t rely on officials to be competent ( it does help enormously, of course ) we were pressed by a Sunderland side who just managed to keep the right side of physical despite them getting more free-kicks and benefits of doubt than they should have. That seemed to be a pattern from the off.
How did Wilshere and Nasri get booked when all they did was ask, not even remonstrate to the point of dissent, why certain decisions went Sunderlands way ?
We might have missed our absentees but the Mackems packed the defence and kept quite a high tempo for a lot of the game. Thank God we have a goalkeeper now or Welbeck could have been the last straw today.
I’d like Fergie to say how bad he thought Anthony Taylor and his cohorts were, I mean if he is to be consistant, he might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb !
I should have mentioned Szczesny’s save from Wellbeck, Matt. It was outstanding.
soulcricket they say creativity is born of adversity, and yours is one case apparently
Dont get frustrated soulcricket there will be many difficult days ahead with this manager and this squad.I have come to realize that Wenger is actually not capable anymore,sadly.When he took over he at Arsenal he was a breathe of fresh air,he got extremely lucky in the fact that he inherited an incredible force in the back five but these days he talks a lot but never delivers.Dont get me wrong Arsenal can perform but never for 9 months which it takes to deliver a championship,he doesnt give a fuck about the domestic cups and never have and never will no matter how what he says.
Fair comments Adam. I think Sunderland did what they had to do, so no criticism of them from me. They kept the ball well for long spells. We should have put more effort in to stop that.
Also, without wanting to sapm things here . . .
Wenger was very clever about how he phrased his answer to the BBC.
Before they played the clip the presenter said that Wenger was disgusted with the refereeing of the match . . . and I thought, ” Hmmm, that’s a little odd given what Fergie has just been charged with by the F.A. .
It turns out that Wenger *actually* said ” I am too disgusted to talk about it. ” meaning the penalty decision.
A very different comment. Tsk, tsk Auntie Beeb, you are better than that, aren’t you ?
* rolling eyes smiley *
Ah, Danish.
Being so cheerful really keeps you going, doesn’t it?
I obviously meant the sense of urgency in the first half as we showed in the 2nd.
Szczesny was great when called upon and Koscielny was fired up too. Arsenal FC does have great mental strength despite what haters would lead you to believe.
Totally forgot to mention szczesny!
this is a keeper who will win u the league, its funny how things happen, would u have anyone else in his place now?
@Adam this is the difference b/w le professuer and old red nose, wenger is way too smart, albeit he’s passionate enough to have the odd lapse of control
Holic, How many times do I have to see you write, we were not good enough BUT. There is no “BUT”, the fact is, we’re simply not good enough. Take away a couple of key players and we’re really average.
Arsenal will win the Premier League if they deserve to, irrespective of refereeing decisions, but it just doesn’t look like happening again.
Man Utd didn’t get many favours against Chelsea either, but did we take advantage, no!
James
take away the no. of key players we have out from any team in the world and they’d all be average
let’s accept that the officials are going to cost us…and more than likely also help us again before the end of the season.
Perhaps more encouragingly – starting with that win against Chelsea we’re now 11 unbeaten in the league…with 7 clean sheets during that spell.
10 league games left…stay unbeaten….win seven and we’ll still win this thing.
Thought…couldn’t Ramsey have come on for 20 instead of TR?
Anyway…this season is never over as we’ve seen,
People, a reminder. I will not allow posts that just abuse individuals, be they manager, players, or fellow ‘holics. Debate and reason is ok. Vitriol and pure garbage is not.
technically, the title is still in our hands. 3 points back and still to play the mancs. Beat them, and score ridiculous numbers of goals, and we win the league on goal differential at least
The bottom line for me today is that we played well enough to win, but were prevented from doing so by an officiating crew that were either biased or inept or overcompensating so they wouldn’t be labeled as homers. Ridiculous.
“That doesn’t excuse Arsenal for a performance with the handbrake most definitely on for an hour or more. I hate it when individuals are hung out to dry by those determined to find scapegoats, but even I have to confess a couple of those in red today were simply not up to the job on the day. No names, no pack drill, and I wish others would follow that course. Slating those with such an apparent lack of confidence doesn’t help anybody, least of all the players around them.”
Very true, all of it, ‘though I admit I am guilty of venting my frustration at two players on the arses after the match.
Unless this mishap will be considered too grave an offence, I’ll have whatever’s on tap, please mr. holic.
@ rd, yes, indeed, Wenger is way too smart more often than not and it is only cynical journalism and journalists that try to twist his words. I have lost count of the number of times I have been frustrated at the seeming deliberate and unintelligent reporting of his comments just to squeeze a story from nothing. Sadly these so called journalists often seem to win and that’s not helped by some of the hand-rubbing gurning goons on Match of the Day.
Wenger may not have helped himself by being a little ‘ blind ‘ or myopic to some of the incidents when he first took on the managership but his biggest crime was and still is, it seems, is being French.
I was merely pointing some of the above out. I kind of went off topic, sorry chaps !
I am really surprised the way people talk about George Graham era as if they were the heydays.
They played a different style and also, the offside rule was pretty stiff in those days. Its the post 2005 change that has bought a goal glut. Even Hansen and Adams would find it hard to snuff out attacking threats if they didnt have their fullbacks running forward.
Achievements are not just trophies – I count our training facility at London Colney, our scouting network and the Emirates Stadium as bigger things than a freaking carling cup. Not to mention the strong corporate governance that we can all be very proud of.
Szczesny (wellback) save was the best I have seen from him.
Four people wanted it bad today on the pitch for Arsenal but only one looked like he was willing to die trying. I think Szc saved our ass but Jack was a wiled eyed warrior in full battle array. I am not English and I often hate the anti-French sentiments about Arsenal from fans. I love skill, pace, fluidity, and Jack does that but he will also elbow you in the throat if you take out “one of his”. We need this. I think Jack is the most important player we have for These reasons.
1. We have a captian, but No Leader eagle eyed warrior with jaguar blood pumping through his viens yet (This could be Jack)
2. We have never recovered from the loss of Veria, Campbell helped a bit but Veria was the rock. We have no rock (Leadership Wise).
3. His vision is amazing
4. Cesc is leaving sooner or later
5. We have a captian we have no leader.
Holic does that include metaphysical wizards if so I aplogize.
Fine post holic’
I hope some of the faces turn up on tuesday night when we clearly need them in absence of the missing.
Here is to qualification on tuesday…
My fear, La, is that one of our ‘faces’ is played on Tuesday when he has every chance of aggravating his hamstring 🙁
I have to say I think we need a fit Cesc to win the title.
I didn’t see a lack of passion from anybody today, for what it is worth, but there are one or two – well actually just the one player who really seems to lack confidence.
I think this has dogged him all this season and the back end of last season. Maybe he could have gone out on loan if we hadn’t have been so short on cover – given the amount of niggling injuries we have had in that department. Maybe in the summer that will be an option for him.
The same might have been said for Arshavin if he wasn’t such a marquee signing, at least prior to his up-turn in January.
Now, through the power of the magic of the science of 6 degrees of seperation we can all affect how we support the team. So, if we start saying positive things about those players down in the dumps it will eventually filter through . . . even if it means slipping a note to Arsene Wengers table should you see him at your local restaurant.
On the subject of Arshavin I take no direct credit myself but I did say to some bloke down the pub, arounf New Year, who said he knew someone at the local market stall who sometimes talks to a man who lives in Avnell Road . . . that everyone loves Andrey, he just needs to put more effort in and he’ll be an Arsenal legend . . . and look what has happened not long after . . . I’m just saying, that’s all.
😀
. . .
We needed a fit Vermaelen to already have it wrapped up…
Arsenal got lucky today. Dominant away performance from the Black Cats, not helped by some dodgy decisions from a ref clearly biased towards the Gooners. Your keeper kept you in it at the end with a massive save from Welbeck. Lucky, lucky Arsenal as usual
am i the only one that is losing belief that we can lift any silverware this season? we just do not seem to have the mettle.
I think we need to listen to bergkamp and get some real quality on the firm, some experience for the boys who seem to need that mentoring.
I could go on all day but I need to get myself in the right mental attitude before turning on MOTD in a couple of hours.
I already gave the missus a slap.
Damn our lives are shiit!!!
Anyone got a gun and a bottle of whisky for me
Arsenal is now a mature team. We created more than enough chances to win the game and we did not forget the defence. We are still playing better than United even with our injured squad.
Counting the full number of points to the end of the season is not helpful. Everybody including Arsenal and Man United will drop points, and Man united will drop more us. For one simple reason, we are better than United this year.
I agree 100% with Wenger, it is very difficult to win games when your goals are disallowed.
There will be a break soon, and then we will have RVP and may be Wallcot and vaermalen back. I still believe it is our season.
Its not just a viera we miss, this title would be in the bag already if we still had Christopher wreh.
Pint of petrol please.
As mentioned…we really are not good enough. IF this squad was good enough they would be top of the league and easily 6+ points ahead. How many times…how many games have we been given the chance the put the leaders under pressure and come up short. We will only win it if we deserve it. We the fans, live in hope but winning the EPL is partly wishful thinking and partly relying on other teams to dropping points. When it matters we can not deliver. But I would love this squad to prove me wrong.
Arshavin was superb today. I don’t think we will win the league unfortunately but I also don’t think utd would with regular/long term injuries to vidic, shrek, nani, and….. I’ve run out of their good players, sorry..argument retracted.
`Thought overall it was not a poor performance, frustrating yes . A problem is not having a second choice attacking midfeilder that Wenger trusts to leave in that roll in the absence of Fab but then again who does…Man U and Chelsea have not one between them but their style of play does not call for it.Onwards and upwards with a 12 year old Bushmills please
holic, I have to first of all say that with uncanny regularity you mirror my first take on the team and referees almost all of the time.
but with regards to Nasri in the middle I have to disagree, at least on current form but perhaps overall. When left to his own devices in a team lacking Cesc, Theo, and RVP, Nasri largely takes it upon himself to skin every defender in front of him.
He did so today and as well late on against Orient on Wednesday. When he gets in dangerous positions his instinct is to try and do it alone rather than combine and pull the defense apart. He is magical with the ball at his feet, but unfortunately our players feel the same way and fall suspect as ball-watchers when he’s got it and the chance goes missing.
We were lazy from the off today and the writing was on the wall 2 minutes in when a certain dozy midfielder [to remain nameless in light of the tone of your post today] played an utterly lazy square ball, without looking, to no one resulting in a Sunderland counter and corner.
I think the problem lies more with the manager today, on a greater scale of not getting a player or two to rally the troops on the pitch in the moment, and in the micro scale of not geeing up the team properly for a must win result. It was an obviously distracted team today, aided and abetted by a lame crowd and a pathetic refereeing performance. You expect better on all three fronts and unfortunately it was a hat-trick of let-down. Better on Tuesday I pray, or our season could be ended on all fronts in just one weeks’ time.
What is this a blog? Or some precious place where we cannot speak frankly. jeezzz…….
I was very happy with the effort made by the boys today, particularly in the second half. You can sometimes understand lack of talent, but lack of effort is a major issue. I was sitting around the 80th minute think that these guys are giving everything. For that reason, this result doesn’t grieve me as much as others.
More defending like that and Barcelona will not be winning by anything like the margins last time round.
Brian, are you on a mission to use the word ‘today’ as many times as possible in one post ? lol
Holic I’m wondering when do we start calling corruption. IMO this is nothing shirt of scandalous. Newcastle away and today and a few other games too… Fergie making some calls when he feels the pressure??
I’ll add one more thing. When you consider how much of the team in the last 30 minutes was our second string, you have to ask how often have we seen our backup go and play as well together as they did today?
Still proud to be a Gooner.
Calling someone a *** is not frank, Bullers.
cheers twisted, I had a few too many lagers ‘today.’ anything to add about the match?
I still dont knowwhy my comments are deleted!
@tim I know it is useless wondering and wishing, but I have a ? for ya. I like yourself am a big Vaerminator fan but he is not a traditional CB height weight but he is one with lion’s blood.
Koser is fast, skillful and exact in tackle much more similar to Vaerminator than The Doj. The Doj is more traditional big strong good air game. Who would you pair with the Vaerminator?
90% will say The Doj and Vaerminator but Koser coped Messi.
I think we may be seeing a shift in CB’s. With speed and skill of the current match CB’s will have to have speed over height. The height issue only becomes major if you use a shite goal keep. We do not have that (I think). We will always need a “The Doj” type because of Drog’s, and Imbra’s. But first choice who ya say? I think next year fit Vaerminator and Koser are first over The Doj and the Vaerminator. I just wanted some opinions or anything to take my mind off today.
…and keep just nice IPA please
Duj sounds funny!
Forgetting about the officials for a moment we simply didn’t test their keeper at all and didn’t win enough battles in midfield. We dropped points at home to a sub-strength mid-table team and got no more than we deserved.
For me, no one had a shocker of a game but similarly no one was playing out of his skin either. Some had their moments but it looked as though there was a serious level of distraction that affected the team at all levels.
The real damage of this result may only be known after United play Liverpool but that just doesn’t sit well with me. How many champion-quality sides rely on other results to get them through? This was a big opportunity missed and unfortunately all too common over the last several years.
Injuries threaten our season once again – sigh!!!
Anyone got any update on Jack W?
@ bullers
I think you may find most of the people here post regularly, I feel like I know some though I have been in Costa Rica for the last couple of years. I have not met one of these people in person or even spoke to them on a tele but we come here as people and become community. We love Arsenal, We bitch, We Cry, We Brag, and Boast but our common bond is Arsenal. I have gone a bit too far before on post (and probably will again) but we all have to respect each other and stick together. The worlds gunning for the Gooners, we have to stay together!
ARSENAL ARSENAL
Love ya bullers, Hope ya keep posting, If you love Arsenal just a bite of respect an apology to your missus and its golden.
ARSENAL ARSENAL ARSENAL
Ankle………………………………….scan report on Monday. Jack is A Wiled Eyed Warrior With Adonis DNA. HE plays at Barca but start I am not sure. Me heard a bird tell a gnat it had just ate that if all stays as now one of the STARTING mid for Barca will be Ramsey. It is written so it shall be.
Last day In Florida US and already pissed. Only 3:26 PM here and no one to share my misery. Oh well “I have yet begun to defile myself” A wandering I go, night gooners.
So let me get this straight. No opportunity is allowed to review the decision despite the fact that everybody who has seen the replay says that Arshavin was NOT offside. Something has got to change with this ridiculous situation and since the quality of officiating is not likely to change the only thing to do is to allow the officials to review the TV replays. The TV replay review system has worked very successfully in American football, enormously reducing the number of post-game controversies related to the officiating. Why should English football remain in the stone age in this respect?
Not a good day i to dont like the AW way of developing a whole team,come summer please please AW have a look at what we are missing it isnt alot and buy class sell the ruble and move on to greatness.i am not after a bussiness model that is not how our history is measured it is measured in silverware.We are not out for the count but we are certainly down.Cmon you Gunners dig in we will support you for ever but it is sometimes frustrating.
Sadly, this season is starting to look a lot like last season. Déjà vu all over again.
Just watched the highlights on MOTD. I think it was a pelanty when Arshavin was fouled but difficult to call without a replay as he stayed on his feet, but the offside call was completely wrong.
Time for the lads to stand up and be counted.
@Fin #71. The thing about the penalty that wasn’t given was that there was clear intent. The arm tug having failed, a shove in the back was tried. Arshavin may have not gone down, but he was put off his shot — and that was the intention. Getting a tight offside call wrong is one thing, but allowing cheating to be got away with is indefensible.
I would ask for a glass of your finest claret, as ever, ‘Holic, were I not concerned I’d choke on it in anger. OK, I’ll take the risk…
10 league games left, of which 6 are away – I think that we’ve been better away from home for the most part this season, so lets hope that will continue…….
Just back from the game – damn tubes eh? 😉
Thought we were really sluggish first half, with our defensive midfielders way off the pace.
Thought we improved significantly second half and in particular when Chamakh came on. Couldn’t tell from my position in the North Bank whether he was offside or not, but what with hitting the woodwork and perhaps missing out on a penalty, and that iffy lino decision, the lads were much more dangerous and played with purpose second half.
As you know ‘Holic, I don’t go in for the refereeing conspiracy lark – I just thought he was incompetent, like most of the others.
If things go the right way tomorrow, we may still be closer to the Mancs than when we started so lets not bury the corpse just yet.
Ps – to my fellow ‘Holics who presumably met in the Tollie today, apologies for my no show – I got waylaid with a fellow countryman in some poncy wine bar in the Southbank and got to North London far too late. Next time I will be taking my orders direct from True Storey.
A pint for all, and a double for Theo, he sounds pretty depressed tonight. 🙂
It’s been quite a while I have been wondering what could be done to stop the slow death of the game due to refereeing issues.
Fifa have been experimenting with goal line technology but without success so far (none of the 10 proposed solutions met the requirements) so last week they have decided to extend the tests for another year, see http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/ifab/media/newsid=1392715.html
There’s no doubt this will be solved sooner than later but in the grand scheme of thing this is a very marginal issue anyway.
Their other big scale trial involves 5 referees (2 additional assistant referees) which is been tested in the Europa League and will be also tested in the Euro 2012. The AAR’s are placed next to the goal post on the opposite side of the touchline ref. In today’s case the extra ref could have been able to detect the push on Arshavin.
Imho offside is the situation that would benefit the most from technology. Decisions have to be made in split seconds by refs who have to be positioned almost perfectly all the time, in other words mission impossible. I think it will happen but it may take another 5 years if not a decade.
For those interested and I think we’re all interested, there’s a great blog about refereeing here: http://fortheintegrityofsoccer.blogs.com
The only good news is that FIFA/UEFA are clearly aware of the problem and how much it may cost them if the decline continues. But they are deadly afraid of “breaking” their “product” so it will take forever before most of what is needed gets to be implemented.
‘Holic,
Yes the ‘D word’ is an apt description of the result of today’s game. Listened to the first half and saw the highlights on MoTD and Fin’s comments at #71 pretty much sum it up for me. On a brighter note, the performance in the second half seemed to show that the ‘new first team’ i.e. with Bendy, Chamakh, Ashavin (starting) and Nasri in the centre is starting to click. It only lacked a (disallowed) goal or two. I still think we’ll do just enough at The Camp Nou to get through.
@ Zico #74, noted! BTW, I also use the tubes as a good excuse for getting back home late after a match 😉
How did the get together go chaps? Successful or was it like trying to herd cats? Did others get to meet, greet and down a few? Snir? BtM? Ollie? MtS? Others?
Fingers and toes crossed that Jack is not the latest entry into the recently re-opened Van Persie Wing of the Colney Infirmary.
Er hang on ‘holic, is the title not in our hands? We’re 3 behind same number of games, having to play the Mancs. Of course it makes it down to goal difference but still in our hands!!!!
Great mini-holic gathering int he pub today (where were you zico?), once more undone by shit refereeing, and only started playing after an hour.
I hate to name names, generally, but is it a coincidence that we were far more threatening when Denilson went off?
Chamakh made a great entrance too.
It’s still in our hands though there is a lot to do of course.
Cheers, Scotch of your choice before I call it curtains!
(I have now seen the zico tale 😉 )
Blame the officials all you want, and credit Sunderland’s defending all you want, but even without Cesc and Robin, Arsenal should have scored a goal that couldn’t possibly have been waved off, and we didn’t. A Cescless Arsenal is a midtable team. This isn’t funny.
Spot on Holic. Did not play for an hour. A ref that was so out of his depth that a barrow load of arm bands would not have kept him above water.
As for the rest please cut and paste everything I have been saying for the last 2 years. Some things do not change. Quite frankly I am bored stiff typing it again and again. And no doubt many are just as bored reading it?????
Highlight of the day??? A pint with Niall Quinn in the Tollie after the game. You just do not see enough chairman or former Gooners in the pub these days. Cheers big man.
I once saw Ray Parlour in the Tollie.
Didn’t see Niall Quinn tonight. He must have been too tall.
Hi Ollie. My point is we are five goals worse off on the goal difference, so match them score for score, which won’t happen, and we need to beat them by three clear goals. It’s a variable. Win today and it is still down to us winning the last ten, and they couldn’t do a thing about it.
G’night all.
@Uncle Mike: actually we did score a goal, did you miss it?
Quinny was in the Tollie from about 6 I would guess. He was still there quite happily supping when I left about 7.30. Goon for him I say…
Good for him even………………………………..
Just finished watching the replay, and despite an inexcusably slow start we played well defensively (Szeczny was enormous when called upon) and we were desperately unlucky not to score on any of five chances in the last ten minutes. Refereeing sucked and cost us two goals. Overall, very disappointing result but the performance better than it sounded from some others’ commentary. Bollocks but nose to the grindstone. We need redemption and Tuesday is chance for a lot of it, and it’s all because of the hard work we have put in so let’s keep it going.
It is not one game or one dodgy official that impacts the season. It is all of the unfathered sons of bitc%*s that regulate the game,
A corrupt society with corrupt associations and officials impacting the team that plays the beautiful game in a beautiful manner.
Cream will rise to the top and every damned greedy cat will be there to slurp.
What really pissed me off was the foul throw call by the manc twat in black – it was a clean and correct throw.
I hope the FA have some decency in amongst their womanising racist cheating lying thieving officials.
Ridiculous to hear some supposed “fans” saying the squad isn’t good enough because they tied 0-0 against a very strong side being blatantly favored by the ref. It seems like some people just wanna put the team down without actually contributing any valid points to improve it. I don’t think the “fans” that come out with this garbage everytime a result hasn’t gone our way have a realistic/mature understanding/insight into the sport. Or maybe they just enjoy feeling shitty, either way its annoying and it makes others think that all Arsenal fans are whiny bitches
I personally thought they had a decent enough game and deserved to win….and it actually seemed like most of the boys really left it out on the field, which makes it that much more unfortunate having the 3 points basically stolen from us by bullshit refereeing
ps: thought arshavin was our main danger man in 2nd half
Why does it all seems so familiar? Lack of focus/drive, pissed poor attitude from some players, ridiculous officials, etc.
Is there another storyline for The Arsenal?
I am praying hard for a (good) final twist to this season’s plot!
Holic, with so many people slamming Denilson, would like to hear your honest opinion of this chap whom promised so much but seemingly lacking that extra bit to put in effort.
Does anyone else have the sinking feeling that one night a long time ago, maybe in the Japanese countryside, Arsene pulled a Robert Johnson (http://www.artidiot.com/Music%20Features/robert_johnson_deal_with_the_devil.html) and we are all doomed to suffer the consequence? I just got a bad feeling…
Guinness please, barman. Actually, make that two.
pires is king, I’ll share in a quick Guinness with you to wash away the thirst. Maybe the problem is Arsene hasn’t done enough deals with the devils more recently, i.e. Phil Dowd and company? Actually I thought that was what Ivan Gazidis was going to be for but he hasn’t brought us any success with the officials either. Maybe the European refereeing will be more to our liking?
@pires is king #92 Wasn’t there an Argentinian club that dug up their entire ground to find a dead cat that had been buried there to jinx them, and after years of failure, won the league the next season?
@Arsenalsy: I have been a strong backer of Denilson for years but as I’ve wrote earlier here I believe his career his as good as over at Arsenal.
He had a rotten luck with injuries last season but despite that he showed progress (6 goals in half a season, some outstanding games) and I was hoping this season would be his “hatching” one like Song and Flamini had around the same age. Last August after a good start he got injured again and upon coming back he had definitively lost his starting spot to LWJ, 3 years his junior. Since then he’s never been the same player, a deer in headlight every time he has been on the pitch, handbrake on at all times.
But if you watch the interview he gave in January (http://arseblog.com/2011/01/exclusive-arsenal-brasil-interview-denilson/ ) you will notice his body language his simply terrible and totally not in tune with what he his saying. He’s so nervous/anxious/self-conscious it is almost painful to watch. He’s barely been playing this season and of course is painfully aware of the torrent of abuse and scapegoating by the lesser part of Arsenal’s fandom so there’s little if any hope for him to regain his composure this season.
Now factor in the arrival/return of Coquelin, Ramsey, Lansbury, Frimpong, Bartley (now DM at Rangers) and perhaps Eastmond, Randall and others which will leave him with even less playing time next season…
It’s shame for those like me who believe in his potential but at this point his future lies away from Arsenal unless he resurrects his career in style in the next couple of months but frankly I don’t see how it could happen.
An interesting selection of views.
I just thought that we had a poor first half, the two D’s in midfield not particularly gelling or feeding off each other, both had caution caution danger danger written into their psyche today.
The second half was more of the same until Chamakh came on, chances further improving with Rosicky coming on, surprised the 3rd sub wasn’t thought to be needed.
Couldn’t make out the offside from the North bank, a daft foul throw called was typical of the ref’s calls. A more pressing Arsenal in the last 15 minutes once again failed to deliver.
The search for perfection goes on.
I was in the Tollie from 1.15 till 2.35, stood in the corner by the window of the front car park side garden, but didn’t get to see anyone. (I met some others I knew so I wasn’t billy no mates lol 🙂 )
I also have to say that the amount of moaners around now are increasing, for me it puts a downer on the match day experience. Barracking players during the game isn’t for me.
Yes it was a poor day at the office, any many conclusions can be drawn, but we’re still in it.
Who would have thought that Anfield 89 could ever have come about if the season didn’t have twists and turns?
to be fair, the crowd didnt see it either and when arshavin shanked that shot the whole crowd was up in arms about his miss and it was only replays that prompted the crowd to boo. I honestly believe that if he went down and the crowd made that noise that always happens before and penalty is awarded we would of 100% been given one. but, on the other hand we had that shit cunt as a ref so probably not…
We are all banking on Liverpool to do us a big favor…Make no mistake
Fuck! The damn injuries strike us at the wrong time…every season
As difficult as it is and will be, keep the faith ‘holics
It’s not over by a long shot
I hope Denilson is not given a start at Nou Camp.
WBA at home was a shit game. So was Newcastle at home, and a few others – but yesterday we were unlucky. We hit the crossbar and we were denied a penalty and a legitimate goal. The refs were absolutely horrible, that foul throw call on Clichy was just unbelievable. I’m not saying they were bent or anything, they were just shit – just like in many, many games this season.
And I am honestly don’t think the refs themselves are entirely to blame for this, the game is just incredibly fast these days and I’m not sure it is possible to keep going with the current refereeing model at the top level for much longer. I don’t think having Champions League-style additional assistant refs is the answer, I think the answer is to have two refs on the pitch so that they can cover one half of the pitch each. This would mean a hell of a lot less running (which means they would have clearer heads due to not being as tired and can focus more on reffing and less on running like mad to keep up) and that they would more or less always be much closer to the action. With an on-pitch ref closer to the Arshavin penalty situation we would probably have had the penalty given. The argument against this kind of setup is usually “but what if both refs give conflicting calls at the same time?”, but there are many sports that use two head refs (basketball and ice hockey to name but two) and such conflicting calls are extremely rare and if they do occur the refs just sort it out beteween themselves. Pair up the refs and form teams so that they can work out an understanding between them and establish running patterns etc and I am sure that the reffing standard would improve significantly.
Come on Arsenal.
Hmm, delete the “am” in the first line of my second paragraph, please…
Lars now you make me self-conscious 😉
So readers of my prose, please delete the “’ve” from the first line of the fist paragraph from my previous post and replace “his” with “is” where appropriate and whatever else I missed.
Now the more I watch MOTD I realize that:
1) With Almunia we would have lost, Woj made 3 outstanding saves.
2) Diaby, Bendtner and Chamakh are all quality just a tad short of match-fitness
3) the line ref was under enormous pressure, look at his face for the offside decision (http://arsenalist.com/video/?id=xhduz0). And I can’t agree more with Lars on this.
4) Bad day at the office sums it really well. Yes we started late but still we deserved to win it.
Last nightcappping bourbon if you please…
Matt at 95. Could not agree more re Denilson. I have also been a big supporter of his. I thought he gave the side more shape and did a lot of the scruffy stuff ignored by others. For whatever reasons he appears to have gone backwards this year.
Ilya. Have you watched the whole game?????
Mark, seems you were in touching distance of the ‘holics. The key was probably to ignore the descriptions of dress they all gave and look for the little fella with the red hair. See Ollie #77.
Stop bringing up b.s about every time we have an opportunity, we don’t take it, we clearly took our opportunity to catch Man Utd today, if those red idiots were at the OT, they’ll get a late penalty or late half-offside call and be hailed as mentally strong geniuses but we can’t even get the refs to judge justly at HOME, wtf and we score 1.5 goals which should be enough to win a game 1.5-0 but for some reason, we need to score 3 goals for us to win 1-0.
The league will have serious issues if it’s most exciting team is being cheated out of challenging in a competitive title race because of officials. The fact that we hit the bar, pressured their keeper into making crazy saves, won a penalty and scored a legitimate goal shows that our guys did exactly what a championship calibre team should do. The fact that this was met with poor officiating again shows exactly what the difference is between us and several other teams. Newcastle were given a chance to make up a 4 goal deficit with their will and a more-than-questionable penalty but we weren’t. If officials were impartial, then maybe it won’t be so obvious that things bounce differently with Arsenal.
If the league comes down to us having beaten Man Utd fairly at the emirates and they still winning the league by a couple points, I know who actually won the league. The F.A needs to act now before this farcical nonsense makes us unsure of the league’s integrity because right now, it’s hard to see where it is
Yesterday would have been the classic win when you’re not playing well game that defines champions but for two poor refereeing decisions and great goalkeeping. What can we do. As for the Arsenal ‘fans’ that get on players backs, what is the point of that? Yes, Denilson and Diaby didn’t have great games, but does it really help to cheer when they’re taken off? Neither Man Utd or Arsenal will win all their remaining games, so it will come down to who can put that final run together. For us, it’s all about having Cesc and our other key players fit.
Nice one ‘Holic,
Very frustrating yesterday; one decision against you can happen, but when its two or three? West Brom away is going to be another ‘vital’ match, if we can nick a win there? After that, hopefully, we will have more of a squad to choose from.
PS: On the train home after the match yesterday….one of our supporters was moaning about Scezny and Kos messing up v Birmingham. I asked him if he was happy with both players? Yes was the answer. So am I. Great defensive players brought to the club by our attack minded coach.
Keep the faith Guys!
Lars 99
“the game is just incredibly fast these days and I’m not sure it is possible to keep going with the current refereeing model at the top level for much longer.“
Good point. The ref was just crossing the half way line when Arshavin was intentionally fouled by Bramble.
Holic, thanks for that, yes the guy with red (almost pink lol) hair was right in front of me… he did have a brown leather jacket on as well.
I thought about asking but as I was the only one there in a red Arsenal puffer, as described, I wavered.
I also asked the Irish lads next to me if they were A’bloggers, I couldn’t help but overhear their banter and they was cut from the same cloth as *that* man 😉
A question for anyone at the Tollie.
There was a guy there, looked like a journo, with a big zoom lens, taking snaps of everyone in the garden… any ideas what that was about?
Ah, Mark, sorry to have missed out on you, missed the Red puffer description, I think. We were indeed wondering if you were about.
Next time then!
No idea about the zoom lens, missed that too, I must have solely focussed on drinking 😉
Fucking mancs parking the bus.
I hate them.
Thanks Matt for sharing!
I fully agree with your assessment of the little brazillian. Found him lacking with abit of heart for our red and white jersey these days. guess his days with us are numbered.
Just hope that the Boss will make a decision fast rather than persistently putting him into pain, and dragging our season down.
Same goes for Diaby. A pity for a highly talented player whose career prematurely ended with an unwanted injury.
Can understand his bond with this bunch of kids he watched since they were infants. But he needs to realise like all parents that not every single of his boys will make it in life.
Seriously hope Boss will man up and act ruthlessly like he used to be (‘clearing’ players above age 30). Pains me to witness him destroying his own legacy this way…
Liverpool can win this…
Yes one nil suarez made a cracking goal
What a talent Suarez is!
That was a Nasri-esque run.
Let’s see if Man U move that bus.
TWO NIL
Keep the faith Arsenal…Keep the faith
Shit, three more goals and the goal difference difference is none!
I am keeping the faith.
I think I’m starting to love Kuyt, his dutch accent and boyish charmes. Strange it took me so long to see it!
I am LOVING this. Nani is the only player in the world I actually despise. I depise him. Cheating, playacting scum.
Barman, a glass of red ruby port for me and red cards all around for the Man U players, please.
Dear Kenny,
Make sure you keep it tight at the back.
Let’s hope Nani hurt himself more with the flop for the ref.
It would be easy to blame the ref for 2 really awfull decisions but to be honest we can only look to ourselves.
Diaby and Denilson just play the game to slow at times. They were in the centre of our midfield, the engine room and they played the game to slow and it made the whole team suffer because of it. To often Denilson goes sideways or backwards, and Diaby who can be good on his day was just plain bad today.
Is it a lack of games on their part or just general quality? I really dont know but its clear that when they both went off things improved massively. Im also gutted we didnt get to see Aaron play. He brings everything that we were lacking yesterday, so I woulda played him at some point I think.
Nasri looked good as always, and it was heart in mouth when Jack went down under challenge after challenge. Seems he is OK tho thank god.
Yeah we failed to get right behind ManU but they are currently loosing 2-0 so things are looking up 🙂 I still believe we can do this and I am now looking forward to Tuesday!
West Brom away next Saturday. Arsenal must be huge.
😀
Wenger, Wenger, sign him up! :p
Onward Kuyt, keep working on our goal difference. West Brom away Saturday week, I should have said.
OMG, goal difference difference is only two.
I hope a lot of you saw the Liverpool game…I’m confident on our most ordinary day we are stronger than Man U were today.
Let’s win this bloody league. Mancs have lost 3 of 5.
In the absence of our own Dutchman, two others did the job.
Well here’s to closing the gap in two weeks.
…Must get a positive result over the next two games to lift the confidence even more.
On the bright side will get back Cesc this week, hopefully the week after Theo. RVP thereafter and so on…fresh injuries aside the squad will get stronger by the week.
Tim @128 the way things are going the league will be decided when we host Manure!
But lets win v West Brom next first!
It’s been said (and rightly so) that we have failed to take our chances of putting pressure on ManU.
But the failure to seize opportunities goes just as much for ManU. A month ago, they only had to hold on to their early 1-0 lead at Wolves to go seven points clear at the top, but they didn’t. We had been dead and buried at 5pm and by 7.30 we were right back in it. Today ManU effectively lost their entire advantage. We no longer have to win our game in hand to still have the title in our own hands, “all” it takes is a draw in that game (which, by the way, is away at Spurs in case anyone had forgotten about that) and a win when we meet them at the Emirates.
I’m still frustrated as hell about yesterday, but no matter how you look at it we clawed ourselves one point closer to the top. And I think that the longer we can keep up and make sure we keep our destiny in our own hands the better because the pressure on ManU will remain huge and we will only grow in confidence from being in touch with the top.
But all that, of course, will be lost if we don’t win at WBA in two weeks. So, let’s all get behind the team – we can win this title.
Well, what happened to the incredibly resilient team that everyone here always brings up as an example, today? Manu always bounce back, they always take advantage of any situation when it presents itself, blah, blah, blah….When the 12th man didn’t report to work today, they were found out for the mediocre team that they always have been.
The ref from yesterday didn’t talk to Dowd then? The red card should have been given to that genuine English lad. What a joke! Sagna would have gotten two red cards for that tackle!
No matter how you cut it, Arsenal’s problem is refs, refs, and refs….
Nice post Mr Holic, calm and measured in the face of appalling adversity.
As I used to be an accountant, I’m going to do a bit of an Untold here and look at the rest of the season statistically.
Firstly, if we ignore our home game against manure
They have 5 home games and 3 away games left. They have lost 3 of their last five EPL games. So lets say a reasonable forecast is that they win 6 and draw 2 of those games, giving them 80 points. That’s a pretty reasonable, if not generous, assumption.
We have 3 home games and 6 away games. Because of our shit home form, lets say we win 2 and draw 1. Based entirely on our away form this season, out of 6 away games we are likely to win 4, draw 1 and lose 1. That gives us 77 points, 3 point behind manure,
So, based on my prediction, which has an in-built variable error either way of 100%, the season comes down to Sunday May 1st.
I know it’s a bit wanky but it gives me hope.
Bloody hell, just saw the Carragher tackle on Nani – that should have been a red card, and Rafael should also have had one just after. That second half should have been 10v10.
This day just keeps getting better. First United lose then Puyol is ruled out Tuesday. I’m looking for wolves to complete the trifecta. Baileys and coffee please Barman
Cheers Ollie, no probs, I did see you glance in my direction a couple of times, did wonder, but when you’ve got what? 50 or 60 blokes crammed in that little spot it’s a bit much to start going round quizzing people who they are lol
Thought you might have looked round a little bit more when the little blonde came and stood next to me.. 🙂
Anyway, what’s really important is that this weekend we have put in an indifferent display, had a ref yet again stich us up, yet we have closed the lead down of the dirty barstewards to one that is plainly catchable.
COYRRR’S!!!!
Disappointing result yesterday. Nasri came close several times, but seems to have mislaid his scoring mojo. (Hope he unearths it in Catalonia.)
But on the plus side, got to see Ignasi Miquel sitting 5′ in front of us – what a dream boat! – and also Liam Brady with a whole load of Arsenal juniors, 9 or 10 years old by the look of it, all shaking Miquel’s hand.
Although it was disappointing not to take all three points, Sunderland are a tough side, and the game was frenetic from the off.
Sagna was brilliant, in fact the whole defence was (Sagna, Djourou, Kos, Chesney), and by the end it looked as if Clichy might be our only hope of a goal.
Thought the team selection a little cautious – would have put on Rosa rather than one of Diaby or Denny, but who knows, maybe Rosa is knackered, or is being saved for Tuesday at Camp Nou?
Good to see Aaron running up and down the touchline, he got a standing ovation from the Clock End, sweet. And his reappearance underlines what a huge toll the broken legs we’ve suffered have taken on our results overall.
Because with a fit Aaron Ramsey depping for the absent Cesc yesterday, I’ve no doubt we would’ve turned them over. (Damn you, Stoke.)
As for Big Nik, he is a conundrum. The bloke next to me lambasted his every (failed) first touch, but I’m not so sure.
However, I wonder if an offensive formation involving Arshavin, Jack, Nasri and Chamakh – the way we had at the start of the season – would be more likely to deliver for us?
But that’s based on my intuition – Arsène says that’s how he chooses the team, and if it’s OK for him… – and not stats.
I suspect Nik will get the nod on Tuesday against a Barça squad lacking Piqué and Puyol. Come on, Nik, we need you to show us that we can really have faith in you.
any thoughts on how game could be improved using video technology. I thought an challenge system similar to tennis is the way to go . One or two challenges per half – would not slow down match at all – and stop this “we’ve been cheated once again” feeling on Sunday afternoon!
And there is the first goal for Wolves. This day just keeps giving.
CG, No Puyol? No Piqué either? Let the pillaging begin! Kevnal, Agreed the tennis challenge system works very smoothly and would be a huge improvement in football too.
Come on Wolves!
I see the refs are at it again. How can that not be a red card for Spurs? Oh well, 2-2 at least.
Sure, Milijas never had the ball under control, but he was heading straight towards goal, a few yards out, and got pulled back from reaching the ball. Red for me, under the current laws.
I know this is tantamount to blasphemy but we need Spurs to keep the pressure on Chelsea through to May 7. That’s when Chelsea go to Old Trafford and it is vital that Chelsea are still fighting for a Champions league place at that time. So we do want Spurs to lose and we dont want Spurs to lose. I look upon it as a sacrifice for the greater good.
Stone Roses, that is good thinking, but I’m just going to hope for both Spurs to lose and for a Chelsea loss tomorrow! Maybe a tad greedy, but I can live with that 😉 And hey, after the last Man Utd results they might well still think they have a shot for the title!
RE: Video technology, it would probably take less time to check an instant replay than it takes a referee swatting surrounding players away while trying to make a decision. Do we know exactly who is for it and who is against it ?
Stone Roses, Thanks for pointing out that either side winning is good for Arsenal. If only all games were like that!
Good morning and a quadruple espresso pls. Look, what do I know I’m just some asshole in Los Angeles who’s never managed a second of football in my life and Arsene is a legend who’s paid millions to make these decisions, but fuck me if we’d not have scored with Bendtner and Chamakh up front with Nasri pulling the strings in the middle from the start. Why not go for broke against a struggling team at home with the title possibly on the line? The only striker we have that can cut it alone in RvP which means we have one about 30% of the time. And speaking of Bendtner he’s got size and some skills but if he spent more time working hard and less smirking and trying to look cool that’d be OK by me.
Toby and 8 ball,
The end of this season is so fascinating. Remember at the end of January all the manure orgasmaphobics were saying that this is the time of year when the Invincible’s Elect United come into their own etc etc, well here we are a month and 3 defeats later.
Tottenham are extremely lucky today. Hutton should have been off, Pavlyuchenko scored with a deflected shot that would have been miles off target and Wolves just had a perfectly good goal disallowed. Mark Halsey really aren’t doing Wolves any favours.
You lot know me! Never giving up.
Even if I am a bit closer to giving up my faith in referees after Wolves just got a goal ruled out. This is silly.
LAGoona,
Totally agree, Chamkh should have started. He didnt and AW knows more than we do, but it was obvious in the first half that things were not working so why not bring him on at the start of the second half? Wenger seems to have a phobia about not making any changes until 65 minutes.
3-3
Get IN!
…but not giving up my faith in Wolves 😉
3-3!
Stone Roses: a month ago or so I read an article (I think it was in the Guardian) where they completely debunked the myth that ManU always get better from January and on. It’s simply not true, they have just as often been worse in the second half of the season.
3-3 at the Molinuex now, that goal should have meant Wolves going ahead.
So, to sum up the weekend we gained one point on ManU and we maintained the distance to Spurs. All in all not such a bad weekend in the end.
Lars,
Well lets hope that ‘myth’ explodes big time this year!
Read that as well Lars, and the numbers looked very convincing. They are just usually a good team that most of the time manages to go on better runs than most teams and win the league now and then. There is nothing magical about it, and as you say, half the time the second half of the season is worse than the first.
I have to say when I heard that Dean Richards kid had a Wolves shirt on with ‘Daddy’ on the back, it kind of puts a lot of stuff into perspective.
On a completely different note, I just had a look at the final league table from last season and discovered something quite interesting. Pompey were relegated with 19 points (which were actually 28 but nine were deducted) and Hull and Burnley finished on 30 each. 31 points would, in other words, have been enough to stay up.
This season, Wigan who are bottom are already on 27 points with nine games to go. Wolves are on 29, Brum (with eleven to play) are on 30 and West Ham are above the relegation zone on 31. In other words, West Ham would already have been safe if it had been last season, but they are anything but safe this year.
The trend continues, the 08/09 season saw Newcastle, Middlesbrough and WBA relegated on 34, 32 and 32 points. The season before that it was Reading, Brum and Derby on 36, 35 and 11 (!) points.
My conclusion? This backs up the opinion that the bottom teams are much better this season than they have been for a few years. It is an extremely tight league this season.
[…] blogosphere naturally take this balanced approach: Arseblog, in typically diplomatic fashion, and The ‘holic, in typically eloquent […]
Ollie meeting new mates at the Tollie?
Don’t mind me
Dear Holic,
I have often come here to read balanced comments even though I have to say, as it is a tribal sport being a fan, why would anyone want to be balanced?
That said though, I do fear however that you and regular posters on here are creating an atmosphere where fairly disguised trolling can thrive. This, In my opinion, is because it seems to be the order of the day here for comments to be laced with some criticisms no matter how mild.
Its been long I came here to read and thought, ‘Wow surely this Arsenal they speak about must be such a great team’
missed the game yesterday but saw highlights (not many clearly!) in French last night – I was disappointed especially that Chammy’s header was against the bar
I then saw interviews in French with both AW and Sami. These both indicated how unhappy with officials they were, without being explicit about the 2 errors (which had already been analysed by the journalist with conclusions in our favour). Sami was quite bullish generally, which was good to hear
BTW I am very upset with Manure – have they given up already?
Bring on the NouNous (french joke for babies dolls!)
Well as I said last night, Holics, things would look better today.
If you read the papers or listen to the media, you would think that we actually lost yesterday and yet here we are 24 hours later closer to the Indebted than we started yesterday.
Today has been most pleasant watching both United and the LWCs labour. (Incidentally, Halsey’s performance sort of proves my point about incompetence rather than conspiracy with the referees, I think).
The key thing now is to take in our stride whatever happens in our next two matches. We can either take confidence from two good results or worst case scenario have one major prize only to go for, but one well within our reach (if we can keep our best players off the treatment table).
Believe. 🙂
Full glasses for all at the bar, especially the usual suspects 😉
This is lifted straight from the Telegraph.
“Sir Alex Ferguson has endured some miserable results during his 950 league games in charge of Manchester United, but few will rival his team’s abject surrender at Anfield, either for pain or significance.”
Hee hee, silly red nosed bastard.
my #94. It was Racing of Buenos Aires. Independente fans apparently buried seven cats at their ground to curse their rivals. It took silverwareless years to find the seventh, and required a concreted over moat to be opened up to locate it. Following year Racing won the league. Details in Goldblatt’s ‘The Ball Is Round’, page 806.
So jackhammers to the Emirates?
Holics
re Barcelona team for Tuesday.
The only 2 players missing will be their central defenders Pique and Puyol.
Goalkeeper Valdes,supposedly out injured for 6 wks,played on saturday,so he is obviously fit,Xavi also played, with Iniesta on the bench.So they have no other injury problems.
Re the Sunderland game,don’t know if anyone heard little JW’s interview after the game,but if ever i heard a future Captain of Arsenal,this was it.
He saw it as a point won against a tough side,felt we were very unlucky,refused to bite on the dodgy decisions,saying that they were part and parcel of the game,and that next week we might benefit from similar decisions going our way.
All in all you wouldn’t have believed the articulate young man facing the camera was only 18.!!
Top Class.
OK boys, I will endeavour to get the Barca preview up beforehand, but it appears I am also on a liveblog tomorrow evening at 20.00 with RealSocialDad.
All are welcome. Apparently you can set a reminder here…
http://realsocialdad.blogspot.com/p/live-blog-schedule.html
We are back in the title race. Thank you Liverfool. Now, if we could only hold our serve (to use a tennis analogy).
Ya gotta love the Mancs going down today. MotM: Nani (first half), VDS (second half). And yes, other keepers do make howlers. Never forget this fellow ‘holics.
I, for one, do not believe the points gurgler has yet been turned to the off position for ManUre. Hopefully, they are in the red mists of an implosion. Couldn’t happen to a better club.
Up the Arse!!!
How about you all give me your tips for the ‘holic pound on Tuesday, before I publish on Monday night?
3-2 to Barca. :/
But considering that we`d rather have the pound backing a more positive result i`d go with a 2-2.. 🙂
Here`s one tip dear holic` for a glass of house red wine. Cin-cin!
Holic,
Arsenal 3 Barcelona 3
A barnstorming game with Arshavin and Chamakh playing blinders.
Gin & Tonic please to add some “quality”
1-1 Arshavin to score the equalizer
Barcelona 2 Arsenal 1
I have a feeling we may come down to penalties but not all is lost as we have good recent memories of our victory at Roma to call upon.
Holics, its still advantage United I feel. They have an easier run in as compared to us. More importantly, they have majority of their remaining games at OT.
Make no mistake ‘holics, I am a Gooner. My vote is to write off the Camp Nou and to focus on that damn Old Toilet fixture. Even if we had a full squad, at 2-1 up heading into Barca land, we would not advance. Deploy our assets most advantageously I say. Otherwise would be folly.
@Lars Re: The bottom teams getting stronger- Absolutely agree
@Sajit Yes, they do have more fixtures at OT but our away form cannot be discounted. It’s going to be very tight. We need to get our injured players back and soon
@Holic 1-1 would do quite well for us 🙂
Barca 1-2 Arsenal,we advance 4_2 on agg,AW plays a blinder in the dressing room.TVN@ 177 you cant be serious.CMon Arsenal!!!!!!!!!
You know what i think diaby and denilson would be perfect against barca we need someone to slow the game down now dont we 🙂
Don’t really know what to think about tomorrow. Pointing to what happened last season doesn’t really hold water for me because the situation going into the game was completely different. When we scored at the Nou Camp that meant that Barca only had to score once to haul themselves past us, but this time us scoring first would mean that they have to score twice just to level the score – and if we score two they have to score four and this is a massive difference.
I’ve said it before and I still maintain that if we reach the hour mark having conceded no more than one goal (regardless of how many we have scored), then we will most likely go through. Yes, it is a big if but far from impossible.
I gotta feeling 2 – 2 won’t be far off.
Both teams are free scoring but also both have defence weaknesses’s.
Washington to London to Hamburg to Paris to Hamburg to Prague to London to Barcelona has meant scarcely a second to glance at Goonerholic, never mind pen a few thoughts.
There have been thrills and spills along the way. Great highs with some tremendous lows. Probably the greatest low of all was Zico’s non-appearance at the Tolly for the long promised pint last Saturday : – )
Throughout all of this, the BtM crystal ball has been in spectacular form. It stunned a misguided fan of the Deeply Indebted by forecasting successive defeats at Chelski and MugSmasherLand. It spotted the forthcoming upset against Birmingham and chortled happily when its hand-jive-five materialised against the O’s last Wednesday.
Holics, I regret to tell you that the ball is resolute on the outcome here tomorrow night. Arsenal WILL NOT WIN. I’m sorry, but there it is. What can I say?
Midst the swirling mists it is clear for the expert eye to discern. In the home hemi-sphere, in vivid claret and blue are two Catalan footballs, each with a knife through their middle. While over in the hemisphere, reserved for a warm glow in Arsenal red are two new balls, still bouncing constantly, inspired by some mystical energy source. And, from the deep depths of Who Knows Where, rhythms are emerging …..Na, Na, Na, Na, Na……
So there it is Holics. Barcelona two. Arsenal two. Stake your best Sunday shirts on it.
Greetings to all from a very sunny Barcelona and a very pleasant tavern in the shadow of the Nou Camp. I’m ready.
BtM, and anyone else out here enjoying the Barcelona sunshine… may I commend a lunch or dinner here;
http://maps.google.es/maps/place?um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=cerveceria+catalana&fb=1&gl=es&hq=cerveceria+catalana&hnear=Barcelona&cid=7860387390770853690
for a true tapas experience. Nice and central to everywhere. And plenty of beer too!
If you have any requests (other than tickets – none of my patients are giving there’s up!) of places to go etc, then just let me know and I’ll try and oblige!
Thanks, Catalan. Appreciated!
Checked it out, Catalan. It’s just round the corner from our hotel in Sarria Avenue (Malia).
Ollie is expected to arrive today. He, me, Her Nellieness will likely give your recommendation a try. Many thanks.
No worries BtM – hope you all enjoy. Remember the rush will start at 2 – get there at 1.30 and you won’t have to wait too long. Otherwise just give your name (they understand enough English) and take a beer at the bar.
If not, then there are plenty of gfood restaurants in that area, and Las Ramblas Catalunya is a good place to sit outside and watch the people walk by. Her Nellieness will appreciate the shops too (sorry!).
Ramblas Catalunya is very different to the famous Las Ramblas. DO NOT eat in Las Ramblas.. unless your idea of good food in London is in Leicester Square – if you get my meaning!
PS – Dinner rush most likely at about 9!
BTM. Enjoy your trip. 2 all sounds good to me.
Doc C. Any news? Hope all is well.
Steve T. I’ve given up waiting and have taken up a new career as travel guide for Barcelona!
I know that fate dictates that she will arrive at about half-time tomorrow!
All good though. Sun is shining.. time for a cafe solo.
Now or never
Arsenal-Barca 2:0
Arsenal-Man Utd 2:1
BtM @ 183
Profound apologies brother – the pint will materialise – you obviously can’t sit still for longer than a week or two so our paths WILL definitely cross at some point (your not in Manhattan between 28th March and 4th April by any chance?)
Hope you have a great time in Barcelona and should your mystic powers be proved right you will be due ANOTHER zico beer.
Dr C – if young lady catalan arrives at HT don’t worry, we will be 2-0 up at that point 😉
‘Holic,
I’m going for 3-2 to Barcelona and another unforgettable match.
It will be 3:45 AM here when the match kicks-off so I’ll be waking up to see the result nice and early!
Got a good feeling about the match tomorrow and a bad one about Saturday, no idea why. I don’t have a BtM crytal ball, call it ‘Storey’s water’ if you want.
So, to answer your original question, come Sunday I predict we’ll be in the CL & EPL title hunt and out of the FA Cup. We’ll leave that trophy to The Nasty Mancs and go for the really big ones!
Cheers all 🙂
Can someone please tell why is Van Persie training with the 1st team as he is clearly injured?
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/37362/arsenal-train-ahead-of-barcelona-pictures
Song’s not there so why is Van Persie?
Van Persie in YEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/van-persie-in-squad-to-face-barcelona
Come on you REDS!!!!
@Matt, No, I didn’t miss the goal Arshavin scored — but the linesman sure did!
@True Storey, I’m also thinking 3-2 to FC Tapup — which would be just enough to see us through. Of course, UEFA will then become just as desperate to stop The Arsenal as the FA, and pair us up with the Fergiebastards, but I think we can beat them both at New Highbury and Old Trashdump. Besides, if we do advance against Barcelona, we shouldn’t fear anyone.
U.Mike
If we go through tom night, and I think we will, then I want us to play and beat Manure in the Quarters.
If we beat Manure on Saturday (and I think we won’t) then I want us to play and beat Spuds in the next round.
We’ve beaten Farca and Spuds once this season. Now let’s complete the hatrick and beat Manure at least once.
Arthur, it’s great news isn’t it? Have they been feeding him horse’s placenta again? And if it works, why can’t Theo ingest some and play on Saturday? 😉
I wonder if RvP is included just to scare Barca a little bit? Managers have done that before. Even if he starts on the bench, just knowing that he might come on may very well put some doubts in the heads of a few Barca players.
TS
I’m sure Sir Wenger used one of his Donkeys this time around 🙂
…Hi Gooners been quite busy recently
With Fab4 and RVP in the squad. Minus Song and Theo in tomorrows squad…
..baring in mind Barca rested Vill, Iniesta and Pedro..
…but with Cesc and RVP techniccaly rested. Chamakh-Attack, Arsh and B52
Same goes for Thomas Vermalen give his some placenta please…
3:45am TS?
Where you at, you haven’t nicked BtMs tardis have you?
Zico,
In HK. That’s why I couldn’t go to The Ems on Saturday. It would have been good to meet up, oh…. 😉
Signing off, night ‘Holics….
…sorry finger slipped was going to say those three coming in to a bit of form and with Barca without their best two centrebacks?
I cannot see a roll over eitherway.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it went in to extra time with a tight game.
Provided RVP and Fab4 play as though they have not been away and the squad have extra confidence, it could go
FT: Barcs 2-1
AET: 3-3
Penalties: Arsenal through!
Take your pick Holic!
@ True Storey
I will not be South of the river next time mate – you and I have tales to tell. 🙂
Make sure and set that alarm clock – I’m sure you can get a stream in Hong Kong.
TS, It must have been octopus placenta this time. Pleasant dreams …
Good read Holics
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/9415207.stm
Enjoy!
8Ball@207- Heh
I seriously hope that Wenger’s not playing roulette here. We need RVP fit to win the league
I can’t wait for tomorrow, by the way
Before the RVP news, my interest over the next three games was 1% Barca, 1% Manure and 98% WBA. I’ve changed my allocation, now it’s 2% Barca 1% Manure 97% WBA.
Finally back home – Israel, for now – Till I go back to NC in 3 days.
This whole trip started as a joke when a Northern Irish friend of mine said she’s having a party at her house in Edinburgh and too bad that I couldn’t come along with a friend.
I’m not the person to tell him that kind of stuff. Spontaneous actions are my specialty.
I booked a ticket through Jet2 to Manchester and spent the Thursday night over there with the two of them.
We got to Edinburgh and all I can say is that it’s fucking beautiful and it (the city and the people) made me wanna live there.
I woke up at 6:30 on Saturday and caught the 7:30 train to London King’s Cross.
I got to London at about 12:10 and went straight to the Emirates. The first thing I did was check if they have a M/L size yellow jersey since it’s 15 quid, and I REALLY wanted a Wilshere one, I just love him.
Obviously I was disappointed to find out it was only XL and up and so I left the Armoury to check if the game was on the membership card since I booked a ticket through ticket exchange.
I was told it was so no worries, off to the Tollie to meet the Holics. I felt brave enough to go outside as it wasn’t THAT cold and met Ollie there soon afterwards. Once again I can confirm that not only he’s a gooner through and through but he’s just an enjoyable chat along with his Scottish friend (who’s name I cant quite remember now) and of course BtM. Zico – You’re not off the hook, we were utterly disappointed with your no show ;)!
After a couple of good Pints we all went over to the Ems and took our places.
The only thing Ticket Exchange could offer me was club level so I went over to the East entrance and tried to get in. Unfortunately the card didn’t work so obviously it was a good thing I brought 2 different confirmation emails :).
I walked in and was impressed with club level but just couldn’t think about food, wine or beer, just 3 points.
I found out about myself that I’m not a stadium person, meaning I don’t really care what the stadium looks like – All I care about is what’s going on on the pitch, so for all I care it could have been Upper Tier or Club Level, all I wanted was a win.
I do love Diaby but he was just awful along with Denilson, and after seeing Liverpool yesterday I couldn’t help but think that NB52 has a lot of similarities with Kuyt as they’re both not the most talented players in the world but Kuyt works his socks off and compensates for that with his remarkable positioning. NB52 doesn’t. I’ve said it time and time again, I think Chamakh should be preferred ahead of NB52 as his runs off the ball are better, his link up play is better, his defensive work rate is better and his heading ability and technique (NB52’s first goal against Leyton aside) is better.
My disappointment was obvious and my trip back to Edinburgh was depressing. I spent the entire trip back figuring out what we have to do to win the league.
It’s quite simple really, United keep giving us presents, and even though we don’t really take them, we take little chunks of them.
My most important conclusion was that our next EPL fixture is on the 19th of March if not later which would be excellent for our injured players.
We ARE gonna win the league, of that I am sure.
I love you Arsenal.
@BtM: Have a great trip & enjoy the draw (that is if your crystal ball isn’t cloudy).
@Arthur: Thanks for he beeb link, great read indeed.
Snir, sounds like you had a good trip apart from the result and the train journey back to Edinburgh. And speaking of that, what route did you choose for getting from the game to Kings Cross?
Snir, Excellent account and I love your optimism about our title chances.
It would appear, Snir & BtM, that had I stretched my arm out I would have tapped any one of you holics on the shoulder… I was in the corner with the red puffer on.
No probs, next time maybe. 🙂
RVP in the squad is great news. With just Theo & Song now abent we ought to have the quality to get the result we all want now.
Fingers crossed and all that 😀
MtS, where you in the left corner outside with that guy (who sounded as if he had an Italian accent) and the two of you were talking about a lot of stuff including Cesc’s saga (that’s what I picked up on :))?
Yes Snir, that was me.
The guy with the accent was a Greek Cypriot, just someone I met in there for the first time and got talking, as you do.
There was another guy who came a bit later, blue Arsenal wooly hat, who was my mate.
The Greek had a few good stories, he went to a restaurant in Notting Hill after the O’s match, Nick B 52 was sitting next to him.
Which one were you? I clocked most of your crowd but couldn’t earwig much cos the Irish lads next to me were having the crack 🙂
I was the one with the Black zoo york coat (with the yellow fabregas jersey underneath showing) who took a good look on you guys and smiled when you started talking about the Cesc saga and then moved on to have a little chat with Ollie, his friend and BtM.
Ahhhh…. yes, your coat had writing on the collar?
Hmmm, not really, just lots of ZY (Zoo York) on it.
How could you do this to us Cesc? Heartbroken.
And that’s it.