No Shining Stars, But Orient Sent Packing To The Mysterious East
Mar 2nd, 2011 by 'holic
It’s been a good night. It started well enough, with the discovery that Jameson is on special offer at my local supermarket. Very tasty it is right now too. I have to confess to feeling a tad apprehensive when I saw that Henderson was in for Arshavin. I needn’t have worried.
The nuts and bolts of what happened aren’t important. What was critical was that Chamakh and Bendtner got something out of the evening so that people realise we have more to our armoury than van Persie in the coming weeks. That both did obviously owed much to Orient’s set up. It seemed they thought that the two banks of four defending basically their eighteen yard line would work as well on the vast expanses of the Grove as it had at Brisbane Road in the first contest. It didn’t.
To compound their error they also thought they could play football from the back, but with little in the way of movement up front they found the ball coming back at them with great regularity. They played into our hands, frankly. Chamakh’s opener in seven minutes set the tone, and hopefully will convince the Moroccan he can return to the form he showed in the opening months of the season. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I am a big fan of his. Eleven goals in just twenty-six starts tells us here is a footballer.
He may be more mobile than big Nick, and his first touch may be more natural, but the Dane again showed what a handful he can be for a defence. A superb header, a remarkable mazy run and right foot curler, and a firmly smote penalty landed him a hat-trick, and earned him a deserved man of the match award. Yes, the defending was not the best, but we have seen him score goals against the best, and more of the same is required in the next few games.
Clichy’s strike might seem an irrelevance, but anybody who grabbed a piece of him to score the last goal will disagree. That would have been very long odds indeed. My own punt on the scoreline was a whisker away from materialising, and was only thwarted by Almunia’s first save of the season, er, match, I mean match! (Sorry Manuel, only kidding). The skipper deserved his clean sheet, although it cannot have escaped anyone’s notice that every Orient threat came down the same side. Let’s all pray that Bacary Sagna remains healthy for what remains of the season.
I doubt we will have many more opportunities to compliment Ignasi Miquel and Conor Henderson on their performance this season. Well played lads, and thanks. You will face tougher challenges in your Arsenal career and both of you look up for the challenge at this stage. It must have been quite something to play in front of a reported crowd of 59000, even if around twenty thousand of them were in fancy dress, and very convincing too. as red plastic seats.
So we have another trip to Old Trafford to look forward to. If we are to be successful in any of the three targets that hang tantalisingly in front of us we will have to get past them in each one, it seems. Tonight will not mean we have every chance of doing just that, in the same way that Sunday’s embarrassing defeat does not suggest we won’t. That’s the beauty of the game. Let’s just savour tonight’s result, momentarily, then get our Sunderland head on for Saturday. The title is eleven wins away. Saturday is the first of those, and therefore the most important match of the season so far.
Cheers ‘holics.
120 Responses to “No Shining Stars, But Orient Sent Packing To The Mysterious East”
YO
Clichy has emerged as a REAL goalscoring threat to be feared by the high and mighty.
You can talk about an armoury but you don’t really have one until you have got Clichy.
Savour, savour, savour. Thank god for the perpetual next game that washes away the bad taste of a defeat, unless the defeat comes last day of the season and waiting a whole summer is required. Come on Arsenal, let’s make some hay while the season is still going.
Good, solid game overall. Not much more to say, I suppose. Oh, yes, one thing needs pointing out – Chamakh is starting to find his feet again.
@behindthe8ball – oh god. Is he going to be the next Eboue, now?
I’ll have Charente bt8bnn is having. Cunting iPod insists on correcting whatever into Charente so maybe a pineau too!
Job done tonight, happy enough. Thanks
Hi iOllie,
Manuel must go. He cost me a fucking fortune tonight 🙁
Barman, mine’s an Odell’s 90 shilling ale, plus one for yourself and all around the bar. It looks like Iollie and Jammathon could use a few.
On way home from game. Job done no frills but good performances from 2 young men who show promise and by Nic and Tom until he had to go off. Pity that as he was running the game and had his best performance in ages. Good summary of where we stand, in your final paragraph ‘Holic. I’ll join you in a dram when I get home. Cheers.
Jammathon, He’s Eboue but even faster!
Good one. Why hasn’t anyone congratulated Holic on the plastic seat joke? i thought it was rather brilliant!
Ah, that feels much better. Got any Jameson left, Mr. Holic? I’d love a sip. Cheers to Gael!!! And Nicolas’ gum.
Holic @ 8- And sorry about the pound! I think Wenger did his best with the starting back 5 to give you a chance on your punt, but fucking Orient didn’t take him up on it!
MMMMmMmmmhh, creamy 5-0 mild carthasis. Been a while since our last goal fest. Still beating Sunderland will be better.
You are good fan. Hope you win bet Saturday.
I love it when the imposters drop in 😉
what odds did you land on the almost scoreline ‘holic. Confess I thought of you when they had a little late pressure. Credit to Orient for trying to play football…
It was 25’s Tim.
Happier with 5-0 though to be honest. We needed that. Spirits raised for the next fortnight…
Wasnt a great game, but you know after Sunday we did what we had to do and thats all that matters.
Im pleased firstly for Chamakh for getting his goal. I honestly hate the short term memory of some of our fans and hate the amount of slack the guy has been taking of late. Chamakh proved himself at the start of the season he was a class player and filled in when we really needed him to. Hes been looking sharper of late and the goal will do him the world of good.
Pleased for Bendtner as well. His second hatrick for the club. His first goal was a good hint that we can offer an aerial threat in attack and his second goal was well taken.
For both strikers this game is good because it boosts their confidence that little bit more. Now that we know Van Persie is out for around 6 weeks both them WILL be leading the line for us, so anything to boost their confidence will help.
And that means that the moaners who dont like either of them need to shut up and back them now. They are all we have and a lot of what we achieve this season will depend on them scoring us goals over the next few weeks. Lets back them please.
Also well done Clichy for scoring his 2nd ever goal, and first at the Emirates for us 🙂
I wonder what team Wenger will pick for the ManU tie tho, especially if its really tight at the top of the league still. Bit of a dilemma their I feel.
I liked the seat joke too 🙂
But i’d say there was only 16,000 in the prescribed fancy dress 🙂
Happy for MC29 and NB52. Hope they both take advantage of RVP’s absence in the next few games. Looking forward to Saturday’s game.
Great result… Am I the only one who wast especially pleased w diaby’s performance today? I thought he was one of the better players for the French @ the WC ( as if that was a major feat) and what about hendersons free kick, we may have a set piece specialist in the near future
‘holic, Is arshavin an impostor at #16? He seems to write English with a Russian accent, and even if it is an impostor he writes about the same two sentences that Andrey himself would actually write if he were posting here.
Good Match. Combined with the Chavs win, it helped wash away the taste from Sunday. To complete this cleansing, we need a big weekend performance and for liverpool to show up. Hey Holic, can I bum a shot?
Sammys, Henderson, Miquel were surprisingly good, but Diaby is a known quantity and when he is healthy I always expect a lot from him because he is a mightily talented fellow.
Sammys snood,
I agree, Diaby had a great game. Arseblogger mentioned on the liveblog that he made 69 passes with 100% completion.
It was nice to see us score a bunch of goals again, regardless of the opposition. The same against Sunderland please.
strategic predictions time:
Arsenal 1 Sunderland 0
Liverpool 1 Manchester United 1
Who will be in a better position at that stage?
We will because we will be 2 back with a game in hand. Plus, that game in hand is at 3 point Lane.
Yes Matt. I am pleased.
Just in from the Grove. Bloody freezing is the first point I want to make. It is March isn’t it??????
A professional performance and a convincing victory. A Bendtner hat trick, an Almunia hat trick (3 catches) and a Clichy thunderbolt. Now that is a treble for the holic pound. Dread to think what the odds on that would have been?
Always had a soft spot for the O’s, as had many others around me by the conversations being had both before the game and at half time.It was therefore pleasing to see them try and play football and knock the ball about. They can leave with their heads held high and hopefully considerably richer.
It was a strange old night all round. There was an air of inevitability about the place, especially after the early goals. Now we can look forward to the weekend and hopefully more of the same.
Onwards and upwards.
Great night all all around, and good to see some of the kids get a bit of a run out. Bendtner and Chamakh have done a lot to ease my nerves after losing RVP, and I’ll be cheering for them quite vocally over the next few months. Still haven’t seen it yet on Arsenal TV, but it’s on the list. Glad to see Diaby have a good game (what I heard at least), but it’s just a shame. He’s such a talented fellow who’s career has been crippled by the Premier league. I can’t see him ever shaking his injury problems, but I am a pessimist. Good on Gael too, he must have been getting awfully jealous of Bacary these past few months! Now all we have to do is win every match until June and the treble is ours! Then all we have to complain about is how much we hate Lee Bowyer and Barry Ferguson…
Up the Gunners!
Diaby’s injuries seem to be coming from him trying to win 60-40 balls, which if his legs were average length would be 40-60 balls. He sticks his limbs in places one shouldn’t (in England perhaps especially). Abou: Let the Neanderthalesque get there first and knick the ball back.
Chamakh is curiously off the pace. He’s nowhere close to the form he had to start the season. Wenger was ahead on this one, and took him out. It’s very curious. He appears to have mono-like symptoms.
Of course it goes without saying that I love 5-0 victories.
It is remarkable that Clichy has scored only two goals in his career given how attacking a full back he is.
It was a reassuringly pedestrian win this evening. Five goals at half canter and a horse blanket thrown over the opposition. Hard to believe that was a cup-tie.
To your point, ‘Holic, success in the Cup, League and no doubt the CL if/when we get past Barca will have to go through the Mancs. I fear that three wins out of three will be beyond us.
A glass of something easy would seem to be in order, ‘Holic, if you would. Perhaps a glass of Ksar Bahia would be apt in honour of Chamakh’s return to goalscoring form.
@storefront good point but, I think that may be nikkis downfall. He often looks uninterested and reluctant going for a 50/50. But again he proved us all wrong today and I commend him for that. I for one would also like to know where that performance from nasri an rosicky was on Sunday. denilson also played well today. Of course this was against lesser opposition but, city can’t be that good.
@sammys snood, NB52 only looks interested inside the 18-yard box. But that is where he does his damage. He also looks so out of place playing wide right. Always, ball passed back down the line or a run square and inside. Never a hint of a Theoesque burst down the wing.
As usual, ‘holic, you provide a lift and a tonic for us all. Ketel One martinis all around. In our dreams, Maruane will play like this forever. In a rational world, NB may continue to score lucky headers and penalty kicks he is given before those who are much more deserving– against lesser sides.
Let’s hope Arsene picks based on rationality and we play like a dream. Cheers!
Nice win..Job done
Now 3 points against Sunderland are absolutely vital. Time for Emirates to really be a fortress.
A pint, please
Jameson!!! Sorry ‘holic had to get excited……me loves that brand of whisky, 2nd behind behind Johnnie……:)
Chamakhs goal was long overdue…..he said he’d be back in March….I guess he is then.
Wonna share the Jameson?
……y’all gonna have to ignore one ‘behind’ up there 🙂
Morning one and all,
Excellent, excellent post ‘Holic and no need to ignore one ‘excellent’ (with apologies to ette’s ‘behind’) 🙂
Congrats to our two ‘CFs’ finding their shooting boots. Ignasi and Conor deserve another special mention too. I also thought Rosicky looked sharp before he got a knock to his head – would love to see him repeat that form in the big games now.
Actually they’re all massive games now. As Le Boss said, it’s cup (final) football all the way through until the end of the season.
Has the Sunderland game become more important than last Sunday’s heart-breaker?
Another coffee for me please Mr.Barman and as I’m feeling flush I’ll settle my long overdue tab now to help offset your loss caused by Almunium.
Chelski did us a favour, now it’s all up to us.
RVP, Theo, Verm, Cesc? Tomas? all out for a while at least so it isn’t going to be easy but it is an opportunity for the others in the squad to show us all how committed, hardworking and talented they all are so we hardly notice the absence of the aforementioned stars. Big performances please lads – and very well done last night, you were great.
True Storey – I think we can say that the Sunderland game is more important than last Sundays. We’ll need to be well up for it, it isn’t going to be easy but it is well within our grasp.
Morning all.
I thought Diaby was excellent last night, so good to see him back. Let’s hope he takes storefront’s advice… Also thought Rosicky was looking more like the little composer we all miss, until getting all groggy on our arses. NB52 & chamakh’s goals were much needed, and as you say ‘holic, will make people realise that not all is lost with Robin’s absence.
Can’t wait for the showdowns against manure…! Really can’t wait – Sunderland and Barca first though I suppose…
Can anyone explain WHY Almunia was playing last night? If Wenger thought that our young goalkeeper was destroyed on Sunday night, how could “resting” him do anything to restore his confidence?
I really do wonder sometimes….
Zico,
Almunium was there for 2 reasons:
1. He’s our ‘official’ FA Cup GK so that he get’s to keep his eye-in once in a while. (BTW, are you happy with him facing The Mancs in the QFs?)
2. To ensure that ‘Holic doesn’t take too much off the bookies when we play in FA Cup matches.
I think Wojciech will be just fine – I wouldn’t be too concerned about the lad’s lconfidence.
Norfolk,
Yes, agreed. Should be a good game too. Sunderland are doing well this year and Gyan is a very decent player.
TS – Almunia has history against the Mancs – he wouldn’t be anywhere near the Old Trafford team if it were down to me.
Coffee for a grouchy zico – still suffering from Kolsch withdrawal 😉
Sunderland are on a bad run of form of late so hopefully we can take advantage of that. In a way it’s good there’s only two league games this month when we ‘re lacking Fabregas/Walcott etc, win them both and we can go into April in the hunt and maybe with one or two players back from injury.
With regards to the next round against Man Utd, incentives to beat them:
1. It’s beating Man Utd at Old Trafford
2. Confidence
3. One step closer to a trophy
4. Because if we don’t the semi-finals of the FA Cup could well be Man Utd, Man City, Stoke and Birmingham, and that’s too awful a thought to contemplate.
Zico @ #47,
Nor me mate, nor me…
Charlie @#48,
5. We hate them, they hate us
6. They’re a bunch of cheating, diving, ref chasing, c*nts and they deserve a good beating in their own back-yard
7. Shrek for ‘that dive’ and the penalty that ended our famous unbeaten run
8. Seeing SAF go apoplectic on the touch-line
I like to think my reason 1 encompasses all those anyway True Storey!
Indeed it does Charlie! Your brevity shows (my lack of) genius.
TS, some of us, including yours truly may have brevity but you have eloquence as your detailed points 5-8 demonstrate. I especially like number 8. Another reason to beat Sunderland: Steve Bruce.
nasri,
Thanks. I was at this fixture last year, courtesy of ATVO, sitting not far behind Brucey. He does enjoy a good song and dance in his techncial area and a fair bit of swearing too…. cue the crowd entering into all sorts of ‘hand banter’ with the dumpy dancer.
To be fair to him, he’s one of the better managers in the EPL despite the fact that he’s an ex-Manc/ex-SAF employee cf McLeish, Keane and several other nasties. He’s also always very respectful of Le Boss and the way we play our football. So, sorry to disagree with you when you’ve been so nice to me but I rather like him 🙂
TS @ 53
Nah, you have been foxed mate.
Bruce, like all Fergies children, always rubs over and gets his tummy tickled anytime the Govan Grouch asks him to.
I’m with 8 Ball – another reason to turn them over.
(I was at last season’s game as well and most enjoyed the Mrs Doubtfire calls that were being hurled in his direction).
They may be in a bad run of form, but they will be up for it – he will want to beat us as much for his old Master as for himself (he likes being petted, see) and have dangerous players in Richardson and Gyan to name but two.
We need to turn the noise up on Saturday – just as well I’m going then 😉
“rubs over” = “turns over”
Damn qwerty keyboard!
Zico,
The mental image of Old Red Nose tickling Brucey’s tummy is putting me off my lunch helped only slightly by the good humour of the Mrs.Doubtfire jibes.
Enjoy the match, hope you’re over your grump before then 😉
Barman, a quick pint for TS – solids are for softies 🙂
Heh! You can take the boy out of Glasgow…..
Way off base there mate – I’m originally from the Capital (but now in exile) – I only venture to Glasgow when I want to feel rich 🙂
‘Scuse me, that was a v.poor mistake to make.
Spent a fair bit of time in both cities and have to say that I have fond memories of both but for very different reasons.
Congrats on your well deserved victory now go win the bloody thing !!
How nice was it to see a lower level team play football and not hoofing it and not cutting down your playmakers at every chance. Yeah I know that plays into Arsenal’s hands but come on you were always going to win and I think it made for a better contest all around.
Only regret is I would love to have seen Dean Cox bury the chance in the last minute to get at least 1 goal but hey. Well done,we are solvent for 2 or so years and can now launch a legal challenge against the turf invading lot from Newham.
Come on you O’s best team in Leyton
Viva Las Vegas
Zico,
Follow-up to my comment @ #60…. The next time that you and I are at The Ems for the same match and should you be interested then I’m more than happy to swap stories with you about ‘exile’ and ‘big neets oot in Scottish cities’ over a real pint.
Carolina,
May you make the play-offs and go on to show The Championship what you’re truly made of. Many of us here have fond memories of your team and ground. Please continue to drop by for a drink whenever the urge takes you.
Good luck with the legals BTW – a helluva way to spend your hard-earned?
Some banter on here and luch time too….get back to work now move along move along 🙂
Caroline,
Well done to your team and Cox would have made Holics evening if he would put that one away I have to say he’s got some trickery on him that lad!
Good luck to you and your team for the rest of the season!
Thanks everyone for the best wishes. Unfortunately our cup exploits have left us with some catch up to do in the play off chase but we do have some games in hand. Only hope we are not too hungover or have vertigo after the dizzy heights of the emirates.
Now I am off to stick some pins in my Boris Johnson voodoo doll as the wnaker has just rubber stamped the Spammers approval to go to the Olympic stadium.
Would it be petty of me to hope they go down…..nah
TS @ 62 – well up for that. Pity you can’t make the game this weekend.
I am off to NYC at the end of this month, and Management is making some noises about time spent off the premises blah blah blah, so can’t promise it will be before May.
Would love it to be a title winning home game against the Villa on 14th of that merry month. Hope springs eternal.
Arthur @64:
No point in changing the habits of a lifetime 😉
Zico, sounds like a (possible) plan. We’ll get something worked out along the way….
OK Arthur, I’m definitley getting back to work now. You’re a harsh taskmaster.
Zico, TS
I may tag along as well you never know you might need a harsh taskmaster there watching over you 🙂
Zico,
I don’t forsee a title winning home game against Villa on 14th May. I forsee an FA Cup final victory on 14th May (beating Birmingham 5-0 with Barry Ferguson getting a smack in the mouth from Kos) followed by securing the title against Villa a few days later! Well a guy can dream…
Charlie, thanks for sorting out my diary!!
Subconsciously I am obviously worried about who we meet in the Semi Finals of the FA cup 😉
Arthur, the more the merrier…
@ Arthur
The more the merrier – just bring Lars and his exponentially expansive wallet. 🙂
(Better go and do some work now I suppose…..)
Considering it was “Orient,” maybe a Japanese beer is in order. Like everything else they produce (food-wise, anyway), their beer is very good, but really expensive. Out of Leyton Orient’s league… figuratively. Arsenal proved that Orient were out of their league literally.
I hear there is some kind of a holic union for the weekend game..
Who all going ? 🙂
Harsha – which venue? The Tollie?
Well I’m going to the match, – didn’t know there was a meet up on though?
We’re to see the tollie, the wonderful tollie of…
I’ll get my coat 🙂
I’ve even left the ‘off’ out just to look a complete dork lol 😡
zico, my magic wallet has taken a real pounding in this bar in the past few weeks, but it is still alive and kicking so have a drink on me!
One who has had one too many of something is our old friend Kolo Toure:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/mar/03/manchester-city-kolo-toure-drugs-test
Bars really empty tonight.
What I thought was good about last night was that AT LAST the second string played up to their collective abilities. I know it was ‘only’ Orient but they are on a pretty good run at the moment and were totally shut out. Bendtners first two goals were brilliant; there was nothing on the cross for the header and he applied just the right amount of pace and direction, and really ditto for his second goal, curled in perfectly. And indeed we witnessed a miracle, Diaby played a game and wasn’t carried off injured, Alumunium actually made a save, and Denilson didn’t play badly.
And for the next 40 hours, the EPL is in our hands, that is until the gigantic potential fuck up to Sunderland.
Mr Holic, I was rooting for Orient to score a late consolation goal, £25 buys a lot of Jameson.
Holic ’til the end.
@ Lars – cheers my man.
I hope that when I meet up with True Storey he DOES bring you along and I will be happy to return the favour several times over and not on a virtual basis either.
Any thoughts on when you’re next heading for the Longships? 😉
SR – what fuck up? Don’t you know the Gunners don’t even drop a measly one point when zico’s in town?
So, if Zico in town is the magic mushroom, I’ll go chasing rabbits. (Jefferson Airplane, showing my age).
So that stupid red nosed bastard has been charged with ‘improper conduct’. According to FA rules, there are three possible actions that they can take:
1) Warn him as to his future conduct, which will really make him poo his pants.
2) Ban him from the touchline for the first two friendly games of the 2022/23 season,
Or
3) Relegate Arsenal.
Don’t think I’ll risk going through airport security with any Shrooms, Stone Roses. 😉
As for the Ferguson thing – its all posturing, particularly the fines they give out. He probably spends more on a bottle of wine (just so he can brown nose with Maureen and his other pets, Allardyce and Twitch).
Lars, rumor over here has it that Kolo has been overindulging in the same stuff Ponce de Leon was looking for in Florida. Nice bloke, though (Kolo, I mean) so I hope they go easy on him …
Since Lars is in the chair I’ll have a large Jameson. Cheers 😉
Stone Roses, yes indeed they will probably end up relegating Arsenal over this.
zico, Mark, I have seen talk of a meet on Saturday, but annoyingly I won’t make it. BtM I know is around, and a few have spoken of turning up at the Tollie. Hope it works out, and I can join in at a future game.
zico: don’t know when my next visit to England will be, but I hope to make at least one more trip this season. And if/when I do I am certainly up for a few real-life pints!
8ball: I have to admit to knowing very little about Ponce de Leon, but after some googling I see what you mean 🙂
Pint of John Smiths!
Lars,
Be sure to let me know when your next planned invasion of these shores is and I’ll do my very best to hook-up at one of the games you plan to see. We’ll try and co-ordiante it with Zico and any other ‘Holic who fancies a meet up. Snir’s a good traveller and I think Arthur might be up for it too???
Any ‘Holics traveling up to The Old Toilet next weekend? I’ll be back from my travels in the wee hours of Friday morning and there’s a slim chance that I might be offered a ticket although a negotiation with The Storey Management will be seriously tricky and no doubt expensive in more ways than one.
Barman? As I settled my tab earlier I’ll have a measure of single malt on Lars’ tab. Wouldn’t want to go into debt again so soon after clearing it 😉
Thanks Zico & TS
No ticket for me this Saturday either, but will definitely be up for it next month or so. Looking after little OliveTheGooner makes it very hard to get to games as management works funny hours.
We could definitely make and effort one game and have a real pint instead, too right. It would be great to meet anyone from the famous Holicbar!
Looking forward to Saturday now, this should be a real good test for us and I do feel very positive about this game, not sure why but I really do.
A quick drink for everyone still around please Barman, before I hit the deck.
Good shout Arthur. Looking forward to Saturday already.
Which of your local supermarkets had the Jameson on special offer, holic?
Very interesting Nasri interview especially the last paragraph
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1362722/Samir-Nasri-Arsenal-star-argument-Thierry-Henry-problems-William-Gallas.html
PS ‘Holic, not sure about your policy regarding posting links. Please let us know if it’s not OK.
Funny thing about this game, is that i had a bet with me mates, that if The Arsenal didn’t score up to six goals against the O’s, i was gonna get em each a bottle of Jack Daniels. Luckily for me, i never told em the size of the bottle .:-)
Rumor has it that Rambo will play against the black cats… Could he feature alongside jack and give us a glimpse into the future? And song may miss bartha, which IMO wouldn’t be the worst scenario with a fit and almost in form Diaby to play alongside the messiah (wilshere) and his booking being a serious concern. The only down side may be their attacking prowess. And with nikki claiming he can fire the mighty gunners past fcb and el capitano raring to play must give us holics reason to look forward to Tuesday. But, again we have a “cup game” w Sunderland and the dike looking Bruce… So one game at a time, right? A drink for anyone in the bar holic and how about a nice cold ale for myself… I’m open to suggestions.
Hello holics,
So Kolo failed a drug test eh? *Sigh*
I have a positive feeling about this saturday too, Arthur. Hope we can get the three points.
One game at a time, holics
I’ll have a drink on Lars’ tab too, thanks 😉
Morning all.
Sainsbury, w.
No problem TV5.
TV5 good link thanks
com on u Reds!!
So BTM, you in the Tollie before the game or are we still liable to meet in The Diggers in the summer? 😉
Morning Holics….
Good read TV5 thanks for the link. I hope Nasri will play down the middle with Jack on Saturday I would rather have Bendy on the right and Chamakh up front.
Have a good day Holics!
Storey, I will definitely let you know the next time I travel over. If not this season, then it will be early in the next one.
@ Lars – if you don’t make it can you send your wallet anyway? 🙂
zico, I can send my wallet – I can’t guarantee it will contain any money, though 😀
Cheers Lars, either would be great.
Arthur, I’m with you on our attacking options. Bendy does alright on the, er, right. Our best forward line now must be Nasri, Bendy & Chamakh with Arshavin as an option / super-sub for the Farca game.
Snood, I can’t see Ramsey getting a go on Saturday other than as a sub, but we’ll see. I’m sure he’ll get the rousing reception that he deserves when he steps onto the pitch. Time for Diably to step-up and show us that Song’s place in the first team is not to be taken for granted.
COYRRRs, greatness this season awaits!
TS, Greatness awaits if we get big contributions from unexpected quarters such as Diaby and Ramsey, which would only be unexpected since they have been out so long and so often. But greatness is also on the horizon if Bendtner and/or Chamakh really step up. Then, when we get our injured stars back (aka “like new signings”) we could really be in business.
Am now in Edinburgh!!
Got here from Manchester at 9:30 A.M after partying all night with a friend of mine (who came to Scotland) and an Irish girlfriend of ours who studies in Edinburgh and I’ve only got one thing to say.
First is Slainte! The second is – What the fuck is wrong with Manchester? Everything we went was a fucking gay club.
United are gays.
*Everywhere!
That’s the way United rolls Snir.
nasri,
Here’s hoping they do just that. For sure, if the current second-string don’t step-up to the levels of their current first-team collegaues then the attainment of greatness will remain in the future tense.
That’s a little harsh on Ramsey given what he’s been through over the past 12 mos. but it applies well to Diaby, Bendy and Chamakh. Personally, I think they’re all capable of doing so.
Big, big game tomorrow. The expectation levels are equally high.
TS, Ramsey deserves more leeway, that is for sure, but he also has a unique ability to inspire the rest of the players right now due to his comeback story, if he makes that massive contribution we all hope for. It also comes down to how much playing time he gets.
Diaby is also coming back from injury upon injury and he may be able to inspire the rest of the players if he makes the same massive contribution we’re looking for.
Guys, for anyone going, I’ll make it to the Tollie for about 1.30 / 1.45, think it’s cold enough to have my red Arsenal puffer coat on lol
Does everyone normally sit in or out?
MtS – I’m used to Israeli weather so for me to be outside is insane. It’s too fucking COLD!!!
I’ll be inside with my Yellow Fabregas shirt on, problem is I have no phone so I’ll need a bit more info than “red arsenal puffer coat on” :).
They’ve got those nice warming things outside, Snir.
Hmmm, okay mostly ineffective if you’re more than 2 yards away.
See you inside or outside tomorrow then!
Guys,
I’m so fucking excited. The only thing ticket exchange could offer me was area 60 – meaning – club level. I just hope I don’t miss my train back lol 🙂
Word of advice (having been club level at a regular game once, incidentally I think it was Sunderland last year, with our favourite barman) : if you like it, at half-time, go for the wine rather than the beer : quicker to drink and far less queuing for this particular free tipple 😉
Thanks Ollie, I’ll most certainly do that (providing the score allows it 🙂 )
Is holic gonna be at the Tollie? If so, I reckon I’ll just meet up with him and he’ll introduce me to the holics.
What do you say Holic?:)
I may be wrong, but I think ‘holic’s not coming tomorrow. I’ll try to remember you from last time we were introduced. BtM too, not sure I’ve met any other ‘holics (well apart from arseblogholics like me ;), there’s quite a few!)
Wait, we were introduced?? When was that? The Barca or Wolves match?