Guest Post – Back To The Future, Brighton 1935
Jan 21st, 2015 by 'holic
I have to say I am indebted to our very own North Bank Ned for tonight’s guest post. Ned looks back to Arsenal’s first golden era and our first ever meeting with Brighton and Hove Albion. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did. I know ‘holicdad would have approved too. He may well have been there that day. Anyway, thank you so much Ned.
The mighty Arsenal, en route to a third league title in three seasons and fourth in five (those were the days!), headed to the South Coast for a January cup-tie against the then Division Three (South) Seagulls.
It was the first competitive encounter between the two clubs. As unimaginable as it is today, the sides trained together in the week leading up to the game, though in the 1930s Arsenal often trained at Brighton’s old Goldstone Ground in Hove ahead of Cup games.
Brighton had beaten Folkestone of the Southern League 3-1 at home in the First Round, and fellow Third Division (South) side QPR 2-1 away in the Second. Goals by Joe Hulme just before half time and Ted Drake near the end ensured that there would be no giant-killing in the third round however. The final result was Brighton & Hove Albion 0-2 Arsenal.
Here are some grainy black and white highlights of the game. Brighton’s goalkeeper takes quite a battering.
Arsenal would go on to beat Leicester City in the Fourth Round and then Reading in the Fifth. Both games were 1-0 away wins. The cup run came to its end in the quarter-finals, a 2-1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday, the eventual winners at Wembley.
The following season, Arsenal would go all the way to Wembley again, winning the Cup they had only first won in 1930. Ted Drake turned in a cross from Cliff Bastin in the 74th minute to sink Second Division Sheffield United 1-0 before a crowd of more than 93,000.
‘Arsenal legend’ is an overused term, but the side that faced Brighton in 1935 was full of the genuine article, even though it was missing two of the greatest stars of the Chapman-era side. David Jack, the first footballer to command a £10,000 transfer fee (doubling the previous record), had recently retired; Alex James was out injured. At the end of the season, four of the squad, including three who played against Brighton, would need surgery. Injury crisis? It was ever so.
The team that faced Brighton:
Frank Moss (Goalkeeper) – England international and ‘keeper for the Chapman-era championship teams in the first half of the 1930s until a shoulder dislocation in 1935 ended his keeping career. He played on the left wing until retiring at end of season.
George Male (Right Back) – Chapman took a promising young left-half, played him at right back, and saw him blossom into the best full back in England and an Arsenal legend. He was the first footballer to play in six league title-winning teams (1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1938 and 1948).
Eddie Hapgood (Left Back) – Arguably the second best full-back in the country after George Male and another Arsenal legend with five league titles and two FA Cup winner’s medals to his name, as well as captaining club and country.
Jack Crayston (Right Half) – “Gentleman Jack” Crayston was a hard-tackling but skillful midfielder good enough to win eight caps for England. Came into the side in 1934, winning the league that year as an ever-present and again in 1938, as well as the FA Cup in 1936.
Herbie Roberts (Centre Half) – The fulcrum of the Arsenal defence in Chapman’s revolutionary WM formation (3-2-2-3 for younger ‘holics). A four-time league title winner, he was denied a fifth championship in 1937-38 when an injury early in the season before he had played the 13 games then necessary to qualify for a medal led to a premature retirement.
Wilf Copping (Left Half) – An ex-Yorkshire miner and a ferocious wee ball winner whose motto was “the first man in a tackle never gets hurt.” ‘The Iron Man’ was another England international and Arsenal great who would later manage the Belgium national team.
Joe Hulme (Outside Right) – Yet another Arsenal legend and England international, with three league titles and two FA Cups to his name. He was blisteringly fast, a great crosser of the ball and could score goals, though by 1935 injury was limiting his appearances.
Ray Bowden (Inside Right) – A stylish inside forward who got less recognition and fewer England caps than other members of Chapman’s star-studded forward line, but the Cornishman was an integral part of Arsenal’s success in the mid-1930s after taking over the playmaking from David Jack.
Ted Drake (Centre Forward) – Big, strong and fearless No 9 for both Arsenal and England. Newly arrived from Southampton the previous March, Drake enjoyed a golden full debut season: setting the still standing club record for goals scored in a season in both all competitions (44) and the league (42 in 41 games). He became the first person to win the league both as a player and a manager when his Chelsea team was crowned champions in 1954-55. (Editor’s note – Ned, how could you!)
Bob John (Inside Left) – The Welsh international had been a regular at left-back or left-half in the late 1920s and early ’30s sides, but was at the tail end of his career by 1935 having lost his place to Copping. He came into the side for the Brighton game in the absence of Alex James. John held the club record for league appearances (470) until George Armstrong passed that number in 1974.
Cliff Bastin (Outside Left) – Cliff ‘Boy’ Bastin was more a modern striker than a 1930s winger, fast and with a liking for cutting inside. Cool, clinical finishing made him a goal-scoring machine. His career haul of 178 goals in 395 games stood as the club record until Ian Wright bested it in 1997. Five league titles and two FA Cups solidify his status as an Arsenal legend.
Injury crisis, pacy, direct wingers, players switched from one position to become stars in another, players bought from Southampton, revolutionary tactics? There is nothing new under the sun. Let’s hope that’s true for the result on Sunday, too.
135 Responses to “Guest Post – Back To The Future, Brighton 1935”
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Great stuff!
Top 3!
Great article Ned, thankyou.
I had the privilege of meeting Ted Drake at a lunch in 1991 just after we had been confirmed champions. He was a true gentleman and clearly loved Arsenal to bits. Surprisingly for such a powerful and dynamic player he was quite short but my Dad told me he would dive through a brick wall to score
Lovely stuff, Ned, thank you.
I did choke a bit though at the mention of Drake winning a title for Chelsea – of which I had no idea.
Well done, monks.
Excellent article Ned. Thank you.
Here’s hoping for the same outcome.
Drink of choice on the bar.
Cheers Ned. Top stuff.
Thank you, ‘holics (and to the Guv’nor for posting it). Your kind words are much appreciated.
ttg/Trev: Jonathan Wilson’s history of tactics, “Inverting the Pyramid” — highly recommended if you’ve not read it — describes Ted Drake as “strong, powerful, brave and almost entirely unthinking” — qualities as suitable for a No 9 as a Chelsea manager.
ttg: long answer to your question about the “highest calibre” standard for work permits for non-EU players under the chevrons in the previous drinks. Long story short: we’ve done it before (as have most of the top Premiership clubs) so AW does have a shot with Paulista. He got Ryo and Santos through!
NBN – A great read. As you said, nothing new under the sun. 🙂
About work permit, Santos had already a few international appearances so I guess permit was easier to get , but I agree that Arsene would be sanguine about getting a permit for Paulista to make him the only CB signing in this window . Hayden is injured Ana Ajayi is off to Sunderland , so it would seem we are definitely bringing someone in this window .
…and Ajayi I meant …
Nice work, Ned! Both this and the one under the chevrons in the previous drinks.
Nice one, Ned. 🙂
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, our very own Delia among others will be aghast at the Federer bee sting drama.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/tennis/30911219
cracker 🙂
enjoyed that ned
but
in last late drinks just gone
beliefs of a 20yr old beggar
no interest to me
.
know yer readership 😉
If we got Ryo and Santos through the appeal process Gabriel should be a shoo-in.
Öskar
Those were the days, Ned, all mud and guts. Lovely stuff mate.
Öskar
Thanks Ned. Really good stuff- I’m learning!
Speaking of my tuition, you are in excellent company -David Jack’s grandson was my history teacher.
runnin outta capabilties
can drink like a giggly nun
the now
always thought
me liver
calls me aside
gives me the long face
i’d stop
but no
.
have to cut out swally
really
not good for you
apart from the benefits
.
anyhoo
more stupid shite
sorry
.
howdy ‘hol
howdy all
.
UP THE ARSENAL
🙂
Thanks Ned – good stuff. I particularly liked the highlights footage – goalies in flat caps getting bashed all over the place. Brilliant.
I wonder how Jens Lehman might have coped in those days, sensitive soul that he was.
UTA.
Certainly not in a cap. I see Lehmann as more of a fedora man.
Great Article Ned.
merry sideways drinkin
ye under achievers
.
and texas
yeah you
i didnt founce off
expecting carried back shoulder high
.
silly silly silly
wee boy
.
didn’t wanna drag
me dead wet dog of troubles
through
‘holic’s saloon bar and outdoor smokey tokey
anyhoo
.
cheerio now
.
I won’t be so much here
for a wee while
.
sellotaping me bits back on
.
.
.
THE ARSENAL
🙂
reach for it tex
.
😉
awwww
sixteen ton o holy hairy mary
.
show bbbc2 bout tatler magazine
.
fuckin fuck
who the fuck
and
why the fuck
do these fucks
think they are still
worth a fuck
.
they’re encouraged to
thats why
.
twats
.
such vacuous twaddle
get it all out sunshine. 🙂
up shortly
showing
shits
what i do/did
is not as easy as it looks or is ;)easier
.
bla de bla
.
indeed
Bla bla
Gimme money
😉
media industry
is a steaming pile
.
at least cattle are
honest about it
.
.
anyhoo
.
good night
.
talk in a few weeks
.
cheerio
.
.
THE ARSENAL
Thanks, again, All. Mud and guts, indeed, Otd.
Noosa@18:
Here’s a short clip from the Reading game in the 5th round. Watch for some fancy footwork from the keeper at around 30 seconds.
http://youtu.be/JA01H5MQqzk
Adam Gopnik — like his pieces on France and the French — writing about Houllebecq (whose new novel is out) and Eric Zemmour (a French TV journalist with a book of diatribe against modern France) in the latest New Yorker , brings up Football: “The result of the new free market in football is that French footballers, like Thierry Henry and Arsene Wenger, have become heroes in North and West London”.
Arsene Wenger. Footballer. West London. 🙁
I guess New Yorker’s pride about their fact-checking is not without hubris.
cba, get your arse back in here soon.
As one of those who persuaded me to carry on you have a duty, sir.
🙂
Cynic @ 19
A fedora for Jens? Surely a homburg would be more appropriate?
Ned @ 29
Brilliant – maybe Jens would have liked it after all.
UTA,
Cheers Ned, a thoroughly enjoyable read and always nice to learn a but our our illustrious history. I pity man city fans never being able too enjoy such tales.
Highly informative read in the last drinks too. Ryo was given a work permit as a highly talented player? Paulista must be in on that evidence!
Incidentally, if a fashionista is a person who follows fashion and has a keen eye for the latest trends, what does that make a paulista?
Noosa – I actually see Jens like this, with the addition of a 70s porno moustache. Coat and all.
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2008/05/06/PA.jpg
Paulista = Someone who follows this bloke around?
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/12/24/article-2252693-005C342300000258-197_306x464.jpg
You’ll like that…
I like that Cynic…not a lot, but I like it!
I think possible Lehmann looks are a moot point- Mad Jens tried to wear a hat once but his hair attacked it.
Cynic’s porno moustache (ahem) is definitely a winner though…
Top notch Ned.
A Trappist for you on the bar.
bt8b
I worry about Roger in the same way as I do about the Arsenal, particularly when watching the matches on the box. It’s quite different when I am actually in the stadium, probably due to having others around me to share the tension.
Just caught up with Arsene’s press conference. Looks as though Ozil will start and with a doubt over the Ox, Theo may well get one too. Surely the Club must have got the nod on a work permit for Paulista. With a price tag of 15m it would be taking a massive gamble to sign him without that assurance.
Ned
I wallow in nostalgia, must be my age, so really enjoyed a look back at the 30’s. The days when you could just turned up for an away cup game are in the distant past. Would love to be at Brighton on Sunday and envy all you lucky ticket holders.
COYRs
Excellent piece Ned
And Wilf Copping managed Belgium ?? Bloody hell
That is a fact as a weapon
Ned, you know I adore goalie trivia. Makes me wonder how many keepers would love a dual role …
Your last paragraph really well thought out, with pace as well. 😉
Cynic @45: Now Big Mal could wear a Fedora
H2H@40: OK. Who’s been talking… 😉
Delia@41: Different times. I remember turning up to a game at the old Dell back in the day. The ground was full, so the ticket-challenged just hopped the turnstiles.
abb@43: 🙂 Here’s clip for you of Paraguay’s great goalscoring keeper Chilavert: http://youtu.be/bGAwjTizCjE
Hey Ned, Jose was a behemoth of a man, why some of those free kicks were taken from considerable distance (wow factor 🙂 )
Ned, with the holics reminiscing about Jens (miss his antics!), got me to thinking. What better way for a goalie to make amends, then to be given a chance to make up for it? A well taken PK would bolster his confidence, by leaps and bounds!
Well, I’m just caught up with this whole goalie thing. Remember holics, years ago we had a lively discussion on penalty shoot outs. Our love/hate relationship with the concept that a hard fought match hinged on our boys delivering the goods under monumental pressure! 8ball, I think it was you, who said you didn’t enjoy the prospect of us having to go this route. But for me, why I’m over the moon with the excitement it always brings. And with Champs League, my goodness, we are surely going to get our day in the sun, our lads lined up (praying their ever loving hearts out), as they await their turn. And Woj or Ospina, or Martinez trying their very best to be brave and victorious! 🙂
Sorry for being so chatty Delia and fellas, but I’m on a footie high! 🙂
Now, now, abb. You know nobody, least of all you, needs to use the ‘s’ word here. 🙂
NBN.
A mightily extroverted chap, that Chilavert.
Not to mention some of the other fellows in the games in your clip, like Valderrama for one. You might think they were attending a Latin American carnival or something. 😉
Not sure who to support in the game between Cape Verde Islands and democratic (small d intended) Republic of the Congo, although I have always liked Mulumbu’s name. The only problem is the more I look down the rosters, the better the names get. 🙂
Cape Verde Islands: Vozinha, Carlitos, Fernando Varela, Stopira, Gege, Rocha, Lima, Babanco, Kuca, Ryan Mendes, Tavares. Subs: Somada, Kay, Semedo, Odair Fortes, Toni Varela, Heldon, Rodrgues, Platini, Jeffrey Fortes.
DR Congo: Kidiaba, Mongongu, Kimwaki, Kasusula, Issama, Mbemba, Mulumbu, Mabidi, Cedrick, Bolasie, Mbokani. Subs: Kudimbana, Oualembo, Munganga, Makiadi, Kage, Kebano, Mabele, Kabananga, Zakuani, Bokila, Mubele, Mandanda.
I do assume the position of Stopira, who plays for Cape Verde Islands, is a goalkeeper or a goalstopping defender. 🙂
I do notice though that DR Congo have 12 substitutes and Cape Verde Islands only 10. It must mean something.
Thanks Holic 😉
0-0 (HT) @ 50. Can’t watch cause my cable provider is umm, ‘stingy’.
Arsene is making us taller. Not you and me, but our latest acquisitions.
Chambers is 6′ even. Paulista (Not a done deal, but let’s pretend) is 6’1″ and Bielik 6’2″. Now that’s what you call a tall order. 😉
abb. Chambers looks taller than 6′ even, and on youtube Bielik looked at least 6’2″ but have you forgotten about Mertesacker? So long as he stays around he will maintain our height quotient to a respectable standard. 😉
I’m not watching the ACON matches either, just following the start of that one on the BBC website. Mulumbu was carried off on a stretcher in the first half so I must have jinxed him and should stop altogether.
Hi 8ball 🙂 Yes, Per @6’6″ is the undisputed king! But he’s not ‘new'(ish).
And I highly doubt your positive vibes caused poor Mulumbu’s injury 😉
bt8b, given that the population of the Cape Verde islands is about the same as Camden and Islington combined, perhaps 10 subs is all they can muster.
abb. I never doubted you for a second on your Per recall. 🙂
NBN. Your answer may not be the correct one, but it certainly is the first. 🙂
No doubt my attentions re: the ACON games were misguided today. BBC website tells me it was a 0-0 draw. Should have been watching Zambia 1-2 Tunisia whose rosters are not short of great names either, not least of all Singuluma, the standout Zambian. Namewise, that is. 🙂
That is a line I will save for future use, bt8b.
cheers ‘hol
i will
when i can
.
keep on keepin on
and
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2LR02-cOfFU#
a holic union
fuck
a force to be reckoned with
see ya in a wee while big man
.
cheers
.
.
THE ARSENAL
A.A. Gill on vocals
🙂
.
sorry
.
😉
.
cheerio fella
🙂
What’s this 1935 stuff?
Come on NBN, according to Sky, football only started in 1992 😉
Seriously though, great post. I love reading about our past exploits because it puts a lot of things into perspective.
A pint of Guinness is on the counter for ya!
mind you
not gettin carted off
til tuesday
enough time
to b’rst bu bbles
.
in alphabetical order
ye are a feckin shower
of ye know ye ares
top of the range
arseholes
🙂
.
typical
🙁
everybody in overtheresomewhereland
ignores me
.
yer loss
I
Know Val Doonican
.
alsofuckinrans
VAL KNOWS!!!
(thrice)
Nice job, Ned.
BMBD
I had you figured for one of the Bachelors, cba. 🙂
Great read on the 30s. Loved the player profiles especially, somehow brought the whole era to life. Interesting read here, cynical but believable somehow ; http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/players-gave-me-advice-on-how-to-beat-city-admits-arsene-wenger-308591.html
No training pics on the dot.con so far. Is it because we are about to unleash a secret weapon?
Almost certainly not, bt8b.
Bath and 8ball, It used to be predictable who our goalie would be for a Cup game (our #2). Not sure who our #2 is anymore!
Which leads me to Joe, who many drinks ago went on a rant about Woj smoking. Many of us blew him off (pun intended 😉 )
Looks like Joe was onto something.
However, if you read ScGooner’s offering, you will see that Joe was not spot on about Wenger losing the dressing room. AW has the respect of our lads and they’ve got his back. 🙂
And that my friends, is what we call in the biz, a wrap. 😉
Well done to Dicky Dosh and Cambridge.
Let’s all laugh at Manure.
Cambridge manager looked like he was dressed to rob a bank. Come to think on it, maybe he was. 🙂
CoR@61: At least Taisho 6, not Heisei 4. But what do the big noses as Sky know.
http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~tousyu/
bt8b@68: Secret weapon, indeed. Exclusive footage of it in testing:
http://youtu.be/Nc2To-pKMSg
Evening chums,
Preview to follow tomorrow. I’ll pump the ‘holic pound on the most popular prediction between now and tomorrow 5pm.
🙂
1-0 to the Seagulls H
The price will be formidably attractive – the return ample
The downside of thd loss of the bet financially and psychologically negligible
I predict a sweaty 2-1 to the Arsenal, Guvna.
Nice to see the Van Gaal cracks beginning to appear:
“Every aspect of that match was against us. It’s always the same. You can give your own opinion.”
Sorry, bath, I’d rather not see any of van balls’ cracks around here…
3-1 to our laddies, holic. In memory of the holicdad, maybe even guided by his invisible hand (ball). 😉
0-4.
Öskar
NBN. Couldn’t tell if that was Szczesny in goal for the Arsenal, what with all the smoking going on, but it looks like we adapted tactically in the second half to do a more than adequate job. 🙂
:), bt8b.
Ah, bath beat me to it –
LvG, “Every aspect of that match was against us”.
That’ll be apart from being the “biggest club in the world” as they constantly tell everyone, the hundreds of millions spent on the very eleven who were on the pitch last night, and the fact that they were playing a team from League 2 who couldn’t even afford to let their players swap shirts at the end unless they bought their own replacements.
When are the media going to start hammering this arrogant tortoise impersonator ( there, that should give them a start ) with the same kind of abuse hurled at that stubborn, French – “I did not see it!” – Wenger bloke, who can’t even do his own coat up – as one of the major broadcasters reminds us every weekend.
Strangely though, I’m quite pleased van Gaal is at ManUre, it’s making it very easy to start seriously disliking them all over again. As if I ever stopped. 😉
If we approach it with the same attitude as last week, a comfortable 3-1 to The Arsenal, Holic.
Might even be a goal in it for attack, attack, Attackpom !
Odds to score at any time ? 😉
Blogs claims to be ITK about rumours for next season’s away kit.
Black & Gold!!
Fucking disgrace. Really want to look like a bunch of Subway Army retards.
Time something was done about kit designers. Like shoot the fucking lot of them.
Black and gold = Barnet, Hull, Wolves etc
Also, Claude Makelele probably was a monster.
Check if he was conveniently “injured” whenever there was a full moon. It’s as good as proof.
Another also.
Third kit is ‘anthracite’. That’s coal.
Cue jokes about that “awful fracking kit” and wondering if it can only be bought by minors.
Think about it.
But not too long or you might get brain damage.
If true, come back Nike all is forgiven. Current kit manufacturers? Poo_ma.
4-1 to the Arsenal. Late goals galore.
There is a piece on Untold Arsenal today alleging that our injury crisis is entirely due to deliberate fouling and / or referee corruption. I have failed to copy it on my phone but would be interested in Trev’s views and any other sane Gooners. Refs might be rubbish but they’re honest!
‘Tortoise impersonator’ – good work Trev.
I am going to agree thoroughly with young Oskar. 0-4 please.
Yaya scored!!! 🙂
ttg,
i spent a lot of time putting together the reasons why I believe our players are particularly susceptible to injury.
Any player is likely to be injured by deliberate fouling and I would say there is an intent by some of our opponents to target some of our smaller creative players.
But that would account far more for impact injuries, not the sort of recurring soft tissue tears and strains suffered by our players.
A nine year injury crisis caused by deliberate fouling and referee corruption ?
Frankly, that is lazy bollocks.
Esso et al: Plymouth and Burnley, both of which wear Puma shirts, have given supporters final say on their home and away strips for 2015-16 respectively. Fans got to vote for one of three options.
Here’s the Burnley choice:
http://www.footballkitnews.com/13917/burnleys-new-201516-away-shirt-will-be-yellow/
Looks like they got a job lot from our 2010-11 and 2011-12 third kit.
By the way, we won the cup in 1950 wearing an old gold shirt, white shorts and black and old gold hooped socks.
AH………. BRADFORD!
😀
Wolfie making the big-money switch to Norway? SK Brann will be playing in latex rubber shirts…
http://www.footballshirtculture.com/15/16-Kits/sk-brann-2015-hummel-rubber-home-football-shirt.html
..and lovely Leicester!
And superb Palace…. Sanogo!
😀
Suddenly tomorrow doesn’t look as straight forward as it seems for us…!
Time to be cautiously optimistic.
City close to going out vs. Middlesborough. City defense is a joke. They are playing as if they could be in trouble for a CL slot.
Laughing so hard at Chelsea I think I’m going to shit myself.
It’s a bloody Disgrace ..isn’t it Jose???!?!
Pure and simple now!
😀
..and not to forget Boro too!
Brilliant stuff all around!
😀
Mourinho will be all over the ref later, you wait…
What a great afternoon for us, if we don’t blow it.
The Chavs and Citeh out. Let’s not screw it up at Brighton. The Cup suddenly looks very winnable.
I love FA Cup.
If Carlsberg made FA Cup results!
Don’t forget the Spuds and Southampton out as well! Unbelievable! We better win tomorrow now. If only Liverpool loses today as well:)
Betfair has us favourites at 3-1, just ahead of the Mancs at 10-3 and the Mugsmashers at 7-2. Then it is West Ham (12-1) West Brom and Stoke (both 16-1).
Re: Bayonne Jean @97. Correct. City defence is looking quite suspect and the surprising thing about it is that Kompany is one of the chief culprits.
Quality of football in lower leagues have improved so much. ‘Boro was all over City in their counter-attacks, could had a couple of goals earlier.
Happy for Sanogo. Hope he and the Moroccan help Palace to takes off few points in the league from the teams above us.
And how did that uber-tactician, the master-manager, the very special genius lose a game 4-2 at home being 2-0 up against a lower league opposition? No quadruple for him, how sad! 🙂
Must win tomorrow.
There are no easy teams in the FA cup… results just reiterates the fact!
Did chelski lose by two goals after going ahead 2-0 at home too?!?!
Does wonders for the confidence i’ll bet!
DISGRACE = Jose Mouninho!
😀
Re: BB @95. And not to forget agent Chamakh the oily haired one. 🙂
Must not be complacent at all tomorrow… Play Alexis and make sure the bench is well stocked!
Can smell the blood in the water for this one. Time we hung on to the cup for another year!
😀
How funny is today turning out to be 🙂
Chelski, Spuds and Shitty all out !!
Great day.
@bt8b
Sometimes i think it’s a whole grand plan to let some of our players go so they can wreck havoc on our rivals.
It’s finally come to fruition.. took a long while but it was worth it!
😀
Chelsea’s season is now moving on an interesting trajectory. From an expectation in some circles of matching the invincibles, in the last few weeks they have seen setbacks by 5-3 at White Hart Lane and now a 2-4 home defeat to League One Bradford including four consecutive Bradford goals to give up a comfortable 2-0 heading into half time.
When apples go rotten the trend is not reversible. 🙂
Dear old Jose: “A much better team can loose.” And “I don’t feel so upset with myself because I did my work properly.” But he did feel “happy for Bradford,” so that’s all right then.
And he was right when he said the other day that it was impossible for Chelsea to win the quadruple.
@NBN
Read that.. utterly lacks respect and no class whatsoever.
So what’s new?
🙂 😀
Chelski got what they deserve and it couldn’t have happened to a better manager, the moaning one.
Ah what a day! Amazing results all around and Pool isn’t certain yet as well.
😀
What a day. What an unbelievable day of shocks.
CSKA Fulham lose at home to Bradford.
Citeh lose at home to Boro.
The comedy spuds lose at home to Leicester.
Southampton lose at home to Palace.
Sanogo scores.
All massive shocks. What a day.
BB @111. I tend to agree with you that we should play Alexis. Our tempo and pressuring never drop so long as he is in the team and it will be a difficult game. Alexis didn’t get much credit for his performance against City but he was taking a lot of pressure off the other Arsenal players because City were paying him so much attention. We can’t let up just because Brighton are lower tier opposition and having Alexis on the pitch is one of the best ways to assure that we do not let up, not to mention that we have our best goal scoring threat available to us.
@bt8b
Yes, we underestimate them at our own peril. If am not mistaken, they did win 4 out of their last 5 matches and they’ll be up for it now that these astounding results are out. Although I feel that Arsene would probably play Ozil and Theo while Santi may get a day off after that tireless and magnificent shift he put it.
Everyone feels like they’ll have a chance now! Doesn’t matter who we play, it’ll be tough from here onwards.
We must persevere and keep up the pressure…
.. lest we fall into a similar fate that one team in particular would like 2-4 get!
😀
Up The Arse!
I would say something clever about today’s results if only I wasn’t so busy laughing my bollocks off 😆 😆 😆
One more delectable part of a day that just keeps on giving.
Five combined goals against in the last 15 minutes for Chelsea and Sp*rs.
It’s like the three headed hound of Hell dozed off or something. 🙂
Come on Bolton!
Brilliant results… replays for Pool and Man U!
Let’s get the job done on our end tomorrow.
😀
Worst wig ever?
http://metro.co.uk/2015/01/24/former-chelsea-captain-dennis-wise-steals-limelight-from-fa-cup-shocks-with-horrendous-hairdo-5035088/
Well the schadenfreude today is of the very highest quality, but I trust Gooners everywhere are knocking on all available wood tonight. Hopefully today’s results are a stern warning for the Arsenal in their preparations.
Would love to rest Sanchez but I agree with BB/8ball that it’s probably best to play him. The games are nicely spaced apart at the moment. With him and Theo making the runs and Ramsey and Ozil to find them, should be able to wreak some real havoc.
Win the next one.
Social science research must provide some hint as to whether it is more demoralizing to lose an FA Cup tie straightaway or to lose the replay. If not I am sure the current generation of social science researchers will be able to use the Liverpool and Manchester United eeplays to good advantahe in comparison with today’s losers. HA HA!!
eeplays = replays
advantahe = advantage
Typing on this tiny keyboard is proving quite a challenge. 🙁
Villarreal have confirmed we have done a deal for Gabriel with Joel Campbell going the other way on loan.
I enter my 65th year tomorrow and am returning to the UK hoping that the Gunners are going to give me a birthday present of a win at Brighton as they did two years ago. But after the way this round has gone it looks like a banana skin.
Good to hear that we have signed Paulista subject to a work permit. The squad now gives us lots of options although we are a trifle thin upfront. Expect Akpom to play a bigger part going forward to convince him to stay.
Well well. Good on Arsene – especially since there were other cheaper options on offer. Looks like he stepped up and paid the price for what he believed to be the best available option. Can’t ask for much more than that.
Meanwhile I don’t think we were ever getting a DM this window, so we can all be grateful for the emergence of Coquelin.
Been a stellar month so far! Win the next one.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Many happy returns ttg!
What a set of results eh chaps! Tomorrow’s game has gone from a fun prospect to a bona fide nail-biter. Before I was thinking, Be nice to get to the 5th round and have a little cup run but no way we can defend our our trophy. Now I’m saying, Gadzooks! Victory is imperative!
How does Liverpool in the final sound? Get our own back for that final they nicked off us and Carragher or perhaps Hyppia (anyone set me straight on that?) got away with a blatant handball blocking Henry’s shot.