Bravado But Then We Kiss Good Bayern To The Champions League Again
Mar 8th, 2017 by 'holic
UEFA, I have a plea. Your flagship competition is sponsored by the world’s leading brewers, and those of us who have no option but to watch a team that has devised ever more ways to tumble out of the competition in the round of sixteen need something stronger than the Bovril I revisited from my youth last night. How about it? Even if you cannot organise competent officials please give us the means to be able to cope with them.
The Bovril, however, meant I watched the match with a very clear head and enabled me to enjoy, along with most others in the stadium, almost an hour of the best performance we have seen from an Arsenal team since the Chelsea home game in September. It wasn’t just the Bovril that took me back fifty years. The practice of lobbing unravelling toilet rolls brought the memories flooding back. Pity the Bayern fans who needed them at half-time.
The match most of you will have seen, and so too much detail isn’t necessary. With Mesut Ozil dropped to the bench for having been ‘ill’ we fielded a trio of Aaron Ramsey, Granit Xhaka, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in midfield. They had an energy and understanding that has been absent from our performances for too long. Ahead of them Theo Walcott and Alexis buzzed menacingly. Only Giroud looked hampered, looking as though he may be playing with an injury.
We deserved the advantage that Walcott’s impressive strike gave us, and it was a shame he found the side netting rather than repeating the effort minutes later. Bayern weren’t rocking in any way shape or form, but they were far from comfortable and Ancelotti was frowning and pacing to and fro in his technical area. When we were denied a penalty for Alonso’s challenge on Walcott I think we feared the worst.
After the break Giroud was just unable to get over a superb ball into the box and looped his header just over the bar. Little did we know that would be the end of the joyride. As the crowd berated the assistant for half-raising then dropping his flag by his side Lewandowski got the wrong side of Laurent Koscielny and tumbled to earth in familiar fashion. Yes, he bought it, but Kos should have known better than to allow contact on the wrong side.
What followed was bizarre to the same degree as Robin van Persie’s dismissal at Barca in 2011. Koscielny was shown a yellow card straight away, a couple of Bayern players spoke to the referee and the wand pointer behind the goal, and the referee changed his mind and produced a red card. I haven’t seen any replays, but in the ground it looked and felt very wrong indeed.
Thereafter the match took on a very familiar hue. Without the skipper any degree of defensive organisation collapsed, aided and abetted by yet more controversial non-calls by the assistant on the south west touchline who beat a hasty retreat down the tunnel as the referee blew for time on a second consecutive 1-5 drubbing.
I would love to love Bayern. They went for the jugular when the opportunity presented itself. They killed time when necessary, tumbled to earth when they needed to tumble. In truth I think many would like to see the Gunners get a little bit more street wise. I hope they go on and win the competition so we have that piteously small consolation left, to claim it took the winners to beat us.
Afterwards there was sadness on the trudge back to the station (having waited until the final whistle I avoided the crush!). There is an end of era feel to it all, but the vast majority remain behind the team on match days whilst hoping common sense will prevail. Towards the end there were a few protesting souls at the Clock End Lower who tried to get their “You’re killing our club” nonsense going. It died rapidly to be replaced by an equally unsupported chorus of “One Arsene Wenger” from the Clock End Upper.
And so to the 10.45 from Paddington, sponsored presumably by UEFA. “We are sorry to announce there is no buffet service on this train tonight”.
Summed it all up, really.
114 Responses to “Bravado But Then We Kiss Good Bayern To The Champions League Again”
Sanogoooooooooooooo
Get in.
Mmm Bovril!
Pippy! โบ๏ธ
Measured report Holic, good on you!
Now to save our season! Bovril perhaps? ๐
No beer, no buffet, no Holic pound, no cheer. Good summary.
We had six good chances to score before the red card (Giroud 3, Walcott 3). We took one and at this level that isn’t nearly enough.
Are you traipsing into town again on Saturday? I anticipate a pre and post match snifter at the Tolly.
Thanks ‘H.
Don’t envy you at all having to summon the strength from somewhere to write this post.
Hi ‘Holic, hope you are keeping well.
I am Pip, thanks. You too I trust. Still in the south-west?
BtM, good man. Pre and post match indeed. Let’s put the world to rights. ๐
Great read H. I’ve not seen any of the game but feel your pain.
I had no idea that once issuing a card that you could just upgrade like that??
Despite the result I have read some positives. Having not seen any off the officiating for once I’m going to join the masses and say that they were a total disgrace.
See you on Saturday in the Tolly. Apparently BTM is in town? Hoping he will enjoy a bit of Calcutta Cup action before heading to the game.
Up the Gunners.
Yes, it’s very damp here today.
Fine account Guvna. A bit of a curate’s egg of an evening.
I trust that Charalambos Kalogeropoulos will Charalambos Kalogeropoulos off, the utter Charalambos Kalogeropoulos.
And you’re sending it our way! ๐
I saw his name, and thought bollocks to that, bath. Life is too short to be typing all that! ๐
Sharing folk down here!
H @ 14, I’ve got the Charalambos Kalogeropoulos on cut and paste.
I would love to love Bayern
I wouldn’t
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/live-experience/cps/480/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2017/3/7/e85cf3dc-c5f3-4f8a-bd79-5a15dbb4e05c.png
Wish some retired ref would write his anonymous memoirs and state clearly why they have it in for us in the CL …reminiscence of the Van Persie sent off!
Still we have deep rooted problems that seem more mental than anything else based on the performance of the first half. Not sure if that can be remedied with the same set of players (or manager for that matter).
Be interesting to see if Arsene stays, my thoughts is that he probably would not if we finish out of the top 4 ..which seems increasingly likely.
Whichever it is, it grows increasingly obvious that we shall lose Alexis next season..which is a shame really.
Araene Wenger is more or less like African leaders who feel they are the only ones that can rule. They keep ruling without results for decades, but keep on blackmailing the nation on how they liberate us from colonial masters. African leaders do not resign. They have excuses for everything. They sit tight to seat of power and want to remain their whether the populace are happy or not. This is Arsene Wenger.
Great report Holic, worth the wait ๐
A fair report GH as always and I
admire you for writing it. I’d of
been tempted to write “The lads
played great and showed some
class and pride but unfortunately
someone drugged my bovril and
I fell asleep in the 52nd minute.
We lost. The End.
Things are grim but roll on
Lincoln and hopefully we can
leave our troubles in Vic Akers
kitbag.
no journey softening gins , ‘holic
LIBERTY !
*hastily cobbles together strongly worded letter to the choo choo man*
Nicely done, ‘Holic. You have again acquitted yourself admirably in the face of testing times.
I’m with Cynic on loving Bayern. How can you love a team with Ribery and Robben?
I interpret the Guvna’s “I would love to love Bayern” as meaning that he definitely does not love Bayern for the very same reasons as Cynic, NBN and myself. I know exactly what he means and despite their odious qualities I share his desire to see them prove that their superiority to us in both legs of this tie is also demonstrated against the likes of Barca, Real Madrid and PSG.
Excellent and fair match report once again, ‘holic, and many thanks. Particularly for the description of the in-stadium atmosphere, which just seems to get weirder.
I now have a mental image of H on Top of the Pops, breathlessly whisper/singing a semi orgasmic “Love to Love You Bayern”, cued in by Kid Jensen.
a horror image shared
a horror image halved
THERE’S ONLY ONE SEE WHY EN ICK !
ONE C Y N I C
.
ya dirty thought sharing fuck
we need to talk about cynic
‘holic ?
some chance
?
rhyming is thicker than water
oi !
SWINDON !!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgSgIbveiQI
clique based communities rarely flourish
Many Volcanoes Emit Mulberry Jam Sandwiches Under Normal Pressure
*retracts moooooooooooooooooooooo s previous*
.
*clunks off*
I believe the correct description in the modern vernacular is ROFL ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzFu6SmRx3k
See ya, raise ya
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXpP1-mdkzA
Alf ?
BadaBING innit.
Barcelona or Man City, that is the question.
And the answer?
Steak and kidney pie.
I may be gone some time…
You mean the Kolkata Cup, Steve? ๐ Pop into the Tolly and buy me and Holic a round on your way to your home defeat at Twickers. Been too long since I saw that cheeky smile and the green stuff in your wallet.
I’m at the home of rugby power for the Irish game on March 18.
BTM
You jest ! England with our Aussie coach are superior to your boys with your Kiwi coach! When you win the Cup your lads give it a kicking anyway??
Very sensible and lucid report Holic. Arsene wanted us to play with lucid rage and we did until the penalty. After that we were beyond pathetic. No professional team should ever be taken apart like we were.
I really enjoyed the Tottenham joke today- I was going to send this at 11 o’clock but I sent it at ten to. Schadenfreude is unpleasant when you are the ones generating it. Schadenfreude came on as a sub at the end and set up two goals.
It cost me ยฃ90 to miss that one. Well worth it. Nice to hear them respecting a good man- but it won’t last if he tries to cling on
BBC reports Stoke are looking dangrous. I hope that’s not similar to gangrenous. For Stoke’s sake, I mean.
Looks like Barcelona didn’t give up the way Arsenal did.
if that Barca penalty doesn’t make you think the fix is in, I don’t know what would.
Didn’t watch the game Ned but I am inclined to take your word for it anyway. Still a remarkable comeback.
A dodgy pen doesn’t make it a fix. It was only obvious in slow mo. That was some comeback our sorry shower could only dream of.
bt8
You are joking me mate aren’t you? Do you honestly this was an honest win?
If you cheat you win that penalty was a a blatant disgusting cheating by Suarez who got booked earlier and does it again and fools the refs!
VIDEO TECHNOLOGY PLEASE!
UEFA = You cheat you WIN
Sure helps when the ref isn’t again you…!
ATG, I really didn’t watch the game. Had too much yesterday. But I don’t doubt what you and bath say about the fixin’
Green stuff BTM??? Green??? Blimey. That just shows how long it had been since you last removed the shackles on your wallet?
See you in there. Looking forward to it.
woo hoo 50
bt8
No worries I just hate cheats and Suarez got booked for cheating in the box before this and then he does it again! Outrages!
This is why football is never going to be a fair until they do something about it!
steve
you are on the list mate
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Well I guess that’s how you come back from a four goal deficit? That should at least take some of the headlines away from us.
I hope ABB was watching. If you still visit this bar then I hope uoybafe fit and well lovely lady.
CBA. Stop bloody moaning. It’s International Bird Day after all.
Call is Uefalona if we must ๐
When you’re big enough, big man.
?
Sorry, Ned was the first one (I think) who said Barca’s match was fixed, not bath.
there’s only one steve T
champion as ever
love here love the gooners here
Ooooooohaaaaaaahhhhh the big six Ooooooohaaaaaaahhhhh
Gives PSG the perfect excuse to sack their manager and hire their bessie mate Wenger.
At least I hope so.
going to bed
she frisbeed a plate at me
duck egg over me eye
.
people aren’t nice
say what ye want
.
interesting inclusion of me imp fail
1970s
i dunno
the war is over
Maybe if they’d have given the Theo pen..and Theo, OG decided to slide passes across instead of shooting..and maybe if we finally accept what’s wrong with our team.. Belief!
?
‘h
i won’t be back
For all the Neymar/Suarez diving you have to admire Barca today.
Coulda been us … if we had those two plus Messi and Iniesta, Busquets, Mascherano and several others…
Or if Theo had been given a pen and then we’d scored a lucky third. Bayern could easily have folded under pressure.
Bloody annoying that Barca should have won like that the day after we didn’t. @#*&%^??!!&(()^$#^^&*??)””!!!!!!!!! Fuck.
Well done finding some positives among the wreckage, ‘holic!
You’ll be back cba. ๐
Chris
Nothing to admire tbh, it’s a shame football is going down this path.
Pundits now say it’s ok to cheat, it’s for the team come on!
No wonder young kids will do the same it’s the society we live in now!
They also played some beautiful football, ATG, and didn’t give up when PSG scored. And don’t tell me Sanchez wouldn’t do a Neymar/Suarez if he was in the same position.
Yes it’s part of the game, sadly, but when the officials are so easily fooled what do you expect? Everyone knows it isn’t cricket after all. ๐
Surprise surprise. After getting totally humiliated and seeing the way the wind is blowing (finally) with the fan base, concerning Stan, a story appears the the board will have to be convinced Wenger can give the club success before they will “let him stay”
Errrmโฆ the same story also says that everything is agreed on an extension, so unless they effectively sack him by withdrawing the offer, nothing’s going to change and they’re just greasing the crowd up.
Rarely with you on Theo, Chris, but agree on the pen shifting our game too. Bridged waters..
What i did see yesterday was should be our formation leading to next season. Theo/Welbz, Rambo/ Neny, Santi/Xhaka with a 433.
Sorry but, Ozil and Alexis might be our best players, but they are not worth the club.
Imagine if Dennis never played hard because ‘the other team had more possesion’?!?
Every players makes up for Ozil. And Sanchez, how many thru passes does he miss while he dribbles to cheers? The team has to compensate for the brilliance of two, 2!, players who have obvious shortcomings that led to elite teams letting them go. And they two of them have Not learned.
What our front line should be next season, Ochi, is something like Reus, Cavani, Griezmann. With Forsberg in the รzil spot and Xhaka alongside Santi or Rambo. And another LB and possibly another CB.
In my dreams!
Jeez, it used to be only me dissing รzil, now everyone’s getting in on the act!
And/or rediscovering the ability to put the ball in the net regularly.
Just to clarify the change of law 12 about red cards for denial of goal scoring opportunities in the penalty area, there is nothing about intention, except for deliberate handball, or about โupper body offencesโ. Full text of the amendment:
http://resources.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/ifab/02/76/86/50/denialofagoalscoringopportunityfinalversionen_neutral.pdf
If not playing the ball is cause for a red card, why wasn’t the PSG defender who ‘brought down’ Suarez last night sent off?
NBN
Because rules are not followed and some teams will go through despite being 4:0 behind anyhow.
Wenger laying out his own storyline for leaving with comments in the presser that the fans will influence his decision on staying. So he is basically inviting those who want him out to make the atmosphere at games so poisonous that he can say he was forced out.
So weak. So pathetic.
And you wonder why his team is so fucking weak when things get tough?
Just make the decision to go without laying the reason for leaving at someone else’s door. Have some bloody courage man.
Sir Chips has spoken.
Thank God he’s cleared that up.
It’s unfortunate that Arsene Wenger is being insulted so brazenly by those that should know better.
He’s got to go doesn’t mean he should be tarred and feathered. The kind of abuse directed at him in this most sensible of forums has left me reeling.
Guys, please just stop.
If you think calling him weak is abuse you have lived a very sheltered life.
Nobody at this club has any balls. They should sack him or he should say he’s going, or if he wants to stay he should have the nutsacks to sign the contract.
Instad he has invited people to make the atmosphere in the ground toxic if they want him out.
What SG says at 85. Ridiculous behaviour. Frankly, part of me hopes he stays and succeeds just to piss these venomous morons off.
Wenger is a good man who loves Arsenal. He is not performing well but I will always respect him although I’ve disagreed with him significantly over the years.
That is why I hope he goes at the end of the season. The fans can show their appreciation rather than their anger and the club can move on. I don’t want him to tarnish that legacy further.
Re Barca, the penalty was a pathetic decision and Marquinhos only got a yellow card for it. No consistency there. Barca kept going but to concede three goals in under ten minutes is a sign of a team without backbone.
I hate the Chavs with a vengeance but when they went 2-0 down to Barca in the Nou Camp with Terry off they regrouped and got a draw. When the ginger tosser Durkin sent off Van Bronckhorst at Anfield it was 0-0 and he didn’t send Dudek off for the pen we then got. But down to ten men we held on and won 2-1. That’s what proper teams do. What we did in both second halves against Bayern was pitiful
I refuse to be goaded.
Arsene Wenger deserves the utmost respect, he’s earned it.
Just read this and found it interesting………http://www.skysports.com/football/news/15118/10794349/alexis-sanchez8217s-running-and-sprint-stats-hint-at-arsenal-problem
Chips may as well have just said ; “It’s true, we don’t listen to fans ever and we will never, ever sack our Manager”. The “but” was the key word in his and the club’s statement. Strap yourself in, the next couple of months is going to be pretty horrible.. Poor Wenger, thinks he can win the FA Cup again, ie, take on THIS YEAR’S top four. I suppose he’ll resign the second we’re out of the Cup. Unfortunately the faithful have, for the last few years, always allowed him to hide behind that competition. By leaving it till semi-final time, he shows a selfish disregard for the transition and fails to give a new regime the chance and time to retain Alexis. He also hurts his own chances of re-employment but his ego may be stopping him from thinking straight right now.
TTG makes a superb point and I’ll be a bit more aggressive about it. This stuff about the inevitability of capitulation playing with 10 men, for the Manager to go on like this, it’s a massive insult to our intelligence and, at the same time, a disgraceful admission of inability to deal with adversity of any sort. What happened to the old “Ten men are really hard to play against” !!??? But I suppose it’s just another one of those default excuses ; referee, too short a break, too long a break, international matches, etc, etc. I hope “sick bug” isn’t another, perhaps we would have been shutting the f*ck up about that ahead of Lincoln City. After their 4-0 win I get the impression those lads are foaming at the mouth.
Solid Gooner.. whatever respect you think Wenger has earned over the past 20 years doesn’t warrant him acting like he owns the damn club. He is a fucking employee, and shouldn’t be the one deciding when he wants to go. People act like he is Mother Theresa or something. Like he saved the world from some Famine. He is an employee and what has he done in the past three years to warrant a new 2 year contract. I don’t get it. Let him go to one of those big clubs and go a year or two without a Trophy, guess what, he will be gone in a second. If fans raising banners saying ” thanks for the memories but its time to go” is an abuse then I don’t know what to tell you. Its so funny how the board members 20 years ago had the guts/ balls to hire him, but the ones today don’t have the balls to say Wenger its time to go.. What a joke of a club we have become 20 years on.
“A fucking employee” Really? Does he provide a stud service as well? Good man, Arsene.
“HE is Mother Theresa” and a transgender employee at that! Long may he/she bring his/her saintly talents to his/her reign.
“Go for two years and be gone in a second” even Nic Cage isn’t faster and furiouser than that but he is funnier when he gets his balls out for his driver which for him is a bit of a joke of a club.
A little more nonsense to add to the large heap that’s building.
SAG @ 91 above – Craig Burley from ESPN FC used the same “Mother Theresa” reference 2 days ago.
If The Burley One has spoken, it must be true ๐
Did he have his teeth in or was he whistling through the gap?
Cynic @87, This is what Wenger said when he was ASKED a question about fan protests being an issue he would consider when deciding his future :
โYes. Of course, you consider everything.
โIt will not be the most important factor, but you consider it of course.โ
It is a matter of fact answer to a question in a press conference that had just one agenda – to make him speak something which can be quoted partially or out of context and made into a headline the next day. And voila the first person to fall for it is someone like yourself.
There are merits and demerits of announcing his decision right now. But primarily as Holic pointed out in a brilliant article a few days back – Wenger wouldn’t announce a decision to quit because he is not a person to ever make it about himself.
And calling him weak or not having balls isn’t abuse at all – is it?? But anyway what I found particularly revolting was when after the Liverpool defeat (or the Bayern first leg – don’t remember correctly and am not bothered to look back if it was you or someone else) he was told to be suffering from mental ailments because he is now 67 years old… I have seen someone very close to me suffer from one of those and it is not something I would curse on my worst enemy. I just don’t have words really.
And Sanantonio to repeat an analogy by Craig Burley is a real low for the standards set in this bar… To have someone point out with pride that it was – is just the cherry on top….
Maybe it’s worth reminding ourselves ” Victory Through Harmony “
Calling him weak is not abuse, it’s an opinion of his behaviour. If anyone really thinks that’s abuse, they’re a bit weak themselves. In my opinion.
I also said that NOBODY at this club has any balls. Do you think that’s inaccurate?
Also I did not say he was suffering with mental ailments.
What I did say was that a medic I know was of the opinion that he was showing the signs of a certain illness. She is highly qualified and has dealt with this particular illness many many times in her career.
I didn’t specify what it was, if you want to believe I was implying mental illness that perhaps reflects your own concerns rather than mine. I wasn’t by the way and I won’t be drawn any further on the subject.
I didn’t get mother Theresa from anyone. Good to know that am not the only one feeling that way. Lets go ahead and give him a 5 year contract then. Like I said earlier on am tired of his bullshit, and last time I Checked I have a right to my own opinion.
Bang
100 up
What does that entitle me to? I must be entitled to something. So many people in here seem to be entitled to so much.
@ 92.. He is an employee right? am I missing something or what? Give me a break. Does he own the club? some fans are quick to blame everyone from the players, refs, linesman and owners but wont lay a single blame on the manager. I am tired of him acting like God that’s why I said ” fucking employee” which last I checked he is.
Well in for the century, bath. It is likely to be your highligjt of the second half of the season.
Highlight that is. ๐
On the contrary, I’m looking forward to a trip to Wembley, my friend.
I admire the man for his dedication to everything that is good about football and Arsenal and his refusal to bow to those who would sell out to some oligarch in order to buy success, or risk the stability of the Arsenal business model by spending to the last penny what assets the club has.
On the other hand I believe he’s done as much as he can or ever will for Arsenal and should give way to someone with a vision for the future, not the faded vision Wengerball has become. Indeed he should ideally have given way when this was becoming apparent several years ago.
I also believe his idea of ‘doing the right thing’ is thoroughly confused in his own mind and, the good man that he is, he’s trying to please, and appease, too many people at the same time. He needs someone to make the decision for him. And SOON.
As Cynic suggested, this would be an ideal time for AW to restore PSG’s reputation.
I must be entitled to something. So many people in here seem to be entitled to so much.
If being critical of the absolute shitfest we’re going through in a fairly restrained way (far more restrained than in many other places and far more restrained than the shitfest deserves) in being entitled, then I despair. I thought this was one place where sensible, as this all has been, discussion or criticism would not be sneered at.
It’s weird.
There are other places I go to online totally unrelated to football but with what you could call fanbases dedicated to the subject. The minute anybody is critical of ANY aspect of that thing, the bottom lip comes out from others and they use that word entitlement.
If this place is going to go that way, fuck it.
Maybe Lincoln will put us out of our agony?
Cheers H!
Hopefully see some folk on Saturday before the game.
Cos afterwards I’m gonna be blind drunk.
UP THE ARSE!!
According to this fella Arsene is on his way out…
https://twitter.com/tancredipalmeri/status/839081417908846592
Ano another one for some facts!
http://www.squawka.com/news/fewer-than-ozil-8-stats-that-prove-alexis-sanchez-is-not-playing-as-well-as-you-think/916886#5MQesrmFPHtVdHj1.97
I’ll wager he’ll stay till he wins something.
๐
Let’s be a bit more respectful pre-match please. Should the worst happen remember the drill. No post numbers please. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I was thinking if after work we could grab a cup of coffee