Written by dandan
It is Firework night as I sit here, bangs and flashes illuminate the sky, through the window behind me, the dog lies under the desk ,coming out occasionally to challenge the noisy night with a tirade of her own, before returning and spreading herself at my feet with a sigh.
Bit like the Arsenal really, they too on specific days illuminate the state of the art stadium they call home with the beautiful football that the world admires and knows as Wengerball. Next time out, the passes are a less than perfect the ball continually sent behind the intended target instead of into their stride, shots are scuffed or half-hit, crosses fail to clear the first man. The whole process appearing a chore to these pampered athletes, who though paid a kings ransom from an early age, to hone just such basic skills, lack the motivation or desire it would seem on occasions to display them.
How then do we the long-suffering fans reconcile this, we who would pay for the privilege to wear the Cannon on our chest, even if it is the wrong way round and adorns a different shirt every year?
After all it is us who annually buy those same expensive shirts in huge quantities, from salaries that bear no relationship to those of our Heroes. Why do we do it?
Easy: It is simply because they ARE our heroes, living the dream we have nurtured since junior school, even if many of them are bits of kids themselves, and we are grown men and in many cases like my own, have grandchildren of their generation. Who through our influence probably support them too
How sad then that we feel cheated on these occasions when the team doesn’t perform. How angry are we allowed to be when our manager accuses our millionaire superstars of apathy as he did after Wednesdays European game? a game we should have won with ease, would we have been so laid back in our reaction if it had been the spuds we were playing?
I am in many ways Arsene’s biggest fan and find the constant moaning that we have not won a trophy for 6 years petty, irritating and irrational, given what he has achieved along the way.
But to find us fielding a team, that to quote Arsene in his after match interview, was complacent, causes me to question whether these young men have the intelligence to understand the real world at all, or the important role they play in the well-being of so many people’s lives, outside the confines of their privileged circle?
If they don’t it is time they were made aware of the facts. Complacency has no place in a team that has promised much,but failed thus far to deliver at the highest level, potential is one thing success quite another.
It is now Sunday and we have just lost to Newcastle, another flat lacklustre performance against a team who in all seriousness shouldn’t get within three goals of us, it wouldn’t be so bad if we had an excuse, but we don’t. We had the most experienced bench we have had in ages with only three Squad members missing. Sure we had a European game midweek and Flappy let in a bad goal but one goal at home should never be enough, the truth is we were bullied out of it again, our first touches in many instances, were as the great George Best once observed “further than I can kick it”.
High balls constantly pumped in against that defence were never going to work as the ease with which they dealt with our corners showed. From the moment they doubled up on Walcott and blocked his every move, it was obvious that we were going to have to run and pass our way through middle, but Fab was only firing on two cylinders and the man marking on him was ultra effective. Song tried hard and Jack battled but apart from that we were ineffective and lethargic again.
So yet again the spectre of another title costing November rears its ugly head, that prospect at least as real now, as last nights spent rockets, that litter my garden on this drab depressingly damp day. But they unlike the Arsenal at least had their moment and reached the heights they promised.
Mr Wenger please take note we need more fireworks and less damp squibs.
Arsenal News 24/7
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Well said dandan, someone needs a rocket up their arsenal.
i have vented my feelings earlier which as peaches said could have been a post.
i take the view that BECAUSE i support the club I am entitled to my views as I am getting extremely frustrated with the performances of late.
Yesterday’s flat performance was at least partly explained – but not excused – by the long trip to Donetsk. But even allowing for that at Cesc’s niggling injury, there was a lack of urgency all over the field yesterday. If we had lost despite laying siege to the Newcastle goal, that would be much more acceptable than the worrying casualness that accompanied much of the game yesterday. Being patient is fine when it’s 0-0 with half an hour left, but when you’re 1-0 down with less than 20 minutes remaining it’s time to roll the sleeves up and try something different.
http://thearmchairsportsfan.com/2010/11/07/carroll-steamrollers-flat-arsenal/
Morning,
A measured and justified assessment of our play recently dandan. I watched pool play later in the day and exhibit the passion, urgency, character and directness that we lacked – and they’ve just emerged from the drop zone.
AW has acknowledged that Cesc is not fit, or that his injury is affecting him psychologically. I think it is more likely that he knows he is not fit but tells the manager he is OK to play. Either way, he should be rested until he can play like himself again.
Morning all
Well said dandan. I know we have no idea what goes on at the training ground but I’m sure that there can be little competition during the games that they play against each other.
I’m sure they always get to the 50/50 balls and their slide-rule passes find the man otherwise why do they give up so easily when it doesn’t come off during a game. The lack of effort is what frustrates me the most, anyone can have an offday but too often it spreads like a malaise through our team.
To play or not to play Cesc?
Relying on Cesc to find the magic pass when he’s not fit is seriously hampering the team IMO.
Yesterday’s defeat by NU is likely to be the forerunner of future such losses. It is a packed defence/anti soccer if you like.The gunners will be confronted by these tactics and must devise a way to overcome it.
Wolves were within a whisker of a point at OT.If I am not wrong,defenders dread to have someone attacking them.That’s Walcott why had to contend with two defenders and was not a threat.
I hope Diaby can paly the ronaldo role as he has the speed and physique. Hopefully Wenger will not have the players passing merrily in the penalty area.
Does anyone know how long we will be without Kozzer?
Dandan,
The post match feeling is as gloomy as the weather here today, but I have been cheered by your articulate, stylish and cleverly written Post.
Your opening paragraph was particularly evocative, and, dare I say it, brought just a slight hint of a tear to the eye, recalling my own late but much loved pooch’s reactions to fireworks!
I also empathise with the football content of the Post. Thank you.
Did you win essay writing competitions at school? 🙂
Straight red card, Peaches = 3 match ban!
A straight red card equals a 3 game suspension Peaches but I hope we launch an appeal because it looked a little soft to me.
Morning RA – any grounds for appeal?
We were very poor yesterday and it was obvious, before Wenger admitted it, that Cesc wasn’t fit. I totally agree that he shouldn’t have played if he wasn’t 100%. Why risk him when we had most of the rest of the squad availble?
The other thing that really aggrivated me was that after the first 10 minutes of the second half, in whcih we looked like we might be building some pressure, we took off Chamakh and started launching long balls into the box. That tactic is never going to work for us, particularly when we don’t have our most threatening aerial forward on the pitch. Chamakh wasn’t great yesterday but if you want to play long balls, you need a target for them. To add to that, we didn’t win a single header up there but didn’t even have the midfield following up to win the second ball on the edge of the box.
I’m usually very optimistic and see some reason not to de dispondant but yesterday was one of the few times under Wenger that I’ve been left utterly bemused. 1-0 down at home so we stop doing what we’re good at and resort to long balls. Those Newcastle defenders must have thought it was their birthday.
We now have immense pressure on our next 2 games. Chlesea are at home twice whilst we are away. We need 6 points just to stay in touch.
Typical November!
Fine post DD. Like RA I particularly enjoyed the first para which reminded me of my lovely flatcoat retriever who passed away in summer.
Footie …….
The trouble is what to do? We had a very good team and bench, playing at home against tactics we are well used to, and yet we stank the house out.
Apart from Theo hitting the bar we created nothing (had it gone in we would have won)
I hope AW has some answers because I don’t 😦
In the cold light of day, I have tried to reflect on the game, not as a gooner, but as a dispassionate fan.
Difficult!
In the first 15 to 20 minutes of the game, both teams started in the way they mainly carried on for the rest of the game.
Arsenal played languid, careless passes which were snapped up by a surprised Newcastle team who, given so much possession, played with more and more confidence.
As an aside, why do Arsenal fall back into playing lazy, careless Wengerball at a snail’s pace? Is it arrogance that makes them think it is acceptable to play a pass to a team mate who has two opposition players within a yard or two of them? The result? Lost possession and a player nursing an ankle injury. Pah.
In physique and athleticism Newcastle surpassed the Arsenal players, who were, in theory, technically superior. The problem was that Arsenal could not overcome the bigger more enegetic Newcastle players, but Newcastle negated the supposedly more adept Arsenal players by hustling them (fairly on the whole) and prevented them plotting their chess like moves.
But hold on. Arsenal incredibly aided and abetted the Newcs strategy by playing to their strengths.
In defence, Arsenal man marked the immensely physical Carroll by detailing the diminutive Sagna to “pressure” him at their corners and free kicks! Que? In truth, young Jack who also came into frequent contact with Carroll made a better fist of it than any other player. A doughty little soul who put all his efforts into the game.
In attack, Arsenal served up the usual diet of poor free kicks and corners that never cleared the first defender, or were gobbled up in the air by their behemoth like defenders.
Newcastle, in contrast, played to their strengths, and harryied the sloth paced Arsenal team into playing in “triangular” packs either on the wing or in the centre, making it easy to block their attempts or dealing with their puny crosses with ease.
If Arsenal had lost a hard fought, gutsy game, even against a so called “lesser” club, that would have been really disappointing but understandable.
Sadly, they lost, in a craven, self pityingly effete and ineffectual manner, to a strong, althletic and technically astute Newcastle team who fully deserved their win.
Another lacklustre and trophyless season beckons, so what can Arsene do?
This is not the time or the comment for off the cuff or unthought out solutions to be proffered.
But I offer you this thought.
We did not win more than a couple of balls in the air all afternoon, either in attack or defence, and Arsene must attract a leavening of recruits of a commensurate physicality to Stoke/Newcastle and add them to our tiny, albeit technically gifted, players. Oh, and sort out the GK immediately!
Having, to day, calmly rationalised the problem, I feel better, because rather than feeling bewildered, as I was yesterday afternoon, I now feel I can understand the problem and see the solution better, and I will canvas/lobby Arsene, who I am sure reads AA, for the wit and wisdom available here! 🙂
I just want to add that I don’t think Carroll was as big a threat as a lot of pundits and journalists have made out. Granted, he scored a good header but other than that I have to say I thought Squillaci handled him pretty well. We tended to jump with him or let him win the ball when he invariably headed the ball down to no one. The fact that they only had 2 shots on target all game, one of those being the goal, tells its on story. We weren’t put under immense pressure at the back.
The biggest issue is that we only made their keeper make 2 saves of note. It’s easy to blame our keeper or the defence but in fairness we were so poor in possession, giving the ball away and playing with no pace or conviction. As I said earlier, playing long balls wasn’t the answer either.
I dont think yesterday was a problem with an inabilty to fight or lack of strength it was largely a failure to do what we usually rely on. Passing and attacking invention. We had aenough possesion in the second half we just didn’t sustain pressure when it counted.
As the alleged story is in The Times and it has been going on for 2 years it must have an effect on Wenger’s mind.No one can convince me otherwise. It justs shows one that it is sometimes very difficult to weigh a person up.
Fine comment RA. Worthy of a headline post.
“We did not win more than a couple of balls in the air all afternoon, either in attack or defence, and Arsene must attract a leavening of recruits of a commensurate physicality to Stoke/Newcastle and add them to our tiny, albeit technically gifted, players. ”
By this do you mean we need to sign a brick outhouse? If so who is available who fits our tactics? I guess Diaby has the physical attributes or – and here is the cheap option – we move one of our ball playing CB’s into midfield. TV being the obvious choice
Thank you RedArse for taking the time to put into words certainly my thoughts and I’m sure the thoughts of others too. Its hard losing when you’ve never given yourselves a chance of there being any other outcome and thats what happened yesterday 😦
As ardent supporters of our club we have every right to be disappointed and even feel cheated but I’m happy to see that there are not to many of us launching assaults of our manager or our team.
I’ve watched the game 4 times and replayed their goal over and over again, and it’s two mistakes, one from Chamakh and one from Fabianski plus a great leap from Carroll that led to their goal. Pretty sad that that one moment/second in the game cost us at least a point.
Fabianski stutter stepped and then came out for the ball and mistimed his jump, Chamakh lined up behind Carroll which allowed Carroll to run in unimpeded, Carroll scored a great goal – end of.
Nasri had a great one timer saved, Fabregas hit the crossbar from a free kick and Walcott hit the crossbar. If we had any good luck on any of those moments then we would be singing a very different song this morning.
In the end I’m disappointed with the result but not in the least bit disillusioned.
We just need to light a few more banger’s eh DD.
On another tack.
Did you notice Mike Dean’s delight when sending Koscielny off. He was thrilled by it – I wanted to physically assault the jumped up little trainspotter
Hi Raddy – Song is about as ‘brick outhouse’ as we’ve got but he fancies himself as a striker now, I expected him to muscle his way through yesterday but even he didn’t have the appetite for attacking too much.
😛 Raddy – he was obviously thinking of the case of wine SAF would be sending him
I think the straight red 3 game ban applies to dangerous play, not denying a goal-scoring opportunity. However, the fact that he’s already been sent off this season is relevant.
Koscielny ARS 20/11/10 Serving a two-match ban having seen red in the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle on 7/11. His one match ban will be extended following a dismissal earlier in the season. He will miss games against Wolves and Everton and return for the home clash with Spurs on 20/11
Peaches,
You asked earlier if we had any grounds for an appeal, re the Red Card for Kozzer.
The rules regarding giving a red card for commiting a foul when you are the last man, are fairly straight forward.
The “denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity” (Dogso) was, like the Offside Rule, brought in to encourage attacking (goal scoring) play. But both rules suffer from the excessive “interpretation” problems we discussed before.
If Kosser had committed the foul (and it was a foul) just outside the penalty area, with no other defender, other than the GK between where the offence occurred and the goal, it would unquestionably have been a sending off.
Kosser however committed the foul out near the touchline, with Squidgy parallel to, but inside his position, in the centre of the pitch, and running back.
The question would appear to be; does Squidgy run faster than Carroll and could he therefore have got back to prevent a goal scoring chance? (hence not a Dogso).
How quick do you think the Squidge is? 🙂 Hmmm!
Chas,
The reason for giving a straight Red Card includes “dangerous play”, but the tariff for such a card is a 3 match ban. Two yellows and then a red, is a 1 match ban.
Disclaimer: I am NOT a referee, and therefore I am bound to be RIGHT! 🙂 🙂
(b) PLAYERS SENT OFF UNDER LAW 12 (7)
A Player who is dismissed from the Field of Play for receiving a second caution in the same match will be suspended automatically from all approved First Team matches commencing forthwith, until such time as his Club’s First Team has completed its next match in an approved Competition.
(c) PLAYERS SENT OFF UNDER LAW 12 (4) and (5)
A Player who is dismissed from the Field of Play for denying a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by physical means or by handling the ball, will be suspended automatically from all approved First Team matches commencing forthwith, until such time as his Club’s First Team has completed its next match in an approved Competition.
(d) PLAYERS SENT OFF UNDER LAW 12 (6)
A Player who is dismissed from the Field of Play for using offensive or insulting or abusive language/gestures, whether he has previously been cautioned in the match or not, will be suspended automatically from all approved First Team matches commencing forthwith, and until such time as his Club’s First Team has completed its next two matches in approved Competitions.
(e) PLAYERS SENT OFF UNDER LAW 12 (1), (2) and (3)
A Player who is dismissed from the Field of play for Violent Conduct, Serious Foul Play or spitting at an opponent or any other person, whether he has previously been cautioned in the match or not, will be suspended automatically from playing football in any match including non-First Team matches commencing forthwith and until such time as his Club’s First Team has completed its next three matches in approved Competitions.
I’m so glad I asked the question 😀
So its one match for yesterdays red card because it wasn’t violent but a ‘softof’ goal scoring opportunity he stopped and another match because he’d already received a red this season.
Two matches – back for the scummers 🙂
Thank you chas and RedArse
Afternoon all, I was there for the first half yesterday and left the ground at half time(for that thing I mentioned last week) hoping that by the time I emerged from the bowels o f the Underground I’d see a 2-1 scoreline.
I’d couldn’t have felt much flatter and desultory as I saw “0-1 FT” show up on my phone.
I agree with what N5 said, it seemed to me Fab2 mistimed his run for the ball, he had a stutter like a fast bowler who is out of his usual rhythm in the middle of his run up.
Up until that point I felt we’d gotten the better of Carroll, as off the ball all I saw him do was plant his hands out wide in complaint to the refs or teammates who were not giving him service.
Aerially the Squid and Kozzer didn’t let him get much and Jack was snapping into tackles with him and winning nearly all of them.
I should have known that the “kicked in the stomach” feeling their goal gave me would stay with the team in the second half as they showed an impotence that no amount of footballing Viagra was going to cure.
PS Peachy – you picked a good game to miss, bullet dodged there !
Hi Chas,
Thanks for that info, which is comprehensive! Don’t tell Peaches, but like her, I couldn’t be bovvered to look up the exact rules! 🙂
Actually, you did miss out on the well-known DUM rule that states; “any person found in breach of this regulation will be banned until they stop”! 🙂
Ahoy Shipmates,
Really well written post Dandan.
Only today I have received some very sobering news that goes a long way to putting into some kind of perspective the events of yesterday. I have just been informed that my mother-in-law is coming to stay for Christmas. No matter where I am in the world, the hideous crone only has to think of leaving her coven and an eerie darkness descends bringing with it a noticeable chill in the air. You lot may be snuggling up with your dogs around your feet, but even the mention of her name sends my four cats scurrying for cover. There you are. Cold, clinical, harsh perspective.
I would like to inject a little fresh air. Not saying it’s polluted or stuffy in here, rather that I enjoy a very privileged position today. I missed the game altogether. Emirates, TV, Laptop, Radio, the lot. To cap it all, after hearing the result, I shut down. Did not watch MOTD or read any reports in the papers today. Best of all, I come along to ArsenalArsenal. And no match report. I think I probably enjoy a unique and uncluttered perspective on the game.
I have done yet more of my thinking. I have thought deeply about probability, logic and the meaning of Association Football, and have come up with one singular underlying point. Home, or away, you are always going to need at least one goal to have a reasonable chance of winning.
Micky,
So, in a seemingly goalless game, if Kosser pokes the ball into our net, in the very last second of extra time, that means we have won? Yipeee! 🙂
I am going to write to Arsene, immediately, and insist he retrains all our players in the Micky “singular point” method!
You could have cracked it you know. Following your cunning plan, I reckon we will win the Premiership, at least. 🙂 🙂
Miniumum RA, absolute minimum. However, it would be you around to find the one hole in my ingenious plan.
Micky,
A hole in your plan? Oh no! The disappointment keeps on acoming. 🙂
Seriously, I think the reason people are so short of the why’s of yesterday’s result is that we all offered our solutions to the same problems post WBA.
I stand firm with my “Thrust” angle. In fact, in light of Gerrard and Torres’ week, I would actually like to underline it!
Afternoon All. Sorry if my post was a bit of a downer but after 6 weeks away, to come home to those two games was not my idea of fun.
on a lighter note have just copied this from The Times on line debate.
Comment From Daryl Daryl : ]
Afternoon Paddy. Do you seem some irony in Arsenal being bottom of the fair play league?
Monday November 8, 2010 14:51 Daryl
14:56
Patrick Barclay:
Yes, Daryl. I am a great admirer of the Wenger era, but it did occur to me during the Newcastle match that they were trying to cope with difficult opponents in a far from angelic way. Hope it doesn’t become a habit because the best way of fighting fire is not with fire (Harry Hill put it in a more amusing way when he said: ”My dad used to tell us you had to to fight fire with fire – I wonder why they threw him out of the fire brigade.”)
Really great post Dandan.
Cats are cooler though!
The upper lip remains stiff at this end. Well, for the next week at any rate. Two away games…eeeeks!
Patrick Barclay is an excellent scribe and you Dandan have lifted the gloom, at least a smidgeon! 🙂
Micky, Joe King aside, I think you have a point with your artfully worded “thrust” method.
I take it you mean a bit more fire power in front of goal, and perhaps buying a ballista, so we can hurl bodies into the goal area. 🙂
RA,
Its the whole “showing great patience” anthem. Could we inject the word “urgency” occasionally. Crikey, Gerrard simply warming up is like a call to arms.
There are many times when I look at our bench and think “mmm, ok, lots of talent to choose from”, but when it actaually comes to having to make a substitution at chips down time, there is never a man warming up that really gives me the “everything is going to be alright now”, Mr Arsenal type of feeling.
Hi guys,
Red Arse, great comment @ 12:18. We lacked leaders on the pitch. Cesc not functioning for whatever reason and not able to lift the players around him. We need TV back. Carol won every header and you can excuse our players for that – they were giving away too much in height and strength, but what I cannot forgive is the fact that we didn’t compete well for the 2nd ball. That showed lack of strategy and effort.
We make every other teams game plan simple yet still refuse to develop a plan B for ourselves. Pumping the high balls upfield at the end of the game was just handing the possession away.
LJ was our best player and apart from him, I’d pretty much score everyone else a 5. We lost as a team because we didn’t play as a team.
Hi Rasp,
I have given my thoughts on the Plan B deal before, and that’s where it goes wrong. As you said, we started to try a bad Plan B, whereas more often than not, Plan A fails through lack of team spirit and effort. Keep the Plan A, just inject some oomph.
Rasp,
And you are spot on about the leadership on the field. “I have eleven leaders on the pitch”. Urr, no, you do not actually. Verm for long term club captain.
There is a chink of light. I have learnt that my mother in law will not travel for Christmas if the snow is falling. Does anyone here know where to buy one of those unbelievably expensive snow making machines they have at ski resorts?
Hi Micky,
I agree. We seem to have forgotten how to attack at pace. Even if we do have a swift attack, there is no-one in the box to finish the move off.
We are very gentlemanly. We always give our opponents plenty of time to get 10 men behind the ball while we pass it through the back 4 several times, then we play some wonderfully clever one two’s to get into the box only to fail at the last pass. This brings warm appreciative applause – but no goal.
Hi Rasp,
Just read that our Reserves beat Everton 4:1 with JET scoring 2 and playing a blinder, according to Young Guns.
Put him up front on Wednesday for heavens sake. He is big, skilful and hungry to make a name for himself.
After 2 woeful games, he could not do worse and he is a very big lad! 🙂 Maybe Arsene has been reading AA, you never know!
Rasp,
Dead right. Think of the likes of Henry, Overmaars and Bergkamp on the break. Ruthless.
As you say, we crab, break, then crab again.
Micky,
I think it would be cheaper to put a contract out on her 😉
Rasp,
Not sure. I have a brother in law who was SAS, and he ain’t cheap!
Oh for someone like Freddy in his heyday against toon. He was like Jack, made up for his lack of size with plenty of pluck and determination. I bet even Parlour would have done better than most of our midfield in that game,
Hi RA,
Jet is obviously on the fringe but I don’t think he’ll start in the prem this season. We also have to decide what to do with Vela, either sell him or give him a run of games.
I think Denilson will have a big say against both Wolves and Everton. He is very underrated in my book, and does a good job at knitting the midfield together.
After the last two games, Denilson is as good a shout as anyone. Cesc must be rested; we must not come across as a one man team. Its a shame Diaby has no consistency. For me, Ramsey is the one who could add the missing ingredient to the midfield in a Gerrardesque way – but we’ll have to wait to find out.
No Rasp not Vela please, give him to Snowhite we have enough little men
I wonder how Sol Campbell felt when his return to the Emirates was met with complete indifference? – a stark contrast to the love heaped on Eduardo 2 weeks previously.
I agree dandan. I like Vela but we don’t need him, we’ve got plenty of his type.
Vela has been like Aliadiere – good in the CC in games we are winning easily, but ineffective in the prem.
What???????????????
Raspers – when Sol was warming up near where I was he got a lot of applause and cheering to which he did applaud us back.
You’d know if you came to the game, you plastic ! 🙂
That was my point in suggesting JET, Dandan.
Enough of ” ….. and the 7 Dwarves”.
Micky, regardless of cost, there is a flaw in your perceived use of your SAS brother in law, that would make him your mother in law’s son. Conflict of interest perhaps? 🙂
Why don’t you take the family to Switzerland for Xmas, and invite her if she dares! 🙂
Rasp,
Agree with you on Ramsey. I have very high hopes. As for Vela, I think we have a real problem tring to fit his type of player into the 4-3-3 ‘ish system.
Hi chary, I was at the game (unfortunately) but the opposite side to the tunnel. I didn’t hear the reported booing at the end of the game either – maybe I’m going mutton or my bobble hat had dropped down over my ears? 😛
I wonder how Sol would have fared against Carol if he’d been playing for us?
Good to see Gallas cock up repeatedly for the spuds the other day – no loss there……
RA,
Ha Ha 🙂
No, the army bloke is with my sister, my mother in law is with a coven.
Actually all I could hear throughout the game was the toon fans. The cheering was so loud when they scored I had a surreal moment and thought it must have been a goal for us…… I was also confused when they kept singing “We beat the scum 5:1” – but then the penny dropped 😳
I’m going to be a mother-in-law some day – how do I avoid such vitriol 😦
Ah right Raspers, as Peachy cried off I assumed you’d wimped out too.
I was at the corner flag to which the subs run to when they warm up and most of the 2 blocks around the corner got up to applaud Sol.
If he’d a got on I’m sure he would have got as warm a reception as Eddy did.
Although I hated to miss the second half I’m slightly glad I wasn’t around to here the booing, I’m sure Chary Minor and Chary Major were better off being spared that.
Peaches,
Don’t be scary.
Peaches leave the pointy hat and broom at home and never, ever get a black cat
There’s no excuse for booing the team chary, the crowd should have booed themselves for being so quiet throughout the game and not trying to lift the players when they needed it. There is some truth in the ‘library’ allegation. I was sat amongst a load of waxworks dummies who only managed the occassional murmured groan.
dandan,
I think we have just about covered it!
Don’t be scary!!!!!! Thats a tough one 🙄
…. oh and the wealthy dudes in club level are a disgrace, wandering back to their seats 5 minutes after the second half has started …. and the fairweather fans that started leaving with 5 minutes to go at the end…..ok rant over
Rasp,
I am afraid I agree with the “library” allegation. I always find it much worse in the upper tiers, east and west.
Raspers, I was in the family enclosure sections and if you say anything the others lookaround at you as if you are demented.
When we had a free kick Carroll was standing only 4 or 5 yards away from the ball so I shouted “Get back Carroll” and this kid turned round and glared so I said “Well he might listen to that”
Heaven knows what would have happened if I tried to start a song going. 🙄
It’s painful to admit micky, but can’t be denied.
I do blame the acoustics partially because the time lapse makes a total ground co-ordinated singsong impossible. But mainly it is the breaking up of the singing areas from Highbury and the influx of another 20,000 less passionate (more reserved?) fans that has diluted the atmosphere
Peaches,
When today is but a distant memory, with this page confined to the archives, will that smiley face of yours still be rolling its eyes around? And, how the hell do you do it?
Micky, colon, word ‘roll’, colon 🙄 have a go
Rasp,
Yes. I was a season ticket holder until ’91, just after the Noth Bank was pulled down (Mural season!). Then, after everyone was relocated, much of the atmosphere had gone, even at Highbury. I went to the first game at the Emirates, the DB10 Testimonial, and was immediately struck by the openess of the place. I have once sat right at the back of the top tier, and you really are miles away.
🙄
In the name of all that’s……brilliant!
We have appealed the red card for kosy, Arsene must be aving a laugh
Peaches,
Anything you can do, I can do too! 🙄 🙄 🙂
I think you would make a great mother in law! 🙂
I used to sit behind the goal in the North Bank lower and watch with trepidation as the upper tier flexed under the weight of chanting fans ….. I don’t know how (if ever) we can get that kind of atmosphere back into the Emirates. I think the size and structure means that we will never be able to demonstrate that intensity of support again.
Great post DanDan….top top quality that.
Red. Great post at ??:?? you know the one. Well played. I’ll give Frothing a shout…he’ll like that as well
Rasp,
I have been waxing eloquently (blushes with false modesty) on another site about this very thing.
I have only been to a few games at the Emirates, no longer being a season ticket holder, but in the section where I sometimes sit, many fans bellow out their support at the top of their lungs (?) (me too, in a deeply masculine and rather melodic way), but the sound is dissipated almost immediately. Any answering song from “your end” of the stadium is but a faint time distorted echo.
The solution, which the club is well aware of, is to fit sound reflecting “mushrooms” in the void above the top tiers. This used to be a problem at the Royal Albert Hall until it too was fitted with appropriate sound baffles, many years ago.
The solution is out there, my people, if only Gazidis, the Grinch would open his wallet. 🙂
Thanks Sharkey. 🙂
Sometimes rationalizing things brings with it perspective, at other times, it leads to finding fault with some dear, sweet, old mother in law who never hurt an elf, and all she wants is for Micky to play Father Christmas, (wipes tear from his brimming eye), but what can you do? 🙂
RA,
The pads at the RAH are there to reduce echo, I don’t see how that would help at the Emirates. Arsène’s first priority was for the pitch, 2nd for the corporate stuff, and other considerations thereafter. If they’d wanted to creat a ‘cauldron atmosphere, they’d have made it steeper and more multi-tiered like the Camp Nou.
RA,
Baffle away then, I say. Still have to get the bastards to sing, though. The real problem lies in the dilution of the hard core of support.
Evening Sharkey, have you got over yesterdays debacle or like many on here still hurting
There is that Rasp. But as I said, at the Albert Hall they used sound baffles to cut down on echo, but sound boards can also be used to create the opposite effect.
Any sound/audio engineers out there to settle this? Otherwise I might have to “moderate” Rasp, and that sounds painful! 🙂
I absolutely have the answer to this……. but we’d be a laughing stock if the rest of the footballing world found out
We’ve started to play a montage of past glories just before the team come out. At one point there is a loud cheer thru the PA system that sounds as though its coming from the fans and it fools me every time.
So here’s what they do …. have discreet overhead mikes above the more vocal areas and play them back through the stadiums sound system simultaneously around the ground. You’d need a guy on a mixing desk to co-ordinate and amplify where necessary … brilliant eh 😆
For goodness sake.
I am doing my best to solve the sound/singing problem, and now I am reading that Arsene is likely to “solve” our GK problem by signing a midget GK in Shay Given, in January.
I am beginning to think he has a weiner fixation! Does he think that by surrounding himself with tiny tots, no one will notice the tiny todger problem?
Where is Frothing when you need some sensible discussions? 🙂
Rattles, loud hailers and vuvuzelas. Oh no, I hate those things. Better run with Rasp’s plan!
Rasp, I like it, well I like your idea too, except for one small flaw.
The plonkers who installed the existing loudspeakers forgot to ensure they could be heard clearly, at all points in the ground.
“Excuse me, did you hear what he said?” “Nah mate, problly some bolox abart a collection for ‘is nibs Gazeedees”. “F*ck ‘im”!
Not sure they could synch the sound properly, and the result might well be each quartile of the stadium “singing” different bits of the same song. Lovely! 🙂
Nite all. Off outski.
Me too Micky,… g’nite
Evening every1/any1.
Good post DD but i dont think it’s all doom and gloom, just a bad day at the office. I’ve been thinking about it and the only player who I would rate as poor was Cesc. The defence was solid and had it not been for the error from fab2 they were not troubled. Jack, Samir and Song were all good, Cham didnt do so well but the service to him was poor. Theo was up and down but did ok and even AA was good when he came on. The problem to me was purely that Cesc kept getting caught in possession or misplacing his pass and that disrupted our flow.
Barum. Wish I could agree. I fear our challenge for the title will falter due to the lack of a decent GK.
To give Fabianski his due, he has played well for a few games following his penalty save in Belgrade, but our team deserve better than a man who makes such quixotic decisions . We need reliability.
BR,
Agree the GK situation is a problem, but I fear the biggest threat to winning trophies this season is the lack of the Big Goals. The killer stuff. A bad piece of keeping on sunday cost us one goal, but we scored none.
Cock ups in the next four league games, and its over. Wolves a
Everton a
Spurs h
Villa a
I agree with you Micky, we have no chance of winning a game if we don’t score 😦
DanDan – yep I’m still a bit flat after Sunday.
Barum, you’re dead right. When your no.1 ‘go to’ guy keeps losing the ball then you really are in trouble.
Agreed Mickey….Nov is really looking like its do or die isn’t it.
Looks like we are all flat.
No wonder after seeing us lose at home to two newcomers. Imagine how AW feels.
Morning Raddy,
You make an interesting point. I have often wondered how much AW blames himself. He has deliberately gone out and acquired small mobile midfielders. He has bought two CB’c who are on the short side of average. He has built this team and he is responsible for motivating them. It’s up to him to put some fire in their bellies at half time when we’re losing at home. He needs to be brave and make subs for the sake of the team, not worry about the feelings of the individual.
Morning Rasp
As an over 60 year old man he will not change his methods and he has never used subs at halftime , in fact I cannot recall him using subs prior to 60 mins (barring injury).
His intransigence is both is strength and his weakness
As to the sizie of the CB’s. I have never seen that as an issue. They are both of reasonable size and in order to play the Wengerway one has to be mobile and athletic (or would you prefer a Shawcross??). TV rarely gets beaten in the air and he is smaller than Squillaci!
I do not see AW as the type of man who could motivate his team with a passionate speech at halftime – he has other attributes. This is where the Captain has to show his mettle, and perhaps where we could use Keown or Vieira, men who know how to gee up (terrify) a downbeat team.
I obviously wouldn’t prefer a Shawcross but I absolutely refute the suggestion that bigger players cannot be mobile or athletic – or play Wengerball. What we have consistantly lacked for the last few years is balance in the team. Balance in terms of experience, stature and leadership. I think every team needs chiefs and indians. It is a romantic idyl to think that you can have 11 leaders on the pitch – its nonsense. The journeyman players are the ones who allow the stars to shine. Above all, the players need to be solid, reliable and consistant – we don’t have that.
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