Having not streamed the game I followed the Fulham game on Twitter where the consensus was we were quite poor and seemed to regress after Sidwell’s red card.
However the manner of the points is not important right now in my eyes and we now hope for the Oilers and ‘dippers to win, or at least draw their games.
A win like this, if performed by Fergiescum’s poisonous rabble, would have been lauded long and hard into the night as the “mark of winners” by experts on the Salford based TV company(BBC) football match, Motd.
Yes, a scrappy and nerve racking win but while it was a Thriller to watch due to the tension of whether we could concede an equaliser (well done Sian Massey for a correctly called offside) we can just say “Beat it” to anyone who says we should be ashamed to get these 3 points.
We can’t brush over certain aspects of our play yesterday and clearly we have to buck up our ideas in advance of the visit of the said rabble next Sunday and the return of a certain Van Judas if we want to keep our run going.
Norfolk Gooner’s considered thoughts are below:
“Here goes then:
Having watched the replay on Sky last night, while already knowing that three valuable points were in the bag, I was struck by the number of easy/safe passes that the Arsenal team played. Nobody seemed prepared to take a chance with a “killer pass”.
I am sure that we must have racked up the highest number of completed passes in the league yet we are always ready to make just one too many. There seems to be an annoying reluctance to take on the shot at goal or to take the ball into the penalty box in the hope that some frustrated, clumsy defender will bring the player down and give away a penalty.
On one occasion yesterday I think I counted six or seven passes before the ball crossed the half way line, probably ten more before we got the ball into Fulham’s penalty box, we then passed the ball back out of the box, back over the half way line and eventually all the way back to Szczesny. Throughout this futile passage of play there was no attempt on goal and nobody even looked as though they were going to try a shot.
I think one word sums up Arsenals football in yesterday’s game…Predictable!!
Norfolk Gooner”
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Nasri repaying his debt to society
I am not sure what happened here, but most of the letters are not showing in wordpress, what the heck??
Thing is, we were playing against 10 men. I doubt Ferguson’s united would settle for a scrappy 1-0 lead and would instead really make the extra men count. Somethings wrong with the team mentality when they are playing against 10 men for a large period of the game and yet play so many safe and backward passes.
Simply not good enough.
And you’d think that when we have giroud playing we’d see a bit more crosses into the box – I can’t count the number of times Walcott/Sagna breaks down the right flank and instead passes it back to the other when they had decent chances to cross. We were simply passing with no true purpose yesterday and were playing it “safe”. Passes were too predictable and slow.
Ninja. We weren’t good but we were good enough.
Sometimes we play much better and lose (Blackburn).
I am going to vomit
We will have to give Manu a guard of honour next week
Damn it, IRS came back from one down to 3-1
Spurs*
Man City are a total shambles. What a waste of money they are.
I think we all know at this point Arsenal are just not good enough to win anything and challenging for top four is the best we can hope for. As a matter of fact the gap between Man U and Arsenal is bigger than the one between Arsenal and most clubs below them in the table. Before the the game against Everton in which Arsenal were dominated for large parts of , FOX soccer replayed a 2006 Arsenal v Everton in which Veira, Berkamp and CO. dismantled the toffees 7-0, but this is the new reality and Arsenal are above average side with a manager who lacks new ideas and is slow to react. Playing Wallcot who’s experiencing a dip in form against Fulham’s pacey Kieran Richardson on the right, without once entertaining the idea of a switch is one of many examples for Wenger’s inability to read the game and maximizing his team’s assets.
Tom.
It is so simplistic as to look just to AW for the downturn. You might have chosen to support your team and consider the effects of the Oligarchs arrival, the new stadium, the disloyalty of players AW depended upon etc etc
Why don’t you take the time to tell us how you would change the Arsenal into a PL winning team given the financial restrictions . It would make a great headline post.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing …
don’t bother Raddy, some people are never happy. We are competing on the highest level, can still finish 2nd, but to some it is a failing
A win is a win and at this stage of the season it’s important.
Sheep Hagger ™
Much much better for the mancs to win the league before they come to the Emirates.
Credit to the swampies, that was the last result I expected when I saw they were 1-0 down at 70 minutes.
Tom funny thing is that Everton side had just qualified for CL from memory…
Followed City Spuds via BBC web, checked soon after kick off to see whether I could get signal on phone and lo and behold City were 1-0 up, checking back at half time still 1-0, good good. So wtf happened? When I checked back at 80 minutes it was 2-1.
Evonne I can take a guard of honour…just….but only because it is better than having them win it at the Emirates. And also who knows if they’ve already won league we can nick a point which after the first game today will be vital.
As Norfolk says in his wide words above we need to start playing with purpose again and that means pushing for goals and proactive defending up the pitch.
To do the latter we need Theo on the bench.
‘Arsenal were dominated by Everton for large parts’ in Tuesday night’s game.
Twenty minutes tops, I’d say.
Come on you useless Scousers….pull your finger out!!
Half time
Liverpool 0 Chelsea 1
52 mins
Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1
Liverpool 1 Chelsea 2
Penalty.
Suarez handled.
Chelsea’s 17 penalty this season (scores 13)
this is a conspiracy to derail our season, I can hardly believe today’s results
2-2
96 mins on the clock!
SUAREZ
haha – well done Liverpool! Equaliser in the 7th minute of 6 minutes injury time 🙂
evonne 🙂
did you see it Rocky?
Suarez hero and villain…
Excellent game of football.
Wow!!!!!!!!!!!! I’d put the radio away and the spades and the wheelbarrow and there I was thinking ‘oh poo’ we’d ground out a result yesterday and todays results were going to make things really hard and I come in and check the blog and …………. it was a draw 😆
Are we that low on confidence of beating man utd in our home ground..? Can’t stand giving RVP a guard of honour..
Anyways good result for us in the chelsea – liverpool game. Suarez the hero with a last minute winner, but ultimately also showing the dark side of him, a truly despicable player by biting Ivanovic. The act of an animal. Never liked that guy.
Suarez bit Ivanovic….that’s a new low for Liverpool FC
I understand people’s frustration with us maybe too often taking one pass too many, but Liverpool wasted a lot of good positions in the last twenty minutes forcing shots through crowds of players.
Adrian it’s the hardest fixture of the 4 games left, if we had taken three against Everton then I don’t think it would matter. But I now think its a must not lose.
The good thing is they are both behind us right now with a game in hand so have to go for wins when they play each other if we can keep ahead. Which means a win at home to United could be more needed.
Dear Mr DidIt
I don’t expect flowers or chocolates but I’ve sorted you a League Table link in the side-bar – you just need to tell me how incredibly clever I am 😳
We are currently third by the way 🙂
GiE – are your parents going to the United game perchance?
GiE,
Is it a waste to take a shot through a crowded area? Or to keep passing the ball and not taking the shot? At least if you take the shot there is a chance of scoring.
Forgot to say thank you to Norfolk gooner for putting together a few words for the fabulous chary to put up as a post today.
Thank you to you both 🙂
Peaches you are incredibly clever! I’m glad you’re not expecting flowers and chocolates as you would most certainly have been disappointed. 😀
Well, that’ll teach Brendan Rogers to say the he wants his players to stay hungry… 🙂
Al
Yes – I did watch it (most of it, anyway). ‘Pool deserved their point but Suarez will be banned for 6 or 7 games, so his season is over.
Am I right in thinking that top four is in our hands now (ie, if we win all our remaining games we’re guaranteed top 4?).
Aha Norfolk Gooner – did you see my email about sending your post through again?
Adrian,
It’s nothing to do with being “low on confidence of beating man utd in our home ground”. (Especially as Man City not winning next Saturday could have already meant the title was there’s)
It’s simply that they can now win the league tomorrow night by beating Villa at home which means that,
A) they can get their celebrating done somewhere else other than our home (they may have just ,
B) that their game against us won’t be as important to them
and, last but not least,
C) the foul, traitorous Dutchman can receive the reward for his perfidious, backstabbing behaviour in his stinking double-crossing backyard.
(just imagine having to celebrate with Evra and the granny-shagger – yuck)
Just checked the email and have found that you have replied, thanks 😉
Big Raddy. I do support Arsenal and only Arsenal , and I don’t blame Wenger for player departures. By the way , there’s no loyalty in football and players will always go for more money. But as a manager you must know how many years you can get out of each player before they leave. When you have a core of the team good enough to challenge for titles and you only miss a world class keeper and a CB (Arsenal side pre 2010), you go for it if you can afford it and Arsenal could’ve. And it’s not hindsight when everyone who knows football has been saying it for ever . Szczesny isn’t good enough to start for Poland and last time I checked I couldn’t even find Poland in the rankings. And it’s hardly hindsight about switching Wallcot to left side, when the game commentator called for it twenty minutes into the game against Fulham.
chas – you are coming to boo next Sunday aren’t you? I want to sit next to you so that I can boo very loudly too 😉
* there’s should have been theirs
Rocky 🙂
peaches – I’m not.
My mind would be elsewhere and besides I’m not sure I ever want to see that bandy-legged, disgusting excuse for a human being in a manc shirt fouling his own door step with his execrable presence.
Rocky,
I think you’re right that 4 wins gives us top 4. I keep forgetting they play each other.
I just realised I’m out of the running for DidIt’s photo after the two points dropped against the Toffees. 😦
Tom,
It’s Walcott not Wallcot and I can see it’s not hindsight if the game commentator was calling for it twenty minutes in.
Too much claret and blue chas.
I miss sharkey’s yellow doily
Don’t they do a space invader in red and white?
I quite like the pink spaceman mind.
Rocky yes it’s in our hands because Chelsea and Spuds will take points off each other.
Norfolk I think there has to be balance between the two not sure if you watched Liverpool but some of the shots were ridiculous….I was screaming at them to play a pass.
Any suggestions as to a suitable song for bsr next Sunday (aside from ‘you’re a front bottom’, that is)
So all we have to do is win the next four, then.
Tom, where a national team rank in world game has nothing to do with quality in PL, Giggs, Berbatov, Viduka, Ivanovic, Drogba etc etc
As for Theo switching flanks to the left…..has anyone seen him out there and thought yep he can do a job, his crossing with right foot is questionable…..how is his left?
GIE,
but the commentator said……
Also Mr DidIt ……… I’ve added the remaining fixtures so that you don’t have to go looking elsewhere. It’s up at the top under the League Table. I seem to have duplicated the league table further down the column.
Very disappointing of you chas to have your mind elsewhere 😦
tee-hee! my sperzgit brother in law put £10 on them winning 2-1 at 1/2 time at 16 to 1!…then TomDaley dived in and lost him £170 ☺Their games in hand over Arsenal are against each other innit!!
Peaches, Oh Peaches,
Those are great things you’ve added.
As for Norfolk suggesting you won’t get flowers and chocolates from me, how dare he. The people I love get so much more than that. A kebab AND extra hot sauce 🙂
Silver linings from today’s games. Utd winning the title at home tomorrow may being they won’t subject Brave Sir Robin to the inevitable abuse. More three points? 🙂
Wow, Chavs have some tough fixtures, and throw in their Cup games as well, and some serious fixture congestion.
William
“then Tom Daley dived in” 🙂
Gooner in Exile. Giggs, Berbatov. Viduka,Ivanovic and Drogba were all at one point or another superstars for their clubs and countries and number one choices in their respective positions. To put Scczesny in their company is a bit of a stretch . Don’t you think?
Sorry William,
Can I assume Mr Suarez “performed” this afternoon?
I nearly pissed myself watching Suarez eating the arm of Branislav Ivonoarmleft !. hahaha
That’s it, off to youtube to find this dive
Micky,
Tom Daley is Bale
(ahem)Suarez is hannibal lecter!! MDI ☻ please keep up 😉
Tom,
It was you who seemed to think a national team’s ranking was indicative of the quality of a player.
Then some examples were quoted to disprove your theory.
Not at any time was Szczesny (nor Scczesny) included in such company.
Bloody Nora. Didn’t find a dive, but a bite.
The blokes a complete Loon
How else was Suarez meant to get Ivanovic to stop holding on to him?
Oh ok Chas,
Could apply to either. Easy mistake when you’re not keeping up 🙂
Hope you had a good birthday.
If Ivanoarmleft has any sense, he will be straight up A&E for a tetanus injection……have you seen the nashers on that Uraguayan Hound Mound !.
Superb birthday, thanks Micky.
So pleased Suarez wasn’t sent off for getting peckish else he wouldn’t have been around to score a 97th minute equaliser. 🙂
Wasn’t it a Uraguian (sp?) rugby team that had the plane crash in the Andes that time? he could plead cultural thingy like the manure racism row☺
Fair points Ian and Chas 🙂
Yip, that should do the trick.
“Yer Honour, I plead The Cultural Thingy” 🙂
Did I hear correctly, that this isn’t the first time Suarez has been busted for biting someone? I think Jamie Rednapp said that he did the same thing at Ajax and got a seven match ban. Does anyone else know anything about this?
Chas. let me repeat myself. Szczesny is a Nr 3 keeper for Poland, has been for a while. Thats a fact .He shouldn’t be good enough to be Nr 1 for a club of Arsenal stature and that’s my theory. If you disagree that’s fine but good luck trying to win with him between the sticks.
We all know how dirty the Argentineans are but can you imagine Uruguay, with Suarez and all, playing their country’s most bitter rivals: Argentina………I have watched one of these games……………..it is truly shocking.
The legal term is “thingus culturis” my learned friend, make him play in a hannibal muzzel? Vinny Jones bit a hack once on the nose!
Tom. Thanks for the reply & I see your point. I just do not believe AW is solely responsible for our decline, there are other factors as well.
Suarez. It is true that Uruguayans are racially partial to human flesh. The early Spanish explorers into the region wrote of their cannibalism and it is still part of the national psyche.
That said, what is wrong with biting a Chav?
Cazorla is Spain’s forth choice AM
Sometimes countries produce a lot of talented players who all play in one position.
Xavi, Iniesta and our old friend Cesc Fàbregas.
Szezcney has been superb since his enforced sabbatical.
“That said, what is wrong with biting a Chav?”
ROLF
Raddy
Anyone would think you know something about explorers 🙂
WIKI: Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, SPOOKY… they WERE Uraguain(sp?)☻ (they only had a load of frozen in flight meals so they were pretty desperate☺)
Suarez often makes a meal of it on the pitch, but this was a bit much…and for what was undoubtedly his last act ever in the premiership, he scores with the last bite of the cherry!
And, top ten plays on the Suarez Ipod:
10. “Bite My Tongue” – You Me At Six
9. “Bite The Bullet” – Neil Young
8. “Love Bites” – Def Leppard
7. “Bite The Hand” – Megadeath
6. “Don’t Bite The Hand That Feeds You” – RATT
5. “Bite Down” – Boys N Da Hood
4. “Chewy Chewy” – Ohio Express
3. “I’ll Bite Your Face Off” – Alice Cooper
2. “Once Bitten Twice Shy” – Great White
and
1. cue Freddy Mercury! “Another One Bites The Dust” – Queen
It was the way Ivanovic minced off the pitch being cuddled by Lampard that made me laugh. It was all a bit “but mum he bit me”
Chas . Show me another back-up of a back -up of a player playing for any country at any position who is a starter for a big European club with title aspirations, and then you can say you disproved my theory. Otherwise ,just check my spelling because it seems to me that’s all you know.
Tom..
.Szczesny started as first choice keeper for Poland at their home Euros. How many matches have Poland played since then? How many, if any, coincided with the time of his injury? Who played instead of him?
Besides, Goalkeeper is a little bit of a specialist position in case you didn’t notice. While a midfielder who is good enough to only be 3rd choice in one position, can also play (through lack of other options) in one of the other outfield spots as 1st choice. A goalkeeper can’t and as such remains third choice. It says nothing about the relative talents of the two players. Simply about opportunity.
National teams are unimportant to the discussion anyway. A NT picks its players based on club form. Not vice versa.
I thought I just did that……………….Cazorla.
LB Hi
Changing tack. Little game. We’re at home to Swansea in a one off game. Who’s you first choice front three?
ps anyone can join in
Oh God, you’re all watching the x-factor. I know, because I can hear it in the next room 😦
it’s britain’s got talent !! you’re not with it today Mickey tsktsk!!
Another fair point William.
I quit 🙂
Nite all.
Evening all will Mata do or is he a regular for Spain now? What about Torres?
Jermaine Defoe? Ok title ambitions ROLF but…..
Shard. Yea! I remember that game . He gave away a penalty and got himself sent off. It didn’t work out too good for Poland did it? Look , I’m not trying to belittle Szczesny( he’s my compatriot ) and I see your point. I just believe Wenger has failed to secure enough talent in goal and the back line and it has cost him.
LB, you’re right that Suarez has form for biting an opponent – I think his ban at Ajax was for slightly longer than seven games but I’m going to go off and check the detail. Back in a mo.
Nope, you were right LB, it was a seven-match ban – from Wiki:
‘On 20 November 2010, Suárez was in trouble again when he bit PSV’s Otman Bakkal on the shoulder during a 0–0 draw. Ajax suspended him for two games and fined him an undisclosed amount which the club said they would donate to a “good cause”. The Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf branded Suárez the “Cannibal of Ajax”. The KNVB increased Suárez’s suspension to seven league matches. Suárez apologized for his actions through a video he uploaded to his Facebook page.’
Suarez has apologised for biting Ivanovic, Liverpool will struggle to defend this and keep him.
Chas suggestions for BSRs song:
GloriaGaynor : I will survive (changed to we obviously)
Tom,
To your question, look at de Gea, not even part of Spain senior squad, yet still No 1 for ManU, who, no matter how much we hate it, will most likely be champions of the PL again.
Am not saying Szczesny is equal to de Gea; just that there are many scenarios out there. Things do not have to happen only one way. Take it easy, friend. Enjoy the rest of the season.
TT…add Michael Carrick as another ManUre player not first choice for national team.
Plus Rafael
Morning All,
It also works the other way around.
How many players are regulars in their National team and yet cannot get into their League teams?
Good Morning All,
Have anybody noticed that Mancini has not fielded a best side and he didn’t make substitution till 90 minute. He knows he has lose the Title now and he don’t want Arsenal to finish in top4.. But frankly AVB is showing his class spurs deserve a point but not 3 points it will be very hard from now on.. If we loose to MANUTD we are out of CL next season 😦 😦 😦
Relax Manthan.
We will finish 3rd 😀
Manthan,
My Dear Fellow, you have had a lousy weekend. Things will pick up 🙂
There is zero chance of both Chavs and Spuds winning all their games, and that is not taking into account they have to play each other.
BR,
Hope So.. I am keeping my fingures crossed
Raddy,
Secretly, happy with 4th 🙂
DIdit,
They have to play each other is our hope…
Those deriding the quality of Szcz were the very same who demanded his introduction to the first team aged 19 as he was Arsenal’s future.
Not hindsight. Pffft.
Manthan
Oh do cheer up. Our hope is reality. Neither will win all their games and that excludes their own little duel.
We won’t win all of ours, but with goal difference advantage over Spuds in our pocket, there’s absolutely no reason for your level of doom.
And and another thing Manthan
If you do want to do conspiracy then the only team Mankini would like to lose out in this three way struggle would be Chavs not us
Didit,
I feel the same Goal advantage will play a big role this season we have double of spurs goal 😉
you show no ambition guys
2nd for me, especially after watching Shitty roll over for Spuds yesterday
Would be great to see both Norhtern and Southern Oilers fall away
Manthan Baby, relax. Its in the bag. In fact, i demand that all our players from now on play with there slippers and Mertsacker attires himself in his dressing gown.
Whilst were at it, lets go a goal down now and again to get the Totnumb fans excited before storming back to win.hahaha
Morning all
I still think third is on the cards if we want it, we have to win our remaining games but how hard can that be 😉
Terry 😀 Merts – dressing gown. I can see him in a smoking jacket, one of those red ones with a black velvet collar.
Actually, 2nd would be fantastic evonne 😀
Yes Raddy, hes a fine Gentelman. However, the smoking jacket is only for serious occasions not batting away Spud supporters hopes.
As for RVP, Kos should turn up with his sleeping bag and plonk himself on the half way line. When Utd get the ball upfield, he should leap out and do a crunching tackle (you can do a lot of damage in slippers) on Persie making him cry for his mummy. That will teach him. hahaha
If MU win the title tonight, do you think SAF may rest RvP on Sunday?
Yes, hes heard Kos is planning the sleeping bag stunt and dosnt what the cry baby humiliated.
Were going to beat them good Sunday.
yes peaches 🙂
BR,
I think SAF will want to rest him, but I think RVP will want to play and show off.
Good morning everyone.. just joining in with a comment or two.. No time to stick around these days. But still enjoy reading through AA and the comments whenever I can.
I agree with evonne. 2nd beckons.. Anyone got a list of ManCity fixtures? 🙂
Raddy – Fergie owes us to rest the traitor even if they lose tonight. He might also want to spare him from the warm welcome he would receive at the Ems
Shard – West Ham, Wigan and West Brom at home and Swans away. could be tricky for them
Morning all, so no one got the Michael Jackson references in the post ? Or perhaps you had too much taste to mention it.
chary – very clever 😉
Did anyone watch Endeavour last night?
chary. Sorry, I must have had Sunday brain. Obvious now.
On the next Fulham PM we should have a picture of Wacko Jacko with Bubbles captioned: “A celebrity Fulham fan and Gareth Bale” 🙂
No worries Big Daddy, I immediately think of Jacko and his statue at the Cottage when it comes to Fulham. “Owwww!” (in a high pitched yelp fashion).
New Post ……………………