Theo & Ox to Star

August 9, 2015

We have a treat as our season opening Pre-Match-, Young Bob has written another post. I hope you enjoy his analysis of today’s opposition ……

Big Raddy and I sat in a bar/restaurant in the Malmo sunshine last Wednesday eagerly anticipating Mission Impossible II (Malmo needing to win by three clear goals vs Red Bull Salzburg) and our thoughts turned to the season opener back in blighty where the mighty hammers are due to arrive at the Emirates as cannon fodder for the 2015/16 Gooners.

Following my article last year when I described 10 memorable Arsenal vs West Ham clashes, Raddy posed the question as to what I might like to write about this time.  “How about a look at players who have played for both clubs” I replied.  We then sat and named at least 10 players who had worn the finest silks of North and East London clubs (can you?).  And interestingly we couldn’t think of a single player who moved from East to North!  Anyway on my return home I decided to do a little more research and found some other smart arse had already written said article.  See link below.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2871/special/2010/03/19/1839103/premier-league-special-any-old-iron-the-arsenal-players-west-ham-

So, as an alternative, I thought it might be interesting to preview the game from the perspective of a die hard hammer.

The Hammers arrive at the Emirates with a new manager – ‘Honest Slaven Bilic’ (just ask Laurent Blanc) and the promise of a return to The West Ham way, something Big Fat Sam decided didn’t exist.  And the pre-season signs have been promising with build ups from the back and short passing through midfield.

At the back will be a debutant by the name of Angelo Agbonna, signed from Juventus for approx £6,000,000.  The jury is out as he’s looked a little ropey in pre-season, but an Italian defender can’t be all bad can they?  Joining Angelo at the back will be Arron Creswell (great going forward and average at the back) Joey O’Brien (just cack at everything he does) and one of James Collins, Winston Reid or James Tomkins with Reid being the pick of the three.

Our midfield is expected to feature two holding players in Mark Noble and Cheik Kayoute and three more forward thinking players in Mario Zarate, Matt Jarvis and Dimitri Payet.  Up front, ploughing a lonely furrow will be Diafra Sakho.

Noble will look like a decent player for 30 minutes or so, but for all his positive attributes, he’s incredibly one paced and chasing Arsenal’s quick moving passing game around the Emirates will end up with him looking like Hattie Jaques chasing Benny Hills Angels around a hospital car park.  Kayoute is an excellent player with leg’s longer than Jerry Hall’s.  I expect him to move on to better things within the year.

Moving on to the attacking prowess of the rip roaring hammers.

Jarvis used to be one of the best crossers of a football since Georgie Armstrong.  Now he just runs down blind alleys and the end product is non-existent.  Zarate could be anything, but most likely shit!  Signed by the porn brothers, discarded on-loan to QPR by BFS at the beginning of January, he was deemed unfit by Rangers, and nearly sent back to West Ham before the end of January.  Loves to pass, mostly to himself.  Payet however looks to be different gravy.  Top of the assists stats in France, he looks more like a Gooner than a Hammer, but if he sees enough of the ball, may just cause your lot a few problems.

And up front will be our outstanding success of last season.  Sakho could of course turn out to be a one season wonder, but I’ve got a feeling he’ll score another decent number of goals, ably assisted by Payet.

So, to my prediction.  Unfortunately I think Walcott and The Ox are likely to rip us a new one and I expect Arsenal to win by 3 clear goals.  However, in the spirit of last Wednesday when Malmo beat Red Bull 3-0 to progress to the next round of CL qualifying – you just never know!!

written by West Ham Bob

As to Big Raddy – well my initial focus this afternoon will be the team selection. Mr.Wenger has the “luxury”(?) of JW and Sanchez being unavailable, however when all are fit how will he arrange the team? Will we play with a front line of Walcott up top and Ozil, Sanchez and Ox zipping about behind him. Or will it be OG who is the fulcrum with Theo terrifying the opposition FB’s? Personally, I would pick The Ox as our right sided forward as I think he is about to develop into a true world-class player which will bring our complement up to 4 (Kos, Ozil, Sanchez or 7 if you include Santi, Cech and Aaron)

This is Cech first PL game as an Gooner, a fine signing and a top player. I wish him well.

Whomever lines up in the famous shirt will be expected to start the season in style and with 3 points. We need to win games like today and not give our rivals a head start as we did last season.

My hope and expectation that Bob is right ….. Theo and Ox will rip them a new one (but I expect OG to start)

BTW Can you think of any players who have moved from West Ham to Arsenal, we couldn’t!

COYRRG

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Posted by Erik the Red

Goodbye Poldi, Mattie, and who else?

June 9, 2015

Deadwood. We always have them but our current deadwood is quality.

We don’t have a Bendtner or a Denilson (sorry boys I liked you both), instead we have a German International with 123 caps and almost 48 international goals (more than Rooney), a French DM who wowed us on his return from AC Milan but is now well down the pecking order thanks to the excellence of the players in front of him. We have Campbell who had a fantastic WC and is still only 22 but has over 40 International caps. Times have changed.

And who else? No-one in the defence, they are all good enough and young enough. Perhaps Szczesny could go but I for one hope he stays.

Midfield? Apart from Flamster who could go?

Jack? Don’t be silly.

Cazorla? No way.

Ramsey? Are you nuts?

Coquelin? Given his remarkable improvement who is to say that he cannot continue to improve next season?

Arteta? Club captain and the recipient of a contract extension to 2016. Same as Rosicky.

In the forward line there are more possibilities for change. As discussed over that past few days, a new CF would be good  and Sanogo could be sold but why when he has potential and has just turned 22.

Theo? We have done this 🙂

Ozil and Sanchez? To sell them would be completely mad – unless we can get €30m more than we paid for them and even then I hope AW would say Non.

OG? Neigh.neigh and thrice Neigh. Another who is improving every season.

What do you think, who gets the Spanish Archer? (El Bow)

written by Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Do Arsenal Really need another striker?

June 5, 2015

Well, do we?

There will be many posts through the summer which regurgitate what is trending regarding our FA Cup winners 😀  This is just the first ….

It is the same old argument about Arsenal’s front line but hopefully with a different slant because I do not think we should sign a striker – we have enough.

Let’s look at the menu …… Welbeck, Sanchez (or is it Alexis?), Giroud, Podolski, Sanogo, Walcott, Campbell, Akpom. That is 8 players vying for 2 or 3 places. We have the numbers but do we have the quality?

Podolski is a busted flush, the US League football beckons

Campbell is still young but has struggled at Villarreal – and if he struggles there then he has little chance of establishing himself as a force in the PL. If we can get a couple of mill for the lad, sell, sell, sell.

Akpom. An exciting prospect. Keep him at AFC until January and then loan him to whomever is at the top of the Championship.

Sanogo? I just don’t know. The chap has the physical attributes to be a target man but has he the skills; can he learn them? His loan at Palace was a qualified success, as in he got some pitch time and scored in the FA Cup but on the other hand he could not force himself in the first team. His scoring record for the France U-21’s indicates there is a decent striker in his lanky form. I would keep him and give Sanogo another loan at  – say, Norwich.

Which brings us to the 4 main strikers:

I don’t care what you say, OG is a fine striker and is in the world’s top 10 CF’s. Is he as good as Aguero – No. Suarez – No. But neither is Costa or Cavani or Falcao. It is an unfair comparison. Is he a 20+ goal a season man? Yes, he is. Does he create chances for others? Yes, his link-up play is comparable with anyone. If OG had been fit during that horrible start to the season we would have been closer to the Chavs, of that there can be little doubt.

Theo. We have to keep him. The prospect of a fluid and very pacy front 3 is exciting. Walcott’s injuries have stopped us seeing just how good his partnership with Ozil can be – IMO Ozil will make Theo into a 20 gaol a season man IF he can stay fit. I have always supported Theo and remain convinced he can become one of the PL’s very best players.

So that is already 40 goals

20 more from the Sensational Sanchez or the Amazing Alexis.

Welbeck is more puzzling. The man has so much and yet is lacking so much. He does it for England so can clearly find the back of the net but where and when does he play? As a stop gap whilst Sanchez rests? Can he actually play through the middle? Was Mr Wenger looking at the way Welbz cuts in from the left as a signifier he can become another TH? Perhaps he can. I love his workrate, his enthusiasm and his pace. But.

Let’s be realistic. We are not going to sign Higuain, Falcao, Yarmalenko, the German chap, or even at the French fellow. It is fun to speculate about them but we have some terrific strikers at the club and there are other areas where we can improve.

We have 3 strikers who, if fit, will score 60 goals+ between them. We have MF’s who will score at least 25 between them and defenders who can add another 10. That is close on 100 PL goals. We do not need to spend €50m on a striker (but it would be nice, wouldn’t it?)

 

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Posted by Erik the Red

Alexis to score. Ozil MotM.

May 30, 2015

If I said I was totally confident I would be fibbing.

A year ago we were a goal-line header away from being 3 down after 20 minutes to Hull, and Villa are a better team. Much better.

Under normal circumstances having beaten a team 3-0 away and 5-0 at home I would be planning my trip to the Victory Parade but Sherwood has transformed Villa, more importantly he has transformed Benteke. In my opinion, Villa’s chances rest on the big fellow’s shoulders. Yes, they have other weapons but nothing our heroes cannot cope with if they play as per normal.

How to rate Sherwood? Tim “Nice But Dim” – or is he? I like the cut of the man’s jib; he is a very different manager to Mr Wenger who eschews passion and fire (and gilets) for logic and intelligence. Mr Wenger’s management style fits his team- we are artists who play with the brain first and foremost, whereas a Sherwood team plays from the heart and stomach. I prefer our style, don’t you?

Statistics all point to an Arsenal win – Villa have beaten us just 3 times in out last 34 games, Alexis has scored more goals this season than the AV team added together etc etc but stats don’t win games, players and luck do.

We have the players, we will have to see about the luck but I was up early cycling down to the forest to sacrifice a virgin (I had to import her from the Faroe Islands as there are none in Copenhagen), I have feng shuie’d my living room so the TV is correctly positioned (which meant blocking the doorway with the sofa), I have donned the lucky socks and pants, wearing the lucky shirt, will drink the lucky wine and Mrs Raddy will buy the lucky cake from the lucky cake shop. If we lose it will not be my fault 🍀

As to tactics ….. mwaaah. I know very little and leave that up to the AA tactical wizards.

One thing I have yet to mention is just how excited I am that Arsenal are in their second FAC Final in two years and have the chance to win it two years running for the second time  – the only club to do so, and this is our 19 FA Cup Final – another record.

17.30 kick off. Anyone know why? What is wrong with 15.00? Is it to sell more beer to the fans?

Referee: Jon Moss. This is the lemon who did nothing when Debuchy was pushed over leading to his shoulder injury and to his season being ruined. He also allowed Crouch to repeatedly elbow our CB’s in the face. Let us hope for a better performance this evening.

We have many AA’ers going to the game and I hope we can have some wonderful pre-match commentary from A & D along with some pics from other attendees. For the rest of us it will another afternoon hiding behind LB’s sofa.

I am hoping for an early goal to settle the nerves. I expect Alexis to score. I expect our midfield to weave their intricate magic and set up chances for our forwards. I expect Ozil to be voted MotM.

And in the words of one of England’s greatest heroes “Arsenal expects that every man to do his duty”

Unknown

Rabid Gooner and Sammy’s Dad

I am 56% confident.

COYRRG

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Posted by Erik the Red

Ramsey, Wilshere, Santi or Le Coq. OG or Theo. Who to drop?

May 29, 2015

We have done the GK’s, now we need to look at the other areas of contention, the midfield and the attack.

Arsenal are blessed in the midfield department as we have the Fab 4 above and Rosicky, Arteta, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Flamini and Diaby (?) as well. Fortunately for Mr Wenger, The Ox is not quite ready  – though he could well be available on the bench – Arteta, Diaby and Flamini (I think) are injured.

So, we need to perm 3 of 4 but who loses out?

Ramsey? The man is in my opinion undroppable. He is the beating heart of the team and our upswing in form has co-incided with return from injury. He has not been able to replicate the goal-scoring feats of last season but he is a big game player and it would be no surprise if he scored tomorrow. He scores every 4 games

Ramsey has been forced to play on the right wing yet he still manages to influence the game. There are those on AA who do not agree with me about his importance, but I will blaspheme and say I would rather start the game without Alexis than without Aaron. Mmmmm maybe not!

Wilshere? Looks a different player since his return. Faster distribution, faster in the tackle, faster feet, less likely to “draw a foul” and he is scoring. The man is playing his best football for a number of years. But is it purely because he has not played much and the opposition are Kerry Packered? Goal of the Season last week, his defensive abilities are possibly not as strong as Ramsey but he has also been shoved out to the right which is not where he plays best. Against WBA he was central and his influence was immense.

Coquelin? Who would have thought we would be mentioning him as a possible starter for the FAC Final? But he has been outstanding. I had my doubts, to a certain extent I still do as I do not believe Le Coq can cut it as a World Class DM and that is what we need if we are to compete for the top honours. However, as a very good PL player he is firmly established and will surely start on saturday as we try to get stuck into the combined fouling of Cleverley and Delph.

Cazorla? The man has magic feet and has been a revelation plying at the base of midfield. HIs energy, vision, passing ability, dribbling and shooting make him an automatic starter … normally. But this is a one off and we looked much better as an attacking force against WBA than we had in the previous 4 games and who wasn’t playing? Ramsey and Cazorla. Santi scores a goal every 6 games, not bad.

So who loses out?

Given the midfield strength and counter attacking ability of Villa, Coquelin has to play at the base of midfield. So the question is which of the other 3 gets dropped. My heart says Cazorla, my head says Wilshere, my stomach says Ramsey.

In other words it is a decision I cannot make. Especially as I would love to see Rosicky get some pitch time as he adds so much to the team. And then there is The Ox who is  just a fantastic midfield force.

This leaves the attack. Alexis and Ozil are certain starters, so it just leaves Theo or OG. I bet LB’s carbon fibre bicycle that OG starts. He is better defensively and Villa will see set plays as one of their most potent areas of attack.

So for me, Theo remains our supersub..

What do you think?

written by Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Poll: Ospina or Szczesny to play in the Final.

May 28, 2015

Who would you pick?

The case for Ospina:

The current incumbent and clearly Mr. Wenger’s first choice keeper. His record is outstanding –  in 18 matches Ospina has conceded just 11 goals. He has made 48 saves and kept 8 clean sheets. Statistically Ospina is far ahead of the Pole.

A fine shot stopper who came to us following an excellent World Cup for Columbia with a reputation as a future champion, he replaced Hugo Lloris at Nice whose President considered him as good as the excellent keeper who is about to leave the N17 knuckle-draggers.

Ospina is the brother-in-law of James Rodriguez of Barcelona and is married with one child.

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Mr & Mrs Ospina 

Ospina is just 26 and already has over 50 International caps, he chose Arsenal over Athletico Madrid when he signed in summer. Clearly a confident man who believed he would soon take the shirt from Wojciech – he was right..

The case for Szczesny:

Two seasons ago TPIG had the football world at his feet. He was the coming man, the man who would be the AFC keeper for the next 15 years – the next Seaman. Szczesny has the talent, the physique,  the technical and tactical nous to be a great goalkeeper. He has already played 130+ games for Arsenal. Last season he shared the Golden Glove with Petr Cech – Wojciech is no mug.

TPIG’s saves per game ratio is the same as Ospina’s and let us not forget he was the GK at the start of the season when the team was so lethargic.

Mr Wenger has shown his preference to play his second choice GK in the FA Cup and last season played Fabianski, which many believe indicates TPIG will start on Saturday.

But …. Szczesny is on the Naughty Step. After some difficult games in which his concentration wavered his mental state came into question following a “smoking” incident. Yet this is a chap with enormous confidence – some might say too much and perhaps it was his mistakes at Southampton in January which have sealed his Arsenal fate.

Szczensy2

Mr and (the soon to be) Mrs. Szczesny

Raddy’s Opinion:

I have no real reason for saying this but I don’t trust Ospina. His silly errors vs WBA worry me – he just doesn’t seem to have control over his area. His lack of height could be costly against the aerial power of Benteke etc and Ospina will need to be a damned sight better with his punching from corners and crosses, TPIG is better in the air than Ospina as he has shown many times. He seems to be a good shot-stopper and his distribution is certainly better than Szczesny.

The problem is that I don’t trust Szczesny either. He has the potential to be a world class GK but seems to be undone by a flaky head.  If AW was going to play him at Wembley then he would surely have started vs WBA ( Fabianski played the final game of last season pre-Wembley).

The scale just about tips towards the Pole – he is due to play a solid game, he is better in the air than Ospina, he missed out last season and this could be his final appearance in an Arsenal shirt if (please, please, pretty please) Cech comes in summer. And sentiment rules – so my vote goes to Szczesny.

This is not an easy decision. What do you think?

 

written by Big Raddy

 

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Posted by Erik the Red

Diaby Day

May 24, 2015

End of a season. For some players this will be their final day at the finest ground in the universe, for others a glittering future awaits. I always hate the final day of the season, if we have not won the title it means my hopes fade and die – as far as I am concerned it is never over until the fat lady sings.

And the chubby lady’s voice is echoing all around Abou Diaby. I cannot recall a player who has had such a frustrating career. The man could have been the answer to all our midfield woes – tall, strong, pacy, and blessed with fast feet for a big man (I love a cliche´). Injury did for the poor fellow. Imagine how frustrated he must have been as season by season he worked his way back to the first team only to be knacked in the first game of his return. My sympathy for the loss of his Arsenal career is tempered by the many millions he will have earned sitting in the stands and lying on the treatment table. A story is so much better with a what might have been.

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This is not the place for a season review, we can leave that until after the big game next weekend, and it is with that in mind that we come to the selection of the team to play West Bromwich Albion.

Will Mr Wenger rotate the team? He surprised us all mid-week by playing the Crown Jewels (or The Holy Trinity as chas calls them). They have to be rested this afternoon. So should Per, Kos, Hector, Aaron, and OG. We have the squad…. Use them.

And what of WBA? Pulis has done a remarkable job – never liked the cut of his jib but credit where credit is due. Could Berahino be a summer signing at THOF? He has a touch of the IW8’s about him and I think if we can control what appears to be a massively inflated ego (see Raheem Sterling) he could do a job for us, especially if Theo leaves.

WBA are the usual Pulis team – hard working, organised, strong in defence and pacy on the counter – they are a decent team; mid-table decent.

Can we score? For a team with such a varied supply of attacking talent we have been toothless the last 4 games. This has to change and change fast. Not playing Theo mid-week was IMO a huge mistake because we seem to have lost the confidence and ability in front of goal  – Theo adds something different. What is the point of Bellerin crossing repeatedly into the box when all our players are dwarfed by defenders (apart from OG who has lost his mojo)?

There is the possibility we could ship 4 and MU could beat Hull by 3 so 3rd is not 100% guaranteed. Of course it is, that will never happen!

How would we feel if our players downed tools as Chelsea did last weekend? I would be hugely unhappy if any Arsenal player did not give 100% every time he stepped onto the field in the historic red and white; I expect nothing less than a sparkling display this afternoon.

Barca had a Xavi Day yesterday. We should have Diaby Day.

I am 72% confident

COYRRG

 

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Posted by Erik the Red

Walcott, Wilshere and Gibbs to start?

May 20, 2015

Must be time for a change of first eleven, Mr Wenger – the boys are looking jaded.

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The Crown Jewels of Alexis, Santi and Ozil could be given tickets to sit in the stands with TH14 and Bobby P – just to get some quality time with Arsenal Royalty – or perhaps they could take a tour of the ground with Charlie George 🙂

This will allow JW and Theo some pitch time and stop them griping through the summer (hopefully). Kos is malade so either Chambers (remember him?) or The Archangel will start. Gibbs needs a kick about or he will also ask to leave citing a lack of opportunities in the run up to Euro 2016, as will Debuchy.

Aah, Debuchy – what an odd season for our punk right back; early promise, horrible injury, Chambers looking excellent in his position, then the astonishing development of Bellerin as Boosh gets close to fitness, a return to the first team but Hector is now so good Mathieu  cannot get a regular spot and is relegated to the bench. Sadly, he is knacked again so his time is best spent sunning himself in Dubai at Arsenal’s expense.  I doubt he will be happy about his first season at Arsenal.

Another needing games is Wojciech. Neither GK is good enough IMO but the Pole has been on the naughty step for too long and needs to be given a cuddle if he is to develop into the quality keeper I believe he can become.

Do you think Mr Wenger will make so many changes? Neither do I but I hope he does because this is why we have such an expensive and high quality squad.

Oh, and I would love to see Rosicky play tonight.

Who are we playing? I had to look it up and it appears we are playing Sunderland who seem to have got themselves into somewhat of a pickle. Good. Any club who spend millions and pin their hopes on an ageing Defoe deserve to go down (hope he doesn’t score tonight!). But IMO they are safe as Newcastle and Hull are both desperately trying to earn their season in the Championship.

Sunderland will defend in depth. Swansea’s win by resorting to bringing the entire South Wales contingent of buses to The Emirates was a bad, bad result for anyone who enjoys watching football. Even the Chavs play defensively when coming to Arsenal and so will every other team in the PL apart from the few who, like Arsenal, believe that football is an entertainment.

I detest this park the bus crap – what was the best game of the season – the one that had all the pundits raving about the quality of entertainment? Barca vs Bayern. Why? Because Guardiola had the nuts to send his team out to attack in the belief that is team could and should compete. Why can’t others do the same? How many of the teams who defend in depth at THOF get a result? Very few – so why not try and give some joy to the paying punter?

Rant over.

Sunderland need a point to guarantee safety, we need a point to ensure 3rd spot. A draw seems likely but thankfully Mr Wenger doesn’t work that way.

I am 63% confident.

COYRRG

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Posted by Erik the Red

Another 1- 0 to The Arsenal?

May 17, 2015

Can we continue the winning run at OT?  Though we are unbeaten at the Manchester Main Library in 2015 the portents are mixed.

The nine years without the glory of winning of both silverware and at what is the PL’s most prestigious and largest ground has finally been resigned to history; can Arsenal win both the FAC and at OT twice in a year? Why not?

Firstly, we have to re-discover the scoring form of earlier in the year and Giroud in particular could …..

I had better stop this now. Quite honestly I am not in possession of the facts nor the passion to write about this afternoon’s game in any depth – you will have to get the runners and riders elsewhere, instead let us look back in time (it is almost always the best place).

Weds May 8th 2002.  Jubilee year. We went up to the Toilet in fine form and the previous weekend had won the FA Cup at Cardiff thanks to goals from Ray and Freddie. The team was without the injured Pires, Adams and TH14 but was so good that Dennis was on the bench for this important fixture!

United were Champions and hurting. This was the team of Beckham, Van Nistelroy, Roy Keane, Scholes,the Neville Brothers and Laurent Blanc. They needed the points to ensure CL qualification and above all, Ferguson hated the idea of his nemesis Mr Wenger winning the title at his “fortress”.

These were the years of  the bitter rivalry between the Professor and the Rednosed Glaswegian. a time when on-field battles were a regular occurrence (remember the docked points?), the PV4/Keane feud, the heinous Neville assaults on our fleet-footed marvels, the Keown/Nistleroy contretemps was just a year away. It was the biggest fixture of the season and although I couldn’t attend I was excited with a serious E.

We needed just a point to win the title but from the off we attacked. Kanu passed to Wiltord who hit Blanc with a stinger which went for a corner. Freddie buzzed around causing havoc. Scholes picked up his customary yellow for a dreadful tackle on Edu (he shouldn’t have left AFC so early), Neville and Keane followed him into the book as MU realised they couldn’t compete trying to play football (expect the same today). Then on the hour Ray sent Freddie clear, his shot hit Barthez and rebounded to Sylvian who slotted it home. Cue bedlam in the away end. Our solid defence saw out the game without further trouble.

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We had won the title at our most hated rivals (OK, I know we also won the League at WHL – but give me some artistic licence!) and not just won the Premiership but the Double as well.

Happy Days.

There is no reason why we cannot win at OT this afternoon, MU will surely have to attack at home and the game should be a cracker (unlike Swansea).  We need to find a way past the wonderful De Gea which is not easy but can be done. OG has to occupy the CB’s and create space for our little fellows, the defence has to be resolute with Le Coq vital insurance as Ramsey/Wilshire venture forward.

I am 50% confident

COYRRG

 

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Posted by Erik the Red

Forever in Our Shadow. May 6th 2006

May 6, 2015

Today is the 9th anniversary of probably the most amusing day in my long Gooner history. What could be better than seeing the N17 mugs crying whilst we take their first attempt at the Champions League away?

May 6th 2006. Lasagnegate.

Let’s set up the day …..

Martin Jol’s Spurs had been on a fine run and needed to just match Arsenal’s result to ensure CL qualification – a prize valued at above ￡10m at a time when ￡10m bought you a Ronaldo not a Peter Crouch. They were away at a dismal West Ham, we were at home to Wigan.

Spurs thought it would be a good idea to take their team to a hotel for the Saturday night before the game and being the small club they are chose to stay at the Marriot West India Quay ( an upmarket Travelodge) in Canary Wharf whilst Arsenal stayed down the road at the 5 star Four Seasons.

The Hapless Hotspurs were having their best season for 11 years inspired by a strike force of Keane and Defoe allied to the midfield skills of Carrick, Danny Murphy and Edgar Davids.

A buffet dinner was arranged in a private room – the Marriot advertised it would “satisfy the most discerning palates with a fresh approach”, most players chose lasagne ……

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A little after midnight Carrick, Edgar Davids, Taino, Dawson, Lemon and Keane had a nasty dose of Montezuma’s Revenge.

Daniel Levy phoned the Premier League officials to arrange a postponement, they refused.

It was a 13.30 kick-off and Jol was unable to find enough fit players to fill the bench plus some of those playing were dehydrated and suffering from the effects of a night of the Tottenham Trots.

Within 10 minutes of kick-off we were one up and Spurs one down. A future Arsenal hero Yossie Yossie Benahoun delivered the coup de grace as the Hammers beat the Hapless Hotspurs. TH14 scored twice as we beat Wigan 4-2.

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Levy applied to the Premier League for a replay citing not just misfortune but also possible skullduggery at the Marriot. They even went so far as to call in Tower Hamlets Environmental Health Officers to investigate (the lasagne cook was a big Gooner) but they found the Marriot had no case to answer.

The days that followed were full of glee and guffaws as we found out what had happened. Not just the joy of beating Spurs to the CL when it seemed unlikely but also the manner of their defeat. It was further proof that Spurs are meant to be “forever in our shadow”

And that is how it is to be a Spurs fan. Every year there is hope and every year it is dashed. How many times do we hear them bleat about how “this year will be the year” – it never is.

Never.

written by Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

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