Unbeaten This Century

April 14, 2010

When do you think was the last time Spurs beat us in the league? Here’s a clue – they haven’t beaten us this century. When was the last time they beat us at White Hart Lane? Again, not this century. The Spuds have beaten us twice in 15 years! Should we win or draw tonight, we will record a record breaking 21 games without defeat against another team. Does this entitle them to be considered rivals or laughing stocks.

The Spuds sit in 5th place, 4 points behind Man City with a game in hand – this is a vital game for them in their (hopeless) quest for a CL spot. Harry is already “bigging up” his team, talking his usual nonsense about how our North London neighbours ( I hesitate to use the word rivals) are on a par with the Arsenal, and how they have closed the gap on us (13 points and counting). What is in Spurs favour is their home record, they have been very strong at the Lane, unbeaten in 8, and conceding only 10 goals all season – the best in the PL. Add to this our lack of punch upfront, the absence of our top scorer, and a low scoring game is predicted – what price a last minute Bendtner header?

Spurs real hope in this game lies in our desperate injury list. With Fabregas, Gallas, and Arshavin out, we have lost our 3 world class players. There remains the possibility that Song will not be fit which will be another major blow to us. Can we win with half a team? Will the sight of RvP on the bench (I cannot believe he will start) spark us to victory? Can Sol overcome what will undoubtedly be a torrid reception to deny Crouch and Pavlyuchenko? Absolutely – we are the better team, end of!

I expect Spurs to start with Defoe and Crouch and bring on Pav in the second half. They are missing Palacios which is a big plus for us. Also missing will be Krankjar and Lennon. Back for the NLD is our old friend David Bentley, who is sure to be desperate for a big game. I am still smarting from his fluke last season at the Emirates and his celebration which relegated (or elevated) him high into the Gooners hate list. I wish him a frustrating night, and a long dejected walk back down the tunnel when he is subbed after an hour.

This game is a season breaker for Spurs. The loss to a dire Portsmouth will have sapped not only their enthusiasm but also their physical strength – 120 minutes on the dire Wembley pitch will exhaust any team, and they will wilt in the last 20 minutes, which is when we are at our most dangerous. I expect us to line up as follows, though I am rarely correct…..

GK

Sagna  Sol  TV   Clichy

Song/Eboue  Denilson  Diaby  Rosicky

Theo  NB

Eboue could well start ahead of Theo, it depends upon how brave AW is feeling and if Song is fit.

I have many WHL memories dating back to Black and White days, most involve escaping their neanderthal fans, but despite the annual avoidance of flying bottles and coins in Paxton Road, it is a ground with positive memories. One of my faves was a 0-0 draw (1997) when Spurs absolutely battered us and Seaman showed why for a few years he was the World’s best GK (if only we could find another like him). And who can forget the Liam Brady left footer in a 5-0 in ’78?

Those were the days when Spurs were proper rivals. At Highbury when the chant “Stand up if you hate Tottenham” started, virtually the whole ground rose as one, now it is just the hardy few. Is this due to song-fatigue, or because Gooners no longer harbour an intense dislike of our neighbours? I applaud Harry’s attempts to bring Spurs to the top table. I want them to challenge us, it is good for North London, good for both clubs and good for the fans. It seems wrong that we “hate” MU and the Chavs, they are not the traditional enemy – it is the blue bellies from the Lane. Think of the songs …… The W***y Tottenham Hotspur went to Rome to see the Pope”, “My Old man said be a Tottenham fan, I said FO etc” “We hate Totteham”, “You won the League, In Black and White”. These are proper Arsenal songs, fashioned in the heat of the ’70’s and earlier. We don’t have songs for Chelsea, and those we have for MU are borrowed from other grounds. Football needs the comedy villain and Spurs over the past decade have just been the comedy  –  who can forget the commemorative mugs when they beat our youth team at WHL in the Carling!!

I fear that when we beat  Spurs tonight they will roll over in their games at MU and home to the Chavs. It is important to us that they do well in both but which would the Spurs fans prefer – Chelsea or Arsenal to win the title? No brainer is it!

The North London Derby is always a feisty affair and a draw in this game effectively ends the prospects of both teams (can anyone really expect the Chavs to drop 6 points?). We need the victory and that is what I expect.

178 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Erik the Red

Little Mozart vs New Zidane

April 13, 2010

Today’s post is by our newest guest writer samflu.

Tomas Rosicky and Samir Nasri – two extremely talented players capable of filling the rather large hole left in Arsenal’s midfield three following Cesc’s injury. Elegant, graceful, and creative, these two players are not only a joy to watch, but they also posses the quality required to get the Gunners’ creative juices flowing.

It is rather strange to think that both have almost the same number of appearances seeing that Rosicky joined Arsenal Football Club two years before Nasri. In 90 appearances since 2006 for The Arsenal, Tomas has scored 16 goals and made 10 assists. Nasri, only joining the club in 2008, has scored 12 goals and made 8 assists in 73 games. This season, both have played 29 games in all competitions, and both have played a part in 8 goals. Rosicky has scored 3 and created 5 while Nasri has scored 5 and created 3.

Not only are these players similar in stats, but also in style of play, height, and weight. Both are blessed with exquisite touch, terrific vision, and wonderful dribbling skills.

With players so similar how could you possible choose one over the other? Or are these similarities merely hiding the defining differences?

Wenger has already stated that he is ready to put his trust in young Samir to fill in for Cesc, but is this the right choice?

We saw how devastatingly good Nasri can be when played centrally against Porto. He put in a top performance which was rounded off by one of the best goals scored in the Champions League this season. He linked up well with the other midfielders and strikers, and he was a constant threat going forward.

But we have also seen how little he can contribute when played centrally. The games away at Hull and Barcelona come to mind. Of course, these were no easy games, but Nasri was almost nonexistent in both. The Hull game presented the French midfielder with an extremely physical game while the Barcelona one presented him with an extremely technical game. Against Hull, Nasri could do very little as he was often out muscled by the Tiger’s more physical players. Arsenal won it thanks to some Russian magic and Danish opportunism, not Nasri’s contribution from midfield. Against Barca, Nasri faced the most technically gifted midfield in the world. Not only was it almost impossible for him to snatch the ball from them, but once he did receive the ball, he had around 0.31 seconds to think about what to do with it before being pressured by two or three Barca players.

Of course, there are many different ways to look at Nasri’s performances, but I don’t believe that the Frenchman is the one who should step in for Cesc.

After the Barca game last week, Rosicky was getting a lot of negative reviews. Yes, he had a bad game, but come on… People were and still are screaming for Arsene to sell him, but that’s just ridiculous. Rosicky is a fantastic player; I’d even say he’s the most technical and creative along with Cesc. Some of his passes are out of this world. In the Czech national team, Rosicky plays centrally, and just as we have seen a couple of times at Arsenal, he plays amazing there. Just ask any American after the 2006 World Cup. He absolutely destroyed them. At Camp Nou, Wenger should have left Nasri on the left and played Rosicky centrally. Nasri played excellent against Barca on the left at the Emirates, and he should have stayed there. As mentioned before, Nasri was often crowded out in the middle and he doesn’t have enough bite in him to fight for the ball unlike his team mate with the number 7. Rosicky could have made a huge difference for us if he would have played centrally. He’s got a crazy edge about him. I could see him in elementary school yelling back at the 2 metre tall bully without an ounce of fear in him. He would have run the midfield like a bulldog, always snatching at Busquets, Xavi, and Keita’s feet. And going forward, he could have worked magic with Diaby. But the past is the past, and now Wenger must look ahead.

Does he stick with his decision to play Nasri centrally rather than on the wings, or does he let Rosicky play the Cesc role?

I would choose Rosicky, no questions asked, especially at this stage of the season considering all the pressure the Arsenal players are facing in these last five games.

Rosicky has immense mental strength. Anyone that comes back from a 20 month layoff to play at the top level again has a purely winning mentality in my book. But this is not all. Rosicky is also a natural leader, not afraid to let his voice be heard. We have seen him get in other players’ faces time and time again, and his leadership status was reaffirmed when he was appointed captain of the Czech national team. Rosicky also brings experience. Turning 30 this year, Rosicky is one of the few experienced players at Arsenal FC, and his experience will be vital in the upcoming weeks.

Mental strength, leadership, and experience. That’s where Rosicky wins, in my opinion. And that is why Wenger should let him play in the midfield three. Let Nasri torment the wings. If you think about it, his superb goal against Porto did not start from a central position, but from the right wing.

If we play like this, I believe the trip to White Hart Lane will be no problem. Of course, the Spuds haven’t really posed any real threat to us in the League since ’99, but this way we could beat them by an even larger margin.

Agree? Disagree? Who do you think should fill in for Cesc?

Stay classy, fellow Gooners.

127 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Who is the next Media Darling if Man Utd don’t spend?

April 12, 2010

It is a sobering thought that Manchester United for so long the darlings of the media, are falling off the pace and may not have the money they need to strengthen the squad. If this is so, what price SAF having to ban all media from press conferences as the vindictive scribes get there own back? A classic case of careful who you abuse on the way up, less they kick seven bells out of you on the way down.

Consider then the state of today’s premier league, Chelsea have an ageing squad and an owner who supposedly insists they become self-financing. Man Utd are also struggling due to crippling interest payments and owner fees. While Liverpool wait for a new owner to bail them out.

In addition according to the press the signs are that the American owner of Villa is less than happy with the return he is getting from his investment in the club. Martin O. despite some big spending looks like missing champions league again this year. Rumours continue despite denials to circulate that he will leave if he doesn’t get more money to spend, as they also do with Rafa at the Pool.

The trials of Newcastle are there for all to see, on their way back to the premier but with a once bitten owner, reluctant to spend more and demanding they also become self sufficient

The common denominator here of course is owners, who come in for the ride and the reflected glory of the publicity that success brings. Which of course begs the question are owners good for a club in the long term? Given the fact that success is cyclical and can never be guaranteed even with huge expenditure.

In our own case many questions now arise? Will these latest developments persuade our American major shareholder to become an owner? And should he so do, what does that mean for us? Will the money Arsene supposedly has to strengthen the squad, still be there if we are sold?

Or will Pots of money City, the one club capable of sustained spending, buy the world and win the lot? Leaving their owner to bask in the glow of unlimited media coverage and creating an instant nightmare at the so-called theatre of dreams just down the road.

Just imagine the reaction of old red nose, caught in the media glare, if that should happen, the very thought is enough to drive the poor man to drink.

By dandan

51 Comments | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Arsenal Odds On To Win The Title

April 11, 2010

I picked the winner in the Grand National yesterday. It was, I have to say, an informed bet, not my usual pin in the names, red and white riding gear or ‘Red’ in the horses name. I had been casually listening to talk of the race the previous day and heard that Tony McCoy had not won the National in 15 attempts and was riding a horse called ‘Don’t Push It’.

It was a great race especially if you had money on the winner as he was nowhere until about the 4th fence from the end. Conna Castle went out in front pretty early on and was tagged by Black Apalachi and at that point I considered not watching any more as two of my other horses had already fallen. Then I heard his name and that of ‘State of Play’ which I also had a bet on and so watched the remaining few minutes as ‘Don’t Push It’ came storming through to take the race.

It was in fact a very exciting race but it was over in about 12 minutes. My horse came from nowhere to win even though he was one of the favourites. I began thinking about whether its more exciting to be leading a race from the start or to come through the ranks to be the winner.

So far, Arsenal have won the premiership three times under Arsène Wenger – 1998, 2002 and 2004. In 1998 Arsenal went on an unbeaten run of 13 games to take the title from the manks by one point finishing on 78 points. That was exciting.

The 2001-2002 season  was even more exciting as the race appeared to be wide open at the start but in the end we won it comfortably, taking the title from the mancs, winning at Old Trafford in the penultimate game to be crowned Champions with 7 points spare.

In 2003 we had a pretty cool team and our manager had set down the unlikely marker of going unbeaten for the whole season the year before. This team were magic, they oozed class, they were wonderful to watch – everyone said so and we all basked in their glory. The nouveau riche chavs were our main competition as they now had a sugar-daddy who’d given them £100m to spend on players but we went unbeaten and in May 2004 were champions with 90 points from the chavs 79.

There were seasons in between where we came close but had thrown away large leads early on to end up runners-up. Do we remember those? No, we don’t even want to think about them. How much more exciting is it as a supporter to be in it at the end? This time last year although we were in the semi-finals of the champions league we were out of the title race. Come April I’d much rather be in with a shout for the premiership, how do you feel about it?

So here we stand with 5 games to go, five season defining games. There’s no margin for error now, we just have to crack on and show the kind of determination that Bendtner did when heading home the winner against Wolves last Saturday and power our way through the pack just like my horse did yesterday.

79 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by peachesgÖÖner

A Question of Sport – if we can’t beat ‘em, should we join ‘em?

April 10, 2010

Our little Russian doll Andrey Arshavin was a guest on A Question of Sport last night. I don’t think he understood half of what was going on, but at least managed to recognise Jack Wilshere and get an answer or two right.

It got me thinking about football (just for a change), is it a sport, a game, a way of life, an obsession?

By definition, it is a game. It involves teams, a set time for play and scoring. But should it be played in a ‘sporting manner’ or should we accept that ‘gamesmanship is part of the tactics? Beyond that, there is the question of whether we should continue to strive to create a spectacle involving elite sportsman or should we join the majority of teams who treat it as a game where tactics and other less virtuous practises can be employed to give an advantage?

I watched Stevie-me win a couple of free kicks for pool on Thursday by pushing the ball ahead and running into the defender in front of him and then diving spectacularly; the referee fell for it every time, but the slo-mo showed it for what it was; gamesmanship/cheating. Eboue has done the same thing for us and been soundly rebuked by fans as ‘letting the side down’. Barcelona outplayed us on Tuesday, but they also out-cheated us too. The quality of their fouls was far superior to ours. How many times have we  persistently been fouled by the opposition with no cards in evidence and yet, the first time one of our players deliberately brings an opponent down, out comes the card. We’re not very good at fouling – could this have a bearing on the number of injuries we suffer?

A few people have commented lately that we need a midfielder or defender who strikes fear into opponents, an enforcer in the mould of Patrick Vieira. We were once criticised for the number of red cards we collected in Wenger’s early years (coincidentally, the years when we were winning trophies). Which is the more effective weapon against the opposition….. team spirit, or aggression?

Vermaelen is the best ‘fouler’ we have, Song is not very good, he holds his hands in the air in a plea of innocence before he’s even committed the offence – bit of a giveaway! Sagna’s too nice to foul deliberately, although Clichy does like to mix it. Since the Invincible’s, we’ve recruited/developed players many of whom are just too ‘nice’. Look at the way Fabianski handed the ref the ball when told to do so in the CL game against Porto – Lehman would never have done that.

Reading this you could be forgiven for thinking that I’m in favour of our players being dirtier and I could ask, what would you rather win – the Fair Play League or the Premier League?

The problem is that it is not Arsène’s style, therefore it is not Arsenal’s style. In general we play by the rules – that includes the rules of business that stipulate that you have to balance the books, it’s a shame that nobody else follows suit. I think Chamakh will add some much needed muscle to our forward line albeit with the ball skills to compliment his tempered aggression and it looks increasingly likely that we will have to buy a CB. Most of us are praying for a new keeper who doesn’t look terrified, but terrifying. Perhaps we are about to enter a new era in Arsène’s thinking that combines the steel of the Invincibles with the mobile ball skills of the current squad and has ALL the elements necessary to bring to an end our famine of trophies.

65 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Rasp

Alex Ferguson–Lord of the Sith or Rab. C Nesbitt? Part II

April 9, 2010

It’s common knowledge that the surly, German-loving Glaswegian refuses to talk to certain media outlets (especially after a defeat when, like a snivelling coward he’ll send out the assistant manger to face the press) but even then the rest of the media are perpetually currying favour with him, laughing at feeble quips like “If the Italians say it’s pasta, I’ll look under the sauce” (said before a Champions League game in Italy.) Pardon me; the new Oscar Wilde has split my sides permanently.

Naturally when someone is smart back to him Fergie is less than happy; remember Ken Bates attempting to present him with a medallion inscribed “Lord Fergie – the best thing since sliced bread” at a Wembley cup final?

It’s not just the referees that are held in thrall by Fergie but the raft of managers in the Premier League who have Old Toilet connections, mainly as ex-players, although to our good fortune we have thankfully lost a number of ex-mank managers, such as Paul “The Governor (!)” Ince, Mark “I’m at City for the long haul” Hughes and Roy “Prawn sandwich” Keane with only Steve Bruce remaining.

Aside from the ex-players we have Fergie acolytes who attach themselves to him and vicariously bask in his reflected glory, such as Fat Sam “Walrus-face” Allardyce (seen sucking up to Lord Fergie at the Aintree races the day after Bayern dumped them put of Europe) and Alex “Ginger nuts” McLeish. Managers like them are those who have taken as the only way to play us from the infamous game where the Neville sisters took it in terms to rotationally kick J A Reyes out of the game and, ultimately, back to Iberia.

”Get in their faces, kick them off the park and Arsenal will have no answer” was probably first said by the Highland Malt man and all round euro-diplomat.

Legend has it that Ferguson and McLeish spoke before the Birmingham away fixture in the 2007-08 season and you can just imagine those words ringing out in the home dressing room at St Andrews on that fateful day just over two years ago. Those instructions having a special resonance for one Martin Taylor, and similarly so for Shawcross whose manager is another one who thinks ridiculing Wenger will ingratiate himself to Fergie.

Having therefore placed himself in an unassailable place in which the media and FA give him undue deference and having plenty of Fergie “mini me”s within the ranks of other premier league managers he can do no wrong.

For example Fergie brings in the serial crock (and horse racing trainer who plays a little football between spells on the physios couch) Owen who then manages three league goals in nineteen appearances and it’s a master stroke, yet Wenger signing big Sol on a pay as you play is a sure fire sign of the “Nutty professor” in charge at our club having “lost the plot” – you can always bank on the gutter press to load every article about us with an EU quota of clichés and, to be fair to them, utter bollocks.

The same goes for Fergie’s gamble on Shreks fitness in the Manks final Champions League fixture – he’ll say “No chance to play” but then miraculously the Dreamworks character is showing the recovery powers of a biblical one, Lazarus.

Do I know why Fergie acts in the way he does? As an amateur shrink I can only guess his inferiority complex (as evidenced by his need to undermine all his competitors on a personal level) comes from an upbringing where every verbal exchange was a quarrel and such a tough environment would probably give little chance for personal growth and quiet contemplation.

He has only ever worked in the UK and while travel broadens the mind being an “Island monkey”, as continentals would label Fergie, has created his insular, narrow-minded outlook. A manager who Fergie would do well to look at for an example of how a British manager can act with exemplary good grace is Roy Hodgson, who by no coincidence has worked in many countries. While I disagree with (and am frustrated by) a number of things that our managers does, I can see a well-travelled and rounded individual that represents our club with honour and dignity.

So if you hear that Fergie has the touch of one of James Earl Jones’ roles about him, you know it is more likely to be a whiskey-soaked dose of Rab C.

Let’s hope he doesn’t mention the war.

By our guest writer charybdis1966


Thanks chary for your post, another excellent rant at the scot and his followers.

Alfa put the following post up this morning – an invitation to be part of Bob Wilsons Charity Quiz – have a look.

Bob Wilson World Cup Charity Quiz Night

Our featured charity, the Willow Foundation ( www.willowfoundation.org.uk ) are holding a charity quiz night and if you are in the Herts/London area we thought you might want to go along.
Bob Wilson World Cup Charity Quiz Night

Join quiz master, former Arsenal & Scotland goalkeeper, Bob Wilson, as you pit your wits against friends, family and colleagues. Teams of 6 to 8 people are invited to take part. Supper will be provided on the night.

The event takes place between on Monday 26 April 2010 from 6.45pm – 11.00pm at Sopwell House, Cotton Mill Lane, St Albans.

Tickets: £20 each (entrants must be 18 years or over)

To purchase tickets, please contact the Community Fundraising Team:
E: fundraising@willowfoundation.org.uk
T: 01707 259777

Click here to view the event flyer.

70 Comments | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Bob Wilson World Cup Charity Quiz Night

April 9, 2010
Our featured charity, the Willow Foundation ( www.willowfoundation.org.uk ) are holding a charity quiz night and if you are in the Herts/London area we thought you might want to go along.
Bob Wilson World Cup Charity Quiz Night

Join quiz master, former Arsenal & Scotland goalkeeper, Bob Wilson, as you pit your wits against friends, family and colleagues. Teams of 6 to 8 people are invited to take part. Supper will be provided on the night.

The event takes place between on Monday 26 April 2010 from 6.45pm – 11.00pm at Sopwell House, Cotton Mill Lane, St Albans.

Tickets: £20 each (entrants must be 18 years or over)

To purchase tickets, please contact the Community Fundraising Team:
E: fundraising@willowfoundation.org.uk
T: 01707 259777

Click here to view the event flyer.

The main post will be along shortly – a treat in store on Rant Friday…

3 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Alfa

The Dream Lives On

April 8, 2010

Many Arsenal supporters are in mourning at the perceived death of a dream following our Champions League football lesson at the hands of Barcelona.

But is the dream dead? Even if we lose to spuds on Wednesday and don’t get any higher in the league than third, is the dream dead?

Does the devastation of our squad caused by top players suffering injury mean the dream has become a nightmare? Or is it as I believe, just a quick brutal glimpse of reality, a moment of wakefulness in a long night of dreaming.

The dream is still intact; those key players apart from poor Aaron Ramsey are approaching fitness. We will have a fully fit squad for the new season. But it may be a significantly different squad come pre-season if Wengers hints and countless media reports are to be believed. Some existing players will have left and been replaced by new top-level signings

This squad has shown such fortitude. It will be further hardened mentally by the rigours of this astonishing season, having been written off before it even started as not worthy of even a top four finish and with no chance of a Champions League place. This view has been reiterated, further enhanced and spewed out as a fact – an almost certainty by the delighted media each time we lost, as lose we did in the four games against our championship rivals.

Yet, each time this side picked itself up, ignoring the injuries that would have crushed a lesser team to follow the dream and here we are, certain to finish at least third, with the distinct possibility, whisper it quietly, of winning the thing.

So as the song says ‘you got to have a dream, if you don’t have a dream, how you going to have a dream come true?’

My dream certainly hasn’t died, whether we win the league or not, we are a million miles from where we started the season and the progress to me is tangible.

So Gooners what is your dream?  Who should go, who should get promoted to the squad and who, given the obvious restraints on Arsène’s spending should we buy?

What would you do to make the dream come true?

By guest writer dandan

325 Comments | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Ritchie, Blair or Messi? You decide………

April 7, 2010

Alright, I know he scored four goals of great individual skill and single-handedly dumped us out of the Champion’s League, I know he’s the new Messi-ah and he’s going to light up the World Cup this summer, but bloody hell, didn’t Messrs Gray, Tyler and Keys have the hots for young Lionel? By the end of the game I was gagging on the great dollops of statistics they’d been shoving down my throat about the wonderboy; four hat tricks since January; Fifa world player of the year by the tender age of 22; already Barcelona’s equal highest goal scorer in the Champion’s League.  At any moment I was expecting Tyler to tell us that he is now officially the most famous person ever to have been called Lionel:

Tyler: “Surely the best Lionel of all time, would you agree Andy?”

Gray: “Don’t get me wrong. I loved Lionel Blair in Give Us A Clue and as for Lionel Richie, well… he could do it All  Night Long… but this little Argentinian – he’s something else.”

And he was. But that’s going to be documented just about everywhere else today, so I want to talk about the Arsenal.

There’s no getting away from it, we were well beaten over two legs by a team that is superior to ours. Yes, we were missing Cesc, Robin, Arsh, Gallas, Song and the rest, but even if we had had every member of our squad fully fit we would still have been beaten. Barcelona are a team who play football the way Arsenal play it, but do it better.  Strangely, I don’t find this depressing, I find it encouraging. The fact that the best team in the world plays our type of football is a vindication of what Wenger is trying to do, albeit with fewer resources and in a more hostile environment  (if Barca played in the Premier League I wonder how many broken legs they would have suffered over the last couple of seasons).  I believe it will fire up Arsene to move us up a level in our team play and we will reap the benefits next year. And we may even reap some of them this year if the players show the same positive reaction to this setback that they did to defeats this season by Chelsea and Man Utd.

Despite the 4-1 scoreline we put in a better overall performance than we had a week ago when we drew 2-2 at the Emirates. This time we didn’t stand off the Barca players and admire their pretty passing patterns, we chased and harried them from the off, with Nasri in particular putting in an almighty shift.

Messi gave an early warning of his menace with a snap shot that was going wide but was sensibly turned round anyway by Almunia and followed up a few minutes later with a shot that dipped onto the roof of the net, but those chances aside it was a cagey start.

And then, on Oh My God! We’ve scored – we’re one nil up at the Nou Camp. Great determination by Diaby to win the ball in midfield and release Walcott running in behind the Barca defence. Theo did his best to mess it up with a lame pass to Bendtner but when his shot came back off Valdes, Bendy was first to react and poked it home – a finish of great determination.

I’m sure all Gooners really started to believe at that point, but the euphoria was cut cruelly short.  A quick Barca attack, the ball rebounding perfectly to Messi off  Nasri and Silvestre and it was 1-1.

To their credit, the lads kept battling, although every tackle seemed to bring a foul to Barca (Denilson was hard done by to get a yellow for a great ball-winning tackle on Messi). Then the Argentinian struck again on 36 mins, Abidal sending a low cross in from wide left and the ball again falling kindly for Barca. Pedro helped it on to Messi who took a lovely touch before placing it past Almunia.

At this point you’re thinking – if we can hang on at 2-1 until half time we’re still in it, but it wasn’t to be: Messi charging through a massive gap in our defence after Vermaelen was caught forward and dinking a sublime chip over Big Al.

The second half was a less spectacular affair.  We continued to chase but our final ball usually let us down and Barca were fanatical in their attempts to win the ball back when we had possession. On a couple of occasions where we were stringing passes together we ended up going backwards towards our own goal, such was Barcelona’s pressure.

Pep Guardiola, keen not to repeat the mistakes made at the Emirates, brought on Yaya Toure to keep things tight and for most of the second half Barca played at a slower tempo, keeping the ball.

We had a couple of half chances – Bendtner’s touch letting him down in the box, Rosicky firing high from the edge of the area and Bendtner hitting the post with a header (which wouldn’t have counted as he was flagged for offside), but it never seemed likely that a goal would come.

Eboue came on for Silvestre, with Sagna moving to central defence; Eduardo replaced the tired-looking Rosicky, but nothing really changed and Barcelona’s and Messi’s fourth goal was not a big surprise. He did well to hold off Vermaelen in the box, but when Almunia saved his shot the ball again fell kindly for the Argentine and he slotted between Al’s legs.

Full time 4-1, aggregate 6-3 and you couldn’t disagree when Arsene said Barelona were better than us.

But this team can push on and get better. We clearly need a world class finisher – let’s hope Chamakh is that man (if the rumours are true) and some of our young players need more experience, but if we take one lesson away from these two games it’s that pretty football is not enough on its own. Barcelona play like thoroughbreds but they work like shire horses – and we need to start doing the same.

Next stop, the terrible Totts. A win there will soon put this honourable defeat into perspective.

Player Ratings:

Almunia: Can’t fault him for any of the goals (he was particularly unlucky for the fourth) and he made a couple of decent stops.   He kicked long too many times when he could have played it to one of the defenders, thereby ceding possession to best ball-holding side in the world. 6

Sagna: Worked hard, made a couple of good forward breaks with little end product. 6

Clicy: Good game, constantly trying to get forward and coped moderately well with the waves of Barca attacks. 7

Vermaelen:  Was stranded up field for Messi’s third. He and Silvestre struggled with Barca’s movement (but so would most defenders). 6

Silvestre: Did OK. Unfairly blamed by some for Messi’s first (check out the replays: it bounced off Nasri an instant before MS played it). 6

Denilson: Worked hard, but was occasionally caught in possession and final ball not great. 6

Diaby: Much improved performance compared with his showing in the first leg. Battled hard and set up Bendtner’s goal. 7

Nasri: It didn’t always come off for him and his final ball was sometimes wayward, but he worked his socks off, closed down the Barca players all night and was involved in some of our better forward moves. MotM (for us – there might just be a different candidate for overall MotM). 7.5

Rosicky: I thought he was our best player on Saturday, but looked leggy in this game and was responsible for a lot of lost possession. 5

Walcott: Started brightly but faded. 6

Bendtner: Never stops trying and took his goal well, but just lacks that bit of class in games like this one.  6.5

Subs:

Eboue: Did his best but the game was already lost when he came on. 6

Eduardo: No real chance to get in the game. N/A

By our guest writer RockyLives

155 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Something About Henry

April 6, 2010

As The Arsenal’s pending trip to Camp Nou draws closer, let us spare a thought for the largely unsung heroes, The Away Fans, always outnumbered, but never out gunned. Week in, week out, they follow their beloved team around Blighty & Europe, always providing that little piece of home for the players and management when away on their various crusades.

On Tuesday April 6th 2010, a few thousand Gooners will set up their battle standards in a small pocket of enemy territory, somewhere in Catalonia, and with this, I cannot help but draw upon another famous date in English history, Friday 25 October 1415 The Battle of Agincourt.

For those who are not familiar with the Battle of Agincourt, it was a major English victory against a larger French army during the Hundred Years’ War. The battle occurred in northern France. The victory brought France to its knees.

The battle is notable for the use of the English longbow, which Henry employed in very large numbers, with English and Welsh longbowmen forming the vast majority of his army. The French army numbered some 50,000, whereas the English and Welsh amounted to only 8 to 10,000.

One English account describes the day before the battle as a day of remorse in which the English soldiers cleansed themselves of their sins to avoid Hell if they died. By contrast, the French were confident that they would prevail and were eager to fight. The French believed they would triumph over the English not only because their force was larger, fresher and better equipped, but also because the large number of noble men-at-arms would have considered themselves superior to the assembled commoners (such as the longbowmen) in the English army.

The French suffered heavily.

Fast forward some 595 years. Barcelona, although they won’t admit it publicly yet, believe they will triumph over The Arsenal not only because they are a bigger club and their players are better equipped to play total football, but also because they think La Liga  is superior to the Premier League.

So, I say, bring it on Barcelona. History proves that a Champion Team will beat a team of champions. And for those few thousand Glorious Gooners who stand proud at the final whistle, may we salute your conquest as we would have the long bowmen all those years ago. Give’em the old V sign, complimented by a nice big raspberry.

But may we also give praise to the name Henry, even though this time round  he will be on the losing side.

Regards GG9

Footnote: The French claimed that they would cut off the arrow-shooting fingers of all the English longbowmen after they had won the battle at Agincourt. But of course, the English came out victorious and showed off their two fingers, still intact.

I wrote this piece prior to the Brum draw, & things have changed since, especially with respect to personnel. With respect to this, may I add the line made famous by Winnie the Pooh (Churchill)

“Never was so much owed by so many to so few”

221 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by peachesgÖÖner

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »