Who needs Cesc Fabregas?

April 2, 2010

Wednesday night was a night that may define our season in many ways. Time will tell whether Arsène’s gambles with the fitness of Fabregas and Gallas will prove inspired or disastrous.

What is certain is that the squad have to prove that we are a great team, not just a handful of great players led by Cesc. Glancing at the back of the programme before the match, I noticed a very obvious difference between the squads. The Barcelona squad is 2/3rds the size of ours, yet they seem able to ride out injuries to key players. We can do the same and still be four points better than Man U and Chelsea in the next six league matches.

Fabregas – Nasri is surely the key here. His recent creative performances have shown signs of the playmaker we expected him to become. Can he perform in the away matches, especially at City? My bet is that the maturity he has shown recently will help him make the most of Cesc’s absence. With Denilson showing against Barça that he can keep his head against top teams after all, and Song and Diaby turning into the new Vieira and Petit, we have the stable platform to let Samir shine.

Arshavin – The Anfield heroics seem a long time ago to most fans. Some say he has become selfish and dispirited – I think they are wrong, but he is certainly playing well within himself. As a result, his absence for 3 weeks probably won’t be too damaging to us. It may be a chance for Vela to get the run in the side he has deserved for a long time and we aren’t short of goals.

Gallas – This could be a bigger problem than Cesc. We’ve all enjoyed Sol’s return but against pace even his reading of the game isn’t enough and that’s why he couldn’t be risked against Pedro et al. Against Spurs and City he could get turned inside out. Silvestre has never really convinced me but he is going to be the critical factor in turning 2 points into 6 in our two biggest games.

RvP – We’ve played without our main striker since November and even during that time Bendtner was injured. We clearly haven’t struggled to score goals but there have been times that we  know that van Persie would have brought some extra skill and guile to the team. Eduardo hasn’t managed to impress so far but without Arshavin for three weeks maybe he can find his goal poaching boots. How fit will van Persie be when he returns to the squad and will he have an eye on the World Cup and be protecting himself?

All the injured players are important components of our team.  Are their deputies good enough to carry us over the line? Who will be captain? The latest news is that Denilson and Clichy also picked up injuries on Wednesday night taking the tally to five players from that game alone. Our fearless captain possibly played with an already broken leg  if reports are to be believed – who else in our team has the mental strength, the guts and the determination of Cesc Fabregas?

Nasri, Diaby, Denilson, Eduardo, Walcott, Almunia – your team needs you to be consistent, to be focussed every minute of every game from  now until the end of the season. Cesc Fabregas is just one man, but boy what a man, what a captain.

Can we patch up the side, and crawl over the finishing line without him?

By Alfa and others

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Posted by Alfa

European Nights to Remember

March 30, 2010

As one who for many reasons no longer goes to live matches, it is the European nights I miss the most.

Special nights these, wonderful nights. Even the approach to the floodlit ground is different, the excitement is palpable. “Champions league”, the name says it all. Only the best get here. Groups of visiting fans converge on the stadium, conversing in foreign languages, chanting and singing unintelligible songs with familiar tunes.

They push unashamedly at burger bars and in that holy of holies, the Highbury fish bar, not having been raised in the British habit of orderly queuing. Street traders rip off our guests wholesale, as they grapple with an unfamiliar currency, whilst collecting the promised souvenir for kids back home. Extra police, many mounted, ignore the touts moving through the crush asking for spare tickets to resell.

Into the ground, up to your seat, looking down on that magnificent pitch, the centrepiece, a beautiful lush green stage, waiting for the players and the drama that will surely unfold. The glare of the lights emphasising and enhancing the myriad colours that assault the senses.

Gooners of all shapes and sizes stand restless, unable to sit or relax, thumbing through programmes, glossy pictorial reminders of triumphs past on nights like this and featuring the cast list for the upcoming performance.

A special buzz circulates the ground fuelled by excitement and apprehension. The tension can be felt, the familiar somehow becomes unfamiliar. Yes the same seat and view, but still it’s different, an unknown quantity. These are not regular visitors, a familiar adversary, but foes from across the water, foreigner’s playing the game we invented and now here to try and show us how it’s done.

The teams enter the arena, the roar grows to a crescendo; strong men go weak at the knees, older men weak in the bowels. Anthems play, sound reverberates from side to side, round and round the home of football.

Triumph or disaster it’s now in the lap of the football gods. Foreign referees, dressed in yellow with arms like windmills as befits their need to be noticed and love of a show, book the tacklers, but welcome the wrestlers as part of the game.

Italian and Argentinean hard men compete alongside Spanish maestros and Latino divers, who throw themselves to the ground at the least suggestion of a touch, convulse acrobatically in simulated death throes, prior to a heroic recovery on the stretcher. Each act carefully choreographed, orchestrated and designed simply to break up the flow of the game and waste playing time. Presenting unfamiliar challenges and frustrations to home based fans and players alike, reared on a diet of frantic, high-speed premiership football.

The next hour and three quarters will not only decide which team progresses, but also make or ruin thousands of supporter’s, night, week, or year depending on the result and degree of obsession.

Oh yes, I miss those nights. If you’re fortunate enough to be going, shout for me too. Win or lose, hang on to the moment, for they are extra special nights, an experience to be treasured and stored safe in the memory for when the years have passed and age catches up with you.

My favourite European memory? Easy. Jon Sammels, a class act, oft derided like Bendy and Theo, scoring against Anderlecht, to bring not only the first ever-European trophy to Highbury, but also the first trophy of any kind for 17 years and start the rise of the Modern Arsenal.

By our Guest Writer dandan



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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Support the Enemy…….come on you spurs

March 29, 2010

Yesterday was the weirdest of days in blogland. Some serious ranting took place on a  few blogs but here it seemed we were mostly stunned into silence, except for one or two who clearly wear their hearts on their sleeves.

As ever, with all things Arsenal, the camps were divided. Are we still in the race for the title or did the draw at Birmingham bring an end to our chance of winning the Premiership? Obviously, mathematically, we are still in the race as there is the possibility that the teams above us will drop points against sides that have their own goals to achieve.

In this important week, when we play Barcelona at home in the Champions Leaugue, those three points would have given us the security of knowing we are still in with a  realistic chance of landing the Premiership title. If only Almunia had pushed  harder and that ball had sailed over the bar …. as it is, we all need to push in the same direction…… or as the club motto puts it Victoria Concordia Crescit ” victory comes from harmony”

Undoubtedly, the pendulum has swung against us and in favour of the other two. Ironically we may well have to wish success on totnum, citeh and fat sam’s blackburn when they play our rivals even though they collectively represent everything we detest about the Premier League – delusions of grandeur, obscene money without class and blatant organised thuggery. For these games only, we will support the enemy.

We’re all gearing up to roast the spuds at ‘The Lame’. They think they deserve Champions League football and while they have been annoyingly persistent in holding on to 4th place thus far, I really don’t want them to get the idea that they are in any way deserving of a place in the top four.  They play the three title aspirants in succession, starting with us at the Lane followed by the chavs and then a trip to Old Trafford. Whilst I don’t want to us to drop any points against them, it would be useful if they drew the other games and take points off of the mancs and the chavs even if it meant their chances of finishing fourth were helped in the process.

Citeh will also play us and the mancs. They believe they should be playing Champions League football and when you consider the money thats been lavished on that squad – including the seriously overpriced Lazybayour – they probably have  a point. We must exact revenge for the game at Eastlands earlier in the season, but we should hope they triumph against the red mancs.  They’ll want to stamp their authority on the City of Manchester, and we’ll be the winners in terms of the title race. Are they more deserving of a top four place? I would prefer anyone but the spuds.

The chavs were held to a draw last week at Blackburn. Arsenal and the mancs will travel there in the coming weeks. Blackburn are nestled safely in 10th place so, who would Fat Sam be more likely to want to help out? Not us I reckon so we should expect a tough game from them. How important will the points be to us by then? – only time will tell

There are still a lot of twists and turns to come. This title race is destined to be one of the most exciting yet.  Arsène was clearly rattled after the game on Saturday and uncharacteristically gave the press a mouthful of very flowery language.

If only he’d bought a world class goalkeeper in the summer, he would probably have been smiling all the way home.

Think how bitter sweet it will be for spud supporters to beat the chavs and manure and in doing so help us win the title. So through gritted teeth, everything crossed, for those two games only  ………… come on you spurs…

By Rasputin and peachesgooner

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Think Brum ….. Barça can wait ….

March 27, 2010

We’ve had a weeks break after The Hammers and enter a huge week in our trophy hunt. Birmingham are a decent team, 9th in the PL,  and under the stewardship of Alex McLeish easily capable of upsetting our plans. Home draws against Man U, Chelsea and the Spuds show they are no pushovers at St Andrews. We beat them 3-1 at the Emirates despite a feisty showing from Birmingham in the second half.

The centre of defence is the conundrum for this encounter. As TV is banned for this game we are left with 3 choices of centre back – Sol, Silvestre and Song. Wenger has said that neither Silvestre or Campbell are fit enough to play two games in a week, and after Birmingham we have the big midweek game against Barcelona. As such, we will be forced to play Song at centre back. My guess is that AW trusts Sol more than Silvestre and therefore Sol will play midweek. Song was superb alongside Sol during the second half last Saturday, and I have no qualms at seeing him there, however he will be sorely missed as our midfield enforcer against a team who have already shown a battling disposition. Of course the news of Gallas’s “miraculous” recovery gives AW the chance to play both Sol and Silvestre , hence even more permutations

The CB’s can expect a busy afternoon. Cameron Jerome has scored 4 in his last 3 games and looks a fine player, and Chucho is a player with Tevez like energy (thankfully not the skill!). Plus the Blues have a super-sub in the ancient Kevin Phillips. Birmingham have a decent midfield led by Barry Ferguson, and the Spaniard Michel, a creative MF signed from Gijon in January. They also have McFadden and Lee Bowyer, who in recent games have been on the bench.

I see this as a key game in the run in. As we have seen, Chelsea underestimated a Blackburn team that wouldn’t lie down, and they are similar to Birmingham insomuch as they have only lost twice at home all season. Some inspiration from any of our attacking players is a must. Our forwards cannot afford to be profligate with our chances (are you reading AA and NB?) as we cannot continue to rely on our midfield, and in particular, Cesc to keep scoring. I believe this is a good game to start Walcott as his pace could upset an ageing Blues defence (Stephen Carr?) Apparently Nik will not be fit for the match and Arsène has been bigging up Eduardo for the main strike role. Obviously it is his return to the scene of that horrific injury, so the boss is right to focus on the positives rather than dwell on that day.

I envisage a team of:-

Almunia

Sagna  Silvestre  Song   Clichy

Eboue Denilson Cesc  Nasri/TR

Walcott  Eduardo

I see Cesc coming off after 60 minutes to be replaced by Nasri/TR/Diaby – we need to keep our team fresh for Wednesday. Arshavin on the bench as he is a vital player for us in Europe, and needs a rest. An  cameo appearance from Eduardo late in the game.

Clearly Wenger will have one eye on the Barcelona fixture, whilst at the same time focussing on what could be a banana skin. Three points at St Andrews and the world will start to believe this could be our year.

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Posted by Erik the Red

“I’d just love it if we beat them”

March 25, 2010

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

We all know “Sir” Alex is supposedly the master of mind games and at the level of a Jedi master if you were to believe the entirety of the Man IOU worshipping media and pretty much all of TV sports channels.

The most obvious example often quoted to back this assertion being when Kevin Keegan famously lost his cool and let rip with the “I’d just love it…” tirade, which terminally branded him as a “bottler” in the 1995-96 season.

Take a more recent example of how ole 65% proof nose used his dazzling psychological dexterity to become a winner on Sunday against the Dippers. It was another “Old Traffordish” decision given to the Salford reprobates that resulted in an undeserving penalty duly converted by everyone’s favourite Dreamworks character, via the rebound, to gain his team three valuable points.

The referee was Howard Webb, another referee that Govan’s finest has previously criticised publicly and none too subtly. Take your minds back to the season before last when we met Glazers Gimps at our place when we twice came from behind to salvage a draw while allegedly benefiting from being favoured by Howard the Coward. Not only did the whiskey infested sour puss moan about the refereeing but he deemed the atmosphere at our place hostile – a few quips of “siddown Taggart!” enough to offend Fergie’s tender and fragile persona.  Incidentally you may compare Fergie’s whinge about nothing to the treatment handed out to our manager during the league visit to Old Toilet this season; sent to the stands for the heinous crime of kicking an empty water bottle so he could spend time amongst the slavering hordes of mono brain-celled mank glory-hunting numb nuts.

So, having publicly undermined Howard Webb our Whiskey enthusiast, who in common with all managers assesses the referees in his post-match report, let his displeasure be known in that public way.

OK, if a few FA disrepute charges come his way it’s a fair price for the later benefits (benefits such as the soft penalty for Valencia’s act of simulation that had more ham than Dewhursts) that arise from pressurising referees pre match. Of course every referee will say he is not effected by anything managers say, yet subconsciously Webb, and the likes of Riley before him, the need to get Sir Alex of Govan’s approval hangs heavily on them.

Earlier this season the FA finally attempted to reign in Fergie’s one man crusade against the “Respect” campaign when he said referee Alan Wiley “just wasn’t fit enough” to officiate the Salford Red Sox’s game against Sunderland.

It is significant that part of the judgement made by the FA committee on the disrepute charge subsequently brought contained this proviso “ Each member of the commission recognised Sir Alex Ferguson’s achievements and stature within the game.”

This implies that some degree of leniency was applied because of who the person being judged was – a clear and blatant example of footballing authorities falling over themselves to appease the mad old Scotsman’s rantings; what on earth has his achievements in the game got to do with what the appropriate punishment should be for bringing the game into disrepute? Furthermore, it suggests that managers who have not won trophies will get harsher judgements – what next, a sliding scale of penalties for managers based on how many trophies they have won?

by guest writer charybdis 1966

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Villains to Heroes ….. it’s been worth the wait!

March 23, 2010

Be honest with yourselves fellow gooners – how many of you at the start of the season would had expected to be in with a real chance of winning the premiership and have the mouth-watering prospect of playing Barça in the quarter finals of the Champions League. Not many I would guess, and if you’re in the mood for confession, how many amongst us have expressed serious doubts (in some cases vitriolic character assassination) over some of our present squad? I have, I’m ashamed to admit.

Song, Eboué, Diaby, Bendtner and Denilson are 5 of the 6 that have come in for the most flak; I shall come to the 6th later.

These 5 players were bought for less than £10m and probably have a combined worth in excess of £50m and rising – not bad business! Let’s look at them one player at a time.

Alex Song: made his debut in September 2005, scored his first goal against pool in January 2007; later that month he went out on loan to Charlton Athletic until the end of the 2006/2007season. From 2008 onwards he has featured in the Carling Cup and been integrated into the first team. He is now first choice holding midfielder. This player has probably caused more disagreement amongst fans than any other, but the quality and consistency of his performances this season have won over even his harshest critics.

My verdict: I can honestly say, I always felt he needed time and would become a great player. I wouldn’t swap him for any player in the world in his position.

Can he get better? – YES

Emmanuel Eboué: joined Arsenal in 2005 for a fee rumoured to be £1.5m. In 2006 he became the first choice right back. In the 2007/2008 season, Arsène announced that he wanted to move EE into right midfield following the signing of Sagna. He has made himself unpopular with some fans due to occassional diving and ‘Drogba-esque’ protest for seemingly innocuous challenges. The low part of his career came when he was booed off the pitch by a section of fans in December 2007.  Since that day, with the sensitive management of AW, he has rebuilt his popularity with the fans (the other players have always loved him) and become a key player at both right back and in the midfield.

My verdict: I had my doubts about his ability to play in midfield but he’s proved me wrong.

Can he get better? – if  he can further reduce his ‘histrionics’ and work on his finishing – YES

Abou Diaby: signed for Arsenal in January 2006 for a fee believed to be in the region of £2m. He had an early setback to his career suffering a broken leg and a dislocated ankle in a match at Sunderland on 1 May 2006. He made his return to first team action as a 74th-minute substitute in Arsenal’s 6–3 victory at Liverpool in the League Cup at Anfield on 9 January 2007. Diaby made progress through the 2008/9 season but lacked consistency and his tendency to dwell on the ball and sloppy passing often let him down.

My verdict: Even at the start of the season I had a few doubts, but he has moved up a level and produced some scintillating performances. His defending is more assured, his reading of the game has improved and he looks very dangerous going forward.

Can he get better? – YES, I expect him to be a world class player in 2 years.

Denilson: errrrr….. next…. No, I jest. He’s come in for some serious abuse at times. If a player is picked for his side and does his best, we should not criticise. He’s not going to say to the manager “sorry boss, I don’t think I’m up to it” His apparently amazing stats have infuriated bloggers who don’t get the same picture watching him on the pitch. He was thrown in at the deep end when injuries gave Arsène few other choices, but he has a great shot and is not afraid to let loose and he works his socks off.

My verdict: with the current crop of players, he’d be a valuable ‘bench player’ for most games. Ramsey would have overtaken him in the pecking order for the midfield slot. He needs to improve his strength in the tackle.

Will he get better? – YES

Nicklas Bendtner: joined in the summer of 2004 and made his debut on 25 October 2005, in a League Cup match against Sunderland. His first prem appearance against Everton on 29 December 2007 was marred when he was sent off for two bookable offences. In the 2007/8 season he was very much 3rd choice striker behind Van Persie and Adebayor who he clearly didn’t get on with as was evident when they had a much publicised dust up in the 5:1 defeat to totnum. This season, he has become something of a cult figure, missing easy chances but never giving up. His work rate and self belief has seen him prove many critics wrong and his goals have come at important times.

My verdict: often has a poor first touch, not always pleasing to watch and obviously needs to improve his strike rate.

Can he get better? – YOU BET, I think he will be a £20m striker by the time he’s 25.

The aforementioned players have all been bought for very little money, had the unwavering support of the manager and battled through adversity, criticism from the media and periods of poor form to become the HEROES who have got us to this unlikely stage of the season………. which brings me to the 6th, and in my opinion most important ‘villain’ – Manuel Almunia.

I am no great fan of the affable Spaniard as a keeper. He lacks the authority to be world class. His poor communication, indecisiveness and propensity to ‘flap’ have made our defence look vulnerable and jittery at times. He is the only one of our regular first teamers not to have played for his national side at some level. But oddly, he has the opportunity to be the greatest hero of them all. He has started with the penalty save against Wham. Can he make up for the howler in conceding the 2nd goal at his near post in the 2006 CL final? Of all the players mentioned, he is the one we need to see step up and prove the detractors wrong (myself included) if we are to pursue the dream of a prem and CL double.

My verdict: I really want to be proved wrong. We need Manuel to play the best football of his life for the next 2 months.

Can he get better ….. can he?

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Posted by Rasp

‘When will they ever learn …………’

March 22, 2010

Back in the sixties, when the post war hard times were finally giving way to the Carnaby Street generation’s excesses, professional footballers whilst sheltering under the jutting chin of Jimmy Hill (the most famous linesman I ever saw at the home of football) were using George Eastham to fight for and win, the abolishment of the maximum wage.

Over at jolly old Fulham, Johnny Haynes the undoubted pass master of his generation, was immediately given a rise to £100 a week. Causing the workingman to write to the papers saying it was a joke. Probably because the Fulham chairman at the time, Tommy Trindler, was a famous stand up comedian.

This was in the pre-lottery days, when the get rich quick dream was the football pools, a penny a line, pick 8 draws and £100,000 could be yours, along came a young woman called Viv Nicholson. She won £150,000 about 5 million in today’s money. On receiving her cheque she said I am going to Spend, Spend, Spend. Which she did and of course ended up broke and an alcoholic

In those far off far off days all clubs had their local luminary for a chairman, butchers in the case of Man Utd and Burnley, Businessmen, Lord Mayors and Bishops of London in the case of the snooty Arsenal mob. Don’t know what it was at the spuds probably a cabby.

They were generally benefactors keen to be seen to be putting money in. No one knew what he or she took out. Many was the time in the standing years, at Arsenals big games and derbies, a crowd figure would be put over the PA and we jammed like Sardines in a can and unable to move, would be reduced to helpless laughter at the sheer audacity of the adjusted size of the numbers quoted.

Even so clubs pottered along staying above the breadline, wages rose gradually as did entrance prices, the clubs with the exception of the Arsenal rotated among the divisions, with several clubs having periods of dominance and all was well in the footy world.

Football violence and tragedies such as Hillsborough in 1989 put an end to this cosy world.  The government cracked down demanding all seater stadiums by 1994 and this following the establishing of the Premiership in 1992, with the resultant TV deals changed the football world forever.

Now the football world has gone quite mad, it reminds me more each day of Viv Nicholson and her famous quote.  Portsmouth today, Leeds yesterday and god knows who tomorrow have gone into administration a polite word for bust. The heady smell of promised success has caused successful businessmen to take leave of their senses. Casually mortgaging and spending not only the clubs future season ticket revenue, but also tomorrows TV money, before it even reaches the clubs current account, buying players, paying exorbitant transfer fees and salaries they cant afford in the headlong rush to win something and answer the constant demands of the fans.

Alternatively there are Man U and Liverpool, no longer local clubs but owned by Americans, who having borrowed the money to buy the club, then consigned the debt and its crippling interest payments to the club. Whilst at the same time extracting consultancy fees, dividends and commissions to further add to the debt. The fans worried now beyond winning things, demand the return of their club, less these uncaring people let it go broke. Should they do so, the Clubs position would be no different to Portsmouth, just bigger numbers.

In the middle of this mayhem is the Arsenal, financially stable in the care of a board who neither seek or pay dividends and manage a debt acquired by building our new stadium, that is covered by the revenue due from the development of residential properties on and around our beautiful former home. This debt will shortly be discharged.

At the same time our urbane manager of 12 years standing, has overseen the creation of a state of the art training centre, scouting, locating and acquiring the cream of the worlds best young players, training them on through all ages and teams right up to the first team to play the Arsenal way, a way that is universally admired by fans of other clubs throughout the world. These young players are brought on to the first team and either retained as our future or if surplus to requirements, bloodied in the Carling cup and sold on for a premium to clubs with lower standards. Thus this operation is also self-funding.

World class players have also been brought when necessary and moulded into the arsenal way to be sold on usually for large profits when the manager feels they are either past their best, or not conducive to team harmony. Interestingly none of the players sold has really gone on to greater things and the vast majority speak with affection of their Arsenal days and the regret they have had at leaving.  All this achieved with a wages policy that avoids the pitfalls mentioned earlier.

So here we stand, stable, secure with a young playing staff that is the envy of the premier league. Should we win our next nine games all of which are with lesser teams we will win the premier league. Should we overcome our next three opponents in the Champions League that trophy too will be ours.

And yet we have a media pack and a hard core of fans that constantly in papers, blogs, on TV and Radio, chat rooms and phone ins continue to berate our club and the wonderful job they have done. Their constant criticism, we have not won anything in the past five years. True we have not.

Portsmouth and United have, would their fans and staff swap with us? Of course they would. Would we swap with them? No way.

When will these so called fans ever learn

By Guest Writer dandan

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Nothing to Fear …. but fear itself

March 18, 2010

I love being in the Champions League. Even without the need to qualify, it’s one of the first games of the season. The rush to the stadium on a late summer’s evening, the excitement at hearing the unsingable Champions League anthem. ‘These are the champions’ or whatever the words are  – it doesn’t matter what they are, we’re in the Champions League and  that’s very special.

We expect to be there. It’s an exclusive club. Even in the past four years when it’s been possible for some lesser club to take our place (you know the one), I’ve always believed we’d qualify. I’ve bet other gooners we’d qualify. I’ve never collected, I was always just delighted that once again we’d claimed our rightful place amongst the cream of Europe’s élite clubs.

This season, barring a real disaster, we’re not worrying about whether we’ll qualify for 2011, but who we’ll face in the quarter finals this year. We can go all the way as we did in 2006, and that belief stems from the desire and yes Arsène’s much quoted ‘team spirit’ – our boys have come of age. We won’t be a pushover for any team in the next round and I expect most will fear us.

Last season, we had signed Arshavin, but couldn’t play him as he was cup-tied – remember the FA cup semi when he was ‘rested’ apparently to show the other players that they could win without him!  This season he will be our ‘not-so secret’ secret weapon. The omens are good.  We have players that opposition teams across Europe will fear – Cesc, AA, Nasri, Rosicky, Theo, Vermaelen and even Nikki qualifies after his hat-trick against Porto last week. The possibility that van Persie will play some part in the final stages is encouraging too.

Only the mancs will be thinking that we are a soft touch. The boss has said he’d be happy to be drawn against manure, and there are those amongst us who agree. I’m not so sure, let someone else knock them out – I’m sure Mourinho would love to oblige.

After last night’s results, the eight quarter finalists are:   Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, CSKA Moskow, Manu, Lyon, Barçelona and Bordeaux. There are no easy ties at this stage, we will have to beat whoever we are drawn against. CSKA would seem to be the weakest opponents, but what a message we’d send out if we beat one of the favourites.

If the fairy tale is to continue, then the bigger teams will be saved for the final showdown. I’d prefer not to play Barçelona in this round – a game against Barçelona should surely be the final at the 80,354 seater Santiago Bernabéu. It would be our chance to right the wrong of the 2006 final. TH14 played for us that night in Paris and some believe he missed a sitter that could have won us our first CL title. He won his CL medal last year with Barça and is not the player he was when wearing the red and white.

So tomorrow the draw will be made. The theory that M Platini would like to see an end to the dominance of English teams in recent years will be surely tested. If we are drawn against the mancs, many will suspect that it’s too much of a coincidence. – me, I wouldn’t mind a trip to Inter or Lyon in this round, but whoever we draw, I say ‘BRING IT ON’ – we have nothing to fear.

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

WHO DOES YOUR SON SUPPORT?

March 15, 2010

In my last post, I let it be known that I was that most that unlikely of things a Gooner residing in a spud household. How did that happen? Well, bloody mindedness and if the truth is told, the love of a good argument, combined to lead me down the path to salvation. I was a Walthamstow boy – you would have thought a natural spud. The back page of the Daily Express had a leader writer named Desmond Hackett, who threatened to eat his hat (a brown bowler I believe) if the Arsenal should win a certain game? This they duly did.

Whether or not he kept his promise I know not, but the very thought of such a hilarious conclusion was enough to put a then 7 year old reprobate at odds with his family and on the road to Highbury, if not quite ruin.

Later I was to learn this was a routine expression of Hackett’s. At a time when sports reporters had tremendous influence over huge circulations their utterances were perceived by a far more innocent readership to be based on some kind of knowledge and truth. Oh that we could dare to think that today

The upshot of this deviation from the collective family wisdom was not viewed as it might have been by some, as treason, but rather that the boy had a mind of his own which should be encouraged and challenged. Thus began many happy years of verbal jousting. But more than that, it helped lay down the vocal skills which were to prove such a boon through my business life.

Eventually I had two sons of my own, one born in Manchester and the other near Liverpool. Thinking back to the benefits of my defections from the family cause, I decided that they should do the same. Thus one was encouraged to support City and the other Liverpool and still do today.

Saturday evenings and Sunday breakfast times in the years before Sky became a war zone, when all the matches were played at 3 o’clock on Saturdays. But the kids quickly learnt to hold their end up, when dealing with me and one another. Consequently the verbal attacks of opposition fans among their school friends proved no problem.

These days, as I have all the football channels, we still congregate here and watch our own local derbies and the emails and texts in between are still as sharp and pointed as ever they were.

In fact my youngest the Liverpool fan said this weekend, bugger, if you lot win the league and city come fourth I am turning my phone off and not coming round again

So my question to you all is. Who do your offspring support and why, and if it different to you, do you care?

By our  Guest Writer dandan

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Danish Nick Saves Our Bacon.

March 14, 2010

This supporting a football team and watching them play malarkey is supposed to be an enjoyable experience.  Well, I don’t know about you, but with ten minutes to go the description of nerve racking nightmare struck me as being more appropriate. Stress, tension, anxiety, nervousness — the rollercoaster ride that is called our season was plummeting down towards destruction when just at the last minute Nicky scored sending our hopes flying back up. Suddenly, with adrenalin pumping like a steam train and Phil Brown’s priceless look utter despair; the world was, once again, a wonderful place to be.

Arsenal took to the field full of confidence picking up from where they left off against Porto, their fast, free flowing football left Hull chasing shadows. I liked the team selection it struck me that Wenger has done away with favouritism and is making his decisions on merit alone. There was a time when Walcott would have been a banker to start today but Eboue was far more worthy of a starting place. Sol seemed the perfect choice to deal with Hull’s slow lumbering attackers with their potential aerial threat and so it proved. The rest of the back line picked itself as did the midfield. There was only one choice for the number nine spot and then there was Arshavin.

It took our Russian box of tricks precisely fourteen minutes to not only highlight the gulf in class between Arsenal and Hull but fourteen minutes to show the gulf between himself and every other player on the pitch. Picking the ball up he weaved his way through the Hull defence, his low sense of gravity coming into its own, leaving two defenders in his wake, the ball sat up perfectly, crying out to be stroked into the net; the Russian maestro obliged and we were one up.

It was time to sit back with a cold beer from the fridge and that was exactly what Arsenal did, the result being that their level of concentration started to dip. Hull were still having rings run round them and realising that playing football wasn’t going to get them anywhere they started, oh so predictably, to try and kick us into the air. This in itself did not look like it was going to trouble us but when they were wrongly awarded a penalty, subsequently scoring, Hull’s renewed hope was tangible the result being that we knew we were going to have a game on our hands.

Relief came in the form of Hull’s captain, who after having picked up a yellow for trying to gouge Bendtner’s eye out, he then, only five minutes later, tried to break Sagna’s leg which fortunately he failed to do but was given a second yellow and off he went on the stroke of half time.

It has been said many times that every game from now to the end of the season is a cup final and I take that to mean that if we lose just one game our title hopes are over. We had forty five minutes to stay in the race.

Diaby, Nasri and Arshavin’s hearts may have been in the right place but they were now playing like strangers, casual, sloppy passing increased the growing tension. Hull predictably started time wasting succeeding in creating further frustration.

The game cried out for changes and Wenger obliged, on Walcott came who immediately added urgency to our attack: within one minute he had carved the Hull defence apart and set up Bendtner for an excellent opportunity which just like last week with all Theo’s offerings Nick had too much time to think and fluffed the chance.  Walcott continued ripping Hull apart, setting up Arshavin with a glorious opportunity that he sent flying over the bar. It remained level and time was running out. Eduardo came on the perfect sub when the area is crowded; he added decisiveness to the attack: every pass found its man and importantly he took the pressure off of Bendtner.

The added impetus from the substitutes worked to a point but it still didn’t look like it was going to be out day. I was mentally writing the obituary at this point when the forth official lifted his board indicating six minutes of added on  time……….and then, in the distance a trumpet was heard, there was no mistaking it, our lives were saved, the cavalry had arrived: Denilson fired in a speculative shot from twenty five yards which their goalkeeper spilled; Bendtner in the right place at the right time, yet again, had no time to think about htis one  and instinctively put it into the back of the net giving us all three precious points and dispelling any doubts that may have crept into my head as to why I love football and more importantly why I love Arsenal.

Player ratings:

Almunia: it has to be said that he is doing a lot better, looked a tad more decisive which has helped to dampen the screams for a new keeper. 7

Sagna: a quality defender, yet again he did his job well.7

Campbell: Hull should never have been awarded a penalty it was off side but then lucky to stay on the pitch after it was given. 7

Vermaelen: he is such a winner, must surely be made vice captain next season. 7.5

Clichy: another commanding performance from our Gael. 8

Denilson: the 21 year old filled in for Song to the best of his ability, if Eboue can turn it around so can he, it was his shot that led to the goal. 6

Nasri: wow this man does not travel, I am going to give him the benefit and say he was tired after his magnificent midweek display. 6

Diaby: although, he has earned his starting place and had a perfectly good game I now want more, he should be totally dominating the midfield. 7

Eboue: another perfectly respectful game, some good runs and no star fish. 7

Bendtner: the man of the match and not just because he scored the all important goal, he was focused all the way through, not a single pass went astray which was no mean feat on that meadow they call a football pitch. 9

Arshavin: while this player is on the field we will always have a chance of winning. 8

By London

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