The Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham: Mind THAT gap.

After that shambles of a week, after being completely demolished both on the pitch and off it, every Gooner feared the worst for the rest of the season. We know this whole routine of going out of every competition in quick succession is now an annual tradition. What we could hope for this season, is that we played in a relatively small game against a Wigan or a Blackburn, and slowly get back to some type of form, with a couple of ugly wins, simply to stop the rot. From small acorns and all that.

But today wasn’t small acorns. No, it was the damn biggest acorns you’ve ever seen in your life. 5-2 against the scum, after being 2 down. Absolute perfection; just pure, unbridled joy. With all the crap we’ve taken this season from both their scumbag fans and the media, they deserved this. “The balance of power has shifted”. No it hasn’t. North London is RED.

I could write a book on why that is the case, but for the purposes of not driving myself into a fit of rage and screaming obscenities, I’ll just stick to this game. The team selection was brave, and had it gone wrong, would’ve induced 57,000 people into ‘voicing their discontent’, albeit in a furious manner. The Ox was on the bench, with Yossi Benayoun taking his place in the starting XI. Rosicky managed to retain his place ahead of Ramsey, whilst elsewhere on the pitch it was as you’d expect.

The match really couldn’t have begun any worse, with a typical kind of goal that we concede. We completely let Spurs overrun us in the opening exchanges and it looked as if they were about to run riot (pun definitely intended), with the smug faces of the tabloid papers crowing with glee, at the thought of Arry’s boys thrashing us. The defence was completely ripped apart with a single ball, and Saha managed to divert it into the net, while up against two defenders. It ricocheted off Vermaelen and looped over Szczesny, who like many times previously was left hopelessly attempting to claw the ball out of the net, wishing he could actually play with a competent group of defenders.

And that was the most worrying aspect – this was our first choice backline. They’re all excellent players, but looked unbelievably vulnerable to the simplest of movements. Is it because they’ve hardly ever played together? Probably. But this just wasn’t good enough – they should at least have some level of understanding and communication from the training field. Spurs continued to dominate with verve and cut us open at will. Through balls and counter attacks were the order of the day, with The Arsenal unable to cope.

It went from bad to worse 10 minutes before the interval, with a huge sense of injustice attached. ‘The greatest player in the history of the world ever’ went on a marauding run through the heart of our defence, before realising he couldn’t score, so dived. Ludicrously, the referee (and his assistant) bought it, and it was looking as though we could be down to 10 men. Oh wait, but British players never dive, right? It’s one of those horrible things that only foreigners do, right? Bale is the beacon of all that is good in British football, right?

It was never a penalty, but I guess with Dean in charge, we should just count our lucky stars Szczesny didn’t see red for it. Our mate Adebayor stepped up to take the penalty, of course, and converted it. A nice moment for the birthday boy; you couldn’t help but be happy for him as he’s such a nice guy. Perhaps they didn’t deserve the penalty, but they probably deserved a 2 goal lead. We had a couple of chances, but nothing compared to their onslaught of forward forays.

That second goal sparked something though – as Arsene might say, the handbrake was off. We played with a little more panache and had some nice interchanges of passing play, it was more like The Arsenal of old. Just as we were getting back into the game, Theo Walcott had a glorious chance. The ball fell in front of him, the perfect opportunity for him to utilise his pace. Just as he got beyond the back four though, he passed it to RVP on the edge of the area – Theo’s decision making yet again coming into question. Had he gone on, it could’ve been a goal. Instead, it ended up with Robin attempting to take on 4 defenders in the space of 5 yards.

Nonetheless, we got our game together and came back with a vengeance – the unlikeliest of scorers providing us with a foothold in the game. It all came from a sumptuous flick from the below par Walcott to Van  Persie, one of the few bright sparks of the first period. He hit the post with his effort, but instead of letting our heads drop, Arteta got a lovely ball into the area, where Sagna produced a brilliant header. He showed the desire to get in the box and beat the defenders and the keeper with a powerful nod, his first goal at home (in competitive matches at least – I witnessed him scoring a fine volley in the Emirates Cup a few years back).

From then on, we were phenomenal, which come to think of it, is exactly the right word for the equaliser. A poor clearance from Benoit Assuo-Ekotto landed at the feet of our skipper, who had plenty to do, still outside the area. Like he always seems to do so effectively, he managed to work those couple of yards for himself; those vital couple of yards that are just enough to get a shot away. And what a shot it was – a sublime finish that curled past Friedel, with some aplomb. It was an electric shot, full of ferocity and the feeling when it rippled the net was something special.

Arguably, we were good value for the draw at the break, but with our mental state and current form, I viewed it more as a mini-miracle.  We were in the ascendency though, so I was hopeful that maybe we could pull a win out of the bag. I expected to see another extremely nervy half, with goals for both sides and little bit of luck to decide it. What followed however, was pure elation.

We came out of the blocks flying, crisp passing and rampant forward play to completely take control of proceedings. Their half-time substitutions (Sandro and Van der Vaart) did indeed work out to be game changers, but not in the manner they had anticipated. Five minutes into the half, Rosicky and Sagna completed a lovely one-two to round off a passing move and score a crucial goal. The Czech playmaker was at his best today, running the game at times and rounding off his performance with a beautiful finish to take us ahead.

As if the shock of Rozza scoring his first Premier League goal in over 2 years wasn’t enough, Theo, who hasn’t scored at home since 2010 (and was having a terrible game), managed to get on the scoresheet. We could hardly believe our eyes. Contrary to the first half, The Arsenal were now lethal on the counter rather than Spurs, with this 4th goal a consequence of Bale being dispossessed in our box.

Two wonderful passes later, the ball was with Robin, who did well up against two defenders. He bided his time, kept his composure and waited for Theo to make the surging run, before putting it on a plate for the young Englishman. Walcott almost messed it up by accidently kneeing it forward, but managed to delicately dink it over the keeper to give us a 2 goal advantage.

This was still with 25 minutes remaining though, so I had the feeling we would capitulate and allow them back in it. That’s what this team has done to me. We’re two goals ahead at home, in the 2nd half, and I’m still a jittery wreck overcome by nerves. I wouldn’t have been surprised in the slightest to see us lose 5-4. Until the next goal came.

Just 3 minutes later, Songaldinho (who had a pretty quiet game) put through an awesome lobbed pass to Theo, who to his credit, kept his cool and slotted home nicely. 5-2, game over. After that, we took our foot off the gas and simply played out the game, mainly thanks to experienced heads like Rosicky, Benayoun and Van Persie.

Those three were quality today, retaining the ball well and pushing forward when the opportunity arose. Having the dynamism from players like Gervinho and Ramsey is great, but to win a game like this, there’s no substitute for experience and composure. The boss got the selection spot on today.

In the latter stages, Carl Jenkinson made his return to action, which was obviously great to see. Apart from an astonishing dribble from RVP, where he was stumbling and yet still had the technique to waltz past 5 Spurs players, there wasn’t really much to speak of in the dying embers. Just a thoroughly professional finish. Although, it would’ve been good to see us have a little more killer instinct and gone for more goals once we smelled blood – similar to the Blackburn game.

In my opinion, the North London Derby is cemented as the most entertaining game in the English football calendar. The style of play (and complete lack of defending) from both sides, along with the rivalry, mean its ahead of even Liverpool-United nowadays. Some of the scorelines from the past few years are mind-blowing: 5-2, 3-3, 4-4, 2-3, 5-1, 4-5, 1-4 and many more.

To wrap up, here is what Arsene had to say following the game:

“Arsenal are alive more than anybody thought before the game. Today we gave a performance that on the spirit side, the technical side, the drive of the whole team, on the style of the game we want to play everything was perfect despite a very bad start. I felt in the first five minutes Tottenham started well, after that it was all us for 85 minutes.

We were always on top of the game. We were 2-0 down but refused to lose the game and kept going no matter what happened. Once we were back to 2-2 you could see that if we maintained the pace, we would win the game. We had a good balance between offence and defence, between creativity and going into the space behind the defenders and good maturity.

We had a great spirit. I must say the way we want to play football depends on the pitch and this was the first time in three games that we played on a football pitch that is really a football pitch. That helps as well.

The crowd was starting to get on his [Theo’s] back and you wonder if [it won’t] do him a favour by leaving him on. But I felt that he has the qualities that, considering the rest of the team, are highly needed. He is a player who can be straight and go behind the defenders – nobody else is like that. He is a very direct player, he can sometimes miss a first touch but considering the balance of the team I thought it was important to keep him in the side.

It is still possible [to finish above Spurs]. I felt even before the game that it was possible if we keep our consistency. Everyone in the Premier League can lose points. They have a difficult schedule, and we have a difficult schedule, but if we continue to play like that, why not?

Unfortunately we had some bad news for Rosicky today, and Vermaelen as well. Vermaelen has an ankle problem, and Rosicky a back problem. I don’t think they will be available for Wednesday, whether they are available for Saturday is a big doubt.”

Player ratings:

Szczesny – 6
Gibbs – 7
Vermaelen – 6
Koscielny – 7
Sagna – 8
Song – 6
Arteta – 7
Rosicky – 10
Benayoun – 9
Walcott – 7
Van Persie – 9

Jenkinson – 6
Chamberlain – 5
Gervinho – N/A

So then, on to Carling Cup winners Liverpool next weekend. Hopefully they’ll be knackered from their exertions today and we’ll be able to pass them off the park. In between though, there’s the issue of international friendlies. I don’t even want to speak about them – I’m just going to close myself off to football coverage, pray, and then see who turns up fit on Saturday.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking; there hasn’t been enough laughing or Spurs bashing in this post. I realise that, and there’s a reason. Let’s wait to see what happens this season and then in the summer, when there’s some downtime, I’ll write up a rant on exactly how big the ‘gap’ is. The wheels are just beginning to fall off that clown car, so I’m sure after this season of ridiculous hype, I’ll love even more than usual to convey my thoughts on the “title contenders”…

43 Comments

1. 

   stag133

   1 March, 12 at 02:45

   Various reports that we have agreed terms with Podolski… ?
   really?
   How? the window has been closed for a month, and the season doesn’t end for 2 1/2 months?
   is that not “tapping up” the player? tampering? or whatever you want to call it?

   Reply
   • 

     DaAdminGooner

     1 March, 12 at 11:43

     @stag133,

     The club has rpeortedly reached personal terms with the player. What is left to be done is an agreement between the two clubs, which is supposedly underway.

     Arsenal it has been confirmed went for Podolski twice. Once in the summer and once in January. IN both cases the fee was too low for Cologne’s liking. Now the player has said he wants to leave and doesn’t intend to stick around. His contract is up in 2013. So Cologne can either sell this summer or let him go for free the following year. Sound familiar?

     The likelihood is that this was released by the player’s agent to force Cologne’s hand. Also it is likely it was leaked so any other possible suitors would be flushed out.

     It would seem to fall into that gray area of tapping up but it is never enforced and itis done all the time. Hell, Bild reported the Marco Reus to Dortmund deal (not happening until Summer) weeks before it was officially announced.

     Reply
     • 

       stag133

       1 March, 12 at 13:35

       @DaAdminGooner, I am aware it happens all the time… Arsenal supporters cry foul when Barcelona do it to our star player of the moment, I just think its the pot calling the kettle black…
       and what’s the point of a “window”, if we are doing business outside of it?

       Reply
       • 

         DaAdminGooner

         1 March, 12 at 14:14

         @stag133,

         I’m sorry this doesn’t even rise to the level of what Barcelona and its players did. Arsenal has not unsettled Podolski. Podolski if you read the reports is agitating for his own move. Arsenal are his preferred destination. Arsenal have an interest in the player. They went the proper routes and lodged a bid (twice).

         If the terms with the player are agreed (which means little because another team can come along and do the same) it has been done only after the player began agitating for his own move.

         What Barcelona and its agents (players and press) did was repeatedly try and unsettle a player to get them to agitate for a move. Barcelona hadn’t submitted a bid during any of that. They merely let their players, their president, president-elect, and favored press outlets talk about how great it would be Fabregas to join Barcelona because it is where he belongs and because he has Barca DNA.

         I have not seen any such thing from Arsenal. As a matter of fact Arsenal have not said anything about Podolski. They’ve done what you are supposed to – operate through the appropriate club channels.

         Reply
2. 

   ChicagoGooner

   1 March, 12 at 02:05

   I don’t know if defending is so much of a lost art as much as it is a changed art. He’s mentioned on more than one occasion over at Zonal Marking that over the past few seasons the number of tackles per game in the top European leagues has declined, but the number of interceptions have gone up. Another development is the pressing and defending from the front, with everyone harrying whichever opposition player has the ball, a la Barcelona. This style is far from universal but it is ascendant, and (obviously) successful, if Barca use it. The interceptions/tackles change could be a reflection of this change rather than a change unto itself. Who knows- but defending has definitely changed.

   Something else that’s contributed to the change is formation. In the previously-dominant 4-4-2, the outside MF’s provided the width going forward, and the CM’s were real box-to-box types. Most current formations, however, use two banks of MF’s. MF’s are now more specialized, and tend to focus more on either attacking or defending. But because these formations are narrower in MF, FB’s now provide the width in attack- and thus it is they who do the most running and are the real box-to-box players. ZM and Jonathan Wilson have both talked about this (even referring to FB as the most important position on the pitch because of it). So now DM’s contribute more to defense than 4-4-2 CM’s did, and FB’s contribute a little less.

   I’m not sure if Dixon and Winterburn would’ve had the pace and workrate to overlap the wingers in today’s formations, effectively running all the way from one touchline to the other in a few seconds, and then still having to receive the ball and dribble or cross. But the vast majority of today’s FB’s lack the size, physical presence, and other defensive skills that those players excelled at.

   Reply
   • 

     stag133

     1 March, 12 at 02:30

     @ChicagoGooner, Dixon and Winterburn were DEFENDERS first. (and foremost). There interest was in stopping the opposition from scoring, and being in the proper defensive position. (as was the entire back 4, thus the “Arsenal Offside Trap”)… they’d be in the box for a corner, and an occasional thumping header or bundle one in, but they did their job… and did it well. Obviously, todays Arsenal defenders can’t defend like they did.

     Reply
     • 

       DaAdminGooner

       1 March, 12 at 15:58

       @stag133,

       I think the point of Chi’s post is that most defenders don’t defend like they did.

       Reply
   • 

     HighburyTerraceSteve

     1 March, 12 at 02:46

     @ChicagoGooner, Thanks CG, makes sense to me…..

     Reply
   • 

     OziKenyan

     1 March, 12 at 03:59

     @ChicagoGooner,

     Awesome post. Food for thought..

     Reply
3. 

   HighburyTerraceSteve

   29 February, 12 at 20:42

   Big, snow day here, but blustery enough to keep the satellite dish blown clear….

   England u-21s vs Belgium finishes 4-0 with Lansbury scoring 2 and assisting 1 and Ox-Cham winning and converting a late pen and certainly looking a better player than Jordan Henderson and Martin Kelly, who we might see at the weekend….

   Next up, RVP to risk groin and all for his country while Theo celebrates his engagement on the bench for the home side. Ladbroke’s offering 5 to 1 that both fail to score AND are out for the rest of our season….

   From below….DAG (others), Why, if not due to changes in reffing, is defense a lost art?….

   As I wrote, allowing diving (or not giving yellows), I think, is one reason. Another, I think is the (now and again) sanction against the sliding two footed tackles (Kompany in the FA cup vs United comes to mind), which is maybe a legacy of the Shawcross/Ramsey tackle or the Taylor/Eduardo incident (among other leg breakers). In this respect maybe Arsenal have “changed the game,” just a bit.

   In truth, I think a lot of what we see in English football has been heavily influenced by (Arsene’s) Arsenal. Top teams are now expected to play with real offensive intent and this includes the traditional big 4 (including Chelsea, post Mourinho) and the newer aspirants, City and Spurs. (Thus the crazy scorelines in some of the matches between the top 6 clubs.) And we see the same (with success) from recently promoted sides (Newcastle, Swansea, Norwich spring to mind) who continue in a more attacking vein, even when a single point might serve them better than trying to grab the 3 they needed each week in the Championship. The cynical, clogging (and hacking) remains in fewer and fewer (more pragmatic) clubs trying to stay up, but even they seem able to convert to better football when they fall behind. Some of the struggles (and surprise results) of the top teams against the lower ones bear witness to a certain type of parity….at least in style. Many of the matches seem generally more watchable, IMO…

   But maybe it’s because defenders in England (like the National team itself) just aren’t very good or that the old ones (including foreigners) are injured or past it.

   In the friendly itself, our talisman (RVP) has outlasted ‘Pool’s (Stevie G–off after 32 mins.) Anybody over there shocked that Scott Parker (banned from club play, if only for a week for his very bad, meaningless and injury causing tackle on TV5) is considered captain material? I guess his hair-do fits the part and then again Van Bommel is wearing the armband for Netherlands….. so maybe it’s a job for enforcers/reducer types. Anyways, just trying to make it through back to the real football….

   Reply
   • 

     stag133

     1 March, 12 at 02:33

     @HighburyTerraceSteve, Parker would be a good Captain of England. He’s the English player of the year, and has been a big reason Spurs are where they are this season. We could have had him for peanuts, but Wenger didn’t want to stoop to that level… I mean buying a player, and all that.

     Reply
     • 

       HighburyTerraceSteve

       1 March, 12 at 02:42

       @stag133, Uh, we bought Arteta,
       (who played Parker off the pitch the other day, and cost more,
       ooohh, la, la…..) not to mention 4 others at the deadline
       AND a much, much better English player (for more money, even) in Alex Oxlade-
       Chamberlain….

       What sort of glasses are blinding you to those purchases?

       Reply
4. 

   OziKenyan

   29 February, 12 at 08:19

   By the way, just an aside, as good as Benayoun/Sicky played today, when the ‘lesser’ teams come to town with their buses with the intention to sit back, I think Gervinho becomes almost essential. He is likely the best one on one dribbler we have and that quality can be invaluable when playing an organized determined defence. Hope to see him in the starting lineup soon.

   Reply
   • 

     OziKenyan

     29 February, 12 at 08:20

     @OziKenyan, Sorry, not today, sunday. Im clearly still enjoying the win quite thoroughly.

     Reply
     • 

       stag133

       29 February, 12 at 15:42

       @OziKenyan, true. Gervinho is a good on the ball, but he can’t hit the side of a barn from 5 feet away. He doesn’t score.

       Reply
5. 

   Caribkid

   29 February, 12 at 01:25

   Kroenke is in the pared down list of finalists bidding for the purchase of the LA Dodgers. If he wins the bid this might be a blessing in disguise for Arsenal fans who want a committed owner.

   Having to shell out an estimated 1.5 Billion US may spur him to sell his Arsenal shares at a healthy profit and get out while the going is good. With only one buyer in the wings, Usmanov, this would leave our current set of Board wankers with trembling jowls.

   Most US fans don’t care whether owners attend games and show passion over their teams as long as they pay the bills. I truly don’t think Stan had any idea the type of owner commitment expected from British fans and he may well be wishing he had not gotten involved with this project.

   Owning the Dodgers might just be the excuse he needs to get out of Dodge. Ooops, meant LONDON.

   Reply
6. 

   DaAdminGooner

   28 February, 12 at 21:37

   Speaking of Germans curious news doing the rounds today –

   According to Bild in Germany Arsenal has agreed to personal terms with Lukasz Podolski. They have not agreed to a fee with FC Koln. But negotiations are reported to be underway.

   While I won’t jump on it until I see him in a shirt, Bild is the only paper that had Marco Reus going to Dortmund – weeks before it happened.

   Also Andre Santos is talking up his return to the squad. On twitter he was telling anyone who follows that he is back in training with the ball at his feet and anticipates being back with the squad full time in 2 weeks.

   Reply
   • 

     OziKenyan

     29 February, 12 at 08:16

     @DaAdminGooner,

     I pray that it’s true and that it is meant as an addition rather than the very real possibility of it being a replacement for RVP

     Reply
7. 

   ChicagoGooner

   28 February, 12 at 19:09

   In anticipation of the England-Holland game, Football365 listed the Top 10 Dutch players ever to play in England.

   http://www.football365.com/topical-top-10/7552971/Top-Ten-Dutch-Players-In-England

   The top 2, and 3 of the top 4? Arsenal.

   4. Marc Overmars
   2. Robin van Persie
   1. Do I even need to say it?… Dennis Bergkamp

   Reply
   • 

     DaAdminGooner

     28 February, 12 at 21:34

     @ChicagoGooner,

     I saw that. We need more Dutch and Germans in our team.

     Reply
8. 

   DaAdminGooner

   28 February, 12 at 12:02

   If you are interested in understanding the financial situation at Arsenal – the blog Swiss Ramble has done a detailed analysis of the situation.

   Some of it not as good as others. But you will find out that the club could indeed survive financially without CL football. Additionally, you will find out that the rumour of running afoul of FFP if they lost CL football is wrong.

   But it does tell us that our commercials deals suck and other components not so good.

   Here is the full piece.

   http://swissramble.blogspot.com/2012/02/arsenals-mystery-dance.html

   Reply
9. 

   joshuad

   28 February, 12 at 01:17

   dynamite result following a gutty, refuse to lose performance. happy to see rosicky coming back to his scrappy best. i think ramsey is a very talented player but he lacks the guile and experience to be effective in that position. like cesc, he’s better suited in the deeper role but for different reasons. his time will come.

   really loved theo’s first goal. first, loved the intelligent defending by benayoun to win the ball. second, loved the way theo made that ridiculous run from the arsenal 18 yard box to show for van persie.

   vermaelen is a very good footballer but i called him out for his lack tactical awareness two seasons ago. it was on display for all to see against milan and again on yesterday. technically, he’s our best defender but tactically, there is clear daylight between koscielny & mertesacker’s level and vermaelen’s. you can’t be a world class defender if you’re lacking tactically. i really hope to see that kid become world class.

   i’m really happy with song’s continued development. here is a guy who’s best hope at arsenal was to be a back up central defender. he’s refused to accept that and has forced his way into the team by continually developing. for me, that suggests a process and that he’s not happy with his game. the sky’s the limit with that attitude. i’m not declaring him world class but i’m just happy to see a player continue to push himself. as a box to box midfielder, he trails only walcott and van persie in assists. big up to big song.

   Reply
   • 

     OziKenyan

     29 February, 12 at 08:15

     @joshuad, Your man Dembele had an absolute peach of an assist last weekend as well.. Worth watching if you haven’t seen it.

     Regarding our central midfield, I have the feeling that Wenger sees Ramsey eventually playing where Arteta currently plays (where he was playing before he got injured when cesc was in the team), with Wilshere further forward. Still wouldn’t mind one of the Dortmund boys here though (Kagawa/Gotze).

     Reply
10. 

    HighburyTerraceSteve

    27 February, 12 at 17:26

    Excellent match report Raj….

    Things were not looking good after 30+ minutes and when RVP hit the post, it seemed like “one of those days”….until a split second later when Sagna headed to the Bac of the net, scooped it up and ran it to the center spot before Spurs knew what hit them….All good from there….

    Spurs, despite the early lead look pooped and ‘arry’s post match comments are revealing. “Deep down, I was worried,” “We didn’t defend well,” and “We’ve still got 7 points on Chelsea and Arsenal….” Hopefully he’s not thinking about the Euros already…..

    Dropping the Ox (not to mention Arshavin….) and starting Benayoun ahead of Gervinho was essentially a 3 man leap in the pecking order for Yossi, and a supremely brazen move for the manager. I’d like to hear the back-story on that one. His energy seemed to inspire Rosicky and, as the match moved along, Song and Arteta as well. Or maybe it was that the likes of Krancjar, Modric and Parker were simply outplayed.

    Whatever it was, it seemed as if the Spurs backline became very static and our midfielders were able to dribble a bit forward and sideways while looking for a pass and gradually rose into ascendancy even if some of the moves didn’t pan out. Eventually Spurs looked to have trouble with their clearances and we got the two goals to go level.

    In the 2nd half, with ‘Arry rolling the dice to “thicken up the middle” we were able to counter with superior energy. My favorite was the 4th goal. It began with Gibbs and Benayoun stifling Bale on the end line, Yossi dribbling out then passing to Sicky who played onto RVP who held off two defenders before rolling out to Theo who, after the requisite crap first touch, put his 2nd on target with a semi-chippy thing.

    Anyhow, plenty of pleasure in the come-from-behind-five-unanswered, and maybe (just maybe) we’ve got a tight enough, yet deep enough squad (and fit enough–addition by subtraction w/ the Arshavin loan, perhaps?….) to navigate the final fixtures and secure our “trophy”…… And if we could do that, spend some money over the summer (maybe on salaries first….) well geez, the sun might come out, one day….

    Next up, stupid int’ls then the winners of a real trophy (in the scabbiest manner EVER)….I know, I know, they are and will forever be a better club than us….I mean look at all the money they’ve spent (a “trophy” in itself, perhaps?….) AND the HARVEST of trophies that no doubt will rain down upon them now that they’ve won the one. Indeed, we’re shit and we’ll go meekly against them, what with their devoted supporters (as opposed to our bitterly divided ones, so neatly in the two camps, etc., etc.) all walking together (even in support of their buck-toothed racist and their pony-tailed big-Arsh, i.e., most expensive but equally useless purchase), etc., etc.

    Five days until that nightmare unfolds….In the meantime, however, the worst Arsenal team in 15 years just beat the best Tottenham team in 50….If you can’t enjoy that, check yourself for a pulse…..

    Reply
    • 

      stag133

      27 February, 12 at 23:42

      @HighburyTerraceSteve, not sure how you can knock Liverpool… most amazing supporters, and most decorated team in England… but whatever.
      I was a day for us to enjoy a bashing of Spurtz… and when the it looked darkest and most bleak, we found the will to win…. and battered a good team for the first time in a long time. Make no mistake, Spurtz are a very good team… and we took it to them.
      and… we made 49.5 Million GBP… which is a trophy.

      Reply
11. 

    OziKenyan

    27 February, 12 at 15:04

    Arsenal post 50 odd million of profit. ANNOYING!!!! Can we get Gotze plssss (lol, never gonna happen i know)

    Reply
    • 

      stag133

      27 February, 12 at 15:19

      @OziKenyan, that’s great.
      Who gives a f**k? other than the Board and Wenger.
      It makes me SICK.

      Reply
    • 

      HighburyTerraceSteve

      27 February, 12 at 15:24

      @OziKenyan, As I said on the GDC….About
      Stan’s (silent) thoughts on the match….

      “We only needed 3 goals, Why am I paying for five?”

      Reply
      • 

        OziKenyan

        27 February, 12 at 15:52

        @HighburyTerraceSteve, LOL

        Reply
12. 

    DaAdminGooner

    27 February, 12 at 14:31

    Curious thing doing the rounds on the interwebs today is this video -

    http://bit.ly/A6ykob

    Specifically – pay attention to Mike Dean’s reaction as Saha shoots for the first goal.

    Reply
    • 

      OziKenyan

      27 February, 12 at 15:03

      @DaAdminGooner,

      Hmm. Didn’t look like he was celebrating, more like trying to get a better view? Dunno. I think ppl making too much out of nth

      Reply
    • 

      HighburyTerraceSteve

      27 February, 12 at 15:20

      @DaAdminGooner, There’s also talk “around the web
      web” that English teams cannot defend and that English football is in
      decline (what with no English team likely to make the CL quarterfinals).
      IMO the refereeing has seriously taken a wrong turn. Refs are a strange
      breed of egomaniac and if Mike Dean is celebrating anything it would be
      his own work on the goal, allowing an advantage to be played at the other
      end and then not having to intervene. Once a game has goals scored the
      ref’s options widen….

      Yesterday, as in other “big matches” I’ve seen, the physicality of the
      game presents big problems for the refs who seem to be addicted to a “let
      ‘em play” mindset. As foul after foul goes uncalled the physicality
      escalates, the reactions (diving, making a meal, etc.) and rushing up to
      the ref demanding answers, does as well. Unlike several years ago when the
      refs actively sought to curb problems by giving yellows for diving, they
      now seem united on simply waving off dives without sanction. It keeps the
      game “flowing” in that moment, but it actually serves to escalate the
      atmosphere and the physicality of the match. (Which is maybe the whole
      point…..)

      English refs these days are all trying to be Howard Webb (who in 2010 got
      both the CL and WC final matches!!!)—Call lots of niggly fouls near the
      center circle, give warnings but no yellows and (desperately) avoid
      affecting “the outcome.” Unfortunately, players and managers know that
      this is the approach and it leads to hard fouling, diving and other forms
      of cynicism.

      Yesterday, Dean should’ve given Gibbs a yellow for his (early) dive in the box.
      Gareth Bale’s “Penalty” was a dive. He’d successfully wrestled past Gibbs
      (outside the box) and then decided to play for the pen. He
      got his toe to the ball then angled his feet towards the onrushing keeper
      while going down. The correct call would’ve been a yellow for Bale
      (for diving) AND a FK outside the box and a foul (no yellow) for Gibbs
      for trying to pull Bale off the ball. In the heat of the moment, with no
      replay at hand, Bale appeared to have “done enough” to “earn” the penalty,
      but, having kicked the ball away from goal (and thus making it more
      difficult to actually score, had he kept his feet), there was no call
      for a sending off–in other words a reasonably fair solution for everybody.
      (Yay!!!)

      My point is that the refs need more tools, specifically yellows for diving,
      and they need to go into matches (including the “big ones”) unafraid to
      slow/settle the match down with some early calls, no matter where they
      happen. Cynical play should be censured, even at the expense of the
      (famous, English) flow of the game, so that expectations (for diving
      attackers and hacking defenders) are known….

      IMO it would really help the English teams in Europe where a more
      consistent (yet silly looking) relationship (with dives and rolls and
      popping up to protest) prevails. Maybe the FA will take the lead on this
      (crucial) issue, like they do on so many others….(but now, I’m taking the
      piss, in case you’re still reading…..)

      Reply
      • 

        DaAdminGooner

        27 February, 12 at 20:42

        @HighburyTerraceSteve,

        I think there is something to the ‘defending is a lost art form’ discussion. Look at this league and the insane scores you’re seeing this year. Defending as it was only a few years ago is dead.

        Reply
      • 

        stag133

        29 February, 12 at 03:12

        @HighburyTerraceSteve, I much prefer the “let them play” type of refereeing. I like the physical game, which we excelled at with players like Vieira, Keown, Adams, etc….
        I enjoyed watching BOTH teams look at the ref for a call, and having him wave PLAY ON, and GET UP!
        That stops diving, when the get no call.

        And I know you had your Arsenal tinted glasses on, as usual, but I’ve watched the “penalty” a dozen times, and I still don’t know that the ref could have called it any other way… and I do NOT think he dived at all.

        Reply
    • 

      seattle gooner

      28 February, 12 at 19:14

      @DaAdminGooner, Maybe he had money on Saha to score the first goal.

      Reply
13. 

    ChicagoGooner

    27 February, 12 at 05:58

    And that penalty… wow. Even after watching all the slow-mo replays I still couldn’t quite tell what happened for sure. And the match report I read said essentially the same thing- the writer still wasn’t 100% sure what happened. It did galvanize the team however.

    Reply
    • 

      OziKenyan

      27 February, 12 at 15:03

      @ChicagoGooner,
      Dive!

      Reply
14. 

    ChicagoGooner

    27 February, 12 at 05:56

    Awesome win! I really did not see that coming when our defense was in shambles and we were down 2-0 relatively early in the game. But, that’s why they play the game. Now let’s go knock Chelsea out of the CL spots.

    Reply
15. 

    stag133

    27 February, 12 at 05:32

    While it was a massive win, our defense still is atrocious. Like I said, you can WISH certain players to be very good, by repeatedly saying they are, but its not factual. Vermaelen is our best central defender, and he has had shambolic moments this season… really bad at times…
    and Koscieleny and Mertsacker… average at best.
    They’ve shown over and over again… just how poor they can be.
    They simply are not the answer to the defensive question.

    And i can completely see why the penalty was called… the ref doesn’t have the luxury of super Slow – Mo replay, and it Sneezy might have caught his foot, still not sure. We were LUCKY not to get him sent off.
    and
    that IGNITED the team… it actually changed the game.

    We ask this over and over of this current team,…. will/can this push them on to some sort of consistent run in? Will we be able to gather and maintain any momentum from this?

    Hopefully.
    I wouldn’t bet on it, but hopefully.
    We’ll need key contributions from Rosicky… Theo… Gervinho… and the Ox… and on defense? we’ll need a miracle… can’t have any more injuries, and they simply can’t play like they have most of the season, like that pathetic first half.

    Reply
16. 

    OziKenyan

    27 February, 12 at 03:04

    I don’t think Liverpool will be knackered next week, I think they’ll be fired up and full of self belief. We need to bring them crashing down to Earth. I think a win there effectively takes them out of 4th place running. Definitely a no-lose game as that throws things wideee open with them having more momentum and probably a few better fixtures. They also have an annoying habit of picking up their game for the big teams.

    Ache for Cardiff. So so close and after equalizing so late as well. I must say, quality wise, that was the worst penalty shootout I’ve ever seen

    Reply
17. 

    OziKenyan

    27 February, 12 at 02:59

    While I’m on about player wages, I think Arsenal need to break the bank to keep RVP. Henry was once the best paid player in the league, and RVP deserves the exact same standing. He IS the best player in the league.

    We don’t win without him today. His shot that bounced off the post that led to the first goal, outstanding equalizer out of nothing, continually kept most of the Tottenham defence Sh*tting in their pants and this in turn led to space for others – giving Theo and Sicky a chance to do some damage.

    He is almost 2 players on the field and past injury record and turnout record not withstanding, I think he’s earned a big new contract (whether it will be enough I don’t know, but 4th place is vital).

    p.s.- That sloww dribble in the centre of the park where half their team couldn’t get near the ball was mesmerising. Love it!

    Reply
18. 

    OziKenyan

    27 February, 12 at 02:48

    @stag133,

    Continuing fromt he last thread regarding Theo:

    Spot on David. Obviously nothing personal, I don’t know Walcott that well! But what I do know:

    - “talented young player” is not accurate. He’s an extremely quick young player. Both his goals today, he messed up his touches and it’s only his blistering pace that bailed him out. His bad touches are not always going to pan out in such a way that his pace can rescue him every time (as evidenced by his ‘inconsistency’). i.e.- I don’t think his touch or technique have been inconsistent. They’ve been consistently bad, the only thing inconsistent is whether his super speed has been able to overshadow this, and credit where credit’s due, Theo is the fastest player I’ve ever seen and there’s nothing like seeing an opposition defender burned by sheer pace. It’s awesome to watch.

    -Theo, even though he’s 23, still has confidence/decision making issues. We all watch Arsenal a lot and know this to be true. Perfect example today when he had a clear route to goal with Walker the only one remotely capable of catching him, and he chose to pass to RVP very early, who quickly got crowded out- chance lost.

    -Theo thinks he’s better than he is I feel. If reports are true, he’s holding out for 100k a week. Nothing wrong with trying to make as much money as you can, but he’s having a laugh and I truly hope we shove that contract back in his face. He’s got enough about him to warrant a new contract but only as a squad player. I think he’s on 50-60k a week as it is and it should stay the same! If he threatens to leave we can laugh at his bluff because I fail to see where he would go- I can’t see him going to Italy, he’d be completely stifled there, I can’t see his pride letting him go to Spain (outside of their top 2 who would never have him) or Germany (where he might do well actually, but I think he would see that as an inferior league) or France (same as Germany). That leaves England and the Premiership. He’d struggle to make the bench at United/City. Wouldn’t get into the Starting lineups at Chelsea/Tottenham. Which leaves Liverpool as about the only plausible destination. If they want him for 100k a week they can have him.

    Reply
    • 

      OziKenyan

      27 February, 12 at 02:53

      @OziKenyan,

      Another thing, I predict that Theo’s ‘time at the top’ is going to be less than many players. Pace is probably the first thing to ‘go’ in a footballer as they age. What happens to Theo then? Something to think about.

      I should probably conclude that in spite of all this, I do wish Theo to stay (at a reasonable amount). While he has shown no indication of improving his control/decision making (maybe a little), he is only 23 and there is the slightest chance he is a late bloomer in those regards (unlikely). Even if not, I think his pace, if utilised by correctly (both by him on an individual level, and by Arsenal as a team), can be a very important, potentially game changing weapon.

      Such a frustrating player…

      Reply