Strange days. Ever since I saw the teams for last night’s Reserve game against the Tiny Totts I have been puzzling over the tactics of the Appy Arry cartoon character who seemingly runs the show down the poor end of Seven Sisters.
As I was saying yesterday he knew damn well that Arsenal would put out a team of 17 year olds – and not just any old 17 year olds but 17 year olds who (as was pointed out quite rightly in correspondence) are not good enough to go on loan and not good enough to be in the first team squad. Several of our stars (Wilshere, Merida, Murphy) were also out for other reasons.
So what does Appy Array, the man the media will never criticise even when he is arrested by the police, do? He puts out a team of international superstars that cost the club millions and millions and more millions.
And I ask why?
To keep them fit? No – they can do that in private practice games, and predictably none of them made that much effort.
To put them on a showcase so that others will buy them? Hardly. I don’t think there were any scouts at the Orient who were looking at Bentley thinking, “hmmm £17 million superstar, yes we could have him”. Or Bale, “hmm bit of a let down since his buildup at Southampton, but worth a try.”
No, there is only one reason. To humiliate the players and to say to the board, “I, the great Appy Arry, your esteemed manager, need billions of pounds to rebuild the club because these players are not good enough for me. Look, they can only just squeeze past Arsenal’s fourth rated squad.”
And humiliation it certainly was. What does a Brazillian international think? Down the Seven Sisters Rd Denilson is playing every game, is becoming recognised for his outstanding talent (the Independent is currently quiet on the subject, but even they will soon forget and deny that they ever called him “lightweight”), while he, the Tottenham man, is forced to play in the Tott Reserves against Arsenal kids?
And Bentley? The man who left Highbury because he demanded first team football, demanded a place in the European games, and is now playing in front of 500 at the Orient. Good move from Arsenal or what?
In fact it is Arry’s arrogance and personality that is on display when the Tot Reserves trot out. That is all. And I for one hope it continues, because when football clubs are run on the basis of vendeta and arrogance, you know they are going to run into real problems. And that is what Arry is giving them. Real, deep, psychotic, problems. Go to the Totts? What and play in the reserves against a load of kids? No thanks squire. I’d sooner play for Orient. Bigger crowds.
Meanwhile the press has changed its mind about Arsenal. All this stuff about not qualifying for Europe has gone. We’re even getting emails at the Toppled Bollard (home to Untold Arsenal) saying that I would be more believable if I had been saying Arsenal would do ok this year, at the start of the season, and through all the bad bits, like the Fulham, Hull and Stoke defeats.
Well, I think I was. And I still think the same. This is a great team – young still, not quite there, but a great team. I don’t know yet who is ready to step up from the younger levels – but one way or another we need a couple more players for next year. But this is a young team getting better by the second, and if we don’t have the full squad for next August I bank on the Lord Wenger to go and buy someone.
As for the press in general, it is funny. Today the Telegraph ran my story about Liverpool’s owner’s problems. Are we really making the news here? And ever since we did that bit about everyone leaving Arsenal, the press have gradually gone a bit cold on that, and have started up with stories about Arsenal signing people. No more Cesc, VP, Ade, Clichy buggering off to Italy and Spain. Instead it is Johnny Foreigner who will sign from Peru for £400 billion.
Could it be? Could it really be?
Could it possibly be true that people in the wider world are actually reading my rambles and your comments?
Is this the centre of the universe when it comes to informed Arsenal opinion?
Could it be?
Errr.
No, probably not. But nice to dream.
(c) Tony Attwood 2009
If you have subscribed to an RSS feed, you’ll need to take it up again, as a glitch in our system lost the RSS feeds. Very sorry. Hope to be back on the news feeder systems too, but they lost us as well.
Don’t be silly, Tony. It’s just the media playing catch up and wanting to look smart, not terminally stupid, when we start winning everything that there is.
A very fitting article written on teamtalk:
Gunners on course for greatness
TEAMtalk feels Arsene Wenger has been proved right once again after seeing his young side roar into the Champions League semi-finals.
Wenger does not often get things wrong – and everyone else will soon have little option but to believe his latest Arsenal generation are destined to be the best yet.
Just a few months ago, the Gunners were written off as a club in crisis, with a team devoid of experience, steel and guile, relying too much on the potential of youth.
On Wednesday night, though, the side led by 21-year-old captain Cesc Fabregas, fighting fit again having missed more than three months with a serious knee injury, set up a Champions League semi-final against holders Manchester United with a 3-0 win over Villarreal at an electric Emirates Stadium.
Next up is the small matter of an FA Cup semi-final date with Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday afternoon, and although this season’s Premier League title is all but out of reach, few can deny Wenger’s latest talents their place among Europe’s elite.
The unwavering faith in youth has long been a trait of the shrewd Frenchman, knowing the direction the club would have to take as they embarked on the move from Highbury to a new, 60,000-seater home at Ashburton Grove.
It was fitting then that three of his young proteges combined for the opening goal which set Arsenal on their way after 10 minutes, Theo Walcott latching onto a deft backheel from Fabregas to touch on a through ball from the once-maligned, but now rejuvenated, Emmanuel Eboue.
From then on, the Gunners never looked like surrendering their grip on the tie, most of the hard work already done in securing a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Spain last week courtesy of a brilliant scissor-kick strike from Emmanuel Adebayor.
Certainly there seems little weakness in Arsenal’s forward line, which will add the mercurial Russian playmaker Andrey Arshavin, who is cup-tied in Europe, to the mix, while Croatian striker Eduardo is another expected to be ready to grace Wembley.
In midfield, the reputation of Alex Song, still only 21, continued to grow, with the Cameroon international holding the line to allow Fabregas more freedom.
Wenger, though, will know his squad cannot afford any more losses in defence, with full-back Bacary Sagna ruled out tonight because of a virus, adding to a growing absentee list which includes Gael Clichy, centre-backs William Gallas and Johan Djourou, as well as goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.
Stand-in Kieran Gibbs picked up a kick on his foot late on, but played out the final minutes.
Continue to play with such wonderful flare and spirit going forwards, however, and Arsenal’s shortcomings at the back could well prove inconsequential over the defining weeks of the campaign.
This result will send Arsenal to Wembley full of confidence.
When the Gunners last played a major final at the stadium, winning the FA Cup in 1998 and then the following season’s Charity Shield, Arsenal were a much different proposition – led by midfielder enforcer and captain Patrick Vieira, soon to be inspired by the genius of Thierry Henry.
Now, though, is the turn of Wenger’s latest generation to repay their manager’s heart-felt belief they have the talent to deliver silverware once again.
The Gunners faithful were not afraid to voice a chorus of disapproval during difficult times earlier in the campaign, but the Emirates Stadium was at fever pitch from kick-off, as Walcott rampaged down the right, and almost gifted Adebayor a tap-in.
Arsenal eventually took the lead after 10 minutes, when some quick passing put Walcott clear into the right side of the penalty area.
The England forward needed no second invitation, and sent a clever chip over the advancing goalkeeper to put the Gunners a step closer to Rome.
Leading scorer Robin van Persie saw his curling free-kick saved well by Diego Lopez, with Adebayor’s follow header hacked off the line.
Villarreal went close in first-half stoppage time when Diego Godin headed over, but Arsenal made sure of a semi-final place when, on the hour, Van Persie released Adebayor to net his fourth goal in as many games.
Dutchman Van Persie converted a penalty to make it 3-0 and finally sink the Yellow Submarine who had Villarreal’s Sebastian Eguren sent off after he was shown a second yellow card, for dissent when arguing the decision.
At the final whistle, Wenger allowed himself a wry smile, once again being proved the man in whom Arsenal’s complete trust is indeed well placed.
Great night! Greta match. Bring on Man Utd once every other match between now and the end of the season hehe!
What an unbelieveable array of matches we have coming up. Let us hope that the football gods have a strong sense of justice and reward their most devout acolytes.
I do feel rather sorry for that Villereal player that got sent off though. It wasn’t a penalty and the referee was far too full of his own importance. Harsh in the extreme.
Wasn’t it refreshing that a dodgy penalty decision went our way in a Champions League Qtr final for a change rather than 3 of them go Loserpool’s way.
I don’t know about you guys but I am sick to death of them getting away with murder against us in cup games. They cheated us out of an FA cup and a CL semi final through blatant cheating.
I hope we end their title chances on Tuesday night. Man Utd may be the enemy but they are a worthy enemy. Liverpool are not.
I want them to win nothing and having failed to gain new funding and new owners in by July 31, I want to hear the magic word ‘administration’ used when their name is mentioned.
Arsene Knows and I repeat Arsene Knows, He said he wanted to be judged at the end of the season and all the scribes and know-it-alls laughed and wrote thick columns on the eulogy of the dead Arsenal. Not good enough, for fourth place they said, some even went as far as claiming not good enough for fifth. 17 games now on and I wish to see every writer who crucified Arsenal and Arsene Wenger write that this Arsenal team is not good enough. A team in the semi-finals of the Champions League and FA Cup, a team that hasn’t lost in 17 domestic outings. Form is temporary, class is permanent.
Over the past few weeks can anyone point to a better holding midfield player in the world who can easily displace Alexander Song or Denilson. Thats one position and suddenly Arsenal has two good players there, add in a certain Mr Diaby and you have three competent players. Arsenal has six strikers, Eduardo, Adebayor, Vela, Van Persie, Bendtner,and Walcott reinforced by Nasri, Arshavin and Fabregas in the attacking third – that’s a very dangerous attack for me.
I know we havent won anything but I am confident this team is capable of win something, it has the quality and ability and I am glad Arsene Wenger stuck by Song, Denilson, Vela, Walcott, Djourou. Gibbs, Bendtner and all the other youngsters.
Firstly, i wont be getting carried away as we beat a severely injury depleted villareal team, missing some of their best players in Cazorla, Senna etc. However, we didnt just win, we did it in some style and with injuries of our own. Eboue proved again that his position within the squad should be reserve right back and utility man. Its crazy what a bit of confidence does to a player, he was outstanding last night, combining with theo well all game. Walcott had a very good performance and if he plays like that for the rest of the season it will be a massive boost to our attack. RVP again showed what a special player he is, his assists record this season is fantastic plus he’s scored almost 20 goals! Song showed Wenger that he’s a better bet than Diaby or Denilson in that spot next to Cesc for this season at least. Gibbs showed great composure for an important CL game and Toure and Fabianski were solid as well. Man Utd could swing either way and im just hoping its not decided by some awful refereeing but by one team being better than the other. FA Cup time now and Chelsea on sat will be a nailbiting affair no doubt. I hope Wenger uses Arshavin in place of Nasri for the only change unless Sagna is ready. I love Nasri as a player and although he had a good game last night, i think his first season in the increased tempo of the PL as opposed to the french league is starting to wear him down a little, especially considering he has played in the majority of our games. I remember at one point in the season, him and RVP were literally carrying the team. We might be out the title race but we’ll have a big say in where it goes. Id love to beat Liverpool, Chelsea and Utd in the league to show that if not for our early season stutters we would have been fighting for the title. Lastly did anyone else see Wengers little dance after the 2nd goal? haha brilliant!