By Walter Broeckx
I wonder what is the hardest thing to take? Losing a final to Birmingham City is hard. Certainly when we could have won it. More possession, more shots on target, more shots of target, more corners. The last half hour Szczesny was almost a spectator if you compare it with the things Foster had to do. And then suddenly a black out between our keeper and a central defender. And the final was over. So that itself is hard to take. I think the way it happened was a very big blow.
And I can understand people are frustrated about that. I think I can say that even I am frustrated. But I feel more frustrated about the fact that we are playing too many games recently. And most of all that this high rhythm of games is costing us in terms of injuries. We lost Cesc and Walcott in midweek and those would be starting if they would have been fit. In the game we also lost Van Persie who had hurt his knee when scoring and couldn’t play any further and had to be replaced. So that is 3 of our top performers this season going down in a few days. And I am not looking for an excuse but I don’t think you can say it helped our chances of a good performance.
But when I see some people coming over to proclaim that we are doomed forever and bring in the nationality of some people involved I think they are going a bit out of order. Or people who based on this game (which we would have won if it wouldn’t have been for that dreadful mistake) can say that we are worthless are totally forgetting what this team has achieved so far.
And yes we haven’t won anything this season. In fact the only team to have won something this season is…. Birmingham. Chelsea, United,City and all the others have all won nothing since the first day of the league so far. They even didn’t make it to Wembley. What a poor team they are if I should believe some people.
Yes we lost a chance of winning a trophy this season. But we came close. Much closer than the other top teams.
In the league we are 4 points behind MU. And even SAF said it was a two horse race between United and Arsenal. Now I don’t like SAF but I do know that he knows a bit more about football than all those “supporters” proclaiming based on one defeat that we are a bunch of shit players with a manager of the wrong nationality.
As far as I know we are still in the FA cup as we play our next game on Wednesday against Leyton Orient. And as far as I know we are still in the Champions League and after our win against Barcelona I think you cannot say that this team is a bunch of shit.
In fact we have played 18 games now in 63 days since the fixture congestion started at the end of December. That is an average of one game each 3 days. And of those 18 games we have lost 2 games. We got a draw on 5 occasions and the other 11 games we have won. And yes it is very unfortunate that one of those games was the actual final. But please spare me the “we are shit” comments. Because no shit team would even win that many games when they have to play that many games.
And our last defeat in a league game was on 13 December last year when we lost at Old Trafford. Since then we have played 10 games without losing. So once gain spare me the ‘we are shit and useless’.
On a cup final (any cup final) history doesn’t count. It is 11 against 11 and not always the best team wins. Most of the time the team that made the least mistakes wins. We made one really big mistake and it cost us the game. Making mistakes is human. And as our players are human I can forgive them their mistakes. I feel sad about them but I will not kick them out of the place they have in my heart.
So feeling down because we lost is very normal. But throwing all the toys out of the pram is a bit, well, you know what I mean. The same players that have brought us to Wembley now have lost this game. Those things happen at Wembley and they will happen even if all of us will be dead. It’s part of football. It’s part of life.
The doomsayers will have finally their day in the sun after having to wait for such a long time with Arsenal not willing to lose any games. So I can understand the way they have jumped on the bait to finally be able to say that Arsenal are useless.
Sorry I will not agree with this even if we have lost a final. Maybe we could have done like in the previous years and play our real second string in the Carling cup. Then we wouldn’t have got that far and it would have saved us the feelings we are having now. But then the same people would have blamed Wenger for doing this and missing the chance to go to Wembley.
We went to Wembley. We had to play many games to get there and in doing this we lost some of our best players. So talking with hindsight we could have just lost at WHL in the first round. That would have been an option in avoiding today’s heartbreak.
And I am down right now but as I have gained some experience in live I know that this just is a bad day, or two or three. Tomorrow will be a definite bad day. Tuesday will be the day of coming back above the surface and looking forward to our next game. And on Wednesday the lost league cup final will be a memory. A bad memory but just one of those bad days you have in a season.
Football is like life. Ups and downs. And if you cannot stand the downs I suggest you stop watching football. All teams lose. All teams have bad days. All teams will have moments of sadness.
My only worry right now is how the injured players are. As this will be more important for the rest of our season than losing this final. Just look at Tottenham. After they won the Carling cup a few season ago after that they could hardly win any game. And after going losing the ½ final of the FA cup people expected them to collapse. And after that they went on an amazing run and qualified for the CL for the first time.
So saying this will happen because you think it will happen I can only tell you that I don’t know what will happen but I am not the one going to predict the future. I cannot tell you the future. The future will be visible for all of us in the next days, weeks or months. But not today.
Oh and I will be coming over next Saturday to support my beloved Gunners. And when they come out I will be clapping my hands for them till my hands are hurting. I will be singing for the Arsenal till my throat feels soar. Really looking forward to it already.
Just get behind your Gunners, that is what I will do and what all supporters should do.
Any older supporters remember Swindon 69 …I was there cried my eyes out ..now that really was a disaster .Losing to a 3rd division side when we hadnt won anything since 1953… I have a great feeling about the Premiership this season ..Keep the faith Gooners
All i can say is shit happens.
What we need to do now is not to let this disappointment to be carried to the other competitions. The Youngs Guns have not yet reached their destiny but they’re getting closer. Last night we lost, but we did reach the finals. And I can understand that our back line got nervous of the big moment. Plus without Cesc, the midfield was going to struggle, so i’m proud that our players played with whole heart. Birmingham had a predictable plan and it was their day as they were successfull in their plan. Reaching the final in itself is a great achievement. But the season is not over, we still have the opportunity to win other competitions. Lets support them as much as we can, they’re getting closer and closer. You can feel that we’re close to becoming a special team in english history.
Good post as always, and the points are well made, unfortunately the anti Arsenal are now in full flow and will continue for the rest of the season, never mind that we got to the final, never mind that we are second in the league, never mind that we beat the mighty Barca last week to set up a mind blowing tie in Spain, never mind that we now see the promise of young Jack come into bloom.
some will say this matters for nothing with out silverware, I ask the question since when were we so desperate to win the “kids cub”? personaly I think we should have played the second team only bringing on the members of the first team squad late on in the second half, but that’s by the by now, next up Orient, come on you gunners support your team and give them a great reception come kick off.
Puts things into perspective nicely. We are going to be reading and hearing a lot of crap about Arsenal in the coming days. The likes of Shearer and Hansen showed expressions of pure joy at that result – and there are plenty more where they came from. It is unfortunate we were done as so many are always predicting – by a set piece , a big guy and a defensive howler – everyone now saying I told you so.
Maybe there are valid questions that need answering about the team, the defence, the constant injuries to key players, the tactics, the transfer policies or whatever, – but this will have to wait until the seasons end, far too much to play for at the moment.
This team needs backing right now
whilst i understand your points, there are fundamentals that you never want to accept and unfortunately nor does wenger. there are two many big games that our players dont turn up to. alex song is footballs answer to frank bruno, he seems drained of all energy when he steps out on the big occasion, why did eh play rosicky when the guys is so short of form its crazy, why was nasri on the left. where are the leaders on the pitch, it never ever changes and nor does the fact we aint won anything
this is great:
http://www.thebeautifulgroan.com/2011/02/28/monday-morning-arsenal-tonic-for-those-about-to-gloat/
wenger, kosc, szcesny, and the boys need all our support!
to older fans the surname should be famiiar and iam old enough to have watched him play. there is an old musichall song sung by one Neellie Wallace that goes why am i allways the bridesmaid never the blushing bride.well that seems to be us.wellwe play the most attractive football of any team anywere bar one maybe but our defence is not like that of the 98 99 season we just dont have a Tony Adams or a Les Compton or a Bernard Joy and without Cess on the pitch seem to lack real leadership. I personly do not think our side is yet complete we need that tower of strength that comands central defense and says: where do you think your going? not here mate: I have followed and watched my teamfor over 70 years and even with itts minor short commings this is the best one ever by a country mile Sowe lost a game but we watch a side play a game that other sides are unfamiar with {the beautiful game}.THANK YOU MR WENGER and as for you disgruntled fans have patience and just revelle in a spectical of awesome delight our team plays FOOTBALL
@ Mandy Dodd
Do you find it hard to swallow?
We are too confident that this will be our 1st cup in 6 years.And so are the players. We overlooked Birmingham even though we knew Cesc and Theo not playing. Then RVP got injured. Until that part of the game, although we’ve equalized, we should remember that at that point it was 50-50 chance of winning the cup.
If we have not been too confident, we would not be too low now.
If we won, those critics will say “Nah, it’s just the mickey mouse cup”. And we’ve lost, but we still have FA, Premier League and Champions League to fight for. We are getting closer.
we are big game bottlers and not shit. We have only ourselves to blame for fixture congestion, earning replays in fa cup at every opportunity.
Still, last night game was a bit bad luck.
I read a wise comment yesterday from an old and wise gooner saying: “If the goalkeeper of the other team is named man of the match I don’t really mind defeat.”
@ Walter
That offers little comfort for me. Fantastic if it works for you though. Who named the M.O.M?
Bexxy,
I think most of all it is a way of putting things in perspective. We had our chances, didn’t take them well enough, the keeper did a great job for the other team. Those things happen.
who? Some people in the know I think.
@ Walter
Fuck me, you are right! I don’t really mind now. Cheers
Dean Richards, now that puts a defeat into perspective. That was a shocker. Genuinely gutted when I hear stories like that
A great post, reflecting my feelings exactly. I actually think our best shot now at winning something this year is the EPL. We are 4 points off the top with every possiblity that we’ll be on top within a week…
I will admit Bexxy, that result leaves a pretty unpleasant taste
@ Mandy Dodd
LOL.
Shit happens and yes we now need to get behind the team. The end of the season is the time to critically assess what went right, what went wrong and what if anything needs to change.
That said I am not sure we can really moan about too many games when that is in large part due to the fact that we did not kill off lower league teams.
Walter
You know something: the two articles you wrote today say that you think this match was fixed, that it was fixed by Sir Alex Ferguson, Alan Hansen and other ‘powers that be’.
You know what I think?
1. Birmingham should have had a penalty: 1-0.
2. Birmingham scored. 2-0.
3. Zigic misses 3-0.
4. Fahey hits the post for 4-1.
5. Obafemi Martins is presented with a gift for 5-3. Assuming you reckon Nasri and Rosicky should have scored.
ARSENAL LOST FAIR AND SQUARE. AND THE REF HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.
Now get your blinkered mind out of your arse and reflect that some poor buggers’ family members died in an Earthquake in Christchurch, some got shot in Benghazi and you’re wittering on about Arsenal getting beat fair and square at Wembley.
And if you reckon David Bernstein’s FA made their judgement on Rooney because Arsenal lost, and they’d have gone the other way if Arsenal’d won, then say so. With some wire tapping evidence for the phone calls involved which prove it………
I also can remember some bad defeats. I was at Wembley 88 when we lost to Luton having been 2-1 up with a penalty to make it 3-1 potentially. I was also at Wembley 91 against Spurs. I remember Wrexham 92 clearly. This defeat does not rank among those for dissapointment. Being a big club means you are going to have times like this because you are going to be in more big games than sides like Birmingham. Give them their kudos and congratulate them for victory. I actually thought they played really well.
But at the same time yesterday did bring up some key points. I am not at all worried about us defensively. Chesney will recover from that and go on to be a really good ‘keeper IMO. Kos and JD will also learn, and few defenders will relish going up against Zigic. B’ham trouble everyone from set pieces, so condeming our defense for having troubles against them is silly. The 2nd goal was ridiculous, but sh*t happens.
No, my concerns are actually upfront, where we seem to lack a cutting edge when we are not at our best, or when we are without RvP. I feel like we do need another striker. Utd, with Rooney, Berba and Chicarito are able to score goals even when not at their best. We had that dominant spell yesterday in the 2nd half and we were unable to put the game away. Just one goal would have relaxed us and our play at that point deserved it. Bendtner just does not have that killer instinct that great strikers have, it seems to me. He seems more comfortable roaming the wings than getting in the dirty spots. When Nasri, Cesc, Theo and AA are on top form we can score from anywhere, but we seem to lack someone who is going to get amongst the goals naturally, a predator. Just think how dangerous RvP would be playing alongside someone like that?
This could still be a great season. The lads need to recover and put that game behind them. Orient and Sunderland are the important games now so that we go into the Barca match with renewed confidence.
So much is going to come down to mentality. Our players need to be saying “I NEVER WANT TO FEEL THAT WAY AGAIN” and cursing themselves, not bad luck or misfortune or karma or anything else. No blame needs to be apportioned, or anyone criticized. We lost. That is all. Now they need to get back on the horse and keep going, because this season is nowhere near over.
@ reece jaggar
What Walter does well, he does very well. Credit where credit is due. Shame about the juvenile undertone, but he has many believers
The team yesterday let itself down and , at least in my eyes, also let me down (however unimportant that may be, it still remains).. We never looked composed and dominant enough to win. They were supposed to show us they are ready to step up when it counts, but they did the opposite. I am NOT saying we are shit, or we need to buy buy buy.. That sort of mistake can happen with ANY keeper, and ANY defender. But my point is, it shouldn’t have happened to us. Not if this team truly believed it would win.
I didn’t see the sheer determination and focus that should be evident in a winning team ESPECIALLY when the normal dominance it should have hasn’t been established. No one took charge and said I WILL win this game.
The number of games, the injuries, even the refereeing in this instance, doesn’t matter. It was a final, a chance for silverware. Players should be willing to leave it all out on the pitch. The manner of the defeat was especially cruel, but for me, the most disappointing thing was finding out that this team STILL doesn’t believe it will win. And they aren’t willing to sacrifice everything to achieve it.
It is now up to these players to prove themselves capable of the task ahead. Scrap and fight in every game regardless of the refereeing, the opponent, the fatigue and the injuries. Too many players are content to just be on the pitch rather than contribute. Many on the fringes of the team are not showing enough character to even deserve getting on the pitch. Who could you think of to come off the bench and really make a difference yesterday? The substitutes just aren’t performing. They now need to step up and prove themselves.
All is not lost. Not even close. But lessons must be learnt. Show themselves, and show the fans, that we aren’t wrong to believe in this team, in this squad. As for me, I will be there for every game willing this team to win. But I now need them to dispel the doubts that I have.
Walter, my sentiments exactly!
But I will not deny that I was gutted after the match yesterday. I will have one question for AW though- how come Rosicky started at the Cesc role?
But today, I have to go back to work and deal with real issues of life and death.
And does that put it in perspective for me.
Rhys- You are on a roll as usual.
Paul C – we once had that very striker, unfortunately, a clogger from Birmingham took him in his prime,
Disappointed but far from despondent.
As usual I look to Stewart Roson to explain why and, as usual. he doesn’t let me down. My concern is that for the second game running (the first being Orient) he points out that Rosicky doesn’t support the striker as well as does Fabregas. It may be a ftness thing or it may be that it’s not quite his usual game. We certainly looked more dangerous when Nasri plays in that role but presumably needed him out wide because of the absence of Walcott.
As someone said – shit happens. I was there for Swindon and Ipswich, West Ham (then second division) and Luton. Each performance was marred by key injuries and, for the first one, an appalling pitch. By and large lessons were leart each time and in most cases we came back very much stronger and achieved some of our greatest successes soon after.
I’m not despondent because I have a feeling it going to be the same this time.
@mandy dodd’
right from under the nose of mike dean!
My only criticism of the starting eleven was playing Rosicky and not Nasri as the mdfield supplier….B52 always makes a contribution when he plays and would have been very useful at set pieces where Zigic was a constant threat. Lets win the League and push on next season to win the Champions League…
oh and please tell those other blogs to stop whingeing!!
I am a fan of Walter’s ref reviews and i am disappointed to read comments such as Rhys’ but i suppose the only answer to those who say Birmingham played really well is a to question whether they pay every week to watch a defence or an attack?
I judge teams on the quality of attack and by that measure we didn’t do well but we were not helped because the refs let our players down.
to call for a separate piece on the fatalities in benghazi, or earthquakes in new Zealand is overestimating the remit of our dear Walter, also to suppose that 5-3 would have been the correct score by your reckon is wrong as you fail to include that wilshere hit the post, so 5-4? fair and square
any news on RVP… how bad is the injury… I thought that goal was Super stuff… ‘
Highlights of our season so far:
Losing to Spurs at home when 2 goals up at half time.
Drawing to Newscastle when 4 goals up.
Losing to Ipswich
Drawing to Leighton Orient.
Losing the FINAL
And yes defeating Barca but still one more to go.
We are heartbroken and no words seem to justify yesterday’s defeat. We bottled it in the FINAL.
as always great done walter my friend, keep good work. At days like this we dont need anyone to tell us we have to feel fcuked as we feel it anyway. So wee need Walter to get us back on feet.
As Walter said it is just one of four we are chasing. So lets forget this one and look what can we do, as we don’t have time machine and cant change past.
Totally agree walter, all the anti arsenal wallys can take a run and jump, so typical a reaction by small minded, short sighted and people with very short memorys. A certain M Kemp of another blog was so quick to change his tune after singing the praises after the barca result, now of course back to his normal gutterish nonsense. Why oh why does this great team have to have such idiots bringing it down? In 25 years of following the gunners ive never known it to be as bad as it is now. Of course the internet now makes it that much easier to praise or berate, but looking around the blogs and talking to fans of other clubs it obvious to see that for whatever reason we put up with the most insufferable know it all know nothings on planet football. Does my head in. Get behind the team and support them imo, weve got it so much better now than we have ever had.
Burtsagooner – there will always be fans that see the cup as half empty, the internet has just made them more visible. Arsenal also have a great variety of blogs so there is room for every opinion. I still think the majority of fans see what we have done this year as progress. There is still time to make this a magical year. One trophy would still be a good season and we still have 3 chances.
Hamad – those are SOME of the highlights you have given. What about the return Ipswich game, Chelsea, and many other terrific games we’ve watched? We get heartbroken the bigger the match, and we are playing lots of big matches right now. Would you rather we were a middling club that never played in big matches?
We lost a Cup Final, but we played in a Cup Final. We got to the Final. Only 2 teams get to say that. We are in the last-16 of the Champions League with a return game against the biggest club in the world right now. We are still right in the Championship hunt, in fact right now it is a 2-horse race. You can either focus on only negatives or open your eyes to the many good things going on at Arsenal right now. Lots of clubs would LOVE the terrible season we are having.
Good evening.I always read this site,it is the best.Lets all calm down a little,and judge things at the end of the season.I have to say that,if you look at run of good results,it was when we had our best team out.I’m sorry tosay that when the Russian starts a match he does not do it.It is like playing with 10men.Looking ahead i do think the league is the best bet,and i believe AWknows that aswell.We can do it,but our best 4 players must stay fit,Theo,Fab,Nas and especially Van Persie.He is the main man.
I think we have really weak successors for the key players like RVP & FABREGAS and AlmuniaFabianskiSzczesny how long can we take it further in such a intensive competition and the same old story seems to be repeated in very sensitive period of each season-TOO MUCH INJURIES WITHOUT APPROPRIATE SUCCESSORS- and i blame Mr wenger and the players and the club for it. i have to say indubitably arsenal plays what i just called beautiful and attacking football more than anyone in island thanks to Mr wenger and the less thing we can do now is keeping our faith in squid till the end of the season. GOONER FOR EVER
I was at Swindon in 69 too.
Great,exciting game.
We were outsung that night too.
Personally, I don’t think that Arsenal has anything to be ashamed of. The quality of their play yesterday far exceeded Birmingham’s, and they showed everyone who was watching that they were far and away the better side. The mix-up at the back was more of a freak error than anything else, and I don’t think it really reflects on the quality of Arsenal’s defense. It’s the kind of thing that just happens sometimes, to every team. Sort of like the opposing side scoring a freak goal. And it’s rotten luck for Arsenal that it happened to them when a trophy was at stake.
But at the same time, I think they should feel a little bit better knowing that their loss was the result of some kind of bizarre anomoly, as opposed to something that they earned with their overall performance. Yes Arsenal lost, but they lost while outplaying their opponents and looking like the winning side. And that’s the kind of loss that they should still walk away from with their heads held high, in my opinion.
Thank you, Anne.
Said what most ‘fans’ would struggle to understand even if we are going to take out all this frustration on your beloved Barca.
the freak goal is something i am willing to forgive both players as both were trying to do the right thing at the time, sczeczny trying to hold on to possession and perhaps calm things down a bit, koscielny to pile the pressure on by booting it up field- now none would argue these are both creditable actions but most commenters on the blog with their football brains seem to have completely thrown out with the birth water the baby, which is intelligent attacking ethos of our beloved club’s football.
Bloody heathen!
Yeah maybe I should stop writing at all. After all the dinosaurs got extincted some time ago. Should be looking after that I think. 😉
Well this is an Arsenal blog so I better stick to the topic…
I think most Arsenal fans are dissapointed but not for themselves its more for the team in general.
Its a game of football 11 against 11 and anything can happen on any given day hence the defensive mix up yesterday.
The only thing in the whole match that annoyed me was fergussons slap on Kos’s head as he was celebrating the goal.
Little apples always grow and I hope that comes back to haunt him with a trip to the chamionship come the end of May.
I think for Arsenal its a case now of hoping injuries dont play a huge part in making our season extremely difficult from here on in. They deserve a break after working so hard all season to get to where we are.
Paul C– I believe Arsenal is a big club with high ambitions and on top of it all, self respect. Those highlights of disappointing results that I mentioned are not what a great club like ours should endure. Just because when fans like me after big game losses are disappointed doesn’t mean we are comparing ourselves with the other middling clubs.We would and should be at the TOP and nothing less. Yesterdays loss is too bitter a disappointment and we as the players and the fans deserve better.
The chemistry of the team was just not right and that was down to a lack of balance in the team selected. Our main problem was in midfield where I believe that the selection of Rosicky in the “Cesc” playmaker role was wrong. The Song / Wiltshire tandem was also wrong: Song played too far forward and stymied Wilshire as he kept loosing the ball and putting Jack on the backfoot throughout the game. Song had a horrible game. He should have sat in front of the back four and allow Jack to play a more advanced role. I would have selected Nasri for the playmakers role and played Bendtner on the right. Rosicky was completely ineffective – as he’s been for most of the season so far. Its a complete mystery why Arsene is so devoted to him: he should have sat out this game. I am afraid my worse fears came through as I was not at all confident once Cesc and Walcott got injured against Stoke #$@%,,,I even predicted the score before the game started (to myself of course as I desperately tried to expunge all negative thoughts to no avail)…I even decided not to wear my lucky Arsenal shorts and left my lucky Gooner cup in the cupboard. I suppose I was thinking I would “save” them for the games coming…you could say that I had that “feeling” and I didn’t want to pollute my lucky charms. Ah well…
Roll on Tuesday to see if Chelsea can cheer us up. Roll on Wednesday to see if we can rollover the Orient and Barry Hearn. Roll on Saturday to see if we can take 3-points from Sunderland. Roll on the following Wednesday to the Camp Nou…Wait a minute! The world did not end on Sunday! We still have good things to look forward to…Come on you Gunners..
Finally, I have got to say this: @ Rhys Jagger: was bug has got up your Arse the past few weeks? You’ve been in a really bad mood mate. Try to cheer up a little…
To be honest, most of the reactions have been to vent the feelings of frustration that every gooner fan felt. With the proliferation of the net and social networks, its the in thing to put your feelings out for the world to see.The sane fans should just wait and let the storm ride out. After all we are living in a world where everything is about instant gratification. Add a short attention span to that and you have a bunch of overgrown babies pretending to be adults today.
Arsenal fans have been spoilt in the Wenger era.I hope to see the elder fans of Arsenal put out more articles. Just to give a sense of perspective to the generation that became fans after Wenger joined.
Lastly, we support Arsenal for a reason.The reason is this great club brings that element into our life that we aspire to.Its the pursuit of perfection in football and doing it the right way. A way so correct that its dubbed the Arsenal way. In this world where principles and morals are slaughtered every day on the altar of success, its Arsenal that keeps my hopes alive that no matter how much the odds are stacked against you, you can still be successful by doing what is right.
ahaaaaaa, the bad thing is we lost the cup final and also lost RVP.Now Barcelona will relax since there is no such attacking machine. Arsenal is nearear at getting at its helm. we just need some mature goal keeping and a nice attacking flank in case of RVP absence. Things were against us as one of the crucial factors in football is LUCK. We had a nyt of bad luck and that is all. Am optimistic we are winning silverware this season and next one we are going to win more than one if we add few missing points. Cheer up gooners
@ugandan goon
“Thank you, Anne. Said what most ‘fans’ would struggle to understand even if we are going to take out all this frustration on your beloved Barca.”
Thank you, ugandan goon, for appreciating my comment. But I have to clarify that my feelings for my “beloved Barca” don’t really enter into my opinions about Arsenal. I love Arsenal as a Club, I watch all of their games, and unless they’re playing against Barca, I’m pulling for them 100%. I have more loyalty to Barca, but the main reason for that is that I lived in Barcelona for awhile.
And I don’t see the animosity that many Arsenal fans have towards Barca as a way of taking out their “frustration” at Barca’s expense. I think that Arsenal fans generally have a lot more integrity than that, and that their negative opinions towards Barca are largely due to the way that the English media reported on the Cesc transfer saga that happened last summer.
If I believed that Barcelona players had actually said the things that were attributed to them last summer, I wouldn’t defend them for a second. I would be first in line to say that the Club owed Arsenal a serious apology. But as it happens, I don’t believe that they said those things. After taking a serious look at all of the alleged “interviews,” I believe that they were 99% fabricated. But I would never have bothered to take such a close look if I wasn’t already a Barca fan, so I can’t blame Arsenal fans for taking them at face value and judging Barcelona accordingly.
At the end of the day, the whole point of the media campaign was to make Barcelona and Arsenal fans fight each other so that the interested media outlets (English and Spanish) would sell more papers, and I’m not going to take the bait and let them interfere with my enjoyment of the clubs that I like. So, Visca Barcelona! and Visca Arsenal!, and everybody else can just go to Hell 🙂
The error made at the end of this game was massively disappointing in its lameness but only only slightly surprising. Arsenal’s defenders have shown a capacity to crack under pressure at the end of games several times already this season and have regularly not dealt with obdurate English style forwards (Newcastle, Spurs, Wigan were they all one offs too)? Our keeper is a rookie and our central defenders are inexperienced- against top level English opponents.
If we do nothing this problem will continue- and these players will not be getting the right kind of experience to take their careers and performances to another level.
An inexperienced defence is a false economy in the EPL. You pay in blood while they are learning.
OK there has been the usual exaggeration in the face of disappointment that bordered on humiliation- but hold on – take Cesc, RVP, Walcott out of the side as were for periods of this game, add an under par Nasri and an Arshavin who is still out of form and where is the basis for Walters optimism? Our performances against Leeds and Huddersfield at home, away to Orient or away to Ipswich? Its not an exaggeration to call those shit performances- all of these against lower league opposition. These performances suggest that it would be unwise to back this residual team, “our back up team” to beat anyone in the EPL home or away- and that simply is not good enough. The core of that team has been very disappointing this season.
You know what…i get so fed up hearing these so called Arsenal fans bleat on about how rubbish we are and we should get rid of Wenger, they haven’t a clue what they are talking about and simply haven’t a clue of what Wenger has done for this club. They need to look at the bigger picture or even better they should clear off along the road and follow those in white!!! (or join the AAA) I certainly needed cheering up after Sunday, so after reading your comments Walter, it certainly has. This is what i love about Untold Aresenal, no matter what, you are there supporting the club and always, ALWAYS writing positive stuff. I love it, you’ve made my day. Thankyou. Chin up Gooners.
Birmingham is SHIT! That’s what the stats say.They were very lucky to win. They also worked extremely hard for the lucky victory.Lets not lose any sleep over it! NOTHING IS COMPLETELY BAD. This VERY SAD LOSS will make the upcoming League, Champions League and FA Cup tiltles VERY SWEET INDEED!
The is no fiture congestion. The FA and League Cup will keep the benchwarmers macth fit. The guys who played on Sunday will be rested for the Sunderland Game. That’s an Arsenal ACHIEVEMENT. How many internationals play in the second team?
CHIN UP! GOONERS! ITS NOT OVER UNTIL THE FAT LADY SINGS!
Birmingham won because we gifted them the winner- they weren’t lucky- they hit the post, should have been awarded a penalty and scored a perfectly good goal. Birmingham won because we defended badly at key moments in the centre of defence and in goal and we failed to finish clinically with 11 shots on target. If they were shit- we were shittier. Defending is part of the game as well.