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Woolwich Arsenal, the club that changed football. Have your name in the book as an official sponsor. Updated information here
The day when Fulham tried to take over Arsenal – the full story in “Making the Arsenal”
Untold Arsenal on Twitter @UntoldArsenal
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By Walter Broeckx
Well sometimes playing good football isn’t enough to win a game. First of all you just got to take the chances when they come. And if you don’t take them you can drop points.
The game against Newcastle was heading for a one of those games feelings. Lots of chances to win the game. But no real end product. A very big effort of the whole team but with not much to show for it at the end of normal time. But when the going gets tough, the tough get going and that is what some of our players did. But first let us begin with the begin.
Newcastle with only one real striker in their team was out to stop us play our normal game. They came for a point and who knows a lucky goal left or right and nick the 3 points away from us. And after 14 minutes they suddenly found themselves 0-1 up. A little bit of wasteful ball play from Arsenal and Vermaelen his pass went straight at a Newcastle player. The ball went out to Ben Arfa who was given too much time by Gibbs and he buried the ball at the near post. Szczesny seemed to touch it slightly but could not stop it. A goal that was avoidable from both defence and keeper it seemed.
For the 4th time in a row Arsenal was behind in the game. Could they come back this time? Of course we can and Newcastle had hardly stopped celebrating of who other than Captain Van Persie to level the score. A nice move on the right hand side gave some space to Walcott. Theo gave a low cross to Van Persie who turned past his man with a lovely control and move and buried the ball past Krul. Justice being done at that time.
What then followed was a master class in time wasting from the Newcastle goalkeeper. It got on the nerves of Robin Van Persie who on a few occasions told his compatriot what he thought about his time wasting. But Krul continued to do what he did and to my surprise even Webb decided it was a bit too much and he signalled to Van Persie he would add time for this. 2 minutes in the first half which I thought was fair. Apart from the time wasting it was also chances wasting. Not too many chances in that first half but we could have gone in front but it was all level at the interval.
The second half was a one way game. Newcastle played to get the point and doubled their effort in defending. Arsenal got chances to win the game. And this is from the back of my head I remember chances for Van Persie, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Vermaelen, Walcott, Gervinho and maybe the biggest chance of them all for Rosicky who just messed up his shot completely when standing in free in front of goal. That would have been a way to celebrate the new contract Tomas.
There was always a body, a leg, a head or a goalkeeper in the way for Arsenal. Krul wasting time as never before and I really was curious to see if Webb would do anything about it. He could give a yellow card at some stage or warn him to stop it. Maybe he did those things but they weren’t visible on TV. What was visible on my TV was that at the end of the 90 minutes the 4th official showed that there would be another 5 minutes to play. A fair assessment of the time wasting Krul and Newcastle.
But in the first 2 or 3 minutes Arsenal looked dead. Newcastle seemed to be in control and was holding the ball up in play and trying to get the draw back home. And then came the magic moment on my TV.
If you ever get the chance to review the goal you must look at the start when we gained possession. And try to find where Vermaelen was. I think you will not even see him in the picture or very much to the right (depending on how wide your TV is)
When Song played the ball to Walcott you will see on your TV that TV was in our own half some 20 meters behind the ball. And then suddenly he started racing and racing and racing and when Theo crossed the ball and it felt lose at the second post Vermaelen came racing and shot the ball past the Newcastle time keeper Krul. It was an amazing effort from the centre back to do this after some 94 minutes play.
Krul was so disappointed he had a go at Van Persie. Van Persie might have said something to Krul about his time wasting and so the atmosphere between the two Dutchman was a bit tensed. I don’t like that behaviour that much to be honest and the result was two yellow cards and I think those are the most stupid cards to get. And it gave the chance to Webb to add some 3 minutes extra after the 5 minutes. But Newcastle didn’t look as if they could create anything and so Webb decided to call it a day. But I can understand Van Persie as he is also a lover of the beautiful game and doesn’t like the negative football and time wasting at all.
A win of 11 man on the pitch wanting to win. A win that should have been sealed long before that. But in a way this was the best way to punish a time wasting keeper and team. There was no chance (apart from the extra minutes Webb gave them) to come back after that.
5 wins in a row. 4 times in a row coming back from behind to win the game. It is saying something about the character and the mental strength of this team. We are never beaten till it’s over. They fight till the last minute and beyond that last minute.
Theo got a great game and was dangerous the whole game long. Newcastle had to use two players in an attempt to stop him but with two assists (in my books anyway) he was very influential. Rosicky could have gotten the man of the match award if he had buried that golden opportunity that he got.
And as a board member of the Arsenal Benelux supporters club I can tell you that this was an Arsenal Benelux victory. Van Persie from the Netherlands part of the club and Vermaelen from the Belgium part of the club. So well yes, I do admit that I also was proud of our own guys from over here who did the job on the day. Maybe they will be the most talked about but this was all about the whole team refusing to accept not winning a game. So thank you my Gunners for keeping us right on track. Oh and when you go with the underground in the coming days: don’t mind the gap.
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Arsenal versus Newcastle:
The Verminator on TV, Newcastle dead and buried
Ref watch Arsenal v Newcastle, and what Wenger actually said to the Milan ref
Five teams, two Champ League places. Now what?
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How much influence can referee decisions have on matches?
Barca Vice President reveals the scandal of Barca’s match fixing activities
Milan v Arsenal: ref bent or ref incompetent?
From the Arsenal History Society site
Iconic moments 15 – Cliff Bastin signs from Exeter
You mention Newcastle having one striker on the pitch…we’ve only got one strike in the whole first team squad! Wenger out!
im buzzing.nice post
Van Persies behaviour throughout the game in antagonizing Krul was despicable, and worthy of a booking long before it happened. The spat involving Krul was totally out of character for Krul – totally IN character for Van Persie.
You hypocritical Arsenal fans – what would you (and Wenger) be screaming if BARTON had done what Van Persie did ?
“There were verbals between Van Persie and our goalkeeper. Maybe our keeper took a bit too long for one or two of the kicks” – Alan Pardew.
1 or 2 kicks? Is this guy havin a laugh or what??
I thought Phil K’s post here was so funny that I just had to let it in. I am not sure if Phil K was at the match – if so I guess he might be excused by having been at the far end of the ground from where Krul did his stuff.
but I like the post from Phil K because it symbolises what we so often see. A statement with no explanation. Typical of VP. So some examples please? Number of cards in the last five years perhaps? Number of sending’s off? Examples of incidents? Number of times he has appeared in a match report by the ref? Number of times he has pushed a keeper? Any example? A well constructed argument? A point to debate? Maybe a review? A survey? Anything?
We did make a thriller out of a game which we should have comfortably won 3-1 if not 4-1 but credit to the boys, the never give up attitude. The self belief is very much evident now and we created history by coming from behind 4th time in a row and I think going a goal down is a good omen for us. Let’s give it to Walcott…i have never seen him play with so much maturity, he harldy lost the ball cheaply and kept his cool.
Phil, …..
I have edited out this comment. Although I quite agree with the comments made, I do try and apply the rules to everyone. The email address given was not valid. Sorry.
walcott is becoming recently more mature and improved a lot i am so happy for him :D:D:D congrat for all of u Gooners i love the team
@EIE aka. AAA: No, YOU OUT, OF HERE!
@Phil K: Well, to do whatever Van Persie did you have to THINK. You know better than us that your clown Barton does not have that luxurious ability, even after he sniffs some coke. The only thing the clown can do is kicking people, but he is not even good at that. So, please, do me a favour and follow the AAA clown.
to Phil hard luck for loosing lol , we deserved the 3pts @ Newcastle but ur clown Barton had to cheat as usual . Cheeeeeers Goooners Keep up the great form 😀 love u goooooners
Great game to watch and have to admit the better team won on the day.
Got to stop this bad blood between the Clubs, I for one enjoyed a few pints on Holloway Road with the Gooners afterwards and not a bad word said.
Next season we will be even closer! Haway the lads………
Billy the Fish = thank you for your sanity, good words and reasonableness. At many games I meet supporters from the opposing team, who pop into a pub, that is obviously an Arsenal pub, behave reasonably, and have a nice time. Likewise for us at away games.
Occasionally people are silly and march into a home team’s pub shouting, pushing and chanting about their team – and that is just daft. But, yes, there is reasonableness and decency out there.
On a blog such as this, which openly advertises its position as not only a pro-Arsenal blog but also pro-Wenger and his style of play, obviously on the morning after what was (for us) a very important victory (important because of the issue with Tottenham, not with Newcastle) obviously we will be bouncing, crowing, and emphasising everything in our favour.
But that is what blogs do, and what they are about. It doesn’t mean that there are not very many thoroughly decent, reasonable followers of Arsenal, as there are of all clubs.
Thanks for your comments – appreciate them.
TV isnt a real machine, anyone? This is the second time Verminator compensates for a costly error (remember when he scored an own goal, but then went straight off and inflated the right net with an equaliser). He just flattens anything on his way in his obsession with wanting to dent nets. Does anyone know if maybe hes possessed?!
If you think that Vermaelen is possessed now, it is not even his final form.
Meanwhile, Krul is a bitch. Can I say that? Trying to wind up an international teammate. Should be worried more with his positioning and his non-ability to make himself properly wide as a goalkeeper, instead of tactics like time-wasting.
Actually this site is also about Mr Broeckx emulating Mr van Rompuy.
Elected by a small cabal of europhiles, promoting the Benelux at all times, oblivious to the fact that Arsenal is not a Benelux club, it is a London club.
As you say, all’s fair in democracy and football.
But I wouldn’t be voting for Mr Broeckx as the next Chairman of Arsenal.
Because for him, Arsenal is about pushing Benelux players into the club. And making sure that the English know their place.
I hope he’s aware of his writing being consistently like that, because it is a sign of immaturity if he’s not…….
Kudos to Walcott, Van Persie, Rosiky, Verminator and everyone else…in that order.
However, I felt very concerned for Gervinho. He reacts poorly to the sudden ball for an attacker. The sudden ball came to him earlier on and instead of kicking to the goal, he kicked it against his other leg. If you looked at the goal scored by Verminator, he was ahead of Verminator in the race to the space but his poor anticipation and reaction to the sudden ball, especially in comparison to Verminator’s handed TV5 the space and the chance to bury it. I am grateful for this too because if he had taken the space, I am not sure he has the grit to get the ball behind the keeper into the net as Verminator did.
This is not taking anything away from from the great victory; just trying to track the development of our boys and identifying the areas for improvement – a worthy cause if you compare how well Walcott performed or have improved over his weak areas as highlighted in this game.
Go Gooners and get us another win at Goodison Park after a deserved rest this weekend…
Odhis KenyanGunner,
I have had the luck to meet Vermaelen in person a few times and his parents also.
In fact he is a nice friendly, modest and polite young man outside the pitch.
I had the feeling that he isn’t that fond of standing in the spotlight too much. A rather quit character I think but who will say whats on his mind when needed (and something he will have learned in his Ajax time).
Oh well a typical boy from Flanders 😉
Rhys
Do you really believe that there is a pro Benelux agenda of this site? Really? Its a bizarre post. Why shouldn’t Walter be proud of players from his country playing for his favourite team ?
Not that Walter needs my support I am sure that he has plenty of others on this site.
I think I see thise “it’s us against world” feeling coming from our team. they really now fight together. And our captain and vice captain lead with their example…
Then again are we bit Krul (sorry could not help that) to let other teams score first and let them think they can get point or 3 before taking all of them just before end? Also isn’t that what we are doing to Spurs? Thinking they can beat us on PL and take it away from them.. (a week from now gap might be 2 points other way around 😉 )
Rhys your endless attacks on Walter have really gone too far. You have in the past accused this site of being written for people with the mentality of six year olds, and yet you still read it and comment in this abusive fashion about those who write for Untold.
I have no idea why you insist on behaving in this bizarre manner, but I think it is time for you to abide by the rules of the site as much as we ask others to.
@Rhys Jaggar
“So well yes, I do admit that I also was proud of our own guys from over here who did the job on the day. Maybe they will be the most talked about but this was all about the whole team refusing to accept not winning a game.”
How the effing hell can you justify your comments about Walter caring more about the Belgian/Benelux players than Arsenal? Even apart from that statement which you obviously chose to misread, Walter spends so many hours of his time writing on this site, talking about Arsenal. Unlike you who comes on, writes a purposely vague, insult ridden post and then fucks off. Not everyone is as obsessed with ‘country’ as you seem to be. This is an Arsenal blog. Why don’t you go to an England Football blog, if one exists that is. Arsenal is a London club? Thank you for reminding us Captain Obvious. Where would we be without you. You are are conscience and our one true source of knowledge. Or at least it would appear so from the way you phrase your posts.
@Rhys, I don’t want to sound patronizing as I think I am still of 6-year-old mentality, but perhaps you can start your own blog, the Anti UA?
@Walter, is Rhys your evil twin? 🙂 Related to the article, I must see the game again to see how TV5 ‘teleported’ from our half to the mouth of NU’s goal.
I think I will pick up my phone, call Wenger and tell him to buy Hazard and Vertonghen… sigh LOL
Walter, LOL. Rhys Jagger, Phil K, birds of a feather-dumb fellows.
…Walter, am relieved to know that TV is flesh and blood afterall!! I guess his blood is red and white then. …Oh, AND whos that who said Walcott couldn’t cross if his life depended on it? I bet Krul would waste no time (pun intended) to disagree with such sentiments.
Walter, you deserve far better quality of reader than a couple of misfits! It is The Arsenal and ALL the supporters of the Club! To win is the glory of the game, and to lose is not a reason to slink away.
For the time wasting it is up to the referee, and with Webb a Northern club will always benefit from the doubt!
Mr Broeckx as the next Chairman of Arsenal Holdings,Plc, why not? and sort out the selection of the EPL referees!
@Rhys, rubbish, and bad tempered rubbish at that.
Arsenal may be an English club, a London one and specifically a North London club but nowadays it is a global club as well.
gym time. hmmm i wonder what ill wear? rvp11 2008?……go on then.
get some rest lads youve earned it. quite like everton but nows not the time for empathy.
invincibles lite 2012 to get us 2nd? surely not.
i think he a narcissist. so i guess commenting only aids his ego? art of war.
Some Benelux referees in the EPL would be very welcome, indeed.
Actually Walter I disagree with you, it was a simple Arsenal win. Otherwise it becomes an Arsenal England win, or an Arsenal France move etc. Though I understand you were expressing the sentiment and pride you must have from of your benelux ‘sons’.
That aside it’s a great write up and you are so right about the fast gut busting sprint up field made by TV. That attitude is a match winner all on it’s own. He was due a goal for his similar efforts this season at Man C, where he almost got us an equaliser twice.
Arsenal belong to North London and anywhere else where people are increasingly supporting them, and yes, the Benelux boys were part of a team that did us proud last night.
Anyone else notice how rival managers are starting to crack under the strain, Chelsea…well they ended up sacking theirs but witness St Arrys outburst on the MOTD interview and now King Kenny wanting Wenger punished by the FA over allegations of his favorite player diving.The same Kenny, who had the American owners come over and tell him in no uncertain terms to stop defending Suarez over racism.
All bodes well.
Think we are getting to Arry, so maybe is the fact that it is starting to look increasingly clear that England will not come calling, no matter how much he may want them too. I believe the FA want Wenger, but will not get him , so will turn instead to Roy Hodgson who will enlist the help of Southgate and Pearce…watch this space.
The keeper started wasting time in the 20 minute.And from then on the picture that kept replaying in my head was none other than taht of our Legend TH14 and a certain awful keeper named kirkland.That picture of henry taunting him to waste more time after we equalised is just PRICELESS.
This was a carbon copy performance to that one even sweeter as we dint score the winning goal till the last 30 seconds.And Robinhood could just not wait to rub it in.In the end its a CRUEL game !
COYG-we can even now dream of second spot !!LOL
Rhys Jaggar,
Mai ouis! Merci beaucoup for putting the SPINE back into the one and only phrase that truly matters in football: English Spine.
Finn Gunn,
Surely you tempt The Lad to continue tossing his toys from the pram. Quelle fromage!
@ Tony, I hope you don’t mean that you are thinking of banning Rhys? He puts a lot of effort into his posts which often make me smile and laugh, even though I am none the wiser what they are about or why he bothered. Walter knows that there is a thin line between love and hate. Rhys with every post edges closer to loving Walter – well that’s the way I see it…
@ Rhys – Pssst, I think I held them off for a while, but ermm mate, the thing is, you was doing so well before when you were a bit more….lucid? Can you hold it down for a while, have a cuppa or summit and come back when the coast is clear?
Walter,
What a pair! (so to speak 🙂 )
I would dub them our BenDeluxe
(As for that other one, doing the Dean-Time two step. Yes, players and ref’s can do that dance.)
popcaan,
Is there an video link you’ve seen/know of where TH/14 does Le Counter to Kirkland’s Quicksand?
st totteringham day on the way…the piece i wrote about it just got posted
Mandy Dodd,
I’d offer that Arsene should say yes to Le Job, just to wind ’em all up. Then back off, with complete aplomb, because, after a night of soul searching, he’s decided that in his heart of hearts he’s simply Gooner for Life.
Another sign of Wenger’s greatness eh? Remembered when he signed TV5 a few years back and the media outcry was “Who?”, “Why?”, as well as suggesting that TV5 lacked the “appropriate size” to be a good CB? I think any lingering doubt about TV5 and his importance to the team has been laid to rest. I am still in shock (in a good way!) at the sight of him racing full speed up the pitch to latch onto the ball.
And Walter, count me as another who’s thankful for the words you write.
That is just phenomenal! I asked on RefWatch where all the added time came from. Walter says here the 4th official indicated about 5 minutes, all for time wasting. The BBC play by play, shows that 8:41 of extra time was played. Hence, just in extra time itself, Newcastle wasted between 2:41 and 4:41 (as an indication of 5 minutes extra time means that somewhere between 4 and 6 minutes of extra time are required). The referee really dropped the ball at not carding Krul for that.
Gord,
And that would be Howard Webb, n’est-ce pas?
Walter,
Can a referee overrule the 4th official on the award of extra time? Who ultimately decides?
Van Persie and Krul had an argument, but it seems it was an honest one, and it was just words. Barton kicks people, grabs people when they’re on the floor and dives to the ground to get fks or just when he want’s to get someone in trouble. There is a BIG difference between him and Van Persie
I have long come to the conclussion that Rhys is most probably an active member of ENP (If there ever was such a group) or rather, he may be a stand alone member of such. However, he is constantly outdoing himself with his hatred of anything or anyone non English.
Guys & Gals, let’s just ignore him. He is getting utterly beyond the ridiculous.
Justice!
Karma!
Whatever they said, we deserved this win.
And we do it with style, counter attack, 95th minute, your center back running from your penalty box to another penalty box, splash the half clearing ball to the net like a stiker.
Our center back can score goal from open play, not set piece.
This goal can compare to Tony Adams best goal (in my opinion).
But I rate this higher, Vermaelen run from our penalty box to another penalty box, with speed (hey, this is fast counter attack!)
I hope this night Everton win at Anfield, maybe after winning at Anfield they more confident to more open against us, not parked the big big bus in front of goal.
We have good memory at Goodison, I hope it happens again next week.
Chelski will get hard game next week, and I hope Stoke not conceding a single goal next week.
Ok am i missing somthing here?
What time wasting are you talking about exactly sure krul took his time with one or 2 but this is normal in a football game.
he certanly diden’t do it more than a couple
and again were you even watching the game? van persi was anatagonising krull not the other way around and he deserved a card for it sometime before the first half ended
and one more thing where the hell did the ref get 5 minutes from?
Im sorry guys but we got very very lucky here newcastle deserved a draw and they were robbbed out of it by some extremely bad refereeing
Way to much time added on and not one of our corners were taken with the ball actually in the corner spot (all outside)
and thats just 2 things off of the top of my head.
Atrocious officials
Arsenal very wastefull and very lucky.
newcastle robbed
Anyone who denys these facts is kidding themselves.
@bob
It has been a long time since I did any officiating, but at that time the laws said there was only 1 timekeeper of a game, the referee. Anything the 4th official indicated, was just an estimate. The referee’s assistants (lines persons and 4th official) could be asked for input, and some referees do seem to communicate with them towards the end of a half on how much extra time might be needed.
Lots of people, including sports commentators, misunderstand just what is being indicated by the 4th official. The 4th official indicates an integer number of minutes. This does not mean that if 4 minutes are indicated, that at time plus 240 seconds the whistle is blown. An indication of 4 minutes means the amount of extra time required is likely more than 3 minutes and less than 5 minutes. But, it is just an estimate, as the only timekeeper is the referee. The 4th official is “guessing” in a sense. The guess is expected to be a good one.
One place where the guess is bad, is when there is ongoing delays in restarting the game during extra time.
A long time ago (perhaps in Greece?), I heard of a game where the amount of extra time required at the end of the game was more than 45 minutes. The one team kept kicking the ball out of play, and the fans would take their time in returning the ball to sideline.
Aj,
could you please then explain why the ref added another 3 minutes to those 5?
To rob Newcastle?
AJ is plainly either a Spud,Geordie or Chelski fan, or part of the joyless Wenger out brigade who hate it when Arsenal win because they have some deluded idea that Wenger will be sacked and Mourinho or Pep brought in.Never going to happen mate sorry.
@Walter.
Excellent and enjoyable review of the match. Arsenal dominated most of the match and if the finishing had been better we could have scored 5 or 6. The drama of the final goal was fascinating – one could almost feel the goal coming and the question was – could we get that goal before the whistle was blown. Credit must go to our guys for never stopping to attack. As for Newcastle – they are a dangerous team, but for the last 25 mins or so they were hanging on desperately.
@Rhys
You do write some very strange things from time to time and the better Arsenal perform the wilder your statements seem to become. Your post at 9.49 am today was total bizzare c**p.
Perhaps you should change the tablets.
@Aj
A visit to the opticians for you – or back to the AAA sewer.