By Walter Broeckx
The last home game of the season and for the past 3 years this is a moment for me to come to the Emirates. I’ve seen us win, I ‘ve seen us lose and so it was in fact written in the stars that we would have a draw this time.
Looking back at the game and getting in to the general “football lover modus” it was a cracking game of football. If it would have been a game between two random teams I would have enjoyed it very much. As a ref I didn’t enjoy it. As the ref let some things go that he shouldn’t let go. But more about that in the ref review.
But the final result was very disappointing. But what I cannot get is the way some people (I will not call them even fans, just imagine to call them SUPPORTERs) reacted. You could see the open joy. “They were right”. So to be right you want your team to lose points? This sounds like a real supporter to me. But not an Arsenal supporter. That sounds like a supporter of himself.
But apart from the result I had a great day. I saw us taking a brilliant start with an early and well taken goal from Benyaoun. And then… it was as if some players thought the game was over. We fell asleep. And before we knew it and at least a lucky goal later we found ourselves 1-2 down. I don’t know what was said at half time but I can imagine that some things were said. And we dominated the second half very much.
How shit this team might be for some, it is a team that can fight back. And yes we can be grateful for Van Persie this season. A bit like Barcelona can be grateful for Messi, and Real Madrid for Ronaldo. It is not a disgraceful thing to be in a big way depending on a world class player. That is why they are world class. But Robin, forgive me but you should have scored at least one if not two more goals yesterday. But that is life. That is football. I remember the days not that long ago that I had to defend you against some people who told that you never would come good and that we should get rid of you. Now they can’t sleep by the thought of a possible departure. Or at least they give that impression.
What I certainly didn’t like, apart from the ref being not up to it, was the way we reacted to going back in front. We suddenly looked in doubt. Go for a 4th goal? Settle for defending the lead. Both options are good options in fact. But when 5 players want to defend and the other 5 want to attack…you are asking for troubles. I would have expected our back 4 to stay back after that. But just before Norwich scored I only saw 3 defenders and Norwich took advantage of that. I think the rush of adrenaline after getting in front was carrying a young man way up the field instead of staying back to defend the lead. Ah youth….we all made mistakes then.
When going home I had a chat with different people. Non-Arsenal supporters, Arsenal supporters, Norwich supporters. The last ones were very happy of course. Well you can’t blame them feeling that way. North London was a good place for them this season as they also won at Tottenham. That is part of football. The Arsenal supporters feared that Newcastle and Tottenham would take over our 3rd spot.
And as I type this they didn’t do it. Now with all those “people” saying how shit we are, I wonder what they are thinking of those other two teams. All our players apart from Van Persie are useless sh*t. So apparently with one game to go with the shit players we are in third position. How utter shit are those other two team in that case?
I also just don’t like the idea that a team in 3rd can be shit. I even don’t agree with the idea that the team in 5th is shit. The way things stand in the PL this season there will be a difference of maximum 5 points. Now I cannot consider that to be shit. I think it is unfair to say that the one team then is far better than the rest. The only thing I have to admit (and I don’t like to admit this) is that both teams from Manchester have been far better when it came to gathering points. There are a few reasons why they have. Both are 5 letter words. But you cannot call the teams that end between 3rd or 5th or even 6th shit and great.
I don’t like the tots at all but whatever position they will reach at the end it will be one of their best seasons ever. The only difference is that according to some “people” they will have done it with world class players and we did it with rubbish players, apart the one.
What I remember most and for all about our game last Saturday was the way the team reacted. They bombarded the Norwich goal in the second half. We didn’t take all our chances (usually nobody does this) but I thought the players fought with all that was left to them after a poor first half performance. And if you want to ignore this, fine. But I will not ignore this. I will praise the players for the great come back. For the character they showed in doing this. Of course the regret is there for the defensive mistake late in the game. But well…that is just part of the game. Look at the goals, most goals are just a result of some mistake some way on the field. Without those mistakes football wouldn’t exist or be as popular as it is.
Of course we should try to avoid mistakes, but calling the players names will not add anything to it at all. Why don’t we just stay calm for the next week and see what will happen. I think all teams who are in the chase for 3rd have their problems. It could depend on little things. Like who will be the ref. Will a penalty be given or not. Will an offside be judged correct or not. You know the usual things we can’t control.
The only thing I ask of the players is that they do their best. That is the only part they can really control. What will happen, will happen but whatever will happen will not stop my love for this great club.
By the way it was nice meeting the Gooners from Dublin in the stadium and I enjoyed the chat we had. Hope you had a good home journey and didn’t have to sleep in the car park this time.
Celebrate the start of the 49 today
Walter well said, a very frustrating season can”t wait for it to end. Not sure about the new strip the only one ever i can honestly say i don”t like.
Another great article Walter, it was a rollercoaster of a game. I think the early goal made the players relax a bit more than they should and i think after that Norwich took control a bit. We looked very nervy throughout large parts of the game. Step forward Robin and we are back in front. You are right that he could have had a couple of more goals but with the season he has had and the points he has won for us we can’t really complain.
After we got the third we looked so nervous, you could see it in every player. After the euphoria of our third goal the energy was sucked back out of the stadium when Norwich equalised. But that is the way this season has been, some highs, some lows and yet there we are still with our Champions League destiny in our own hands.
It was an absolute pleasure to have met yourself and Tony, i’m sorry if i took up too much of your time but i really enjoyed the chat, the reason i stopped you was to thank you for the work you both put in to Untold in your own free time. It’s a credit to you both. You will be happy to know that we had lovely comfortable beds to sleep in that night :-). No need for a car park this time. I must say, that trip to Cardiff to watch my beloved Gunners was one to remember. As promised, i will put it in to words and send it on. It might get published, it might not but i will enjoy re-living it either way 🙂
Thank you again guys for taking the time to speak to us and hopefully we’ll meet you again in the future. In the meantime let us focus on getting behind the team for next Sunday’s encounter at the Hawthorns. Now is the time the club needs our support. I wish i could be there with the travelling fans but instead i will be on the edge of my sofa biting my nails looking at my tv.
Oh i just love being a Gooner 🙂
Totally agree with you Ian. The first goal came that quick we thought the game would be won without a problem. And once you lose focus it is hard to find it back in the same half.
And it is great to get feedback (in the comments) but even more when I am at the Emirates. So no need to say sorry for talking with us.
I think we’re missing the absence of Martesacker. People castigate him for being slow but he’s a good organiser and anticipator (is there such a word? I also think this season we have missed Wilshire, and in the home run Arteta would have helped very much.
Walter, it is very good of you to point out the lack or want of a backbone in some of the self-styled supporters!
No comment on the Sagna incident and injury?
@Walter open joy?? I’m not English but i can not get it was that open joy for the Norwich fans or Arsenal Fanatics?? I don’t get it!! But you might be right,when we drew i saw so many people contributing shit material on this site but as of today no one is contributing anything.
Come what may we will be third as always they have written us off but we have been doing what we do best.
Thanks Walter,thanks Tony,DogFace and many more who have made our hearts hard as rock for without you guys we would have given up longtime. Cheers and keep it up.
Shit players?
Anyone who thinks that about the Arsenal side hasn’t got a clue about football and should be ignored anyway.
What you do have a problem with however is consistency and defensive lapses.
On both counts the quality of players in the side can often make up for this with moments of individual quality or brilliance, but it’s the occasions where they don’t that the loss or draw occurs.
Song has been great this season, with strong midfield presence and excellent passing, RVP has to be seen as the most dangerous striker in the league, Koscielny has really improved and shown more often the ability he had against Barca, and if Walcott could maintain the form and delivery he’s shown in a few games, he would be even more dangerous.
Wenger is a class above the other managers in the league – and I include Ferguson in that, as what he has acheived whilst playing great football and operating with strong financial sense is unbelievably good, thank god the naysayers didn’t get their way earlier in the season when they were calling for his head after a poor run.
I think too many fans are caught up still in the old ‘invincibles’ side, and can’t look beyond it, which is a shame because the current side at times can be brilliant, what they lack is the old stability and consistency…
Indy Bones,
too many joined in the Wenger era and expect us to win all the time. Those are the sad people who start booing a player when misplaces a pass.
Our problem is Mikel Arteta. Since his injury against Wigan we miss the control he brought to our football. Control we missed in those 5 minutes when we went in front. on a moment like that you need some one like him to remind all the players of what they should do. He had a great season for us that went mostly under the radar and many only realised what he brought when he was injured.
If he wouldn’t have done his ankle against Wigan we would be out of reach in third by now. But well things are what they are and we have to deal with that.
Generated your Ref Review articles Walter – over to you.
Thanks Dogface, will add the words and a little clip.
Can you have a look at it because it only opens in another frame. If there is nothing you can do about that, so be it.
‘“They were right”. So to be right you want your team to lose points? This sounds like a real supporter to me. But not an Arsenal supporter. That sounds like a supporter of himself.’ -> I totally agree with this. There are some selfish morons who only know about and love them-pathetic-selves. Those will laugh and say “See, I told you (shit and shit and shit)” and boo our players when our team have a bad day. And of course they call them-pathetic-selves gooners. In fact they are the ONLY gooners, everyone else are shit. I just want to, well, ‘smack them between the eyes’.
We were a bit lucky because we are still third and still have things in our own hands. For me, this is NOT a frustrating season. How can it be? We had to re-built our team, we was at the 17th of the league, but we showed great spirit and braveness to (almost) finish our great Turn-Around. How can I be frustrated? I am very very very happy and proud about our team, our players and our manager.
Only one more step. The great Turn-Around. We still can and will make it. This is when I love my team more than ever. This is when I support them more than ever.
sorry cant agree with our problem being arteta. its the attitude. all these lads have done from adam was a boy is play football. old or young there old enough to know better surely. on the same level that a good striker has to be a little selffish. or do we support the cliche that footballers are dumb? and need to be talked through the whole game from the sidelines or they’ll get confused? what else do they do in life really? or is it a case of money knocking that footballing passion out of the recent generations stopping them from going that bit further because they have reached a sufficient level.
what ever it is it needs to stop cos as another blog said today we cant rely on a 30yr olds ankles.
Walter, i’m a Nigerian and you know what that means. We eat, drink and sleep Arsenal. We get heartbroken at times, we even get angry at other times but we remain true Arsenal fans.
Come on you Gunners.
11 “shit” players = 3rd
11 “world class” players = 4/5/6th
Contradiction??? I think so
St.Totteringhams day – 13/05/2012
Great blog by the way
nice
How the hell are we still in third place? Love it very much though!
if i didnt know that we are in 3rd place, by listening to some set of fans and media in the way they talk about Arsenal I swear I would be convinced that we were fighting relegation.
If this team is so cr*p and still is in 3rd, how cr*p are all the other teams bellow us? dont think that’s a good light in which to view the EPL.
Here is a rather peremptory psychological analysis of the fanbase at Arsenal:
There are Gooners,fans,fan-boys, fairweather supporters and whiners at Arsenal. At the top of this pyramid of shame are the AAA and Wenger-out moaner,groaner,gloomy doomy losers who even when we win,seem to lose.
The true Gooner is down when we lose but still cries his or her support from the rafters and their belief in our ability to save the day….that represents about 98% of the AFC followers.
Then there are the plastic fan-boys, fairweather supporters and whiners. They all crawl out of their rancour filled burrows and lament the ¨shit¨ AFC serves up each game, regardless of the outcome. Strangely enough they weasel back into their dark warrens when we are on a good run but come screaming out of their putrid dark places when we don’t perform to their haughty expectations. They live on consensus thinking and are afraid to appear TOO hopeful because they fear disappointment and failure, not realizing that failure is the first step to regular success.
Finally we have the AAA and Wenger-out morons who cannot change the song, cannot take off their smoke filled glasses and will NEVER admit that their opinions are not facts. The real tragedy is that they confuse themselves with those Wenger and the Club actually pay attention to. They have 0 influence in anything Arsenal or Board related and even less with Wenger. As he said about the neanderthals at Stoke, they have a relationship with him but he doesn’t have a relationship with them….and this remains true for those who spent their waking hours trying to ruin his reputation and the team’s equilibrium.
In conclusion, I say that the 98% of fans who love the Club (not themselves or their opinions) have no relationship with the other 2% who can’t seem to consistently get their complaints straight and even less their facts. We can do well with them or without them and we have done so this season, as in so many past ones. Third is ours for the taking…lets hope we do!
@ Domhuaille MacMathghamhna
Well said!
Reading your game analysis is always enjoyable, Walter. Maybe because on may occasions, your analysis is similar to mine. For this game for example, your view that we seemed to change down a gear after we scored our third is exactly the same with what I thought during the game.
Another note from the game is about Norwich third goal. I believe it was Song who was guilty because he tried to make a difficult pass when in fact he could do it simply. He had two choices of passes to his right, but he decided to keep the ball and then lost it because of Norwich pressing.
However, what’s done is done. It was a game with a great atmosphere (at the Ems) and also here in a cafe where Gooners in Yogyakarta, Indonesia were gathering for a communal screening. The noise after Van Persie scored our third is deafening!
A win next week will send us to Champions League, and a draw or less might send us to Europa League.
COME.ON.ARSENAL.