This is not the only day I have felt bad about football. Like when we lost to Wrexham in the Cup – I can still remember the feeling the next morning. Took me days to get over that.
Or when we lost 6-1 to Manchester Bankrupt (or Manchester U as they were known in those days). We were (I think) 1-1 after Henry scored, and then it fell apart, with Grimandi desperately being pulled out of all positions and having no central support. Apparently Wenger went utterly spare at half time – and I suspect he did as well last night.
I felt just as bad when we lost at home to Leeds, and so lost the title. That turned out to be one game before the start of the 49 run as far as I remember (contrary to popular belief I don’t sit at work surrounded by my Arsenal handbooks so I can’t look it up).
Strangely I had a similar-ish feeling when we drew 2-2 with Bolton in the Unbeaten Season itself. Bolton were playing a terrible game of rotational fouling and Fat Sam was on the touchline just below my place, screaming as his players to get stuck in.
So, last night, it was the same. Great joy turning to terrible sorrow – and the lovely article which I thought was a real scream having to be scrapped.
It was stupid playing – Clichy buggering about and falling over, Eboue thumping the ball up the field from whence it came back straight away. You remember how Henry used to take the ball into the corner flag and hold it there – where’s that gone?
But on the positive side –
a) we have no problem scoring goals
b) we do have a solid midfield and defence
c) Almunia had a really bad time of it, but that is rare – he is a good keeper who has saved us over and over again.
d) What we lack is discipline and organisation – and if there is something that Wenger can instil in players in discipline and organisation.
So when it comes down to it, what we lacked was discipline and organisation, and those can be instilled. Maybe it needs a bollocking and a half. Maybe it needs a new captain. I don’t know, but then I am not the manager. But I can tell you, it is much better to be in this position than in a situation in which the obvious answer is that we should be buying a new team.
What we, as supporters, have to do is accept that we drew, try not to look at the league table for a moment, and ensure that we give them everything against Stoke, and then have another celebration of football in the Euro League.
Well, I have to say I do feel as bad as you! I can’t believe this situation we’re in. We seem to have it all yet still so far away? We know what this team is capable of but time and time again we suffer with complacency and a total tendency to self-destruct! I’m not sure what AW says to the team after a game like this but, whatever it is I don’t think it is working? Is it the captain who should shoulder the blame? I’m not so sure about that. Is it just a matter of patience and wait for things to come right? I’m not sure about that too. I honestly cannot see Arsenal competing for sliver wear this season or next. I just don’t feel the balance is right (mentally). The experience definitely needs to be improved and we all know that certain players are just biding there time before they move to Spain or Italy so experience will never be reached if we sell our best players and rely on the youngsters!?
nice post. i think it was a bit of complecency due to the inexperience of this squad. i hope we can still win somthing this year.
I felt physically sick watching the game, especially the last 5 minutes.
Good article as ever. would love to have seen the one you would have written in the 88th minute… have a look at arsebloggers review of the game too. spot on, especially about flippin jamie redknapp on sky…
Flip me, im still gutted now, the next day. i cant believe we were so monumentally stupid to throw it away. true their goals had more than a shade of good fortune (is it me or is clichy the unluckiest full back we’ve ever had in that every time he makes a mistake, rare though it is, some bugger scores an equalisr in a game we should have won?!) but we should have closed the game down. cant blame anyone in particualr but did we get overconfident – when song came onto the pitch he high fived denilson – what was that about?! were they so confident at getting revenge for the tiddly widdly cup SF defeat?
i hope wenger lays into them all today, but takes a bit more care in the future when substituting to close down a match not to take off our first line of defense (ie attacking outlets!) i personally thought he should have brought on vela for RVP, that would have made the sp*rs defense wet themselves, and kept the initiative for ourselves… Am still sobbing inwardly. suspect we’ll end up creaming stoke now though!
Jimmy, that is a very balanced view, and I wholeheartedly agree. Apart from the official site for the match report, I couldn’t bring myself to visit any other blogs where people would be laying into the team. They messed up big time and I’m sure they don’t need anyone to tell them that, but I also agree that when Wenger is too conservative we risk this sort of thing happening. For us, attack is our best form of defence and by taking forwards off we handed the initiative to the opposition. Maybe the players won’t be the only ones to learn from this mistake.