16-1, I should explain, was the number of shots for each side.
And there isn’t too much point in doing any analysis of a match like this. We needed to win, and Fulham were thinking of the Europa League, and we did what was necessary. Most amusingly Tottenham didn’t.
Djourou came back and had a bit of a game, and looked solid, Vela showed that he hasn’t forgotten how to do it all, Eboue starred with his children, and Wenger got huge levels of support and applause. Where ever the catastophists were on sunday afternoon, they mostly were not in the stadium.
But what really surprised me was the inclusion of Henri Lansbury. Just seeing him on the bench was unusual – he has just finished a season long session at Watford, for whom he played 34 games plus four as substitute. He also scored five goals. His last was from 30 yards in his final game for the club.
Lansbury also captained England’s Under-19s against Germany – and managed to score the winning goal. So he’s a bit of an up and coming what-not.
Normally that would be enough for a 19 year old. No one else was called back to the club after his season ended, and absolutely no one then got on the bench.
I wasn’t too sure what to make of it all, until he came on the pitch. And I have to say I was totally impressed.
I have only managed to catch one Watford game – and watching a player in the Championship it is hard to say how he will develop and cope with the big step up in class in the EPL. But Lansbury not only looked extremely assured (as young England players tend to do) he also scored a terrific goal, edging his way through two players with sublime ease. A sort of tall version of Arshavin.
When youngsters suddenly get their chance in a match they can try and do too much, running around here and there and failing to settle down. Lansbury didn’t do that at all against Fulham. He knew where to be, and he played his part perfectly.
Who can I compare him too? Patrick Vieira? Gerrard? Beckham? All of them? Is that a bit dumb, even for me? Well, maybe for a 19 year old, but from his bit part in a match that was long since won, I still think there is someone about to explode into the first team. The thought never occurred to me when watching him for Watford, so maybe I am seeing it all wrong, or maybe he has changed. (Incidentally Young Guns called him a classy, strong, aggressive, goalscoring central midfielder, so that helps classify him a bit.) But he could just be one of those big-time breakthroughs that just suddenly happen.
Apart from Lansbury the other highlight of the day was a display by an 18 year old total prat dressed as a police officer. We were all standing outside the Triangle, as we do for every game. There was no trouble, there never is, but technically we are all breaking the law because are drinking in a prescribed area.
Suddenly out of nowhere this utter dickhead cretin who really ought to have been at school wearing a dunce’s cap, or at least at Hendon learning a little bit about crowd psychology, starting screaming at the crowd, for no reason, telling everyone to get off the road and onto the pavement by the pub. (I should add that all the roads in the area are closed for the duration of the match, so there is no traffic doing the rounds).
Of course the crowd reacted – although with far better humour than this total idiot, who probably thought he was showing off to the woman PC by his side (but she looked as if she was just utterly embarrassed to be near such a twirp.) And of course the reaction was absolutely not one of moving onto the pavement (which incidentally is still illegal under the Act).
Anyway, seeing that he had managed, within something like 20 seconds to turn a quiet, calm, friendly pre-match drink and chat into a situation in which 100 or so people were jeering the police, he broke out into a swet, and called for urgent emergency back up.
Fortunately the back-up when it came, was made up of older and wiser heads, and immediately the experienced police were all smiling and joking with the fans, and sharing stories about what an extremely unfortunate individual the young copper was and how the world would be a better place if he fell down a manhole. He was quickly moved away, and everyone relaxed.
Where they get these people from is utterly beyond me.
Final thought: the programme. Really dodgy article about Henry Norris in it but high quality top class guest writer. Full of stupid errors and childish blunders that anyone who had spent 2.5 seconds doing a bit of research would not have made. Hey ho – but of course there is one place where you can find an accurate description of the man who made the Arsenal.
So, that’s it. Final game, idiot policeman, potential superstar, 3rd place secure, wrong info about Henry Norris. Now a slight pause, and then we start all over again.
Tomorrow, how to fry a jumped up junior police prat in cod liver oil
Tony Attwood (spell checker now working again, spellings sorted)
Nice report but Lansbury coming off the bench and scoring has thrown me a bit – are you thinking of Vela – but he wasn’t on loan at Watford or playing for England U-19
Sorry I didn’t mean to say Lansbury scored in the match today. Lansbury scored in the Watford match I watched, and he scored for England. Vela came off the bench and scored today, and is, indeed Mexican.
“Full of stupid errors and childish blunders that anyone who had spent 2.5 seconds doing a bit of ‘resaerch’ would not have made.”
Miss Pelling alive and well Tony.
The junior prat came from the same place they got a lot of the referees from. They also seem to make a peaceful kick about turn into a fully fledged bloodbath. Well that is until the 4th official gets involved and the Management Consultant gets sent to the kazi or wherever the tunnel leads to. It is strange that ‘mummys boys’ like them get employed let alone be allowed to get care in the community.
After a “short” trip of some 22 hours back home after another great day at the Emirates.
Never thought I would see officer Goody live in action but what a stupid act that was….
And agree with menace about the ref…what a poor game he had…
And now to bed.
Well, the season’s finally ended. Not the best of seasons but i did enjoy myself. N200000(around £800) well spent for me. I think that as Wenger, the players and Arsenal as a whole, sit back to review the season and think on an improvement; so should us fans alike. We’ve got to think over which club we would be supporting next season. Those fans who want to spend, spend and spend should jump on the Sheik Yermoney’s wagon, while glory hunters should sign up with KGB Fulham. As for me, i sure know which club. The one on the part of world dominance. THE ARSENAL
Thanks Tony, Walter and a host of wonderful true gunners. U made the season complete. Can we do it again next season?
What’s with all those misspelled words?
Great post Tony.
I can’t wait for next season who will le boss bring from our youth systems to the first team. hopefully jake wilshere one of them. The kid is great with his passing and technical.
Misspelled words…
I am extremely dyslexic – as are two of my three daughters incidentally – and am utterly reliant on having a spell checker. My regular computer is on its final legs, leaving this one, which has no spell checker. Should be fixed by tonight
Sorry
@Lanre
Why not mate??? We’ve been doing it for the last 5-6 yrs. I’m sure Wenger’s stubbornness will haunt us next season too.
Tony:
Dyslexia is not funny but maybe we should talk about fatboll after a bad spell of football.
My doctor wrote to me once telling me that I had dyslexia and that it was something that I would have to deal with every day for the rest of my life.
I thought to myself….Daily sex for the rest of my life …sweet! 😉
Thanks to everybody here who contributed heavily to what has become part of my daily entertainment most especially Sir Anthony, walter & co whose unceasing efforts hold the line against the catastrophist forces of the dark side and their minions in the mainstream media.
In a matter of a couple of short months it will be once more unto the breach dear friends. No doubt in the meantime there will be all out war between the forces of light(Untold) and the cursed foces of dark (leGrove).
Bring em on.
@ Terence McGovern:
Pleased then to side with you and Untold & co. Most things in life can be looked at from many different perspectives. Its up to us to choose whether the glass is half full or half empty. It takes strength to remain positive when things don’t go how you’d wish. I know which side of the fence I’m on, and I’m happy with Arsenal. We’re being taken on a proper journey with this club. Who cares if Chelsea can win the league with hand picked superstar captains from every nation. Anyone could do that if they had the cash. Big deal. When we finally do overcome the big spenders (and we will) then the victory will be so much sweeter than the one Chelsea have just claimed.
Bring it on I say…and let the adventure continue!
Thanks to Tony and Walter and the rest of you for a seasons worth of optimistic and humerous banter.
S
Ya I too express my regards to all the writers and commentators over here who were great throughout the year.
It was a great year to support Arsenal and to read untold.
I was bracing myself for this. The feeble attempt….
I have cut the rest of this post as it had little if anything to do with the original article.
If you want to know more about the moderation policy please take a look at the page “Want to comment”, listed in the pages section on the home page.
Does this mean that ‘Untold’ will be unposted for the summer? Hope not, it brings a happy time to the day. But if so, enjoy the Gaelic Football season and practice spelling Chamakh and all the other new names we’ll be using on a daily basis come August.
Congrats on a job well done.
Dec – last summer I shut down for 2 weeks, but I am hoping I might be able to keep it going this time.
The funniest thing of all is me trying to point out to Walter some of the finer elements of English spelling and grammar. His English is superb, but there are odd moments – usually based around idioms – where I change what he writes, and then I try to explain. I think my explanations make matters far worse!
Sounds like ideal summer entertainment to me “Guess the real meaning”.
If you’re taking time off this year could you give us time to arrange suitable counselling for the withdrawal effects? Some of us will have no interest in South Africa (Thanks a bunch Thierry, hope it rains in the USA!!) and August seems such a long way away?
Suppose we’ll just soldier on.
I bet that walter’s english is considerably better than our Flemish eh…;-)