Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes es yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes es yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes es yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes es yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes es yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Yes that was rather jolly for those of us who bothered to go. Jolly because as Mr Wenger was saying the media always find the negative in everything, but for those of us there it was all very jolly and fine and enjoyable.
Interestingly it wasn’t sold out – and since it was not a game covered by the season ticket it meant anyone who wanted to could have an upstairs seat for £20 (£10 if ancient enough to have a concession). And yet it was still not sold out! Ah well, I suppose that was because we had no chance.
Oh yes and the goal which I saw as clearly scored by Monreal wasn’t his goal at all but an own goal. Can’t have the Arsenal going around scoring goals.
And yes I know it is only a diddly little cup that we don’t normally bother with, but I was there the last time we were in the final of the diddly widdly, and that afternoon still rankles and hurts, so a chance to make amends is nice.
I suppose the press don’t like it because we are not Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool or Chelsea and so don’t deserve all these cup finals. Why can’t teams like Tottenham and Liverpool who are clearly through history so much better than we are have some more. It is not fair that. Anyway, the goals were “freakish”.
It doesn’t say it in the report I’ve read this morning, but I thought we started the second half with a back four including Elneny, and then went back to a back three, and that confused Chelsea. Well, ok, it confused me. But I think it confused Chelsea too. I love fluid tactics.
But maybe I’ve got that wrong, and at least a few of the press have been honest enough to admit that Mr Wenger was making mugs of them all whatever it was he was doing. After all he gave them a clue as to how he was going muck about when they asked where Henrikh Mkhitaryan would play in this team and he said, “Centre-back, on the right.” As the Guardian says, ” On this evidence anything is possible. It was difficult to fathom, at times, but it worked.” Going back and reading their commentary written during the match seems to show that for a moment they forgot their grinding anti-Wenger fodder saying, as the final whistle blew
“And what a performance they put in to book their place, checking Chelsea’s early momentum, taking advantage of the breaks that went their way, and by the end fully deserving victory in this tight tie. Could this finally be Arsene Wenger’s year in the League Cup? Meanwhile Antonio Conte’s wait for cup success in his managerial career goes on.”
Apparently Conte’s post-match interview included him talking about the pressures on his small squad. So why do they have a small squad? They have a multi-billionaire who is willing to spend what it takes, sack managers at a whim and oversee a club that buys young players by the bucket load and allegedly (according to Fifa) infringe all the child trafficking regulations in doing so (Fifa will of course decide in due course) and they have a small squad. It is worth asking why.
But let us not remember that last point. Let us remember one simple point: we win cups for fun. What is the number? Oh I forget, let me work it out. Three FA Cup wins in four years. Twice.
And yes it is the smallest least important competition of the four, and of course our sensational run at Wembley across the years will end sometime, but I tell you what. I bet Tottenham wish they could win at Wembley with the consistency that we manage of late.
Meanwhile try this one for size.
“For sure, I don’t have a big impact on the transfer market.” That was Mr Conte, not Mr Wenger. He should have tried being Mr Wenger during the years of paying for the stadium.
Quite honestly, on mornings after like this I don’t care how good a game it was, how near the misses were, if Chelsea are really a small team who can’t buy players without falling foul of the trafficking regulations, or anything else.
This is about being a supporter – giving your heart and soul to the club because they are your club. We take endless upsets and set backs, endless jibes, constant negativity and all for moments like last night.
From The History Society
November 1919: Arsenal solid but in debt, Labour advances, another goalscorer, Norris honoured.
🙂 perfect
Yes it was fun! And our players really deserved that victory.
I wonder why it wasn’t full? Maybe people have got so used to live football at the Arsenal being too expensive for them that they didn’t even know they could see us play Chelsea for a tenner.
It was on TV. But it would be very sad if people preferred having their football experience mediated by a bunch of commentators and pundits and censored by camera shot choice to seeing the real thing.
I cannot remember how many times we were told that we had punched above our weight and below our weight at almost the same time. Probably no one gives a damn so long as you are a true Arsenal fan, and as you have said it, giving our heart and soul to the club because it is our club. Truth be told, all fans love to win Cups, no matter how you rank the Cups. It’s the measure of the Club’s achievement and it becomes a source of joy here and now and in future history.
Football is full of hypocrisy. Just listen to the so-called pundits talking and you know you have wasted your time, for the most important thing is what happens on the pitch. Cut out the noise and enjoy the result. It reads Arsenal 2 Chelsea 1. Again.
I’d like to think that Arsenal’s quota of tickets for the finals will be snapped up soon enough , as our fans just love us winning cups at the Spuds grounds !
Man City fans would probably do the same in anticipation of Pep winning his first trophy in England.
And also the fact that the tickets will probably be much cheaper than at the Ems !
So AW has been playing a Wembley final, with the same club, 4 out of 5 seasons now….
The snide Guardian comment on the match “Wenger wins the right to be beaten by Manchester City”. – I don’t expect anything better.
The rest was a focus on how crap Chelsea were / how they weren’t really trying / how lucky our 2 goals were / how Hazard was best player on pitch (with no mention of his cheating diving.)
I thought that Oliver was not too bad – ie we’ve known him be far worse. However, he should have issued more yellow cards to Chelsea players for repeated fouling of Mesut and Jack. The real villains were the linesmen, who gave a number of wrong off-side decisions against us, to stop promising attacks.
Wait, Tony, until someone comes here to tell you you’re sweeping Arsenal’s shortcomings under the carpet of one result. I say this team is on the ascendancy. But I’m a positive sucker like that
A very welcome distraction from the tiresome Aubameyang saga ( just pay the bloody money ).
It’s always a delight to beat Chelsea, possibly the most odious team in existence. The first goal was comedy gold but they all count. The second was lucky too but who cares. A spirited defensive display got us into another final.
Our record in the League Cup, or whatever it’s called this week, is dreadful. We’ve only won it twice and I think we’ve lost five times, often to poor opposition, the dire Birmingham final springs to mind and Gus Caesar’s legendary cock-up against Luton still rankles to this day. I think he was sent to Airdrie or some godawful place in Scotland the following season. Fortunately I was too young to experience the Swindon disaster.
Anyway it promises to be an exciting final with two teams committed to attacking football. My pessimistic bent insists that City will win it but who knows, anything can happen in a final.
I gave up the league cup matches some time ago . Sure the tickets are cheap but the travel expenses are not . It was a financial decision and at the time the club was not showing a will to win it. Hopefully young people have taken the opportunity to take the seats , although last night I think the amount of TV coverage that we are getting certainly took it’s toll on the attandance.
That was a great post. Thanks
Up the Arse!
Arsene Wenger
on when he said that a win would not have changed the mood…
“No, I think I have the right sometimes to have a small sense of humour in press conferences, even if I am not very talented at it, but that’s what I said.
Somebody once told me that at Arsenal you are never more than five minutes away from a crisis. I said no, three.”
If only I could handle the odious media cretins with such humour.
I do not see any of our mouthy, critical ex players such as Merson, Wright, Robson etc coming out and praising their former club after last nights achievement. But that is normal, they are usually silent when we do something good.
I bet they would have had plenty to say had we lost the game.
What a bunch of w*****s.
First of all. Let’s thank God for the 2-1 goals score-line victory we got yesternight over our big London rivals, Chelsea. It was sweet like honey. But I must confess that I was sad when Hazard put Chelsea 1 goal up so early in the game. Then I resorted to shivering after we’ve equalised and got confident a little when we went ahead in the game but continued to shiver a bit hoping Chelsea will not equalise before the final whistle and they didn’t.
I believe Arsenal who are strong with or without Aubameyang can be stronger with him in the squad. If Le Boss and the Arsenal hierarchy believe this, then it is mandatory on them to continue to negotiation with Dortmund to get Auba signed for Arsenal before this window closes. And not forgetting, the less should be difficult to sign in my own thinking, Jonny Evans signing, should also be concluded this window too. For, the Arsenal team who is still campaigning this season on 3 fronts for: a League Cup win, a top four finish and a Europa Cup win will certainly do with bolstering their 1st team squad for a sustained successful campaign for these 3 wins.
MickHazel
As you say, bunch of wankers the lot of them. Even before the events they are setting us up for criticism no matter what we do.
This was from the London Evening Standard even prior to the first leg:
“Arsene Wenger can’t win… even if Arsenal beat Chelsea and reach the EFL Cup final”
“In one sense, Wenger is on a hiding to nothing. That trophy won’t be enough to appease his fiercest critics and defeat, even to the League champions, will only reinforce views the team are stagnating under his stewardship.”
This is the sort of media shit we are up against. Even before we start we are doomed.
And take this:
“…the team are stagnating under his stewardship.”
So we went from Austerity and no trophies to 3 FA Cup victories, 3 Community Shield Victories, 2 x 4th placed finishes, 1 x 3rd and 1 2nd. and we are ‘Stagnating’ !
What, on the basis of ONE 5th placed finish in a season we WON the FA Cup?
And this:
“That trophy (Carabao Cup) won’t be enough to appease his fiercest critics”
Well that’s hardly a surprise is it considering those Fa Cups and Community Shields couldn’t appease them.
So, despite last nights victory over the mega rich Chelsea and the achievement of reaching yet another Wembley Final, I think I know what we can expect from the London Evening Standard tonight.
Arsenal didn’t have a chance? Who said so? When its not Barcelona or Manchester city they were playing against?
Nitrym,
the ‘AFC tropy Law’ is : if Arsenal get it, it is not a trophy – if Arsenal fail, it is a trophy.
As simple as that.
The ‘Transfer window corollary’ can be stated as follows :
– if Arsenal get a player he is not good, too expensive and will never really integrate into the team
– if Arsenal let a player go he is world class
– if it is a youth player, he’s just here to fill in the blanks on the field
The ‘Legend rule’ is :
– Having your statue at Highbury is a one way love declaration : from the club to the player
The ‘Have-been add-on to the Legend rule’ is :
– don’t bother with the fact you were appreciated and that the club and manager helped you make a pretty jolly career and earn your damn good wages thanks to the fans. Just behave as if you were a Manure or Pool! fan when talking about your ex club. And spitting into your own soup maybe makes it more tasty.
Maybe when AW retires he can start his own take on Murphy’s law related to AFC
@John L
I agree with your comment regarding the constant fouling of our players
Maybe for a 20 minute period in the second half every challenge resulted in a free kick to Arsenal , how they didn’t have more players booked I don’t know
Anyone’s thoughts about the incident lateish in the second half when Hazard ran across Mustafi on a break Hazard hit the deck and wins a free kick no booking for Mustafi which I thought strange because this type of incident always results in a booking
Just read what the London Evening Standard had to say.
Suffice to say, it isn’t exactly a riot of joy and congratulations for a fantastic achievement. In fact, they hardly have a positive word to say.
Just lots of winging about terrible defending and Wenger’s ‘Prevaricating’ tactics.
No congratulations, let alone admiration for reaching yet another final.
This is the general tone:
“That neither side added to the scoreline before half-time was not due to any particular improvement from the two defences but an inability to create more than a chance each.”
“Further forward Arsenal were showing worrying positional discipline, deep-lying playmaker Xhaka often among the hosts’ most advanced players in the first half. Often the Swiss international’s forays forward leave the Gunners with a soft underbelly…”
Concluding with:
“Chelsea, though, were unable to create chances of a similar quality and saw themselves eliminated with something of a whimper as Arsenal secured their passage to Wembley on February 25.”
My point really is the complete and utter lack of any real concession that we actually played pretty well.
No intimation that any joy or satisfaction should be taken from this victory.
No admission that we beat a team that they, and most other people, fully expected to beat us.
No appreciation, let alone admiration, that we had reached yet another Wembley final. What is that now? 4 Wembley finals and close to a dozen Wembley appearances in 5 years of which we haven’t lost a single one.
Nope, the whole tone is that of a pissed off hack that just cant really be bothered, simply because it didn’t go the way they thought, indeed hoped, it would.
Steve Vallins
25/01/2018 at 12:20 pm
@John L
“I agree with your comment regarding the constant fouling of our players. Maybe for a 20 minute period in the second half every challenge resulted in a free kick to Arsenal, how they didn’t have more players booked I don’t know…”
I think you’ll find you were watching a different match to the one the Evening Standards James Benge was watching.
This quote from the same match report I referenced above:
“To their credit Arsenal responded to their advantage in composed fashion, controlling possession, fouling tactically and keeping men in reserve when they got forward.”
You see, it was US that were doing all the fouling. You silly boy.
I don’t think you’ve quite taken on board the tone and intent of the piece.
Tony
Who Are you addressing?
Plenty of rotational fouling on Mesut last night. Plenty of hacking work in the papers version of events. Same old same old?
At half time I sent the following message to my son:
“It’s tactically wrong. Not coping well with Chelsea’s false 9 nor their wing backs. Esp Moses. Being left to Iwobi to mark him and he’s been lucky so far. I would drop Elneny into a Back 3 and match Chelsea.”
My son now thinks I am (i) psychic and (ii) a tactical genius! I did smile as Moses was subbed off…
Roll on the final.
Kenneth
Yep, as I pointed out in the London Evening Standard.
Despite Ozil being targeted by 1, 2 or sometimes 3 Chelsea players.apparantly it was US doing the ‘tactical fouling’.
As you say, same old same old.
Hardly an ounce of credit or admiration at all, let alone any sign of congratulations.
Pete
It seems we have our next manager right here at Untold !!!
On Iwobi.
You are correct he was under a lot of pressure and could of done with some help in that first half, but I thought he coped remarkably well.
He still has the potential to make a fantastic player but he has to improve his finishing as well as a habit of giving the ball away in dangerous positions.
He has to learn from Ozil the master. Last night was a masterclass from him.
I couldn’t see the match as I was away on a visit but could follow it on my Phone as I got notifications of the scoreline from the Arsenal app.
But then had to start driving home with some 10 minutes remaining in the second half. And then I could feel the buzz of my Phone in my pocket that there was a notification…. was it 3-1… was it 2-2 or was it the end of the match. I had to drive some more 10 minutes before I could really stop and check my Phone. It was the end of the match with a 2-1 score. I must say the trip home of one hour after that was a pleasure ride….
Another trip to Wembley. Is there any team that has been playing more at Wembley than Arsenal has? and won more?
Nitram-makes you wonder how football journalism survives!I didnt ever like the Standard to much, sometimes I would read it on the train if someone left it behind. Which I would too.
One thing I took from last night, was no Sanchez, but no new boys either. El N looked great when he dropped back,(as Pete pointed out)-maybe a key part of the game for us? Much praise has been quite rightly put on Nachos head recently( hes been slagged off more than not by the WOBs over the years), but El N who is often the more silent but deadly guy.
Mr. Vallins, if you look at the incident with Hazard in the 2nd half again, you will see that a throw-in was given, ie the ref knew that it was not a foul. So, then, why did he not book him, and send him off, as he already had a yellow for scything Ozil down in the 1st half?
Both Kante and Babyarou must have done at least 4 heavy fouls each and were not even booked.
I think we have all learned to ignore the media.
Henry Winter in the Times today also seems to have been looking at a different match that I was.
He gave Koscielny only 5 out of 10. Shows that he was clearly was not there to see a great performance from him.
It would be interesting to find out how many goals have been scored by other teams this season that have involved a deflection at one stage or another.
Fans do not like them when they happen against them, but, in modern football, with so many bodies in the box the whole time, it is amazing that it does not happen more often.
How many corners happen because a shot deflected off a defender? I would say most, so are teams criticised because they get corners?
The standard gets used to light my woodburner, especially the pages with that oaf James Olley on them.
Our good friends at the Manchester Grunt were grunting hard this fair morning as you well might imagine! Bless their cotton socks eh?
Check out this pristine and fresh tripe straight from the carthorse’s…:
Jonathan Wilson:
“When, after all, was the last time anybody was out-tacticked by Arsène Wenger”
perhaps, maybe, possibly, during the last four years including the three fa cup victories including wins over the amazing ‘Challengers’ Tottenham, the swashbuckling Liverpool who buckled, the best club in the Agents’ fantasy land ManIOU, and yes stopping the petroclubs last season including the celebrated Young Pep and the champions as they attempted to do the double…
…how come these knowledgable hacks, the beautiful spawn of Alan partridge, how comes they do not apply their rigorous and forensic expertise and knowldge of the game/sport upon the team that couldn’t draw with Iceland, and the officials who generate the conditions for that to happen? Asking for a friend!
Jjgsol
My mistake re the Hazard/Mustafi incident I commented on earlier as I first thought there was no contact and as you said the ref saw no wrong in the incident so the ref bottled it in sending off Hazard for simulation
Steve Vallins
To be honest I do think Hazard stumbled and wasn’t looking to win a free kick, in which case I believe another card would of been harsh.
That isn’t to say that I don’t believe that had it been an Arsenal player he would of been judged with such compassion.
Hazard tripped himself over and he didn’t look for a free kick, he was bemused at himself for tumbling so credit to him. My opinion is, it was an even match, with some luck we won it. The first goal for Arsenal was gold, it was like watching the pinball machine.
Team did what was needed and we’re going to Wembley, Wembley, We’re the famous Arsenal and we’re off to Wembley, Wembley,
Wembley, We’re the famous Arsenal and we’re off to Wembley…
Thiebounded off the same Chelsea players match was what I call a pinball game. Both our goals were rebounds off the same Chelsea player……but we did dominate in the latter part of the first half and all of the second. I felt Oliver was relatively fair and had a good match overall.
Opps….my computer is screwy!!!
Will this post appear?
I think Pooch fell for the media trap when he responded to AW comment about media praising teams who haven’t been in a final for 25 years.
Pochettino added: “For me he is a special manager, but everyone sometimes makes a mistake and for me he made a mistake to talk about us or a different team.”
I think it was aim at Liverpool for Klopp’s comment about Arsenal selling Alexis in mid season and to a rival club.
Touchy Argie eh, where did the tinies get named.
So what happened to the 3 last night, last article?
Even came up with the duplicate notification!
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/11221599/arsenal-showed-how-united-they-are-after-alexis-sanchez-says-andy-townsend
Why pay for a player, who is overjoyed with the agreed personal terms, when the only game before the window shuts is Swansea and we have Mikhi available? Why when the difference is £10m the player follows his heart, and Will am deathly hos father is the key figure in his decisions where to play, having picked Dortmund based on Klopps style of play.
Astute man, he will know that he has enough time to eclipse a certain goal scoring record, and surely that the two are made for each other.
graeme balague Shares this opinion and the Mail are saying the deal will be over the line imminently, when they get all like that, they are usually right!
It wasn’t luck, it was destined.
Yeh Tony, who were you addressing?
Shot on target, goes to player not chalked as own goal. Monreal scored how many? 20 different Arsenal scorers this season.
abdou diallo of Mainz is also on the radar, this sounds like another acquisition that Wenger might like to finish. Don’t know much about the French youth international who has represented country at U16 U17 U18 U19 U21 and stands at a reasonable 6″2 with an abundance of pace and agility, i could see this one being completed, which would give us Belik, Chambers, Holding, Mavrapanos and Diallo.
He looks a humble guy and certainly team player and good dressing room character, I wouldn’t be surprised if that one went through.
Seems Pep is of a similar opinion to me and has activated Laporte’s release clause, with the contract likely to be one unequalled elsewhere. For personal reasons obviously and in terms of the solidity of two Frenchman who are likely to be the future of France, I hope he turn them down.
Real have told the agent of De Gea, they will come in for him in the summer. Which pretty much means Courtois is off to either PSG or Athletics, with Oblak moving to United. I expect the latter to he th case.
Hazard: dive or no? I would think he thought about going down and then thought about his reputation and the summer, WC and Real move, was thinking so much he ended up not diving after all, but falling over.
Rotational fouling, certainly evident, with KANTE, Bakayoko, Barkley, Pedro and Alonso all guilty, particularly the first two though.
Bad time to lose Willian, along with Morata. Eden is a great player, but he’s not with them anymore, good for us.
I fully expect that by the end of the summer window, Caesar, Courtois, Kante and Hazard could all have gone. Morata will have to get his shooting boots on, if he wants to make the door with Willian.
Racial abuse, child trafficking and money laundering investigation ongoing, with Russian elections on the horizon. Sale with planning permission granted perfhaps?
Witj Fiminio surely weighing up hos options, I can’t see it being a big 6, the top six could well be decided for a few years, but there will be a breakaway four, with Spurs desperately to hang onto personnel and add quality wherever it is available. Maura has good stats and he has played with Aurirer, I think it is Ann astute signing, if they can stave of the various other suitors.
It is that addition which would be a big step in the right direction, both in terms of stating ambition and staying in touch.
Antoine in a Segio swap deal. City are getting to that point, who plays, where, when? De Bruyne owns 10 right now. Sterling 7, which is his preferred position, although you could move Sterling right, but then he provides and 7 is his best position and he’s playing exceptionally well. No City shoplifting look at a RW, not many about, in the style they need.
Hence the CB and theu could use cover at DM. CF will gen interesting, Dybala is all that is really left, but my my, that is quality, you’d have to ask Real.
Polo
It’s obvious Wenger’s comments were aimed at the media themselves, and not at the clubs or managers. But isn’t typical of the media to miss the point completely.
Although I concede it may well of been Klopps comments that prompted him to say it when he did.
Why Pooch is feeling affronted I don’t know. Maybe Wenger touched a nerve?
https://goo.gl/images/QWFdAA
Wenger is learning to be defensive, offensively.
He used their collective appreciation of the truth and simply let them do the addition themselves, yet he didn’t directly insult anyone, therefore to be affronted is to accept the legitimacy of ones own perception of deficiencies or historical failures.
Where as to ignore the potential intimated suggestion is, careless and viewed as avoidant and signifi s potential truth.
Most if not all retorts are only going to be a measure of how childed one feels.
Where as you have to suggest Wenger has been complacent in recent years or hasn’t won a trophy.
Well OK no CL, no administration, No child trafficking and no Fergie time or pot of gold. And if you haven’t won anything, well bar humbug!
And with a monster waiting in the wings and nobody quite sure if we are ever gonna stop actually taking the Mikhi this January.
Best to stay childed and be thought foolish, than…..
OT: Non-Caucasian issues in football
It’s been mentioned that football has a racism problem.
Four Four Two (Australia) is running a story about an award winning indiginous football player, and his effort to change things.
https://www.fourfourtwo.com.au/news/jade-north-my-dream-for-indigenous-football-481900/page0