I don’t usually write my match reports until Monday but with a feeling of panic starting to creep in amongst readers, I feel the need to step in today to steer the Arsenal FC Blog ship in the right direction before we end up killing each other.
Yesterday’s result hurt badly. From looking like we were getting nothing more than a point and a 0-0 draw we all of a sudden had three points in the bag near the end, which very quickly became one again after Kevin Phillips ridiculous goal.
Conceding late equalisers will always be one of the worst feelings in football and this was made worse by the calamitous nature of Birmingham’s goal and the fact that both Chelsea and United recorded impressive wins. We’re not out of this title race by any means but this was an uncomfortable weekend where we were the side whose title ambitions took the biggest hit.
On the surface a 1-1 draw with Birmingham at St Andrew’s is not a bad result. As I said before the game none of the current top six have managed to beat them at home and they were always going to be a tough team to beat. But when you concede in this manner, in the last minute of the game, it’s hard to look at 1-1 and see a satisfactory result.
The goalkeeper deserves criticism for his part in the goal: with a title on the line he has to do better. Phillips’ shot was a fluke but in the last minute of a game the goalkeeper should be ready for that sort of thing and there was no excuses for letting the ball past him.
However, criticism should also be aimed at the linesman for failing to flag Birmingham’s goal offside as well as Samir Nasri for wasting a guilt-edge opportunity with the game at 1-0.
I know we shouldn’t blame the referee but how he considered Manucho, who clearly influenced Bacary Sagna’s attempt to clear the ball, not to be interfering with play just boggles the mind.
As for Nasri, his decision-making late on was just as frustrating as Almunia’s flap. While Nasri deserves a lot of credit for scoring a really terrific opening goal he undid that work by oddly choosing to square the ball to Arshavin when he should have put his right foot through it and found the back of the net. I can accept a player missing a chance but you can’t tell me he wouldn’t have had a shot if the game was still at 0-0 and I find that extremely frustrating.
There will be many people that will criticise our overall performance and suggest that we didn’t create enough chances but I think it’s worth remembering that St Andrew’s is a hard place to play. Under the circumstances I thought we handled the conditions quite well and had it not been for Birmingham’s freak goal we would be lauding another fine victory under difficult conditions.
This is the first game we have failed to win in our last seven and a sense of perspective needs to be maintained. While we are now four points off the top a win against Wolves and a favourable result from United v Chelsea will see that gap cut to two. There’s still plenty to feel optimistic about.
The biggest concern now will be how the team responds to this result with Barcelona just around the corner. The players will be hurting after this game, the goalkeeper’s confidence will have taken another hit and with Cesc Fabregas a doubt there is are reasons to feel genuinely concerned about our ability to produce a favourable result at home in the Champions League.
On the positive side this team have shown many times this season that they can be resilient under pressure and this is another opportunity to show that. A good week could turn things back around very quickly, just as Chelsea did by smashing Portsmouth and Aston Villa after drawing with Blackburn and losing to Inter Milan. We have to hope that our boys can produce something similar.
So all in all a frustrating result, if not a killer one. There is still eighteen points on offer and our favourable fixture list means we are still in with a good shout.
Thoughts?
Have your say on Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Birmingham by leaving a comment.
We could have won, should have won and would have won (if), but I really hope that’s not the feel of scummy hot breath I feel on my neck.
to be honest i,m not really interested in what chelski or manure have done at st andrews, the fact remains we were 1 nil up with 30 secs to go and couldn,t see the game out.i,ve seen it too many times this season and thats why we wont win f.ck all again. i didnt think that waiter could make such a basic error in a vital game with his chocolate wrists, he is an EMBARRASSEMT to arsenal fc and professional football!
We are 4 points off the top, not 5.
Anf if next weekend, the top two draw, then the gap will be reduced to 2 (with man u).
Apologies MTY, you’re quite right. Will edit.
@ georgetown – Agreed: “But when you concede in this manner, in the last minute of the game, it’s hard to look at 1-1 and see a satisfactory result.”
same old arsenal always whining
The only thing standing in my way of complete optimism is the knowledge that we have to go to White Hart Lane and try and deprive them of the points they need to secure CL football next season. If we were to drop points in these last games then White Hart Lane was the place to do it. To go into the North London derby absolutely needing nothing but a win is pressure the team could live without.
Also, I think every blogger is letting Andre Arshavin off the hook too easily. Midweek the guy shoots his mouth off to the press indicating he doesn’t believe we can win without stars. Saturday comes and once again he’s dull as a pre-schooler’s lunch knife in front of goal. The guy needs to find his belief again and start putting away chances instead of scuffing them and blasting wide and over,
Nasri squared the ball assuming Asharvin was along side. It was a stupid move, but he probably did it because he knows the guy’s game is the toilet and wanted to give him a boost. Unselfish and commendable but ultimately costly. Arshavin, I think, has to take some responsibility for that.
Anyway, here’s hoping for a series of draws for both Man U & Chelski so relieving us of pressure at White Hart Lane.
Also: Villa were TERRIBLE.
@ Ibster….right! that stupid russian needs to shut his mouth & do the talking on the pitch.
I am very depressed so my comment may be ignored but I am so sick of this. The last 3 seasons have come undone in exactly the same way. If we were a Premier league winning side we should have won! Yes AndyN mathematically we are still in but for me we are out if it. I can blabber on about why we haven’t won anything but I just don’t care enough. Something at Arsenal needs to change
Arshavin & Goalkeeper dropped two points for Arsenal.Watching Arsenal games might increase Heart disease patients.
Ja I agree Ibster. Shava is one of my favourites but I am getting sick of his criticism of Arsenal and then he just doesn’t perform!! Not good enough
Get Real you Arsenal fans. When was the last time any team in the EPL won thirtenn 13, games in a row?????????????
We should now focus on the balanced six games and hope the other challengers fall back; which is a hugh possibilty, considering their respective run-ins.
Cheer up!! this team has over performed and showed they know how to WIN games.
Why all the negativity and whingeing? next weekend it will be back to waht we were on saturday am because manu and chelski will draw and Arsenal will beat Wolves. The race is still on and who would have thought that when RVP got injured? Relax peoples!! Role on Barca!
It could have been a wonderful result, these lads need to grow up and stop wasting precious chances, especially on grounds such as st andrews where you dont get many of those.
arsene knows??????? yeah he knows so much he has failed to replace the clown we have between the sticks who has continued to flap,fumble and be uninspirational since the cl final in paris 4 years ago. EVERY ONE in the world can see almunia is a joke but the professor still persists with him and by doing so he is taking the piss out of us arsenal fans!
Charlie, 2001-2002. Arsenal won their last 13 games to win the league. (They won 18 of their last 21 games and drew the other 3).
@DB Arsenal is doing repeating the same scenario this year. Up to now the results are identical. I am being ironical, but not completely.
My point though is different. When you play a game, give 100 per cent and make the effort that Diaby, Song, Sol, Sagna, Clichy, Bendtner, Fabregas, Denislon, and all the others (and that is in order of most effort to least) you must feel dejected to concede a goal like the one they conceded yesterday. I am proud of all of the players, they ran like and gave the effort of players who care and who want to win the league. It is understandable that results can go against you, the mental strengths and the sesire was clear to see. The players have to pick themselves up for the Barca game. It is not finished and we should be encouraging and supporting them. All this being said, there are facts taht we can not escape.
1. Allmunia is not in the same league (neither mentally nor technically) to be in this Arsenal group. If only he could be made to understand what it feels like to give such an effort in a game for your goalkeeper (who is standing on his feet most of the game) to undo all that effort. Almunia is extremely inconsistent and unreliable. Arsene please take him out of this group (I sincerely hope you are reading);
2. Arshavin has lost a lot. These days (has been the case for a few weeks) he looks to me as if he is playing football with his kids in the garden. Does not show desire, committment or strengths. In fairness he tried yesterday when coming on, but did Wenger leave him out because of his recent comments (despite defending him which is only normal). Possibly yes. Has he been affected by being the front-man for such a long period in the season. Possibly yes. Does the 4-3-3 formation affect his game. Definetly since he is best when playing behind the striker and that is not catered for in this formation.
4. Fabregas is struggling. That is a fact. So many misplaced passes, so many times taking his eye off the ball before controlling it. The last injury us a setback for him. He needs games and more games.
5. Why is Eboue on the bench? On current form he should be starting at right back. Except if Arsene is resting him for the Barca game. However, he is one of the few players who had not be injurred this season and has played less than most. Logically he does not need a rest.
6. Gallas is leaving and we better get in a new a centre-back. Yesterday, despite having played very well at centre back, Song was completely wasted in that position. If song was deployed in midfield the game would have been very different.
The season is not over and we should encourage our team to fight until the last second. We could still win it and hence we should support.
@ Andrew – do you think we MUST win all our remaining 6 games to win the league? I just can’t see ManU dropping too many more points despite Chelsea’s strong form.
Well written thoughts and timely blog post to ease the frustration that all Arsenal fans currently share.
I thought the non-use of Eboue was a strange one given how ineffective Walcott was throughout the match. I also feel the midfield was not the same without Song there, i.e. it would have been stronger with Song-Diaby-Fab.
No point lamenting on the result now, as easy as that is. All we can do is support the lads and hope they turn up to play at the Emirates in a few days and perform to their potential.
Up the Gooners.
We need Fabregas back, Iniesta has been confirmed to be out of the Wed game
yes DB i believe Ljunberg played a superb part in 13 games victory.
So Fustrating to give points way like that as we have done so many times before. At this point in the season we have to shut out games and come out with 3points.
Definately offiside but its so typical for the linesman to not make the correct decision in a crucial match for us. Lets hope united and chelsea drop points. We’re still in the race, no doubt about it. Bring on Barca!
I dont even want to get started on Almunia and a goalkeeper should be at the top of our transfer targets.
Hugo Lloris anyone?
such short memories for so many “fans”(?) how about last season when the talking heads ripped us at every opportunity? according to them, this season we would miss qualifying for Champions League. and it got worse when RvP went down in a useless “friendly” ; lucky for us, Liverpool is taking the beating this season, and we’re still in it. much as it hurt to yield a late tying goal, would anyone have been surprised if the match ended scoreless? villa were awful and Bolton can’t score(except an unlucky OG) We should have won but didn’t, stop crying and get on with it!
I justed wan to vent my fury and faustation on the one and only MANUEL ALUMIA. Whats wrong with arsenal fans nowadays. Can’t you guys see how useless and inaffective this azzhole is, please asene (if ur reading) get rid of this dopey spanaird. hHe’s been costing us games from since the final in france 4 years ago. I cant stand him.
Ridiculous by Almunia, but then also Clichy and Sagna can’t cross accurately, Walcott should not play football, Arshavin picks and chooses when he wants to play well.
Wenger has sown seeds for our loss vs Barca, saying no man marking Messi. The best player in the world will thus be allowed the freedom of The Grove to give another demonstration why he is the best? What kind of tactics is that Wenger?
I could have killed the commentator when the equaliser fell, couldn’t stand his shouting, switched off immediately … 👿 😈
i cant stand hearing comparisons to wot other teams done versus birmingham,it means nothing as the other teams you speak of didnt throw points away at west ham or lose at sunderland so it only highlights the importance and significance of winning yesterday even more…..winning vs the teams that hav taken points off our adversaries,that,along with head to head encounters determines how close you will be to a championship or how close you are to narrowing a gap…our head to heads hav been abysmal losing 12 points to our rivals…..theres absolutely no way a team that forfeits 6pts to each of their rivals,along with dropped points at lesser teams can go on and contend without picking up the slack that mite hav been dropped by those rivals vs the likes of birmingham…..i remember we were all in here happy out when utd drew with them a while back but its not worth a stocking when we cant capitalise
my wife was recently at a westlife concert and she returned home with two of those oversized coloured foam hands,ye know the ones with the index finger pointing upwards……wel id rather hav her wearing them in goals for wed nite than that clown….so many errors and embarrasing ‘freak’ goals…. wel they cant be freak goals when they happen so regularly
before you all start your ‘lay off almunia’,(yawn), usual dribble spare a thought for the players who hav given us such great moments this season and those who hav excelled..cesc,song,verm and diaby,whilst in recent weeks nasri has really showed the determination we lacked…imagine how youd feel if your season was rocked by such a blatant lack of composure and ability.
am gutted for those players,nonny and avik wot do you think fellas?
Bendtner was useless for the rest of the match and that leaves me wondering what Arsen was doing to replace him immediately. It became clear we had to pay for that kind of adamance from our beloved manager.
As I said before the result over the weekend will be the one to determine whether we are still real tittle challengers. A draw will work for our best.
St. Andrews is kinda becoming a nightmare for us, 2 season ago there was our downfall to a very similar injury time penalty conceded. And this season same injury min goal which might mark end of our run in the league.
No result other than a draw will do for us on Saturday and we have to beat wolves who are kinda having a decent run!!
It seems lot have kinda lost hope for the CL after the draw. I think we can put in a great performance and cause an upset!!
I recommend some people take a look at the league table, look at the games to be played and form a decision accordingly. It is going to be difficult there is no doubt but when I see the comments about the manager I guess that can be put down to anger and feelings but when I see comments about gutless players I think what about the minority of our gutless fans who actually think they can question people who risk all for them week in week out. Oh yes, we are all very good at fighting the cause when a player gets tackled badly and injured but when we have the absolute tenacity to draw away at Birmingham, a team incidentally that also drew at home with both Man U and Chelsea, we seem to be bully boys who are all but coward like glory seeking fans. This only sing when your winning mentality is what I and I know many other supporters despise about some of our Arsenal fans, typical short term clowns. I personally respect the need for free speech and opinions but this type of change your view with the weather “support” is pointless. When I look at posters like usualsuspects and gunerspundit I see fans who have been consistent throughout in the same way that fans like Arsenal_al, CC and others have stuck to their reasoning throughout. Like their views or not they are being supportive in their own ways but this pathetic change your view like you change your socks (in some cases) is simply boring. The reality for me is that we have 18 points to go, we cannot change the team so until the summer when changes can be made it is pointless whinging and bitching, personally I will get behind the team 100% until the season ends and I have been around long enough to know that football changes every week and nothing has been decided just yet.
This week Howard Webb has taken away the last doubts. He will be the English ref that will go to the World cup in South Africa. This week he has done everything to deserve this but before I go to details I will tell you how FAs over the world hand the tickets to the refs to go to the World Cup.
How the teams qualify is easy to see. The one with the most points at the end can go to the world cup. But how do you give points to the ref ? That is a bit difficult. You might still be a bit naive and think that the FA gives this place to the ref that does it the best on the field and has the best performances. Every ref will tell you that a ref who give the least controversy would be the ref that has followed the rules the best. But we refs also know that this is not the way the FA works.
No the appointment of the ref is based on other criteria. Criteria that are talked upon in dark backrooms. It is based upon personal friendships, personal relations and other things that most of us do not realise. To get your plane ticket to South Africa you have to be in the good books of the big guns in the FA.
Who are those big and influential people in the FA ? Do you really think Wenger is one of them ? No, those big and influential people are managers who for some reason do seem to have a big influence and when they speak out the FA follows them some 99 of the 100 times. The first name that springs to my mind… yes Sir FA. All this is going on behind the scenes as you can imagine. No one is coming in the open with those kind of things. But I know how it works in my country and it is like I tell you.
So the battle between the refs has been going on for some while now. For a ref it is vital to know where your allies can be found. So when Webb at April 25 last year, is the ref of the game MIOU- Tottenham and Tottenham are 2-0 in front you have to do something to make the big person on the touchline a happy man. So when the Tottenham keepers comes out and punches the ball away from the MIOU striker you give a penalty for the big man at the touchline. And because of this injustice the Tottenham players lose their head and get so annoyed they lose the game at the end. Oh yes, I hated to bring this up you can be sure of this. Just to show you that even I can see when things are wrong and when Tottenham is on the receiving end of an injustice.
This is one way of helping the persons who could have a say in who will go to South Africa. The direct help line was also evident last week. When Liverpool were 1-0 up he came to the rescue once again. When a foul was outside the area he gives it inside and gives a penalty. When later a MIOU player kicks a Liverpool player after the ball is long gone, you don’t give the obvious red card, no you just give two players a lecture and give nothing, not even a yellow card. When Neville jumps with his 2 feet some 1,80m high right into a Liverpool player you wave play on. It doesn’t matter that he caught the Liverpool player at the back of his head. So once again you have done a great job in helping the big man.
But you can also help him when you do other games. So when I saw Webb as a ref at Birmingham I immediately told my son that we would be in trouble. And it proved so. The helping was obvious. I can hear the instructions from Sir FA. Try to give them as many early yellow cards as possible as this could hold them back in the game and they could even get banned in a few weeks time. So Webb did just that. He gave Song a yellow card for his first foul and also Clichy got a booking for being on the field. Must say the worst offence you can make as an Arsenal player.
The help was also rather clear in another way. If a Birmingham player goes down, it is always a foul. Even if there is no one around, just give the foul and if possible a yellow card. On the other hand Arsenal players are never fouled. No, only when they can show a broken leg or so, than you can give a foul. But you have to be sure the leg really is broken.
So once again it was frustrating to see how the ref let go a lot of things from Birmingham and he only gave a foul when it was so clear and obvious even a blind man would see how biased he was doing his job. After the two yellow cards against Arsenal I saw some very rough tackles like from Carr on Rosicky who was first held by the shirt and then kicked to the ground because Rosicky tried to stay on his feet. Holding the shirt is a yellow, than kicking him with the ball a few meters out is also a yellow but Webb did nothing.
Or when we were 1-0 up and Arshavin was going on goal with only Hart to beat with a lob. Hart was in no man’s land. And just when Arshavin tried to shoot he was pulled over by Carr. You know the guy that should have had a yellow for the foul on Rosicky. In fact as the pundits told us last week denying a clear cut chance is a red card. Webb chose the easy way and just gave a yellow card. Birmingham kept with 11 players on the field and got the lucky break.
Another thing about the Birmingham equaliser. When the ball was played in the ball went to a Birmingham player who was in an offside position. The linesman did not lift his arm for offside and I can agree with him. BUT on the other side of the field we had a free kick and Bendtner was offside but some 4 meters before the ball would reach Bendtner a Birmingham defender headed it in to a corner. But this the time the assistant did lift his arm and gave the positional offside decision. My only question is: is this assistant also going to South Africa or has he just earned his place today ?
So I think that Sir FA will be happy man tonight. Webb has done everything right to prevent us from playing our football. And with his performances the last weekend and this week, and the previous years, he knows he has his place in South Africa “really deserved” by making the right persons happy.
But remember, like Graham Poll made English referees really look stupid at the last world cup, it could well be that Webb does the trick again when he has to face a real game at the world cup. But then again, the way the refs are given games in the world cup is the same way but with other big and influential persons in high places who you have to keep happy.
i still believe….
I had us down to draw 2 and still just win it, but i did also have a tiny hope that villa might take a couple of points from Chelsea
IF….United and Chelsea draw and City beat united, which could happen
then Chelsea slip up and draw another, which they easily could….Hull, Blackburn etc…. then you never know, either of the 3 teams could win the final 6 games, its possible
BELIEVE!
We’d come so close to a crucial three points, but thrown it away through our failure to close out games and our Spanish Second Division keeper, who surely cannot believe that he remains Arsenal’s No1. Unfortunately, he is a liability and always likely to cost us. Today he did when it mattered most. Having saved the West Ham penalty last week, he reverted to type and the area must be addressed in the summer. Surely?!
The game was over, but our title chances are not. They hang by a thread. Despite Bolton and Villa laying over and having their tummies tickled by our title rivals, glancing at the table shows that we are still only four points off the pace, five including goal difference, which I guess you might as well. Yes, it’s unlikely, but Chelsea and United cannot both win next weekend and hopefully their respective games against Liverpool and Manchester City, might prove tougher than today’s opponents. What today’s results do mean is that there is absolutely no margin for error now. We had won the last six, we have to win the next six. Maybe that’s what Eboue was telling every player as he attempted to lift spirits as they left the pitch in a downbeat mood, reflected in the away end.
Before we commence our league campaign there is the small matter of Barcelona coming to the Grove on Wednesday. The team would have been hurting in the dressing room after the game but come Monday, that will have to be put behind them, and what better way than preparing to host the best team in the world. There are other encouraging signs too. Messi didn’t even score last night.
As I arrived home from the Birmingham away day, I was greeted with some post. One letter contained tickets for Nou Camp on April 6th. There’s plenty to look forward too.
It’s very hard to watch that game but no matter how we feel about the late goal, we have done the same to other teams this year. Let’s hope Fab is ok for Barca and move on. IMHO, if Man U beat CHelsea they will go on to win the title again. We may get second if we win 4 and draw 2 but the season is not a disaster and there is still hope that Liverpool, Man C and Spurs can do us a favor.
All of us are worried! it s hard to understand why Almunia was so incredible a week ago and then so mediocre yesterday! I just don t get it! this is it! we have to fight for it because Chelsea is out of the champions league, this is going to be their big fight! and MU is big and strong so for them it wouldn’t be bad to get an extra cup!
What pisses me off is that again they searched to hurt one of our players! and this time it’s Cesc ! man if he s out, I will be so upset and feel so jinxed! what is it with our team!? tired! tired tireeeeeeeeed! and now BARCA ?
I don t know what to say or think! I can only fear scared for that big game!
SF- if it was Old Traford then yes the goal will be chalked off as offside and Philips will get a red card, OK maybe a yellow for daring to score against their beloved United. We are Arsenal and we don’t get any favours nor justice when it comes to reffereing decisions. We’ll have to do it the hard way I’m afraid.
i think arshavin deserves a little kick in the butt for his recent performances against WHam and B’gam. He is one of the senior players on the team yet looks like he just doesn’t care anymore.
I Believe!
Arsene Wants “not to lose every cup”, but when you think this way with limited resources then you will pay for it, like this game and finally you win nothing!!
I definitely agree with Walter, Arsenal plays against the manipulations of the (or some) referees, it was quite obvious in that game, but you can’t do anything about it, you have to live with it and keep believing in the impossible, it is disgusting but that’s life ……. ❗
i believe!!!!!!,
But!!!, Almunia should pull up his game or made to leave at the end of the season!, though he at times shows flashes of goodness, like when he saved a penalty dead on!, his smany mistakes will cost the team, and Arsenal fans a title at some point.
Lets believe though!
Arsenal is like a good boxer full of style and fancy footwork, but has no knockout punch and too many flaws in the defensive make up… takena lot of jabs and eventuslly you end up with a bloody nose. Almunia has cost us the titel!
I think first of all you have to take a more realistic assessment of the situation. I have never believed we would win the league this season – even when we were, briefly, top. I just don’t think, man-for- man, we have quite got the personnel, good though our team is. So when all this talk about our easier run-in started I just thought – rubbish. But Gooners did start to become very excited and that excitement is infectious. Suddenly it seemed everyone was anticipating manure and the chavs to slip-up and we would happily waltz through our ‘easy games’ and win the title.
In fact Gooners have been living in dream-land for the past few weeks. Now the reality of the situation has hit and it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee. Even if we had beat Brum we’d still be third. Waiting for the front two to fail. Both of them. And in reality that’s a pretty desperate attitude for a supporter to have. ‘We might win something if the others fuck-up.’
I think our boys have made a pretty good fist of staying in contention, really. They have shown they can battle…some of the time. But we are the third best team in the country – and that will be shown, clearly I believe, come the end of the season. Both the chavs and manure put us away easily. They are currently obliterating teams with goals. If we somehow win the title now then you can throw the form book right out the window.
My thoughts on Almunia are that I don’t like him. I could tolerate him once but I think he’s just cost us too many times. I’m afraid I’d be happy to see the back of him. Even aside from his sub-standard performances I don’t like his personality. His demeanor. I don’t like seeing his frightened, befuddled face when something’s gone wrong – eg. he’s just swatted the ball into his own net. He gives off an aura of total fragility now. It’s actually quite scary and agonising to watch at times. Like seeing someone torturing a rabbit. He saved a penalty the other week, brilliantly. This week. He fucked up again….Next week…? Who knows? Accidently knock Cesc’s lights out with one of his flying punches? I think AW should do him a favour and drop him right out of the squad. Let him go away on holiday, relax and enjoy life again. Put Vito – ‘The Don’ in goal.
can I ask you in which place we stand in the table ? Third from bottom ?
Can I ask you where the pundits predicted us to be at the start of the season ?
Can I ask you where you think we would have been at the start of the season as we clearly seem to have an incompetent manager ?
About the press conference I haven’t seen this one yet but all the press conferences I have seen is that reporters ask questions and the managers answers. And as Wenger is a well educated man he mostly answers the questions. You could argue and maybe I would say to those reporters more frequently : “get lost you imbeciles with your stupid questions” but Wenger is to much a gentleman to say this and so he gives his opinion.
If we are where we are now, and no one you included – apart from some losers like me, would have thought that we would be in this position than this is the work of that man that you think has lost it.
By the way : have you read that both Arshavin and Nasri had little problems with injury’s ? So please inform yourself before you ask questions that have being answered on saturday if you would have paid attention.
I believe in endless strugle, we still have 18 points to fight for. The past game should not lower our eagerness to win. Our archrivals, Man U and Chelsea need also to fight for the same 18 points; why should we nill before them! With the return of Gallas and Vameleen nothing is impossible. Bravo Arsenal.
In the context of the whole season it isn’t a bad result! If the chavs draw with manure next week and we beat wolves, we are still right in the thick of it!!
u ppl r unbelievable. if i didnt know i wud swear we were on top of the league b4 saturday. get real ppl, it 1 thing droping pts at the top but its a completely different story if u r trying to catch up. even if manu & chavs draw we r still behind. the fact dat manu&chavs drew wit d brums is irrelevant. Has any1 noticed dat d “easy run in” is not easy? do u realy expect 2 teams (who showed no respect 4 us) to drop pts and let us hav the title.
I want Vito to be back.His mistakes are only down to his age and not due to his carelessness or lack of sight.Alumnia has a defect in his eye that he cannot see the ball beyond 20 yards sometimes even closer.Also his mind goes blank when one on one with anyone and fells to their feet.He sleeps often in goal .He fumbles or dives when it matters most from him when not to.He commits the same mistakes again and again and never have the intention to learn or rectify his mistake.Often he changes the outcome of the match against us.
Arsene you cannot win titile with someone who single-handedly can change the game towards opponents favour.Please give him retirement.
Hey Andy- long time since I posted, good to be back.
The usual rants after a disappointing weekend!
Hey Nonny Mouse- you are the man. Absolutely agree with everything you say. Anyone who knows football would have to agree that, regardless of what happens in the next few weeks, we’ve had a good season considering the team we’ve got at the moment. The situation is the same now as its been for 3 or 4 years: we have the nucleus of an excellent team, but we are short of 2 or 3 players in vital areas, and we don’t have quality in reserve when players get injured or suspended.
I’ve banged on and on about the manager’s failure to invest enough in the team, and even though I bore myself with the same old lines, it’s as true today as it was 3 seasons ago. Our goalkeeper is standard Prmiership quality but not good enough to play for a team that’s capable of winning the league. Ask yourselves if he’s really improved in the last 3 years. I would argue that he hasn’t. He’s always been a decent shot stopper, but he flaps when under pressure, doesn’t command his area and doesn’t instil confidence in the defence. Great signing though Sol has been (in the circumstances), the fact that we had to drag in a player well past his best just highlights how light we were at centre back (even allowing for Djourou’s absence). We sold our best striker and didn’t replace him. We still only have 1 defensive midfielder and, brilliant that Song’s been all season, it’s unreasonable that he carries all the load. HNM is right when he says that we’ve been taken apart by both Chelsea and Man Utd in 3 of the 4 games we’ve played against them (we were unlucky to lose at Old Trafford), and that realistically we are the third best team in the league. With a bit more luck in the draw, we might have got further in the CL before meeting the very best teams, but we’ll now face Barca, then Inter then Man U if we want to win it. A tall order in all honesty.
A dose of reality is needed. We might win the Premiership yet, but it’ll need both Chelsea and Man U to make mistakes that are very unlikely to happen. We won’t win the CL, but to go down fighting to Barca, Inter or Man U is no disgrace. The important thing is for the manager to learn from the mistakes and know why we failed at the final hurdle. If we don’t buy a keeper, centre back and striker in the summer, we’ll be back here in the same place next year. Unlike in past years, we now have the money available. I don’t think he’s ever invested so heavily before and I don’t think he will again, sadly.
In hindsight, dropping Vito proved to be a costly mistake. That guy could have done a decent job.
Almunia sucks & Fabianski sucks too.
Vito is by far better than the two muppets rolled into one.
people are panicing here. it is home stretch. gunners relax. steel nerves only can take us in. Chelsea and Man U cannot win all six. its ok man. just chill people
I have seen both rascals in the Arsenal goal and i admit that none of them compares to Vito. That lad is really missed apart from the costly Westham equaliser u couldnt fault him for any other goals we conceeded in his reign.immagining messi exposing our defense sends chilling spikes in my spines.Almnia is becomming an absolute disgrace and killing his carrer playing for a high profile club.If our rivals are to win the title by a margin of 3 or 4 points those are directly attributed to Almnia.The Goal keeping coach at arsenal must also be incopetent to the extent that he cant help Almnia from his misery by suggesting he be rested. Almnia has lost confidence and is under alot of pressure thatts why any sensible coach would give him time off to recompose himself.He is a keeper who will save 2 penalties when his team is leading by 3 goals.I would rather see Vito conceeding silly goals and conceed that he is young other than seeing a 33 year old embarrass himself. The coach has failed to bring any competition for numbers in the defense by keeping quiet and watching this incompetent Spaniard.Even the whole squad now knows of his fragility and thats why players like Arshavin are commenting in the press about buying players though not directly.Unless wemake drastic changes now ,diplomacy by Wenger is going to see us like our wounds this early April.I wouldnt mind throwing on Persie to start games as first as he can because he is going to South Africa get injured and at the beginning of the season he wont be there and the whole arsenal tale goes on while other rival fans rejoice with trophies.