Today a guest post stolen from @shotta_gooner (shhhh he doesn’t know yet.)
The idea that we would simply walk over Man Utd is simply jaw-dropping in its stupidity. This is a good team who are currently champions of England. After a run of poor results, pride alone dictated they would put up a strong performance against a big rival like Arsenal. They came determined not to concede yet we were able to create five decent chances, most in the last thirty minutes.
Yet some punters at the Emirates were booing at the end. Frankly this mentality is stupid to the nth degree. There is an alarming sense of self-entitlement that I hoped would have subsided given how hard this squad has worked to be in their current position. And without two of our best players, Ramsey and Walcott.
I partially blame this emotive ignorance to the nonsense spouted by the media. For example on my feed, there was Lee Dixon lamenting all game that we lacked the speed to go behind United and moaning that the Ox should be brought on. As anyone who follows Arsenal could have predicted, the Ox was brought on in the 70th minute to have a go at a tiring United defense. But he immediately demonstrated why he was a sub by losing the ball in his first attempt at a dribble setting United up for a counter-attack. Did Lee Dixon admit that maybe he was wrong and Wenger right to focus on taking care of the ball with Rosicky?
Who is surprised he did not?
Take another example.
A tiring Arsenal in the 92nd minute, having recently mounted a failed attempt on goal, recover the ball deep in their half. United cover all the passing lanes hunting the ball to have a final attempt on our goal. Our midfielders and defenders play it safe, knocking it around, hoping for an opportunity to go forward. The crowd starts howling to get the ball forward. Lee Dixon echoes the sentiment. Jack, the archetypical Englishman, receives the ball and instinctively does the crowd bidding, tries to force the ball forward and loses it within our half and United spring into the attack. Happily our defenders were on their toes and win back the ball.
Does Lee Dixon acknowledge that Jack was naive and unprofessional?
Hell no. Instead the producers turn up crowd noise to emphasize the stupid booing.
This is the kind of nonsense that have many fans emoting rather than reflecting. It was a bloody good point and a damn better performance than last Saturday.
One point off the top. Twelve games to go.
It’s all up for grabs.
Positively Arsenal 
arse_or_brain February 13, 2014 at 6:00 pm
“I like common sense refs but persistent fowling is probably the biggest thing the modern ref has failed to master even more than simulation.”
what persistant fouling? this is england. they should man up and be tougher and not go down as easily in first touch… its a contact sport ffs. me thinks these foreign lads need to go down to the gym to cope with the physical demands of english football, or else they can fuck off back where they came from….we aint gonna change..we know…we have three hundred slaves polishing our numerous world cups and euro titles in the fa hall of trophies…vengah???? pfffff about time he was found out…he only won stuff with graham’s players…
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anicoll5 February 13, 2014 at 7:32 pm
pepper…black pepper….say AAAAAAA
youre a lot smarter than that mate….
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there is a long way to go.
leo knows too
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Good point Hunter
Sitting on your arse waving your arms at the referee and squeaking loudly is a waste of time
In fact it’s embarrassing
I have never ever ever seen a referee give a foul he has previously turned down on the strength of some bloke doing a distressed penguin impression.
Quite right too.
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What I don’t really understand is why this ‘persistent fouling’ tactic is one we can’t manage ?
If it is SO easy to persistently foul a better footballing side out of their stride can I rely on our success against Bayern ?
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What I don’t really understand is why this ‘persistent fouling’ tactic is one we can’t manage ?
ah anicol,
i think this might have to do with the audacity that we dare play football while the rest play something between wrestling and kickrush
i dont deny a team doing it… i just expect the ref to stop it.
OR
at least when our team tries same “tricks” not to see yellow in the first instance….they can have a little chat with us too like they do with wayne …
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I have never ever ever seen a referee give a foul he has previously turned down on the strength of some bloke doing a distressed penguin impression.
heh..is this about per and suarez at anfield ?
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Now now ‘coll thats just not cricket.
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Hunter, I know you were being sarcastic but ironically I was talking about Jack if he goes back to Hitchin, where he comes from, he’ll get kicked even more.
Our style of football at its best is about movement of the ball,flow and rotation this makes us a particularly easy target for persistent fouling. Personally i think this is the reason for our perpetual injury problems
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“podolski was kicked out from bayern as a flop…wenger is being open minded in his man-management approach …constantly evolving …and like an evil master is keeping his pitwolf starving in the basement with no light and waiting to release it at a table full of bavarian sausages and meat snacks”
Ha, ha! Nice way of putting it! I wondered the same thing, but a little less poetically.
Great posts today and interesting discussions. Anicoll, the issue is the inconsistency of the referees. manure players were allowed to get away with a lot of pushing, pulling and out and out cheating. I watched the skunk closely – every time he went up for a high ball he looked to see where the Arsenal player was and deliberately tried to barge him, whack him on the head with a stray elbow etc. He was not looking at the ball, he was always looking to get an advantage unfairly. There were at least 2 cynical fouls that I can recall just off the top of my head to stop our players from getting into good goal scoring situations that should have been followed by yellow cards but weren’t. Jack was constantly kicked as usual, while Ozil was shoved to the ground on numerous occasions and Oli G practically mauled by manc defenders yet where were the fouls and yellow cards? But the first opportunity to show a yellow card to an Arsenal player, clattenberg couldn’t pull the card out of his pocket quickly enough. And it’s not about nationality – rooney got at least one undeserved call in his favour from rolling around crying foul, but never got called for any of his transgressions (as usual).
I do agree with most that we are missing Ramsey and Theo, who give us something a bit different. The manc defenders were able to play quite high up because we didn’t have that speedy out ball. Also Ozil and Ramsey were developing a good partnership before we lost the latter. I just hope it’s not going to be the old ‘injuries to key players at a crucial time in the season’ syndrome that scuppers us once again.
P.S. I genuinely didn’t realise that Mata was playing last night until he got substituted! I missed the announcement of the players as I just got to my seat in time for kick off and didn’t look at the names on the scoreboard! Was the ‘best young player in the world ever’ jan whats-his-face also playing as I didn’t notice him either?
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arse_or_brain, you are probably right, but if it’s a foul the referee has a responsibility to call it and punish the perpetrators. If they don’t they are just giving license to cheat and allowing good players to be kicked out of the game. It cannot be right to accept that if a player is good and you cannot beat him the way to level things up is to kick him. The purpose of the game is to kick the ball not the man. You may catch a player by accident, but the constant rotational fouling, which is the game plan of small teams and small managers like moyes is not in the spirit or the law of the game.
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If you know that rotational fouling will happen, and that officials have been instructed to keep the game flowing and turn a blind eye to the “cheeky robustness of the English game” at what stage might it be justified to sacrifice idealism on the altar of pragmatism?
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aob yes fouls are part of the game and of course the speedier the team the more fouls they are likely to draw and i accpet them as long as they are genuine, you dont always get the ball. and there are of course tactical fouls or smart ones or neccessary ones. on the other hand there are teams like passenal said. when one team just does it to disrupt and piss off the one trying to play football – youd expect the ref to take the side of the one who is playing football and not the guy who plays antifootball. cazorla gets fouled at least three times before given the first call. giroud ive lost count how many times the centrebacks foul him. if he is awarded one per match we celebrate.
not that i agree to the constant disruption of the game for every little thing but if i can see it then im sure a professional ref can see it, and the ref has the means to stop it if he wants to but for reasons well known ( incompetence? bias? culture?), they dont. last night first minute or so ozil gets shoulder charged from behind by some united player and ref played on, 80-th minute or so ox does same to dispossess evra down at their corner, ref gives a foul. he is a cunt. when rooney chopped sagna that was the definition of yellow card ( mistimed, never on the ball, while other team on the break) and cosnidering he had insulted him with the clapping earlier youd expect it.
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foreverheady February 13, 2014 at 11:26 pm
when your players get enough experience to handle it, id think …something i d say we have been managing to do even since the last two song years, sporadically. in the cesc years we couldnt handle these things at all we were way too young , now i think we’re a lot more pragmatic…. still some way though ; ) they should listen more to flamini …hah
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and heh also…the other side….why should the valid efforts of sportsmen in any sport get cancelled by cynicism and antisporting behaviour ?
of course im not talking about playing tough or rough (as long as its legitimate and no intenional violence is nvolved), this is not about changing the ‘passion’ or the character of the english game but merely to stop those playing like cunts and getting away with it cause its arsenal..
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we have two players who can help in goal scoring but they are presently helping out in some areas wenger thinks they are more needed. wenger knows.
but here is my take.
santi and ox playing centrally can get us the goals we currently lack from the midfield.
if we move santi to the middle to accommodate poldi, we lose one player who can help in possession. if we bring ox into the box to box role, we may also lose some steel in the middle. but with flamini coming back and jack not wanting to learn very quicly how to release the ball and stop wasting our possession, it is a risk worth taking.
move jack to the wing or the bench (he has played there this season, both) play ox in front of flamini or arteta and behind ozil or cazorla depending on the opposition. he cant be worse than what jack offered against united and can compensate that with a goal or two.
i like poldi wide rather than centre forward. he drops deep too much for my liking and his work rate is not as great as giroud’s.
or next three games in the league are winable. and we must win to get the confidence to take some points off our rivals.
any news on ramsey?!
great to see gibbs back. we need him and monreal at their best for the rest of the season.
george, sir sczcesny my motm.
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Very true George it is not cricket !
I was thinking that as I watched Liverpool’s third goal on Saturday go in as Mesut was still sat on the ground protesting about the challenge that had put him there.
Yes I thought the German chap thinks it is cricket and the umpire is going to refer the incident to the video referee and the decision will be reversed.
But no, the very difficult but probably retrievable game we were in had just become bleeding impossible
Now would it have made a difference to the goal and therefore the game if the player had got on with the game rather than lying there shouting ?
I don’t know
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This is the comment from your supporter club leaders. are they sure the type of noise they made on Wednesday at the final whistle is actually useful to the team?
Arsenal Supporters’ Trust spokesman Tim Payton said: “We are very concerned. Season-ticket holders have already paid up to £2,000 in advance — the highest in world football. Their commitment deserves better. Arsenal’s grasping approach will have a detrimental effect on the noise in the ground, harming the team’s chances for an important game.”
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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1960064-arsenal-fans-tipped-to-boycott-bayern-munich-game-over-ticket-prices?
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Fingers crossed Team Spirit – hopefully a few of the Black Scarf wankers will be out having a march led by Dim Tim during the Bayern game and the atmosphere will improve no end.
A couple of seasons ago at the 2nd leg of the AC Milan tie there were plenty of empty spaces where the oh-so-loyal-Ive-paid-my-money-and-I-demand-my-Arsenal-back had not bothered to turn up
Great night
Plenty of spaces in the upper tier all round on Ticket exchange over the past few days
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i would have thought when they come out with a price the price allows for all these things… it allows for the eventuality going out in group stages where i take the fiancial hit and also in the event we progress where they take the hit ( if any)…… btu surely the price of season ticket reflects the eventuality of the team going all the way? not?
isnt that why youpay for the whole year? to watch ALL home games
i find this all rather…. classless….
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if its true ..
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I wish I lived near enough England to attend the Arsenal home matches. Bloody ungrateful bast****…well you get the picture. Why don’t they give up their tickets if they think its not worth the price?
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haha sav ..i might be a bastard but im not ungrateful mate i just find it silly…arsenal can do a lot better than that…thats what a silly piss-poor club like totenham would do…
im with wenger anyway, not the club… 😉
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They are not going to give up their “rights” to moan like a drain Sav !!
What on earth would they have to do all day ?
Nothing
Who would phone up Tim for a quote if he was not some whingeing Arsenal self appointed spokesman ?
Nobody
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hahahahaah mourinho …….lay down…have some rest …… ahahha
bravo Arsene!
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wenger was speaking in general about clubs/managers playign their chances down and the git form portugal swallowed it all hook line and ….
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These bastards need to be shamed. Someone needs to write down their seat numbers and make it so uncomfortable for them, that they give up their season tickets.
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our players need to get their dicks out in stamford bridge and slap them all like vieira would…per will lead the way and flamini will follow kicking and spitting the dead bodies.
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i apologie for my offensive and rude comments, i cant help it.
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Gainsbourg69
February 14, 2014 at 3:28 pm
my philosophy is that the purchase of ticket is a gesture of love and support. noone put a gun in anyones head threating to buy. you do it if you want and if you can afford it.
however asking for more money after youve already bought one, is sticking a gun to my head and i dont like that.
again if these rumours are true for ive checked with a mate and this is the first time he’s heard of anythign like that ..he is a 15-16 years season ticket holder…
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they can add 0.50 on the pints and pies if they are THAT concerned about match day revenue….
0.50 x 60,000 = 30k
60-100 pounds….average is 80… x 60k people….4,8 mill = lol
hey thats ivan’s villa in malibu …. kha kha kha
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thank you arsene for rattling that mug … so fkn easy… llok at jose in his interview..he is absolutely fuming …keeping his eyes open as if ready for a fight ….ahhah what a gimp
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“i dont need 8 years to build all i need is my contract from mr abramovic for 4 years blah blah”
and a couple of hundred of millions….you forgot to add …cunt!
ahahhahaaa
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Hunter@723
And the fact that most of Maureen’s title winning teams were built before he arrived at the club
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http://metro.co.uk/2014/02/14/specialist-in-failure-why-jose-mourinho-isnt-even-fit-to-zip-up-arsene-wengers-coat-4304670/
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Mourinho is a special case. Analysing him to the best of my abilities, it appears that he’s a bit of a cunt. I don’t know whether it’s put on to deflect media attention from his players, or who he really is. I just think that if it we’re put on, he wouldn’t have been able to sustain the charade for this long. He gets to me like no other manager does. He’s like the rich kid in school, whose always had the best of everything and didn’t waste an opportunity to rub it in your face.
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His comments were utterly classless, as is expected of him. But more than that, they are insanely childish. It’s there for everyone to see, the media were just looking at an opportunity to provoke him, and he took the bait. As a frikkin 19 year old tester one driven guy, I can see past the bullshit. Yet an experienced manager, one whose dealt with the media for ages, could not? Shame, I say.
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I’d not heard of this Tim Payton fellow until very recently. I really hadn’t. Who is he? Is he a former player or coach or something. Sounds a bit of an idiot to me, but perhaps I am being unfair if he’s got football experience at the highest level – although in fairness that Robson chap doesn’t back that point up too much.
Is this the way to San Jose was brilliant today: he couldn’t make himself up to be honest, but he needs to be told that there’s no point auditioning for Fawlty Towers anymore.
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LOL re Mourinho rising to it. Arsene was asked a question and answered honestly and took a slighly redirected interpretation from the press and responded like a fool. I sometimes comment on the online gooner forum and there are (although folk won’t necessarily agree) some soundminded indivduals who post there but today a particular thread has gone all “he may be a git but mourinho is right” and that is the final straw for me there. Gooners siding with that knob over Arsene?! Unbelieveably naive and illinformed and sheeplike behind a few attention seeking newshounds and online twats without much of an individual or orginal thought among them.
They actually believe the shite they spout FFS!
La Goonavida above has it concise, well phrased and eloquent stated when he says “Analysing him to the best of my abilities, it appears that he’s a bit of a cunt.”
I’m shell shocked that some fellow gooners can actually be so short sighted and forgetful as to even give a hint of possibly suggestion there may be credence to what Mourinho says.
Unbelievable, incredible, fcuk me who’d have thunk it eh?
Anyway, rant end UTA
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@foreverheady
Dim Tim = a shareholder who thinks he has power at Arsenal when in reality he is just a mouthy twat who gets a hard on by being invited to comment by the biased media.
In other words a nobody.
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… and mourinho took…. that should say in second line above
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And here is the news
R.I.P Tom Finney
Fulham sack manager
Maureen still a classless cunt
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AoB
Only your 1st 2 points are news the last point is everyday knowledge
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I’m still seething because of the cunt’s remarks. And everyone is rushing to poke fun at the Boss. It’s fucking sick.
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I don’t know how you older lot have survived such bullshit for so long. I’m ready to internally combust any fucking day. 13 years of supporting the club has taken its toll. The club is treated like crap. Everyone wants to see us fail. Nobody rejoices more when shit happens to Arsenal. The manager is given no fucking respect, despite being a living legend of football, not just the club. Sick fucking mentality. Sick. Sick. Sick.
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AW is one in frikkin 7 billion. No one can do what he’s done. No one has the fucking balls. It’s requires extreme strength of character, loyalty, integrity and sheer willpower. He made the club what it is. He took us to great heights, fought against the proliferation of oil money into football by trying to make us self sufficient. He fought the good fight. But for what? I say he should leave the club. Enough is fucking enough. Nobody values him. NO ONE. Least of all these lecherous bastards who call themselves fans of Arsenal. Then we’ll see how everything goes to the fucking dogs. I’d pay to see that. People recognising his worth. Begging him to return.
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Hear hear LaGoonerVida!
I too am sick and tired of the way our club and manager is treated. You would think we are QPR! and what is it with these Arsenal fans who self-flagellate at every fucking opportunity. If these guys are so into pain, i am sure there are cults and doms that can take care of that. We have a real shot at the title. I know we can win it. For fucks sake enjoy it! Atleast shut the fuck up! Watch us get our swagger back over the next 15-20 games. Bring on Liverpool! Bring on Bayern! Bring on the best of the best!
Come on Arsenal!
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Watched the cunts press conference. He was seriously agitated, couldn’t sit still, ready to explode. Actually he looked intoxicated. Seems like Wenger really got under the skin of the so called master of mind games. Shame it’s against the narrative.
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Lagoonervida, It’s fucking weird that it’s the manager and the players that have to come out and try to give fans strength and belief, and not the other way around.
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