Today is the view from the stand by Passenal.
Just back from the game and despite the result I’m not downbeat at all! It was a fantastic game of football for the first 30 minutes between two teams who wanted to play the game the way it’s meant to be played. And we were great when we had 11 players on the pitch. Once the referee decided to hand the initiative to Bayern we did well to keep the score down. I was hoping we could keep it to one goal as I would have been more optimistic of getting through the second game; now I’m more hopeful than expectant. Bayern are sustained by a lot of hype – they did not overawe us even when they had the extra man advantage. I think it was mental and physical exhaustion at the end that let them in for the second goal. Still, it’s not over until it’s over.
It’s a shame we didn’t score from our penalty as that could have changed the dynamic considerably and without the benefit of a hundred replays from every angle I still cannot understand why Woj was sent off? Robben did not have the ball under control it was a pass into the area and the goal keeper had as much right to go for it as the player. Robben made a meal of it and the crowd let him know it. It put him off his game too as I lost count of the balls he kicked into touch after that, each one getting a louder and louder cheer. I don’t know if it came across on TV, but the crowd, certainly in the North Bank, were fantastic tonight. I’ve never heard it so loud! As for the Bayern fans – they were silent for the first 45 – I think our team had them worried. We only heard or saw them after their team scored a goal. And that fat arsed goal keeper of their’s is another cheater making a meal out of a challenge from Sanogo to get him booked.
Ozil’s penalty was weak and I guess being up against his international team mate put him off. No doubt he’s being slammed all over Twitter, but these things happen. That was certainly the moment that we missed Arteta’s cool head. Sanogo continues to impress and showed that his performance against Liverpool was not a one-off. The only downside is that we’ve lost Gibbs and possibly the Ox to injury.
Positively Arsenal 
I thought Yaya Sanogo should have taken the penalty. There was zero intel on him.
LikeLike
ozil i’m sure is more disappointed than many of us. he hasnt twitted since yesterday, which is unusual of him after a game. if we support him to get the best out of him, we will be better for it.
LikeLike
Podolski should play and take penalties. Thats my view.
LikeLike
But I cant argue with Arsene, he knows you know.He does
LikeLike
layksite
Can’t remember sorry. We’ll find out in the press conference before the Sunderland game.
–
It’s safe to say that most penalties from Plodders would require a change in the netting.
LikeLike
Arsene’s post match presser:
LikeLike
Pep’s post match presser:
LikeLike
Props to Reaction and the fans for their efforts and the atmosphere last night. It can be done!
A shame the vocal ‘supporters’ groups and their “spokesman” have not been seen to support Redaction in their efforts over all these years, but we also know why that is the case.
LikeLike
After the Mesut penalty I was ranting to my son about the “proper” way to take a penalty; straight up to it, confident, pick your spot in the corner, power with control so the keeper can do nothing even if he does spring the right way……………. and then David Alaba, following my formula perfectly for a proper penalty, rattled the upright.
Bloody football
LikeLike
Some assholes even criticized the ARSENAL sign. Unbelievable.
LikeLike
Penalties. It’s an interesting skill, most think it’s psychological – requires absolute concentration, a skill in itself – not unlike kicking for the posts in rugby when 3 points counts for everything, and hours of lonely practice. Doesn’t always come off either. There are no guarantees in penalties, Hunter, none, ever. You salute the courage of the chap taking the penalty and leave it there. It would be my guess that AW has looked in his crystal ball and seen Mesut’s future and said if I encourage this level of technical skill into goal scoring ability I will have a truly great all-round attacking midfielder. And the speculation, Mesut don’t be afraid to go for goal, even take penalties, because goal scoring aptitude is nothing if not “seizing the moment”, once acquired is never lost.
LikeLike
@ layksite February 20, 2014 at 12:18 pm
I agree with that 100%.
layksite February 20, 2014 at 2:46 pm
And with that!
@ foreverheady
“The only thing that genuinely surprises me (and by now it shouldn’t) is the panning in the press, given I thought we performed so much better than city had the night before”
They probably wrote their articles when the tie was announced and just left gaps to fill in the names and times of the scorers and goals! But it will work in our favour. It will spur the squad on and take pressure off us for the second leg.
***
Agree with finsbury and all those praising Red Action. Showing the bin-baggers and black scarfers and Tim Payton that there’s a place and time for protest, and a big European match day is not such a time or place. Not that that should not be taken to mean that no-one has the right to protest or disagree, of course.
Sunderland better watch out. A storm is coming your way.
LikeLike
anicoll5 February 20, 2014 at 4:24 pm
and
ZimPaul February 20, 2014 at 4:33 pm
Well said.
LikeLike
Put another way, on more certain ground, it is unlikely Wenger sees players as we do, defined by “price” or “repute”. There are no “development players” versus “developed players”. There are only players, every one has something more to learn, to do better, to develop more to enjoy the game and produce the goods. That is what produced Henry and many others at many levels. So, when you see Mesut Ozil, don’t see some kind of “master”, see just another student of football. I would go further and say some players have been retained not just because they are better, but because they continued learning, developing, progressing and AW saw the better player, even at a lower technical level, as the one acquiring new skills. The converse is also true.
LikeLike
What goes around comes around, mark my words, it has been forever like that. Today we and the players feel bad. tomorrow is another day. The day after we are downright angry and determined.
LikeLike
Exactly, ZP. Arsene is always saying he never puts a limit on how good a player can be – for him there is no such thing as a “finished article”. He lives to work with football players and make them better, whatever their level is. And that is one of the reasons a superstar like Ozil chose to join our club.
LikeLike
heh anicoll i always say never let the one who won the penalty to also hit it …and then pep choses a defender who sends it on the post … the universe is a funny thing…
alaba is left back though…ozil is attacking player …still alaba missed while sending goalkeeper the other way…..he was unlucky…ozil showed hesitation to make a decission… in alaba’s penalty you could call the ball a whore for not doing him a favour, in our case we cant call the ball names it was the taker who couldnt decide what/how to hit it……thats what makes me feel somewhat negative today …
we had them fucking germans…oh we so had them .. 😉
LikeLike
There has since the middle of last season been a constant theme in the British media about how English clubs should be organised and owned like German clubs, how superior the German model was, standing, cheap tickets and all the wurst you can eat etcetera.
It strikes me that a league that has one club, domestically undefeated, sixteen points ahead of any rival, and earning three maybe four times the income of the next largest club is no great thing to emulate – but that is just me.
LikeLike
I never liked those stutter step penalties. Unless you’re a Brazilian, it never ends up working out. I rather aim for the inside of the side netting and hit as if my life depended on it.
LikeLike
They have all done it – it took me years to get over Dennis’ penalty against the Mancs in the semi final replay that Schmeichel saved – talk about an incident that changed history – sniffs loudly
LikeLike
wenger will need to sign hunter next season and play him every game so that when we get a penalty, he takes it. especially as he will cost us next to nothing as he’s a fan.
LikeLike
I am Hunter’s agent and I can assure you he will not come cheap Layksite – Dick Law has my number
LikeLike
I can all too easily see Hunter suspended at a vital stage of the season. He’s like a heavily-armed version of The Flamster.
LikeLike
mesut has apologised to the fans. he really cares even though his he seems not to. poldi also has come to his defence. sunderland will surely pay the price.
LikeLike
Of course he cares, and that is probably part of the problem. More than a touch of Prince Hamlet about him.
LikeLike
heh youre all exaggerating ..dont know what makes you think that way.. wouldnt be anywhere near not even the u15 squad …but on the flam thing ive watched the replays and flamini hardly …”ripped into him” like papers are saying …he just had a chat in a semi encouraging way even i thought but yes ozil was …at another place at the time…. snakeyes needs to snap out fast. olivier too.
LikeLike
“Some assholes even criticized the ARSENAL sign. Unbelievable.”
Really? WTF is wrong with them? I thought it was fantastic and I worried before the game that many would be too up themselves to join in, but on the night the level of participation was outstanding. Everyone around me had their white cards up – I even bought mine home as a souvenir! I thought it looked spectacular.
LikeLike
“ozil i’m sure is more disappointed than many of us. he hasnt twitted since yesterday, which is unusual of him after a game. if we support him to get the best out of him, we will be better for it.”
You’re preaching to the converted here, but elsewhere there are a lot of people who have swallowed the media BS about Ozil being a ‘flop’. It’s all part of the narrative they are trying to push – ‘tight fisted Arsene finally loosens the purse strings and throws away £42m on a dud’. If the fans start buying it and stop supporting him, they will create a self-fulfilling prophesy. Fortunately I didn’t notice any of that at the ground last night. It seems to be mainly the twitter warriors making noise like the empty vessels they are.
LikeLike
There is one sure thing in football, players no matter how good miss penalties everyone knows this and if it affects the teams performance then I’m sure there’s something called mental strength that needs to be questioned. Does the penalty misser owe the team or does the ” team “, for that’s what we play in football, have to step up to make the miss of no significance much the same as you would if someone scores an own goal or makes a mistake that leads to a goal. The extra effort to atone for a team mate is what makes great teams great or teams that shouldn’t achieve or paper achieve on the pitch. I do think the Gibbs injury was more significant. To have to adjust from the starting 11 early and lose a tactical sub is bad enough in a game when teams are close, to lose two tactical subs just handicaps you even more.
I also couldn’t understand the sending off. If you shoot and miss and cannot catch the ball your goal scoring opportunity has gone it is not denied if you clash with someone after the event. So it could be a penalty if the ref deams it a foul in the area but with no goal scoring opportunity no sending off.
After the amount of stick ive given the crowd at home the past few seasons I have to say it was amazing. It was loud and constant and even after the pen, sending off and goals always supportive and it did keep the muchen fans quiet even though they were singing its just they wasn’t noticed.
The final thing is the amount of comments I’ve heard about BM not being as good as they were last year well I think we know that’s not the case however THE ARSENAL has definitely got better.
LikeLike
“Gainsbourg69
February 20, 2014 at 3:36 pm”
As if! Could you imagine if he missed it?
I agree with those saying that Jack played well last night. He was very disciplined and controlled particularly when we were defending in the second half.
“he killed the squad’s spirits and momentum and then even pulled a strop”
You go too far sometimes hunter. That was really uncalled for as well as being unjust and inaccurate. You could say the same about the wrong choice of free kick by Jack and Kos going up for the chance late on in the game. Neither turned out to be the right decision, but equally they could have paid off and we would have been looking at 1 – 1. There are fine margins in games of this magnitude. It’s the Arsenal way to take risks and try to be positive. They don’t always pay off, but there’s never a dull moment!
P.S. Thanks for the kind words on my write up after George pushed me out into the limelight!
LikeLike
Well done PASS. a bit short but good points. The teams efforts made me very proud. I wish we had been more clinical in our finishing. It would have made a totally different ballgame.
Can’t wait for the return leg.
LUKAS should really think about staying. He can get chances here and there. A good keeper . In both games.
LikeLike
passenal February 20, 2014 at 10:11 pm
yes quite dark of me, but inaccurate? why? i agree with the other two though … you were there you felt the momentum…unfortunataly it was goodnight after that…i just dont agree with blaming it on the red this time cause that momentum could have taken us very far…Champions league to last 8 …Munich..Destroying them..Penalty…1-0…Pandemonium…nevermind now ..next one
LikeLike
And right on cue, Usmanov crawls out from under his rock. Ozil looks “tired”. So predictable.
The papers want a February collapse, we haven’t provided it, but they’re going with that narrative anyway.
LikeLike
the sun is out and after watching Arsene’s presser I’m once again feeling much more positive, it honestly fries my mind that people don’t respect such a learned man. The two diagonal dinks over the top of our back four that caused so much trouble against BM is something I hope we have worked on and the full backs are aware of their responsibility when these are put in behind the CBs. It also goes for the midfield trackers as well and this is something else that Aaron is missed for.
This season we have fresh players starting games more regularly than for any season I can remember for years and this once more flys in the face of the myth we have a weak squad, especially as we are constantly near the top of the games missed through injury table.
There were special reasons for defeat to a team considered the best in the world and our form, in terms of performance , is returning and so I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.
LikeLike
it honestly fries my mind that people don’t respect such a learned man.
cause football fans and media are stupid thats why…they cant understand wenger’s football or club structures or financial. they judge it purely in black or white terms. wenger;s football and arsenal are for sophisticated football fans not the commoners…. and sophisticated people watch football for entertainment and to appreciate athletic excellence…the animals follow football to tribalise with their terryes and their tonys and their fergies…oh and their portuguese translator….his football and general sub-culture speaks straight to their heart 🙂
LikeLike
Keep ya heads up gooners we’ll win again @ the Allianz Arena.
Tomorrow the Black Cats come calling.
We are without Gibbs but I don’t see us not winning despite Poyet’s team recent performances. It should be tough though.
I hope Gnabry gets some time.
Any word on when Verm, Kim K & Abou get back?
LikeLike
Pass, the same twats who thought the “Thanks for the memories” banner was massive, are the ones who criticized the big ARSENAL sign. Basically the same bastards who want rid of Arsene even though we’re challenging for the league. The permanent malcontents.
LikeLike
Another day another football match. Very little is as important as it seems, except the important stuff, and you know what these are only when they happen, or as the great one sang “There but for fortune goes you or I, you or I”. Then everything else is incidental. So I would not worry much about a penalty, much less one match.
On Mesut, it’s all a bit pathetic. Who are Arsenal’s greatest trio of players (besides DB obviously, the incomparable one, in a class of his own). Thierry, Paddy and Robert, right? And which one had a first season that would have marked them out, then, as what they were to become? Robert had a difficult first season and was not especially highly rated. Paddy made many mistakes, looked clumsy especially passing, although the potential was obvious. Thierry hardly set the EPL alight and nothing much he did early indicated “the greatest striker to grace the English top division”. Mesut, in so many ways, has already done a lot better than the vast majority of players adjusting to EPL. The examples are many and varied, across our club and others. Have patience.
LikeLike
Gainsbourg69
February 21, 2014 at 3:57 pm
what big arsenal sign? i dont follow …who ? where?
LikeLike
The big letters the fans were forming in the stands.
By the way, Özil was left on instead of Santi because Wenger thought he could a carry the ball more efficiently out of his own half. There was also a “refreshment program” in mind when that substitution was made. This means Özil was probably going to start on the bench regardless of the result against Bayern.
LikeLike
“When we went to Southampton and Liverpool recently, the big difference was that their opening spell was much more aggressive than us. Basically, if we don’t match our opponents’ fighting spirit and aggression, we can’t expect to win every game just based on our football skills. It doesn’t work like that. I am not worried about it though, because we have shown that plenty of times this season. I know this team is capable of doing it.”
awww tomaaas….awwwww…….awwwww.
LikeLike
Gainsbourg69
February 21, 2014 at 5:34 pm
big letters in the stands? ok… i must have missed that…sorry.
i thought it was because cazorla is 29 close to 30 and didnt want to risk him getting knackered ..what with his ankle op last oct/nov ….but of course you could be right… maybe ozil was always scheduled for a rest after this game..
h estill should have socred that pen gains….i hope you understand …the eimrates was about to collapse from the celebrations…i saw the concrete cracking…..we had them… cunt kroos…
LikeLike
The boys will be out of the traps tomorrow as if their whole lives depend on it.
Anticipation bizarrely heightened by the knowledge that I will only access it on The Arsenal Player.
But it’s Finch Under 9s v Pinewood before that….
LikeLike
did arsene say how long gibbs will be out? he mentioned it that he is out of sunderland game, but for how long?
manone shouldnt play a blinder tomorrow. take it cool, two or three goal is all i ask for him to concede.
LikeLike
Arsenal FC @Arsenal
Akpom gets to the byline and cuts back for Iwobi who makes no mistake, burying the ball into the bottom corner 1-0 (79)
COYYG
LikeLike
GOAL FOR ARSENAL! The Gunners break and Maitland-Niles eventually rounds Doherty and slots into an empty net 2-0 (90)
LikeLike
Full-time: Charlton 0-2 #Arsenal. The Gunners are into the last eight of the FA Youth Cup where they will play…. Everton
LikeLike
Well done the yoof – high standards throughout the club
LikeLike
Today’s first class post has arrived courtesy of our very own anicoll5.
LikeLike