I can’t bring myself to talk about last night. It was horribly poor and unlucky.
Our season has stuttered. It looks like the title challenge is over. In fact after last night fourth is looking like it might be close.
Someone or something must be to blame. I mean people are disappointed, hurt, angry, they need something to vent at. Someone has brought this about and they need to pay for the misery caused.
So who or what is to blame? Let’s look at some of the runners and riders.
Arsene Wenger – Lets start with him shall we? Has he let us down? Picking the wrong teams? Setting the wrong tactics? Not buying players? Buying the wrong players? Not being pragmatic enough? Plenty there to go at for starters.
The Players – Have they no spirit? Are they too small? Too young? To slow? Too alike? Are they just a bunch of losers?
Injuries – Have we been unlucky, again? Do we not understand what we are doing? Bad training? Weak players?
The Board – Have they let us down by wanting to keep a huge bank balance? Have they lied to us? Do they even care about us fans?
Officials – have they got it in for us?
The Media – Are they out to get us?
Depending on your preconceived opinions, you are likely to apportion blame in varying degrees to one or several of these culprits.
Personally my pick would be injuries.
My big new mate Peter over at Le Grove would pick Arsene.
Dim Tim? The board no doubt.
Here though is a question. Why do we have to blame anyone?
Why can’t we just be thankful that for three-quarters of the season we have been right in the mix, had a run in the CL and still have a great shot at the FA cup?
The team should be better next year simply because of the incremental improvement of our youngsters.
We will have more money and revenues to spend than ever before. We will be shopping from the top shelf.
We are on the up.
This team has given us hope all season. That’s a huge step in the right direction.
Really, we have little to complain about.
We should be rejoicing, not moaning.
Positively Arsenal 
Well done George – and yes, you are absolutely right.
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One thing I will moan about is when consistently a 3 week injury becomes an Arsenal 3 month injury or worse,every squad gets injuries-we all know that but I can’t remember a Friday press conference that has included a nice surprise regarding a player coming back from an injury on time never mind ahead of schedule,Rambo went off against West Ham with a tight hamstring on Boxing Day,it’s April next week!…
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Very true PG…but it doesn’t take away the feeling of gloom. The injury problem is really biting now and our players are definitely looking tired. Was quite impressed with KK’s 10 minutes or so…so as you say, we are on the up. Keep the faith.
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Terrible luck last night. I only saw the 2nd half and, unlike many, I thought our boys worked hard to get themselves back in the game but were hit by a sucker punch. I read some of the usual criticism and scapegoating which is entirely predictable after a negative result (contrast this with the excessive triumphalism after a win). It is rare that the usual “experts” acknowledge that no team can excel when three of its best players are out injured. While we all hoped for the best, it it realistic to expect a dominant AFC without Ramsey, Walcott and Ozil?
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In August Most of these complainers picked us to be 10th at thi time of the year. We have been 1st for most of the season and lie 4th….. So naturally they complain. What a bunch of dufusses.
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I quite agree with the above sentiments… After the villa game in august most could not even see us finishing 5th let alone being almost assured of 4th once we beat Everton…. We are in the up! Some of our losses and draws could have been better; who knows what drawing with Man city Chelsea and Liverpool would have done to the present position we find ourselves… even beating Southampton and stoke would have been an extra 5 points to where are now!
Yet the season is not even over and we have seen twists and will yet see more. I never give up on our challenge until we are mathematically out of it that what a league and football as a game i general is about – anything can happen!
Bottom line we are on the up… this time last year we were desperately fighting for 4th… this time we are talking of remaining in the title race!
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Said it before the 3 musts! 4th place win the FA cup and keep wenger he took a vision and instilled it into the board and led us to build one of the best stadiums in the world.How many top managers would have stayed for so long knowing there was little money to spend but still over achieved on scraps. He turned average players into premier players. He has had many an offer to leave but his desire, passion and love for this club is huge. This is the start of the Arsenal revolution we are not hindered by financial restrictions as before and we can get better quality players in let wenger reap what he has sown. This is so far even after the dissapointments a big season lets get behind them through thick and thin we are THE ARSEANAL
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The problem for me is that we are better than this. With or without our wounded we are surely good enough to put away a struggling Swansea. The team must find a way to respond on Saturday but as we know it is going to be tough as heck with confidence being so low.
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PG
And all commentators on here today. You are my saviours…….you are all brave and courageous…keeping the faith is extremely difficult under such circumstances. Even I for a moment last night started to ask some of the obvious, tiresome questions you hear from the doomers. But, I forced myself back into the most sensible policy…act on the available evidence!
The issue that is increasingly drawing my attention is that of injuries. Untold Arsenal have published a series of very good articles on this issue (http://blog.emiratesstadium.info/archives/34602). We are top of every type of injury in the EPL that is classified on http://www.physioroom.com (http://is.gd/pNvbEz). There is a rat and it stinks. If anything, I hope the Untold Arsenal study forces the EPL to commission an independent study of their own.
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well we did have the best form/points accumulation in the 2013 calendar year. now we have to do it in the right time frame. undoubtedly injuries have played their part. little things that matter a lot, like ozil’s velvet touch/ control in comparison to an eager and over keen ox whose control brought ball 2-3 mtrs away from him in last two games for example…or how ramsey and jacks runs in midfield would help giroud negated by the slower and more conservative flam and art. all that aside though its not nice to see players lose it mentally as easily. the manager clearly wants his players to seize the opportunity ala hollywood and rightly so and counts on mommentum and mini events that can push them on but some of them are either too scared or too lost to know how to handle it.
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its not about complaining boss, its about not sticking it up the media, the establishment and that cunt in fulham.
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Well, better than last season, but similar to 09/10, 10/11. Injuries -> poor performances->March meltdown.
Injuries are a joke, yes we accept they will happen, but the amount of setbacks. Ramsey was due back in feb initially, he wont be back till april.
It is very possible that the squad as it is ‘can’ lose to city, and everton. We have to support this team and help them, but they are fragile right now. i really hope they pull wins in the next two, or we could be 2nd favourites for 4th, and that would be devastating when you look at the season as a whole
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I blame myself
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I didn’t see the game at the time, and haven’t had time to watch it properly yet. It sounds as if were a bit unlucky to concede early, but then played quite sensibly (but without much flair) to go ahead deep into the 2nd Half. Am i right in thinking that instead of moving on from that point wiht confidence and maybe ending up comfortable 3-1 winners we sat back a little and allowed them back?
A mad-keen Liverpool friend asked me this morning if I would settle for 4th place and the FA Cup. I said I didn’t have to settle for anything and that I was owed nothing. Watching this team this season has for the most part been a great joy and disappointments towards the end don’t take that away. It has been sad that injuries have returned the side to the state that it was just about in when losing to Norwich and Shalke in quick succession in October 12, but these injuries will heal and the players will return.
Ramsey and Wilshere are vital to the team, as they are the beating heart and the real competitiors. Ozil provides the class, space and time. Walcott the pace and the finish. It is unfair to blame the other players for struggling without them, for without them (and don’t hate me too much for this) we are only a mid-table side and I kind of guess that last night we played in a sort of mid-table way.
And I think it is about time that CCTV is used in the stadium to identify any home fan who boos and abuses The Arsenal, its players and its manager. Once identified, a life ban. You come to support, not to turn on your own. If you do that, I for one don’t want you anywhere near my club, just as I wouldn’t want you anywhere near it if you chanted race or homophobic hate.
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That’s the spirit!
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@Paul N… that ironically is what is making people over react.. we are better than the present results we are getting… but that’s the thing about footy… doesn’t take more than one or two results to upset things…
Trust we can win the last batch of games and finish strongly! We may yet end up second or 3rd! Also with the FA cup that would be really great. I am not even giving up on 1st until we are mathematically out if it
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Am i right in thinking that instead of moving on from that point wiht confidence and maybe ending up comfortable 3-1 winners we sat back a little and allowed them back?
100%
thing is though its not gibss who is struggling or ox …its arteta (unbeleivable some of the stuff he does on the pitch if you considerhis age and experience) ….and flamini and the ones who were supposed to be more serious and far more aggressive and ballsy. rosicky got mad at giroud a few times, understandable. in my eyes it was imperative in these games that one of the elders, came out with a “ill take you all on” look in his face and transmit to the rest. Even if the player isnt capable of taking them all on because he is not at the required level to do so…still someone needed to show it. a look of defiance madness and “ill kill you all cause im angry about what is happening and wont allow it to happen again”…instead we had grown ups looking for their mums and daddies and being conservative and scared and wenger is spot on in telling them so. Per has yelled at ozil for not clapping to the fans. Why did he not yell at flamini who instead of taking players on allowed them to run at our defence ? little things like that ..but so important…. bring back song…LOL…
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Forever, we were not unlucky to concede early, there was not enough effort given to closing down the dude who crossed the ball. Maybe he would have gotten the cross away but he was allowed to pick his spot with ease.
TS, I agree. I feared after the weekend. I still keep hope alive but I must admit, like the players my confidence is a bit shaky.
Hunter, we did ease off after the second goal.
Mi vex no blow wow!
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yes i know we did..arteta and flamini are responsible for that. they were like ..”pheewwwwwwww…. relief !!!! 2-1 !!! lets go home now” …amateurs…
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and also we could improve on one thing….we lose the ball 60- 70 meters away form schesney and not one of ours is going for the early tackle at the ball+player…the “where do you think youre going?” type of tackles. many will say that its the tactics, i disagree, its football common sense. there doesnt have to be a threat of conceeding to stick your boot in, do it anyway to set down the tone “hey swansea player what do you think yorue doing running with the ball inside our half? take that!”
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and that should be promoted to “hey opposition player whoever you are, form whichevr team of cunts you are, where do you think youre going running with the ball inside our half?take that and that and that so you learn” …. thats my team talk for the day. im sure ive kept a box of that dehydrocodeine somewhere.
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i will now go laugh at arsenal fans in various blogs who hadnt heard of kallstrom and are today going “oh he is rather good isnt he?” …….. how these people want to judge wenger on anything leaves me speechless.
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Once we scored I was certain we’d get the second, concern was on our steadiness to hold out for the 3 points. Podolski brought down in possession, free kick bizarrely given the other way, and they score a freak equaliser.
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it was actually funny last night…all players except gibbs would attemtp to beat their man, manage to get half way round their marker and then back the other way again….. i have noted that ever since cesc left we do not have this telepathic passing going on. they all need control, touch, another touch, roll the ball and then pass. by then most opportunities for curving opponents open have gone. i amsure wenger trains them todeath to know eachother’s position and where to play ball even without looking, so i can only assume that the players are gripped by fear.
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Nice one George.
The way I saw it, we tried too hard to score early. We rushed our balls too much, didnt produce that quality and got caught on the counter. We then played well (swansea defended well too), but werent in the game until the two moments of quality that was really needed. We then let them come at us, gave them space. So although the goal was a cruel blow, we tempted fate. Controlled attack is the best form of defense. We seem to rely too much on defending these days after going ahead. Partly that is because of the absence of Walcott.
Regarding, injured players affecting our play. That is a given. Ramsey, Ozil, Diaby, Wilshere, Walcott are vital cogs in the Arsenal juggernaut, but the team that has been playing for the last month is not bad either. Rosicky, Cazorla are world class. Others come close too. Atleast we are not hampered by fullback injuries from two seasons ago.
Have Per and Arteta gone into their shell? We seem to be lacking that driving force. That spark. Of the lot, Podolski seems to be the one providing that. Maybe it is his freshness.
Based on his cameo, Kim will probably have a role to play and i think he will be a welcome boost.
Regarding the title, I feel that we gifted it to whoever will win it. We were in such a good position as we dazzled and showed grit to be consistent. Somewhere, we took that consistency for granted. We didnt turn up for some games. It is a shame.
Maybe the first trophy after a while is the hardest to win. This is where the FA cup can be a big boost. Again, here the team shouldnt put themselves under immense pressure. They should just focus, play their game and they are almost guaranteed to blow anyone away.
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Wise words from SA
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Drop in form and confidence losing key players, will reduce that telepathy on the ptich.
Also losing key combinations in the forward lines affects that smoothness, the manager who the R&W advocates say doesn’t do tactics said the other day how important partnerships are for a team. And those key combos that were effective in getting goals were in the main Walcott-Giroud and Ramsey-Ozil.
It takes a few games to get the mojo old back, so after the defeat at Chelsea that own goal won’t help but it’s not that bad.
At least the malcontents should be able to work out what Ozil was bringing to the party by now.
Who am I kidding?
btw Never a foul by Plodders and they moved the kick ten yards forward.
2-1 and the brave malcontents remain schtum.
The biggest problem is that the malcontents have been calling for the gaffers head after every setback since August and before and we knew they were not going to change and that is why we are here, thanks PA!
If any football fans cannot see the problem there (considering how well this team have done this season) then I don’t give an arse on about their thoughts on the Arsenal. It’s not rocket science.
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While we are flagellating ourselves with vigour could I also mention the fact that Swansea played well last night and do not have that bad a record at the Ems in the PL
First time I saw them Vorm inexplicably chucked the ball at a defender’s back, it fell to AA23 and we won 1-0 – probably our only chance of the game.
Last season they beat us 2-0 ( Boooooo Booooooooooooooo )
And last night they probably earned a point.
So compared to last season we actually did well and with no helpful balls up by the keeper the 10/11 win did not materialise.
Does that help ?
No ? OK I will shut up
The Ticket Exchange for Saturday is a sea of yellow spaces.
Just me and Hunter maybe ? !
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I will be there too
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KK looked dood!
My only regret from the game last night was that the Kallstrom appreciation society party where I was sat was ended prematurely by the Swan’s equaliser (Boooooo!).
What a pass that was out to the right hand side.
Mmmmm…More please.
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good > dood
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anicoll5
March 26, 2014 at 3:13 pm
no im definately in…the goerge something few blocks from the station ..south and left somewhere…
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no was reading the map upside down…its to t he right as you walk down holloway..
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Its 2 mins from Holloway Road station and up Eden Grove Hunter !!
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Good stuff George, frustrating because we are better than last night’s showing but we must keep a proper perspective on where we are and where we should be going. With still no cavalry on the horizon 4th place could now be a hard ask as the lads are running on empty but a season off from CL might not be a complete disaster as Liverpool are showing.
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anicoll5 @ 3:13 pm
There certainly is an increased availability. Is this a sign of the faint – hearted? The plastic fans expecting us to get humiliated and are running for cover?
I might just get to the game now since I’ll be in London visiting mum. If I do manage to get a ticket would you like to meet up?
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That would be good George – As I said to Hunter what about meeting in the George in Eden Grove for a pre match beer ?
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Nice One PG.
By some universal conspiracy I have missed our last 1.5 halves of footie.
Can’t lie, the results hurt like hell but I agree totally that we are on the up.
I’m getting the usual higher education from the experience of supporting that’s invaluable.
I say yes, SA…”Maybe it is his freshness”
9
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i blame wilshere.
why would any arsenal player want to play for england? they dont like us and never want us to do well. every england international is treated with respect by official except those from arsenal. so why would they risk their careers playing for them.
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ha layksite i was thinking something similar…..say they all get fed up manipulated by media and arsenal find themselves playing in empty stadium..we move the club to indonesia or copenhagen. they never liked us here ..hahah brilliant!
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Anicoll
I’ll try. What time will you be there from?
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3.30
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do they serve breakfast there at that time?
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This sounds like a meeting of some subversive cult plotting for final victory over the wobs, come the revolution……
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You have to love those die-hard fans – even more seats on offer this morning on the Exchange than yesterday – pay for a season ticket but can’t bring themselves to turn up for one of if not the biggest game of the season.
Probably busy – Saturday at 5.30 – shopping – gardening – weaving a banner or on a march somewhere.
Oh for the good old days when the feeble minded could just say “fuck it” and storm off.
Still should be less booing
(Slaps thigh and rocks back and forth on seat)
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I don’t want Mourinho or the buck toothed bastard and Danny Sturridge to win the league. Mourinho for obvious reasons, and SAS for the diving bastards that they are.
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Andy
Maybe all the diehards are going to the wedding I’ve got to go to. I’m having a bad week to be honest: school play saw me unavailable for Swansea, friend’s nuptials deny me City. Two matches missed in 5 days: can’t work out whether to blame the training methods or the medical team. Probably the manager come to think of it.
Or just bad luck. And I wonder how much of a factor luck has to play in it all, whatever “it” is. Compare the dying minutes of Arsenal Swansea and Liverpool Sunderland: Flamini’s comedy own goal, O’Shea’s wanton profligacy. Wenger pilloried, Rogers praised. Of course sometimes you make your own luck, and of course the more you practice the luckier you get: I get all of that: heard the quotes, got the t-shirt.
But what about luck, pure and simple random chance? Must have a think about that.
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By the way, Mannone had an excellent match last night. I wish we still had him as he’s a fantastic goalkeeper. Against Liverpool he bossed his area and was excellent in the air. He was also very good distributing and playing it with his feet.
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Mark Noble, who can play, discussing getting booed by his own fans when not even losing a game. Not a reflection on the malcontents, not needed, but I thought they were interesting comments on playing poorly (whilst not losing) and ‘support’.
“More than anyone, I am keen to get the ball down and play, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen for you as a team and as individuals, no matter how hard you try,
“Although it wasn’t our best performance, we did not fall short on effort and that has been a consistent theme during our recent upturn in form. On behalf of all of the players, I can say that your support really can make a difference.
“We will always perform better when we are feeling relaxed and comfortable – as you would in any job – and I must admit the anxiety from the stands can spill onto the pitch and get into our minds, as much as we try to ignore it.”
I’d have thought that Expert self-declared Realists out there knew all this stuff?
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I would have to admit that luck has not been entirely one way all season, the away game at Dortmund used up a supply of black cats FH
We do seem to have had a savage share of misfortune these past few weeks though, a rash of serious injuries, unlucky goals, Giroo’s moral decline, freak refereeing !
I was at King Lear on Monday evening – culture vulture that I am – every Arsenal supporter in the audience understood and winced at the line from Act 4 Scene 1;
“As flies to wanton boys are we to th’ gods.
They kill us for their sport.”
It did not have a happy ending with the stage littered with corpses ( banned unsmiley thing)
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