Well that was two days of the most extreme emotions.
In the run up to the kick-off I was quite calm. I was sure we would win. In fact I was sure we would win at a canter. But that wasn’t to be. No, it was like the script for a Rocky film, with us continually lifting ourselves from the floor before finally landing the knock-out blow. A triumph of spirit and heart .
I watched the game at home with a United supporting mate of mine. My little dog sitting cuddled up next to me and a beer in hand. I was even feeling well enough to partake of some nibbles the Mrs had laid out for us. I was going to pontificate on the wizardry of our play and bask in the reflected glory. Well, so I thought.
After eight minutes the dog had scurried upstairs and hidden under the bed. Assorted random articles and ornaments were flying across the room and the air was blue with choice words. Two minutes later I was just slumped in the chair with a stupid grin on my face, shaking my head in disbelief.
The wife came in, saw the desolation around the room and asked me what had happened. In a panic I told her it must have been a poltergeist, something I regret, as she want to move home now.
Now we have a free kick and Santi is standing over it. I turn to my mate and say “Don’t fucking shoot from here Santi” he replied – “Wow, there you go, back in it”
We were. I thought “Another seventy minutes to get an equalizer – no problem.” Well I suppose I was right but it was a heart-wrenching time.
Although we were on top the goal just would not come.
Ozil pulled a Gervinho and completely missed the ball on its way past him when any touch would have done.
Gibbs? Well only he know how he managed to miss.
I counted four stone wall penalties waved on by someone in black doing an impersonation of a referee.
Finally, the man who makes a habit of scoring crucial goals managed it again in rather a scruffy situation.
On then to extra time.
Aaron confirmed his legendary status and we were the 2014 FA Cup winners.
When the final whistle went there was an outpouring of joy from the fans, players and staff, such as I have never witnessed.
The consequences of us losing were frightening. Arsene said his future was not going to be determined by that one game. I think it may well have been.
The meltdown from the fans would have been simply overwhelming. I honestly think the tide would have turned too much for both him and a lot of the players to turn back. Spurred on by a blood thirsty pack of second rate journalists, unemployed experts and attention seeking bloggers, it would have been a veritable feeding frenzy for the dimwitted.
Anyway, win we did and that meant a parade with all the fun and joy that went with it. A great day was had by all.
Now we are told that the great man will be signing a three year deal.
Life just does not get any better.
Positively Arsenal 
Great stuff George. I agree and disagree on your thoughts about the gaffer leaving if Arsenal lost yesterday, but in case anyone disagrees with the concept I advise them to go back and listen to every post match interview with the Arsenal players, they way they made sure they included their manager in their celebrations. Left a comment on the last post, tomorrow I hope!
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unemployed experts
what?! they have a right to an……. opinion. where would this club be without them?
.
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Shades of Fever Pitch PG! At last AW can replace his gran’s porcelain piss pot from the Grove’s trophy room and replace it with proper silverware.
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It was a wonderful thing to experience and something that, without a shadow of doubt, will be at the very least equalled and most probably bettered, on more than one occasion over the next few years. It is, as folk hereabout know, because of an not in spite of Arsene that I can say that so confidently.
I must say George tho’, I can’t agree Arsene might have left had we lost. That was never on the cards, never.
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he pressure would have increased form the noisy ones but he would have stayed… he had already given his word.. maybe what needed to be determined was the 2 years or 3 years thing
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Hey, no arguing. I have ruled.
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yes Uncle PG…
As if we would dare argue with you… As if we would…
Well i choose to argue so there! LOL
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I am just glad that we have gotten over that trophy-less years count as the only team we and man city are the most recent winners of trophy so we should be safe going forward since i fully expect that an era of trophy wining is upon us.
Such a lovely team; imagine them being the new batch of invincibles in the nest 2 to 3 years… I really wish sagna and fab would stay… Just the idea we can actually keep our players no matter the lure would be nice so the media just do not have anything to spin cos although these are leaving on a free having seen out their contracts you wouldn’t know it from some media reports!
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Oh happy days.
Do not under estimate what this means. It has released so much pressure on not just the manager but the players and the whole club.
The blood thirsty press legions, the pundits and the WOB’s would have been queuing up to take pot shots. It would have been terrible for our great club.
Now the players will have that added confidence of knowing they can be winners. They showed bottle, gallons of character. They did not lay down and crumble. They did not lay down and die. They did survive. (sorry about the song lyrics!). They took some pretty terrible refereeing decisions on the chin, four of them in fact, but the boys did not feel sorry for themselves.
And as for Wenger. This man has taken so much unfair abuse and flack, I could not be more happy for him. He is Arsenal through and through, he has shown incredible loyalty and he has been more than a football manager. He is a true legend, the greatest manager in my lifetime. Why he gets the abuse he does I have no idea and as for those idiots who claim to be fans, I could cry. I really could – they are a total embarrassment. Wenger will be more relaxed with this monkey off his back and that can only help him make better decisions.
We fans will no longer have to listen to that 9 year jibe, preached by the uneducated.
This is a massive moment for our club. We got away with the stadium move pretty lightly due to great planning and unwavering nerve. We have seen FFP bare its teeth and we have the new sponsorships in place. Now we have the opportunity to announce to the football world that we are back. Bigger and stronger than ever before. A wounded animal that has had enough acting like a punch ball. Journalists, I prefer the word hacks and rival fans be afraid. Very afraid. With a few additions and the shackles removed from the greatest manager in our history, the only way is up.
ARSENAL 2014 FA CUP WINNERS
So very proud.
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I think he would have gone had we lost, for all sorts of reasons – but mainly as he would have begun to think he could no longer inspire when it really mattered. He would have been wrong, but I think his nobility of spirit would have led him to that.
But that is all academic now as that little beauty of a volleyed toe-poke (from the player who perhaps best exemplifies why Arsene Wenger is such a supreme manager) means we can all properly enjoy this summer.
Incidentally, I was talking to two 16 year olds today about the game (they were both there, lucky lads) and they were of course full of it. But naughtily I asked them their views on the manager, and the response was unequivocal. “The best”, they said. “He must stay.”
And he will.
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Interesting point but we actually won the FA CUP, we didn’t buy it. That needs repeating. The good guys don’t always win.
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Good stuff George.
That was a heart stopping game to watch live so I have just watched it again more relaxed.
Unfortunately I watched a BT-Sport recording. I thought Stewart Robson was a twat but he has nothing on Neil Warnock. The bias shown by that knob-end was awful.
He said none were penalties. He never mentioned Hull moving the ball 9 yards forward for their free kick and never stopped moaning about us getting a corner which should have been a goal kick.
Biased c**t
Rant over
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An afternoon right up there with the very best for me. The swoop of the rollercoaster, the screams of terror as we loop the loop and plunge back to earth at terminal velocity…………..
And then Gibbs heads what would I suspect could/would/should have been a final nail in our Cup dream and maybe, as Tim says, the reign of the finest manager in the club’s history.
“The Goddess Fortune is the devil’s servant, ready to kiss any one’s ass” as William Blake says.
And on Saturday she puckered up nicely.
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To dupsffokcuf, that is why Talksport recruited Warnock! He will be getting a guest appearance on LGroan next.
They were all pens. The first Santi one was about as nailed on as you could get. The second on santi looked dubious, until you saw the view from behind the goal, another def pen. The Giroud one, well no doubt Huddlestone grabbed him by the neck -‘ yes Giroud was a bit theatrical so that didn’t help. And the handball was two blinking handed and they were in the air! I admit I am biased but if they had been up the other end, I think three would have been given. And Neil Warnock and co would have said they were nailed on.
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According to one malcontent I read elsewhere on the peroni sponsored blog:
Arsene Wenger fluked winning the FA cup and is *cough* ‘lightyears’ away from winning the league. We were 2 wins and a draw away from title winners.
Not bad for having at least £1b less to spend over the last 9 years.
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Did they really say they were not penalties? I find that astounding.
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I agree with ProudKev. And everyone else too.
We always said when this team, its various line-ups and vintages, you know what I mean, this current era – gets their first, it can be a bit difficult to stop them because one immense illusionary obstacle is now lifted, paraded so viciously by media every second article to describe Arsenal, ten thousand times and more. But it’s like that and it takes its time to get the first. It does not solve every problem in life you know, but one of the biggest is lifted gently, never to return.
We did the hardest way, some difficult teams to beat en route, and a classic hard-nosed FA Cup encounter, where the underdog scores spectacularly, twice, unbelievable! Oh man, the monkey, the monkey on our backs. Get off, now! They way the team simply kept that ball, kept calm (mostly), built (even “laboured”) each attack from the back, and scored, and then scored, and then scored was to my mind legendary. Not once did I see panic in the team, although nerves had their say. The 4 penalties denied, the crossbar, the two spectacular misses, the almost stunning Fab foul-up. Shit a brick.
So, it was not easy, was it? Do not listen to any fool who says it was only Hull. They haven’t a clue what happens and unquestionably have never faced such a real-life situation. Last final it was “only Wigan”, subsequently relegated only Wigan. There have been more than a few like that. FA Cup has weirdly evolved to cause upsets.
It will take its time to work its way quietly through the Arsenal bloodstream, these hard 8 seasons, and do not underestimate what it will mean tomorrow. A classic cup final, hell, almost a cliché classic FA cup final, followed by a trophy, and then a quarter million red and white shirts to greet the team the next day, ah, feelings that can’t be erased.
For the uninitiated and naïve, like some bitter lemon posters on LG (whom I read to see if “Phil” was a real person), it hurts a bit I suppose. The best response is always a win, a good time, invite them to the party, next time maybe? Or take a panadol anyway.
The turn-around started in Munich over a season ago, and the pattern is clear.
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@ ZP…. truly that Munich game remains a reference point as a defining moment when this team’s great stories are told in the near future…
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ZimPaul @ 621 pm
“It will take its time to work its way quietly through the Arsenal bloodstream, these hard 8 seasons, and do not underestimate what it will mean tomorrow.” Let me give it a try my brother and friend:
* 8 years of paying our own way not relying on a sugar-daddy.
* 8 years of inculcating a philosophy and a belief in the way we play.
* 8 years of nurturing stars not buying them
* 8 years of resisting the lying media (bloggers included).
* 8 yers of winning despite inept crooked corrupt officials (4 penalties were waived off on Saturday, 3 of which were nailed on in my opinion).
* 8 years of knowing of overcoming broken bones and constant kicking.
You could feel the weight of those 8 seasons in the way we started the game, tentatively feeling our way while Hull benefitted from 2 lucky goals. But it is those 8 years that helped us to overcome under the wise, experienced leadership of their/our boss, the OneArseneWenger. I think having overcome these odds can be very liberating for the squad. It certainly has been for our fans, 250,000 of whom streamed to the streets yesterday.
If I were any of our premier league opponents next year, I would be afraid, very afraid.
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Untold called it on the ref beforehand but didn’t say just how bad he would be.
Media are still choking on ARSENAL credit so no change there
The commentary was crap everywhere, we had the little shit Owen at the emirates the only bad point of the day as I was hoping Adrian Clarke would do it.
ZP yep your right about Munich
What else oh not sure about the consequences of the result.
I think the celebrations reflected the way the result was achieved and the wait we had indured much like 79, 87 & 89
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He really did say they were never penalties. He even said the big teams get all the calls.
Michael Owen even started laughing when Hull scored their 2nd. Went very quiet when Santi scored though.
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PG, I am ashamed of you!
Did you not descry the joy on the faces of the young Hull fans, 2 – nil up, and the doors of heaven opened before their disbelieving eyes.
Did you not descry the despair of the young Hull fans, 2 – 2; , and the gates of Hades.loomed in bleak isolation, in the bright sunlit sward after an enchanting first half.
Real fans, displaying their real feelings for their local club,, whose support bodes well for the future of Hull.
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
WE are The Arsenal, WE WON!
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I think so too Shotta, very afraid. Symbolically, three goals we scored, we might say skill/technique and a big game mentality for the first, determination/getting that ball in the net for the second, and that beautiful Arsenal instinctive play for the third. I laugh at folks who don’t understand Giroud, he seemingly has some forgettable moments, but he’s thinking and working, and then in one momentary inspiration the breakthrough assist. It’s not the first time, it’s the pattern in his play. And there is Aaron, a midfielder, to finish it. A pattern. That almost sums up this team. We have just had two exemplary season finales. We are getting stronger, the philosophy (we play our way) is working, and players are confident talking about it. Rumours of Vela are interesting because players would say that he was then one of the most accurate and lethal finishers in his day at Arsenal, but not yet developed at the top. Things are getting interesting.
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Scripted just like a ROCKY movie. Hahaha
Mate, you better make it up to your poor missus and that poor doggie. Freaking hilarious.
And what’s with all those fans and ARSENAL players celebrating at the end of the game as if they had just won the cup final.?? oh wait. they did. They did win the CUP FINAL.
(0(
UP WITH THE GUNNERS OF ARSENAL!!!!!
UP WITH THE BEST MANAGER IN THE WORLD!!!
ONWARDS & FORWARDS TO THE NEW ERA!!!
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I wonder what is being said on Hull city blogs about their team and squishy face. anyone know of their main blog. ? Can’t be more than three or four of them.
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BOOM SHAKALAKA BOOM BOOM…..
in your faces pedritto & ge’rk’ off. Lol
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IMHO, FABIANSKI did have to come out and put pressure on that pacey Nigerian striker. No questions we would have conceded if he hasn’t come out and made sure the guy took his shot early. So with all do respect ” no foul-up” can be placed on him. Poor SACKER slipped. He would have been devastated had that gone in. fortunate to say the least.
probert should be relegated to the lower league after that performance. He did everything he could to tip the balance. And fortunately this time we were too good to be cheated and denied. he was god awful. Waste of space he occupied.
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SHOTTAGUNNA
@ 707
post of all posts…….
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BE AFRAID , BE VERY AFRAID………
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It would be great if the Untold lot could do a video break down of the ref’s performance and then post it on Youtube. Enough tweeted links could possibly start to have some effect.
It is nothing less than blatant cheating.
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This is truly amazing:
http://tinyurl.com/l4kgys8
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Funny, the only people telling me we were lucky today was the manure and shitty fan at work! Unfortunately, I had forgotten that manure were 2 nil down and came back to win 3 – 2 against the same opponent in the PL, or I would have reminded him of it and asked him how lucky they were!
I think I agree with you George, AW may not have felt he could stay had the players not pulled out the victory in the end. I’m disappointed to read that Sagna is off to shitty, but if true they are really paying him £150,000 pw, I can’t really blame him. He will be sorry though as he watches us win all the trophies in the coming seasons, although he can comfort himself by looking at his bank balance like RVP.
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This is the the full blog:
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Passenal
I still feel exhausted….what a wonderful weekend……
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Love that idea. Public shaming. Kind of what we did to Robson back at old jellystonepark. I wouldn’t mind THE MIGHTY ARSENAL PR DEPT. getting a little involved also.
We hear so much about hullcitytigersfans.
We took 2600 fans for their home game, they sent 1500 fans down for our home game against them.
So much for fan passion by the way .
And we were number one as far as numbers go amongst all their home game.
I have always said” LONG LIVE THE AWAY FANS”. unquestionable and unshakeable loyalty . In enemy territory.
HATS OFF. take a bow … as FRANK would say and where the heck is DEX. missing in action. Hope you had a blast mate.
Even with the GALL man it will take two to three seasons before the red mancs are back in the game. That’s with money. That they don’t have. What will they do?? Sell old turdfford
I tend to think they have just stormy weather. That’s is around 06. lets see if they can keep in top four and CL places.
Oh wait . 🙂 . they stumbled their first year. LONG LIVE ARSENAL.
LONG LIVE AW. LOMG LIBE THE GROWING NUMBER OF GOONERS WORLD WIDE.
the NEW HIGHBURY= the cauldron = the GUNNERS DEN.
ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Ohhhhh .images of gate 13…..
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envious and lowclass basterds. They would release that news only a day after the cup final. To push us out of the headlines and take the limelight. Scum.
I bet you old ferret face Ferguson is behind it. old 3fs strikes again. What an operator. F••••••• remarkable.
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Love that idea FOREVER H.
PASSENAL
spot on…..
Let manure scum.belittle our efforts.
Theirs is bought. Ours is earned
GLORY THAT IS.
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GP
most amazing. Looks like new galactic stars being born. Kind of like THE ARSENAL.
HUNTER 13, the gall man gets a three year contract and moyeseee a seven year contract. Lol.
And our so called fans want the board to resign
for not showing ambition. Money down the drain. I wonder how much of that found its way into 3fs pants pockets. 😉
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Where’s our good (best) friend FUNGUN???
You are missed..
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Ok. I’ll stop. 😛
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GP, thanks for the link. Our international fan base is quite remarkable. The marketing people will be all over that today. The handful of malcontents can make their protests and give up their season tickets all they want, but clearly there is a queue of people waiting behind them to fill any void. Stadium capacity 60,000, AFC supporters able to get to Emirates for a parade with 1 day’s notice, 250,000, says it all really.
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Beautiful script.you’re spot on anytime.#Gunners forever..
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first trophy at the emirates stadium. to be followed by community shield in august. then molerinhole gets the sack in december.
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£150k a week to be Zabaleta’ s understudy ?
For three years ?
Sign da ting
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Anicoll5 – he can also play centre back and left back in an emergency – they are getting 3 players for the price of one! So much for FFP we are not going to be able to compete with that.
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if sagna sign for shitty, he no different from nastri, ade or van traitor. infact he is worse because the other players were money grabbers from outset.
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I’m going to go out on a limb and say BAC is going to sign the thing but it won’t be for the club everyone thinks he will sign for.
I think BAC is a players player. He really enjoys playing this game. He won’t be content playing second fiddle to no one and that includes Pablo. He is the main man here and recent winner of brand spanking new FA CUP. come on ARSENAL. up your offer a bit. Don’t do an Ashley. Make him happy and keep him happy. I trust two years at 120000 would be making his decision a little easier. Come on . You know he is complete package and some would say the heart of ARSENAL if not the soul. We need him for at least one more year. CARL will be ready and roaring. Lets build on this year. Listen to AW. he wants and needs him a genuinely adores him as a role model. Give him a good contract. He sure as heck has paid his dues
if BAC believed in the future and potential of this current team like we do, he would want to stay and make history as other great right backs I’n history. Keep them.together ARSENE. BAC is too and valuable a player to sit on the bench. Just my two cents worth
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I think it is unreasonable to call Sagna a traitor. He has stayed the full length of his contract, and to my eyes has trained and tried hard throughout. If someone else wants to pay him that sort of money to have a slightly easier time of it, then good luck to them – and to him. I do not think The Arsenal has any claim on him anymore, legally or morally, but I do think we can say well done, thanks and good luck,
And I also think, and forgive me for this, that if the club has genuine aspirations to be world class (which it clearly does or it would still be at Highbury) then Right Back is one of the areas that needs energising. I guess that AW has known that for sometime too.
And yes, going back to that earlier idea, having won the cup 3-2 we are in a fine position to make a huge fuss about the non-decisions. I haven’t watched the whole game back yet, but I am sure there was a terrible foul early on against Sagna that Prothugbert took his time over. He had to be weighing up Red or Yellow, but in the end gave neither. And as we have seen so many, many times, that was then Carte Blanche for licensed rotational disruption.
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Back from “dark days”, horrible losses to Chelsea (AW’s millennium), and then Everton, a very tough five week patch when we conceded the title race, dropped out of the CL, with Liverpool on a roll, Chelsea toughing it out and City more consistent than all others, that period was the only major setback since the win in Munich. It came on the back of cumulative key injuries and some mental and physical tiredness. The team then returned to form to win the last five on the trot after the return of a couple of key players, and finally takes the FA Cup. Are we far from the top? Media conjecture says what it likes. Facts say we were 7 points from City, and at par minus-3 with Chelsea, one loss the difference over 38 games, and yes very slightly behind Liverpool after their terrific run. The goals tally told slightly a different story, a bigger gap, essentially on the back of 5 bad losses, and no huge wins. But we are where we are, just off the top, an FA Cup in our mitts, a largely young team brimming with experience, the cup hoodoo vanquished, confident and glowing, but most of all resilient. We can guarantee it will be very exciting. The financial handicap has reduced, City have a couple of problems now, and we look forward to probably 2 to 3 strategic incoming transfers, one of whom may be Carlos Vela. We are more interested, as always, in the form and opportunities presented by our own new, newish or younger players: Ox, Campbell, Sanogo, Gnabry, Jenks, then Bellerin, Miguel, Gedi appearing on the radar brightly, and a few others. Solid, depth, strong identity, composure, consistency; I almost feel sorry for ManU these days, huge new manager, huge finances to be unleashed, huge expectations; what a circus, a massive corporate trying to re-brand itself, not a football team. Aside from City’s current depth, I just do not see another club in similar shape to ours, although Chelsea first team is close to ours I suppose, but such a vastly different style and identity. I have my doubts about Liverpool, and whether they can sustain this, because I don’t see the depth, but well done to them really and their twin strikers. My favourite player of the season just passed? Per Mertesacker. Talk about consistent, clear, concise, I rate him easily as the best centre back playing in England.
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if sagna sign for shitty, he no different from nastri, ade or van traitor. infact he is worse because the other players were money grabbers from outset.
????? ….. ????? sagna has given a lot to this club..its only fair we give him some bac
van persie and nasri aint fit to cut his toenails in terms of integrity and contribution.
dotn knwo about you , but sagna is security, guarantee..for 7 years i have not had to worry about the right side of defence. one of the most solid fullbacks ive ever seen. a typical wenger signing noone knew who has taken the first eleven shirt home with him from day one and looked as if he was always part of us. pay the man his fucking money i say. it will be more expensive to replace with similar quality. the man is built liek a machine , has at least 5 years…he is our javie zanetti
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