I turned to Liz about twenty minutes before kick off and remarked on what a good day I’d had. First decent day in about two months in fact. Those who know me beyond the world of football will be aware things have been, of late, somewhat bumpy Chez Stew. Yesterday however we had seen a glimmer of light pierce the dark clouds and I was basking, just a little bit. It was about then I glanced at the clock and realised what time it was, what was about to happen and what I’d just said. How could I possibly describe Monday as a good day when there was such a potential game changer still to come? I tried to remember the lofty words I’ve often used to others. That old flim-flam about rising above the fray, employing some perspective and realising that in the grand scheme of things an FA Cup quarter final at Old Trafford was not really the most important thing in my life right now. It was merely a side show, a theatrical distraction to our real life drama, and regardless of the result I would still have had a good day. I forget the poet’s name but I think the quote I’m looking for is what a load of old bollocks. A defeat last night and my warm glow would have been swiftly translated into permafrost. Silly really to let the antics of a bunch of millionaire footballers undo all the good I’d worked for but in the end that is precisely what we sign up to isn’t it?
As it happened I need not have worried. Far from the dreaded and frankly unwelcome turd in the swimming pool, last night proved to be icing on an already tasty cake. We all saw it so I’ll spare you a blow by blow but for what it’s worth here are my impressions of the thrills and spills. Firstly, as George observed in the immediate aftermath, what a difference a decent performance from a referee makes. The players may have worked hard, really hard in fact throughout a tough match and eventually got their reward but the man in black was rivalled only by de Gea for his individual quality. We all know that back in the era of Ferguson and his horribly unhealthy relationship with the football establishment none of the yellow cards never mind the red would have happened. So credit where it’s due to Mr Oliver, and in a world of inept and probably corrupt officiating it is quite a joy to be able to say that. I have to add however that the final result had far more to do with resolute defending and a one dimensional approach from the home team than Di Maria’s stupidity. Per was back to his imperious best, Coquelin and Koscielny snuffed out Fellaini’s lumpen threat and the full backs, properly supported by the wide forwards stuck to their task impeccably.
Once again Arsène’s tactics were flawless, and it was good to see the players employ them effectively. Sent out to press and harass defenders who are drilled never to hoof away possession but always pass the ball even if that means going back to square one they did just that. This was surely the reason he opted for raw speed over assured insouciance by starting with Olivier on the bench. Eventually of course it was the pace and poaching skills of Daniel Nii Tackie Mensah Welbeck which made the difference. Just as the manager must have suspected it would. His substitutions were perfectly timed, even if one was forced, this being the only real blot on Arsenal’s otherwise pristine evening; yet another injury for Chamberlain. I am beginning to worry about that young man. The silver lining however was Aaron’s introduction to the fray. Some people have put forward the frankly ludicrous proposition that being injured for much of the season and not scoring ten goals a game means our Welsh maestro has somehow been a disappointment. Last night his calm assurance on the ball, his defensive work rate and his clever movement were vital in preventing United building a head of steam. I honestly thought they’d give us more of a headache towards the end of the match. I was bracing myself in my lonely room, waiting for the traditional United onslaught, but it never really came.
The pundits, pub bores to a man, all tried to say it was a poor Manchester side that lost the game, but we know they would rather be buggered on live television by Carlton Palmer’s Doberman than give us any credit. The fact is their new manager has spent this entire season drumming into his charges the style in which he wants them to play and, most footballers not being conspicuously over endowed in the cerebrum, they’ve just about got the idea now. The problem was when they needed something different all they came up with was to stick their filthy Belgian fouling machine down the middle, bang it up high in his general direction and when that didn’t work then it was dive, dive dive. Sadly and unusually for the men in red the Das Boot routine failed them last night. What a glorious sight it was to see them finally get their comeuppance after years of cheating impunity. Still, it doesn’t do to gloat does it? Well, perhaps just a little.
So what of the future? The planets seem to be aligning to produce a repeat of the first ever cup final I watched as an Arsenal fan. Back in 1970 when I elected to follow the red and white having dallied with, bizarrely as it seems now, both Celtic and Chelsea, a perfect first season culminated with Bob Wilson in his green cap and Charlie George lying prostrate on the Wembley turf. It may not be so. Blackburn could do everyone a favour and cancel the Stevie G media love in, Reading or Bradford could prevent us getting to the ultimate game of the tournament. Never forget how close Wigan pushed us last year. There is indeed many a slip twixt the FA cup and the lips of our captain upon it. But given the form and stature of the teams left in the hat I bet you’d get great odds for a Villa versus Reading final.
I apologise for the somewhat breathless ill conditioned tone of today’s blog. I am perhaps a little emotional still. Apart from anything else I detest watching us play at Old Trafford. It is literally the only fixture where I subscribe to the mantra of the nonsensical i.e. the only thing that matters is the result. Football is of course about so much more but I’ve become so conditioned to us losing there that I could have happily pressed fast forward to the final minute and just absorbed the score. Last night however things were different. As I said before the game I had a curious presentiment that we were due a change in fortune. I may not have expected it to be so dramatic with them missing from point blank range and their cheating ways telling on them so profoundly, but even though the match lacked free flowing sparkling football it had the right mix of tension and excitement to leave me restlessly unable to get to sleep. In short I’m glad I watched it, and you’ll seldom hear any football lover say that after ninety minutes in the company of Rooney, Fellaini and Young.
My final thoughts go to my mate Steve. You may think that the journey home from Greater Manchester would have been one of unbridled celebration but it wasn’t so for everyone. Steve is a coach driver. He drove all the way from Midsomer Norton to Old Trafford and spent the entire evening in the car park outside of the ground being so close that he could hear the game but not see one kick of the action. That’s not why I felt for him though. It was more the prospect of him then having to endure a four and a half hour drive in the company of fifty six miserable, disgruntled, moaning West Country Man United fans. Actually, thinking about it, that sounds like fun.
Positively Arsenal 
and with budgets to laugh at..in fact he had to build the budget with his success and transfer activity …even the pr machine that got into motion …’arsenal ..sexy football’ ..his making.
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Come on Hunter. How could you criticize? We won the Cup Winner’ Cup in 1994, with GG. A win is a win. How dare you compare this with the European Cup. I want my boring, boring Arsenal back!
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well not as much as critisising..rather emphatic mentioning of some past ‘glories’ because they take it too far with their attacks on wenger and our players…if they want to play it that way i can play that way too…heh…
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especially those clowns at aclf who had the audacity to claim that wenger was taking us backwards… that shows lack of your history and a kind of thinking that is beyond stupid…
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and those people…call us ..deluded?
NO.. no sir no…..
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that link is brilliant so their hero (who went to the spuds) GG left us at 69, level with hearts and villa just behind. Arsene with his own coefficient never lower than 18 with all the extenuating circumstances. How the doomers have the balls to slag Arsene is beyond me.
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so happy for 10 men PSG… seems cheats even with the ref on their side are not getting away thing things this week! And football wins over anti-footy once again.
Nice week!
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specialist in failure
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johnny giles just said Mourinho is an evil presence on the game
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ha so they lost ??? …ill go check the sites…hahah
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thank god he influenced the refs with his ‘mind games’ in that press conference and now he looks twice as stupid.
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and you know what thgis means with one french team already through dont you ….
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90 minutes against 10 men, the lead twice and fail to hold on, whatever happened to Mourinho’s claim that it is easy to win all games 1-0
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“…because I’m happy…”
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when I see this I imagine Mourinho is saying “this is how I poked Tito Vilanova in the eye”
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B_2b7W0WcAANEaq.jpg:large
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Renato @th14Renato · 7h 7 hours ago
What a quote.. RT @BLarsenAFC1886: “Watch the game & you’ll miss Özil; watch Özil & you’ll see the game.”
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Almost more happy about tonight than Monday! A little bit of Korma for the special one tonight: no more currying favour with the press I think. And well done Hunter: you are on fire tonight.
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oh luiz!!! and then silva owning terry…brilliant…tactics ..media games …costa….alles kaput. thats not what roman pays for jose…..
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foreverheady they dontunderstandwenger is not just a coach nor just a tactician or just a motivator..he is all those and more..the board was like ‘woooooow…look at this guy…hes got his own formulas in excell to determine player/age/fitness/value..we’re rich david…you bugger’ …the simple fact he has to design the develoipment of players from 14-15-16 to 24-25 and organise the stages of each player when to go on loan , when to switch positions, when to put him in first team etc etc …and he does that not for one player but 30…40 maybe 100 who knows…signifies his touch with the game and its changes….to claim that he does not follow modern football is an insult.. then we got the eye for talent and the organisation to scout all over the world..network…..primorac and the rest are experts. the only grey area is that he is not the obvious type to grab you by the hand like say ferguson and push you to victory…you will have to have the desire to win already as a player and he will provide the perfect facilities and environment for you to be in a clear frame of mind to jdo your job, play. tpretty sophisticated approach and practices for the average football fan to totally appreciate..too deep. especially when the stoneage prototype of gorilllas spending money and cheating their ways to trophies has unfortunately taken over….obviously like all professionals who reach such a scientific level at what they do will have their peculiarities and stubborn issues/ideas that is not only normal but welcome. you need ot be a bit crazy to go into such detail for so long…….he goes home to his wife and talks about the leftback not closing down quick enough and whether to loan the striker or buy that midfielder he saw in that holsinborg – cernomorec who is a steal at 650k. … .sick…
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you know like..my daily checklist will be like 5 lines …wenger’s will be 3 pages? maybe more….
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Hahahahaha!!!! David Luiz pays for his transfer.
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hahahhaaa
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and so ..we have a second european exit at home with opponent down to ten..hmmm…one dimensional ?
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Julian Bennetts @julian_bennetts · 23m 23 minutes ago
Ibrahimovic: ‘When the red card happened the worst thing was the Chelsea players. I felt there were 11 babies around me.’
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James Vella @jvella7gooner · 2h 2 hours ago
2 goals conceded from “man marking”. Not a word mentioned… obviously.
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when you can’t find an opponent to grab at a corner
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B_2oYe2WQAEAym-.jpg:large
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arseblogger sums up how I’m feeling this morning:
http://arseblog.com/2015/03/other-peoples-football-is-fun-sometimes/
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Terry also stomped on Oscar’s head probably just for dramatic effect as he hobbled over to complain to the referee after Ibrah. had pulled out of his challenge (not like Cahill then…).
Captain. Leader. Legend.
Free travel on the Paris Metro today?
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im keeping a dossier fins…like van gaal ….but i dont want to tempt fate yet…. nor are we like those manchester people who write 4 autobiographies each in the space of a decade.
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FK² @fkhanage · 2h 2 hours ago
80,000+ people on the waiting list for an Arsenal season-ticket.
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john cross showing his true colors
John Cross @johncrossmirror · 35m 35 minutes ago
OK, so Chelsea surrounded the ref on the red card. But PSG every bit as dirty – if not more so. Luiz could have gone. #cfc should’ve had pen
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What a good week this is turning into.
I missed most of last night’s game and only listened to the last 40 minutes or so driving home, and very pleasant it was with much hooting and leaning over from the steering wheel to high-five oncoming motorists on the M11 as the Parisians’ second goal went in.
I have to admit I did not fancy PSG getting a result at the Bridge in spite on them probably shading the first leg. A well deserved result though from what I heard.
Makes you think though about what we need to do in Monaco against a side who must think their job is all but done, as we saw after the final whistle at the Ems ?
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I only started watching when it went to extra time. Got a stream going just after the penalty. That header from Silva was magnificent, majestic, mind-blowing, mesmerising. Especially with JT showing his affection for his team-mate as Silva jack-knifed behind them.
It may have been exciting but “the beautiful game” it certainly wasn’t.
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So will the end of an era poorly disguised Maureen fans call that a tactical masterclass or “shit on a stick”?
We know what Laurent Blanc’s answer would be!
Zero goals for Sir Costalot in the league of Champions. Another braying overpriced Mendez mule, or is he just a young player who’ll find his feet at the top level in time, heh? Willian? Don’t laugh, it’s cruel.
Welbeck was half the price of Costalot, is half is age, and by the time he hits his late twenties injury gods permitting he’ll be twice the player.
How about the F-Word? Stealin’ a livin’? Rumours of his annual collapse after three months were not exaggerated? Not sure I care. But after a performance like that I’m not sure that even Fabregas could save Mourinhio’s job in the long term which was the only concern for me with his move to the Novo-Chelski-Gazprom colony.
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The natives down in SW6 are restless;
“i think that was one of the most cowardly performances I’ve ever seen. there is a big difference between seeing out a result (hard work, ball control, game management, takes large skill) and trying to sit back and win the game by default(little skill, reliance on luck, no game management, backing off, no pressure, walking pace, hoping opposition don’t score before the ref blows his whistle).
This game was similar to the Man U and City game but much worse. Because A) they had 10 men for 90+ mins B) we knew a draw was not a point won but a tie lost (except 0-0) C) we were at home and D) we were bitten once with the luiz goal and did not learn our lesson when we were 2-1 up in ET leading to the silva goal.”
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I particularly enjoyed this one;
“We were thoroughly outplayed in both legs, against PSG (all due respect but they arent a top tier team) who were a man down for the large majority of the game. We had absolutely no ideas in attack. Our goals came from a dodgy corner and a very stupid penalty. Our attack has been turgid for months now.
No manager worth his salt will react to it with a ‘bad performance, it happens’. Its a loser mentality.”
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And finally;
“every chelsea defeat deserves an inquest, it’s the high standards we set ourselves…but even more so in cl and under such disappointing circumstances….we weren’t unlucky, this wasn’t barca 2009, this was up there with Bradford for worst performance of the season”
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Yes it does the old heart good to immerse myself in the suffering of Chelsea fans.
Cleary there will be other less happy days, as there have been over the past few years, but one must make hay while the sun shines.
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I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I fucking called how Falcao was going to fail at Man Ure under van Gaal.
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class anicoll….thasnk you !!! gains you did call it ..i was here but i think you were mostly approaching it in the way that falcao is a shit striker ..which he is not imo…i thnk he is a killer who when in form puts to shem costas and cavanis ..whether he is suitable for manure or van gaal that is different though
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for me it looks worse on united than falcao..united aint got a clue what theyre doing post fergie..very amature handling of situations…you could smell their desperation to show the world that they are still relative witht their ridiculous transfer business. long may it continue i say….may they destroy plenty more players for such amounts and hopefully they end up like leeds.
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lohl terry says:
‘And once I go, four or five go with me. It doesn’t look good at all but that’s part of the game. We’ll match it if people want to mix it, that’s part of our game as well.
‘There was an awful lot going on but I don’t think anyone got caught up in it.
part of the game? ahahahah
but this is the one that had me crying :
‘Once they’re charging the ref, the only thing we can do is respond. You can’t as a group of players let them surround the ref, trying to get our players booked.’
ehhh ok after this … i can die peacefully now…. 🙂
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What happened to Mourinho’s ability to fire up his players?
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dont you all remember dessaily zola doing that? always part of the game off course..nothign to do with the special case who wants to get results with indecent means…..
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What happened to Mourinho’s ability to fire up his players?
they get so ‘fired up’ they dont have a clear mind to play football….. puhaahaha
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What’s going on at United should be a huge warning to the Arsenal supporters who think we should jump on the managerial merry-go-round a la Madrid, Chelski, Spuds and now Manure. Give me stability over a shiny new manager any day.
Falcao only had one good season before everyone started blowing smoke up his arse. I don’t think he’s shit, I just think he’s extremely overrated.
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Squawka Football @Squawka · 15h 15 hours ago
Jose Mourinho has now won just 7 of the 24 matches in the Champions League knockout stages as manager of Chelsea.
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” We were 11 against 10…in our ground….we should have won that game zozey. Why did we not win it?. I dont pay to see 11 chickens sitting back trying to win the match with cheating’
” But the campaign..its a cosnpiracy..”
” Oh shut up zozey…youre fired”
Roman …i believe in Roman….mou encouraging vile racist arrogant behaviours that bring pr trouble to chelsea, mou disgracing chelsea with two euroepan exits at home with opp down to ten… and now he will be starting every epl game with emphasis NOT TO LOSE…hehehe …
Roman has shown in the past that he knows how to make surgical procedures and send the manager packing to save the season. Do it Roman!
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I loved the look of shock in Mourinho’s face when Silva scored.
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Chel$ki supporters were warned about Cesc’s propensity for falling off the face of the earth after Christmas.
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