When chaps of a certain vintage, that is to say elderly gents like yours truly, hear the name of Burnley FC a deluge of images at once swamp the imagination. Muddy, potholed turf, balding players, comb-overs streaming in the wind behind them, leather case balls, concrete terraces and, invariably, a dog on the pitch.
Burnley is one of a list of names once synonymous with top flight football, now faded and trying to plough a new furrow. Huddersfield, Preston North End, Leeds United, the two Sheffield Clubs, Coventry City all enjoyed their time in the limelight, all slipped quietly away. It is a salutary lesson for the dreadful, entitled fans of today who believe their club owes them trophies and continual success, who seem to regard it as a birthright. Clubs rise, build empires and those empires fall.
Sometimes the fallen can rise again. I clearly remember watching Manchester United at Eastville stadium, home then of Bristol Rovers, in a second division fixture. Nobody imagined for a moment they, Manchester not Bristol that is, might climb to the summit, dislodge the mighty Liverpool and dominate English football for years. It can happen but it is the exception and not the rule. Nowadays the only likelihood of seeing the likes of Huddersfield or Leeds challenging those at the business end of the league comes in the cup competitions.
Such is the case today as Burnley travel down from Lancashire to face an Arsenal side who, they might feel, could be ripe for the taking. How, you may well cry, can I inflict such jibber-jabber upon you? ‘Ripe’ forsooth? ‘For the taking’ egad? Well, I only say they might think this, not they do or they should. Taking into account the fact that we’ve failed to win in our previous three games it is conceivable that they could be forgiven for thinking this is as good a time as any to visit the Emirates. We shall see.
The dog eared Soccer Stars cards of Colin Waldron and Freddie Smith may have faded from all but the most nostalgic of memories, but Burnley FC hasn’t gone, far from it. In fact the mention of their name has garnered a more recent connotation. I for one cannot hear it without seeing this, one of my all time favourite Arsenal goals.
Set up by intelligent, urgent movement from Alex Song, physical battling by Diaby and tireless off the ball running from Arshavin before a mercurial assist by the man who started the move, the goal isn’t just splendid for its finish. It is also a beautiful snapshot of how utterly wrong the cliché racked moron brigade always have been about players’ abilities, strengths and fitness to wear the shirt. Always have been and sadly I suspect always will be. Imagine, for example, if Andre Arshavin really had been lazy and unwilling to chase down every lost cause. That wonderful goal would never have happened.
Of course the finish was sublime. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry when I watch it. That such a player with such composure, such class should have been cut down by a man with no right to walk on the same grass is heartbreaking, but at least we saw some flashes of what Arsène saw in him. I sincerely believe he could have gone on to be one of the very best.
These days Burnley are building again and are very strongly in contention for promotion to the Premier League. I don’t see today’s visitors as a team from a lower division goggle eyed and weak kneed in the house of the mighty. There is very little difference in this fixture than playing against a side in the Premier League relegation zone. Consider that we will have to rest players and possibly blood our new boy as well and the gap closes a little more. In short I don’t expect it to be easy.
However. Having said all of that I seriously believe that someone is in for a spanking soon. The manager and players will be hurting after the recent run of poor results and we all know that there are more goals in this team than we’ve seen lately. Will this cup tie provide the cathartic blood letting which restores the humours and puts us back on track? Or will we squeak through today and vent against Southampton on Tuesday? I don’t know but I feel it’s coming.
Even as I toy with ideas of a sudden goal rush reversing the recent trend of snatched, missed chances I have to be honest and say I’d settle for a calm professional performance of control, a carefully managed victory with no alarms and no surprises. But then – where would be the fun in that? This the FA Cup, our FA Cup and such a tournament demands excitement, drama, spirited resistance from the plucky underdogs, near misses and of course a glorious outcome for the worthy winners. Oh, and a goal or two to match the superlative effort of Eduardo da Silva’s wouldn’t go amiss either.
Positively Arsenal 
The play in CM involving AOC, FC and AI was all impressive not forgetting the final two passes and the finish.
How about that run from Gibbs?
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your man getting a hand Steww! Hes going to get a lot of support today if he comes on.
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Mills
No, unfortunately. That’d have been a great goal to see.
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Sure would fins!
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iwobi has great close control
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One thing I like about the new boy already is he has that knack of always seeming to be in space in a good place to receive a pass.
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Millsy – I can’t be the only one to love him.
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fuck off Burnley.
COYG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
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soft goal to let in, and in the build up Gibbs took Coquelin out of it, what he was doing I don’t know.
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Come on Kos get the lads together
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Excellent – Burnley making a game of it.
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eddy looked like he lost his footing to me
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Come on the Coq!!!
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COME ON YOU GUNNERS!!!!!!
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woeful corner by Ox
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Burnley pissed on our spark plug.
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Mohamed Elneny looks like he’s been with us for years. Very relaxed début.
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nice play from Alexis.
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Second goal just won’t quite come.
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good game so from both sides. COYG!
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HT: 1-1
Arsenal look very dangerous in attack, and very shaky in defense. Alexis and Iwobi very lively, Giroud and Ox not at their best so far. Coquelin looks rusty, El Neny looks tidy. Chambers scored a wonder goal, Kos and Gab not been good.
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Enjoyed that first half. No complaints about the equaliser – a good cross is one which takes out the defender and picks out the striker. That was a good cross. A very well directed header finished the thing off. Fair play to Burnley but we’ve looked good throughout. Can’t wait for la deuxième partie
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Kos produced one of the greatest defensive pieces of play I’ve ever seen. You might have mentioned that eddy, non?
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Arsenal U21’s leading 2-1, McGuane with the second goal, but are down to ten men, Crowley sent off.
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Lively 1st half so far. Burnley is up for it. AFC being methodic while Burnley wants a basketball game. In the long run our quality is key. Am quite optimistic unlike the commentators who are into hyperbole and sensationalism hoping for a Burnley upset.
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stew I thought that was good by Kos, but nothing to go overboard about. If I see it again I’m prepared to have my mind changed.
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Big roar from the crowd when Tomas started warming up 3.21
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Elneny has made a great impression so far. Always finding space, making the simple pass, never hiding. But he has taken a buffeting from the opposition without getting a single call. Great introduction to the English game.
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Mood relaxed here – few questions about Coq and Elneny starting together – super goal from Chambo
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COYG!
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Akpom scored for Hull today,
Mavididi has made it 3-1 to AFC U21’s away to Stoke U21’s
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come on you Arsenal!
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Arfield gets away without a booking for leaving a knee on Ospina.
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need a goal to get the confidence flowing again. Rozzer to razz in the midfield….?
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and there it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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great breakaway goal, Alexis with the finish, Giroud, Iwobi, Ox all involved in the build up
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think it was a kos header cleared off the line
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You’ve got to accentuate the positive
eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
But don’t mess with mister inbetween
You’ve got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
have faith, a pandemonium
Libel to walk up on the scene
To illustrate my last remark
Jonah in the Whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do
just when everything looked so dark
They said we better
accentuate the positive
eliminate the negative
latch on to the affirmative
But don’t mess with mister inbetween
To illustrate my last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do
just when everything looked so dark
don’t mess, don’t mess, don’t mess
with mister inbetween
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Iwobi had made a couple of great runs in behind their defense but has not been picked out by a team mate.
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Chambers passing has been off, given away the ball several times
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El Neny with a long range power shot, well held by the keeper
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It is our qualiity that made that goal. Enthusiasm by Burnley can only go so far.
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kos puts it out for a corners after we are opened up too easily
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I agree but the Buddhas dont. But then they dont watch footicus!
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arfield booked for hauling down Alexis, that should be him off, but he got away with on on Ospina.
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re the buddhas that was for Steww re Accentuate lyrics.
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El neny well over after good build up play
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scumbag Barton on as a sub
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Last was probably Elneny’s best chance.
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I got that Millsy. Missed the goal after computer had a brain fart.
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