Now is the time to look forward, to Tuesday’s game.
Blind faith, hoplessly optimism, call it as u like, WE WILL WIN.
As far as I’m concerened, this is the moment of truth. It will tell us how the current Arsenal side is really made of. A GREAT team don’t crack under pressure. We are freshed off from a heartbreaking defeat, with the knowledge that Chelsea is catching us in the league, and another two crucial Premiership matches waiting at the corner. Now this is PRESSURE.
There are only two way Arsenal will response - either bottle it, or gaining strength through adversity. It’s no longer about skills, talent, it’s all about MENTAL. A great talented team without mental strength could never be able to call themselves as a GREAT TEAM. It’s now all up to the players to prove themselves.
This is the type of match Tony Adams used to love, as Tony always stated - Arsenal loves to do it the hard way. It used to be like that. Do we still have this spirit and determination with us?
Personally, I have no doubt the answer is YES. Bare with me fellow Gooners, perhaps I’m a bit emotional at the moment, but I really hope all of us here would give our FULL support and show our faith to our team PRIOR to a match, rather than hailing them after they won it.
24 Responses to “Arsenal V Chelsea - Keep the faith”
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April 4th, 2004 at 6:46 pm
Amen, Andez. Your comments have also brought something to my attention.
There are a few of you out there who can remember the growing years of great teams. Not good teams who have snagged a few pieces of silverware, but great teams, that have learned through pain and mistakes what it takes to be the best and do things like win three big trophies in a single season and be threatening and competitive year in, year out.
Arsenal seem to be in an adolescence of sorts, feeling their power for the last decade or so, always being there, huffing and puffing, when the lead horse looks back. This year, we saw The Arsenal string an unbeaten streak, and for stretches, have all cylinders firing at once. The Inter thrashing had announced our arrival. There was talk of treble, of a new era. Many here have said so, and it bears repeating…
…let’s not get ahead of ourselves. If you’ve ever seen Arsene in an interview when he’s asked what the level of disappointment will be in the team if they were to drop some of the trophies everyone said they were bound to win, you probably noiticed that bemused grin. He tries to settle down the media and remind them of the unbeaten streak. There is nothing to be ashamed of, losing. We are still learning. Fast.
And we’re young. Outside of DB10, I think our next veteran is Pires, at 30. It goes down from there, drastically. We’re at that stage, perhaps, where we’re full of power and promise, but still at the very edge of full maturity.
If we steal the league, and squeak past Chelsea to the semi’s, who out there can honestly say that this year wasn’t fantastic, and that higher honors would be the stuff of magic. Gliding in and winning the treble would have been a lot like being a teen pop star…a lot of reward for talent, but little equipment for the long haul.
So maybe the story is playing out like a great film: great promise, super highs, depressing struggles, and finally, pulling out the one, the real one, that defines the team for 2003-2004. Which one will that be? Could be Tuesday, or maybe later, when we’re forced to battle hard for the league, fighting our demons to avoid a repeat of last year.
Our Gunners are growing up.
April 4th, 2004 at 8:05 pm
All Gunners will be up for Tuesday’s game with 100% support for the team. As I said am not going to judge the team for what happen yesterday until Tuesday. Now is the time for them to prove themselves and show some mental strength and physically.
I dont think we will bottle it this year and if it happens I expect to see some new changes.
After reading most of the press reports with gunners at the bar none of us will go against the team but the way we lost this FA Cup is very painful knowing how most Brits cherish that cup and not saying we dont have to win the League and CL. After what happen 4 years old I was looking forward to this game more than anything.
All is history now but still a true Gunner.
But hey the good thing is the Lions will have my support like most gunners and Londoners I know.
In Europe and London will be proud of the small team
April 4th, 2004 at 10:00 pm
No pressure really..
I mean Chelsea haven’t conceded a single goal away from home in the Champions League this year and that’s playing one more game than Arsenal. They have scored 10 !
..Chelsea have scored against Arsenal in all four games this year.
Chelsea scored two goals at Highbury on two occasions last season.
Chelsea don’t have to break “the jinx” to win the tie - a 2-2 draw sees them through.
Chelsea have won their last two games and are unbeaten in 9
Chelsea have never failed to reach the quarter finals of the Champions League, Arsenal have failed on several occasions and have never progressed beyond them.
..As I said, no pressure really….
April 4th, 2004 at 10:04 pm
Oh the hilarity of it all. How does it feel to be owned by some former commie? Are you lot going to stop flying the Cross of St. George in favour of the hammer and sickle?
April 4th, 2004 at 10:05 pm
I’m getting off the lost but Chelsea will paid for this. Family aside but I can see us beating the crap out of them. A gunner for life and knows we will bouces back strong. Maybe this was a lession that nothing is yours until is in your hand.
But I really enjoy reading this article below. About how it all went wrong.
http://www.anr.uk.com/articles/m-2004-04-04-22-48-54.html
April 4th, 2004 at 10:11 pm
Who do you support? Yes we were crap yesterday but what are you on here. I welcome all sorts of fans but as you know Chelsea will never beat us. Yes I heard it all today from my spurs, chelsea and United friends but I promise you, we will be back.
Ok, let me take the word never out but will not beat us this Tuesday.
April 4th, 2004 at 11:27 pm
..Well at least we don’t wear Red ! LOL !
April 4th, 2004 at 11:34 pm
It’s inevitable…
you are sinking, Chelsea, with unlimited resources, are rising….
You look like King Canute trying to hold back the tide…
Be afraid, be very afraid…
BTW didn’t you already lose 0-3 at home in this competition this year? just checking..
April 4th, 2004 at 11:48 pm
“LOL !”? What does that translate to in English? I don’t have a Russian-to-English dictionary.
April 4th, 2004 at 11:49 pm
I expect to see an inspired Arsenal team on Tuesday, who are playing like a wounded animal fighting for its life.
I believe in our team. We didn’t play badly on Saturday, but we didn’t play well enough. We need to finish our chances… and play up to the level of a CL Semi-Finalist!!!
We do have an advantage… Chelsea have to score… we do not. I don’t think that will matter, but if we get to half at 0-0… and beyond, then it becomes a factor.
Obviously, we are all behind the team. I have taken the afternoon off work to watch the match!
Luckily, my boss is a soccer crazed nut from Portugal, who’ll understand the importance!
(as he’ll be watching Porto on Wednesday!)
ROLL ON ARSENAL… step up to the challenge!
April 4th, 2004 at 11:53 pm
Again, your use of strange Russian words is off-putting. “BTW”? Niet niet, Soviet.
April 5th, 2004 at 1:47 am
So the best you can do is slag off Chelsea with an unproven accusation that their owner was a communist?
He would have been about 18 when the Berlin Wall came down, so hardly a political giant of any persuasion at that time I would think.
Either way it’s irrelevant - your season is about to go the way of the Berlin Wall…LOL !
April 5th, 2004 at 1:57 am
Great Response comrade, about as weak as Arsenal’s will be on tuesday I’d say..
Once you are dumped out of two cups in four days how do you fancy your chances against Liverpool and Newcastle ?
Chelsea top of the league on Easter Monday , I think …
April 5th, 2004 at 8:45 am
A question, Grim_Reaper. Would you be an American citizen?
April 5th, 2004 at 10:29 am
Yes BarnetFCGunner, like u, i had waited for 4 years for that match, in one of my previous posts i also stated this was the game i wanted to win most (the FA Cup semi vs Man U). 4 years before it was hurt, what happened two days ago hurt even more. but well, there is always tomorrow. nothing is gonna to shake my faith to our Gunners.
April 5th, 2004 at 11:05 am
Yes Scotty, u picked an excellent word - our team are GROWING UP. I’m eagerly find out how our team will response to the FA Cup set back. A setback is part and parcel of football, important thing is how u response to it.
I believe in this current side is because they had proven themselves before. Remember the 2001 FA Cup, when most of us felt being hard done by by both referees and luck after an unbelieveable defeat to Liverpool which we were dominated them for most part of the match. The next season? Arsenal took it as a personal mission to win the FA Cup back. And we did.
And then, after last season’s heartbreaking defeat to Man U in the Premiership title race, we went 30 matches unbeaten this season around. Though we haven’t clinched the Premiership title yet, I have 100% faith that we WILL.
As the words chosen by Stag, I also expect to see Arsenal come out tomorrow fighting like wounded animals. I can forgive everything, the only thing i can’t tolerate is lack of effort. Boy, am i missed Tony or not! Had Tony still around, I can bet everything on Tony will drive the lads forward, not only just to qualify for the CL, but for PRIDE. Go Gunners, show us the Arsenal spirit!
April 5th, 2004 at 11:17 am
Scotty, i am not writing this to please you, but ur comments have been simply excellent! The thing i like about ur comments so far is - you have this ability to look beyond one single game’s outcome, and look upon the bigger picture instead.
u r right - no gain without pain.
April 5th, 2004 at 11:22 am
Well Andez… if you are looking for that player
with that “fighting spirit”… and a throw back to the Good Old Arsenal… he is on the bench.
MARTIN KEOWN
I think he showed he still has that attitude and passion… in the 1st match at Old Trafford this year…
Not sure I’d start him over Kolo… but we do have “that type of player” in Keown.
I think Viera is of that ilk as well…
April 5th, 2004 at 1:30 pm
I appreciate your comments, Andez. Always look forward to a post from you.
Funny, “No gain without pain” more or less summed up in four words what I was getting at in a thousand.
I find it helps to think like AW. Yes, he gambled away the FA Cup, but sometimes you have to do that. Sol Campbell had a lot of positive things to say about the game, like had the ball bounced the right way just once, or some players punished for using their hands and fouling ability, we’d be celebrating. Can’t help but think that AW would have come off like a genius, then.
They will be back, and stronger, I believe.
April 5th, 2004 at 5:29 pm
Who let the dogs out
April 5th, 2004 at 9:04 pm
Russian, American, English?
What has my nationality got to do with anything?
Prepare to meet your Champions League doom…
April 5th, 2004 at 9:26 pm
It’s funny, really. This guy comes to taunt us, and will be incessant if Chelski goes through at our expense. However, if the Arsenal go through, he’ll either never come back, or just write some posts about how the Arsenal got lucky, Chelski were cheated, etc etc. Ironic, isn’t it? One of the reasons Claudio Ranieri is so well-liked is because of his gentlemanly conduct, and then Chelski supporters cannot even imitate the person they claim to so adore. And they say WE are the arrogant ones…
April 6th, 2004 at 4:42 pm
..And you will bottle it in the league too………
One team in Europe, there’s only one team in Europe….
it’s no0t about arrogance, it’s about mind games, you have been playing mind games with Chelsea for six years ,just as Chelsea has been with Spurs.
Well it’s over now.
Your star is fading
Hail the new KINGS OF LONDON !
April 8th, 2004 at 12:58 am
You were warned….
Now watch in horror as you League Championship bid goes down in flames …AGAIN….
The Grim Reaper…