As stated, be patiented with the kids, they may not be consistent at times, yet given time, eventually they will come around. Imagine had Wenger pressed the panic button and bought ourseleves a new defender or forward during the past transfer window, we wouldn’t be able to see van Persie’s two great goals in the FA Cup semi today, and prove the talent he has. Make no mistake, at this early stage of his career, when he’s still very much learning his trade, there will be days he go disappeared in a match. Yet as I said, be patiented.
Have to take the hat off for Blackburn’s effort, they surely have fought like warriors and made life difficult for us. Once again, it’s Robert Pires, who else?! who grabbed us a vital first goal. I have lost track on how many crucial goals Pires has scored for us. He may be getting older, and lost his pace a bit. Yet he’s one of the most intelligent players I ever seen. Knowing that he can’t rely on his pace as often as before, he drifts middle and taking up some excellent position which allows him to be at the right place the right time. 15 goals from midfield this season, they didn’t come by “accident”.
19 Responses to “We are in the final!”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
April 16th, 2005 at 7:54 pm
Bobby’s top class.
Can be out form sometimes like anybody but he’s very often there when we need to find the key of the match.
He did the same with France.
RVP second goal reminded me Trezeguet winner against Italia in EurO 2000.
Same position and same cross from same Bobby.
April 16th, 2005 at 8:33 pm
I’m very pleased with Arsenal’s performances lately, BUT I need to see how we play against bigger and better teams. The rest of the season will say a lot. Our record against our biggest rivals, Chelsea, Man Utd, Tottenham & Liverpool is really horrible over the past 2 years. We hardly seem capable of getting wins against these teams and Pires, Ljungberg etc. are disappearing in these big games.
I am very cautious about people saying that Arsenal are back to their best. A defeat against Chelsea on Wednesday will merely reinforce my view that we need 3 or 4 players in the summer if we are to effectvely challenge for anything worthwhile next season. I will probably still think that even if we win.
April 16th, 2005 at 9:52 pm
Danny, when was the last time the Totts beat us? When was the last time they finished above us?
Chelsea. They’ve beaten us ONCE in the last 19 or 20 tries?
We’ve struggled with United. No debate there, but they are BEHIND us now. Liverpool have trouble beating any EPL team right now. I seem to recall a BIG win last season against them though.
We played very well today. We have played EXCELLENT defense in recent weeks. Accept it for what it is. We are a good team. We have alot of great young talent.
We will need to buy a few players in the Summer. I think thats definite. Some folks will probably leave in the Summer. It happens every year. With another solid defender, a keeper… and say?? Rosicky or Essien in midfield?? I’d be quite pleased going into next year.
But thats all for the Silly Summer Season. Right now, ENJOY the good form and run in. We are playing some of our best football this season NOW.
April 16th, 2005 at 10:04 pm
Recent History against the BIG 4:
v.Man Utd. since 1999
W5 D4 L7 (lost last 4 matches)
v. Totts since 1999
W7 D4 L1 (just one loss in last 12, that was in 1999)
v.Liverpool since 1999
W5 D3 L5 (however, prior to this season’s last second 2-1 defeat, we have not lost a match to Liverpool in the previous 7)
v.Chelsea since 1999
W10 D7 L1 (one lone defeat in the previous 18, perhaps the most important of all in the CL, but we OWN this team in recent history)
April 16th, 2005 at 11:45 pm
Disagree with your “hat’s off” to Blackburn comment. From Savage’s waste-high challenge that deserved a Red Card to the cheap shot on RVP - those dudes are a disgrace.
April 17th, 2005 at 7:26 am
Yes. I was dreading the match because I’d expected them to play dirty as they don’t have the talent to do anything else but even I was shocked at the utterly calculated way they lined to take it turns to kick their targeted players - i.e. Vieira and Reyes. Those weren’t just bad or late challenges; it was a completely cynical strategy which could - and was possibly intended to - have caused incapacitating injuries, e.g. like the one they inflicted on Robben. Only the elbow on van P wasn’t calculcated: that was pure spite.
April 17th, 2005 at 7:38 am
I don’t think we’re anything like back to our best, but we ground out an impressive result against a bunch of thugs which, at our elegant best, we might not have had the discipline to do. No complaints. It was a competent performance under horrible conditions, and the little display of 40-odd passes was very pretty to watch.
I’m not that confident about Wednesday. Chelsea have the advantage because they are rested and there’s no denying they’re the higher-quality side right now. Hope Freddie is himself again. Hope Thierry is back. I’d like to see him and van P starting together. We really need to know how well or badly that partnership functions so we can plan for next year.
April 17th, 2005 at 8:43 am
Miranda,
I really don’t think Chelsea have got a better quality team.
It just happens in football you can win a trophy without being necessairely the true best. It’s all a matter of good or bad season.
We have still to play two game in a row with a full Arsenal side in the season 2004/2005 while Chelski have got their full team the time they created the 13 points gap.
AT I can’t remember a game with the full Arsenal squad this season.
Many people are calling for new players because they are at the point they can’t even remember our world class players out of action.
April 17th, 2005 at 11:00 am
I said 2 years. I’m more concerned about recent form, because that is a more realistic indicator of how we are doing. We have only won 2 out of out last 12 against those clubs. That’s not good enough.
April 17th, 2005 at 12:21 pm
Danny, you sound like the type that if you were to win the lottery, all you’d do is complain about how much they take out in taxes.
” defeat against Chelsea on Wednesday will merely reinforce my view that we need 3 or 4 players in the summer if we are to effectvely challenge for anything worthwhile next season.”
Can the 3 or 4 come form our talented reserves & youth section or do they have to be big name, big money signings &make Arsenal an EPL Galacticos before Danny is happy?
And what is an effective challenge defined as Danny? Winning a trophy? Losing in the final of a tournament? B/c going out of the EPL in the quarterfinals, getting into the FA Cup Final & possibly qualifying for the ECL automatically, I’d say is effective challenges for worthwhile anythings.
April 17th, 2005 at 1:16 pm
Yes u are probably right. I was talking about their effort, always like teams who play hard and give their all. But i have to admit some of their players were way over the line. Andy Todd, in particular, was shameful on his shoulder charge on van Persie.
April 17th, 2005 at 1:18 pm
An effective challenge is being in the mix for the big trophies with a month or two of the season to go. That’s where Arsenal should be, but right now we are out of the Champions League again, unable to get beyond the quarter finals for 7 seasons - dismal underachievement however you look at it. Are you happy with that? I’m not. Maybe you don’t give a cr*p. I do.
We are also eleven points behind Chelsea, and should be closer. It doesn’t help that we don’t seem able to beat the big clubs anymore.
Ok, if you want to sit on your arse and accept it that’s fine. It’s fans like you who obviously don’t really care about the club or its future if you just ‘hope’ things will get better.
Now Arsenal are ona good run you assume we will steamroller every team in front of us without even looking at who we have played and how we have played. Maybe you are a bit stupid and don’t think very intelligently, but I do.
Arsene Wenger won’t be at Arsenal forever, if he is a capable enough manager to win in Europe and bring us further domestic success then we need new additions. Not necessarily great big expensive ones; it’s not my job to buy players it’s his, but it’s obvious he needs to buy a few at least. Success in football in cyclical, Arsenal are in a great period of their history, one where we could conceivably win historic trophies like the Champions League for the first time, or at least compete. I prefer to urge Arsenal to grasp that opportunity, and not throw seasons away by doing the sort of unprofessional things that Wenger has this season, both tactically and by not buying a decent centre back in the summer.
Maybe you would rather we were like Tottenham. Like you, their board has sat on its arse for decades hoping everything will be alright. Let’s push for more glory while it is in our grasp, not throw it away. When Wenger goes Arsenal might be nothing much for another 20 years.
April 17th, 2005 at 1:25 pm
Danny, u r right that we don’t want to be like Spurs. Did u know Spurs spent a time more than we did since AW took over Arsenal? And what had they won? In Arsenal we always spend carefully, so that we will never go down the road as Spurs.
April 17th, 2005 at 2:02 pm
I agree that I am disappointed in Arsenal not being in the Champions League, which many of us are. I wish we made it beyond the quarterfinals, but we haven’t…I’m not gonna remain so upset about it, instead look forward to next year and hopefully move beyond this bad streak. It doesn’t mean I don’t give a cr*p.
We are 11 points behind Chelsea, but we also finished the season last year with 90 points, and we currently have 70. Chelsea might be having a great year and all, while we have struggles, but we have also won 21 games, more then any other team except Chelsea.
I think after last year and the wonderful unbeated run we had, that we expect the same, or close to the same again, which we should. But what makes it even worse is the great run Chelsea are on. It just seems to me lots of people are upset with where we are now, when we have still accomplished alot. I support Arsenal completely and I do care. I care alot.
As for a centre back, I think that Senderos has proven that he has so much potential. I personally think we need more help in the midfield and goal keeping departments.
But then that’s just my opinion…yet one of the many wonderful things about this place…
Go Arsenal!
April 17th, 2005 at 2:43 pm
Mancs whip newcastle 4-1 (was hoping for a comeback till it was 2-0 and even at 3-1). so guess its going to be cowabanga dudes, and pizza time again at cardiff!
April 17th, 2005 at 3:53 pm
Playing against Man U again.
Well technically, Man u have thrown Arsenal out of every local competetion this year.
Starting with ending the unbeaten run, then throw our kids away from the Carling Cup, then they come agian and throw our hopes to win the prem leauge away with a nasty come at our home..
So Arsenal should act back, and I want to see the gunner gunning the Devils and beat them. To win the FA cup final against Man U could prove that Arsenal did a fairly good season.
Lets go gunners Beat Man U … do Chelsea in you way !
April 18th, 2005 at 12:37 am
A few observations on the Blackburn game and the postings here ever since:
I was finding it scandalous that Reyes could get so much stick (count how many postings since the game comprising of criticisms on his play/short comings & what to do with him or where could he be disposed of etc), while Bergkamp, who had an even more ineffective game IMHO, gets practically nothing. Then I realised that it was because Dennis was so anonymus that no one remembers him ever being in the game! Seriously, the hypocrisy of some gooners is baffling.
Arsenal managed to string together 47 passes from 58th to 60th minute. Is that a record? It could have been about 53 passes if scumbag Savage did not stick his f_cking leg out on the 48th pass to deflect the ball to another Arsenal player.
Another time Scumbag stuck his f_cking leg out was his knee high challenge on Cesc - this should be reviewed by the FA video panel. Mind you, he is from the same academy that produced the eternal Manure scumbag G Neville.
Todd’s elbow on RVP was intentional - though he regreted it afterwards - it was all over his face. Running towards goal from outside the box there was no way that he did not see RVP who just scored. His fixated stare at the goal rather than looking at the shooter was an obvious disguise of his intention. He probably did not intend to get RVP’s mouth but Todd for sure wanted to give him a knock, out of frustration.
By the way, many called for RVP to be sold after he made a couple of mistakes & got sent off during the Southampton game. I still don’t know whether he is the real deal yet but the signs of greatness are showing. And he came on for….Dennis, who, may I dare say, had a poorer game than Reyes.
April 18th, 2005 at 9:35 am
Unfortunately Bergkamp is pretty much finished as a player in my eyes. His contribution to the team is negligible. He is nowhere near the player he was even 5 years ago.
I think he is hampering Arsenal’s progress in Europe too, Wenger will not buy another top class striker as long as Bergkamp is there, which means in Europe there are problems when he does not play as Henry is partnered with somebody he is not used to.
April 18th, 2005 at 1:43 pm
Good job, Danny, but there’s between not winning & then griping about it which only makes it worse. If you want to whine & moan, by all means keep doing it, b/c there’s a difference to me between when my team wins & loses & my happiness but please feel free to be the dad, the uncle, the brother, the boyfriend that gets upset & stays angry the whole week/summer/year/life when his club loses.
“Ok, if you want to sit on your arse and accept it that’s fine. It’s fans like you who obviously don’t really care about the club or its future if you just ‘hope’ things will get better.”
Because hoping for things to get better is far worse than b*tching & moaning about things which is usually so constructive.
“Maybe you would rather we were like Tottenham. Like you, their board has sat on its arse for decades hoping everything will be alright”
Last time I checked, Tottenham haven’t won a trophy for years & aren’t the current reigning EPL champions. Last time I checked, we are still in an opportunity to win the FA Cup Trophy. Last time I checked, the FA Cup is a pretty important trophy & the last time I checked using your logic from a previous post, Danny, that’s in the contention to challenge for a trophy.
Like you, the rest of the superfans can’t stand nothing less than sweeping all trophies & as for me, a fan who sits on my arse, I won’t die on those occasions when my club fails. Also, since we’re doing all this speculation about our personalities, it’s the superfans like yourself, that make going to sporting events & sitting next to superfans, such a chore.
“When Wenger goes Arsenal might be nothing much for another 20 years.”
True, Danny, but even before you mentioned in this post, I knew that football success, like life in general is cyclical, so with that knowledge, why whine & complain when you’re in the trough of the wave b/c it only makes the down time more intolerable & again being in the FA Cup Final, 2nd or 3rd in the EPL & the quarters in the ECL is such a failure of season.