An unforgetable, unbelieveable, fantastic, wonderful and all-round brilliant night at Highbury. If the kids finally blossomed against Real Madrid, they are in full bloom now.
I did get all I wanted for my brithday on Tuesday. Yes, stag, you and I share the same birthday (who’d a thunk it!). And our views on Arsenal couldn’t be more diverse.
I’ve been gone for a while. Mostly, I did it to escape the negativity here, which had gotten so thick you needed a chainsaw to cut through it. We were a crap team with a crap manager, crap tactics, crap players etc. Those of us who tried to keep a positive outlook on the fortunes and future of the club, and who insisted (as stubbornly as our manager) that the kids would come good eventually, were told to take off the red tinted glasses, wake up and smell the coffee.
Suddenly, things have turned around, and we’re fabulous once again. The “crap” kids who, not so long ago were the worst idea in the history of Arsenal FC, have suddenly began turning in the performances Wenger has always known they could and would produce.
On Tuesday night, Wenger’s new vision for Arsenal was revealed. His kids completely blew Juventus off the park. I hardly saw Emerson for the 90 minutes. Just before the second goal, a friend with whom I was watching the match exclaimed in awe, “Juventus can’t even get the ball! See the way Arsenal are rushing them!!!” He was slack-jawed in amazement. And, when the commentator said, after the second goal, “When Arsenal play like this, no team in the world can stop them.” he nodded his head like a hypnotised lizard.
Of course, I sported an ear to ear grin. It was a fabulous performance, and every single player put 110% into the game, from front to back.
My mum, a die-hard Man Utd fan, called to congratulate me, and said, “This could be your year.”
And it really could. I know the players aren’t robots, and can’t possibly turn in such high-octance performances week-in, week-out. All I ask is that the committment never drops. As long as that remains, we will succeed. Keep the faith guys!!
And a very, very, very, very, happy birthday to Stag in arrears.
GO GUNNERS!!!
16 Responses to “All I Want For My Birthday”
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April 1st, 2006 at 8:02 am
Nice post.
I’m also back on the site.
It’s was too painfull to listen to some guys.
The commitment and football have emerged in this team.
The team’s getting better, sharper at the right time.
We play in CL with more belief now.
That’s great to see.
Now people talk seriously about our chance.
I’m increasingly planning for Paris just in case….
April 1st, 2006 at 8:21 am
I unfortunately stuck around during the negative times and yes it was really getting too negative or shall I say as they call it - REALISTIC!!
Well either way - the kids are beginning to blossom and believe that their is more to come from them….
We will be even better next year in the league for sure….whether we keep Henry or not - I feel he will stay though and boost everyone at the club by announcing he is staying!!
April 1st, 2006 at 9:08 am
Hey Loko… belated birthday wishes to you as well, and you got the same gift as I did as well!
Enjoy. Not many of those rare nights happen, espcially when you are THERE to experience it.
Now… back to REALITY!
haaaah, had to say it.
We have played better football of late. We’ve been excellent at times. But lets not get too carried away, please. Yes, ENJOY the great wins over Madrid and now Juventus. It was exciting to watch and much appreciated by all supporters. We’ve been wanting and waiting for that type of commitment and determination all season long.
BUT… we aren’t THE ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB again just yet. Sorry. Its been a good run of a handful of matches, but we’re not even in next years CL yet… far from it. We don’t play anything close to the breathtaking football we played a few years back. The talent level is less and the skills are less. We need to do more the old fashioned way. Nothing … ABSOLUTELY NOTHING… wrong with that, but its not the same free flowing football and 24 passes strung together and a goal that we all enjoyed.
We need to CONTINUE to play extremely well to finish out the season for obvious reasons. We are in 5th place and thats not good enough. We are not in the Semi Finals of the CL “YET”… we have a lot of work to do still.
GOOD START on getting there. Wenger made mistakes this season, he’s admitted it. We have TEN LOSSES in the league. Thats not good.
BUT… it the bad memories can be erased with a strong finish and some glorious European nights.
BE HAPPY. We appeared to have turned the corner… but “it ain’t over yet”.
Lets get the 3 points today… as Chelsea drew again, and UNITED will be hungry to turn Bolton over and inch closer to making it a title race again.
YES, it appears United can catch Chelsea!!!!!!!
Now United are probably saying the same things our supporters are… Fergie out, we suck… to… We’re awesome, and they can possibly WIN THE LEAGUE this year. Its not that far fetched!
April 1st, 2006 at 9:55 am
Well well…
Half Time Scores:
ARSENAL 2 Villa 0 (Cesc off injured)
Bolton 1 United 1
Newcastle 3 Totts 1
VERY VERY VERY good day for us so far.
45 more minutes of scorelines like this and we are looking FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC for the first time in a long time.
Come on Arsenal… Come on United… Come on Brown Ales!!!!!!!!!!!
April 1st, 2006 at 10:16 am
Good post but let’s not get carried away. Most people on this website agreed that the kids have “potential” but were worried about our performances this season. 10 losses don’t lie. The league table does not lie.
I don’t remember too many saying the players are crap or the manager is crap. Just that the performances were crap and they were. Even during those times, barring a few, most of the criticism was directed against the seniors like Pires, Ljunberg, Gilberto and Campbell.
Everyone thought that the kids would come of age in a season or two. It is true that they seem to have blossomed a little earlier than that. But one must remember that it’s only in the CL. Our away record in the league still sucks. We need to set it right. We have games against ManU and Portsmouth coming up. It will be a good indicator of how far the team has come.
To be a truly great team, I think we still need to achieve two targets. A Euro victory and back to back titles. We’ve done the rest - league wins, FA Cup wins, doubles. We have even gone a season unbeaten (unlikely to be repeated). This year, we might achieve the Euro dream, but when will we win back to back titles?
All said and done, the team is developing fantastically. Only one thing can derail it - Henry’s departure. To ensure that he does not leave, we must secure CL football next year. We are close to it but not yet there.
In some ways, Henry’s comments about his contract situation have mirrored Arsenal’s form. When the going was bad, he came out and declared his love for the club and intention to stay. But he also made it crystal clear that he won’t stay around if the bad performances continue.
Wenger responded by signing Ade, Diaby and Walcott. Things have been better since. Now Henry has said that only ambition matters. It is clear that we have to get to that coveted 4th spot or win the CL.
One thing that has continually frustrated me (as a fan) is Arsenal’s inability to build on every league title. I don’t know why we haven’t done it. With this young team, it should be easier, because it is likely to stick around for long. In some ways, I do see a similarity between this team and Fergie’s fledgings of the mid-90s. I hope we go on to greater glory than them.
April 1st, 2006 at 10:59 am
Great results allround. Arsenal win 5-0. Tottenham and Bolton lose.
ManU are red hot. We are going to find it very difficult next weekend. Just seven points between them and Chelsea with a game between the two still to play.
April 1st, 2006 at 10:59 am
Portsmouth win 3-1 away to Fulham. That away game isn’t going to be easy either.
April 1st, 2006 at 11:01 am
As they say in the Poker World, “ALL IN”.
The scores from today’s fun-festival are in, and they are sensational.
5-0 Arsenal. Not on TV, so I didn’t see it, but does 5-0 lie? Don’t think so. BRILLIANT.
Anyone want to chime in on the Cesc injury? Let’s hope its not serious.
Bolton 1 United 2.
Fantastic. Late goal by United sink Bolton. Yes, odd to be happy about a United win, but it was important for the Arsenal. GREAT.
Newcastle 3 Totteringham 1
That caps the day for me. BIG loss for the Totts, coupled with our big win. We are IN CONTROL of our own destiny. If we do what we have to do, nothing anybody else does matters.
Can’t be better or simpler than that at the end of the day. GREAT DAY FOR THE ARSENAL.
Enjoy your day Gooners!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 1st, 2006 at 11:04 am
Both Fabregas and Eboue were replaced due to injury. Hope it’s nothing serious.
April 1st, 2006 at 11:59 am
Well, That is a great post.
I join this site midway through this season and became an Arsenal supporter last season so I don’t have the experience that most of you do. However, it seems to me that this was really a tranisition year and I know that everyone knows that. What I do think that people tend to forget is that we need to rebuild the team every so often and it isn’t pretty during that time. That’s what we seen this season, and I can only hope that we continue to get better next season.
April 1st, 2006 at 12:33 pm
What drugs are you on Stag? What the hell!?
We’re playing the best football under Wenger than we have ever played.
If you hadn’t noticed, we played consistently crap against european teams for eight yeas and it’s only now we are actually playing the beautiful game against these teams. Before we could beat Juventus, like in 2001-2002, but I don’t recall any onlookers saluting our great football. That’s because we DIDN’T play great football.
Arsenal, with your man Vieira, never played any good football against Man United or Liverpool, bar a second half against Man Utd in 2001. Last five years we consistently churned out dross against these teams, not to mention the pitiful performances against Panathaikos etc.
We’re not as spectacular on the counter attack, that’s it. And at the top level, that never worked anyway.
April 1st, 2006 at 6:49 pm
Don’t agree at all.
No way are close to the levels we were at when we won the double and went undefeated.
Because we’ve been lucky in the draw and played well for a handful of European matches, we are better than before?
We have 10 losses in the league.
Its not even close Mazza.
I don’t equate success in the CL with a team being good. They aren’t the same thing.
April 2nd, 2006 at 12:43 pm
I stayed and I?m happy I did ;)~ It wasn?t that hard to do even if I had to bump up my dosage of Celexa.
I don?t mean this to be critical of anyone in particular but as this site is meant to be one of analysis and critique by Gunners for Gooners I assume I can be critical. Firstly, iron sharpens iron ? it?s important to have criticism if it?s thoughtful and not just tossed out like firecrackers into a fire to create controversy. This site remains a forum and not a monologue or blog like conversation. It?s a fan site predicated on freedom of speech and I value that even if at times I wonder what others are saying and why. That?s good to if you ask the questions and debate contentious issues when you read them.
I?m not trying to take a piece out of anyone or be disrespectful but I was just thinking that If more of the Positive Nicks had of stayed and published more, maybe it might have had a leveling effect to the Negative Petes. Look how it affected me I went from beatnik, to Positive Pete, to Positive Nick, to PeteNik and back again and it helped me understand the Negative Nicks perspective and why their NegaPete?s today.
One observation I?d like to make though, or maybe it?s a question in that polemical sort of way: Why is it that the Negative Nicks don?t seem to complain about all the Positive Pete postings?
Whether Nick or Pete I am, glad your back!
The one thing that has never been in doubt is that we?re all Gunners!
________
I?m hoping your Mom is right about this being the year. If she is kiss her for me.
April 2nd, 2006 at 4:32 pm
The question was whether we were playing better football than before. In the last six game we have played fantastic football, better than ever, because of the calibre of opposition.
The team at the moment is completely different to the one at the start of the season. both in personnel, chemistry and evolvement. The team of two years ago was a team that had played together for a while. It was a fantastically consistent team that was too strong for the lesser clubs but was far from convincing against the top teams in England and EUROPE.
I agree this team has ways to go. The next two games will say alot. But in terms of playing football in one-off games this team is superior to the undfeated team. There is no way we would be in this position in the champions league now if Vieira and Gilberto were still playing together.
April 2nd, 2006 at 10:51 pm
This team can’t hold a candle to the undefeated team. One off games mean NOTHING.
You are never as good, or as bad as your last game. 6 games does not a season make. An undefeated season says it all. Never been done before, might never be done again.
Not even comparable. I’m not interested in looking at a window of 5 or 6 six matches. Its meaningless.
April 3rd, 2006 at 6:07 am
Undefeated? Still only one title. If I recall we spent the last five or six games playing for a draw with the title already sewn up. Great stuff that was. Not. The jury will always be out on that achievement for me, especially considering the amount of close shaves we had that season.
Man Utd away: 0-0. Created what? one chance in the whole game?
Man Utd home: 1-1. Give the game away with our midfield collapsing. United equalised and gained psychological advantage for F.A Semi.
Portsmouth 1-1 home. Pires dive for Penalty saves our ass in a game Amdy Faye dominates. Yes, Amdy Faye.
Fulham 0-0 at home. Great.
Birminghame 0-0 at home. ZZZzzzzz
Leicester 1-1 away. Inspiring stuff.
So, Stag, where is this breath-taking football? Was it our crap performance against Liverpool away when we stole the three points or was it at Chelsea when Edu scored a scrappy goal from corner? Or at home against Chelsea when Cudicine gave us the match?
One game stands. Liverpool at home with a great henry individual effort. Apart from that, scratch head time. Leeds at home 5-0. Yep Leeds, relegated awful Leeds. Middlesbrough 4-0 away. Jeez what a result, almost on the same par as 4-0 away at Fulham this season I would think.
Breathtaking football? Completely delusional. More like breathtakingly attritional.