Incredible. Absolutely incredible.
The first half started well enough, with Arsenal creating a few chances, and generally dictating the play. However, Bolton played a quick counter-attack, and yet another ball in the air beat our defense, and just like that it was 1-0 to Bolton.
Things got worse around the half-hour mark when Abou Diaby made a very dumb, very dangerous tackle for which he received a straight red. 1-0 down and reduced to ten men, things looked pretty bleak for the Gunners on a rainy day in Bolton. As if things couldn’t get any worse, Mathieu Flamini got caught in possession on the edge of the Arsenal penalty area, the ball found its’ way to Matthew Taylor whose shot deflected in off of William Gallas for his, and Bolton’s, second goal of the game.
2-0 at halftime and I was really beside myself. I remember thinking, “This team has given up. They’ve just given up.” The start of the second half did nothing to ease my fears, as Bolton came out of the gates looking for a third, hoping to kill off the game. Somehow, Arsenal withstood a number of corners, and Manuel Almunia made several good saves while Emmanuel Adebayor and Theo Walcott began warming up on the sidelines.
With about thirty minutes to go, Adebayor and Walcott came on to replace Bendtner and Senderos respectively. That changed the game dramatically. Within moments, Arsenal won a corner, and William Gallas found himself unmarked at the far post to slam the ball home. 2-1 Bolton with 27 minutes to go.
Five minutes later, and Adebayor found Flamini in space in the Bolton penalty area. The Flamster’s shot was saved and came back out to Alex Hleb. Hleb got to the ball, only to be taken down just a few feet from the penalty spot. The ref pointed to said spot, and up stepped Robin van Persie. van Persie slammed the ball home, scoring his first goal in months, to pull the ten-men Gunners level at 2-2 with just over twenty minutes to go.
Now the Gunners had Bolton on the back foot, and several chances came Arsenal’s way, but the scored stayed level going into stoppage time. Suddenly, Hleb made a great pass to put Super Cesc Fabregas in on goal. Cesc’s shot bounced off a defender and in. 3-2 Arsenal. The comeback was complete, and my whole neighborhood knew it.
If you didn’t see this game, then you really won’t be able to appreciate the enormity of the turnaround. For the first hour, Arsenal looked flat and disinterested. Then,after the substitutions, the confidence seemed to grow. Adebayor put the fear of God in those Bolton defenders, and Walcott was much more involved, using his speed to good advantage.
So, back to second, for a few hours anyway, and staying within shouting distance of Man U. Now it’s all Liverpool, all the time. At least for the next 10 days or so, as we play them three times in a row, starting with this Wednesday’s Champions League Quarter-Final at the Grove. Kickoff is at 2:45 PM ET, and the match will be shown live here in the States on ESPN2.
88 Responses to “Bolton 2 - 3 Arsenal”
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March 30th, 2008 at 10:52 am
It was the one of the games where the bigger picture can rendered irrelevant. One of those games to be taken as a singular event and enjoyed as such.
Supporting Arsenal is never dull that’s for sure.
However, viewed in broader terms the game confirmed my suspicions about this Arsenal side’s inablity to play their game when they play under conditions that they perceive as pressure; or in situations in which they are the favourite.
Watching the game yesterday I couldn’t help but notice there was alot of movement and verve in our game. Players all a of sudden looked liberated by relieving of our status as title contenders and started to enjoy the game again. Things proceeded to go against us in the first half but nevertheless I was encouraged by our play. Our enterprise was also evident in that last twenty-five minutes when we rescued the game.
The question is, why have played with such fear in the last month or so? The answer lies in the mentality of this team. And until they address this they will continue to rise to the top and sink in the same breath. And they will always be bridesmaids and never the bride.
Is it inexperience, is it the manager? Whatever it is, it is present and at its most virulent in occasions which matter most.
March 30th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Afonso Alves boobed bigtime else it’d been a draw at the Bridge. It was all Boro last 20 minutes. Sad.
@220:Mazza:previous thread. - Gallas moaning at Flamini. Fair enough. Flamini got disposessed. What about Gallas’s own mistake? Why is he never to blame at all? He’s been downright average for periods and only his goals(very important) have saved his performances from being criticized defensively. Fair enough , Flam lost the ball too easy but when you yourself are at fault it really makes no sense to point the finger at someone else. I’m not sure you’d agree with me on any criticism regarding Gallas,Hleb,Cesc n Mozart though
March 30th, 2008 at 11:02 am
“The comeback was complete, and my whole neighborhood knew it.”
LOL mine too dude
my neighbors must be wondering “Who the hell is ‘Cesc’ and what is he doing to the guy next door?”
March 30th, 2008 at 11:13 am
LDE, I can’t believe we analysing Gallas’ contribution to their second goal. There is no right or wrong way to address those situations. I’ve seen plenty of times in the past players close down the shot and it doesn’t make a blind bit of difference to the end result. In fact closing it down often results in the keeper being unsighted.
If we are criticising Gallas for that goal why aren’t we criticising Clichy for Drogba’s first goal last week? He just stood there and turned his back as well.
If it was Senderos it would have been brushed off as an unlucky fluke.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:15 am
flamini was surrounded by THREE defenders …. two of them from behind. Clichy should have cleared rather than pass INWARDS. so blaming flamini when he receives the ball facing his own goal and is immediately barged from BEHIND is ridiculous.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Gallas is not to blame either…….Senderos was rushing to a slide…..if Gallas had rushed as well they would have collided.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:19 am
@ 1: you talk so much UTTER COMPLETE NONSENSE it is fucking incredible. all the sentences in that comment are so bullshit responding to it will get me angry.
rationalize all your bullshit comments of the last few weeks all you like. fool yourself not us.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:21 am
I agree Clichy screwed up as well.
I was wondering whether anyone at noticed another Clichy ’special’ yesterday. In injury time he turned into Stevie Wonder again and failed to notice 14 stones of Kevin Davies closing him down in the corner flag. Another lucky escape.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Truth hurts eh Fred? Keep deluding yourself. It’s your call.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Thats exactly where I am coming from Mazza — The Senderos bit. The unlucky fluke. The fact that you refer to that is pertinent. Possibly Almunia gets unsighted if Gallas charges — possibly — but its conjecture yet again. The bigger issue is actually simpler. Lets reverse the roles Mazza. Put Sendy instead of Gallas in there. You think you’d have been saying what you did in Senderos’s defense? Honestly? I don’t think so.
As for Clichy, before the ball was on the ground we missed an aerial ball which was actually the root of the problem. However let me try and find a video of the first goal and I will try and answer your first question. I was too down to watch it carefully then.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Fred, Arsenal themselves have rationalised my comments. I don’t need to justify them to ignormamus’s like yourself who will probably still maintain in sixty years time that Arsenal’s season faltered when Gallas sat down on a pitch.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:28 am
I watched the first half of the game in utter disbelieve. I was whinging as Bolton went up by 1. Diaby’s red-card was completely justified and my spirit’s started to sink. The second Bolton goal and I was laying back in my sofa thinking if I was gutted last week I’m quartered this week, all that’s left of this trilogy is to go out and hang myself as in hung-drawn & quartered. At the half-time whistle I was spiralling into a manic state of depression compared to how I felt last Friday. Way up with hope’s and believe last Friday to utter despair, my club had slipped to third in the EPL, was loosing to Bolton with 1 man down, it was pissing rain, what a terrible week.
I had no choice my state of mind demanded it I had to turn the game off and get some room between my love of Arsenal and real life, a reality check. I turned the TV off and went to do some painting.
At 1:00am this morning I fired up the PVR (TIVO) to watch the second half. I stayed away from any news of the game so I was taking off from where I left at half time. The first 10 minutes where more agonizing hell with all those corners and then a beam of light the first goal. Then a redeeming and defining moment that all but had me wake up my wife and children with glee, the second goal. It’s really hard to contain yourself at 2:00am, so I just wept with joy instead. The rest you all know, a victory!!!
What a day, the sun is out melting the snow here like the lads melted my heart last night. Damn even this hangover feels good, as I most of polished off 4 ounces of Vodka during the game.
I pinch myself today knowing it was lowly Bolton but a difficult set of circumstances and they came back to win where others might of slumped their heads and given up. Kudos’
I have never turned of a game at half-time unless I had to and from now on I never will. I tormented myself for almost 12 hrs. of halftime hell thinking about the first half.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:29 am
and the beat goes on . . .
March 30th, 2008 at 11:29 am
LDE, in that situation I would not blame Sendy. When that sort of goal goes in you can only accept it and move on. I remember Senderos scoring an own goal against Chelsea about three years ago and I dismissed it then as well as bad luck.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Oh, Villagegunner. Do go away. You really are a tiresome c*nt.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Two observations unrelated to yesterday’s game:
First, David Bentley confirms what we all knew about him by hinting his future may be away from Ewood Park.
“I owe so much to Blackburn,” he told the Daily Star Sunday. “They have given me a platform - financially and to play every week.
“My contract is getting negotiated at the minute, but you never know what is round the corner.
“We need to be in Europe abut we are probably not going to make it - which is disappointing from a personal point of view.”
Second, in terms of Wednesday’s game against Liverpool, I wonder whether Wenger will stay with Gallas and Senderos in the middle given the speed of Torres. I think he may be tempted to use Eboue at right back because of the speed issue.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:37 am
You’re saying that now ;). Let me ask you in 1 single question then:
Defensively in a footballing sense ONLY who has been Arsenal’s best defender this season? An honest answer and we’ll drop this.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:39 am
I’m not much for name calling, as at 53 it seems somewhat immature but Mazza you really are a horse’s arse aren’t you.
Your so self-centered and don’t even realize how your writings come across as arrogant and gloating over the misfortunes of the team, they make you look like a horses arse. For you it’s not about the team or being a fan it’s all about you and your endless litany of gloom. On the day that you realize this truth, let me be the first to tell you, I TOLD YOU SO!
MAZZA, WHAT A HORSE’S ARSE YOU ARE.
__________________
Sorry guys, I know this is a new low for me but I’ve had just about enough. I wish there was away to filter out his comments, but there’s not.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:41 am
LDE, you don’t have to drop anything. It’s merely a discussion.
Sagna, Gallas, Clichy, Senderos, Toure…
I can’t call Sendy one of the best defenders when he has played half the games of someone like Gallas. I also think Gallas is a large reason why Senderos has managed to defend with some composure. But Senderos has done well this year.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:45 am
So gerard is yet another to act like a girl on a period. Yawn.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:50 am
I was talking just CB’s actually. Anyway we will agree to disagree on this. And I caught a video of the first goal at the Bridge. Have a look carefully..Anelka actaully pushes Clichy off sneakily thus not giving him time to charge the ball. Before Clichy gets up Drogba’s foot has almost connected with the ball. Plus the venom in the shot as well….look how late Almunia got down. Really though its all too much nitpicking. If the straight ball gets dealt with all this rubbish never happens and Drogba is not through on goal. Reminds me of that Bayern game years ago when Kolo boobed on a long ball and Pizarro scored.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Wow, Mazza, in a thread consisting of a mere 20 postings (9 of them by yourself), you call three different people an ignoramus, a c*nt, and a gril on a period. And the problem is not you, it’s us?
March 30th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
It’s strange, I don’t remember Toure being so inept in the air in 2003/2004. Maybe Stag was right in saying Campbell was alot more important than people thought.
Every goal against Chelsea should be taken with a grain of salt in some ways. Watching their match today convinced me that they are they are the luckiest team, domestically, that has ever played the game.
VG. There three or four twats on this site, including yourself, who all act like girls on a period. As in life, and on this forum, when alot of people are involved, you are going to get small percentage of idiots. Forgive me for not giving a toss what that small percentage think.
Go and join an entertainment forum or something, so you can gossip about things and over-dramatise everything.
March 30th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Gallas reminds me a bit of Peter Schmeichel. He really yelled a lot to his teammates whenever they made mistakes, that’s not nice to see.
I remember one incident David Seaman once revealed. During a match he made a mistake, Tony Adams yelled at him in his face. big Dave kept his mouth shut, waited until half time going into the dressing room, he then told Tony “Tone, i do not appreicate being yelled at on the pitch (and in front of everyone) so don’t do it again”.
not the exact words, but it’s something like that. credit to Tony, he did realize it might not necessary be a right thing to do, so he tuned down a bit afterward.
as LDE mentioned above, it’s easy to yell at teammates when they messed up. but what about himself?
nevertheless, there is one thing i can’t take it away from Gallas. whether he’s a good leader or not, he’s a winner, and he cares about winning very much. That Birmingham incident no doubt his behavior was child like. but u can also tell his FRUSTRATION. As to be frank, how Gallas reacted at that moment was exactly how I wanted to react as well - kicking and smashing something to vent my frustration. How could we GIFT away two points like that?
that say, Gallas has to realize now he’s a captain, he’s a LEADER. And as leader, apart from the ability to gear ur teammates up when the going get tough, he gotta be able to stay CLAM as well. as if the leader lost it on the pitch, it would inevitably be affecting his teammates as well.
March 30th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
“Maybe Stag was right in saying Campbell was alot more important than people thought. ”
WRONG. The only reason ppl might believe that it’s merely because - Sol’s NO LONGER playing for us.
believe me, if Sol’s still wearing an Arsenal shirt, whenever he made mistakes, he would be getting the exact SAME treatment as Senderos, Gallas, Toure did over here.
afterall, the only defenders we don’t see them making MISTAKES often are those who’s NOT PLAYING for us week in week out.
March 30th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
In the 2003/2004 season Andez. Campbell went downhill pretty much straight after that season.
March 30th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
@ mazza: ofcourse the claim you will attempt to make is that there is “no pressure”….that is your defense for all your utter BS statements of the last few weeks. and that is utter bollocks because there was even more pressure on this match than on the chelsea match.
it took the worst run of form since 1994 to topple this team off the top, but an utter cunt of your magnitude was full of REJOICING in saying “i told you so”.
you have been patrolling te site repeating how useless the team is and how we were all stupid for saying the team has CHARACTER.
now that the team has gone to bolton away, a ground we havent had joy in the league for years, gone 2 down, a man down and won at the death, you have finally seen that the team DOES have far more character and resolve for a team that is still a few years from peaking.
now that has slapped you in the face you come out here and try to “repair” what you said - and maybe retain your completely imaginary “rational fan” status.
fuck u, fuck off.
March 30th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
PS: is there ANYBODY on this website who has not traded a personal insult to Mazza? i guess not. SAYS IT ALL!
March 30th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Sorry, just couldn’t help myself. Mazza, when four or more people on a web forum think you’re a “twat” it’s almost a given that you are in fact a twat. Reign your ego in, it’s run completely out of control. You speak sense some of the time, but garbage most of the time.
Regarding, yesterday’s game. Toure was obviously at fault for goal 1. He saw the midfielder make his run and should have bust a gut to get in front of him. It was feeble defending, he’s completely lost the defensive plot since completely losing the plot in the ANC.
Toure has always been bad in the air, it’s just that Campbell was totally dominant in the air so you didn’t notice it as much as you do now. I particularly remember the Champions League game against Bayern Munich in 2005 (1-3) where Toure was particularly laughable in this respect, he hasn’t improved 10% since then.
Clichy was at fault for goal 2. You don’t pass to a player facing goal with two opposition on his back. He should have just hoofed it. Flamini had nowhere to go. Clichy has been absolutely dreadful for about 6 weeks.
Gallas was also at fault for goal 2. You don’t jump and turn your back on an advancing attacker, you face up. Schoolboy error.
It was an enjoyable come back, but all our weakness remain exposed. The title is gone and I have major doubts Arsenal will get past Liverpool in the Champions League. And even if they did, huge doubts they will get any further. Their simply just not mentally strong enough against top class opposition.
Now, perhaps I can get back to my holiday, only to contradict myself by returning later in the week. I have a big mouth, so I guess some things are easier said than done
March 30th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Character and spirit are not the same as bottle. Arsenal never lack for spirit or character but do lack for temperament. Go away and think about that. The Arsenal players did not give rats arse about worse run of form for nine years or bogey grounds. It’s a completely pointless statistic.
“You can educate a fool, but can’t make him think”.(Intentional irony LDE:^))
March 30th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
And your one of the three or four Danny T, so forgive me not giving toss.:^)
March 30th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Fred@28: I haven’t traded insults with Mazza? Should I start so that I can join the club? ; )
March 30th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
what is so ridiculous, is the idea that “if you don’t agree with me”… you are an “idiot… blank… blank… blankety blank”.
Like Andez said above he disagreed with my comment about Sol being better than people give credit for… because Kolo was much better when he was here.
Well, OK. He disagrees. I can either come back with efforts to support my argument… well, they are there for the viewing in this case, Sol helped Kolo!!!
LOL
or… I can call Andez a idiot?
Talk football… argue … compare… contrast… give your opinion… try and support it with facts… or support it with what YOUR EYES TELL YOU. We aren’t going to agree and have the same favorite players…. or favorite scapegoats… if we did, it would be the boring drabble that some people want… the love fest that Arsenal shite ice-cream.
The calling out… name calling stupidity… is more than enough to make some of the regular contributors leave the site.
Andez, you mentioned LoveG… He might have been negative… about the CLUB, and some of the things that went on… but I don’t remember him calling people names and saying they were this and that. He’d meet you down the pub if you wanted… where its quite different face to face.
March 30th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
And what was the irony for? Was it related to post#30 or #21. I hope you didn’t call me a fool as well else I’ll insult you
March 30th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
No, LDE, I criticised you for using a quote to buttress your view yesterday. I just did the same thing so I was jokingly referring to the contradiction.
March 30th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Stag, the people you are trying to appeal to are too thick to understand. Harsh but true.
Only mature, secure, and emotionally intelligent individuals can comprehend your stance. Which is why no matter how many times you try and educate them to instill a sense of perspective into them , you are simply met with a blank, clueless response and the cycle repeats itself over and over.
March 30th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Ahh … it happens all the time .. in football … in life .. everywhere…and whiloe we’re at it let me quote Ayn Rand again :):
“There are no contradictions. If there are contradictions then the facts are wrong”
March 30th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
@Danny. i was thinking of the same thing - i think that Bayern mistake Kolo committed pretty much summed up the primary weakness of Kolo’s game as CB.
so we gotta give credit for Sendy for going for every long ball and not allowing it to drop to floor. We know the worst thing could happen to a central half is they allow a long ball to drop to the floor, particular in English game, where many strikers would chase it down and close down the CB. when the ball bounced off the floor, as CBs are running backward, while opposing attackers are running forward, the momentum will always be at attackers’ side.
that’s one key weakness if we play two not particular tall type of CBs in the heart of our defence.
and when Gallas and Toure playing together, because of their pace maybe, they seem to get a bit too careless setting up the offside trap. perhaps believing they got the pace to track back. When Senderos was there, i noticed our offside trap seems to work better. and u can bet ur money on Sendy for making sure the offside trap works, as if it fails, he’s in big trouble.
but anyway, i agree with Nipuna, defence is not our main problem is. if we are talking about MISTAKES being made, van Persie yesterday made probably more mistakes by wasting his scoring chances, particular that brilliant Walcott cut back.
what we need most is for our attackers to be more ruthless in front of goal. They have been playing like charity festival lately.
March 30th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
@Andez: RVP has gt too much quality to not put away stuff. Am sure he will be back soon. I remember even cunt van Nistelrooy missing tapins when just back from injury so I wouldn’t be too worried
March 30th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
yes LDE, he’s just rusty at the moment. my point is strikers made as many mistakes as defenders, probably even more. so i can live with some odd mistakes from our back 4. though i gotta admit i was made as hell at Gael Cleansheet for giving away that cheap penalty @ Birmingham. in tennis term, it’s an “unforced error” - committed a mistake without really under heavy pressure. it’s unacceptable at this level, particularly in a team who’s supposed to challenge for the title. it took me a while to get over it.
Clicy at times can be very careless. but he’s Mr. 100% everygame, so it’s difficult for anyone to not loving this guy.
March 30th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Mazza@30 - “The Arsenal players did not give rats arse about worse run of form for nine years or bogey grounds. It’s a completely pointless statistic.” …yeah and you are an authority on what the arsenal players feel???!! related to some them are you? good friends maybe? talk to them on a regular basis?
have u ever played the game man? footballers (as do most normal people) love to beat things that have been bogging them down, do things they havent been able to, dont you? that was a rather daft statement…in my humble opinion
March 30th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Was a great win, for the team and the fans. Excellent comeback in the last 30 mins from arsenal, hope bolton get relegated, they suck.
This doesnt paper over the fact that the team has weaknesses at the back and with regards to penetration and width (related i guess) in attack. By the toss of the same coin, I think this team has immense potential and has overachieved big time this year, and the fans have enough reason to be proud of them. Though I think most would agree we just didnt have enough in the end to win the league this year and united have been the better team over the year, though its not over till the fat lady sings…
Would still be very happy with a 2nd place finish and a good run in the CL, very happy!
March 30th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
I agree IndianG, footballers have a nature competitive streak. that’s what pushed them towards becoming professional players at the first place. i don’t know the % of footballers who actually made it as a pro, probably less than 1% who tried (through young scholarship with clubs’ youth team) would really make it.
so those guys gotta be very compeitive deep inside, however laid back they may look (e.g. Kanu). so i bet even if it’s a friendly, they want to WIN.
particular those footballers who actually made it to a TOP side like Arsenal. if anyone of them has that “i couldn’t have care less” attitude, i don’t think they would have stood a chance to make it that far.
March 30th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
also, i feel that ppl at times are guilty of being too harsh on our players here. say, look at the professional you yourself involved in. how would u feel when ppl keep knocking u down, however u performed on ur job?
and are you really that mistake/error-free? and how would u feel whenever u made mistakes ppl saying that u r crap?
and how would u feel when u worked so hard, against all odds, and got the job done, yet ppl saying it’s simply because there’s no pressure in it? that u couldn’t cut it under the heat?
how would u feel when at the very beginning, when u r assigned to a task, ppl are saying “nah, he won’t make it”?
and how would u feel when u start to struggle with ur assignment on hand, ppl are saying “I told u so he’s gonna fuck up”?
at moment like this, wouldn’t u want to have someone who actually BELIEVES in you, and with a pet on ur shoulder “don’t worry son, i have faith in u, and I know u CAN DO IT”?
will this give u more drive and determination to keep working hard for ur assignment, or will u perfer ppl to tell you “nah, he’s going to fuck up”?
March 30th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Obviously they care to some extent but not to the point where it constricts them with fear and it effects their game. Compared to the pressure of winning a title it is nothing. This Arsenal can handle these types of pressure situations quite well. It’s all about what they perceive as pressure. Remember last year? After Arsenal got knocked out of all competitions everyone in the media wondered whether Arsenal were going to make the champions league. The few league games after that were very poor as well. However Arsenal never really looked flustered and eventually cruised into the champions league place. I don’t remember at one point worrying about 4th place last year.
So, Indian gooner, compared to throwing away the league, beating Bolton at the Reebok was comparitive small fry.
March 30th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
On to the Liverpool match:
Its now time for Walcott to start. He should be able to beat Riise or whoever is down on the left.
Adebayor should return with Bendtner saved for the league game in between.
Almunia
Toure - Gallas - Senderos - Clichy
Walcott - Flamini - Cesc - Hleb
RvP - Adebayor
Bench: Lehmann, Hoyte, Eboue, Diaby, Song, Denilson, Bendtner.
Their game plan will be to get one goal and sit back so we got to be careful.
March 30th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
I think our forum is pretty neat, the thing is, it is self-policing. So from time to time when we get carried away our fellow posters have to tell us to calm down.
I remember one day I shot from the hip in passing comment on the ANC - I didn’t mean to slight anyone - but obviously it irked those who valued that comp. I apologised, we moved on.
March 30th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
I didn’t see the game guys so I can’t pass any informed comment.
The 3 points and winning at the death are fantastic in many ways. But I can’t help but feel a bit deflated about things. Boro and Chelsea seemed our big opportunities to restart our engine……perhaps Bolton was to late…..dunno. We’re still in it points-wise but it’s the momentum thing.
Now it’s all about Liverpool.
March 30th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
@mazza45 : hmm ..your point is interesting but i still feel the pressure of winning away at a place that has been your graveyard for many many seasons under the given conditions (2 goals down and a man as well) would have been immense pressure as well. Dont think anyone can belittle that achievement and attribute to it to “lack of pressure”.
@fred : dunno of walcott has it in him to start, super sub seems better for him. A bit apprehensive of false dawns with him. Also liverpool defend very tightly. I think the point abt playing sendy or not coz of the torres factor is a good one and will be a bit of a worry, he might be the kind of forward who would “suit” gallas and tourre.
@Kiwi : yes have loved this forum (most been only a reader for the past year or so), been coming here as part of routine since 2003, when I even used to submit articles.
Think its a bit late for the title, we blew our shot (and we had a good one at that), doesnt mean the season has to be bummer though, does it?
March 30th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
though this place does become a bit too heated and personal at times, which is sad, but understandable to some extent.
March 30th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
IndianG, although winning the title now look unlikely, there are only 6 or 7 matches left, so i hope the lads to give it their best shot on every single one of those matches. try to win them all. and u never know.
just like the 1st half Vs Bolton, things looked dead and buried to us. but hell, that’s football.
personally the Bolton match is one of the greatest come back i ever seen, not just from us, but the Premiership as a whole.
i have seen plently teams pulled level after fallen one goal down, and with one man sent off. and saw some teams came from behind to win 2-1. but i don’t think i EVER seen ANY team coming from TWO goals down with 10 men to win 3-2. Apart from Man City’s famous 4-3 win over Spurs a few years back in FA Cup.
if anyone have seen a team came from two goals down to win 3-2 with 10 men, please let me know.
March 30th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
IG, no the season isn’t a bummer, I’m just disappointed we couldn’t galvanise ourselves a little sooner. It’s an emotional reaction!! We’ll see how we go over the next week.
I agree with your caution on Walcott. He looks good in little cameo’s but often when he starts he disappoints. The problem is Wenger’s lack of real options with any teeth.
March 30th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Well, its either Walcott or Eboue …. so not much choice there anyway.
I think Walcott understands the way RvP plays and moves in the box - so that is an added factor.
Rosicky still hasnt even started training after more than 2 months out. So no end in sight on that count.
Normally I would want Toure and Gallas on someone like Torres…but Liverpool do tend to send in a LOT of crosses….and the Gallas/Sendy is a bit more solid these days. As long as you dont leave Sendy one on one with Torres as the last man we should be just OK.
Liverpool wont come all out at us …they will keep it tight and try to get one away goal.
March 30th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
My opinion: 3 draws against Liverpool.
1-1 at The Emirates (CL)
2-2 at The Emirates (League)
2-2 at Anfield (CL)
It would mean the league is gone but the CL is there. That was the absolute last trophy that I thought they would win. But I think Wenger is savvy enough to think that the league is almost gone, throw all eggs in 1 basket. CL basket.
Are there flights to Moscow from central Illinois?!?
March 30th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Whats a period?
March 30th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
@65 They are twenty minute spans that divide play in hockey.
Why do Canadian women use a puck instead of a pad? They’re good for three periods.
March 30th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
whatever happened to gender sensitvity?
March 30th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Did anyone notice any difference in the way we played football between the first and second half? I think we passed around the ball and played our style pretty much the same in both halves. The only difference was in the mind - confidence and belief.
In the first half, everything was going wrong. Typified by their deflected goal and our twice deflected shot going out. After 60 min or so, once we got our belief back, it was the complete opposite. Everything was going our way. Campo’s deflection for the first goal, the triple deflection for the winner, Clichy’s mistake against Davies going unpunished, etc. Hell, even Toure got away when he let the ball bounce and go right past him for Davies to shoot directly at Almunia.
Of course, we all know that confidence and belief are very important to any side. But when there is a lack of it, I see two ways of dealing with it.
One, having enough depth that players unaffected by it can make a difference. Eg., Bendtner and RvP didn’t look like they were mentally under pressure. Yes, they were rusty but, at least I didn’t feel like, they were playing with a weight on their shoulders.
Two, having a really strong defence (like Chelsea and ManU) which somehow keeps clean sheets and there allows you to get away with poor finishing. Great example is the Boro game. Boro heaped pressure at Chelsea but couldn’t score thanks to some solid defending as well as some luck.
It’s pretty clear that asking for #2 is not possible. But #1 should be doable.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
The title chase may be over. But there is still a lot to play for. I REALLY want us to finish second. And of course, the CL games.
I am surprised that nobody talked about how Spurs got pummeled at home by Newcastle.
March 31st, 2008 at 12:27 am
@58, yes nipuna, after watching the game all those years, i do feel in football there is something u can’t explain - MOMENTUM.
we can call it confidence, or form, or anything else. but in a football league season, or in fact a football game, “momentum” plays a big part in it. It’s something we can’t see, but it’s THERE.
when things go ur way, all a sudden everything seems like going ur way. that’s what i call “momentum”. And whether ppl like it or not, LUCK does play a part in this game. And LUCK and MOMENTUM are like twins, they go everywhere together.
i remember our run to the title during 2002. we had a great run towards the end of the season. but we also had a lot of luck. like in a crucial match Vs West Ham, the Hammers got a legit goal (over the line) ruled out.
but if we look at last season, we were struggling. And that CSKA match very much summed up our season. and i forgot how many times Adebayor and co had their shot hitting the post. I pointed out that, but got accused, as usual, of talking excuses.
and from time to time, in a football match, if we saw a team hitting the post a few times, or missing out a few sitters, then no matter how strong this team being, you just have that HUNCH they are going to get beaten, even if their opposition of the day are a bunch of no hopers. And it often did. How anyone be able to explain that? In football terms, that’s what they called “one of those days”. And again, it’s not excuse. It’s there.
March 31st, 2008 at 1:57 am
It’s going to be very interesting how Wenger approaches the next 3 games that we play agasint Liverpool.
My first impression is that Wenger will just go for it in the first match on Wednesday…….if we are to progress and keep our faint hopes for the title alive we will need to beat Liverpool by a decent margin in the first game. The result here will set the tone for the next 2 games.
After beating Everton yesterday..Liverpool have more or less secured 4th place….so if they lose the first CL match ..i don’t see Rafa putting out a full strength squad for the League match…he will want to make sure that the Liverpool squad is fully fit and ready for the 2nd CL round…..so that means we may get the 3 points in the League even if we play decently. Finally…when the last game comes along I think Liverpool will be under pressure to attack from the word go..and that basically suits Arsenal’s style. So all in all ….if we win the first game we should more or less come out on top in the remaining games as well.
But the situatuion could well be reversed if we lose …then Wenger would be forced to give up the league match…and put all his hopes on the 2nd CL round…let’s hope it doesn’t come to that…and for once we finish off the job as soon as possible.
@Everyone attacking Mazza…..I think i’ve said this earlier…..but i’ve been in a similar situation with another poster (a Man Utd fan) on another forum…and i almost say with certainty that Mazza is actually enjoying the responses he’s getting to his posts…..just some food for thought [:D]
Cheers,
Wayne
March 31st, 2008 at 2:17 am
@Wayne - interesting points about the liverpool game!
Though I think benitez might give the league game importance too, coz of psychological reasons.
Very good point though, lets hope we win the first game in the CL (winning at anfield in a CL tie will be far harder than winning at san-siro i think)
March 31st, 2008 at 2:20 am
Spurs are a seriously funny team, play some great football at times (and have some excellent players in attack), but when they are bad they are terrible, really blow hot and cold.
What berbatov could do in a team like ours …sigh..
March 31st, 2008 at 4:30 am
As for the Liverpool game, Diaby is not suspended in the CL. But I suspect Eboue will start. We need a clean sheet more than anything else in the first leg, something we have struggle to keep in recent games.
March 31st, 2008 at 5:24 am
My wish has been granted. The 3rd goal picture has been made into a wallpaper.
http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=News&article=489630&lid=NewsHeadline&Title=Bolton+2-3+Arsenal+-+Exclusive+wallpaper
March 31st, 2008 at 8:46 am
Liverpool are garbage. We should beat them with relative ease as they’re suspect in the back. Carragher and Reina are two of the most overrated players in the league. Their entire backline is soft. Did you see Aurelio before the game against Man Utd? That boy looked scared to death of Ronaldo. Carragher will not be able to cope with the power of Adebayor or the guile of van Persie and Hleb.
I’d like to see Barazite given a chance at LM. He’s looked really good for the reserves. Anyone else notice that Djourou has been playing DM for the reserves and not CB? He’s looked pretty damn dominant as well. If Flamini does decide to leave, then we can recruit Song and Djourou from within. Somebody’s going to step up next season so it may as well be one of them. If Birmingham City go down, I’d like to bring Muamba back to Arsenal. I watched him on Saturday and that boy is turning into a beast.
March 31st, 2008 at 10:18 am
@ wayne: i agree with you….the first game is the key really….win it and we win the second as well, and heap all the pressure on them for the final game.
1-0 will be sweet. 2-0 will be perfect.
March 31st, 2008 at 10:41 am
bad news alert - from the bbc.
“Brazilian Gilberto looks set to stay with Arsenal after passing his UK citizenship test, and is expected to apply for a British passport within a year”. (Daily Star)
Hopefully its not true.
March 31st, 2008 at 11:10 am
Notice how Torres was silent at OT and returned to “goal-scoring” form at Anfield. 19 out of 21 league goals at home. Hope the trend continues for the next two games.
March 31st, 2008 at 1:22 pm
hahaha, true nipuna……….the guy is a chicken outside anfield…..although he did score a nice goal against inter away….
i would be so happy if we can hit them 2-0 in the first leg…..we will pretty much rump them over in the next two games.
thankfully, djorou and song are back in action and getting some playing time in the reserves. so are the two hoytes and traore…..they better retain their sharpness because we will probably need all of them at some point.
right now only sagna and rosicky are out injured.
March 31st, 2008 at 2:50 pm
I wouldn’t be completely demoralized if Tuesday ended 0-0 either… although Anfield can be a rough place to play, we’ve gotten results there as of late and a draw would send us through. I agree that a win would really set the tone for the next few games, though.
Also, I’d like to officially nominate Mazza for the following award:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=cufPFZCg2Vc
March 31st, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Excuse me, I meant Wednesday.
March 31st, 2008 at 2:51 pm
@Indian Gooner …Yup…Rafa may not entirely give up on the league match…going to be a tough call for both Wenger and Rafa…but the result of the first match will go a long way in determining what the approach to that game will be.
@Fred..Yup..2-0 would be just about perfect
For once I would like to see the Gunners come out all guns blazing in the first leg and put the tie to rest…will be difficult i know but I think Wenger has got to take the chance.
The team has perfected the art of last minute combacks this season…now i hope they sort out the only missing link …which is the art of killing of games…….if they can develop that by the end of the season…..next season is going to make for some great football.
March 31st, 2008 at 5:17 pm
stephen hunt says it as it is.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_3369054,00.html
March 31st, 2008 at 5:38 pm
It’s amazing - this side is like a fighter that only comes out swinging once they’re on the canvas and the ref’s counting 7 - 8 - 9…
So we have a flicker of hope for the league, but it still means a) winning all our games and b) ManUre slipping up.
I had (clearly delusional) hopes that Villa and L’pool would hold ManUre to a draw. Given their rampaging form, it makes it nigh on impossible to see where they will drops points apart from the Chelsea game. Maybe, maybe Boro or Blackburn, but basically it is going to take an injury to Ronaldo to give us a chance.
Middlesbrough vs Man Utd
Man Utd vs Arsenal
Blackburn vs Man Utd
Chelsea vs Man Utd
Man Utd vs West Ham
Wigan vs Man Utd
PS Don’t you love the way Aliadiare steers home a tricky volley against us at the Emirates, but misses the effing goal from 5 yards out against Chelski?
March 31st, 2008 at 5:59 pm
The Blackburn Rovers star is now an England squad regular and is being heralded as the ‘new’ David Beckham.
However, Hunt - who faced Bentley in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Blackburn, does not understand why he is so highly rated.
Indeed Hunt feels that Bentley only receives his recognition because his is English.
“David Bentley is David Bentley, he ain’t bloody Maradona,” said Hunt.
“He plays for England and hype comes with England.
“People don’t go on about Damien Duff and Robbie Keane every day so they need to get a life.”
————————————————————————————————————
It’s bloody true. It’s the same when I recall Michael Owen and Robbie Keane both emerged around the same time. Following Owen’s goal Vs Argentina in WC 98, Houllier claimed he wouldn’t have sold him for 50 millions.
As for Keane, Robbie who?
In terms of sheer quality, Keane is quick, though not as quick as Owen. And certainly more skillful both in terms of passing and dribbling.
Keane is more aggressive, and much stronger than Owen. The only things Owen were better than Keane at that time was his finishing, and probably more consistent than Keane.
But if Owen worth 50 millions as Houllier believed at that time, I would say Robbie Keane would worth around the same.
sometimes it’s just so amazing that when a club paid for a player, especially English, 1/2 of the transfer fee they probably paid for the HYPE.
March 31st, 2008 at 7:17 pm
I loved the way Hunt cut through the crap. If Bentley wasn’t English nobody would even mention him.
Almost starting to look forward to this Liverpool game.
Funny how the Boro and Chelsea games flattened my enthusiasim and it appears that of a lot of posters. If we’d weasled along all season like Liverpool (struggling to maintain 4th) we’d be in futuristic dream mode by now - but because the team actually did challenge and set the pace we are feeling let down.
Between mid Feb and 23 March we played 8 games, won 1, drew 5, lost 2. Dismal really.
Funny not, that ManU started the slide. Fergie must be wetting himself.
Up until that ManU result we’d be doing ok, coping with the ebbs and flows, injuries were certainly inconvenient but we were managing. The ManU result was embarrassing, a 4-0 defeat against them is never positive. I felt at the time Wenger was wrong to field a weakened side and I’m not being smart after the event. We then did ok against AC Milan. Then the whacky Birmingham game. Eduardo chopped, lost to a last minute goal, Gallas dummy spitting routine…….media circled like vultures sensing a juicy story.
What ever way you call it we then failed to respond to the challenges. Lotsa injuries, some serious some not. We looked threadbare in attack/wide. Luck deserted us. I felt for Wenger at this stage cause he couldn’t do anything. Just wait and see could they ekk out the results. And they couldn’t. Our lead became our deficit. Momentum gone. No hero’s on view.
Is Bolton a glimmer of hope for this year or next? I don’t know I didn’t see the game.
Is there gas in the tank to start another run? Can this team find answers?
What I am thrilled about is that we have competed this season and who knows despite the chilled tone of this post there could still be hope. But for me I see enough quality to think that success is attainable. For next year we just need a little more on the options rack and/or a little less injury. For this year we need the boys to provide answers and perhaps a little slice of lady luck.
March 31st, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Told you it wouldn’t go away
“The English game will change now after the tackle against Eduardo,” Ferguson said. “It has to change because of that. Arsene Wenger himself came out and criticised his own player - Abou Diaby - after he was sent off for a bad tackle at Bolton on Saturday. The world does change.”
March 31st, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Let’s hope the team will take it one game at a time and if we win all our remaining games. On paper United should win the league by 3 or more points, but we’ll have to see how far they get into the Champions League. Perhaps a bad result might start their little slip and who knows if they will get injuries to key players (not that I”m wishing for it).
Alll we can ask for as fans is for Arsenal to win all the remaining games. If the bolton game was the start of our revival, then we can win the CL since the fate is completely in our own hands. The EPL, we need both United and Chelsea to drop points.
April 1st, 2008 at 11:42 am
Check out this pile up
2/4 Arsenal v Liverpool
5/4 Arsenal v Liverpool
8/4 Liverpool v Arsenal
13/4 Man Utd v Arsenal
Can we get through that unscathed ?
April 1st, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Scraps18, you’re from Central Illinois? Where about? My screen name says ‘Chicago’ but I go to U of I now, so I live in Urbana.
April 1st, 2008 at 2:48 pm
I think Toure made a good point - Gerrard will be the key.
He’s a “match-winner”. I lost count the number of times Gerrard bailed the Reds out when they found themselves in trouble.
Torres may be the more skillful one, Gerrard is their inspiration. even if we stop Torres, i wouldn’t bet my money against Gerrard pops up from nowhere and nick them the winner. But if we can manage to keep Gerrard quiet, there’s a good chance we will be able to keep Liverpool quiet.
April 1st, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Yet another gem:
The French coach still plays back the 2006 Champions League final, when the 10-man Gunners were with 14 minutes of victory over Barcelona in Paris.
“If you ask me whether I want to win it, I’d say: ‘Yes, of course,’ How much? If I stopped my career every day and thought: ‘Do I commit suicide, but I haven’t won the Champions League’, I would hope not as I hope I will have won it by then,” joked the Arsenal manager.
April 1st, 2008 at 3:51 pm
looking forward to the next 10 days or so, which the professor himself has called “the moment of truth”. no matter what happens, i know at the end of the season i will be very happy with how much this team has improved. i was probably one of the few who actually thought arsenal would win the league at the start of the season, i don’t know, there was something in the way wenger handled the off-season that gave me good vibes, which were only enhanced by our play essentially all season long, until the fateful birmingham game. still, i love my team no matter what, and while there will be absolute joy if we win the CL, i will be very happy knowing that the really good times are just around the corner (and by that i mean the next 3-4 seasons).
just a thought: ain’t it funny how TH14 left because we were a young team and now his barca team is relying on a 17 year old (bojan) and suffering because of an injury to their 20 year old “talisman” (messi)? not to mention iniesta (23) and yaya toure (24). (henry just assisted bojan’s goal in the CL). here’s hoping that we have a rematch of the 06 CL final, it’s just destiny, if you ask me…
April 1st, 2008 at 3:53 pm
True Andez, we hear a lot about players being ‘winners’, but for me that applies to Gerrard in the most meaningful way. He is often a critical component in his teams wins - in fact he often scores absolutely crucial goals - not the soft fluff on top variety but the ones that reignite his team or snatch an unlikely victory.
I see Arsenal are reported to be paying out the Walcott xfer deal with Southampton. Thus reducing the total possible fee from 12m to the 9.1m paid out. If the numbers are right I think this is good business for Arsenal.
April 1st, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Manure are 2-0 nearing the end of the game. Yet again, Ronaldo gets the scoring under way. They are on an incredible run of form. Something tells me that if we progress…we will be meeting them.
April 1st, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Yeah, I saw a bit of the game, ManU are a confident and capable side…..everything is looking pretty sweet for them at present.
Thankfully things don’t always follow through to a predictable conclusion. Injuries happen, upsets happen…..the question for us and Chelsea is whether we can take care of our own business and stay close to them.
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:06 am
I saw Vidic hurt his knee. It looked to me like he ruptured his ACL. It was just like when Pires did his in. We should find out in the next few days. If he has done in his ACL, he’ll be down for about nine months and they’ll miss him big time. It could be game on in the title race as Man Utd will struggle to cope with his abscence.