How Do Arsenal Recover From This 7 Day Disaster?
I am totally speechless.
Tonight’s game against Blackburn Rovers was so one-sided it was untrue, but yet again for all their possession Arsenal forgot the art of goalscoring. And it was Blackburn Rovers with their first shot on target on the 84th minute that ended up deciding this FA Cup tie.
The first half was full of Arsenal chances, with Baptista missing two simple headed opportunities to open the scoring. On top of that, Aliadiere had a decent shout for a penalty when Brad Friedel clipped the attacker and got no-where near the ball - and Freddie was denied one of the most blatant penalties I have ever seen. Freddie was through and Brett Emerton kicked the Swede once on each leg and had his hands all over his shoulder.
But Graham Poll waved play on!
That has to be one of the worse refereeing decisions this season - and even Sky were saying it was a blatant penalty!
Not even the most Anti-Arsenal person on the planet could deny that it was a stone wall penalty.
Arsenal continued to dominate in the second half but missed a hat-full of chances and while the game is 0-0 then anything can happen.
And just like against PSV and Chelsea it did.
Arsenal’s failure to make their chances count - and these were clear opportunities - was criminal. In a game where other teams are seemingly clinical with minimal chances against us, Arsenal without Thierry Henry cannot score.
So now we have defeats in the Champions League, Carling Cup and FA Cup.
How the hell does Arsene save this season?
Goals win games and Arsenal are severely lacking any cutting edge and we cannot just pass off the last 3 games as another bad patch or just a few bad days at the office. And people will say that I may be over-reacting but when you lose in 3 different competitions within a week then it has a huge bearing on the outcome of the season.
2 goals in the last 4 games is astounding for a team like Arsenal who create so many chances.
The crazy thing is that against Chelsea and against Blackburn Rovers, Arsenal have dominated those games both in terms of possession and in terms of clear chances created.
What else can you do?
Like most Arsenal fans, Arsene Wenger must be wondering what the hell is going on. Arsenal are playing some wonderful stuff but the ball just won’t go into the net!
I just hope Arsenal are saving their goals for the PSV game next week.
February 28th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
yeh i see what yoy mean,the thought of blackburn saying they deserve to win really annoys me,but the unfortunate thing is goals win games not possesion,i just hope no one can accuse arsenal of being lucky this year when it comes to decisions because when it comes down to it they do even themselves out,think alliealdiere in the first game versus flamini against wigan,think hleb versus west ham as opposed to senderos outside the box against middlesboro,to be quiet honest our next game against reading becomes our most important because depending on the team and the reaction it will set us up in terms of confidence for the psv game,i remember arsenal goin through a similar phase in 04 and having to play liverpool on good friday and look what reaction we got then
February 28th, 2007 at 11:37 pm
I had a strange reaction to today’s game. For a while I was disturbed that Arsenal could not materialise their superiority. I was upset at the cynical approach of hypocricy and even the lack of the most basic idea of personal let alone professional integrity from an abismal Blackburn team. And I was shocked by the shenanigans of the pathetic referee pretend who managed to out do himself. But mostly I am getting unbeliavably sick of the “same old Arsenal” chants from the moronic audience. At one stage they were happily chanting “same old Arsenal” when the linesman gave the throw to Arsenal because the ball had crossed the line. Unbeliavable.
I am as you say speechless. But then (and this is the point where everyone lynches me) I just gave up.
Sorry, there is just too much wrong with the whole picture. The game has lost all meaning. It is beyond absurd and clearly does not reflect the values of right and wrong that I adhere to.
I am out. Because what’s the point. Clearly, I am a minority and as long as morons and money run this game, there is no room for me.
That’s all.
February 28th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
Its not Theirry we miss its Robin. Since he’s been out the goals have dried up. It was a savage blow to lose him when we did and for the length because no one can tell me he wouldnt have done something against Blackburn at home, PSV (he would have been especially up for that one) and Chelsea in the Carling Cup and tonight.
February 28th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
We miss a cutting edge it is so obvious.Teams like BLackburn should be dispensed with so easily but are not.The good thing is we create chances the bad thing is we miss them and for the life of me i cant get my head around it.And i have complained for 5 years or more about our setpieces they are abysmal and i dont think Wenger and the boys practice them.We need a cool head in front of goal and a winger like Pires that can mix it up with the rest of our play.Can anyone imagine shearer playing tonight it would have been 3 at halftime.
February 28th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
Gus, know what you mean… I was upset and annoyed by the things that Poll allowed Blackburn to do, all the pushing, kicking and shoving. Every player on the ball, passing the ball or about to receive the ball got a little kick, push or shove, to make play impossible. Then the two penalty shouts. Fair enough on the first one, but the second was as blatant as can be, Ljungberg was pushed and kicked, and still Mr. 3 yellows equals a red waved play on.
Our massive amount of injuries and suspensions (OK, we did that to ourselves) didn’t help either, though, as we had, apart from Walcott, nothing on the benchto turn the game (as Clichy and Hoyte were only half fit…).
And then Blackburn score with their first shot on target.
I recognised my own feelings in Wenger’s face…
And then Hughes has the temerity to say they deserved to win???
I hope it goes a lot better against Reading and especially PSV, but we need some of our injured players to return…
K
February 28th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
I had only just got over Sunday’s result and then tonight happened. How we lost to a poor Blackburn side still shocks me and I can’t understand it at all, but then again as we have learnt against Chelsea and Blackburn football is just about goals. Chelsea and Blackburn had much less chances then we did against them, but somehow we lost both games. Even against PSV I’m sure we had more attempts.
I agree about Van Persie and his absence has been felt the most for me. He was Arsenal’s top scorer before he got injured wasn’t he?
To save the season Wenger has learn from last season and forget the 3rd/4th place in the league and put everything into the CL. 3rd/4th doesn’t matter and Arsenal’s game suits Europe.
February 28th, 2007 at 11:47 pm
I suppose what goes around comes around. Didn’t Poll give ye two dodgy penalties against Spurs. Take the good with the bad and quit whining.
February 28th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
i agree with danish gooner about the shearer shout,but pires hmm maybe i disagree good as bobby was i dont think he liked wet and windy nights up north,the truth is if football is to be played the moronic and disturbing way,disregarding the stuuning goal,credit were credit is due good strike,as i was saying if football was to be played the way blackburn and other teams approach it ,well the hypocritacal backslapping cretins at places like sky wont be in their jobs for long,it makes terry griffiths v cliff thorburn circa world snooker 1984 seem like pay per view heaven
February 28th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
Good post. I just have to add that I think Poll was shocking today.
February 28th, 2007 at 11:56 pm
hmm bernard i already said in regard to the penalty decisions what goes around comes around so i dont think mr cock jol or the 50million dollar man from wigan can complain,see my examples of hleb v west ham and senderos outside the box at middlesboro,no im complaining about the moral courage of teams afraid to go toe to toe against other sides on pure ability,and before someone accuses me of double standards i do remember the abuse arsenal took after the 05 cup final,it was actually like we actually committed an act of treason the way we played ,so as much as it hurts now im sure it will hurt for mr hughes and his bunch of under acheivers before long
March 1st, 2007 at 12:00 am
we are not winning because we have no out and out goalscorers.
Aliaidiere and Baptista are simply not up to it and are not proven.
Blackburn won because when their chance came it came to a top quality, done it all over europe for years, goalcscorer … we had NOBODY like that on the pitch.
3rd/4th place is best we can hope for.
we will score next week against psv but we always look like conceding a goal a game and that is what will kill us.
i am gutted at how well we have played with bugger all to show for it yet again. something needs to be done and that is to recruit another out and out goalscorer. even with injuries we have lacked experience up front and the teams that have beaten us recently have that, Drogba/McCarthy etc.
great play wins friends but not necessarily matches and football teams are in the business of winning.
bring on next season cos we’ve shot ourselves in the foot too many times to be up there with Chelsea and Manure where we belong. I am a proud arsenal fan and it kills me to lose to these hit and hope teams when we know what their gameplan is and have had years to work out a way to beat them yet are still unable to.
i hate ManU but they beat the small teams and that’s what wins you the prem …. transition does not have to equate to average and at the moment, results wise, we are an average side.
March 1st, 2007 at 12:01 am
Departing a bit from the general thread, but I feel for Senderos; he’ll be pilloried in the rags and by a fair few gooners. The lad is quality, but at the moment, he does seem to have an uncanny power to allow opposing teams to turn one of his mistakes in to a goal. I was worried that he was shoved in to right back and I know he’s filled in on the left in the past, but surely he should have partnered Gilberto in the centre with Gallas switched to the right? Maybe Arsene wanted to give Gallas a good run at centreback, but Big Phil can’t turn on a five pece like a fullback.
Yes, Poll is a twat. I remember him awarding a penalty against Campbell who ran 70 yards to tackle Laurent Robert when Newcastle came to Highbury in 2001/2 season. He got that wrong and he got one nailed-on penalty shout wrong tonight. I know it’s swings and roundabouts with refs, but I hope we get the rub of green on Wednesday.
March 1st, 2007 at 12:03 am
totally agree with u ostergooner, what the hell was AM playing at moving Senderos to RB … if Gallas is there .. McCarthy doesn’t score.
March 1st, 2007 at 12:05 am
We must get rid of Pascal Cygan 2.
I am refering of course to Senderos. He is just not up to the task of being Arsenal standard.
He cost us tonight by allowing Mcarthy room to cut in on the right, and cost us Sunday by allowing Drogba to get in front of him for a free header!
Same as he was muscled out in Charity Shield and first league game last season by same player.
He just does not cut the mustard! He’s had his chances and must be moved on!
March 1st, 2007 at 12:09 am
id rather be an arsenal fan than a blackburn any day,im the first to admit it was a classy goal by a classy player but haven seen the post match interview and hearing mr sparky sayin how his team of flamboyant world beaters deserve it ,well that makes me puke,hmm the stats show in 180 mins they had 3 shots,2 and a half technically if derbyshires cross shot at the emirates counts,the attendances at ewood would also back my theory up low attendances becauuse of high entrance cost because of high wages for low quality,form is temporary class is permenent,ps i seem to recall last week some mad german team playin for a nil all draw and seein mark hughes spouting some bs about it not bein a spectacle to watch never fear we shall return better than ever
March 1st, 2007 at 12:13 am
The thing is Wenger has instilled in Arsenal an aspiration and an ideal of perfection. And unfortunately this is the most difficult trick in football to pull off, especially week in week out. To do it you need 1) the best players and 2) the best players to be in form all the time. In Senderos we have an ordinary player. In Henry, we have the best player but he is not in form. Other teams tend to have a lot of ordinary players but they don’t attempt perfection. They attempt easier dives fron the diving board and succeed.
Bottom line is, if we want to play utopian football, we need utopian footballers and we can’t afford them. Wenger either needs to buy the best there is (replacing Senderos with a proven international defender to supplement Toure and Gallas, buying Eto’o replacing Aliadiare and Baptista)or he needs to get realistic, buy a genuine ball winning holding midfielder to play alongside Gilberto, and get his current squad to do what it takes rather than do the impossible.
I am an Arsenal fan raised on success and victory, not a whining Spurs fan raised on “yeah but we play better football than you”
March 1st, 2007 at 12:17 am
We can’t always rely on penalties to win games. At the end of the day we are not putting away our opportunities in open play. Wenger also fielded a second string team once again. We had no options up front and I think some fans will be getting perturbed cause at the end of the day your paying to see the best team out there. Also, Poll- what a dick - Dunn gets booked and then commits a professional foul by tugging back a player and doesn’t see red- three minutes later he fouls again and is still on the park. I just don’t get it. How many fouls did bloody toogay commit?
March 1st, 2007 at 12:26 am
ah well things can only get better i checked the net earlier and psv got the livin bejaysus knocked outa them by some bird/team called breda 3 .0 also something that might cheer you up is that reyes is getting the boot from real madrid now i know that might mean we have to give the beast back but wouldnt it be fun if we had a feeder club were we could send him to like in…………….turkmenistan
March 1st, 2007 at 12:30 am
The problem we have is that we keep harping on about the pretty football- every game we lose we give ourselves the moral high ground with a big ‘Yeah but we played great football’. Scoring goals is what wins games. Sooner or later we need silverware to keep players such as fabregas- the domestic cups represent our best chance becuase we are not ruthless enough, to ideological and too inconsistent to challenge for the league for the next 2-3 years at least FACT.
This season our senior players have let us down not the youngsters
Lehmann- behaving like the nutcase that opposing fans say he is
Henry- not up to his standards this season
Hleb & Rosicky (alot of injuries)- for every good game they have they have two where they are MIA
Tuore- good but not up to his usual
Gilberto and Almunia are the only senior players to have any credit so far this season for their performances irrespective or ability.
We have had a ridiculous amount of injuries this season and to be honest I am beginning to question the conditioning of the players- many injuries appear not to have occurred during matches but seem to be announced by Wenger when nnone of us reaised they existed. The injuries to Henry, Gallas and Rosicky raise alot of questions for me.
Similar to Fabregas last year and the previous year we are now resting our midfield on the shoulders of a relatively inexperienced youngster in denilson who is fabulous but tires enormously after about 70 mins.
As for tonight- Senderos ain’t no right back- why and not Gallas? In fact as time progresses he is slipping in to Cygan fourth choice centre back slot for me.
Oh yeah thought Hleb was as shocking as Graham Poll tonight. Baptista is not up to it- we need forwards who score goals- we have enough attackers.
March 1st, 2007 at 1:11 am
i agree with most of the things you say gerry we need a top class keeper the rest of the top four have and probably 6 or 7 other clubs all have better keepers than us,seaman used to be worth 15-20 points a season for us,also after Henry and Van Pursie we have no one who can put the ball away, including adebayor we let 4 experienced players go last season and we have not replaced them, the kids are great and in a couple of years we will have the best team in the league,but right now we are not cutting the mustard,basically we are a top 4 team that plays the pretiest footie, the experience of the last week will only make us better, i am looking forward to a bright future for our boys
March 1st, 2007 at 3:59 am
The only thing missing was Flamini! Not to mention about eleven other players.
I am now convinced that AW does not believe in strategies or tactics. He believes in style of play. And that style of play can overcome any strategy or tactic. It is probably true. But surely you can react to a team that is trying to suffocate the midfield. BR knew they could stifle Arsenal if they could squeeze the midfield. The strategic solution would be to drop back a striker or move up a defender. The AW solution is that quick movement, interplay, passing and moving triangles can overcome any close marking in the centre of the pitch. It is just that today Arsenal couldn’t do it enough to mount a campaign on BR goal.
I think sometimes the boys get intoxicated with their own brilliance and forget about going for the jugular. Like a Kung-Fu expert you only need one open shot to strike the jugular and BR did that. I can nearly agree with Hughes when he said, ‘they deserved it.’ All over the world if you can stifle the midfield and nullify scoring opportunities and have one strike late in the match to win the game then that is deserving.
It doesn’t matter too much to talk about referees. But the incessant tactical fouls were a blatant ploy to disrupt Arsenal’s fluidity. The ploy was proven with fouls spread about the BR team and when Tugay was substituted by Dunn who continued with the cynical fouls.
March 1st, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Arsenal were wasteful in front of goal and only have themselves to blame. The penalty decisions shouldn’t even come into it if we had put away our chances. Pretty football but no end product. It has become the story of the season. Needs to change for next season. Enuff of the transition i say !!
March 3rd, 2007 at 2:20 am
i have been a arsenal fan for 40 years and felt many emotions from watching Arsenal over the years.
i feel sorry for people who cannot understand what drives us. they missed out on the highs, the pride, the joy, the overwhelming pleasure in watching a great football team (how people from that other north London club manage i really do not know!)
but…. i find myself agreeing to the coments made by Gus J earlier. I am so sickened by the defeat to Blackburn. to have to accept that we lost to a team like that (they were absolutely dreadful) and that Hughes’s unbelieveably negative tactics worked is asking a lot. plus a referee who was blantantly crooked. on top of losing to chelsea when we outplayed them for an hour, to be forced to watch the tow strikers against blackburn miss chance after chance when we knew henry would have got one…..
of course, i will go one….there is always PSV and we all know next year we are going to be better, so many young great players….but right now i am sick as a shitload of parrots…