Even the day after, the pain is still as strong as it was yesterday. The typical “Arsenal way” to cock things up is something all Arsenal fans can relate to and once we got to the last 10 minutes and it was still 1-1, we all knew something bad was going to happen.
But why isn’t it a surprise that we managed to cock things up in the most monumental fashion?
Hand on heart, you weren’t surprised something like this happened did you?
And why is this? I touched on it yesterday but the fact is Arsenal reward failure and have done for the last 7 seasons. There is no doubt that the team, in footballing terms at least, is supremely talented. That cannot be disputed and proof of this has come in many memorable victories, including those in Europe over Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan, etc.
But over the last few seasons we’ve struggled domestically. Our record against the Top 4 is appalling and our ridiculous collapse against Tottenham at The Emirates sums up the mental fragility throughout the squad. Only recently, we unfathomably let slip a 4 goal lead against Newcastle United.
A 4 goal lead!
Now say that again to yourself.
A FOUR GOAL LEAD.
It was interesting to note from the comments yesterday that because I ridiculously criticised the team for their performance against Birmingham that somehow I was a Spurs supporter or a “fair weather fan”. That notion is preposterous and not that it matters, but I have supported Arsenal Football Club since I was 5 years old and they are firmly in my heart. When Arsenal lose it hurts me immensely, but when they lose in ridiculous fashion it hurts even more. Yesterday’s defeat is something which still hurts now and will do for the next few weeks.
Because we all knew it signified a new era for Arsenal, but instead it represented broken promises. They say it’s not the despair but the hope that kills you and for Arsenal fans this sums it all up. This Arsenal team does what no other top team does and capitulates when under any kind of sustained pressure. Without Fabregas we lacked any kind of cohesion and an in form Arsenal would have won comfortably. We’ve beat Birmingham twice already this season but yesterday Arsenal beat themselves. It wasn’t because Birmingham were the better team, it was because Arsenal couldn’t take that next step.
The first trophy is always the hardest and ironically this was the easiest to win. Arsenal were in a one-off game against a side that currently sit 16th in the Premier League. They have scored the least number of goals out of any of the 20 teams in the league and yet they scored twice yesterday and could have scored more in all honesty. Birmingham played well because we let them.
This Arsenal side cannot cope under pressure so the notion that they have “3 other competitions to fight for” is surely a million miles away. Yes we currently sit 2nd in the league but United have a team full of winners that can grind out results when they’re not playing well. Victory yesterday on the performance Arsenal put in would have been the blueprint for how resilient we were and proof that we can win ugly when it mattered. The last significant game where Arsenal ground out a result was in the FA Cup Final in 2005.
completely agree with you mate on everything you just said. i never realized how bad loosing a 4 goal lead was untill i just repeated it to myself now. but fair play birmingham, they should have won it in the first couple la minutes.
Still gutted too and cant yet find the belief to see how we can recover fron this although obviously hope we will
We should win on Wednesday but fearful of that game too but cant see us getting past Barca or mnaure away. Leaves the EPL the most important but do we have the belief ?? I just dont know now
We need better quality back up players just a few a striker of quality a cover for Song and a replacement for Rosicky / Denilson, oh well theres always next season
Wenger have for far too long awarded failure, as example i give you Tomas Rosicky,what on earth have he ever done over the course of 5 seasons to reward him with a cup final ??? He has played so poorly for so long it is amazing we imploded when he come on against toon,no backbone,no will to fight,no pride, no glory,no determination just a bad,bad impression of a player that once was the dogs bollocks.Song,slow as a tortoise,couldnt win a fight yeaterday and seemed tired,WHAT THE FUCK,tired when playing a cup final for Arsenal.And wenger infuriates me,he keeps saying we must rotate but you only rotate when you have a player that is likely to do the same or better then the one you are substituting,and here is the real problem our second string is an appalling bunch of no hopers and has beens,eboue,denilson etc,Our squad have to improve seriously in the summer and real determination and grit will have to be added no more Rosickys of this world.And if we have to sacrifice Fabby we will but i would much rather see a new coach with fire in his belly.
A four goal lead in 20 minutes.
I’ve never even seen that in schoolboy or sunday league football.
When this happens occaisonally-you have to wear it as a supporter accidents can happen in football-but this is not a one off, it is now an established pattern in big games when the pressure is really on the defence cracks-and I’m with you on this-the team needs criticism.
In the real world a failure has consequences-if I fuck up my exams-I dont go to Uni. At Arsenal it seems the future is based on blind faith and denial-the oh well lets hope it doesnt happen next week-when it does-we just repeat the mantra. That is not working.
Its a huge mistake to think that because a team has some potential-they will inevitably be successful-in the same way that buying a lot of good expensive players does not in itself guarantee success. The team is stuck-it needs a new direction,players who have experience and quality, a history of winning, players who can tackle and defend as well as attack and a coach who organises a team and enables the team to change in the face of different challenges-not one who adopts the same way of playing no matter who the opposition is.
This team has to change to be successful-and in order to change there has to be a change of personnel-and quite a substantial change-because when you take 2 or 3 players out of this Arsenal team the rest are no where near good enough.
thats an excellent point about rewarding failure. Rosicky is a perfect example- he was a disgrace yesterday he didn’t look in the least bit interested out there, he looked out on his feet, yet he was rewarded with the full 90mins. What has Rosicky done in the last two years? Nada.
Why else would Almunia still be at the club, he cost us dozens of goals last year and he was rewarded with unquestionable faith until his injuries proved he’s not good enough and he was still around long enough to get nut-megged by a Leyton Orient player from 20yards out. Guys like Koscielny and Denilson are mentally soft. There is a difference between patience, and a blind spot- and Wenger has to be more cut throat with whos good enough and who isn’t. Because if you don’t the soft underbelly is exposed when your best players are injured like Fab, there is no one good enough to replace him.
Wenger has noone to blame but himself, he had all summer and winter to find a defender and he wouldn’t do it- thus leading to last nights debacle and losing a 4 thats right…4 goal lead with 20mins to go to newcastle who had no fit strikers. Thats quite an achievement. If we don’t win a trophy this season, which lets face it- it was on a plate for us yesterday, we have once again ruined the efforts of our attackers due to an inability to defend properly. Someone should take responsibility for this.
Its quite noticeable we lack incisiveness and leadership when Fab is injured, we tend to get self-indulgent without a cutting edge without him. Last night was as low as it goes, it was a shameful result.