The Goon Blog

Another stirring performance put us back on the top of the table, but it wasn’t without nerves being jangled once again.

Once Cesc dispatched that penalty it was game over but a strange refereeing decision could have cost us the chance to go top of the league – but all said and done, we battled though adversity again to keep the title challenge on track. Arsenal certainly don’t like doing things easily, whilst this is great for entertainment, the health of however million fans around the world is sure suffering and luckily, there’s no end in sight just yet.

Again, work commitments restricted me to just the highlights so apologies for missing out anything but the important chunks of the match.

In the first ten minutes the side in red were much the brighter and we took the lead early on in a game which is something of a rarity around here now, Denilson finished off a lovely one two with a lovely little finish into the bottom corner from outside the box, his sixth of the season in something like twenty starts which is not bad going for a defensive midfielder. He has his critics but from what I have heard, he was superb.

After that the curse of the ref struck again. Vermaelen and Franco were tussling nudging each other when Franco theatrically hit the ground, the ref gave a penalty and sent off Vermaelen. To give a penalty for it is harsh enough, but to send him off? Ridiculous.  Ref’s certainly get some unwarranted stick but this decision was a joke…. Was the punishment in proportion to the foul dive. No. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

Anyway, Diamanti stepped up to try and score his second penalty of the season against us and was denied by a fabulous Almunia save. He has had his critic’s has Manuel, and I have been among them, but he is a good penalty stopper. He has won us a few shoot-outs in the past and also saved Robbie Keane’s penalty at the Grove a season or so back. Hes got form for this stuff and he’s hitting it at just the right time for us.

More worryingly though is the absence of Thomas Vermaelen, the buy of the season by a country mile. He’s going to be banned for next weeks game, leaving him fresh in time for the Barca tie, with the absence of William Gallas and the bones of Sol Campbell creaking somewhat loudly, the only other option is to partner Silvestre and Alex Song in defence. Song was incredible yesterday evening from what I saw, a world class player very much in the making. He has come a long way from his Sideshow Song days, that’s for sure.

Yesterdays win was yet another show of the character of the side, Arsene has been trotting out the ‘character’ line for ages but only now are we really seeing what he meant, and you know what…these players may well have suprised him too. In all senses, this side is over achieving and whilst that sounds harsh, I really do think its true, but its a testament to the skill and determination of this team. If we go on to win the league, it will match the unbeaten season I reckon. Just in terms of what the team has overcome to get to the title. But, there is a hell of a long way to go yet, six wins on the trot is what the form table wins, but we need at least another six to reach the holy grail.

As much as I dislike what Myles Palmer writes, he does have a point when he says the team can exorcise a decade’s worth of demons in one go, you sense it will take one trophy to propel this team into potential greatness, the talent is definitely there.

Another tick in the W column on the dressing room fixture list but the focus now shifts onto the game next weekend away at Birmingham. They have had a wonderful season but have tailed off at just the right time for us, lets hope its seven wins in seven come this time next week. There is understandably a lot of talk about Barcelona at the moment, but that will be addressed when we are about to face them, not before, they are no special case in my book, let the media do that – they’ll love it.

This season has a special feel to it right now, its horrible not being able to watch all the games but for some reason I still feel all the emotions. I try to work my breaks at work around the game so I can find out what the score is at the earliest opportunity but the phone reception is crap in the staff room so it takes about ten minutes for a page to load on the internet on my BlackBerry, annoying or what? Its my own little stoppage time nail biter finding out what the score is before my break finishes. Mental.

I’m rooting for Spurs in the FA Cup quarter finals because of this… if they get to the semi’s the derby will take place on a Wednesday evening…and I won’t be working!

Its a good luck charm at the moment though, so as much as I hate missing the games, if the team are winning, I’ll take it!

Til tomorrow.

Lest we forget….

Saturday 7th April 2007 - Arsenal dominate the entire game, but lose 1-0 to a lowly West Ham United. Bobby Zamora with the goal.

That can’t happen again.

The expected news that Tomas Rosicky and Cesc Fabregas are fit for the game will be met with many a smile, both were in the side during that game; along with Eboue, Clichy and Gallas. Almunia was on the bench longfully looking on at the angry German between the sticks.

This time around it should be very different, West Ham are again in a little bit of trouble but this is an Arsenal side with a point to prove and a title to win. Alex Song should return to anchor the midfield and there are not really too many selection dilemma’s for the boss.

The only ones I can think of are the right backs: Will Eboue or Sagna get the nod? It will probably be Sagna despite Eboue’s recent good form. The forwards: Bendtner or Eduardo? After his recent displays, I’d say Bendtner is a cert to start. Center backs…Silvestre or Campbell? Its Campbell all day long for me but he is going to need to be nursed through the rest of the campaign at this rate with Gallas and Djourou’s injuries. It seems strange we haven’t really mentioned Johann’s name this season – a season of a career gone…just like that and he hasn’t even had a sniff of football, its sad in some ways.

The focus needs to be on this game though, as I said, we have a title to go and win, and if this game is won we could be sitting on the top of the table with United and Chelsea to play on Sunday… United against Liverpool and Chelsea away at Blackburn – both tricky games.

This is not, by any means, going to be easy. West Ham have got to have a decent end to the season to keep their Premier League status and believe it or not have some players who defy their league position, Scott Parker, Matty Upson, Carlton Cole, Mark Noble, Valon Behrami – all decent players, especially Parker who I rate highly. They are a dangerous side and whilst we could end up thumping them, it is not beyond reality that they could get something out of the game… history tells no lies afterall!

Again, I’m missing the match due to work commitments but I will do my best to either see a recording of it, or catch the MOTD highlights.

Reaction tomorrow

Camp Nou...will you be there?

So, its Barcelona then. Not a bad draw for a number of reasons if you ask me: A) If we are going to go far in the competition we might as well get the big games out of the way first. B) It will be one hell of a game to watch. C) If we have to face either one of Barca or United, I’d take Barca.

There is plenty of time to chat about it in the next couple of weeks. If I had the funding, I’d be over there like a shot, flying in in the morning/afternoon – drinking, game-watching then catching the first flight home.

Are you going? What are your plans?

Its been a slow week for us, one of the slowest non-international break weeks Ive ever known I think.

There is some good news though, John Cross reports that Cesc Fabregas will be fit for the game at home to West Ham this weekend, its a real boost because our recent home record against West Ham is pretty dire to be honest, they were the first team to beat us in the League at the Grove so it is paramount we have as strong a team as possible to get the three points. I have a feeling this weekend is going to have a big say on the destination of the title this season – Chelsea are away at Blackburn and United host Liverpool – at least one of the two will drop points, I can feel it.

Alex Song has underlined the importance of winning something this season, the players will know that the fans are starting to get impatient and another season of settling for a Champions League spot will not please the masses. Mr Billong said:

“And now we are in a strong position and we will fight in the games that are left.

“The mentality has changed for us. Everyone has in their head that we need to do something this year. It is very important for us.”

I don’t know what it is but something has changed in the teams approach recently, they really want this title and at the moment it seems they are going to let nothing get in their way, no broken legs, no eye-poking idiots and fake tanned ponces – there’s an attitude about the side. This point has to be made though: there is still a very real chance the club could end up pot-less again at the end of the season, there is such a thin line between success and failure. Another year of being second or third best won’t cut it with some people anymore. I think the players and the manager realised that. Remember – Arsene promised silverware this season.

This interview with Gael Clichy is worth a read at Goal.com

So the draw for the next round of the Champions League is only a matter of hours away now (it takes place Friday morning). Quite simply, it will decide our fate in the competition. Of the teams that are through I would take a tie against Bordeaux or CSKA Moscow, I feel we need to avoid Barca at all costs even though I wouldn’t be disappointed to be drawn against then because to win the competition we will probably have to beat at least one of Barca or United, maybe even both. A few people have mentioned Bayern Munich as potential opponents and whilst it wouldn’t be the hardest draw I can’t help but think back to when they knocked us out a few years ago, ideally we would avoid them.

Either way, the draw will not be easy, CSKA would be tough away from home even though Russia is slightly warmer at this time of year – think of the effect of that traveling though, a post-euro hangover would be a big possibility. Therefore, Bordeaux would suit me just fine. Lyon and Inter Milan are potential Banana skins but the two team I fear are Barcelona and United – hopefully they play each other. Lets wait and see.

Last night there were some interesting pictures of the supposed home kit for next season, have a look, its beautiful:

Thanks to Gunnerblog.com for the picture.

Something tells me this isn’t going to be the kit though, if it was I would be down the club shop pronto. I guess we will have to wait til May sort of time to get a glimpse.

And that’s about it really, I’m not going to be around much in the next few days due to yet more work commitments. There is a chance I may not get to see a Saturday game for the rest of the season and its doing my head in, thank God the last day of the season is a Sunday…

There should be some team news emerging at some point with Fabregas and Rosicky expected to be fit and Gallas is hoping to return the week after…fingers crossed there.

Til tomorrow.

Phil Brown has been sacked

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahaha

are my thoughts on that.

Hopefully we never seen the smug, fake-tanned moron in Premiership football again, I think the whole league and the Hull board have got fed up of his egotistical nonsense, his beard, his lies, his tan and his style of play.

Phil Brown’s comments after the game on George Boateng’s sending off were typical, a player sent off for A) poking a player in the eye B) studding a player in the knee in a tackle intended to hurt.

The idiot said something along the lines of ‘he didn’t let me down, he went out there and did the job I asked’. Is there any more concrete proof that managers send their players out to rough Arsenal up and get on their nerves? I doubt it. Take a look at this:

If that would have happened in Sunday League or 5-a-side, there would have been a riot. Its cowardly, out of order and dangerous – who knows where his fingers has been? Who would even want to know?! I think credit deserves to go to Nicklas Bendtner for not reacting to it, quite easily he could have turned around and throttled Boateng but its a sign of growing maturity that he simply had a few words before the referee came over and ridiculously book Boateng and Bendtner. It should be a red for George Boateng and a pat on the back for Nicklas.

That was before this tackle: (pic taken from Arseblog)

He’s not even out of control, the ball is not even in sight. This is what needs punishing, tackles like that are designed to injure and there is simply no excuse, there are initiatives on diving, chatting back to the referee and taking your shirt off to celebrate but its the real important things like this that should be addressed. Where are the FA again? Nowhere to be seen. How easy would it be for them to review tackles like these, why not review the events leading up to every red card to decide retrospective punishment. The ref deemed this worthy of a yellow card. A YELLOW CARD. That’s how stupid this is and how hopeless Andre Marriner is.

I can’t find a picture of the Sol Campbell tackle on Zayette but you can see he does into the tackle with his  feet pointing downwards, somewhat different from the picture of George Boateng’s above, and a hell of a lot different from the Ryan Shawcross tackle which some have moronically referred to. It was a good strong tackle that Sol put in on Zayette and he won the ball fairly, its a shame he has been injured but I think we will find out its not too serious at all. There is even a sneaking suspiction he injured himself trying to stud Campbell in the thigh, in which case I hope his head has fallen off.

The first half of the Hull game provided everyone with an example of the “Arsenal don’t like it up ‘em” approach, and we can see clearly above what those tactics entail. Anti-football I think so. That’s why I find it funny that at 11am this morning, Hull told Phil Brown he was sacked. Oh happy days.

——————–

Next weekend we get the chance to crank up the pressure and go to the top of the table, we play on Saturday at home against West Ham, I think United and Chelsea are playing on the Sunday giving us a chance to lay down the gauntlet and show them they have one hell of a fight on their hands for the title. They both face tricky away games and with both their poor away records it would be no surprise if points are dropped, so we have to capitalise in-case they do.

There’s no real news hanging about this morning, most of the media attention is focused on David Beckham’s snapped achilles and to be honest I do sympathise with him, he deserved to go to South Africa. Maybe its a result of his 12 month long season with the Galaxy and AC Milan – a result of him proving his fitness to Fabio Capello.

Graham Poll is spouting his usual crap…

And that’s about it. What do you think of Boateng and your passing thoughts on Phil Brown’s sacking? I’m happy as larry.

Til tomorrow.

Another three points in the bag, but that was a close one. A United-esque performance has put us joint top of the league on points at least, before United play today but there is something about this side – a determination not to lose, a grit Ive seldom seen other Arsenal sides (especially recently) have, they fight and hang on like never before and when it really matters, really really matters, like in stoppage time at 1-1 with the title chase dangling by a thread one of the players stands tall and puts the ball into the back of the net, banishing the doubts once again.

The thing is with this side, you can’t help but doubt. In a season which those doubts have actually come true, the side seems to have matured faster than any other, and losses seem to have been the key for this maturity, getting battered three times by title rivals. You wouldn’t guess this side has been crushed by United and Chelsea more times than I can think in the past 12 months, comprehensively outplayed on nearly every occasion.

They are stronger though, the Aaron Ramsey incident seems to have added more steel to the spine and even without being at full strength – something that has hardly been seen this season – the side are genuine contenders and some peoples tip for the title. Astonishing. If the title is lifted, and that is one massive ‘if’, it is Hollywood stuff.

Adversity is a common theme this season, Andrey Arshavin wriggled through the Hull defence to finish brilliantly – another pretty early goal and you would have been forgiven to think that the chances of Hull getting something out the game were diminishing by minute, cue adversity, and a hopeless referee. Campbell touches Venegoor of Hesselink (I can’t spell the name and quite frankly, I don’t care) and he falls to the ground, a man of that height being tumbled by his body getting brushed by a defender, laughable really. Anyway, Sol is yellow carded and Jimmy Bullard – just why he is liked so much I don’t know – dispatches the penalty into the net, 1-1. It struck again.

I would forgive fans for being pessimistic at this point, just how many times in previous years has stuff like this happened and we have dropped points? The second half of this season has provided an attitude and mentality that drives this team, and hopefully, drives it to success.

George Boateng is a grade A tosser, no two ways about it. He and that Hull team are a bunch of cowards, after one of the Hull players dives in recklessly on Denilson (it was a potential leg breaker if Denilson didn’t move quickly), Boateng sticks his fingers into Bendtner’s eyes. The lowest of the low, quite how he stayed on the pitch I don’t know, and quite why Nicklas Bendtner was booked I don’t know either. Boateng’s stay of execution was short, a horrific tackle on Sagna (foot landed full on his KNEE) he was given a second yellow and off he trotted. Phil Brown, happy with his contribution, patted him on the back. Another tosser of the highest order and hopefully the idiot is sacked.

After that Hull cleaned up their act, and defended for their lives, it worked well and we were unable to get through a wall of ten orange men shirts. Arshavin managed to miss an absolute sitter and a mixture of fantastic tackles and the absence of Cesc, meant it was looking bleak.

Arise, Nicklas Bendtner and Denilson.

I was following the game on twitter for quite a while and pretty much everyone was slagging off Denilson – he is a statto’s dream. These are a few figures taken from the away leg of the Porto tie, our last defeat using the Picklive stats and scoring system.

Completed passes (points)

Fabregas 48

Denilson 45

Diaby 42

Interceptions (points)

Denilson 23

Sagna 22

Clichy 21

Vermaelen 19

info on the scoring is here

Denilson is not a bad player, far from it. Yes, his stats are overly representative of him but he has to earn them and doesn’t just do it by standing in the center circle the whole game and being a passenger, he is a good player and I find it so so bloody annoying that this team is doing well, over-achieving probably – and fans STILL can’t wait to jump on a players back. I was listening to 606 and almost immediately after we had won, some idiot was on there slagging off Arshavin and Bendtner, the two goalscorers, and Denilson! Its ridiculous.

Anyway, back to the point in hand. Denilson let fly from 30 yards with a shot Myhill couldn’t hold onto, Bendtner’s anticipation and reaction was lightening fast, beating the defenders to the ball to finish off an awkward rebound at knee height. That was the game won, 2-1 to the Arsenal, level on points with Chelsea.

It was the stuff Man United have produced on countless occasions these past few seasons and have been lauded for, its another game down, we just have to keep things going. We are at home again next week against West Ham, the rest will be vital and Cesc is going to make the game along with Rosicky, according to the boss. Gallas is out so it will mean there is sufficient time for Sol Campbell to recover and make the game.

Is it any coincidence that we have had to scrap for a game straight after a Champions League game midweek? No, and we are going to have to watch that, burn-out is the last thing we need fighting in two competitions with genuine chances in both – its been a while since we have been able to say that, isn’t it? Especially at this stage of the season. There are a matter of weeks to go now.

Come on Arsenal – that hope has turned to belief, and that belief into determination.

til tomorrow.

Hull are not a good team, but they will not be easy to beat tomorrow afternoon.

I’m kind of on a time limit at weekends at the moment and I said pretty much everything that needed saying yesterday afternoon. Hull will go into the game to kick the players and wind them up, hopefully none of them rise to it because right now what we least need are suspensions on top of an already long injury list and anything that stands to disrupt our title charge is most unwelcome.

We know what Phil Brown is like, we know what Hull are like, so there is no reason why we should be caught out in this game. All the players need to do is think about how angry they would feel if that orange smarmy idiot managed to keep his team in the league again (and repeat that horrible cringe worthy singing) this season, and that’s before you even start to think on about how he tried to tarnish Cesc Fabregas’ reputation in the country.

The defence need to hold firm again today, I have a sneaky feeling that the boss knows Gallas will be out next week too so will rest Sol Campbell who is creaking under the strain and not risk another injury, that means one thing, Silvestre. Alongside Vermaelen I think he should do OK, Thomas V is going to have to keep his brilliant form up though and another convincing display from Manuel Almunia wouldn’t go amiss, either. I would expect Eboue to start at right back with Clichy taking up the left hand side, partly due to the approach Hull will probably go for and also because Theo Walcott will probably start on the right of the forward three.

Diaby, Denilson and Nasri is my bet to to complete the midfield trio – Diaby has been immense and his form has been a vital part of our sustained title challenge this season. A few months ago I was really questioning his worth after injuries and less than convincing performances, but he really has stepped up to the plate and I really fancy him to score today with one of his powerful runs. Opposition midfielders and defenders find it hard to pick him up and track him, and its that which makes him so dangerous, his close control is a thing of beauty, you don’t see Diaby not winning many one on one scenarios with other players.

That brings me to the forward three who will probably be Andrey Arshavin, hotshot Nicklas Bendtner with Theo Walcott on the right. Fine by me. It really wouldn’t be at all surprising if Bendtner scored again tomorrow, his positioning is fantastic and he really does give shape to the attack, with the right back expecting to be tore a new one by Arshavin the focus is probably taken off him a little.

I can see us winning this by two clear goals but it really will not be easy. There is an old cliche saying that there are no easy games – that’s right to an extent, but we are playing the sort of team that used to relish playing us a couple of seasons back, we have been remarkably consistent against teams in the bottom half of the league this season and that must continue – if it does the title could be coming home.

Lets not let this aggravating orange sod get in the way.

Till tomorrow.