Morning all, the inquest continues into the performance on Saturday but we need to move on. We can’t change anything now.
We get straight back into the thick of it on Tuesday night when we face Liverpool at what is sure to be a pumped up Anfield and we can’t afford to be moping around feeling sorry for ourselves.
Arsene Wenger has been saying that the experience of last season…being the dominant team for ages then ending up with nothing, will help us be more ‘headstrong’ after the defeat:
“The season is not petering out. We are in the last four in Europe, we have just played in the semi-final of the FA Cup and we still have to get as close as possible in the Premier League. We dropped out of things last season but I believe we have shown we are mentally strong in adversity this season. Now we have a good opportunity to show it.”
To be honest I think we will lose against Liverpool, Torres has the class to tear our backline to bits but we do have last season to look back on and remember what happened, how it felt and how much the CL is the focal point of our season now….despite what Wenger says. You don’t have to win anything to finish third or fourth. You have to win something if you finish first.
One man who will have many, many eyes on him on Tuesday night is Fabianski who had an absolute mare. Wenger has responded in typical Wenger fashion and said that he is potentially one of the best keepers in the world.
Riiiight then Arsene…
“It would be unfair to put too much responsibility for this defeat on Fabianski, I just want to see him recover because I firmly believe he will be one of the best goalkeepers in the world.”
Right, world class keepers are usually world class in their twenties; Casillas and Buffon are prime examples. Fabianski in my opinion is not world class and will never be world class. Please…feel free to prove me wrong though.
Robin van Persie is looking forward to the end of the season with optimism still pointing out that we still have the mammoth task of winning the CL ahead of us. To be frank, you have to be one hell of an optimist to think we can win that trophy…but RVP is hopeful we can pull it off:
“We still have two targets now – that is the Champions League final and to finish fourth or even third in the league, We are disappointed, but we need to get our stuff together and fight for the other two titles. We have to play the game against Liverpool on Tuesday now, whether you are happy or if you are not happy. It is the Premier League and we need those points, but I am confident because we have strong characters. Every experience makes you stronger, a good one and definitely a bad one. We have to look game by game because if you look at the schedule from now until the end of the season, it makes you a bit dizzy because we have big games every three or four days.”
He has a point, we do not have the time to dwell on Wembley, the mourning ends now.
The press are lining up in their droves to shoot us down after we have fallen over, there are snide little journalists trying to say ‘i told you so’ a matter of days after making us out to be the dark horses this season.
Lets show them wrong…lets win the Champions League. :- Damn I wish it was that easy.
Liverpool could cement fourth place for us, we lose and the door could just start to sneak open again for Villa with games against Man Utd and Chelsea still to come.
We have another big week ahead. Liverpool preview tomorrow.
Til then.
Arsenal News 24/7
Fabianski;
First goal he let in was at the near post. Theory: goalkeepers should never ever get beaten at the near post (besides when RvP and Arshavin shoot). Practice; Young keepers often have trouble with their near post. It is quite common to see a young keeper conceded at their near post.
2nd goal – complete cock up. Once again goalies will learn through this experience. Before Drogba’s goal I’m sure Arsenal fans would have liked a goalkepper who commanded his area like Fabianski and controlled crosses like Almunia.
Conclusion;
Some arsenal fans before the FA cup and CL game against Villareal preferred Fabianski in goal. Everyone recognised the potential he has. I think you need only look at the double-save he made it the Carling CUp which is the best save of the season so far, and his double save against Villareal to see that Fabianski will become a world class keeper – one of the best.
mate, ever since the Carling Cup last season i have felt that his temperament will prevent him from reaching the top.
Trust me i want the lad to be the world class keeper Wenger thinks he can be, id like it more than anything but the stage for learning is not a semi final of one of the worlds biggest cup competitions.
I would like to see him go out on loan next season to another premier league club and an old reliable keeper brought in for the no.2 keeper role.
Fabianski clearly needs experience so he should be sent out on loan.
I’ve been reading comments on dis blog since saturday evening till dis moment & if Wenger & d players have been dwelling on d defeat then we shld be outrightly beaten tomorrw. We have a good team but we werent good enough on d day. What i wld still like dis season is beat Chelsea with Drogba & Essien on d pitch, we havent managed d feat. Up next, Liverpool.
Arsenal will be without leading scorer Robin van Persie (groin) and striker Emmanuel Adebayor (hamstring) for the trip to Anfield.
Full-back Bacary Sagna has recovered from a virus and could feature along with fit-again Croatia forward Eduardo.
Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski will again deputise for the injured Manuel Almunia (ankle).
Defenders Gael Clichy (back), William Gallas (knee) and Johan Djourou (knee) are all sidelined.
Hopefully Bendtner and Eduardo start because they play really well together…they read each others games and are imo the best partnership of strikers at the club.
Hope you’re right!
I’m very nervous about the match. I have no idea what will happen.