Forgive me all this talk of us deserving to win because we had more shots and Foster made a lot of saves. Football isn’t decided in shots on goal or saves from the opposition. It is cold, hard goals that win games. We scored less than them. We lose.
There should be no doubts about the team out on that pitch being good enough to win, there were probably more players who had experienced a major final on our team than theirs. It isn’t down to bad luck either, we should have been a goal down within the first few minutes.
We could be sitting here right now saying how we got absolutely smashed, Birmingham could have stuck three past us in the first half – the defence crumbled under pressure with Djourou and Koscielny getting skattier with the nervousness spreading. When the ‘leaders’ word comes up it is all well and good pointing out that our captain wasn’t there on the pitch but it wouldn’t have changed the fact that none of our defenders stood up to be counted, you look for someone to grab that defence by the scruff of the neck and raise their game. Did the defenders bottle it? Maybe, the uncertainty then spread to the keeper who made his first two mistakes in the first team.
Szczesny was at fault for the first goal in my opinion, you don’t come out to challenge a beanpole striker. If he had stayed at home it would be an easy catch, I am a massive Szczesny fan, but if Almunia is criticised for that Andy Carrol goal at home to Newcastle, then Szczesny was wrong here.
The response came though, van Persie equalising after some brilliant work from Arshavin and at that point you thought they would look to get their noses in front as soon as possible, it didn’t happen and we didn’t have any real guilt edged misses or chances.
And well, the last goal? A mess up of Arsenal proportions kind of sums it up – I’d stick the blame on Koscielny but to know the player at fault you would have to know who called it and when. Did Koscielny panic? If so, just get the ball out and danger averted. Maybe he was scared of booting Szczesny and saw him coming for it at the last second? Still got you put your foot through it for me…
There were three players that stood out for me yesterday, Robin van Persie: His link up play was brilliant, a constant danger as well. His injury is worrying though, there are substantiated fears that he will be out for the Barca game. More details should be known by tomorrow. Fingers crossed he is ok. Jack Wilshere: What a star this kid is, at 19 he is one of the finest players in this team – he has a winning attitude and realises just what Arsenal is, what is stands for as much as Fabregas and van Persie do. Samir Nasri: What more can you say about him. Looked our most dangerous player when he was on the ball, sadly I don’t think he was on the ball enough.
Andrey Arshavin also impressed me, whilst visibly tired he was still looking very dangerous – he shanked a few passes but his spark is definitely back and we are a better team for it.
We may never know just how important this defeat will be, win against Orient and Sunderland and everything will be forgotten in the Barcelona build up. My stance is that we had to win the Carling Cup and/or beat Barcelona; one option left, lets do it.
What more is there to say other than to ensure that the wheels do not come off the only remedy is victory. It is what winners do.
Koscielny head slapping….
It is quite clear what happens here. If you did not see the incident I will explain..
- @AbsolutSuedois
Basically, Ferguson ran past and pushed Koscielny’s head into the ground deliberately as he celebrated. Being a captain of a rather small and unsuccessful team every Sunday evening, if that happened to one of my players there would have been trouble. It is disrespectful and shouldn’t be accepted. Of course, in the aftermath of the goal you are not going to go chasing after someone, but before play restarts I would have made my thoughts known in a way rather more forceful than having a whinge at the ref. I’m not saying that is what they should have done, but it would have been my reaction – if you follow me?
Jack Wilshere
- 11gunners.com
I think most Arsenal fans will find these pictures quite sad, Jack Wilshere is clearly devastated but let me tell you one thing:- winners are born that way, and he is one of them. His attitude is admirable, his temperament is perfect and he is a leader. At 19, he is one of the main men in our team and has attributes we couldn’t teach to many members of our squad.
In 30 years we have lost 10 finals, that isn’t good enough. This season so far we have reached one final out of one possible final – not a bad start. Of course it hurts, and I know who I blame mainly – the manager – now isn’t the tine or place to explain and shout about why though.
Arsenal will be back, and have bigger fish to fry. The success will come, and its more important than ever that it comes this season.
Hold onto your hats Gooners, this ride may get bumpy…
Same shit, different season.
Also rans
I know I will get slated but we should have bought Cahill!! But Arsene knows! Big changes needed as project youth failed again. Still 3 cups to play. Come on!!!
Also if RVP is out we dont have any proper goal scorer in our team!!
WTF is wrong with Arsenal – we have talent to spare and we consistently choke or crumble when the pressure is on.
and the FA better show they have some bollocks and fine that ass Ferguson. What kind of low-life does that sort of thing?
Who was the wanker who slapped koscielny on the head when they scored their winner?,i thought that was very,very disrespectful to our player who was obviously hurting after his costly error.Mind you it doesnt surprise me in the least because birmingham players lack class and this was just another incident to put in their shameful catalogue of incidents.Onwards and upwards lets get a major prize this term.League title is very much within our reach,come on chelsea tommorow for starters.
A good clear headed post.
I would just say that whilst Birmingham played ok they weren’t the heroes everyone has made them out to be today. Their winning goal was more than a tad freakish and their keeper did play very well. These are not excuses just facts. I’m not too disheartened as I think we created a lot and on another day would have won that game. Alas, it wasn’t to be on Saturday.
Wenger has to take a fair amount of flak for his team selection and subs. Rosicky playing the whole game was baffling, as was the removal of Arshavin. Tired or not AA is a genius who can win you a game in a split second; you don’t take him off when there is a one off game to win.
Lastly, I wouldn’t blame Woj for either goal. Zigic was unmarked 5 yards out for goal one and would most likely have scored anyway. Where was his marker? This lad is going to be a star, but he is also going to make mistakes. When he makes them he’ll take the flak, but not for Sunday in my view.
i’m sick to death of the gloom n doomers of our so called support-birmingham were NOT better than us imo & they got a “freak goal”.if that match had been played a 100 times again it would never happen.shit happens,underdogs somehow manage to win-that’s life.it’s how you deal with it that counts.& as you rightly point out.there is bigger fish to fry-soa all the wenger out brigade can hold fire till end of season & then we’ll see if they are as critical of this emerging team..
king gooner, i tend to agree with almost everything you’ve said.
p.s i would have waited for that jock c**t down the tunnel & let him have it.classless toe rag-
But is the quadruple still on?
Stop with the sanctimonious rubbish about Brum deserving to win.
We lost the game primarily becasue we gave them a winner and didn’t convert our chances (yes, Foster did well but the slack finishing allowed him to).
Arsenal has 12 shots to their 7, 8 shots on target to their 4 and 56% of possession. So, yes, BC played well but that doesn’t mean they deserved to win. You’re falling into the same trap as the British Broadcasting Cr*p idiots.
Harsh to blame Szczesny for either I thought. It was the first header that got that goal. What are you going to do with a guy heading the ball from 2 yards out?
Sadly I think Kos was to blame for both – I’m not a Kos basher either, think he’s done very well in his first season. Was excellent V Barca.
Don’t think the defence were that bad. We paid the price for having an unsettled back line. If Szczesny & Kos had played 100 games together it would never have happened. With all the disruption they must have played together about 8 times (a guess)?
Consistency will come as they’re good players.
I also think Kos will be fine for what he was bought for. A 3rd choice CB
Finally a word on the slap of Kos after the goal. Totally disgusting. Imagine if the boot was on the other foot. We’d won & done that?
We’d be getting totally slaughtered in the press for atrocious sportmanship. Even in victory Bham are still scum.
deluded gooners. Until your manager realises that you have no leadership on the pitch,buys a decent hard centre back and spends big money to get a good keeper ( either schwarzer or given), you will continue to play great football but will end up with nothing.You have been taken in over the years by his ideals and principals on playing football the correct way but yesterday proved(again) that there has to be some steel and leadership in the team. You will win nothing until this is put right.
I don’t think anyone need to be blame, a stupid mistake, a little lack of communication and the ball could have gone anywhere butfalling back into Oba’s feet.
CC is gone now let’s head for the remaining 3
Sorry, Martin, but can’t agree with your view that we deserved to lose. Why? Their goalie, Foster, was made MOTM. Any time that happens suggests to me that we should have won.
I think we deserved to win…A final is one game and in this one Ben Foster was great.He made top saves….Birmingham needed the luck and they got it but hey Well done to them and lets move on coz I don`t think any one of you would have been happy with only the Carling Cup….I think the game that will really determine our season is the one against Barcelona.If win go past we will win silverware for sure…
Lets just admit it. They bottled it…..
This write up is so inspiring, and i wish the players pick themselves up and not allowing this to destroy their season, remember when Aaron broke his leg against this same team and how it ruin their season. The team did not play well or maybe they underrated the opponent, generally Sunday was one of Arsenal off day.
Well, well, well, here we go again with the same old same old. Still the keystone kop defending, still the gutless performances by certain players, still the long balls that can never be dealt with despite five years of experience. Some idiots said you cannot deal with a 6.8 feet tall player. Well if that’s the case how comes the Brums are not top of the table already. Other retards said we have the 4th best defensive record in the premiership, so it can’t be that bad, well if that is the case we should come fourth then.
Now lets stop making excuses and acknowledge our mistakes so we can deal with them. Losing 3 cup finals in a row must actually make one the worst manager in Arsenal’s history and not the best.
What right do we have to get upset when players want to leave – can you compare Wilshere’ performance to that of Rosicky ? At the end Wilshere was in tears because it meant so much to him. Rosicky instead said we can move on from this because it meant nothing to him, and his manager who incidentally is only interested in serving his paymasters. Yes we should move on – but in substance and not just in words.
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It would be interesting if when giving the players a rating out of ten from now on we marked them for effort only. Yesterday we got beaten by a really mediocre Birmingham team but fair play to them they gave 100% everything they had and we had too many players who did not give past 40%
It has happened time and again this year. We just don’t have balls, have no leader, or a spine and players who will win the battle and then the game.
Wenger has for too long by talking about spirit, determination and focoos (focus) has been whistling past the graveyard. About time we put some real men into the Arsenal jersey again and not watery players like Rosicky, Diaby, Arshavin, Denilson et al.
Fabregas, Nasri and Wilshere deserve bettter around them
Birmingham deserved taking us to extra time. That’s all.
The gift of a goal and suddenly they were the better team?
You really need to rethink how you see football.
Ya’ll blaming kosciently and szczensy where the fuck djourou is? when kos went to clear the ball,is it not his side?if u don’t know i must tell you today?djourou he is misery in disguise in our team which has not fish out yet but we all can saw all the dangerous error he made against barca.however,manager arsen wenger he is part cause to this problem which trying to keep club money and which is good but he also lack those days tricks to fish out players that their eyes shook for shirt like toure,van persie,fabregas,jack wilshere wen they were brought into the team.arsen wenger we don’t need player like bendthner,chamakh,rosicky,djourou whose has no spirit to speed up their club game when getting thick.wenger a half word is enough for old man like you bt i give it in bulk for you to know how much i’m hurl about our loss.
Ya’ll blaming kosciently and szczensy where the fuck djourou was? when kos went to clear the ball,is it not his side?if u don’t know i must tell you today?djourou he is misery in disguise in our team which has not fish out yet but we all can saw all the dangerous error he made against barca.however,manager arsen wenger he is part cause to this problem which trying to keep club money and which is good but he also lack those days tricks to fish out players that their eyes shook for shirt like toure,van persie,fabregas,jack wilshere wen they were brought into the team.arsen wenger we don’t need player like bendthner,chamakh,rosicky,djourou whose has no spirit to speed up their club game when getting thick.wenger a half word is enough for old man like you bt i give it in bulk for you to know how much i’m hurl about our loss.
Ya’ll blaming kosciently and szczensy where the fuck djourou was? when kos went to clear the ball which led to error,is it not his side?if u don’t know i must tell you today?djourou he is misery in disguise in our team which has not fish out yet but we all can saw all the dangerous error he made against barca.however,manager arsen wenger he is part cause to this problem which trying to keep club money and which is good but he also lack those days tricks to fish out players that their eyes shook for shirt like toure,van persie,fabregas,jack wilshere wen they were brought into the team.arsen wenger we don’t need player like bendthner,chamakh,rosicky,djourou whose has no spirit to speed up their club game when getting thick.wenger a half word is enough for old man like you bt i give it in bulk for you to know how much i’m hurl about our loss.
Ya’ll blaming kosciently and szczensy where the fuck djourou was? when kos went to clear the ball which led to error,is it not his side?if u don’t know i must tell you today?djourou he is misery in disguise in our team which has not fish out yet but we all can saw all the dangerous error he made against barca.however,manager arsen wenger he is part cause to this problem which trying to keep club money and which is good but he also lack those days tricks to fish out players that their eyes shook for shirt like toure,van persie,fabregas,jack wilshere when they were brought into the team.arsen wenger we don’t need player like bendthner,chamakh,rosicky,djourou whose has no spirit to speed up their club game when getting thick.wenger a half word is enough for old man like you bt i give it in bulk for you to know how much i’m hurl about our loss.
@ Martin …..Is there any truth to this news report.
If true I am furious and wanted to see Arsenal team to only play a win in that 2rd leg Bracelona match. Speak of the arrogance of their best or world beat player – Messi.
“Arsene Wenger Lives In Trophy Cuckoo Land,” Laughs Lionel Messi
http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s6i92392