The Games

Was that Arsenal defending? So close, but yet so far…

Posted on by rico

Morning all,

Sort and sweet this morning, bit of a rush….

Why after the big games, and this season the cup games, are we left talking about Gervinho? Oh, or the referee!

Both mucked up on the night, kind of feel sorry for Gervinho, he did so well to get through on goal and then suddenly, someone moved the bloomin posts!

The referee, well if I started, where would I end. Some of the Bayern players would look more at home on a 20 metre board than on a football pitch and the referee fell for it!

Another annoying bit was Arteta at the end of the game, when we looked like we could take game in the dying minutes, that twerp kept giving away free kicks, and the one we had which he took, he really wasted…..

Anyway, that’s my moaning done.

After all the pre-match huff and puff over Arsene Wenger’s team selection, lo and behold, Walcott, Cazorla and Mertesacker all started and Rosicky came in for Wilshere. Gibbs slotted back into defence which left Vermaelen on the bench.

The perfect start after just three minutes when Theo crossed and Giroud fired home. That shut the homes fans up, but our incredible away fans were in fine voice as always. Credit to them for travelling and getting behind the team on a cold night.

As expected though, the home team gradually crept into the game, but they were far from the side which destroyed us at The Emirates. But then again, we were far from the same side who played them that night.

We seemed more organised, certainly when defending and Bayern were pretty much reduced to taking long shots at the goal, most of which went high or wide. Fabianksi was called upon a few times and I don’t think anyone will be too disappointed with his performance, he looked confident, much more confident than he used to and a couple of saves were quality. The best was possibly to prevent Robben deep into the second half…

Although Bayern were having more chances, we had plenty of our own too. Giroud and Gervinho were guilty of missing theirs, the latter really should have been buried and had it been, the final 15 minutes would have been electric.

Up popped Koscielny on the 85th minute to head home and the scores were level.

All we needed was one more to get that desperately needed away goal.

It wasn’t to be on the night, but my word, they tried.

I’ll leave you to praise/criticise players in the comments….

Have a good day all…

rico

0 thoughts on “Was that Arsenal defending? So close, but yet so far…”

  4. rico says:

    Morning all…

    Scott, I think we played better than of late and the back five were much more organised. But just like at the start of the season, when that happens, we lack a bit of spark in the middle and up front and I think that showed again on Wednesday…

    Bayern were off form, and the early goal made them nervous, but we they also left their shooting boots at home…

    Our lack of quality creating and finishing chances let us down, again..

    We should have got a 3rd goal, maybe even 4….

  5. Scott from Oz says:

    Rico, i reckon they only played as well as we allowed them though.
    We were tough in the tackle and gave them limited time on the ball.
    Honestly, i am not bothered about the overall result….the fight we showed yesterday is a great platform that must be built upon.
    We now have no games to worry about apart from the league, so must finish top 4.
    Back to work, so will check in later.
    Have a great night everyone.

  6. rico says:

    Oh well, been a very long day and I have a niggly headache so I’m off up the wooden ones shortly…

    We were much better last night and we need that in Wales on Saturday and every game until the season ends..

    Night all, catch up tomorrow….

  7. rico says:

    Hi Scott, have to agree we defended better and closed them down. But, they were pretty average weren’t they?

    Bit more about us and we would have battered them. To be honest, we could have easily won that game if only we had taken our chances…

  8. Scott from Oz says:

    Morning all.
    I thought we were much, much better than plenty reported.
    We shut down a fantastic side, leaving them almost exclusively to pot shots from 20 yards plus.
    Defence was great, especially the scrambling.
    We actually defended like Bayern did in the first leg.
    No excuses Arsene…..you showed you can get the tactics right.
    No excuses to the players either….they showed they can play.

  14. rico says:

    Bugger… And goodness only knows but that is the way we have gone….

    How many games have we lost to average sides, too many… and that’s our true problem.

    The way we approach games, not enough in the changing rooms pre-match…..

  28. Lee says:

    We had a screaming baby on the flight but the place is paradise, Mrs L is currently asleep and I’ve got those tossers up the rd on the box.

  29. Lee says:

    Never want those fuckers to win but….the longer they’re in it the more chance they’ll fuck up in the PL!

  30. rico says:

    Hi Lee, nice a warm where you are??? 😉

    Hope the place is beautiful and you and Mrs Lee are having a wonderful time….

  31. Lee says:

    That’ll teach that cnut gallas for laughing at us at the lane….the cheat suspended and they are shite!!

  34. Joaquim Moreira says:

    hi everyone!
    Gallas scored again 🙂
    I’ve posted on Saturday Ryo injury. I’ve watched it at Tv. No fault (!) was market. Thre linesman was close it. It’s difficult to understand.
    Next, swansea.Hope we win.
    How Cambiasso!!!!

  40. rico says:

    Oh I agree Sp, I agree….

    Sell the deadwood, and use the money to pay better players.

    But we still need to make sure that whoever we buy is given the right training off the pitch.Otherwise, what is the point?

  41. stevepalmer1 says:

    If we cannot afford top signings we have to get rid of the deadwood and hangers on. Once we have that sorted we can buy what we can afford and start building for the future. Sentiment has no cash value

  43. stevepalmer1 says:

    No sense worrying over Ryo, he nay be a signed player but hardly an Arsenal player. In my eyes we should buy a winger who is a proper winger ready to play he’s heart out and win us things, But a young untried boy and nurse him for a couple of seasons is a complete waste of time and money. Were not a creche were a top football club get over it.

  47. rico says:

    I can’t see it Adam, this season has been shocking for him with injury.

    Of course the ideal solution is his heals well, and comes back stronger. But we said that about Eduardo and Diaby….

  49. rico says:

    Exactly George. Wenger needs to be more ruthless. Take his arm from around the players and tell them straight.

    There are a few who need to take a hike in a couple of months…..

  50. George says:

    Rico , we had Rosicky and Diaby out for like 3 years…Sentimental we shouldnt be. The chance of suffering an Eduardo(him actually recovering and doing a job for shaktar) are slim. More often than not we end up with the Medical bill and nothing to show for it.

  51. rico says:

    I too thought that before his injury George, and as much as I feel for the guys, we can’t be sentimental, with either…..

  52. George says:

    I fear Ryo will never play for us Rico, especially after that brutal chop..

    As with Afobe, 10% chance he will recover like JW has

  54. stevepalmer1 says:

    You would do better executing them all and going to a junior school and picking kids out as they probably have not been got to yet.,

  55. rico says:

    No more than Gervinho is a left winger Sp…

    Adam. You and me both, but Ryo is an Arsenal player, maybe that explains a lot.

    I wish the referees would do an ‘exchange’ – Webb, Dean, Fatty and co go off to Europe for a season, and the European referees come over to the PL, SPL and Championship.

    All would learn a lot, and the PL would soon shape up imho…..

  58. Adam says:

    Rico. I was surprised nothing more was made of that tackle. When you look at that clown last night and see what he deemed was a booking and then saw Mirallas and the spite he put into it and how it was completely unpunished, you have to wonder if it is the same game or are there other forces at work. Mirallas was stupid and spiteful and Ryo is now forced to take the consequences. Infuriating really.

  60. rico says:

    It wasn’t nice was it Adam.

    I bet Kenny was off into that pie shop 😉

    One of the best left backs this country has seen…. And he was ours….

    We have always done well with left backs, until Santos….

  61. stevepalmer1 says:

    Kenny must have eaten all the pie’s, But he did have his red pie tie on. get well soon son.

  64. Adam says:

    That was a horrible tackle on him. I thought it was unnecessarily wild in a non-dangerous part of the pitch. It was borne out of spite and showed no duty of care to a fellow professional. Commited by That Kevin Mirallas bloke that we were apparently interested in. Total knob. He was running around with the hump because he had been booked for being an idiot.
    Another one for the overflowing glue pot.

  70. emma says:

    rico – Gibbs need to be properly managed b/s of his injury records. Good to have an able monreal to step in for him

  73. rico says:

    emma – for the first time in what seems years, we finally have two proper left backs.

    Oh, and right backs.

    Good news though that only bumps and bruises. Not as many as Bayern I suspect, that pitch looked hard, and didn’t they fall on it often enough 😉

  74. emma says:

    Arsène Wenger has given the latest team news ahead of Saturday’s trip to Swansea City.

    on team news…
    Sagna and Podolski will not be back. And Wilshere, as we know, is out as well. So the only one who will come back is Monreal because he was not qualified for the Champions League.

    on Kieran Gibbs…
    I think he will be out on Saturday. He had a little reaction on his thigh. He is not injured but we have to be cautious with it. He might be out.

    on the squad’s fitness…
    Apart from that everyone who played [at Bayern] should be OK. There are bumps and bruises after a game of that intensity but that should be it.

  79. rico says:

    Oops, silly me Wath, i thought it was black smoke, mind you – I didn’t really take that much notice 😉

    But I’m sure I saw flames…..

  80. W.A.T.H says:

    White smoke was they had made up their minds, black smoke was still no decision… flames meant they were burning evidence…!!

  83. Adam says:

    Kev. Wasn’t that Peter Barkworth?
    I think Robben was played by Derren Nesbitt before the lip transplant.

  85. ozgunner10 says:

    your last line Bendtnersgone, tells the tale of the problems, we all know these games seem very much the one off now days and really do highlight the terrible inconsistency that now grips our club

  86. ozgunner10 says:

    agree on Laudrup sp1 – he is a great ambassador for any club, smart tactician as well – not sure he’ll be much longer at Swansea

  87. Bendtnersgone says:

    Hi all, Vermaelen needs to spend the rest of the season where he was last night.
    Wenger calls it a wake up call for English football. I call it a wake up call for Wenger and the board. It’s not hard, DON’T sell our best players in the summer. DO sign high quality players to boost the standard of the squad. And get shot of the really crap ones that suck money out of the club.
    Great effort last night, we should be seeing that every game!

  89. SD London says:

    I think we all know now that football is definitely corrupt and not leaving out premier league as well.

  90. Bradster says:

    I think wenger needs a winger in the summer. Walcott has made it clear he won’t be running or doing anything out wide. Worst is Walcott is telling team mates to play it through the middle for him but can’t beat one defender let alone 3.

  91. emma says:

    George – I had a laugh when Robben did Tom Dailey impersonation as soon as he felt a touch from arteta in that last 5mins. For a moment i thought he took redbull ‘grow you wings’ 😆

  94. George says:

    Spuds and Chavski will exit tonight from the Europa tonight I think.

    Inter will do a Barca and the romanians will score at the bridge.

    We will be left with the merry Geordies flying the flag of Britain, ironically they are more French than Platini loool

  96. stevepalmer1 says:

    Wath, when you put that glass down. That brew i knocked back last night had me swearing at the tele, I like it cold so was in the fridge for a day without the ice cube. had another bottle after the game, sore head this morning. 🙂

  97. rico says:

    emma, that cross from TW was a shot 😉

    Agree his game has dropped seriously since he signed his contract…

    Definitely need a keeper in the summer, maybe even two as Mannone/Flappy our out of contract and I have a feeling all those who are staying have had their contracts renewed…

    Hello Adam. I am merely speaking the truth…. 😉

  98. Adam says:

    That’s a huge problem in Europe. Refereeing standards are inconsistent, but generally awful. We simply must get cuter and use it to our advantage like others do. We suffered last night and against AC Milan as well as Barcelona. Sorry, but we must turn toward the Dark Side.

  99. rico says:

    SD, no-one likes us do they. The ref’s are always so against us…

    Wavy – 12.12. I don’t mind that one..

    Sp, I am trying but just can’t seem to master it as well as Adam 😉

  100. George says:

    Emma , i dunno what annoyed me more the ref, Robben and the Tom daley impersonations or Arteta in the last 5 minutes..

    SP the 3rd goal we let in against BM at the emirates was so pony, too true , we have been a bit soft…

  102. emma says:

    sp – 🙂 that referee did my head in. Replay showed that 95% of the fouls awarded against us were not fouls. TW14 was flag offside when he was onside thru on goal. The referee and linesmen really irked me yesterday

  104. stevepalmer1 says:

    George there is corruption in football of that i’m certain, but letting weak goals in makes their fffing cheating even easier.

  105. stevepalmer1 says:

    Good report Emma, are you taking hormone tablets to change to a man as your comments last night had me believing that you were on the change, Joking aside you showed the commitment last night and we all knew it. 🙂

  106. George says:

    SP , UEFA doesn’t like the FA . Tall and short, the FA are moaners so lets not have double standards here…They give it , and it a way there is a corruption beneath all that money in the swiss accts.

    a bent ref, double standards re RVP red a few years back, we should have finished the job in London.

    Im sure they didnt enjoy seeing Chelsea win it last year …lol

    On player sales, TV5 and SAgna will be moved on in the DFS sale

  108. emma says:

    I like a ruthless wenger for summoning the courage to drop TV5 and Szeczesny. Walcott will follow very soon after putting another abject performance(I know he made the assist for the first goal). Since he signed ‘da thing’ he has gone back to his mediocre self. OX 20mins cameo was far better than the 70mins shift he put. If OX has the presence of mind to cover for Jenks why can’t TW14 do same. Other than the assist he never gave Jenks a helping hand. Jenks is now my favourite player. His composure to weather the storm against robben, alaba and kross all alone was brilliant. My favourite moment was when he chased and nicked the ball off robben in the 27th min. I believe there should be no sentiment in selection. Three strikes and u will be warming the bench. Our capt and keeper have being a pain on our neck all season. Mistakes after mistakes and no improvement. We need men with balls not panicking when it comes to the big matches which we’ve always fell short until yesterday. They ve being in a circle of oblivion and have refused to come out of it. This are the kind of changes we want Wenger to display. If after speaking to them and they refuse to adapt, then keep them on the bench. I dont mind getting our reserves to come in and deputise. Enough is enough for being softies.

    Pleased with Fabianski performance, at least he can have a run in the next 10games but we still need a Keeper in the summer. Never liked Szeczesny cause he is one fella too full of himself in a bad way and if he is not careful he will go the way of bendtner. Gibbo was brilliant on the LB and Ramsey ran his socks off yesterday. Not happy the way arteta gave needless fouls although some are questionable as the referee was a complete joke.

    Giroud if only he was quicker. A similar cross was made by walcott which resulted in the first goal, he was 2yards slow to get to the end of the ball. I wish he would stop his hollywood shots that goes to row Z. Bosscielny was astounding yesterday. Gerv was unlucky not to have scored yesterday, that would have done his confidence good

  110. Wavy says:

    Or:
    “I sink vee av turned zee corner. Vee were so efficient in zee final surd, vee could av scored more.

    Arsene Wenger’s post match after trouncing Swansea City 4 – 0 at home!

    There, I can be positive, too!

  111. stevepalmer1 says:

    actually SD yellow card, red card i know you didn’t forget just hard to come to terms with 🙂

  112. rico says:

    Sp, you are becoming such a cynic. Have Adam been giving you lessons?? 😉

    Don’t Wavy, I can see him stood there now saying about how mentally tired and jaded the players are….

  113. SD London says:

    So Wenger lied about the selection yesterday and it nearly worked because the Bayerns weren’t in the game for a while and they had to result to clever tactics to waste time.

    Is it just me or there is a vendetta against premiership teams in the champions league.
    Why was Jenkenson given a yellow card for kicking the ball to throwing when a Barcelona player was not given any card when he kept on playing and scored even when the referee had blown the whistle many times.

    Then I remembered our game against Barcelona when RVP did the same and he was given a yellow card in a game we were dominating.

    Lesson : ALWAYS WIN YOUR HOME GAMES (especially first leg)
    & NEVER CONCEDE MORE THAN TWO GOALS ANYWHERE

  114. Bradster says:

    Hi Rico,

    Bit harsh on Gervinho, usually he does play poorly but that was great movement to knock and run, receive while surrounded by defenders and shoot while a defender is sliding in on him. Pity no one was far post al la Ronaldo against United.

    If the lads enjoyed that game then surely they’ll work hard in the remaining games to get to play CL again next year.

    Confidence vs wasting by Giroud’s effort from 40 yards out.

  116. Wavy says:

    Or will it be the same old
    “We lacked a bit energy. You could see the players were tired, after their performance against Bayern. We gave so much on wednesday we had nothing left in zee tank” Arsene Wenger summing up their defeat to a re-energised Swansea City who dominated from start to finish against a lack lustre Arsenal side. Fourth place seems a long shot now. In fact the Europa cup looks beyond this team!

    Just reporting. Hope I’m wrong.

  119. rico says:

    Usually is all we have to cheer this time of the season…

    Agree Jeff, five quality players in the summer, but that could be more if we sell Sagna & TV.

    I’d not be too upset if Gervinho went too…

  121. stevepalmer1 says:

    Bookies are pretty shrewwed, as you know George not many skint bookies 🙂 Arsenal has made me a bit cagey, 🙂

  122. Joywedsjeff says:

    Rico, the few we need to kick out are fringe players and our captain. We need a new spine down the middle from goal to attack. That’s five players. Can he? Will he?

  124. herbert chapman 2 says:

    Beat Swansea and fight for 4th to the end. That will really give fanes something to cheer .

  126. George says:

    SP, what could have been:

    et Details
    Receipt O/12457712/0000301
    Bet placed at 13/03/2013 15:22
    Bet Type Single
    Bet Channel Internet
    Number of lines 1
    Stake per line £1.00
    Total stake £1.00
    Settled Y
    Number of win lines 0
    Number of void lines 0
    Returns £0.00
    Refunds £0.00
    Selection Details
    Class/Sport Event Type Event Market Date Selection Notes
    Football Champions League Bayern Munich v Arsenal

    Selection Details
    Class/Sport Event Type Event Market Date Selection Notes
    Football Champions League Bayern Munich v Arsenal Correct Score 13/03/2013 19:45 Arsenal 3-0 @ 100/1

  127. Wavy says:

    As goodas the result was last, will they play as well and get the same result on Saturday? Swansea are not BM but they are a threat, a real threat.
    Losing on aggregate is one thing, and it was wholly expected, but losing to Swansea would be catastrophic. It would almost certainly prevent us from winning the top four trophy!
    Can we do it? Can we do it.
    Yes we can!

  130. George says:

    Morning all,

    Jenks was v good as was TR07 , kos and Gibbs. Even spam patch did ok when he came on.

    SP, my bet almost came in 100/1 3-0

  131. rico says:

    Jeff, theres a few who need to be gone…

    The player I absolutely love is Jenks, outstanding attitude and great commitment…

    That’s what you get from a Gooner…

  132. rico says:

    How many times have we said similar Wath…

    Wenger is his own worst enemy, he is kidding himself that we have a very good squad, and until he admits we need much better, and he signs much better, we will never improve.

    The same can be said of our coaching/training

  134. Joywedsjeff says:

    Fab was fabulous in goal but the way he shouted at his team mates was awesome… We seem to always be a few players short of success. However we need to keep our key players while adding quality in the summer. We need to finish fourth. I can’t bear to watch spurs playing champions while we are absent. COYGs