Well Done to Arsenal Ladies and of course to Laura Harvey, the Arsenal manager for winning the FA Cup yesterday.
What a day it was and what a performance by our Ladies – they truly deserve the hangover they will all have this morning. 🙂
Another FA Cup Trophy in the bag and a massive confidence builder for the rest of their season in the WSL.
The game was all but over by half-time thanks to two wonderful goals scored by Kim Little and Julie Fleeting.
The first was scored within fifteen minutes; Kim Little weaved her way through the Bristol defence and finished with a clinical shot into the bottom left hand corner of the Bristol goal.
Then on the half an hour mark, Julie Fleeting saw a powerful header beat the Bristol keeper, Siobhan Chamberlain. Arsenal took their foot off the gas in the second half but remained comfortable until the end.
Laura Harvey was born just down the road from the Ricoh Arena in Bulkington and spent six years at Coventry City Ladies as a player, this triumph will hold even greater significance.
Victory gives the 31-year-old her second trophy since taking charge midway through last season and brings Arsenal’s tally of trophy’s to an incredible total of 33 since their formation in 1987.
Jemma Rose and Fleeting had chances early on and maybe both should have done better but nerves can be cruel. Little settled those nerves with a wonderful finish and Arsenal didn’t really look back from that moment.
Rachel Yankey burst down the left and then set up Jordan Nobbs, but Bristol’s defence blocked her chance. The same thing happened to prevent Fleeting from nicking a goal after some great work by Ellen White. Arsenal had finally settled and in the mood for this Final.
Fleeting then saw another effort hit the crossbar and only a wonderful one-handed save kept out White’s low header seconds later. It wasn’t long before Fleeting did score; she rose highest in the area to head home a quality cross from Niamh Fahey that only Gael Clichy could dream of delivering into the area – from six yards out, Chamberlain had no chance.
White and Fleeting again went close with headers and Bristol’s Helen Bleazard blasted a shot over the crossbar from 35 yards out.
Half Time and the game already seemed over!
The second half saw a Bleazard free kick brush the top of Emma Byrne’s cross-bar and that was pretty much it for the second half. Bristol enjoyed a tad more possession but never really looked like scoring one, let alone the three goals they need to win this final.
Arsenal looked comfortable after ten minutes into this game, would anyone dare write them off from winning the first WSL Trophy up for grabs??
Well Done, a good game of football and a great win for our girls….
On to today and our final game of the season.
Who knows what will happen, the way things have gone we could be looking at another battering couldn’t we…
But, something makes me think we won’t – I actually believe we will end the season with a win!
Whatever happens, it shouldn’t change Arsene Wengers plans for this transfer window should it?
I just hope the away fans get to see a great performance and a win to take home with them…..
Can’t let the day go by without the rumours:
Bayern Munich are to offer £10M for Sagna, Barca are to offer £50M for Fabregas but Man City will offer £58M – Clichy and Nasri have been told to sign new contracts of be sold, we are still after Samba and a whole load of players are leaving, incuding Vela, Bendtner, Eboue, Rosicky and Arshavin…
Don’t you just love this time of year 😉
Finally, The Sunday Mirror report that Stuart Pearce has at last seen sense and will not include Jack Wilshere in the under 21 squad, that is good news for Arsenal.
Have a good day all…..
I’ll be cheering on Ian Holloway’s boys – I really hope they do something special today and we see them in the EPL next season….
Morning….
Morning rico.congrats to the ladies on the win.
Morning Kt, i thought they deserved a match report of some kind 😉
You be glad when the final whistle goes today??
Great news re Jack Wilshere, he can now have a proper rest in the summer…
I read an Aw interview last night where he said he has identified 3 targets and will pay ‘whatever it takes’ to get them but will not pay over the odds.he also spoke about how English players are overpriced but there is one in particular he is interested in and we’ll have to wait and see how it turns out…i hope he isn’t screwing us again and that those 3 targets aren’t kids.
Very glad rico.its about time we woke up from this nightmare.
Wenger confirmed we won’t sign a GK.
Morning guys, been a poor Season for the lads hope the ladies can inspire them
He’s certainly talking the talk Kt, I don’t think they will be kids as he’s already confirmed he wants to add experience..
Samir Nasri (hamstring), Gael Clichy (hamstring) and Abou Diaby (calf) all face late tests ahead of the trip across the capital. Cesc Fabregas (thigh) certainly misses out while Johan Djourou (ankle) is hoping to be back.
Until I see it on dot com am nt getting excited at all
Morning Erick, I hope they can kick on and win the WSL now 🙂
Same here Erick, i don’t think it will be too long though before something is on there – the way wenger is talking so freely i wouldn’t be surprised if a deal or two is done already..
normally he is so quiet about his intentions….
Rico am tired of Aw, he has to do everything to win me back same mistakes for 6 years unacceptable
Wenger has also issued an ultimatum to nasri and clichy regarding their contracts.he is clearly telling them to sign up or f*** off!
Rico we need fired up players no more baby sitting
The fans are thinking the same as you Erick, apart from those who can see no bad in the man regardless and some of those have changed their opinion…
I just want the old wenger back, not the one he’s been over the last few years….
Mambo erick?mbona kupotea hivyo?…
KT atleast we can get some cash from them…Nasri been poor from December
Rico it wouldn’t surprise me at all to hear we’ve already signed 2 of those players and will be announced early June.lets hope the old cunning fox is making a return.
KT sio kwa ubaya ni kuhustle jo kutafuta pesa mtu wangu, hakuna kazi hapa Kenya so lazima uweke bidii
Looking at his face and body language, I think Wenger feels let down hugely by certain players and I think this will be a huge transfer window.
You guys seem convinced the real Aw is back…am waiting for his action both in the transfer market and next season 60 th minutes subs got to stop
Morning Will may be he is getting too old for this
I am not sure Erick, I think he is angry.
If Lansbury and Frimpong are to come in I dn’t see alot of players coming in may be more have to leave
Hi Will, i’m convinced the old fox will shock us this summer in a good way 😉
Maybe Stan has given him the rockt up his jacksie he needed – i know i sound like a broken old record but i’m not expecting loads of big names, just one and the rest with big hearts….
I hope so Will, we have been angry for 6 years.
I can see three top class, experienced players coming in.
Rico last summer you had the same feeling eh
I like what he’s supposed to have told Nasri and Clichy, ‘sign or be sold’….
I’m actually quite looking forward to the transfer window now… 🙂
I also don’t think cesc will leave just yet.barca are rumoured to be after Rossi who will cost them €30 mil.i don’t think they are really interested in cesc.
The midfield is where we alot of numbers may be we won’t see any signing but we need a defender and a Striker..Nikky can sod off
I think we will see one top class central defender, one midfielder and one striker.
Marcel Schmelzer to replace Clichy??
Suggestion is that Barca have been told they can have him Kt, £50M…
Erick – i don’t think we’ll get a midfielder either, we should but with Frimpong and Coquelin coming in….
Ronaldo finished the season with 40 la liga goals and a total of 52 goals in all competitions.what a player!
Morning rico.
Had a great emotional time last night,and as you rightly say a big well done to our ladies.Ladies football has really progressed and to get 13ooo for the Final was fantastic.
on to today. Who knows which Arsenal tam will turn up.
looking through the “rumour mill” IF Wenger really means what he says it will either be an admission that project youth has run it’s time or he really is going to have a massive clearout.My question is that something has been demanded from the BoD for him to change his approach plus the fact that we actually have money to spend for a change.
I honestly think cesc will be off if the valuation is met by Barca.
However to make wholesale changes just won’t happen and if it did it would take time for a new squad to gell together.
We have IMO a few outstanding players in Cesc,Vermaelen,Nasri,RVP and Sagna and then we have those who are the raw recruits in Wilshere,Ramsey and I will include Kos (as I think he has improved dramatically as the season has progressed .)
Djourou has been with us for years and like Diaby and Rosicky are injury prone and unfortunately so is RVP.
It doesn’t sit well with me that after the horse has bolted, certain players say they have let the manager down, but hardly a mention of the fans.
These guys are some of the highest paid in the league and it is their duty to give 100% every game.That leads to the question were is the motivation to win .is it Wenger’s fault or are they just a load of prima donnas who are guided by their dreaded agents to disrespect loyalty to the club and it’s fans and let everything revolve around how much money they can earn regardless of effort.
I am falling out with my love of football as what is happening now can’t be sustained, and the paying fans in the main are on wage freeze and it will continue in the UK as in other parts of the world for a number of years.
If he tries harder next season he could be as good as Nikki B…
To be fair Kt, that league is not the strongest outside the top two, even nikki could score over there…
Rico barca don’t have 50mil.they have much more pressing issues to use their cash on rather than blowing out their entire kitty on a sub.they have also promoted Thiago Alcantara to the first team to be xavi’s understudy.
But still rico 51 goals is an excellent return.
Exactly Kt, so they cannot afford him – but maybe a player/cash deal will be struck… Messi maybe 😉
For sure it’s a great return, he’s a great player – we’ll see if he scores as many in the PL next season when he’s at Citeh…
Morning kelsey, emotional, but wonderful i hope?
Chesney and Robin mentioned the fans i think, saying they understood why we were all disapointed etc…
Re the players comments etc, i’m glad that some of them have spoken out, shame they couldn’t see this coming before though and spoke about it in house, they should have been able to use the way they all felt after the CC final to wake themselves up and raise their game…
Not just fade away, heartless….
The Cesc rumours start at two times in the year. In the summer and whenever we get them in the champions league.
I don’t think i have ever seen a team collapse in such a catastrophic fashion.it also happened last season but not to this extent.surely Arsene can see we need experienced players for squeaky bum time?
I think you are right KT and just going by his body language, I think he will go out and get the players we need.
I think Arsene may sign a LB.i get the feeling Gibbs has been playing to test if he is ready to be 1st choice and that clichy isn’t really injured.
Mesut özil has 25 assists for Madrid this season.11 of those are Ronaldo’s.
Marcel Schmelzer
I posted his name earlier, what do you think of him??
Rico he is a very good player.he was part of Dortmund’s record breaking defence.i saw him mark robben out of the game when they met Bayern.he is in the Bundesliga team of the season too.he is very energetic like clichy and can also play like a winger.he also played virtually all their games showing he isn’t a crock.he had 3 assists too.he is worth a punt.
Popping off for a bit, back shortly…
Hleb must be really regretting his decision to leave us.since he left he has gone from winning the treble with Barca as a sub to getting relegated with b’ham on the bench…
I hear noises Titus Bramble to Arsenal, reliable source what yo think?
Erick i wouldn’t be happy if we signed him.he isn’t good enough.
Everbody thinking the same KT, others having a laugh oh rumours
Bramble? I would stop supporting Arsenal if we go after him.
Afternoon all,
Well done To arsenal on winning the monkey tennis, oops I mean women’s FA cup…Rico, that’s a joke, simmer!!
News just in we’ve signed Ricardo Alvarez on a free from Velez in Argentina. An AT&T king midfielder. Looks v. tricky on YouTube, a bit like bergkamp with pace…
Fox News have reported a done deal and he’ll sign when the Argie season ends.
That was suppose to say attacking??!!
I think this rumour has got some legs, sounds very Wengerish.
I hope it does and he is as good as everyone says he is.
I’ve never heard of the kid, I know you tube can make anyone look like pele but the clips I saw about 20 of the were from one game!!
Hopefully well get him in…..could mean Cesc/Nasri are on the boat already though???
Afternoon fine folk 🙂
How’s you Rocastle??
Brambles, i just been walking through those, they are rubbish….
Quiet old afternoon….
I heard the Alvarez rumour was a misunderstanding he will sign for Arsenal Argertina
Where did you hear that Erick??
We wondered that when the news broke on Friday…
A win would surely help today.
My predictions:
Arsenal 3rd
City 4th
Liverpool 5th
Spuds 6th
…
Blackpool 17th
http://delhigunner.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/time-to-restore-some-pride/
Cesc Fabregas bid from Barca ‘to give Arsenal free choice of player swap’
Reports in the Spanish press have suggested Barcelona are prepared to offer Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger a free choice of almost any of their players to be used in a swap deal to seal a summer transfer for midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
Messi anyone???
Have to win today, they need to forget what is going on at Bolton, just win shubhamgoel27
But, i think Bolton will get something from their game…
Saw that on Twitter Rico, lets wait and see..three points please
Hi all!
Brendtner in the squad!
Szesc,Sagna,Djourou,Verm.,Gibbs,Walcott,Song,Wilsh.,Ramsey,Bendtner,VP
The women are our proud! 🙂
We’ll soon find out i guess Erick…
Hi JM – Wenger must be putting Nikki in the shop window 🙂
Ronaldo scored 40 goals…
Betis and Rayo Vallecano up. Another team from Madrid. Miss one. Granada? Elche?
Almeria, Hercules and Corunha down. No fottball teams from Galiza next year 🙁
Lille won the cup and the league.
Arsenal will be 3thd in the League ! 🙂
A bit of frustration around about Cesc already being in Spain and not with our squad today….
Captain and all that, not the best move he has made….
You are not too happy then JM??
Arsenal ending 3rd will cheer your day 😉
No, rico. If Arsenal win and finish 3rd, sure I will be happy. Very happy!
And like I wrote two days ago, the summer transfer window will be different.
But more important decisions in this afternon…
I was thinking that Rico, a Cesc for Messi swap.
Well JM, we need a big win and Bolton to get something from their game for you to be happy…
You watching the Sky Sports match previews Will??
If they want him that bad, then give us a player who is as good, Messi is that man….
That’s what i’d do, either that or pay the right money, like kelsey says, they won’t because they are broke…
Here’s todays line up
Arsenal
Wojciech Szczesny
Bacary Sagna
Johan Djourou
Thomas Vermaelen
Kieran Gibbs
Samir Nasri
Abou Diaby
Jack Wilshere
Aaron Ramsey
Robin van Persie
Marouane Chamakh
Substitutes
Jens Lehmann
Sebastien Squillaci
Emmanuel Eboue
Ignasi Miquel
Theo Walcott
Denilson
Andrey Arshavin
No Nik, he’s gone isn’t he…..
And no Song, is he off too or is he injured?
Senderos plays for Fulham
Go Robin 🙂
I’m off to watch the game, better than talking to myself here 😉
laters….
No, why, what is happening Rico?
Charlie Nik reckons Cesc should go see Wenger and tell him he wants to leave in two years time – ready to take Xavi’s (spelling) place – then knuckle down and get on with Arsenal until then….
Our game isn’t on TV, what a plop….
I can’t find any decent links either
Got a pretty good link but not great.
The one i normally use Will has been ‘seized by officals’ eek 😉
http://ilemi.me/24354/1/Watch-Fulham-vs-Arsenal/
Mis-places passes and falling over, Sums our season up.
We are a fucking disgrace.
Fab, just tuned into that link Will to see Sidwell, an odl Reading boy make it 1-0 🙁
Shocking….
This is the phrase of today
MUSCLED OUT.
Thank the lord of Robin
1-1, blimey….
imagine a whole season with him fit Will, you can only dream of how good that would be..
i so wish he’d quit holland…
I see we are getting the Lions share of the decisions again.
Do we ever get fouls around the box? Fuck me how obvious was that one on Robin?
my link keeps freezing Will so i’m missing a lot 🙁
Still it’s better than nowt…
Again we have a biased ref. When will someone from Arsenal question the FA over our treatment?
Same old same old then….
Citeh are 1-0 up 🙁
Blackpool are 1-1 with the Mancs
Wolves are 3-0 to B’Burn
Scum are 0-0 with Wigan
Stays the same and B’Pool survive 🙂
It is a joke, we really need to learn when to fall over. As much as we have this cheater tag, our players really don’t fall over at the slightest touch and we need to start doing it.
Thing is, as much as I dislike what City are doing, you can’t say we deserve 3rd.
We will get what we deserve i’m sure….
You mean cheat Will, just to con the officals, nah, i’d rather someone sorts out the officials….
There was a player who kicked Nasri 4 times and the ref did nothing but JD barely touched Zamora who then fell to the ground and they get a free kick.
I have seen enough and I have turned it off.
bollox 🙁
but holloways boys have made it 2-1
Will, that’s what i mean, the refs need sorting!
Theo and Eboue on…
4th place for us, citeh are 2-0 up, game over there i think….
What did I miss with the ref?
Finally, a Red Card!!
What has happened?
Fulham player off Will, bad one on TV i think….
2-2, all over…..
Is TV ok?
4th place, how’s that for progression Mr Wenger?
Blackpool relegated 🙁 🙁
yep, he’s fine…
Will, i don’t honestly think he will believe that is progression – now i’m not looking back on the season, only forwards to the transfer window and next season….
This one is done, CL qualifiers loom, so that cuts wengers time down in the window…..
Another one!
Portuguese cup half time: Guimarães 2 Porto 5
4th !!!
one more game, and City will be the second…
Since the League Cup: Arsenal and Birmigham, both fall down in the table
I bet Birmingham would swap that CC win now for a place in the PL next year JM….
Anyway, onwards and upwards for all, the only sadness is not seeing Holloway interviews as frequent as we have done… 🙁
JM, one more game and we would have been 5th….
We really need a fantastic window.
‘Wenger:spend some f***ing money!’
At least my weekends won’t be ruined by that lot at least for several months.
So, we are preparing for winning again Arsenal tournament?
Next League:
First Group (A): Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham y Everton
Second Group (B): Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool y Fulham
Nightmare will soon be over.. Still hiding from man utd supporting friends.. 🙁
kT said a point there..
Hi STV
season is done, i’m not even fussed about todays game if i’m honest, we ended up where we deserved, wenger needed that…
I’m off for the day guys/gals – tomorrow our new season begins – let’s just hope Arsene Wenger is sorting that out right now……
Nighty all…..
nightly all!
I was reminscing on past events.
I recalled there were a few postings on Wenger losing the dressing room.
There is no way that this so-called “best of the best” manager can lost his dressing room and can’t motivate his players or swiftly changed tactics in the midst of the games that win or draw a match from a losing position after CC Final.
Similarly, I don’t like his excuse forever bleating “players played to many games…players injured…”.
More and more, I believe this hypocritical snake-oil salesman had lost the dressing room, players turned cynical and can’t be bothered to play for Arsenal, can hardly wiat for season end with their agents whoring ’em to the highest bidder in the summer.
What is the point of having worldclass players who chose when to play, when to exert themselves and goen MIA in tight games….and who demoralised rest of the committed players simply Wenegr always chose hsi favorite regardless of squad palyers who were in-form and promptly dropped when his favorite french poodles and pretty boys recovered from injury or a long layoff and fast-tracked back into the side.
None more obivous than 2006 CL Cup FInal when he fast-tracked Cashley Cole into the side at the expense of “in-form” Flamini….dropped Reyes to play his favorite Pires…
And 2011 Barca 2nd leg…claimed that he selected Cesc ‘cos he said he is fit….where as a manager he should know that Cesc is nowhere ready…and Wenegr his a poodle to cater to all whims and fancies of his marquee boy to persuade him to stay….
People, we have a weak manager who had lost the dressing room, akin to the tail wagging the dog now.
Remind moi of a deluded Brian CLough during the tial-end of his career introducing Rosario as his “worldclass” striker……like Wenger bragging not so long ago..”WHy not? we can win the Quadruple……we can win the title……2nd spot shows we had improved…..we will win a silverware within 2 years..remember he said that during stakeholder revolt in 2008/09 season??”
WHy do you think?
That he had lost the dressing room, hence that dreadful and demoralising run sicne Carlign Cup Loss? Players are not listening to him?
Can Nasri replaced Cesc?
Nope.
Nasri is just a pretty boy who gone MIA when we needed a man to standup like Cesc to win games for us throughout the season…and not good only at season satrt and faded away badly 2nd half of season.
Contrast to Cesc since he broke into the side in 2004/05 season and the way he single-handed dominated midfield and made Arsenal ticked during those halycon days of Rosicky-Fabregas-Flamini-Hleb.
Nasri?
Sell him for 30m to 35m and buy a player to complement Cesc.
And I doubt whether Wenger will release Cesc now as he is sitll that cornerstoen that Wenger needed to rebuidl Arsenal.
And Cesc’s contract runs to 2014 and I can only see Wenegr selling Cesc during summer 2012…after Euro 2012.
Another thing.
Cesc willing to sign an 8-year contract extension whereas this pretty boy is whoring himself to get a lucrative contract extension. That speaks volumes on his commitment to Arsenal in contrast to Cesc when he was acknowledged as that cornerstone that Wenger will build the team around him.
Bottlers, French Poodles and pretty boys that are holding Arsenal at ransom with their agents whoring them to highest bidders? Just sell ’em and rebuild a team with passionate, committed and fearless players that will fight and die for the badge”
Unlike NAsri that after one or two hefty tackles, he gone MIA and does not relished the physicality of the English Football.
1 – Clichy – 10m to highest bidder?
2 – Nasri – 30m – 35 m to highest bidder?
3 – Sagna – 10m to Bayern or whatnots…
4 – Gibbs – just sell him and pointless to cater to his deluded wage demand.
5 – ALmunia – just release him
6 – Eboue – just release him to a circus
7 – Squillaci – just release him
8 – Vela – sell him if you don’t play him
9 – Rosicky – just release him
10- Arshavin – why do you want to keep a player who does not want to play for you?
There is no way I want Sagna sold.
New Post up guys…