I have no doubt that the complaint has already been scripted. Whilst Gareth Bale was intent on telling the world that Spurs are now ahead of Arsenal on the pitch – echoes from the near and distant past ring around the statement made by the Best Player In The World – Andre Villas-Boas has no doubt worked out that anything less than a victory is because Arsenal had two days more to prepare for next Sunday’s North London Derby.
And in Anthony Kastrinakis, he will have a willing Prophet of Doom. The Sun’s Tottenham-supporting reporter exacted the fullest revenge on the decision by Arsenal to ban the paper from London Colney. He showed his claws – with their beautifully manicured talons, resplendent in their red nail varnish – by reporting that between “5,000 and 10,000 season-ticket holders stayed away” as “every mistake was booed by angry fans“. Obviously not the “10,000 had left Ashburton Grove in disgust before the Spaniard struck the 85th-minute winner” though.
The weekend turned out as well as Arsène would have hoped in terms of the results; Arsenal’s win with defeats for Chelsea and Everton can only be topped off with Tottenham failing to win this evening at Upton Park. Perhaps that is too much to hope for; the defeat for Chelsea changes the impact of the coming fixtures. Previously, Sunday’s NLD looked to be the dreaded must-win fixture; the emphasis has changed to must-not-lose. Everyone wants a win of course, supporters, manager, coaching staff, players but a point will not be the poor result it might have been seen as previously.
One thing that must happen is that Arsenal need to cut out mistakes. Individual errors are becoming extremely costly over a season with this campaign being little different from others; rarely do Arsenal concede a goal that you think was exceptional, more frequently accusing eyes fall upon one or two players. To err is human, the biggest sin is not learning from them. Mikel Arteta took on this theme,
Sometimes [mistakes come from] a bit of a lack of concentration. Or [if] a team-mate makes a mistake, the second one cannot be a mistake again.
It seems to happen. For every small detail, the other teams are taking advantage and it’s costing us a lot of points.
There is something wrong when it happens frequently, with most players culpable at some point in the season. Those lapses in concentration – which is how most mistakes arise – are, in isolation, not a problem but collectively, they point to something being awry in the overall attitude. Arteta whilst raising a positive point, probably identifies why they seem to happen at Arsenal,
Something good that we’ve got here is that we don’t look at the other one and say ‘Look what you’ve done’ If someone makes a mistake, the team makes a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes during the game and you can’t fault a player for that.
If it’s a lack of attitude, yes. I’m the first one to get him by the neck, because we can’t accept that. If it’s a mistake when you take a risk, that can happen.
Not long ago, Gary Neville offered the view that mistakes were not tolerated in the United dressing room. If someone dropped a rickett in a match, they knew the players and manager would give leave them in no doubt about their displeasure. Simply because the squad point out mistakes does not mean it is a blame culture; the environment that Neville referred to was a manifestation of the manager’s personality. Ferguson is a harsh critic if mistakes are made but you can be sure that the United squad work hard on not allowing the same failings to arise.
Arsenal meanwhile reflect their manager’s more cerebral approach to matters, coercive learning rather than inflammatory and biting criticism. That works to a degree but in the same way that a critical environment can be negative, so too can a cosy atmosphere. After a while, do the players learn not to care enough when mistakes are made. Wenger treats his players like adults; sometimes grown-ups need harsh words too.
Perhaps that is a contributing factor as to why United level’s have not dropped? Technically, a number of Arsenal’s players are as good as their United counterparts but collectively, whatever shortcomings United have are compensated by attitude and the ability of others. The winning mentality I guess you would call it.
’til Tomorrow.
Oh Bill…I think I just threw up in my mouth a bit thinking of seeing ‘ol Monkey Boy in the Arsenal kit.
peace out all
Sooooo close. All to play for. COYG.
Good thing about bale playing like this is each goal he scores probably makes it less likely he will play for spurs next season.
Always looking for the silver lining, eh Bill?! Such optimism!
@Vice.
Fear not. It ain’t gonna happen. Hope we can hold him in check next Sunday.
Limestone.
After 4 years you know me too well.
I still think spurs are going to crumble down the stretch. They always find a way.
@viceologist you know Bale is an Arsenal fan though dont you?
Theo was a liverpool fan, Bale was always an arsenal fan…
Id have Bale over at the Arsenal in a heart beat,, would be a world easier and than welcoming that great signing Silveste… still feel dirty about that one.
Sad thing is old Red nose will snap him up,,, just you watch.
i dont think spurs will falter this year. They probably will loose against the bigger teams though, like us and is it everton and city they got left? but they will beat the lesser teams.
Aslong as we do the job we will get that 3rd place. But we been so inconsistent.
We are the same as Tottenham atm but they got Bale and we got well, we dont got a superstar atm. If we had a superstar we would be the better team.
@Pistol Fish atlest he then wont be a tottenham player no more… And Bale out of tottenham will be a bigger loss than RvP out of Arsenal
Well now that we dont compete with Man United anymore it would no doubt be beneficial to us.. But fuck me how about having to see Monkey Boy, Rooney, RVP and that cunt Evra all winning shit.. Makes me wana be sick.
I thought all the rumors were bale was headed to Spain. I enjoy watching really good players no matter who they play for and almost all the football that I watch is English but in this case I would be happy to see him bugger off to Madrid.
Yes, off to Madrid with him, please!
Theo loves the NLD. I look forward to him outshining Monkey Boy with a brace.
We’ve had enough luck on our side. Lasanga, West Brom keepers… And we enjoyed it. Nothing was better than an odd joke at our neighbours’ expense.
But the thing with the good luck is that you start taking it for granted.
After the last season’s lucky escape, Arsene’s desire to stick to his old ways and keep selling off the team was unbelievably arrogant on both the sporting and the human level.
It’s the refusal to take the local rivals seriously that will be part of Arsene’s downfall and long standing legacy.
And even on this side, despite all the growing worrying signs, you’ll still hear the voices believing that also this season Arsene The Magician somehow will get us through the line.
We’ve seen many good records falling in front of our eyes. But as long as we stayed the top team in North London, the world seemed in order.
Time for the most pleasant record for Arsenal fans to fall?
I’m prepared for the inevitable. But it will still hurt.
I’d definitely have Bale at Arsenal – he’d improve the team instantly, I question anyone who wouldn’t want to improve the team.
We need someone to be specifically tasked with containing Bale this weekend, I’d probably say Ramsey is our best option but he was giving away a lot of silly fouls in dangerous areas last week and it’s important we avoid that as much as possible.
Chels Fixtures
1 WBA H
2 Fulham A
3 West Ham Utd H
4 Southampton A
5 Sunderland H
6 Tottenham H
7 Liverpool A
8 Swansea City H
9 Man Utd A
10 Aston Villa A
11 Everton H
Spuds Fixtures
1 Arsenal H
2 Liverpool A
3 Fulham H
4 Swansea A
5 Everton H
6 Chelsea A
7 Man City H
8 Wigan A
9 Southampton H
10 Stoke A
11 Sunderland H
Spuds last 2 fixtures could do them in.. Stoke away then last day Sunderland..
I see Chelsea getting their acts together and getting a couple of wins in the next games. Theye havee a tougher run in though.
And there seem to be enough tough fixtures for the Tots to drop points.
The key is for us not to lose to them and find some consistency.
It’s probably too late. But worth fightinh till the end.
Having said that, our last game at Newcastle looks very tough indeed.
If we at least draw with the Tots, we’ll have a mathematical advantage over both Chelsea and the Tots still having to play each other. But boy, we’ll have to win our games. Including the home game against ManU.
I think their last 4 games is 12 points.
Someone earlier suggested getting second was doable. I’d just concentrate on 4th and then 3rd. Citeh 9 ahead. No chance.
@Phil
Seeeing our fixtures, we’ll be dropping points right, left and centre I think. So better to be prepared for the heart breaking finale.
SV,
Yes having to go north in the last game needing a win for 4th is not idyllic!
Think I’m a bit late to this one, but why not go for Amorebieta and Williams? Amorebieta will be on a free anyway.
Also a story in the Telegraph that Weimann has turned down a 4 year contract extension because he didn’t like the terms. I’d imagine they are currently offering deals based on the chance that they could be in the Championship next season, if they lose players like Weimann they can expect to stay there. I said in the transfer window that Weimann might be worth a punt. He’s got an eye for goal and will score a lot more goals in a better set up.
WAVEY
good call on weimann. Quality. Don’t know much about the Amoroso dude
some of you’d like to prepare yourself for heartbreak. The cult of ARSENAL AND I will stick by the lads to the end. I for one am getting very excited with this seasons run in and if chelski hadn’t bottled it against ahitty we would have been only six off second place.. Certainly doable. Next weekend could see us hopscotch two teams to go third. If the spuds had dropped points to waste ham. Oh well where they fail we shall triumph. Bring on the spudniks. We are the ARSENAL. gooners cult. Coyg…….
Looks like you are on the red cordial GK
Don’t do drugs Phil.
Just cigs and alcohol tiny bit.
Morning troops, today’s post
http://www.aclfarsenal.co.uk/transfer-gossip/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-arsenal-accounts/