What a frustrating evening that was. With a bit of hindsight it’s a little less sore, but Wednesday night was difficult viewing for all Arsenal fans. From the kick-off we were dominated in basically every position by a United side who frankly looked like a team that had won the European Cup, the Premiership and the World Club Cup in the last year. Which they have. Which isn’t, in hindsight, that perceptive of an observation. A bit like pointing out that Cristiano Ronaldo is a leg-trailing, knee-sliding, shiny-faced, rat-toothed cuntbutler who was named after Ronald Reagan.
But seriously. Were it not for Manuel the Spanish English? Spanish waiter goalkeeper making a series of unprecedented saves, we could easily have been three-nil down by halftime. Diaby was cacking around with his stupid moustache, Adebayor was uselessly muscling against Vidic and Ferdinand, and Cesc was marked out of the game. At every turn there was a United player who looked leaner (Rooney aside, obviously) and hungrier for the ball than our guy. Sad to watch. Kieran Gibbs and Alex Song struggled manfully to contain Ronaldo, but the two of them were never going to have an easy time of it.
I don’t think anyone was surprised when they scored, although I personally was surprised that a team earning, collectively, half a million pounds a week for the playing of football appeared never to have defended a corner before. And after that we never really looked like getting back into it, although towards the end of the second half United seemed to stop bothering so much. But if you think of the chances they had, to escape 1-0 seems like a minor miracle. Are there any positives? Almunia delivered a big game when it mattered. Good on him. And Alex Song can keep pace with the best of them. Other than that it was pretty frustrating.
All to play for at the Emirates, and it’s going to be very hard, but I think we can do it. Who knows: a burst from Theo in the first five minutes and its even again. You never can tell.
Anyway before then we’ve got Portsmouth in the league, a game which exists purely to injure and tire our players before Tuesday. Arshavin will probably score fifteen goals on his own again just to irritate. Yuk. Hopefully we’ll play our reserve side.
The most unfortunate thing of all was that Silvestre proved what I suspected all along -that just before he got good again, Eboue told Silvestre What Arsene Did Last Summer, just in case Eboue found some form and forgot what Arsene Did Last Summer. I can’t believe this has happened. I also believe Diaby may have been eavesdropping on that conversation, so Arsene thinks Diaby might know What Arsene Did Last Summer, but can’t quite be sure. Not a good state of affairs, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Come on the Arsenal. Eat spinach all weekend, or whatever it is you have to do to beat the hideous Manc bastards on Tuesday.
May 1st, 2009 at 9:31 am
eboue has been one of our best players in his last 2 games, and been on good form for the last couple of months
also, silvestre was great against man utd actually, the defence was weak overall but it wasnt his fault, he made a number of brilliant interceptions.
fair enough on diaby tho, he sucked bigtime, as did adebayor
May 1st, 2009 at 10:56 am
ADEBAYOR CANT FACE 3 DEFENDERS ON HIS OWN. NO WONDER HENRY GOT PISSED-OFF BECAUSE HE HAD TO CARRY THE ATTACK SINGLE-HANDED. HOW MANY DECENT CROSSES TO YOU SEE FRM ARSENALS WINGERS? EVEN ON HIS 30GOAL SEASON HE HAD TO CARRY THE ATTACK AND ALL THOSE GOALS MADE ARSENAL LOOK GOOD. ARSENAL ALWAYS LOOK GOOD AGAINST SMALLER TEAMS.
May 1st, 2009 at 12:14 pm
IBBS: “ARSENAL ALWAYS LOOK GOOD AGAINST SMALLER TEAMS.” I don´t think you have watched many of arsenal´s games this season (winter), sir.
But I think you have a point: A 4-5-1 whithout any support for Ade by our midfield is not the perfect recipe to beat a Manchester team like this.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:39 pm
We cannot and must not entertain the prospect of playing 451 on Tuesday, it has to be 442. These eleven chaps must step up to the plate and deliver the performance of their lives. There will be no hiding place.
May 4th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Great news – RvP is back in the squad. Evra might be injured. Daffy Duck sadly makes it back despite Van Der Sar’s best efforts.
May 5th, 2009 at 11:49 am
The latest Finkelstein suggests that Silvestre is doing much better than Gooners realise. Doesn’t surprise me hugely.
Apparently Diaby is the villain within our ranks. Doesn’t surprise me either.
Best performance of our season tonight and we’ll go through. Otherwise we’re out.