As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
franksav63 wrote:This isn't the first time that Wenger has used a similar 'tactic' when playing, I think back to the 2005 FA Cup final when we had a few injuries and I don't know what the possession stats were that day but we hardly crossed the half-way line during the game, (but they must have been similar to last Sunday's) so Wenger has got it in his locker to play this way, perhaps the criticism that he received this day when employing them somehow swayed him from doing so again?
I've got to admit I loved it but will we get more of the same or was it a one-off? Hmmm... I doubt it somehow!
The difference is though we were utterly hopeless in the 05 Cup final: we were battered all over the place for 120 minutes with Wenger experimenting with a diminished Bergkamp as the lone front man.
In a way, it’s one of my favourite wins; because we were so poor and it cut Utd like a knife, but I digress.
Against City we were, for all their possession, very rarely troubled and actually looked like we had a meaningful plan. Whether we did or not is obviously open to conjecture.
After the over zealous celebrations at the Etihad, we are back to this issue again.
Any coach worth his salt would have calmed it down, got them back in the dressing room and told them this is just 1 game, nothing has been won except for 3 points, to use this result as a stepping stone.
And reminded them of the 6 points they dropped at places like Stoke and St Mary's.
Not Wenger though, he will now use this result as evidence to claim his team are title contenders again, without any need to bring in new players.
After the over zealous celebrations at the Etihad, we are back to this issue again.
Any coach worth his salt would have calmed it down, got them back in the dressing room and told them this is just 1 game, nothing has been won except for 3 points, to use this result as a stepping stone.
And reminded them of the 6 points they dropped at places like Stoke and St Mary's.
Not Wenger though, he will now use this result as evidence to claim his team are title contenders again, without any need to bring in new players.
You do realise that piece was fron april 12th after we beat the mighty wigan in the cup semi right ?
franksav63 wrote:This isn't the first time that Wenger has used a similar 'tactic' when playing, I think back to the 2005 FA Cup final when we had a few injuries and I don't know what the possession stats were that day but we hardly crossed the half-way line during the game, (but they must have been similar to last Sunday's) so Wenger has got it in his locker to play this way, perhaps the criticism that he received this day when employing them somehow swayed him from doing so again?
I've got to admit I loved it but will we get more of the same or was it a one-off? Hmmm... I doubt it somehow!
The difference is though we were utterly hopeless in the 05 Cup final: we were battered all over the place for 120 minutes with Wenger experimenting with a diminished Bergkamp as the lone front man.
In a way, it’s one of my favourite wins; because we were so poor and it cut Utd like a knife, but I digress.
Against City we were, for all their possession, very rarely troubled and actually looked like we had a meaningful plan. Whether we did or not is obviously open to conjecture.
We were horrible in the 2005 FA Cup Final , even Wenger said he was disturbed by the performance. But there was a lot of poetic justice in the result and how it came about. Arsenal had already finished six points ahead of United in the league despite United being handed six points by referees in the two league meetings between the two. First was the Riley show in the away game that ended the run and in the return we had a perfect goal disallowed while their equaliser for 1-1 was dubious to say the least. Think it was Andy Gray who said the '05 final was their best and our worst performance of the season. Yet in 120 minutes they couldn't score . Also Reyes , who was poor on the day, got a second yellow after blatant acting by Scholes who went on to miss the vital penalty. So fuck them.
As you say whether by accident or design last Sunday was more about setting up to contain where '05 was a horrible performance that we got away with.
After the over zealous celebrations at the Etihad, we are back to this issue again.
Any coach worth his salt would have calmed it down, got them back in the dressing room and told them this is just 1 game, nothing has been won except for 3 points, to use this result as a stepping stone.
And reminded them of the 6 points they dropped at places like Stoke and St Mary's.
Not Wenger though, he will now use this result as evidence to claim his team are title contenders again, without any need to bring in new players.
This has been alluded to already here and I agree 100% with you, no problem with the players going to the fans and throwing in the shirts etc, but the league is business so once its over it's over , move on.
The negative I fear from Sunday is the perception that everything is ok so no need for new players.
The frustration I feel from Sunday is why if such a performance is possible did we have to endure 2-8, 4-4, 3-6, 1-5, 0-6, 3-3 and abject surrenders at Stoke to name a few.
Bradywasking wrote:Also Reyes , who was poor on the day, got a second yellow after blatant acting by Scholes who went on to miss the vital penalty. So fuck them.
Pretty sure it was Ronaldo that he fouled and could have little complaint, I remember thinking as soon as he made the challenge that he'd be off.
Was a blessing in disguise because he would probably have taken a penalty and missed it.
After the over zealous celebrations at the Etihad, we are back to this issue again.
Any coach worth his salt would have calmed it down, got them back in the dressing room and told them this is just 1 game, nothing has been won except for 3 points, to use this result as a stepping stone.
And reminded them of the 6 points they dropped at places like Stoke and St Mary's.
Not Wenger though, he will now use this result as evidence to claim his team are title contenders again, without any need to bring in new players.
You do realise that piece was fron april 12th after we beat the mighty wigan in the cup semi right ?
Yes, but it also mentioned the Chesney selfie at the Lane.
It is becoming a bit of a habit, and who could not be embarrassed by the scenes inside the dressing room at Newcastle?
Wildly celebrating finishing fourth, its like you expect to see some sort of trophy to be in pictures.
It needs a pragmatic 'Roy Keane' type to be around and give these players some home truths.
Winning Semis, and finishing 4th is not how our players should be measuring success, the squad has been too complacent for too long.
Bradywasking wrote:Also Reyes , who was poor on the day, got a second yellow after blatant acting by Scholes who went on to miss the vital penalty. So fuck them.
Pretty sure it was Ronaldo that he fouled and could have little complaint, I remember thinking as soon as he made the challenge that he'd be off.
Was a blessing in disguise because he would probably have taken a penalty and missed it.
God wasnt the final was a terrible match to watch, I remember thinking lets just cancel the game and go straight to pens. The result of course was abslutely great , but then we had been spoilt with our performances over that season or two.
Bradywasking wrote:Also Reyes , who was poor on the day, got a second yellow after blatant acting by Scholes who went on to miss the vital penalty. So fuck them.
Pretty sure it was Ronaldo that he fouled and could have little complaint, I remember thinking as soon as he made the challenge that he'd be off.
Was a blessing in disguise because he would probably have taken a penalty and missed it.
Yes you are correct it was Ronaldo that he fouled for second yellow, memory playing tricks..Ronaldo did make a meal of it by holding his face to ensure card.
But Reyes did owe quite a few of the manscum players a good kicking after the way he was hacked to pieces in the game that ended our 49 run. Of course rednose's gimp Riley was reffing that so no surprises ....
I will never forget that day/game - that was when I wished and prayed for rednosecunt to die a painful death - for that game alone I will manurescum forever....not because we lost but because they cheated and did everything they couold to ensure we did not continue on the unbeaten run - and with Riley as their 12th man - it was a fait accompli . Kicking reyes to bits, ferdinand's blatant foul in the pen area of Freddie Ljungberg as he went through on goal - and of course granny shaggers dive to get the pen....
