Norwich vs Arsenal (Carrow Road Climax)

[officepest]

If you'd been offered 79 points and an FA Cup final at the start of the season, would you have taken it?

Better than I expected so from that point of view, yes. Is it enough though? No, not with the way the season has panned out and the mistakes that continue to be made.

No doubt when the dust settles people will be pointing out that we were only 7 points off winning it and 4 points off Liverpool who everyone raved about but the reality is we were out of the race long before April came along.

Probably have exceeded expectations...but next weekend is key!!!!!

And I can really see us being significantly stronger next season...providing everyone stays fit, and with a couple of key signings in the summer (fingers firmly crossed!). I can't see Liverpool doing as well again, and Everton should drop away once their loan signings leave. Spurs will be Spurs...United have little money to spend... So I can see us more firmly embedded in top 3, but who knows...!

I think I've found a problem here

[Lee1]

In the car now, met up with the old man after. He had a fab meal in Delia's restaurant, sat with his Norwich mates and celebrated when Aaron whacked it in. Top man

[northbank123]

If you'd been offered 79 points and an FA Cup final at the start of the season, would you have taken it?

Better than I expected so from that point of view, yes. Is it enough though? No, not with the way the season has panned out and the mistakes that continue to be made.

No doubt when the dust settles people will be pointing out that we were only 7 points off winning it and 4 points off Liverpool who everyone raved about but the reality is we were out of the race long before April came along.

Probably have exceeded expectations...but next weekend is key!!!!!

And I can really see us being significantly stronger next season...providing everyone stays fit, and with a couple of key signings in the summer (fingers firmly crossed!). I can't see Liverpool doing as well again, and Everton should drop away once their loan signings leave. Spurs will be Spurs...United have little money to spend... So I can see us more firmly embedded in top 3, but who knows...!

I think I've found a problem here

Exactly - even ignoring our particular injury issues it's not realistic to expect everyone to stay fit all year and there's no excuse for crumbling at the sign of a few injuries and a difficult run of fixtures.

Talking about Spurs, Everton, United and Liverpool is probably accurate - I don't doubt we'll be posting the same shit in 12 months having secured 3rd/4th without a sustained title challenge.

[StuartL]

Quality goal - worth a little punt on Aarron for a cup final goal methinks

[clockender1]

beautiful goal. my first thought was Van Basten too.

perfectly weighted cross from Giroud - more evidence imho that Giroud and Pod should have been played the other way around - pod as target man/hit man/finisher, Giroud out wide...

the points total just shows how poor the lower teams were this year - its not like we made any headway against the top six is it ? 6 points out of 30...

i'm not at all confident about the FA Cup at all - i know we beat LIverpool and Everton already, but that was by accident as Wenger thought he was fielding his weaker teams.

[augie]

If you'd been offered 79 points and an FA Cup final at the start of the season, would you have taken it?

Quite possibly back then I would but now, looking back, this has been a really frustrating (and on occasions embarrassing) season and I cant wait to see the back of it

If you ask the victims back in august if they would be happy with 2nd in the league and they will have bitten your arm off (and then stole the watch of course ) but if they are honest (an honest scouser ) they will be full of regret and say that this is a chance that they have been waiting for and now they blew it

I would say ours is something similar to theirs in that, at face value we have done well, but when details are examined closer most will recognise how disappointing this season really has been. A lot of fans would like to airbrush the trouncings by citeeh, the chavs and the victims from our records but the reality is that we were indeed heavily beaten by all the teams that finished above us and that is unacceptable imo. We had a real chance this season due to the problems at manure and the fact that the other big teams kept dropping points, but instead of dipping into the cash reserves to buy quality, our cic brought in le postman I doubt if there is another manager in the league (and I include Sherwood in that) who would play the same tictacs away v the chavs and victims, that had seen us destroyed at citeeh and yet le cock did it twice more

This season will only be redeemed in my eyes if we finally oust le cock from the club

[SteveO 35]

Liverpool and us can truly say this was a season of what might have been in the league

The weakest United side in 2 decades and the other two top teams changing managers in the previous summer and going though something of a transition

United will definitely be stronger next year and much as I hate the cynical chav c u n t Mourinho he will address their obvious centre forward problem before a ball is kicked at the World Cup. Pellegrini's style of play is so far removed from Mancini's safety first that he will add players more comfortable with that style and the existing players have had a year of getting used to it (and still winning 2 trophies in the process)

I can't see anything more than the 4th placed trophy at best next year

[northbank123]

Agreed SteveO - this was the year. Chelsea and City will both build on their manager's first seasons and strengthen in the transfer market, United are not going to immediately shoot back to their previous level but neither will they be anywhere near as uncompetitive imo.

Clockender - Giroud out wide, are you mad? He's so slow he'd have to beat the full-back 3 or 4 times to actually get a cross in. And he's not much of a goal threat outside of the 6-yard box.

[Mistical92]

If you'd been offered 79 points and an FA Cup final at the start of the season, would you have taken it?

Abso-bloody-lutely! WIth Spurs having spent shitloads, Liverpool with a good attack and Everton with a new manager we were looking dodgy for 4th and at the end of it we've done it easily (points-wise). If we can win the Cup then I can't help but feel that a big weight/pressure will be lifted off the club.

BTW lots of credit to the away Gooners today, sounded like they were having a right laugh. It was a shame Diaby couldn't score because the celebrations would've been immense!

[safcftm]

West Brom staying up in 2005 was the Prem's greatest escape, not Sunderland.

With 6 games to go, they were 1 point from safety. We needed at least 7, and had to go to man city, chelsea and man united, theres no comparison, we needed a miracle. Say what you want, but spend 3 minutes and say this isnt a miracle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00KfPB20V_k

This is why we support shit teams, cos sometimes just staying up feels better than winning an fa cup and we're so fucking proud. It wasnt last day but the results we needed put west brom in the shade, mint fucking video, and for an arsenal link, vito went mental at full time, he loved it, the best ever escape, no one will do this, not with 3 of 6 games v top teams away and 7 points to make up, it doesnt happen

[SteveO 35]

West Brom staying up in 2005 was the Prem's greatest escape, not Sunderland.

With 6 games to go, they were 1 point from safety. We needed at least 7, and had to go to man city, chelsea and man united, theres no comparison, we needed a miracle. Say what you want, but spend 3 minutes and say this isnt a miracle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00KfPB20V_k

This is why we support shit teams, cos sometimes just staying up feels better than winning an fa cup and we're so fucking proud. It wasnt last day but the results we needed put west brom in the shade, mint fucking video, and for an arsenal link, vito went mental at full time, he loved it, the best ever escape, no one will do this, not with 3 of 6 games v top teams away and 7 points to make up, it doesnt happen

Agreed mate. The teams you beat (or drew with in City's case) make it all the more remarkable.

[safcftm]

West Brom staying up in 2005 was the Prem's greatest escape, not Sunderland.

With 6 games to go, they were 1 point from safety. We needed at least 7, and had to go to man city, chelsea and man united, theres no comparison, we needed a miracle. Say what you want, but spend 3 minutes and say this isnt a miracle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00KfPB20V_k

This is why we support shit teams, cos sometimes just staying up feels better than winning an fa cup and we're so fucking proud. It wasnt last day but the results we needed put west brom in the shade, mint fucking video, and for an arsenal link, vito went mental at full time, he loved it, the best ever escape, no one will do this, not with 3 of 6 games v top teams away and 7 points to make up, it doesnt happen

Agreed mate. The teams you beat (or drew with in City's case) make it all the more remarkable.

It was ridiculous mate, dont want to go on about it on an arsenal forum cos it isnt the place but west brom had a great 2nd half of the season and survived, we were fucked with 6 to go. That video is me favourite ever, literally got tears in me eyes watching it, we were fucked. This season ive had a son (7 weeks old today) and had that survival, I think thats my luck for life but if it is i'm happy, i'd die happily now if it means my son is okay, i've seen sunderland at wembley and had that survival, thats it for me. Really hope you win the cup, im sure you will, then itll be memorable for us all!

[afcforever]

West Brom staying up in 2005 was the Prem's greatest escape, not Sunderland.

With 6 games to go, they were 1 point from safety. We needed at least 7, and had to go to man city, chelsea and man united, theres no comparison, we needed a miracle. Say what you want, but spend 3 minutes and say this isnt a miracle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00KfPB20V_k

This is why we support shit teams, cos sometimes just staying up feels better than winning an fa cup and we're so fucking proud. It wasnt last day but the results we needed put west brom in the shade, mint fucking video, and for an arsenal link, vito went mental at full time, he loved it, the best ever escape, no one will do this, not with 3 of 6 games v top teams away and 7 points to make up, it doesnt happen

Agreed mate. The teams you beat (or drew with in City's case) make it all the more remarkable.

It was ridiculous mate, dont want to go on about it on an arsenal forum cos it isnt the place but west brom had a great 2nd half of the season and survived, we were fucked with 6 to go. That video is me favourite ever, literally got tears in me eyes watching it, we were fucked. This season ive had a son (7 weeks old today) and had that survival, I think thats my luck for life but if it is i'm happy, i'd die happily now if it means my son is okay, i've seen sunderland at wembley and had that survival, thats it for me. Really hope you win the cup, im sure you will, then itll be memorable for us all!

Well done mate, happy days for you

[1989]

Well played Sunderland their escape was inspirational. Poyet is a quality manager.

[Midz]

Cracking goal from Aaron Ramsey in a meaningless end of season game.