By Walter Broeckx
Slip sliding away sang the singer a few years ago. And that is exactly what Sagna did in the first minutes of the game. Any sensible person who has seen this goal can only say that if Sagna doesn’t slip nothing happens at all. We can moan all day and all night (better do it on other blogs where they like moaning, so you could stop reading now – and don’t say I didn’t warn you) but how a player slipping up has anything to do with tactics, manager, boardroom is beyond me.
Or do some of you think that Wenger says to Sagna before the game: “just slip up when you want.” Of course not. Sometimes shit happens as Podolski said earlier this month. That goal was just a lucky goal. First for the slip and then for the bounce of the foot of Mertesacker that changed the direction of the ball so that Szczesny could do nothing about it anymore. So two lucky breaks (in fact could say 3) for Liverpool for that goal.
We then had chances enough to score a goal ourselves. Everybody thought Theo had scored but Reina made a stunning safe just seconds after we conceded. Later Reina did the same with a curling effort from Walcott. Meanwhile Szczesny was trying some fancy footwork that made a few hearts skip a beat. We were lucky that it lead to nothing.
We had to open up and that lead to Liverpool creating a few chances themselves on the counter. They have good players for such a game with Suarez and Sturridge. But the chances for Arsenal were not converted. Giroud, Podolski, Theo, all had a few chances but no end product.
In the mean time Gibbs got injured and had to go off. Santos came in his place. And he is the scapegoat for the fans this season. Going in 0-1 behind was not the correct reflection of the game. A draw would have been fair but football is not about being fair.
The second half was one way traffic. Liverpool was forced back and Arsenal did the attacking. My match commentator was just saying that Liverpool almost hadn’t been near Szczesny in the second half when disaster struck again. Henderson went past Mertesacker, Santos tussled with Henderson and then came Ramsey with a great block on the attempted shot from Henderson. But Murphy’s law struck again as the ball bounced from Ramsey against the knee of Santos and then fell in front of the feet of Henderson who couldn’t believe his luck and could roll the ball in the empty net.
Many teams would have crumbled. But not Arsenal. No the team picked themselves from the ground, dusted themselves off and refused to die.
The team responded and how. Wilshere with a perfect free kick and Giroud headed home. 1-2 and we didn’t stop. A flowing move over the ground and Giroud pushed the ball to Theo who fired a rocket past Reina from the right. The ball was in the net before Reina realised what had happened. 2-2 and we still had some 25 minutes to make the winning goal.
And then we just couldn’t produce that winning goal. Again chances enough. Podolski, Walcott, Giroud even Mertesacker all came close to very close. And only in the extra time when Santos misplaced a ball on the halfway line giving a chance to Liverpool for Suarez. And Szczesny made a really great save to prevent us losing the game. That would have been very harsh but we know football is like that sometimes.
So what did we learn today? We must do something about the slipping up of players. We must make sure that when the ball bounces around it doesn’t end up in front of a player of the other team. Apart from that we were the better team. And we really should have won the game.
But this is the way it goes. Games can be won with brilliant football. Games can be won with great goals. But points can be dropped by one player slipping up. Goals can be scored from an unlucky bounce of the ball. And sometimes you cannot score enough to make up for those bad things.
That is sometimes how it goes in a football game. I remember most and for all that the team didn’t lay down when 0-2 down. They fought back against bad luck. They showed character. They fought for what looked a lost cause. Surely we can’t be that unlucky in each game?
We could have made a big step today but as it is nothing really changes in the league table. Chelsea and the totts also had a draw today. Only Everton won their game. So all in all the other results went our way a bit.
Now a last note to the kit man: screw in bigger studs next time please.
Thought Suarez was more deserving for his first half performance.
Love him or loathe him, when he concentrates on playing the game Suarez a terrific player.
WalterBroeckx
January 31, 2013 at 8:04 am
Blacksheep he got the booking of Giroud correct.
@Walter – the replay clearly shows Giroud being tripped. I didn’t notice Giroud looking for the trip by dangling a leg,
A|,
Santos was already known to be thin cover from before Gibbs came back from injury. Now it’s too late and no worries because we can switch around for 3 weeks, we are told (but how many games?) What if it’s more than 3 weeks. Is the defense to your eyes that stable and resilient with interchangeable parts that communicate that well? C’mon, mate. There’s not been a commitment to having quality backup for quite a while – to my eyes since the January transfer window two seasons ago when we were competing for 4 cups, already stretched too thin, and never planning for the predictable normal set (if not rash!) of injuries that AFC has endured. Too often the excuse of, well, how many can you have at any given position; or, well, how can you keep all of them happy. And now it’s, well this was unexpected – you mean Gibbs who already has been injured this and other seasons, and that Santos is, to be charitable, out of shape. A|, I love this side, but it can’t improve via self-deception. There’s still time in this window, and where there’s time there’s hope, however slender.
We actually made a shit Liverpool team look like world beaters in the first half! The whole back 5 should hang their heads in shame, fucking comedy defending. All this bollocks about “Mert isn’t strong or brave for a big lad”. Fuck that, doesn’t matter what height the twat is, a coward is a coward, a weak bitch is weak bitch. I’d take one Dennis Wise/Scott Parker ahead of 10 Merts any day. PUT YOUR FUCKING HEAD IN WHERE IT HURTS YA FUCKING WIMP!! You look closely at the eyebrows and foreheads of CH’s at the end of their careers. Covered in scar tissue. Adams, Bouldy, Keown, TerryCunt, all have it. Mert will retire without a mark on his face. Sagna is just appalling. I really don’t give a flying shite what is affecting him. He is playing shite, cannot cross, won’t/can’t take his man on, and looks scared of his own cock! He should NOT be playing. Gibbs is a write off. Chocolate legged. End of. He will spend his career being injured because he has no muscle mass on his legs. Sad, but fucking true. Ramsey was shit. People saying he’s playing better? Yeah, he’s making less stupid high profile mistakes but he still can’t pass the ball where it needs to go. If the guy is running put it a few yards ahead of him, not straight at his feet you idiot!! Every time I see VanJudas’ groupie SantosCunt in an Arsenal jersey I want to be fucking sick. Add to that the fact he is a fat useless kúnt and I want be sick on his fucking fat face. And nice of him to nearly fuck the result away with his lazy pass in the dying minutes. Horrible useless fuckbag. Enough of the negatives! Oh, no – hang on! Wenger you simply don’t have a fucking clue anymore. Please just fucking leave. PLEASE! Cazorla and Wilshere were much better in the second half as was Podolski and Walcott. There was a 15 – 20 minute spell where we could have and should have put the game to bed but their George Graham-ish 9 across the back 4 worked hard to hold us out. Giroud played ok, but his first touch often let’s him down. Got a good goal which shows he can deliver to some extent if we can whip a decent ball into him and his assist for Feo’s cracking finish was sublime and is a side of his game the usual doom-mongers don’t like to admit he has. But he does. His dive was appalling and embarrassing though. The miss at the end? It was fired at him and took a deflection off the defender which put the ball in between his feet so a bit stupid to blame him for that one. But yet again he worked hard and won his share in the air so continued improvement. But I still think we need a seriously world class striker in there or play Giroud and Podolski as the 2 in a 4-4-2.MOTM for me was Wilshere by a long shot. Never stopped running, working, trying to create. I just wonder how long before Wilshere gets sick of running his arse off for little or no return and decides “fuck this, I’m off!”?
Pat,
You end with saying we shouldn’t underestimate that we can provide good entertainment. World Wide Wrestling Federation says this all the time. Then again, they are hugely rich because people pay their hard earned money knowing that the outcome of every match is fixed in advance. Perhaps Micky R took notes and shared them with Scudmore and Bernstein and Bladder?) C’mon mate, you’re making us sound like a former great boxer who ends up as a wrestler in that mix. Grasping at straws like we give good entertainment on our day is really a sign of our current (and hopefully temporary) downward slide toward mid-table average-ness. Then, again, perhaps we are what our record indicates? (A few more hours – please let the heralded worldwide scouting system come up with a rabbit’s foot. coyg.)
Nannu,
“Covered in scar tissue”? Wow, a new measure of competency, and a new standard of tough love. But seriously, all your ample testosterone aside, we are in trouble. Now Sigmund Freud had a flat for a few years up in Hampstead. Perhaps the doctor’s famous couch could be put to better, let’s say cerebral use, and resorting to something other than scar tissue could have its impact? Anyway, I don’t disagree with your assessment; just your way of getting around to it.
Yes, shit happens… Unfortunately, in case of our defense, it happens twice every game!
There’s no way to sugarcoat it.
Blaming every goal on other factors won’t get us anywhere. Time to take responsibility.
I thought Ramsey had a good game tbh?!?!
I actually find it very amusing how Arsenal manages to create so much hatred towards this website.
The “we’re only interested in trophies and don’t care about anything else because we’re the real fans” brigade are really coming out of the wood work at the moment.
Stuart,
Ramsey’s the new Song? Or would you advocate we buy a new DM in the waning hours? Which is it?
If players are slipping at inopportune times, it may be they have the wrong footwear. A person would hope that the players have access to data about what footwear to use for various conditions, and that teams keep track of how often a player slips.
In terms of some players not measuring up to any _fan_’s expectations, and especially when one or more _fan_s start to believe the manager’s perceptions are wrong, it is entirely possible that the manager has seen that player in more football situations in the course of a week, than we have in the entire season. This includes practice, and reserve team games.
Gord,
finally someone picks up what I wrote
Thanks.
I think watering the pitch at Arsenal is part of the tradition and is important because on a slightly wed underground the ball goes faster when played over the ground. As we do.
But the negative effect is that players slip over easier.
One could say that we then should be wearing longer studs but then you have another problem: injuries.
Because the longer the studs are the more chance of injuries like knee injuries when the foots stays in the grass and the upper body turns and then some ligaments could give in. Or dangerous tackles ending in broken bones.
So it is a difficult exercise to find the right balance between the two.
I’m suddenly proud of that last sentence
Breaking news on Talkshite
Looks like we have/are/maybe signing Spain fullback Nacho Monreal from Malaga. Apparently he is on his way to London for talks.
Hmmmm, a world class loyal International defender like Sagna being slain because he slipped. I don’t remember this happening the two times the slip meister Gibbs, who is not world class or a first choice international, had the team chasing the game. Talk about shallow.
Yes Walter, the thing the team needs to work on in training is the abolition of accidents. They must reenact every possible scenario of accidents and have a counter-plan for each of them. You are wittier than I thought.
I’m with Walter on this one, the ref got it right with Giroud’s shocking dive, and this after I told everyone before the game to expect Liverpool to dive their way to 3 points. The team captain is supposed to stand up and be counted when Arsenal players try this crap. Adams Vs Nelson Vivas comes to mind. (Missed opportunity by Wilshere to rubber stamp his credentials too).
Szczesny has screwed up by being too pally and matey with the defenders. It stops him being aggressive and from commanding/organising his goal area. He needs replacing with somebody who can scare the hell out of our defenders and opposition players whilst being a great stopper too. The guy looks too comfortable in the goal with the wrong attitude for a team at our level with our ambitions.
“Gibbs Out For 3 Weeks” – An injured Arsenal player is NEVER out for that short period of time, our medical staff will make damn sure of it. Who can recall any instance when a player has come back when forecasted to. Usually it’s 6 weeks after the time they’re expected back, so expect Gibbs back in the first week of April.
Mick, even Sky are talking about this deal too, sounds like he’s on his way to London. Fingers crossed, he’s a Spanish international so he can’t be that bad:)
@Walter
I’ve never played anywhere, we the groundskeeper waters the grass before a game. Out on the Canadian prairies, we seldom have excess water for that. The ground is always hard, and most people wear multi-studs that are short.
But, doesn’t the turf at Emirates also have plastic fibres in it? How long? Individual fibres, or some kind of mesh?
I wonder how much ‘arry’s dog made in QPR picking up Samba?
Gord,
QPR and Harry Redknapp seem to be a proper match made in heaven. We know ‘Arry’s propensity to bankrupt clubs (with the owners’ blessing of course) and QPR seem to be going a similar route. Just look at the list of transfers there
QPR’s 27 signings since May 2011
•Neil Warnock: Joey Barton, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Jay Bothroyd, Anton Ferdinand, Luke Young, Armand Traore
•Mark Hughes: Federico Macheda (loan), Taye Taiwo (loan), Nedum Onuoha, Bobby Zamora, Djibril Cisse, Jose Bosingwa, Ryan Nelsen, Park Ji-sung, Robert Green, Andy Johnson, Junior Hoilett, Fabio, Samba Diakite, Esteban Granero, Julio Cesar, Sam Magri, Stephane Mbia
•Harry Redknapp: Loic Remy, Tal Ben Haim, Yun Suk-Young, Christopher Samba
Mick, If true i can see Gibbs being pushed further forward.
Qpr is Pompey mark 2. Great news if we do land Monreal apparently Malaga fans devastated
All these players going to qpr sure don’t make sense. Remy, Odemwingie, Samba, all rejecting clubs that are in good shape to join a club that could well be consigned to the championship in a few weeks’ time? Just goes to show that, as we suspected, most transfers are not about football.
Samba, twelve million plus, a hundred grand a week, for what four years? That. Is a thirty three million investment……for samba, a strong stopper good for row z when needed, but not a great example of a modern defender, more of a throwback. Thought he was six million tops in his prime. Hope QPR don’t go down! And people say wenger has lost the plot. Just why does arry pay so much for these players? Look forward to the footballisfixed take on all this. Mark Hughes allegedly had very close relations with an agent, are that club being done over again?
Somewhere in the BBC monologue, is a mention that Samba is taking a pay cut. I have no idea what he was making before, so I have no idea if the 100k is before or after the pay cut. But, I think it was someone quoting Arry, so who knows?
But I can imagine Arry’s dog gett ing paid for consulting somewhere along the line here.
Odemwingie looks to have shot himself in the foot tonight. Maybe he owns too many Apple computer products? He probably had SCO shares at one time, and probably still has Oracle.
I suppose the next 20 or so minutes will be interesting.
We signed a player!
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/nacho-monreal-agrees-to-join-arsenal
From the BBC
2302:
DONE DEAL- Nacho Monreal, Malaga to Arsenal
Ben L, I like your source better.
Well, we’re still awaiting confirmation of the paperwork being completed but it seems a done deal. We have a new left back, and a Spanish international at that.
Also worth noting is that apparently we were already in negotiations with Malaga about signing Monreal in the summer. But with Gibbs’ injury, we moved it up. I think it is reasonable to say that we might be looking at a few more targets for the summer. I’d have liked a striker too, but I think when Villa couldn’t happen, the club decided to wait. We have recalled Afobe from his loan at Bolton, so expect to see him get some playing time.
@bob
Re entertainment – come on, you’re not seriously comparing Arsenal with wrestling! The entertainment value from Arsenal comes from fast moving, slick passing, tremendously skilful football. Football you can admire and wonder at.
Recalled afobe……interesting, would like to see what he can do…..introduced in the right circumstances of course. Hopefully, we will be ok up front okish in mf……as long as we can learn to defend much better.and we can keep certain players fit..and Monreal….do not know much about him, but he has played for Spain so he must be good. Is he purely a lb or can he play elsewhere?
Doesn’t it say something about our media ‘experts’ when for all the 50 odd players they said we were going to sign not a single one of them came up with the one we actually have signed!!!
Very true mick, none of the papers even mentioned this guy, they were all too obsessed with cavani villa diame etc
I don’t know if we needed another LB, I do like the idea that we now have cover at LB. I will live the “need” to people that know more than I do (AW). Someone has said that Monreal is cup tied, which means Santos will be playing left back against Bayern. He now has a wonderful opportunity, he can spend time studying right wing and right defense at Bayern, to prepare for that game. Yes, he probably needs more game time in general, and maybe Arsenal will arrange a closed game or Santos may play in a reserve game or two, to get some more game time under his belt. And we can let Santos and Monreal seek to impress AW for FA Cup and EPL games.
@Shard
We seem to have a few of the young gunners who play up front out on loan. Afobe is one. Ryo is not having a good year, but I think he is hurt, or was hurt. But I don’t see him getting much time at Wigan. It was probably a dumb place to loan him to in the first place. Loaning him to Malaga might have been a good thing, Arsenal have done well by Malaga in the last year.
@world
Arsenal is quite cosmopolitan. Just going downt he first team, then reserves, then on loan at Wikipedia, we have:
England: 10, 14, 25, 28, 39, 43, 49, 53, 58, 60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67
Wales: 16,
Ireland: 50
France: 2, 3, 6, 12, (18), 22
Poland: 1, 21
Spain: 8, 19, Monreal, 54
Germany: 4, 9, 47
Belgium: 5
Czech: 7
Brazil: 11, Denilson
Italy: 24
Russia: 23
Switzerland: 38, 48, 55, 20
Morocco: 41, 29
Ivory Coast: 27
Netherlands: 45
Jamaica: 56
Ghana: 26
South Korea: 30
Japan: 31
Denmark: 52
Costa Rica: Campbell
We have 18 from the home countries. People like to rag about Wenger only having French players. At the moment, either 5 or 6 (depends on how one classifies Squillaci). Northern Europe: 32. Southern Europe: 6.
People say that living in a multi-lingual environment is a good thing. There is certainly lots of culture and spoken languages at Arsenal. Outside of English and computer languages, I’m hopeless.
I still think it would have been useful to bring in Wallace from Colorado on loan. Even if he doesn’t play in any games. I think it would be useful for Theo, to learn to play against a defensive person who is probably every bit as fast as he is.
Hazard just gets the ordinary 3 game suspension for kicking a ball boy. I don’t care if the ball boy had reasons, Hazard should have gotten more than 3 games. I could live with 4.
I thought any mention of Beckham today was a waste. But then I read he is going to donate his entire 6 month salary to a children’s charity in Paris. Which is a good thing. He doesn’t need the money, and it is going to be a lot of money.
@Mandy
Wikipedia has very little about him. The Mirror is running an article, which says that he is first and foremost, a defender. He does get forward and has attacking skills. That he has worked with Cazorla is a plus. But it looks like he is “just” a left back.
But, do you trust Wikipedia or The Mirror to be accurate?