By Walter Broeckx
In a cup game where winning is the only important thing we didn’t achieve what we deserved. I think apart from those who support Blackburn and those who hate Arsenal there will be no really neutral football lovers out there who think that Blackburn deserved to win. But they scored and we didn’t and that is what will go in to the record books. Now you could say that I as an Arsenal supporter am biased in this but this was the same conclusion that was said by my match commentator when they scored and at the end of the 90 minutes.
And I think also the stats are telling what my match commentator saw and what I have seen.
What I try to remember is that we played a game where we had a possession number 71%-29%. And yet we couldn’t score.
We had the shot numbers 28-7. And yet we couldn’t score.
We couldn’t break down the Blackburn wall. Football is about scoring goals and we couldn’t score a goal. Their keeper Kean was the best player on the pitch. In the first half he made a couple of great saves and he just kept on doing that in the second half.
A keeper playing the game of his life against Arsenal is something that we have seen before. But this is the way it goes sometimes. In such a game you sometimes need a lucky break. We didn’t get one. Two headers were somehow clawed out of goal and Gervinho missed the chance just before the interval when he was put through on goal by Rosicky.
In the second half we again produced enough chances to score a goal. But again each ball just seemed to end up in his arms. And when he got beaten by a thunderous strike from Rosicky he got the help of his crossbar. I feared it wouldn’t be our day from last Monday. When that ball came out I just felt it surely wasn’t to be our day.
We were trying to break the 11 player wall but it just wasn’t good enough. In a way our triple substitution might have cost us a bit. Up to then Blackburn could hardly get close to Sczesny and suddenly they turned up in front of goal. Szczesny parried the shot but right in to the feet of Kazim who in fact scuffed his shot but was lucky to see the ball bounce up and against the post and then in the net.
Maybe the new players not really taken up the positions the other players had taken and those positions seemed good enough to keep them away from our goal. Making Szczesny almost a spectator and maybe he wasn’t really awake when their shot on goal came in.
When the football gods turn away from your team you get such games. Possession, shots, and then one bad taken shot from the opposition that went in. Football can be a cruel game.
Full Time Stats
Arsenal v Blackburn
Shots 28-7
On target 7-2,
Fouls 9-11
Duels Won 48%-52%,
Pass Accuracy 87%-63%,
Possession 71%-29%
And yet we lost. Sometimes it isn’t your day.
We can talk about it for days and we probably will but we just should have won the game. In a way I am glad that the result was determined by Kean and not Dean. Yes he did a few of his usual tricks but it was the performance of Kean that decided the final score. And when a player has an exceptional game I can accept a defeat. That is football and the way it can go. A defeat caused by the ref is more difficult to accept. I’m not happy about the result but well their keeper did his best and had a great game and had the luck of the good. (Das Gluck der Tuchtigen as the German expression is)
The most disappointing thing about this game was the fact that some of the players who got a chance to impress didn’t take the opportunity with both hands. And I think from now on we will mostly see the 7 players we took off before the game will be in the starting line up when fit.
People can argue about not starting with the best 11. But if we would have done this and would have got an injury to one of those players we would be telling that Wenger was wrong in playing them. It was up to the backup players to perform. But it didn’t work. Well the scoring thing didn’t work.
That is the way it goes sometimes. Time to lick our wounds. But better keep it short. Next Tuesday is another game. I don’t think Bayern Munich will play the same Blackburn tactics and will be more open in their game. They don’t have the habit to play 11 man in front of their keeper. And we can hope that with our best 11 out there we can have a better game and certainly score when the chances present themselves.
Come on Gunners lets ziehen die Bayern die Lederhosen aus. (Lets pull out those Lederhosen from Bayern).
Double gooner keep reading that but read a lot of things to be honest I have no idea. Even if true bust ups in training not unique. Our main problem with the obvious exception was more attack than defence. For those who chose to believe the words of the objective source that is Stewart robson he stated that bould was a board appointment not a wenger choice so if this is all true …and for all I know it maybe I would expect the board to back their choice or bould to resign in protest. Robson also stated he took the job on the condition he would have coaching input
Some people should take notice that Tony or I are not on the training ground. Unlike popular opinion expressed by some, we are not highly paid members of Arsenal.
So we don’t know if there has been a bust up between Wenger and Bould. But Robson has said such a thing and certain people will believe anything that suggest there are problems between Wenger and Bould. And of course want to put the blame at the feet of Wenger.
I just wonder if Robson by spreading such things because maybe he is still dreaming of taking the place of Bould?
But let us for the sake of the argument believe that there have been arguments (bust up) between Bould and Wenger. What is actually wrong with that? Wasn’t it the big criticism the seasons before that Pat Rice was a “yes man” and that we needed someone there to say NO against Wenger at times. So if it would mean that Bould and Wenger don’t agree on some things would that be bad completely?
Maybe by discussing and having different views things could improve.
But once again as it is turning in to an urban myth: when I saw the game live on my TV I have seen Bould sitting next to Wenger and talking with Wenger during the game. HE WAS THERE!
How would Robson know? He doesn’t work there!
@ Doublegooner
To be honest the thought had never crossed my mind.
Florian,
Yep, I meant zero goals, not attempts; so my bad there and apologies due you on that one.
On Blackburn’s defense, no, dear debating champ, I don’t relish bus parking. But we never are able to deal with it. Never. And the praise for Blackburn’s effort was from the two die-hard AFC fans doing the presenting that match on Arsenal Player. You are a very ungenerous loser, for all your high tone. It’s on us to break it down, and we can’t; and we lack clinicality; so when you paint that as my negativity, I can only smile at your head in the sand tribalism that demands we salute any shite that’s run up the flag pole or else where, what did you call me, a “hurdle”?
You missed my point about your use of “fixture congestion.” My attempted point was to say that I seriously doubt that you weer speaking about “fixture congestion” two seasons ago. Rather, I’d suggest that you were hailing the team for being in the position to compete on all 4 fronts. Be honest, were you or were you not happy about this back then? And if you were, then being in 3 competitions now should also be praiseworthy. Do we not have the quality to be in 3 competitions now? Apparently not, going out to Bradford and Blackburn. But, unlike you, I don’t turn that lack of quality depth into a good-riddance, we don’t need “fixture congestion.” Your alchemy – or rather opportunism – in turning a negative into a positive this-fast is the problem. You won’t look at what needs fixing and advocate for it. Instead you like to pronounce judgments on whose a REAL supporter. Get it off it. You mistake masochism for support.
And as far as your open equating of “false optimism” with being a true supporter, and lecturing me on what a true fan is, well, all I can say is that I’m glad you have no power in the actual world. You’d be taking all loyal opposition and those guilty of constructive criticism and putting them behind bars, and I don’t mean pubs. Your intolerance for any but your brand of fan-dumb is a bit, mind numbing. Oh, and as for “a few others” that you would lump me with and consign to your ring of fire, would you care to name them? I’d like to know whether you are capable of distinguishing what you’d call AAA from loyal opposition or constructive critics?
Walter,
So, are you lowly paid members, then?
As for Bould’s “not being there,” how anyone would parrot the Robson line and put that slime out there, without looking first and again to double-check, is really appalling. That lack of accountability – in fact disinformation spreading – on the part such posters must raises flags as to whose agenda is being served.
Signed, bob (not Bob)
Doublegooner,
Where’s your evidence that Wenger stopped Bould from coaching defense? Quoting Robson isn’t evidence. What is the evidence that you both cite? If you have it put it out here. If you don’t, you’re an Arsonist, in the literal sense. A claim at that wrecking ball level must be substantiated; otherwise you are playing a arsonist’s game. If you’re right, then give us what you’ve got. Otherwise, those who watch hereabouts will see what you’re doing and what you are about.
Ah bob if only…
Can you believe that when I read those comments about Bould not being on the bench I really questioned myself as I was 99% sure I had seen him when I watched the game live on my TV.
I recorded it so I put it on again and each time they showed Wenger I saw Bould sitting next to him.
But yet some people insist he wasn’t there… amazing
Walter,
You’d better check again tomorrow. In journalism (at least traditional journalism) didn’t writers need to have 2-3 corroborating sources to go public with information? I think so. Oh, and what I also mean by check again tomorrow is check to see whether your tape is still there! Such key evidence cannot be allowed to surface in the anything-goes world of media puppetry. Or, if it’s there, maybe someone will have used Photoshop to “paint in” Bould’s presence next to AW. It’s like the “good old days” when they would erase unwanted faces from official portraits after that unwanted person was, shall we say, erased.
p.s. next thing you know, Micky R. was not actually there at Old Trafford when our unbeaten run was ambushed. Then again, what run was that? (I can hear it now, alas).
Walter, just for a joke I asked a leading bookmaker for odds on Mike Leslie Dean being appointed as the ref for the NLD.
“Sorry we cannot quote odds”
Read into that what you will.