By Boris Mellor
May 18 2009
When Arsenal won the second double, and Wenger's first, I remember the celebrations in the Drayton Park Tavern. After winning the title, the Gunners proceeded to lose or draw the next few games. The press had a field day; it was all evidence that Newcastle would win the cup. Of course it was all toffee - Wenger was resting key players and on the big day he played his best eleven and won.
This brings us back to the Drayton Park and the post final celebration - for in the middle of the pub stood a large man wearing only a flimsy toga and a laurel wreath, and every few minutes he would raise himself to his full height and sing, "We only win when we have to, we only win when we have to", everyone joined in doing the conga as they sang. It was hilarious and a great rebuff to the press.
Mystery
I have never seen him since that day but I do wonder if he now sings, "We only win (or draw) when we don't have to". Arsene often talks about his team's mental strength, but the reality is they have folded every time it really counted. Here we have a mystery, for in the league the Arsenal have only lost one match against the top three, and that was Chelsea after the crushing disappointment of exiting the CL. Indeed the Gunners drew twice with Liverpool, and beat Chelsea away, and Man U at home.
No doubt, many Gunners were expecting a drubbing at Old Trafford this weekend, but it did not happen, partly due to a fantastic performance by Song at CB, and partly due to the fact United had their minds on the CL final. However you look at it, Arsenal had a good season bar one match against the top teams. Unfortunately, none of it counted for very much.
By the time the Gunners won at Chelsea they had lost five times and the title was out of sight. Last season they did not start to win after the Birmingham tragedy until they had thrown away the title, which had been there for the asking. Once the pressure was off they proceeded to wipe the floor with the opposition. Two less draws and they would have won the league.
Most nonsensical decision ever
This season they could not win one game out of three with Chelsea and Man U in the cup competitions. When it really counted they fluffed their lines. Wenger has to take some criticism for this. I realise I will be denounced for trying to kill him, or being the anti Christ in daring to say this, but the dropping of Arshavin so that the team could be confident it could win without him is the most idiotic explanation I have ever heard. The cup was thrown away for what exactly? Two fiascos in a row against Man U.
What is the point of getting to the semi-final if you do not make a fist of it? I do not expect to win a trophy every year. I do not expect Wenger to spend billions, but I do expect the team to at least try to compete. I did not feel the team was humiliated when they lost to Barca in the final, or to Liverpool in the quarters, they fought hard and lost. This time they rolled over, it was embarrassing to watch. Were the fans to blame? Wenger himself admitted they were up for it and the team let them down.
Last season the team narrowly missed winning the league, this season they had blown it by November. I respect what Wenger has done for this club, but this season was highly forgettable. The number of good performance could be counted on one hand.
Wenger seems to be surprised that the losing of Hleb and Flamini made such a difference. Well he is about the only one to be surprised; everyone else predicted it would be a problem.
Last season he had intended to put Diaby in midfield but due to injury Flamini got the job. With Flamini gone no doubt he intended to revert to his original plan. Once again sicknote Diaby failed to deliver. So let us sum up, last season was an accident, this one was intended. Meanwhile Arsenal fans can continue to pay the highest ticket prices in the world, and if they dare to criticise they can expect to be stigmatised. Oh to be a Gooner when Stan Collymore can jump on the bandwagon.
View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.
Digg
Delicious
Facebook
Reddit
StumbleuponRelated Articles:
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:05:23:19:09:54 by Padre Pio.
we replaced Hleb February 2nd and we were out of the league by then, Wenger said the deal was done in the afternoon for Arshavin and would have been a big mistake if he would have missed the opportunity. We now have hope in attack when it comes to creativity, scoring and assists.
Flamini replaced is still uncertain, Cesc hasn't looked the same and he's playing in a different position, either the lack of creative wide players has forced us to play 4-5-1 or the lack of ability of Diaby, Denilson, Song and now Nasri. Either way Flamini organised the team last season for corners and freekicks, and kept us playing fast.
One didn't score one was average but they did what they did well.
We needed a CB to add to last season's team and got Silvestre, good for small games but not for the big ones.
So now we still lack a CB and maybe a DM. To play 4-4-2 again so RvP, Bendtner, Eduardo and (maybe, don't kill me)Adebayor don't have to play alone.
[www.transferleague.co.uk]As for Flamini not being replaced, Denilson did do that earlier in the year, but fans failed to recognise that. If he did that again, we would not need a Barry/Yaya etc. The problem comes when he has a dip in form, but Flamini was bad at times.
I blame the failures of this season on the wing play/creative force and the problems at the back - and the poor form of Fabregas.
If you think he is not good enough at being a defensive midfielder, say that. Don't make a bull sh*t point about him getting in the way of Cesc.
And you could argue that last year the whole midfield worked together a lot better. With Walcott on the right we had a much less balanced right midfield.
DB10,the best.
proves nothing. If a player's passes are 90% successful but
all of them are to the goalkeeper or they are all sideways
to a player two feet away....well you get my drift.
You often come out with bizarre comments like "we should
have won against Barca in the CL final."
Why, exactly?
We should have won against Swindon in the League Cup final
but we didn't. There are no shoulds in football.
As Walsall, York, Winterslag and Wrexham have proved to
us in the past.
In reference to this thread, it seems this team bottle
it on the big occasion.
Now with Arshavin and an improved Nasri, Cesc should feel at home next year.
And Chapman's Ghost, please don't bother commenting on stats if you just let them escape your brain without even considering them.
make stats suit your purposes.
And Tom,stop letting absurd comments like "we
should have won in the CL final" escape your brain.
Stats are used, you can take them as you wish.
And when have I said "We should have won the Champions League"? I may have said that if Henry had scored his chances, the ref allowed Barca's goal (not sent off Jens) and Wenger picked Flamini and Senderos, we should/could have won, but I am not that silly.
Stats are used and that's fine but you wouldn't
buy a player on stats alone. Football is not all
about stats otherwise you may as well forget about
playing it.
Sometimes stats tell you things that you do not think are true, for example, I heard loads of rubbish like "Denilson cannot tackle" or "He only passes sideways", or with other players like Hleb etc.
Your eyes can deceive you, especially with our subconscious biases, stats are concrete.
50% successful passes compared to say Diaby's 70%
and those stats, for argument's sake, are the same
regarding successful tackles would you conclude Diaby
was a better player? Who would you rather have playing
for Arsenal?
I find the most interesting and unequivocal stat the
score at full time.
A tackle is a tackle, a pass has many variations.
Exactly.
You need to apply stats to what happens on the field.
Quote:Chapman's Ghost
My point is that if stats show that Ronaldo only makes
50% successful passes compared to say Diaby's 70%
and those stats, for argument's sake, are the same
regarding successful tackles would you conclude Diaby
was a better player?
This is soooooooo hilarious
If Francis Jeffers had scored 300 goals for Arsenal and Thierry Henry had scored 30 would you say Francis Jeffers was a better player?
Ummm... yes?
If Ronaldo gave away the ball half the time he got it you're damn right i wouldn't want him to play for Arsenal
WENGER ROCKS!!!
DB10,the best.
And of course we are 18 points off, what has that got to do with fans discussing how good a player is or not? It is a stupid argument akin to saying that we cannot discuss how good Stephen Ireland is because he is bald.
DB10,the best.
and I'll have Ronaldo.
The point is fairly obvious,stats don't prove a
player is better than another. They are only part
of the picture.
Philly The Kid put it better than me but he's basically
saying what I am.
Quote:Chapman's Ghost
Well Your Mother you have Diaby in your team
and I'll have Ronaldo.
except you weren't talking about ronaldo. you were talking about an imaginary cristiano ronaldo who couldn't pass
More Arsenal headlines
- Best of Seasons and Worst of Seasons Second Half Review
- Arsene's worse team for 15yr tops Spurs best team for 50yr
- Should we give a monkey's about Champions League?
- Arsenal Draw Towards Finishing Line as Opponents Slip Up
- Is it squeaky bottom time? Two cup finals to go
- Ten days that didn't shake the world fortnight a long time
- Arsenal v Chelsea Preview : 3 points please!
- Wigan out play Arsenal Gunners hit the wall?
- Szczesney saves sloppy Arsenal blushes
Arsenal latest threads
- here we go again, and again, and again
- As much as it sickens me Nasri was Correct
- As expected..Van Persie's taslks stalled..
- All silence on Theo's and SOng's contract extension..plus future of Lansbury & Bartley..
- I Find it Fascinating and Troubling
- Curse of the Wenger refused hand shake strikes again - King Kenny
- What question shall I put to Gazides?
- Arsenal may have pipped Spuds to third but
- Buy 30 year old Kaka for £20million?
- £9million Giroud anyone?