Arsenal
In the Valley of the Blind One Nil Wenger is King
Tommy outguns defence
By Boris Mellor
March 22 2012
It was keeping a clean sheet that ensured Arsenal’s 6th league win in a row, only the second clean sheet in the last seven games. A win that takes Arsenal to 3rd place, whilst Chelsea and Liverpool lost. Meanwhile the mighty Spurs conceded yet another goal to draw at home against Stoke and earn 1 point out of 12.
It’s surprising to see Arsenal keep a clean sheet on a night that Liverpool conceded 3 goals at 2-0 up, and Chelsea conceded two at one nil up. Liverpool are now 13 points behind Arsenal, Chelsea 5 points and Spurs one point below in 4th place.
Less than a month ago Arsenal, at 2-0 down against Spurs, were looking at a 13 point gap between themselves and their North London Rivals. Last night Arsenal fans were singing 10 points and you fe%ck*d it up.
It’s ironic that it’s a 1-0 win that has turned the tables, a night when the defence outshone van Persie. Have Arsenal finally learnt the art of defending, true they had luck with a dodgy offside decision. Also it was unusual to see Arsenal out of the traps so quickly, making a host of chances which were mainly wasted until Tommy headed in.
However a win’s a win, and there will be better matches; it was tense game where the best team narrowly won, but it was a very big three points. If Arsenal can keep up defending a lead as well as they can overcome a deficit they could show their rivals a clean pair of heals. But a month can be a long time in football – ask Harry. It’s heads down, one game at a time, no prizes until May, and all those other cliché’s I am sure Pat Rice has in his locker.
Wenger believes that this year his team won’t implode this time round in the run in, possibly by imploding at the start of the season he has reversed the trend.
After the game Wenger said that in the last month we have taken six points in Liverpool but we mustn’t think that the hardest part is done, “The hardest part is to do and it’s important we keep our humility, our focus and fight for each other”.
Meanwhile it’s Manchester City that dominates the newspapers back pages as the two Manchesters’ compete for a real trophy, as the rest struggle to be top of the also rans.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:03:25:15:33:14 by Padre Pio.
The last five wins have also been hugely significant in building the spirit of the team (sorry to use the boss's term) We've seen that going behind absolutely does not deflate the players because they now finally know that they have what it takes to win.
And what with the players coming in and jack and diaby coming back, could it be that after three years of misery at the end of the season, we really will end on a high, knowing that a work in such long progress is finally reaching fruition?
Not making excuses for Wenger, but it was a bizarre and unlikely set of circumstances that we lost 4 full-backs at the same time earlier in the season. You expect to need 4 good centre backs because of likely injuries, but not 6 full-backs!
Looking very likely now that we will make 3rd or 4th, and keep our Champions League place for next year.
But can we keep RvP ? I think he wants to stay but it will come down to the strength of reinforcements Wenger can deliver - Podolski is a good start. Two or three more still needed.
Lookin good at the moment and I know its cliched but its one game at a time and push on now.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Since the end of WW1, 1919, when the FA restarted its 4 tier football league, with Arsenal fc in the 1st div, there’s only ever been one club to have never been relegated from Div 1/ EPL.
Arsenal fc
Let’s keep making history
Imagine if you said after winning the FA Cup in 2005 that Arsenal under Wenger wouldn't win another medal for the next seven years.
Which mountain would you be on? The HP Lovecraft one or the mountain on which the sane people reside?
And I don`t deny being doubtful and angry with the situation we were in at that time.
At one stage, early, last Sept, on this site there were just 3 regulars who actually said they still gave their support to Wenger. They were ridiculed for their stance.
Like you and any other fans, I want Arsenal to win. And I still believe our best chance to achieve this is to stay loyal to the present manager.
ps I live in a city of 150,000 people and a few years ago I went to our public library to get out and read a HP Lovecraft novel. Only to find out that every copy of every novel that my library has ever owned of this author was stolen. Something like 40 odd books. Weird.
Since the end of WW1, 1919, when the FA restarted its 4 tier football league, with Arsenal fc in the 1st div, there’s only ever been one club to have never been relegated from Div 1/ EPL.
Arsenal fc
Let’s keep making history
I have a strong belief that we need change at the top, that doesn't just mean a change of manager.
I suspect that my stance on Wenger is the minority now but I stick by it. I'm not your traditional fickle fan convinced by a few positive results. When Wenger wins a trophy I'll change my views, possibly.
i predicted at beginning of season we wouldnt win major trophy again and offered people bets on that. None of the Wenger cockle a doodle crowd took me up on it and put their money on him winning the league this season.
The fact we have recovered from a disasterous start has also depended on the failings of our neighbours, that a team on 55 points is third this stage is a barometer of how much weaker those outside the top two are. We are 15 points away from top, so a gap has developed betwen top 2 and the rest.
If Arsenal win today, and I expect that should happen against a poor villa side, that will be a 7 win run, the best for 5 years.
That shows how Wenger's standards have slipped, in his first 7 years long unbeaten or winning runs have been common, now they are rare.
Ironically if Wenger had had a half decent start to season we would be challenging, but thats the nature of the man now, always two players short of championship winning squad.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
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