Theo

By Boris Mellor
May 15 2013

Well the last game of the season at home greeted us with pouring rain, which might explain why Mystic Syd’s Crystal ball is clouding up as he was predicting a draw. Myself and the Trojan were going for a 3-0 win, why we imagined a clean sheet I can’t imagine. Perhaps we thought Wigan would be too tired from lifting that trophy, something that’s not a problem for our lads.

As the Latics came on the pitch the Arsenal faithful gave them a rousing welcome, is it just me or wasn’t it only a couple of weeks ago that we had to welcome another team with a trophy? Anyhow this time it was all far less begrudging. The Wigan fans must have loved it, at least the two coachloads that turned up, not that Citeh would have brought many more. However,  Arsenal fans were delighted to fill the extra seats made available as they gathered to urge the Gunners on in winning a trophy 16 years running.

After 11 minutes that trophy seemed well on course with a Podolski header, but then on 45 minutes Maloney scored with an assist from Dean, but who says we never win when he is playing?

A game for all season

At half time as we huddled away from the cold and damp in the concourse I met some friends to chew over the first half, we agreed that it summed up our whole season, bright early start and then going in half time having lost the lead, and then start panicking. Probably not statistically true, but it feels that way.

The second half proceed with Wigan on top and the crowd singing are you Tottenham in disguise at Dean. In the next 20 minutes Wigan had the best chances, but fortunately Walcott scored on 63 minutes and the rebellion was put down. That was a massive goal by Theo and how the crowd celebrated, the next came 5 minutes later from Podolski, are you watching Tottenham sang the delighted crowd. Three minutes later Ramsey put it beyond any doubt, I knew he would score, four-one game over.

The crowd cheered  and sang as if they had won a trophy, but there is one more game to decide that. As the whistle blew the crowd applauded Wigan off the pitch and did not sing the you will never play here again song.

It was announced that Arsenal would do a lap of appreciation and as half the crowd scrambled for the exits the team scramble to the bench to put on track suit tops and rushed back to do their lap, they made it back in time. This year the competing chants were one Arsene Wenger, and we’ve got a big frolicking German.

Wenger looked pretty pleased about it, the people had spoken, well at least one half of the remaining third had. I won’t presume to know what the silent majority who had scarpered thought, but hey maybe Wenger will beat Sir Alex after all, not for trophies, but for longest serving manager.