Football is a game of agony and ecstasy. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Yesterday was definitely one of the highs. A moment where finishing above your rivals, denying them Champions League football and securing your own place in Europe's top tier rested on 90 minutes of excruciating football. But we did it.
In all honesty we offered very little in terms of threats, in the first half there was a wayward header from Koscielny who ultimately scored the winner (again and was easily MOTM) and one of the worst efforts from Cazorla I can remember but I'll let him off because he's been sensational this season. Apart from that Newcastle looked like they were going to score and there were warning signs. We went in at the half 0-0 as did Tottenham. 8 minutes into the second half the breakthrough came when a Walcott delivered free kick was nodded goalwards by the Poldi and similarly to last season Koscielny hooked it, rather nicely, over the line.
The remainder of the match was horrific, Newcastle had fits and starts at goal. One of the many moments of brilliance however was when pictures from SHL emerged with their fans celebrating falsely believing Newcastle had equalised, thank you Lord Sugar for that. Then of course the news we all new was coming MonkeyMan at scored for the spuds and we had to hold on, seconds after that we should have wrapped it up when Theo went through one on one after beating 2 men and managed to hit the post. I genuinely feared the worst then but we held on and the celebrations began.
All the drama and celebration of yesterday aside ultimately for me this has been a disappointing season, particularly in the domestic cups. The fact that last season there was a 20 point gap between us and the champions and this season there is a 16 point gap shows virtually no improvement in the league either. Gary Neville for me hit the nail on the head yesterday he said that the players deserve to celebrate and they should celebrate because they've earned their place, but this summer we need to just go for it.
For now though, before the summer of stupid rumours, stupid money moves and no doubt countless links between everyone and Arsenal, we should ENJOY this moment. These are the moments we follow football for. I'll be back at various points throughout the summer when the transfer mill goes into overdrive but for another season NORTH LONDON IS RED!
So its all come down to this. 90 minutes on Sunday in the deepest North East. It's easy at this stage to do what I've been doing for the last few days - contemplating all the points we've dropped this season, but that's not the way to think about it. We know 3 points on Sunday will guarantee us Champions League football which may determine what we can do this summer, if you believe the papers.
For the players they know what they have to do. Newcastle will be no pushover however, they've taken some real beatings at home recently and will want to give their fans something to cheer about this weekend. Let's not forget Wenger and Pardew don't exactly get on. Hoping for Sunderland to get a result at the Lane is pointless because it's unlikely and if we do our job we don't need it. Personally I see nothing but a Tottenham win.
Wenger has some decisions to make this weekend as it looks like Arteta will miss out due to a problem he picked up against Wigan, that means that Wilshere is the most likely candidate to replace him. Upfront a decision also has to be made. Podolski scored twice against Wigan after two lacklustre performances beforehand. I think Giroud holds the ball up better and gives us a man to aim at, but I think on his left foot Podolski is the best finisher we have. It's a tough one and that's why we pay Wenger a small fortune to do his job.
Newcastle have some dangerous players including Cisse upfront who can score given half a chance. They have had injury problems this season but that aside they are still a threat and will cause us probems given the chance. We will have to hold the ball and use it wisely, I noticed we gave the ball away a lot on Tueday and that's something we just can't afford to do on Sunday.
Whether you believe the papaers or not, the motivation of some players is the Champions League but it is not the be all and end all. However it end's up, we have to address the problem that we will be 20 points behind the Champions and that is something that is just unacceptable. A lot of business needs to be done over the summer, money is there to be spent and players are there to be bought. A vast improvement is needed for next season and if we do our business having finished 4th fantastic, if we do it having finished 5th we'll all be gutted but we'll be back.
Once again no prediction due to the nature of this game. Have we got the bottle? only Sunday will tell. COYG!!
Well its been an age since I last posted mainly because nothing at all is going on really because of the Euros. I could go into some post about how RVP had a shocker and SZCZ got sent off and how Podolski was but it seems rather irrelavent. So instead I thought I'd do a post that was quite popular last year. Who should go?
Well coincidentally the first person that I'm going to talk about apparent is 'keen' to leave Arsenal to join an Italian team and that defender is Johan Djourou. I have never really rated him to be honest, he always seems clumbersome and doesn't really know where he should be. His clearances also leave something to be desired. I can understand that Djourou wants to play football more regularly, hes still young-ish at 25 and he wants to move to something new. The reported 10m Euros seems a bit high to me not that I'm complaining, also I think Djourou's aim of a top 5 Italian team may be a bit ambitious.
Another defender who I think we could see depart is Squillaci, at 31 this could be his last move and he is well out of favour with manager and fans alike. Yes he's had injury problems and his early performances were OK but he's gone rapidly downhill. The only issue with him is that his age may inhibit possible deals. I can't see him leaving however. I think we need some new younger defenders to step in when needed.
It terms of current midfielders I'm happy but would like to see a few more players brought in to give us something a bit different, I think we've been a bit too predictable this season. That said with Denilsons loan coming to an end I think he's one we could really do with seeing the back of, I never rated him and don't think a one year loan spell will have made much difference.
Talking of players returning from loans, in the striking department we have the worlds greatest striker returning and I'm sure we'd all be happy to see him depart. A permanent deal would be best for all involved. Chamakh is one that I think is the most obvious to leave and I think he will, he's been so poor recently and I think a fresh start would be best for him. I can't see Park leaving for some reason despite having little impact mainly because he hasn't been played.
So that's a little shortlist of people who I think we could see leaving. I'll be back soon with players who I'd like to see (mainly those who have been rumoured), till then take care.
Well it's the lull before the summer of hectic buying and selling and of course the Euros. I struggle to watch England play, not for the want of trying but for the fact that they are boring as fuck to watch. I'll watch us over the Euros and want us to win obviously but I'll do it without being particularly entertained.
Anyway onto Arsenal, this is my first post in a while and will probably be the last for a while because quite simply nothing is happening. Contract talks with RVP broke down and he has now set off with Holland in their pre-season preparations for the Euros. There isn't much we can really say about that, we just have to hope that post-tournament he decides to stay on. Elsewhere nothing but rumours. Depending on what paper you read we either: definitely have/definitely haven't/probably/probably haven't signed M'Villa, who quite frankly fails to excite me. I read today that we have also registered our interest in Doumbia who, despite being an absolute machine on FIFA 12, has done pretty much nothing of note.
I'm beginning to wonder whether new players really are the answer looking at the players with been linked with, bar Kagawa who, lets face it when posed with the question of United or Arsenal based on recent seasons only really as one choice. However I can't see Kagawa fitting in with either of our potential systems, without dropping someone. But that poses the question of who do we leave out? Play 4-4-2 with Podolski and (hopefully) rvp upfront and that means that across the middle we have a choice of Song, Arteta, Ramsey, Rosicky and Wilshere along with possibly Diaby and possibly Benayoun. So out of those possible 7 players we need to leave potentially 3 players out. Maybe more if we have Walcott or Gerv or Oxlade on the wings.
Play 4-3-3 and that means that we'd have to play either Podolski or rvp on the wing which is a possibility. The other side is up for grabs between Gerv, Walcott and Oxlade, but once again in the middle we have to fit in 5 players. So who do we leave out? Ramsey, OK maybe, but then Wilshere who we have desperately missed this season is surely a no, Song who occupies that holding midfield role needs to stay in. Arteta who we just signed I also think needs to stay in the squad which means leaving the re-born Rosicky who by the way had a fantastic season in my books on the sideline which Ramsey.
Maybe we need a bit of a clear out but I can't see who we sell apart from possibly Diaby, if he ever gets fit again. We have a midfield full of players who we NEED in the team, players who have signed a new deal and players who could be the best thing since sliced bread.
Food for thought. I'm not even gonna start on the defence.
Anyway unless anything big happens, its set to be another few quiet weeks. I think my next post maybe a players we might sell type of piece. Have a great few weeks!
Well here we are, our whole season defined by 90 minutes of the beautiful game tomorrow. Tomorrow the title race is irrelevant, the relegation battle is irrelevant. There is only one game that matters to gooners. We travel to the Hawthorns knowing that a win will secure Champions League next year, right now everything else that has come before doesn't matter, the game at Old Trafford, the night in Milan, the comeback against the scum, the victory at Stamford Bridge. None of that matters.
It's been a difficult season there are no doubts about it, ending it on a high would make up fr the torture it has been. We know the situation: win and we're there, draw and we're at least fourth, lose and well that doesn't bare thinking about. The players will know the gravity of the situation, the manager will know and its up to them to step out there tomorrow and make sure that we do ourselves justice. Does anybody remember the program Dream Team? they were in the situation of playing an FA Cup final with a caretaker manager and when asked about tactics he simply said "win". That is the sort of team talk I would give, but I'm sure Mr.Wenger has other ideas.
Anyway I should probably get onto team news. Walcott faces a late fitness test, hopefully he'll be fit to go because lets face it down the right we do miss something without him, whether its his inconsistency or his link up play, its something. We miss Arteta badly and in situations like this I really wish we had the Spaniard playing. It seems that Coquelin will start at right back, not sure whats up with Jenkinson. Apart from that I think it will be pretty standard. Rosicky slotting in behind RVP.
News earlier in the week suggested that Odemwingie might miss out but he's unfortunately made it. Chris Brunt on the other hand is out which means it looks like James Morrison will slot in. Its hard to pick a weakness in West Brom's team, they have a fairly solid standard of player across the board but we know that we can beat them.
So it really is squeaky bum time now. Tomorrow isn't about pretty football, its not about scoring wonder goals, its all about the result. I'd take the shittiest, scrappiest, bundle of a goal if it meant we won. Its Roy's last game and it's also Pat Rice's last game, lets hope we send Pat off in the way he deserved for all his years of service.
I'm not doing a prediction for tomorrow, in fear of jinxing it or whatever. Come 3 tomorrow I'll find out if that running has paid off and my heart can take it.
For the last time this season. Come On You Gunners!!!!!!!!!!!!!
