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For all of a certain spuds players bravado this week, Spurs haven’t actually won a league match away against any of the big 4 in more then 16 years. To be honest.they never really looked liked changing that today.

So onto the team, Almunia was recalled back into goal and the usual defence (Clichy, Gallas, Vermaelen and Sagna) sat behind what I suppose was a 5 man midfield (Fabregas, Song, Arshavin, Diaby and Bendtner) with RVP up front. The spuds had a few injuries which meant Bentley started (to a rousing reception to the Arsenal fans ) and Crouch also played making Arshavin seem even more of a dwarf then normal. The crowd were hyped, the ref (Clattenburg) all set to miss numerous spurs hand balls throughout the game yet pull us up on our one and only, and so the 164th North London Derby began.

I had hoped after the fiasco last week against West Ham that we would be really up for it today. The fans certainly were and in his programme notes Cesc stated that the painful 4-4 draw from last season was giving the players motivation but quite frankly you could have fooled me. The first 40 minutes were like no north London derby I have ever seen, maybe it was the morning kick off but both Spurs and Arsenal seemed half asleep. We were poor, they were worse, it was slow paced with noone really chasing after the ball, sloppy passing and little drive and determination from either team.

‘Highlights’ from the first 40 minutes included Bentley lucky to get away without a yellow after a handball and a bad challenge on Vermaelan, Bentdner and Arshavin both having shots goalwards but neither looking like going in, Robbie Keane saw a headed effort go to the left of the post, Fabregas had a shot well saved by Gomes and Arshavin also had another few efforts, one off target and one blocked but we still didn’t look like we had really got out of 2nd gear and after about 35 minutes Bendtner hobbled off to be replaced by Eduardo. The crowd were getting frustrated, Diaby really was appalling and a half time cuppa was looking inviting (in fact I know of one fan who was sent by his mates to get the beers in early and missed the last 5 minutes of the 1st half – theres a lesson in that somewhere…) when suddenly, out of the blue, it happened! We only went and flipping scored! Robin Van Persie pushing home a cross from Sagna that Gomes really should have done better with as it slipped under him. Cue much celebration, yet before we had even taken our seats again, Palacios just gifted possession to Fabregas from the kick off and he ran through a stock still spurs defence to slot coolly past Gomes. 2 goals in about 11 seconds! What a turnaround! Half time much more cheerful for the home fans then they thought a few minutes earlier.

At the start of the 2nd half we still seemed to be in second gear and its clear that thoughts of West Ham were preying on some gooners minds. Thankfully the 2 quick goals seemed to have knocked the stuffing out of Spurs so our lackadaisical play wasn’t too much of a problem though I fear if we had been playing Chelsea or Manchester United we could have suffered and things might have gone differently. Bentley had a good effort from a free kick saved well by Almunia but they rarely threatened and we had quite a nice little game of keep ball which the fans enjoyed (briefly distracting them from enquiring of David Bentley what the score was…) Then on the hour with the Spurs defence fairly static presuming a free kick after a foul on Eduardo, Clattenberg actually got something right for once and waved advantage and Robin Van Persie slotted home (again) inside the 6 yard box from another Sagna pass (again) Bacary proving wrong all the gooners who have derided his crossing for most of this season with two assists in one game. A rousing rendition of “are you Tottenham in disguise?” followed as the Arsenal faithful relaxed a little more. Robbie Keane went off shortly after (we presumed to be replaced by someone way superior to the Arsenal team from the amazing Spuds bench he had been raving about, but it turned out to be Roman Pavlyuchenko…) The rest of the half was played out with little of note other then Wenger failing to sub Diaby (RVP came off for Ramsey) and Eduardo missing the best chance of the game when shooting wide after being put 1 on 1 with the keeper after a pass from Fabregas.

Full time, 3 points in the bag and crowing rights ours. What more could an Arsenal fan want? (Apart from Diaby sold and us to have shown a little more determination and desire…) Still, despite not putting in our best performance we won and it possibly bodes well that we did without playing at 100% as that’s something we have struggled with in the past and something Manchester Utd and Chelsea manage to do often. Onward march The Arsenal!

Match report by Goonergirl

There are a few problems with modern football. The game itself is so overexposed, so ubiquitous, that as fans, we’ve become totally and utterly spoilt. We can tune in to Sky Sports, listen to TalkSport or pick up a newspaper every day and become exposed to a plethora of  news, features, opinion pieces, ‘big questions’ etc. Every day a game is televised or repeated or at the very least, highlights are available some.
We can also control our teams now; videogame adaptations of playing a game, managing our team or Fantasy Leagues all allow us to assume the role of someone who can manipulate our team in the way we demand. Not only this, but we have a forum for our opinions on the internet; forums, blogs, social networks and comment boxes all allow us to prove that we know better than anyone else. Because we all think we do. We all think we know more than Alan Hansen, Andy Gray and Jamie Redknapp (although in his case, we probably do) and we now have a place to allow us to air our opinions.

Herein lie the problems: we watch too much football and we talk about it too much. This dilution of the game and the over analysis of the game mean that we’re rapidly losing sight of what is actually happening on the pitch and how the results are altering the leagues; we don’t care, as we’re too busy talking up player X vs. player Y and formation A vs. formation B.

But the worst of this is statistics. They say you can prove anything with facts, but you certainly can’t when it comes to stats in football. Statistics are rapidly becoming the new trophies; wheeled out to prove meaningless ideas and opinions and the current darling of the ‘traditional’ media as a way to stand apart from the lazy blogs (ahem) and twitter rants.

Last week, there was a ludicrous statistic that was being banded around the media regarding Rafa Benitez’s first 200 games in charge of Liverpool in comparison to other managers. It literally meant nothing as it was taken entirely out of context and forgot almost entirely about the game of football.
This week, it took 2 days after the Manchester United and Liverpool game for one of the broadsheets to make any quality comment on the first goal. So concerned were people about the stats of possession and the formations used, the number of times Vidic has been sent off and the number of games Man United have lost against the ‘Big Four’ that the goals were seemingly ignored. What was the real talking point was that the Man United defence was twice beaten by pace and for the first goal, Ferdinand was absolutely roasted by Torres. It was a huge goal, not only in the context of the game, but also because it served to demonstrate the fact that Ferdinand could not cope with the power, skill and determination of Torres.

And so to Arsenal. This season, alot has been made of the fact that we’ve let in a few goals. Alot has been made of the goals we’ve scored. People have been looking at stats, people have been saying how we need to buy player X and Y to sit in front of the defence and we shou…zzzzzz.
This season, we are playing a much more attacking formation. We have a ‘top heavy’ squad. We are scoring more goals and we are letting more goals in, but if people stop trying to comment, analyse stats and actually watch games you’ll notice something; defences are rubbish. Ours is fine, others are much, much worse. And so, how do you beat other teams? You score more goals then they do.
It seems to be a big secret that few people are commenting on, some dirty whisper that few people are willing to talk about, but football is about scoring goals and Wenger knows this.  Let’s address why we’re scoring for fun: defences are rubbish.  Yes, we’ve played some poor teams, but defences across the league are getting worse and much less reliable.  If we actually watch games we can quickly see a lack of organisation, individual mistakes and defenders regularly being beaten by pace. If Joleon Lescott is supposedly one the very best defenders in the league, you know that something is wrong. As a barometer, both of England’s starting centre-backs are having very indifferent seasons so far and no one is really putting in consistently solid defensive efforts.

Watch the games, keep an eye out for individual performances; this year, the best form of attack is attack. No longer are teams sitting back and keeping clean sheets, not losing games. We don’t need to worry about our defence so long as we’re scoring as many as we can. Our only issues are individual mistakes which should, with time become eradicated, so long as morale and motivation are high. For now, let’s concern ourselves not with the stats and the analysis, the hyperbole and the dreams, rather watch and support our team as they play better than the opposition and score more. After all, isn’t that what football is meant to be about?

We triumphed 2-1 over title rivals Liverpool, thanks to goals from big Nicklas Bendtner and a scorcher from Fran Merida. Emiliano Insua scored a cracker for them to be fair, but the Reds seemed dire without star man Beach Ball, and we prevailed, with a good performance from the reserves.

The game started well for us, some good passing moves from the Gunners. Liverpool had an early opportunity, when right back Phillip Degen (who? I hear you shout) cut in from the right hand side, only to drag his shot wide. It was a let off for us, but thankfully it wasn’t to matter in the end.

In an advanced position down the right hand side, Kerrea Gilbert gave the ball away, and it looked like Liverpool could be on the counter attack – basically just them punting the ball up to Voronin – but alas, Voronin was back defending, and took the ball from Gilbert and played the ball towards Ryan Babel. Craig Eastmond, playing in a defensive midfield role instead of his usual one in defence, got to the ball ahead of Babel, and got it to Fran Merida, who took the ball and blasted a magnificent shot the crashed off of the post and flew into the back of the net, much to the joy of the sell out crowd at the Emirates – except for the Liverpool fans, who were too busy playing with their balls to notice.

Liverpool were then level, when a long ball, surprise surprise, was cushioned by Babel for Insua to run onto. Bendtner let him go on his own, and the Argentine chested it down and hit a sweet dipping volley over Fabianski, who couldn’t do much to stop it.

We kept faith in our passing game, and the best move of the game nearly provided a goal. We looked like we were in trouble, and Nicklas Bendtner seemed to be going nowhere. He dribbled past three players, and gave it to Ramsey, who just got there ahead of the defender to flick it back to Bendtner on the wing. The big Dane chested it down, and gave it back to Ramsey, who found Eduardo. Eddy skinned two players, before releasing the surging Ramsey, who clipped the ball brilliantly past two defenders into the path of Merida, who knocked the ball across goal, but it was knocked out for a corner. A fantastic move, well worthy of a goal I felt.

After half time, we came out a better side, and five minutes in we took advantage of the first chance that came our way. The ball was played into the box by Eduardo I think it was, and Ramsey and Bendtner were both on it. Bendtner took it, and swiftly took the ball past Martin Skrtel, and held off the giant Slovakian to slide the ball powerfully into the roof of the net with his left foot; a great goal by big Nick that turned out to be the winner.

Liverstool were desperate by then, and brought on their £20 million midfielder for his first game in England. He seemed pretty decent, but didn’t do anything of note, except try and score with a bicycle kick – and fail.

Two young guns who I’m friends with on Facebook then came on, ‘MarkBoy’ Randall and Sanchez Watt. Randall was pretty average, but Watt did well to find space and create a chance for himself, only to in my opinion take the wrong option and end up muscled out by Skrtel.

Four minutes of added time were given, and it was a nervy four minutes, with the ball scrambled out of our box a few times after a dangerous passage of play, but we secured quarter-final status late on by keeping possession. Full time, 2-1 to the Gunners, a great performance from a youthful side.

wrote by Theo14Cesc4 @ Goonersworld

The Gooner Review 08-09 Premiere Screening -
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PLUS everyone attending the screening will have a chance in winning a Gooner Review cap and book both signed by Bob Wilson!

Goonersworld Forum

Wenger

Despite winning 11 major football trophies and leading the team to a whole season unbeaten in 2004, Wenger says that he still “questions himself every day” and thinks that “there are still more targets to achieve”.

In particular, he may be referring to the Champions League, which has so far eluded the Frenchman, despite reaching the final in 2006 -a game in which they led, only to eventually lose 2-1 to Barcelona.

“I have not exceeded my expectations because I always expect much more” said Wenger.

“My expectation is to win every single football game I manage and I did not do that, so I can never exceed my expectations.

He added: “We were close to being crowned European champions, but that is what is still to achieve.

“Of course it drives me on, but the competition is very high with all the big clubs you have in Europe.”

The Champions League title would be the perfect way to mark Wenger’s record thirteenth year in charge and it would also end a trophy drought that has afflicted the club since 2005.

That there has been virtually no call for a managerial change, despite the recent lack of silverware, speaks volumes about the 59 year old. Blackburn Rovers boss Sam Allardyce has enjoyed plenty of tussles with Wenger during his time at Arsenal and he paid tribute to his rival.

“Anybody who can get into double figures [in years] as a manger these days is achieving a huge amount of success for their particular football club,” said Allardyce.

“There are few managers that can stay at a club that long. Arsene came from Japan and found his home at long last.”
“Both have benefited greatly from that so I’m not surprised that he’s the longest-serving manager Arsenal have ever had.”

By Josh Allen
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When Thomas Vermaelen joined Arsenal in the summer, nobody expected him to make this sort of impact. It’s not that people didn’t rate the centre back, merely that he is just that – a centre back. The Belgian was signed to add stability to a shaky defence and yet eight games into his Arsenal career, all the talk is about his prowess in the opposition box and what he can do for Arsenals betting odds.

Vermaelen’s brace on Saturday takes his goal tally to four, making him the top scorer in a team full of attacking quality. His performances have drawn praise from all and sundry, with Arsene Wenger claiming that even he did not expect the 23 year old to adapt to the Premier League game so quickly. Unfortunately, question marks remains over the defence as a whole and it may be that goals at the other end are papering over cracks at the back.

The Gunners attacking performances have reaped 17 goals and plenty of praise from the critics and yet they find themselves in seventh position, having lost two out of five games. The most frustrating aspect for Wenger will be that both defeats were very avoidable.

The first came at Old Trafford, when Manchester United were outclassed but came away with all three points after two awful mistakes. The second was at the City Of Manchester stadium when the concession of four goals left the attack with too much to do.

What both games have highlighted is a need for improvement at the back, particularly when the pressure is on. Three goals were conceded in the space of just 10 minutes against Manchester City, as the defence (Vermaelen included) appeared to lose their grasp on the game and just four days later there was another worrying collapse as Standard Liege scored twice inside the opening five minutes.

Fortunately on that occasion Arsenal were able to bounce back, with their new centre back again amongst the goalscorers. The problem is that against the very best opposition, that sort of comeback is rarely possible. With this in mind it seems likely that Wenger will be looking for a marked improvement in his defence over the coming weeks. While goals from Vermaelen and co will always help the side, it may just be performances at the back that define the Gunners quest for honours this season.

By Josh Allen

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“ Shhuuuuuusssssssssh.”

When is a chant not a chant? When it’s a shush.

Index finger to lips. Lips pursed. The manipulation of tongue to create that slow, deliberate push of air. Shhuuuuussssh.

We’ve all heard it and never does it sting more then when it’s aimed at us, us Gooners, when at home.

Highbury the Library some called it, but that place could rock when we tried. Stands seemingly heaving with desire, noise and passion. Whole rows seemed to become liquid, bouncing up and down, throwing you off tilt and landing on the person next to you. Songs, loud, proud and painfully off key. Those bitterly cold midweek nights; 4 layers of clothes, hats, gloves, coffee and a pint, made all the more warm by the crowd in unison, singing and oleing.

“We’re the North Bank…

We’re the Clock End…”

But that “shhhhuuusssshhh”.  We hear it, the team hear it. It echoes around and lingers in the air, an omen of doubt, a signal of worry, swirling and taunting us; “where’s the noise?”. We still hear it now, at The Grove. Enough, I say.

6 conceeded in two games is a concern, no doubt, but look at the quality of the starting back 4-all superb defenders, without doubt. One or two of them look uncertain though, stray passes, easily beaten, shaken by the opposition and their relentless push. And look at the players in front of them, a midfield that, when fit, is as good as any team in the League, probably Europe. Strikers all superb, uniquely gifted, tremendously talented and ferociously hungry.

And yet a doubt, a lingering worry. Why 2 losses? Why 9 points behind Chelsea?

“Sssshhhuuussssshhh.”

There’s a doubt in the air, in the minds. There is an elephant in the room, a piece of the jigsaw missing. There’s a sliver of worry, of nervous pressure, a need and a demand for success. Years without a trophy and a team coming into fruition; doubt shouldn’t be a concern and yet, players of incredible talent making silly mistakes, basic errors and decisions jaded by worry, of expectation and false entitlement.

After last season’s home game against Wigan it would have entirely appropriate for Eboue to never play for the club again, not because of his poor performance but in protest, at disgust at the shameful indignation of the so-called fans who dared to jeer, boo and hiss him. He had every right to walk away from the club in protest and stick two fingers up to those morons who forced him off the pitch. But he didn’t. He’s a bigger person than that, which is a lot more than can be said for those fans.

We have injuries, issues and fans, quite unbelievably, calling for Wenger to be sacked. The media are once again looking at us and criticising a team who have the potential to beat anyone in Europe and yet we still wonder, worry and look for answers.

In all of this, who do we never look to? Who or what is that one missing piece? Analyse the team, the club, the players, the manager, the transfers, but that one element missing is you. And I. It’s the person sitting behind, telling us to sit down. It’s the person leaving 10 minutes early, the couple off to beat the queues for a latte 30 minutes in.

You want the team to win? Tell them. Support them. Tell the players how much we want the win, but support them. Chant, cheer, jump up and down, scream and wear the colours. Shout down the opposition, their fans, the media. Don’t let the sound stop. Don’t give the team reason to doubt. Don’t doubt them. There is no error in football anymore, the players have to be on their best form for 90 minutes, why shouldn’t they expect the same from us? It’s no excuse not being at the game. You still count. Why the doubt? Why the concern? You support the greatest football club in the world and you should be telling people this, not pretending to know the details of the club’s finances. Tell others about how great we are, the players are and how our Manager will deliver us trophies, because it’s true. We have to believe.

Today Wigan are back at the Grove. This one we have to win. No more excuses, no more doubt. The season has begun and the doubt is creeping back in again. Don’t let it. Let’s banish the doubters and the worries, shout down the shushes and make sure the team know, it’s us versus the world, Arsenal against everyone else. Show you care, show you believe: stand up for the Arsenal.

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A conversation I had with a non Arsenal supporter.

Non Gooner: Your fans are doing my head in totally mate.

Me: Agree.

Non Gooner: It’s not just England it’s everything.

Me: Agree.

Non Gooner: They moan about the press always been against Arsenal.

Me: Agree.

Non Gooner: They blame everything and everybody for Arsenals short comings rather than the team or manger.

Me: Agree.

Non Gooner: They can never admit Arsenal has done anything wrong.

Me: Agree.

Non Gooner: They moan nonstop about f***ing refs.

Me: Agree.

Non Gooner: And there attitude to England is a pile of wank.

Me: And yes you guessed it. I Agree.

That conversation then lead to me writing this blog.

I said I wasn’t going to do any games this season but ended up doing 3 in a week but i won’t go for a few months now because I can’t bare it.

The whole Eduardo thing was pathetic. Eduardo dived and should be punished. I said this, and stand by it. I do have a problem with UEFA but not because it’s against us but because they are inconsistent.

We are no angels, far from it. No club can claim to be whiter than white.

I can’t believe how much footy is getting me down, not Arsenal as a club but the fans and everything else. It’s really changed me in the last six months and I never thought I’d feel like this. It wasn’t so long ago that I gave that big long speech to another Gooner about giving up his season ticket. But now I’ve gone and done the same thing, although for totally different reasons.

Last season I went most away games there is a group of fans who I cannot stand. They think they are bigger and better fans because they go away games, they think they have a right to demand things from Arsenal because they spent a lot of money on them. It doesn’t work like that. It’s f***ing embarrassing. Yes as a fan you want to see your club do well and be successful, but some of the crap that comes out of their mouth is pathetic. Who are you to call another Arsenal fan “plastic” because they’ve been to less games or maybe don’t go at all? Early leavers as well, I’m not a fan of it but they’ve paid for their tickets so can do what they want. That “is there a fire drill?” is a wank song anyway.

The Club vs. Country debate is pathetic as well. 3/4 years ago if you said to me Club or Country I always said Club because that’s what I do week in week out, but that never meant I didn’t love England. I do as I’m a proud Englishman. Yes I have a dislike for certain English players but I’m sure no matter how much I dislike them if they was wearing an Arsenal shirt I’d support them, so while they have an England shirt on I’ll do the same. Apparently I’m not much of a Gooner because i was supporting the likes of Terry, Lampard and Rooney last night.

I really can’t see why people think you have to choose between the two because it’s not like they’ll play each other. Plus all this I support the Arsenal players, so what about when they leave Arsenal? Is it the players you support or Arsenal, because I’m confused.

Arsenal fans are becoming particularly annoying but I guess most fans are the same though. Look at Eduardo last night getting boo’ed but Rooney not. Even though he when far enough to say he doesn’t dive because it’s not good for the game.

This YouTube video says different though. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm5-zLu8S9U

Now let’s get this straight Eduardo dived. But to be fair to him he wasn’t the player to come out and say “I don’t dive” so why the abuse?

Its funny how we as fans think it’s the club and “prawn sandwich fans” that are ruining football. It’s isn’t really, it’s the fans who think they are the mutts nuts and bigger supporters than others that are. This constant moaning about Wenger not signing anyone, then Referees get blamed, if not that then blame the “plastic fans” or maybe the weather would be a good reason to have a moan?

This constant blame culture is ruining football, this constant divide between the same set of fans is not helping at all.

I really want to go City on Saturday, but all I’ve read about is how “arsenal fans” can’t wait to go give Adebayor some abuse (not Toure though). Whatever happened to going away to support your team? I’m not going to travel the country to abuse a player. I go to support the team I love. I could argue that makes me more of a Gooner, but I’m not one for scoring points against other Gooners, as far as I’m concerned Chelsea, United and Spurs are the enemy, not fellow Gooners.

Tickets for City are harder to come by than United last week. Strange that considering, for me, United away is the biggest game of the season.

I’m going Spain at the end of the month and will be doing a couple of away games with Malaga, and I can’t wait. I have no shame in saying I’d rather go see Malaga week in week out because they have an honest lot of fans and just go because they love Malaga, they love footy and love a piss up.

The atmosphere at the Rosaleda beats the Grove any day. Sad but true.

I will never give up supporting Arsenal, I am close to giving up on the fans though.

Visit the forum to moan about Wenger’s lack of signings, plastic fans, Rooney’s cheating, referee’s being fans of all teams apart from us and our constant nightmare of being bullied by everyone. www.goonersworld.co.uk/forum