England's 1-1 draw with France last night left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand it was a decent performance and a good start to the tournament, but on the other it felt like a missed opportunity.
Having worked so hard to get ourselves in front, we switched off and allowed them back into the game. Yes, they had a good spell of pressure just before the break, but I cannot help feeling they were there for the taking in the second half. However, we seemed more content not to lose rather than go and actually win it.
Forget their 22 match unbeaten run, France are not a great side. Yes, they have some good players like Samir Nasri, Karim Benzema and Yohan Cabaye, but I doubt they will get further than the quarter finals. In fact I would not be surprised if they did not even get out of the group.
But perhaps Roy Hodgson has spent too long as the underdog as he now appears to have an inferiority complex. It was as though he did not think we could beat them. We were content to sit back in the second half when a little more ambition could have given us 3 very important points.
Of course it is only the first game, and having watched Ukraine come from behind to beat Sweden last night we have nothing to fear from either of them, but we have got to start believing in ourselves a little more. In spells we played some good football and we created some good chances, especially in the first half, but the longer the match went on the less likely we looked to win it. In fact we looked like a side playing with the handbrake on, afraid to step up a gear.
The substitutions were also left far too late. Why not bring Theo Walcott on to run at their tiring defence in the final twenty minutes? Why not bring Jermain Defoe on earlier? Why bring Jordan Henderson on at all??
I am not, however, going to be too critical of Hodgson or the team. We have got off to a decent start so hopefully we can now settle down, grow into the tournament and improve. Of course we will need to be more positive against Sweden on Friday, especially if France have beaten Ukraine earlier in the day, but we have the players to do that. We just need to believe a bit more.
On the plus side was the performance of Arsenal youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, in only his 3rd international appearance. The boy looks like a potential star and could emerge as the new Gazza, circa 1990, in term of ability and influence on the team. Of course it is hoped he will not follow a similar path off the pitch, but having heard his post-match interviews he certainly seems to have his feet firmly on the ground.
Others to perform well included the much-maligned Glen Johnson at right back, Scott Parker and Steven Gerrard in the centre of midfield, while Danny Welbeck put in a great shift up front. The shape of the team looked good, we didn't panic and everyone worked hard for each other.
So, a satisfactory if unspectacular start but the signs are positive and I think we will not only qualify for the knock-out stages but win the group. And then who knows?
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Saturday, 9 June 2012
Goals, red cards, penalty saves and controversy. Welcome to Euro 2012
After a rather low-key build up to Euro 2012, the tournament got of to an explosive start in Warsaw last night. Hosts Poland kicked off proceedings in Group A with the opening goal against 2004 winners Greece inside eight minutes - a diving header from Robert Lewandowski - before the match, and the tournament, was engulfed by refereeing controversy.
Spanish official Carlos Carballo angered the Greeks by producing a second, soft yellow card for Sokratis Papastathopoulus just before the break, but there was even more drama to follow in the second half.
The ten-men of Greece grabbed an equaliser six minutes after the restart when the hosts' Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny mis-judged a cross and substitute Demitris Salpingidis stabbed home from close range.
Worse was to follow for Szczesny when he was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Salpingidis inside the penalty area soon after, but substitute goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton saved Giorgas Karagounis' spot kick with his first touch after coming on, and it finished 1-1.
Despite all the excitement it is difficult to see either side progressing far in the tournament. Poland appear to lack any real quality, Lewandowski apart, while the Greeks are hard working and efficient but are a pale shadow of the side which lifted the trophy in Portugal 8 years ago.
The second game saw dark horses Russia take on Cech Republic in Wroclaw, also in Group A. After the thrills of the first game it certainly had a lot to live up to but did not disappoint. Russia, under the leadership of Dick Advocaat, produced some exhilarating, attacking football to seal an impressive 4-1 victory.
Teenager Alan Dzagoev scored twice while Roman Shirakov and substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko were also on target. The Cech's briefly rallied as Viclav Pilar made it 2-1 early in the second period, but Russia were far too strong in the end and they will now be favourites to win the group.
Andrey Arshavin looked a completely different player to the one who left Arsenal in January as he was behind everything good the Russians produced. Playing in a free-role just behind the front two, Arshavin could become one the stars of the tournament.
Despite this heavy defeat you have to fancy the Cech's to go through as well - showing more than enough here to suggest they can beat both Poland and Greece.
Tonight is the turn of Group B, where Holland kick off their campaign against Denmark in Kharkiv, while the much-fancied Germans meet Portugal in Lviv. This certainly looks like being one of the most keenly-contested groups which will see one of the favourites eliminated.
Portugal, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani, will entertain but can they overcome the might of the Germans and the Dutch? The Danes, meanwhile, will be looking to reproduce the sort of form that saw them win the trophy in 1992.
We will, of course, know more after tonight's round of matches but you would be foolish to back against the Germans, while I fancy it will be the Dutch, with Robin van Persie and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar leading the line, who follow them into the last eight.
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| Poland's Lewandowski heads the opening goal of the tournament |
The ten-men of Greece grabbed an equaliser six minutes after the restart when the hosts' Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny mis-judged a cross and substitute Demitris Salpingidis stabbed home from close range.
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| Papastathopuolus is shown red |
Despite all the excitement it is difficult to see either side progressing far in the tournament. Poland appear to lack any real quality, Lewandowski apart, while the Greeks are hard working and efficient but are a pale shadow of the side which lifted the trophy in Portugal 8 years ago.
The second game saw dark horses Russia take on Cech Republic in Wroclaw, also in Group A. After the thrills of the first game it certainly had a lot to live up to but did not disappoint. Russia, under the leadership of Dick Advocaat, produced some exhilarating, attacking football to seal an impressive 4-1 victory.
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| Dzagoev gives Russia the lead |
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| Pavlyuchenko scores a marvellous Russian 4th |
Despite this heavy defeat you have to fancy the Cech's to go through as well - showing more than enough here to suggest they can beat both Poland and Greece.
Tonight is the turn of Group B, where Holland kick off their campaign against Denmark in Kharkiv, while the much-fancied Germans meet Portugal in Lviv. This certainly looks like being one of the most keenly-contested groups which will see one of the favourites eliminated.
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| Ronaldo, hoping to lead Portugal to succes in Group B |
We will, of course, know more after tonight's round of matches but you would be foolish to back against the Germans, while I fancy it will be the Dutch, with Robin van Persie and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar leading the line, who follow them into the last eight.
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Ferdinand over-looked again, but let's concentrate on the ones that have been selected
So, the big news from the England camp this week, as we build towards of the start of the tournament, has been Rio Ferdinand's second snub by manager Roy Hodgson. Having been originally left out of both the 23 man squad and the stand-by list, he was overlooked again this week when Gary Cahill was forced to withdraw through injury.
The decision should not have come as a major shock, however, as Liverpool youngster Martin Kelly was on that stand-by list, but questions remain over why Hodgson did not select 81-cap Ferdinand in the first place.
Despite reports to the contrary, I do not believe it has anything to do with the upcoming court case involving John Terry, who is accused of racially abusing Ferdinand's brother Anton. No, I believe it is simply that Hogdson thinks Rio's time is up.
Okay, so he had a decent finish to the season, taking Manchester United to within seconds of the Premier League title, but having selected Terry, Hodgson probably felt he needed some younger blood in the defensive areas. With us likely to face sides like Germany, Holland or Spain should we progress in the tournament, a central defensive partnership or Terry and Ferdinand would leave us vulnerable to swift counter-attacks. Joleon Lescott and Phil Jagielka both offer pace in that crucial area of the team and, as such, were the more sensible options.
A bigger surprise for me was the omission of Micah Richards. The Manchester City man can play at right back or centre half and that versatility would have made him an extremely useful member of the squad. In fact many would argue he would have been a better choice at right back than Glen Johnson, who is likely to start the tournament in that position despite a relatively poor season at Liverpool.
However, the evidence of Hodgson's reign so far suggests it is not defensively where England may struggle in Poland and Ukraine. No, a lack of creativity in midfield and up front appears to be the bigger issue, especially should we reach the latter stages of the tournament.
Wayne Rooney's suspension for the opening two group games is not the ideal start, leaving our hopes of progression from the group resting on the goal prowess of Andy Carroll, Danny Welbeck and Jermain Defoe. Hodgson has always preferred a 4-4-2 formation and with that in mind I would be tempted to start Welbeck with Defoe up front for the opening match against France on Monday evening.
United's Welbeck deserves his place after a good performance and well taken goal against Belgium last weekend, while Defoe did his chances no harm with a fine cameo from the bench. He has pace, is a willing runner of the channels and is a very good finisher.
I would move Ashley Young to the left, keep James Milner on the right and leave the midfield partnership of Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker intact. With Lescott replacing the unfortunate Cahill at the back, I believe this is a team capable of getting a positive result against the French, which would set us up nicely for the rest of the tournament.
We have a squad of players who look as though they want to play for the manager. Moreover, they appear happy, relaxed and ready for the battles that lie ahead. So let's forget about Ferdinand - a distraction we can do without - and get behind the players that have been selected. You never know we may just be rewarded come July 1st.
The decision should not have come as a major shock, however, as Liverpool youngster Martin Kelly was on that stand-by list, but questions remain over why Hodgson did not select 81-cap Ferdinand in the first place.
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| Rio Ferdinand, yesterdays man? |
Okay, so he had a decent finish to the season, taking Manchester United to within seconds of the Premier League title, but having selected Terry, Hodgson probably felt he needed some younger blood in the defensive areas. With us likely to face sides like Germany, Holland or Spain should we progress in the tournament, a central defensive partnership or Terry and Ferdinand would leave us vulnerable to swift counter-attacks. Joleon Lescott and Phil Jagielka both offer pace in that crucial area of the team and, as such, were the more sensible options.
A bigger surprise for me was the omission of Micah Richards. The Manchester City man can play at right back or centre half and that versatility would have made him an extremely useful member of the squad. In fact many would argue he would have been a better choice at right back than Glen Johnson, who is likely to start the tournament in that position despite a relatively poor season at Liverpool.
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| Micah Richards, unlucky not to be selected. |
Wayne Rooney's suspension for the opening two group games is not the ideal start, leaving our hopes of progression from the group resting on the goal prowess of Andy Carroll, Danny Welbeck and Jermain Defoe. Hodgson has always preferred a 4-4-2 formation and with that in mind I would be tempted to start Welbeck with Defoe up front for the opening match against France on Monday evening.
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| Jermain Defoe, ready for a starting place? |
I would move Ashley Young to the left, keep James Milner on the right and leave the midfield partnership of Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker intact. With Lescott replacing the unfortunate Cahill at the back, I believe this is a team capable of getting a positive result against the French, which would set us up nicely for the rest of the tournament.
We have a squad of players who look as though they want to play for the manager. Moreover, they appear happy, relaxed and ready for the battles that lie ahead. So let's forget about Ferdinand - a distraction we can do without - and get behind the players that have been selected. You never know we may just be rewarded come July 1st.
Saturday, 2 June 2012
Can England actually win Euro 2012??
With the start of the European Championships under a week away you may be forgiven for wondering where the usual over-the-top hype has gone?
Even in this Jubilee Year there has been a distinct lack of flags flying from car windows and chest-beating from the tabloid press. In fact I cannot recall such a low-key build up to a major tournament but I, for one, am actually quite excited about it.
Perhaps it is this lack of expectation. Come on admit it, who seriously expects us to go much beyond the group stage? Well read on and you may change your mind...
I am actually feeling surprisingly upbeat about our chances. This is unusual for me as I am normally the most pessimistic of England fans. Even when we are 3-0 up I still expect us to lose, but it is different this time. Yes, Roy Hodgson has been thrown in at the deep end with very little time to prepare his squad, and the players at his disposal do not exactly fill you with confidence, but I really believe we could cause a surprise or two.
Too much has been made of the his squad choice, but the fact is he has selected the best of a very average bunch. With the exception of Wayne Rooney, who is suspended for the opening two matches anyway, we have a distinct lack any World class players. Yes, Joe Hart is a decent enough goalkeeper, Ashley Cole is still a quality left back and Steven Gerrard is a driving force in midfield, but other than that what have we got?
You can argue all day that Michael Carrick should have been picked ahead of Gareth Barry, or Adam Johnson should have got the nod over Jordan Henderson, but it would simply have been one average player replacing another.
No, the key to our hope of success lies with Hodgson. He may not have been first choice among the fans or the media, but he has always been tactically switched on, his sides are well organised, hard-working and tough to beat. The very definition of tournament success, in fact.
His Fulham side, which reached the final of the Europa League in 2010, showed that good organisation and hard work can overcome the more technically gifted sides, and he does seem able to get the best from average players. Surely an essential quality as manager of this England squad?
Yes, we have a difficult group, with France, Sweden and co-hosts Ukraine, but if we can reach the knock-out stage I believe we will come into our own. We may lack the flair of sides like Spain, Germany and France but the Euros has often given us a surprise winner. Denmark in 1992 for example, or Greece in 2004, both of whom were capable of grinding out 1-0 results. But do I really believe we are capable of repeating such success? Well yes actually, I do.
No one will relish facing us in the knock-out stages and we are more than capable of nicking a goal. Three of our first choice back four play together at Chelsea so will already have a natural understanding, while we have pace in the form of Theo Walcott and Ashley Young, something that is vital for international success. Plus of course, we have Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as a secret weapon. But more importantly than that, we have a coach who understands the complexities of international football.
I also feel the injuries which have caused Barry and Frank Lampard to withdraw from the squad, have actually helped us. The long running question over whether Lampard and Gerrard can play together will be made redundant, while the one-paced Barry, who was favourite to step in, would have only held us back. Maybe the stage is now set for Oxlade-Chamberlain or Scott Parker to really take the tournament by storm?
The lack of expectation will also help. Previous tournaments have seen the players weighed down by the hopes of the Nation but this time that will not be the case. It also helps that we face France first. How? Well they have a history of starting slowly in tournaments so it could be the best time to play them. Also, should we lose, it will lower expectations even further so we can relax, grow into the tournament and then welcome Rooney back into the side. After that? Well who knows??
Come on admit it, you think it's possible now too don't you??
Even in this Jubilee Year there has been a distinct lack of flags flying from car windows and chest-beating from the tabloid press. In fact I cannot recall such a low-key build up to a major tournament but I, for one, am actually quite excited about it.
Perhaps it is this lack of expectation. Come on admit it, who seriously expects us to go much beyond the group stage? Well read on and you may change your mind...
I am actually feeling surprisingly upbeat about our chances. This is unusual for me as I am normally the most pessimistic of England fans. Even when we are 3-0 up I still expect us to lose, but it is different this time. Yes, Roy Hodgson has been thrown in at the deep end with very little time to prepare his squad, and the players at his disposal do not exactly fill you with confidence, but I really believe we could cause a surprise or two.
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| Roy Hodgson. Will he still be smiling on July 1st? |
You can argue all day that Michael Carrick should have been picked ahead of Gareth Barry, or Adam Johnson should have got the nod over Jordan Henderson, but it would simply have been one average player replacing another.
No, the key to our hope of success lies with Hodgson. He may not have been first choice among the fans or the media, but he has always been tactically switched on, his sides are well organised, hard-working and tough to beat. The very definition of tournament success, in fact.
His Fulham side, which reached the final of the Europa League in 2010, showed that good organisation and hard work can overcome the more technically gifted sides, and he does seem able to get the best from average players. Surely an essential quality as manager of this England squad?
Yes, we have a difficult group, with France, Sweden and co-hosts Ukraine, but if we can reach the knock-out stage I believe we will come into our own. We may lack the flair of sides like Spain, Germany and France but the Euros has often given us a surprise winner. Denmark in 1992 for example, or Greece in 2004, both of whom were capable of grinding out 1-0 results. But do I really believe we are capable of repeating such success? Well yes actually, I do.
No one will relish facing us in the knock-out stages and we are more than capable of nicking a goal. Three of our first choice back four play together at Chelsea so will already have a natural understanding, while we have pace in the form of Theo Walcott and Ashley Young, something that is vital for international success. Plus of course, we have Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as a secret weapon. But more importantly than that, we have a coach who understands the complexities of international football.
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| The Ox. About to announce himself on the World stage? |
The lack of expectation will also help. Previous tournaments have seen the players weighed down by the hopes of the Nation but this time that will not be the case. It also helps that we face France first. How? Well they have a history of starting slowly in tournaments so it could be the best time to play them. Also, should we lose, it will lower expectations even further so we can relax, grow into the tournament and then welcome Rooney back into the side. After that? Well who knows??
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| Wayne Rooney, ready to be unleashed in the knock-out stage |
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Arsenal season review 2011-12.
Having finished 4th with 68 points in 2010-11, Arsenal lost their two most influential players with the new season about to begin. The departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri threw the club into chaos and led to their worst start in nearly 60 years. Indeed, the 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford at the end of August was their heaviest loss since 1899 and they slumped into the bottom four.
After 16 years in charge, Arsene Wenger was at a crossroads. Fans were losing patience as the glory days of the early 2000's were now just a distant memory, and the press were saying the club were in crisis. Under pressure, Wenger went into the transfer market on deadline day - bringing in Mikel Arteta, Andre Santos and Yossi Benayoun - but many felt these were the actions of a desperate man.
Yet slowly the new-look team began to gel. A run of only one defeat in 12 Premier League games from October until the turn of the year - including an incredible 5-3 win at Stamford Bridge - sent the club back into the race for a top 4 finish. The only disappointment in this period being a 1-0 Carling Cup quarter final defeat at the hands of Manchester City.
Arteta, in particular, was proving to be an inspired signing as his performances in midfield eased the loss of Fabregas and Nasri, while the form and goals of new captain Robin van Persie suggested the crisis had been averted.
It was van Persie himself who illuminated the club's 125th Anniversary match against Everton in December with a sublime volleyed winner, impressing the watching Thierry Henry - back at The Emirates on the day his statue was unveiled outside the ground.
Henry was back in the news in the New Year when he returned to the club on loan from New York Red Bulls for six weeks. The clubs record goalscorer made an immediate impression with the winner against Leeds United in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, although the month also saw three straight league defeats to put a top 4 finish back in doubt.
But with the injury problems that had blighted the season finally beginning to ease, the club hit top form. Blackburn were beaten 7-1 - van Persie striking a hat-trick and Henry on target again - while Henry then grabbed a last minute winner at Sunderland to lift the club back into the top 4 again.
Teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was making an impression of his own with a series of fine performances in midfield, but just as it seemed the corner had been turned, disaster struck.
A dreadful performance in Milan in the last 16 of the Champions League all-but ended their interest in the competition, while the FA Cup run was brought to an end in the 5th round at Sunderland three days later, where Oxlade-Chamberlain scored an unfortunate own goal.
Despite being out-played for long periods at Anfield, another brace from van Persie secured three points before the turning point of the season arrived in the shape of the North London derby at The Emirates in late-February. Arsenal started the day 10 points behind their neighbours and defeat would have put the pressure back on Wenger and his team.
After a terrible start, which saw Spurs go 2-0 up in twenty minutes, Arsenal really turned on the style. Bacary Sagna and van Persie - with a wonderful strike - brought them level before the break, while an inspired Tomas Rosicky and a brace from Theo Walcott secured a memorable, and significant, 5-2 victory.
With confidence restored, Arsenal almost staged the greatest comeback in Champions League history. A wonderful first half performance, led by the superb Oxlade-Chamberlain, saw the club come close to over-turning the 4-0 first leg deficit against Milan, although they bowed out of the competition with their heads held high.
Three more league victories followed to lift the club up to 3rd and ram the 'Mind the gap' chants from the Spurs fans back down their throats. A 2-1 defeat at QPR showed the inconsistencies from earlier in the season had not completely disappeared, but a late Arteta goal brought three more points against a Manchester City side who would go on to lift the title. Three days later, a 3-0 win at bottom side Wolves sent Wenger's men five points clear of Spurs in 3rd place with just five matches remaining.
But an early injury to Arteta in the home match against Wigan Athletic threatened to de-rail the season. That shock 2-1 defeat led to a run of four matches without a win just at the wrong time. Third place looked to have gone when Norwich hit a late equaliser at The Emirates in the final home match of the season, but Spurs could only draw at Aston Villa the following day so a win at WBA on the final weekend would secure Champions League football for the 15th year in a row.
In a tense afternoon at The Hawthorns, Arsenal got the required result - with a little help from stand-in Albion goalkeeper Marton Fulop - in a match that summed up the season as a whole. After taking an early lead, the Gunners soon found themselves behind before coming back to win 3-2 - the 6th time they had turned a deficit into a victory - and it proved vital as Chelsea's subsequent Champions League triumph meant 4th place would not have been good enough.
So, a season of highs and lows, ups and downs, actually finished with the club winning two more points than the previous campaign and finishing one place higher. Van Persie become only the second Arsenal player to score 30 Premier League goals in a season, landing him the Golden Boot along with the Players' Player and Football Writers Player of the Year awards.
But where do the club go from here? The signing of Lukas Podolski shows early intent, but with van Persie's contract now into it's final year, has he been brought in to replace for the skipper or play alongside him? Other signings are also needed, especially in defence and midfield, although new first team coach Steve Bould should help sort out the defensive frailties which have prevented the club really challenging over the last few years.
The coming two months could have a massive baring on the future of the club. Losing van Persie now would show a lack of ambition and surely condemn Arsenal to another trophyless season. But keep the talismatic Dutchman and add the extra quality around him and maybe, just maybe, the long wait for silverware could finally be over.
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| Yes, that really was the score! |
After 16 years in charge, Arsene Wenger was at a crossroads. Fans were losing patience as the glory days of the early 2000's were now just a distant memory, and the press were saying the club were in crisis. Under pressure, Wenger went into the transfer market on deadline day - bringing in Mikel Arteta, Andre Santos and Yossi Benayoun - but many felt these were the actions of a desperate man.
Yet slowly the new-look team began to gel. A run of only one defeat in 12 Premier League games from October until the turn of the year - including an incredible 5-3 win at Stamford Bridge - sent the club back into the race for a top 4 finish. The only disappointment in this period being a 1-0 Carling Cup quarter final defeat at the hands of Manchester City.
Arteta, in particular, was proving to be an inspired signing as his performances in midfield eased the loss of Fabregas and Nasri, while the form and goals of new captain Robin van Persie suggested the crisis had been averted.
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| Mikel Arteta - an inspired signing |
It was van Persie himself who illuminated the club's 125th Anniversary match against Everton in December with a sublime volleyed winner, impressing the watching Thierry Henry - back at The Emirates on the day his statue was unveiled outside the ground.
Henry was back in the news in the New Year when he returned to the club on loan from New York Red Bulls for six weeks. The clubs record goalscorer made an immediate impression with the winner against Leeds United in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, although the month also saw three straight league defeats to put a top 4 finish back in doubt.
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| The master returns |
But with the injury problems that had blighted the season finally beginning to ease, the club hit top form. Blackburn were beaten 7-1 - van Persie striking a hat-trick and Henry on target again - while Henry then grabbed a last minute winner at Sunderland to lift the club back into the top 4 again.
Teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was making an impression of his own with a series of fine performances in midfield, but just as it seemed the corner had been turned, disaster struck.
A dreadful performance in Milan in the last 16 of the Champions League all-but ended their interest in the competition, while the FA Cup run was brought to an end in the 5th round at Sunderland three days later, where Oxlade-Chamberlain scored an unfortunate own goal.
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| Oxlade-Chamberlain celebrating a goal at the right end! |
Despite being out-played for long periods at Anfield, another brace from van Persie secured three points before the turning point of the season arrived in the shape of the North London derby at The Emirates in late-February. Arsenal started the day 10 points behind their neighbours and defeat would have put the pressure back on Wenger and his team.
After a terrible start, which saw Spurs go 2-0 up in twenty minutes, Arsenal really turned on the style. Bacary Sagna and van Persie - with a wonderful strike - brought them level before the break, while an inspired Tomas Rosicky and a brace from Theo Walcott secured a memorable, and significant, 5-2 victory.
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| Tomas Rosicky celebrates putting Arsenal 3-2 up in the North London Derby |
With confidence restored, Arsenal almost staged the greatest comeback in Champions League history. A wonderful first half performance, led by the superb Oxlade-Chamberlain, saw the club come close to over-turning the 4-0 first leg deficit against Milan, although they bowed out of the competition with their heads held high.
Three more league victories followed to lift the club up to 3rd and ram the 'Mind the gap' chants from the Spurs fans back down their throats. A 2-1 defeat at QPR showed the inconsistencies from earlier in the season had not completely disappeared, but a late Arteta goal brought three more points against a Manchester City side who would go on to lift the title. Three days later, a 3-0 win at bottom side Wolves sent Wenger's men five points clear of Spurs in 3rd place with just five matches remaining.
But an early injury to Arteta in the home match against Wigan Athletic threatened to de-rail the season. That shock 2-1 defeat led to a run of four matches without a win just at the wrong time. Third place looked to have gone when Norwich hit a late equaliser at The Emirates in the final home match of the season, but Spurs could only draw at Aston Villa the following day so a win at WBA on the final weekend would secure Champions League football for the 15th year in a row.
In a tense afternoon at The Hawthorns, Arsenal got the required result - with a little help from stand-in Albion goalkeeper Marton Fulop - in a match that summed up the season as a whole. After taking an early lead, the Gunners soon found themselves behind before coming back to win 3-2 - the 6th time they had turned a deficit into a victory - and it proved vital as Chelsea's subsequent Champions League triumph meant 4th place would not have been good enough.
So, a season of highs and lows, ups and downs, actually finished with the club winning two more points than the previous campaign and finishing one place higher. Van Persie become only the second Arsenal player to score 30 Premier League goals in a season, landing him the Golden Boot along with the Players' Player and Football Writers Player of the Year awards.
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| The team may not have won a trophy but the skipper certainly did |
But where do the club go from here? The signing of Lukas Podolski shows early intent, but with van Persie's contract now into it's final year, has he been brought in to replace for the skipper or play alongside him? Other signings are also needed, especially in defence and midfield, although new first team coach Steve Bould should help sort out the defensive frailties which have prevented the club really challenging over the last few years.
The coming two months could have a massive baring on the future of the club. Losing van Persie now would show a lack of ambition and surely condemn Arsenal to another trophyless season. But keep the talismatic Dutchman and add the extra quality around him and maybe, just maybe, the long wait for silverware could finally be over.
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
A (Haw) thorny end to the season?
The phrase 'biggest game of the season' is used far too often. The recent Manchester derby was, apparently, the biggest game in Premier League history. But then Manchester City's trip to Newcastle this weekend was suddenly even bigger!
No, the biggest games of the season are usually reserved for the final day, so Arsenal's trip to West Bromwich Albion this Sunday takes on that title for us. Yes, it really is the biggest game of the season.
With a lack of actual trophies, qualification for the Champions League is absolutely essential if the club are to turn potential into something tangible.
To be honest, if someone had offered us the chance to be third going into the final match back in September we would have snatched their hand off. After the 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford, followed swiftly by a 4-3 loss at Blackburn, mid-table Liverpool-ocricy was all I could see for us.
The signing of Mikel Arteta on transfer deadline day back in August was probably the most significant event of the season for us, but his injury means we travel to WBA looking to win for the first time in the Premier League this season without him in the side. Of the eight matches he has missed so far, we have drawn 4 and lost 4. So the omens are against us.
On the plus side, we do have a decent record at The Hawthorns. I can only ever recall us losing there once (1-2 in 2005) although we had to come from behind to draw 2-2 last season, a result that probably will not be good enough this time.
Also, our performances in the last four matches have not been great. In fact, since going 2-0 up at Wolves inside 10 minutes just over a month ago, we have been poor. I thought we had turned the corner with a decent display at our nemesis, Stoke last week, but the sloppiness returned in Saturday's 3-3 draw with Norwich.
Quite how we are still third, having taken only three points from the last 12, says more about the teams around us than our own patchy form. Spurs have imploded, while Newcastle, for all their great performances, look as though they will fall short. Chelsea have had cup finals on their minds, while Liverpool, the club everyone predicted would take our place in the top 4, have been awful, or just plain unlucky if you listen to their fans.
Either way it is still in our hands and we have to make the most of it. We really do need to finish 3rd as I am convinced Chelsea will win the Champions League, meaning 4th place will only be good enough for the Europa League. Personally I would rather not be in Europe at all than play in that competition.
Ironically, the last time we went into the final match of the season with anything riding on it was in 2006, and again we were head-to-head with Spurs for the final Champions League spot. They held the one point advantage then, so we had to better their result at West Ham. That was, of course, the famous lasagne-gate, where several of the Spurs players were taken ill on the morning of the match and they lost 2-1, Yossi Benayoun getting one of the Hammers goals.
This time the roles are reversed, with us going into the match with a one point advantage. It is us going away to a team with West in their name, and the irony continues as Spurs face a Fulham side led by Martin Jol, the very man who in charge of Spurs back in 2006! I just hope we do not have lasagne on the menu on Saturday night!
Of course, I expect us to win. West Brom, while in good form, have nothing to play for. Plus, I have rarely seen Arsene Wenger so angry as he was after the way we conceded the late equaliser to Nowich on Saturday, so I expect us to be really fired up.
But of course, there is far more at stake for us. Although the news on the transfer front is good, with Podolski already in and M'Villa likely to follow, failure to make the Champions League could be the final straw in the van Persie saga. I am convinced a top three finish will be enough to make him stay, but finish outside the Champions League places and I can see him being tempted elsewhere. It's not about money for him but ambition. He is 28 years old, he needs to be playing for a club who can challenge for the top honours, and that means Premier League and Champions League.
So, we are all set for a tense afternoon in the West Midlands. Being Arsenal I would not be surprised if we go behind and have to do it the hard way, but as long as we have the right result come 5pm on Sunday, all will be forgiven.
My predictions;
Everton 2, Newcastle 1
Spurs 3, Fulham 2
WBA 1, Arsenal 3 (last minute 3rd on the break after hanging on at the end!)
No, the biggest games of the season are usually reserved for the final day, so Arsenal's trip to West Bromwich Albion this Sunday takes on that title for us. Yes, it really is the biggest game of the season.
With a lack of actual trophies, qualification for the Champions League is absolutely essential if the club are to turn potential into something tangible.
To be honest, if someone had offered us the chance to be third going into the final match back in September we would have snatched their hand off. After the 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford, followed swiftly by a 4-3 loss at Blackburn, mid-table Liverpool-ocricy was all I could see for us.
The signing of Mikel Arteta on transfer deadline day back in August was probably the most significant event of the season for us, but his injury means we travel to WBA looking to win for the first time in the Premier League this season without him in the side. Of the eight matches he has missed so far, we have drawn 4 and lost 4. So the omens are against us.
On the plus side, we do have a decent record at The Hawthorns. I can only ever recall us losing there once (1-2 in 2005) although we had to come from behind to draw 2-2 last season, a result that probably will not be good enough this time.
Also, our performances in the last four matches have not been great. In fact, since going 2-0 up at Wolves inside 10 minutes just over a month ago, we have been poor. I thought we had turned the corner with a decent display at our nemesis, Stoke last week, but the sloppiness returned in Saturday's 3-3 draw with Norwich.
Quite how we are still third, having taken only three points from the last 12, says more about the teams around us than our own patchy form. Spurs have imploded, while Newcastle, for all their great performances, look as though they will fall short. Chelsea have had cup finals on their minds, while Liverpool, the club everyone predicted would take our place in the top 4, have been awful, or just plain unlucky if you listen to their fans.
Either way it is still in our hands and we have to make the most of it. We really do need to finish 3rd as I am convinced Chelsea will win the Champions League, meaning 4th place will only be good enough for the Europa League. Personally I would rather not be in Europe at all than play in that competition.
Ironically, the last time we went into the final match of the season with anything riding on it was in 2006, and again we were head-to-head with Spurs for the final Champions League spot. They held the one point advantage then, so we had to better their result at West Ham. That was, of course, the famous lasagne-gate, where several of the Spurs players were taken ill on the morning of the match and they lost 2-1, Yossi Benayoun getting one of the Hammers goals.
This time the roles are reversed, with us going into the match with a one point advantage. It is us going away to a team with West in their name, and the irony continues as Spurs face a Fulham side led by Martin Jol, the very man who in charge of Spurs back in 2006! I just hope we do not have lasagne on the menu on Saturday night!
Of course, I expect us to win. West Brom, while in good form, have nothing to play for. Plus, I have rarely seen Arsene Wenger so angry as he was after the way we conceded the late equaliser to Nowich on Saturday, so I expect us to be really fired up.
But of course, there is far more at stake for us. Although the news on the transfer front is good, with Podolski already in and M'Villa likely to follow, failure to make the Champions League could be the final straw in the van Persie saga. I am convinced a top three finish will be enough to make him stay, but finish outside the Champions League places and I can see him being tempted elsewhere. It's not about money for him but ambition. He is 28 years old, he needs to be playing for a club who can challenge for the top honours, and that means Premier League and Champions League.
So, we are all set for a tense afternoon in the West Midlands. Being Arsenal I would not be surprised if we go behind and have to do it the hard way, but as long as we have the right result come 5pm on Sunday, all will be forgiven.
My predictions;
Everton 2, Newcastle 1
Spurs 3, Fulham 2
WBA 1, Arsenal 3 (last minute 3rd on the break after hanging on at the end!)
Monday, 7 May 2012
A Holt to our Champions League hopes?
Arsenal 3 Norwich 3
I do not get the opportunity to take Emerson to The Emirates very often, so when my good mate Rob offered me two tickets to the final home game of the season against Norwich it was too good to turn down.
With a 12.45 kick off it meant an early start, so we set off from Darlington at 08.00. With the cheapest return train fare costing £156 I decided to drive to Peterborough and get the train from there.
The trip down the A1 was hassle-free and we arrived in Peterborough at 10.15, plenty of time to catch the 10.46 train to Finsbury Park. There were a mixture of Gooners, Norwich and Chelsea fans on the train, which made for a colourful and interesting journey. A group of Chelsea lads were making a day of it, going to the Arsenal match before then heading over to Covent Garden and on to Wembley. They seemed a decent enough bunch and were hoping to see an Arsenal win as they didn't want to see Spurs in the Champions League. Same here lads, same here.
We arrived at Finsbury Park at 11.54 and decided to pop into the Gunners Shop just outside the station as Emerson wanted a red and white scarf. A bargain, too, at £10.
We then set off up St. Thomas' Road before stopping at Piebury Corner for a quick bite to eat, enjoying the reggae music blasting out from the stand on the corner. I then bought a match programme and the latest copy of The Gooner fanzine before walking to the ground.
As Emerson had not seen the new statues, we had a quick stop off so he could acquaint himself with Tony Adams, Herbert Chapman and Thierry Henry before making our way inside the Home of Football.
Our seats were in the East Stand Lower Tier, halfway between the penalty area at the North Bank end and the halfway line, and the view was amazing. Emerson had never been in the lower tier before and was relieved that the seat in front of him was empty so he had a perfect view of the action.
His pre-match prediction was a tense 2-1 win while I went for a rather more optimistic 6-1. Norwich have looked on their holidays in the last few weeks and I thought we would be up for this after the midweek results meant we simply had to win.
Things could not have started any better either, as we went ahead inside the first minute, just as we had on Emerson's last visit against Sunderland in October. Yossi Benayoun, on what could be his last appearance for us at the Emirates, cut in from the left before curling a marvellous shot into the top right hand corner of the net.
But that was about as good as it got until half time. We seemed to think the game was won and switched off, allowing Norwich back into it. They were level ten minutes in with a shot from Hoolihan which Sczcesney should have kept out, before taking the lead with a deflected effort from Grant Holt.
Ah, Grant Holt. Three years ago on this very weekend I saw him score for Shrewsbury against the Daggers in League Two and I am amazed he is now playing in the Premier League. What is even more amazing is that this was his 16th goal of the season. 16th! If he can score that many at this level then there is hope for us all.
More bad news followed as Bacary Sagna went down with a serious-looking injury which led to him being carried off on a stretcher, and we later learned he had broken his leg for the second time this season. Terrible news for the lad, who had been the best right back in the league this season.
Half time was spent reflecting on what had been an awful 45 minutes for us, made even worse by the woman next to me chatting incessantly on her phone about her dog, which was apparently barking in the garden and scaring her children! Perhaps she should have stayed at home to deal with that instead of being here then? Just a thought.
I was still confident we would turn it around as every time Emerson has been to the Emirates, Robin van Persie has scored twice, so I could see us winning this 3-2.
After a shaky start to the second half, which almost saw Norwich go 3-1 ahead, we finally came to life. Gervinho, who had been getting a fair amount of stick up until then, suddenly began to get in behind the Canaries defence and looked the player we all hoped he would be.
Chamakh, who has been having a terrible time of it, came on for the once-again disappointing Ramsey, but he immediately made a difference, giving Robin the support he had been lacking up front. Hopefully this is the way it will next season, with Podolski playing this role, as Robin is desperate for more help up there.
But we were more excited by the arrival of The Ox, who replaced Benayoun, as Wenger really went for it. It was looking only a matter of time before we equalised as RvP missed two very good chances with unusually weak finishes, as we had the line of yellow defenders stretched time and again.
The equaliser eventually arrived fifteen minutes from time when Chamakh had an effort blocked and Song sent over a lovely ball for RvP to finish first time from ten yards. It is a combination that has worked so well this season and brought much relief to what was fast becoming a very restless crowd.
There was only going to one winner now and it looked as though it had arrived five minutes later. The ball fell to RvP in the area again, following a goalmouth scramble, and his shot went under Ruddy and into the roof of the net - his 30th league goal of the season. Queue delirium in our section, especially in the seat next to me as Emerson was going mental, manically waving his new scarf around his head! Once again he had seen his idol score twice. If only he came to every home match we would be Champions!
But we made the mistake of thinking the game was won, sat back, invited Norwich to come onto us, and paid the price when sub Morrison beat Szczesney from a tight angle six minutes from time. Very similar to the goal we conceded at Swansea in January soon after we had got ourselves level. Lessons again not learned. Frustration all around, apart from in the away section to our left, which was going as mad as we had a few minutes earlier.
We threw everything at them in the closing stages and how we didn't get the winner I will never know. Ruddy denied RvP and the Ox, while we should have had a penalty when Robin was clearly pushed in the back as he was about to tap into an empty net following a lovely cross from Ox. Quite how the referee and his assistant, the lovely Sian Massey, missed it was beyond us, but I guess we shouldn't have been too surprised as we have failed to be awarded a single penalty at home in the Premier League all season. Astonishing for a team who attacks as much as we do.
So, despite what had been a really exciting second half we had only drawn and apparently blown 3rd place. Surely Spurs will beat Villa tomorrow? I mean everyone else has beaten them lately.
It did lead to a rather subdued 'lap of appreciation' from the players at the end as most of the crowd had long since gone home. In fact many were streaming out with five minutes left with the score at 3-3. Honestly, what is the point in coming if you are not going to stay until the end? I can almost understand it at midweek games where you might need to catch a last train, but a Saturday lunchtime kick off? No excuses I'm afraid. And most were not even football tourists either, they were regular fans who have probably been coming to matches for years.
These are the same fans who will moan about the players showing a lack of commitment to the club yet they leave early and do not get behind the lads while they are there. If RvP leaves this summer perhaps all the fans who buggered off early and left the players to walk around a 3/4 empty stadium will be the reason. After the way the lads have reacted to adversity this season they deserved better. Damn it, Robin has been voted double footballer of the year, he deserved better.
But Emerson and I stayed to gave Robin a special clap as he walked past us with his children in tow. There is no doubt the guy loves this club but I couldn't help feeling this was his last goodbye. I really hope I am wrong but I fear this could have been his last match at The Emirates.
Emerson wanted to go on the Underground on the way back, so we walked to Highbury & Islington before catching the Victoria Line back to Finsbury Park. Although our train was not due until 16.25, we were there by 15.40 and a train was waiting for us at the platform.
We arrived back in Peterborough at 16.52 and I was really not looking forward to the two hour drive home now, but it was livened up by hearing Liverpool lose the FA Cup final on the radio. I could picture the Chelsea fans we saw on the train celebrating and I almost felt happy for them, even though it was only the lesser of two evils really. Emerson was slightly more philosophical, saying he was pleased Liverpool lost as they had already won the Carling Cup and it was good for someone else to win something! One day, I promised him, it would be us celebrating. Next year perhaps??
We finally got back to Darlington at 19.30, disappointed with the result but happy with what had been a good day out. I have not seen many more exciting 45 minutes of football than the second half, and if we had held on to win 3-2 it would have been perfect.
However, as it turned out Spurs only drew with Villa and Newcastle lost to Man. City so third place is still in our hands. Win at WBA this Sunday and we will do it. Sounds easy eh?
I am now on the look out for two tickets so Emerson and I can be there to witness all the drama. Not quite a title decider maybe, but with the prize on offer a guaranteed Champions League place, it is about as big as it gets for us.
Plus, of course, it would also be St. Totteringham's Day. Now that really would be something to celebrate...
I do not get the opportunity to take Emerson to The Emirates very often, so when my good mate Rob offered me two tickets to the final home game of the season against Norwich it was too good to turn down.
With a 12.45 kick off it meant an early start, so we set off from Darlington at 08.00. With the cheapest return train fare costing £156 I decided to drive to Peterborough and get the train from there.
The trip down the A1 was hassle-free and we arrived in Peterborough at 10.15, plenty of time to catch the 10.46 train to Finsbury Park. There were a mixture of Gooners, Norwich and Chelsea fans on the train, which made for a colourful and interesting journey. A group of Chelsea lads were making a day of it, going to the Arsenal match before then heading over to Covent Garden and on to Wembley. They seemed a decent enough bunch and were hoping to see an Arsenal win as they didn't want to see Spurs in the Champions League. Same here lads, same here.
We arrived at Finsbury Park at 11.54 and decided to pop into the Gunners Shop just outside the station as Emerson wanted a red and white scarf. A bargain, too, at £10.
We then set off up St. Thomas' Road before stopping at Piebury Corner for a quick bite to eat, enjoying the reggae music blasting out from the stand on the corner. I then bought a match programme and the latest copy of The Gooner fanzine before walking to the ground.
As Emerson had not seen the new statues, we had a quick stop off so he could acquaint himself with Tony Adams, Herbert Chapman and Thierry Henry before making our way inside the Home of Football.
Our seats were in the East Stand Lower Tier, halfway between the penalty area at the North Bank end and the halfway line, and the view was amazing. Emerson had never been in the lower tier before and was relieved that the seat in front of him was empty so he had a perfect view of the action.
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| Emerson in his seat with his new scarf |
His pre-match prediction was a tense 2-1 win while I went for a rather more optimistic 6-1. Norwich have looked on their holidays in the last few weeks and I thought we would be up for this after the midweek results meant we simply had to win.
Things could not have started any better either, as we went ahead inside the first minute, just as we had on Emerson's last visit against Sunderland in October. Yossi Benayoun, on what could be his last appearance for us at the Emirates, cut in from the left before curling a marvellous shot into the top right hand corner of the net.
But that was about as good as it got until half time. We seemed to think the game was won and switched off, allowing Norwich back into it. They were level ten minutes in with a shot from Hoolihan which Sczcesney should have kept out, before taking the lead with a deflected effort from Grant Holt.
Ah, Grant Holt. Three years ago on this very weekend I saw him score for Shrewsbury against the Daggers in League Two and I am amazed he is now playing in the Premier League. What is even more amazing is that this was his 16th goal of the season. 16th! If he can score that many at this level then there is hope for us all.
More bad news followed as Bacary Sagna went down with a serious-looking injury which led to him being carried off on a stretcher, and we later learned he had broken his leg for the second time this season. Terrible news for the lad, who had been the best right back in the league this season.
Half time was spent reflecting on what had been an awful 45 minutes for us, made even worse by the woman next to me chatting incessantly on her phone about her dog, which was apparently barking in the garden and scaring her children! Perhaps she should have stayed at home to deal with that instead of being here then? Just a thought.
I was still confident we would turn it around as every time Emerson has been to the Emirates, Robin van Persie has scored twice, so I could see us winning this 3-2.
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| Robin, isolated up front. |
After a shaky start to the second half, which almost saw Norwich go 3-1 ahead, we finally came to life. Gervinho, who had been getting a fair amount of stick up until then, suddenly began to get in behind the Canaries defence and looked the player we all hoped he would be.
Chamakh, who has been having a terrible time of it, came on for the once-again disappointing Ramsey, but he immediately made a difference, giving Robin the support he had been lacking up front. Hopefully this is the way it will next season, with Podolski playing this role, as Robin is desperate for more help up there.
But we were more excited by the arrival of The Ox, who replaced Benayoun, as Wenger really went for it. It was looking only a matter of time before we equalised as RvP missed two very good chances with unusually weak finishes, as we had the line of yellow defenders stretched time and again.
The equaliser eventually arrived fifteen minutes from time when Chamakh had an effort blocked and Song sent over a lovely ball for RvP to finish first time from ten yards. It is a combination that has worked so well this season and brought much relief to what was fast becoming a very restless crowd.
There was only going to one winner now and it looked as though it had arrived five minutes later. The ball fell to RvP in the area again, following a goalmouth scramble, and his shot went under Ruddy and into the roof of the net - his 30th league goal of the season. Queue delirium in our section, especially in the seat next to me as Emerson was going mental, manically waving his new scarf around his head! Once again he had seen his idol score twice. If only he came to every home match we would be Champions!
But we made the mistake of thinking the game was won, sat back, invited Norwich to come onto us, and paid the price when sub Morrison beat Szczesney from a tight angle six minutes from time. Very similar to the goal we conceded at Swansea in January soon after we had got ourselves level. Lessons again not learned. Frustration all around, apart from in the away section to our left, which was going as mad as we had a few minutes earlier.
We threw everything at them in the closing stages and how we didn't get the winner I will never know. Ruddy denied RvP and the Ox, while we should have had a penalty when Robin was clearly pushed in the back as he was about to tap into an empty net following a lovely cross from Ox. Quite how the referee and his assistant, the lovely Sian Massey, missed it was beyond us, but I guess we shouldn't have been too surprised as we have failed to be awarded a single penalty at home in the Premier League all season. Astonishing for a team who attacks as much as we do.
So, despite what had been a really exciting second half we had only drawn and apparently blown 3rd place. Surely Spurs will beat Villa tomorrow? I mean everyone else has beaten them lately.
It did lead to a rather subdued 'lap of appreciation' from the players at the end as most of the crowd had long since gone home. In fact many were streaming out with five minutes left with the score at 3-3. Honestly, what is the point in coming if you are not going to stay until the end? I can almost understand it at midweek games where you might need to catch a last train, but a Saturday lunchtime kick off? No excuses I'm afraid. And most were not even football tourists either, they were regular fans who have probably been coming to matches for years.
These are the same fans who will moan about the players showing a lack of commitment to the club yet they leave early and do not get behind the lads while they are there. If RvP leaves this summer perhaps all the fans who buggered off early and left the players to walk around a 3/4 empty stadium will be the reason. After the way the lads have reacted to adversity this season they deserved better. Damn it, Robin has been voted double footballer of the year, he deserved better.
But Emerson and I stayed to gave Robin a special clap as he walked past us with his children in tow. There is no doubt the guy loves this club but I couldn't help feeling this was his last goodbye. I really hope I am wrong but I fear this could have been his last match at The Emirates.
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| The last goodbye?? |
We arrived back in Peterborough at 16.52 and I was really not looking forward to the two hour drive home now, but it was livened up by hearing Liverpool lose the FA Cup final on the radio. I could picture the Chelsea fans we saw on the train celebrating and I almost felt happy for them, even though it was only the lesser of two evils really. Emerson was slightly more philosophical, saying he was pleased Liverpool lost as they had already won the Carling Cup and it was good for someone else to win something! One day, I promised him, it would be us celebrating. Next year perhaps??
We finally got back to Darlington at 19.30, disappointed with the result but happy with what had been a good day out. I have not seen many more exciting 45 minutes of football than the second half, and if we had held on to win 3-2 it would have been perfect.
However, as it turned out Spurs only drew with Villa and Newcastle lost to Man. City so third place is still in our hands. Win at WBA this Sunday and we will do it. Sounds easy eh?
I am now on the look out for two tickets so Emerson and I can be there to witness all the drama. Not quite a title decider maybe, but with the prize on offer a guaranteed Champions League place, it is about as big as it gets for us.
Plus, of course, it would also be St. Totteringham's Day. Now that really would be something to celebrate...
Thursday, 12 April 2012
Hi-Ho Wolverhampton!! A night in the Black Country
Traffic chaos, motorway tolls and a gap that needs minding.
Wolves 0 Arsenal 3
With Emerson off school for Easter, I decided to treat him to this midweek trip to Wolves. He cannot usually go to midweek games as he would never get up for school in the morning, so this was a rare opportunity and he was really looking forward to it.
We set off from Darlington at 3.30pm which meant we should have arrived in Wolverhampton by half past 6. But that was not taking into account an accident which had closed the M1 Southbound at Nottingham, which we did not find out about until we were approaching Leeds.
The closure was not until Junction 26 and we were turning off at Junction 28, but the traffic jams started just after Junction 29. That, however, was only the start of the problems. When we finally reached Junction 28, for the A38 , everyone had decided to turn off there as well so we crawled all the way to Derby.
By now our ETA had been put back to 7.16pm as we still had over 60 miles to go, and suddenly getting there in time for kick off was looking in doubt. Thankfully the traffic finally started to ease around the Burton area and we back on the road.
The next problem was the M6 Toll. Having not used it before, Emerson and I were trying to guess how much it would cost. He went for £1.50, although I'm not sure which decade he was thinking of. I thought it would be somewhere in the region of £3.00 so you can imagine our surprise when we saw a sign that said £5.50! Unbelievable! So, after paying over-the-top prices for fuel and road tax, we now had to pay another £5.50 to use a stretch of motorway.
Unsurprisingly it was empty. Having been struck on the old M6 around Birmingham many times in the past it was relief to have a clear run, especially as time was now against us, but five-pound-bloody-fifty??
Anyway, we finally arrived in Wolverhampton just after 7 o'clock and found a nice little estate to park the car, about a 10 minute walk from the ground. Having used the money I had set aside for parking on the toll, I now had little option other than to take my chances parking in a side street, but it seemed many Wolves fans were doing the same so I guessed it would safe.
I had not been to Molineux since the late 1990's and it has changed a little since then. The new stand, which is being build behind the goal at the North end of the stadium, will improve the overall look of a ground, which is decent enough by modern standards anyway.
We had to meet my mate Dan to collect the tickets outside the away entrance and Emerson was now getting very excited. He loves to get in the ground early to sample the atmosphere so we picked up the tickets and went straight in.
We were in the Steve Bull Stand, lower tier, situated opposite the Main Stand, facing the tunnel. Our seats were in the back row but virtually right on the halfway line which led to a great view.
It was 7.40pm now and the teams were about to come out. Emerson likes to play a score prediction game around this time and asked me what I thought the score would be.
''4-2,'' I replied, trying to remain positive.
''Well I'm going for 4-1,'' he said confidently. ''Wolves are bottom so we should thrash them.''
Oh the naivety of youth...does he not remember QPR?
Emerson had heard about the Sylvan Ebanks-Blake song the Wolves fan sing when he scores, so he was hoping the 1 would be from him. However, he was disappointed to hear the Wolves striker would only be on the bench.
The match kicked off and was basically all over inside ten minutes. Theo was brought down in the area by 5pur2 loanee Bassong, who was shown a red card, and Robin cheekily chipped home the penalty to equal a Premier League record of scoring against 17 different sides in one season. It would of been 18 too had he his goalbound header against City on Sunday not been cleared by Vermaelen.
Less than a minute later it was 2-0. Theo played a 1-2 with Robin before slotting home his 11th goal of the season. Yes, that's 11 goals he has scored this season, on top of the 13 he got last season. And to think many people say he has no end product...
Emerson was overjoyed as he had already seen his two favourite players score and we hadn't played more than 12 minutes. This, he said, could end up 10-0!
But we started to feel a bit sorry for them after that and took our foot off the gas, deciding, instead, to just keep the ball. The crowd behind the goal began booing Theo for his part in the sending off and it did seem to affect his game. After looking so dangerous in the early exchanges, he now appeared a little tentative and began making mistakes. Shame.
Despite that the Wolves fans did at least show some humour.
''How shit must you be, you've only scored 2,'' they sang.
I guess when you are in their situation you have to laugh.
Half time saw a penalty shoot-out between kids representing both clubs. Of course Emerson wanted the Arsenal kids to win but it was fixed so Wolves won 6-5. They even allowed a penalty to stand that had clearly been saved by the Wolves mascot who was in goal, but hey, even Emerson did not begrudge them a rare victory.
I was hoping we would really go for it in the second half and boost our goal difference, but we still appeared to be stuck in second gear. However, we could still have scored five or six as Ramsey missed two sitters, while Robin somehow fired wide from close range after good work from Ramsey down the right. Emerson could not believe he had missed.
''Perhaps he just did not want to score,'' he said.
But we did get a third twenty minutes from time, and it was good to see Yossi get it with an instant shot on the turn from 18 yards. The Israeli had another great game and I would love to see him sign on a permanent basis in the summer. It also gave Emerson the chance to sing the Yossi Benayoun song, which is one of his favourites, and more than made up for the non-appearance of Ebanks-Blake.
Fair play to Wolves, they did not let their heads go down and Chesney was forced into two outstanding stops to deny Doyle and Fletcher, but this was as comfortable a victory as we have had all season.
With about five minute to go the travelling Gooners started singing 'Tottenham, Tottenham mind the gap' and Emerson loved it. He started jumping up and down, waving his arms about singing it and didn't stop until we had got back to the car. He had found a new favourite song and wanted everyone to know about it.
I would like to take this opportunity to give praise to a player I have been critical of many times in the past. Although not put under an enormous amount of pressure, Johan Djourou had a very tidy game. He won most things in the air and had a calmness about him all night. Perhaps I was too quick to criticise him in the past and I am prepared to hold my hands up and say I may have got it wrong. He has been playing out of position at right back, or alongside the error-strewn Squillaci, so I think it is was unfair to criticise him. Yes, this was only one game against ten men for 80 minutes, but he looked solid and assured, so well done to him.
Another who has frustrated is Aaron Ramsey. He had another one of those games where he looks like he has bags of ability but seems unable to utilise it. He hangs on to the ball too long, runs around in circles a lot, and when presented with an opportunity to score, he fails to convert. At times he plays as the most forward of the midfielders but does not seem suited to that role at all. Rosicky, who has been playing there recently, does it so much better, as does Jack when he's fit.
On a brighter note, has there been a better central midfield partnership than Song and Arteta this season? The Spaniard has been the buy of the season and has brought another dimension to Song's game. The two were outstanding again here and makes the future look very bright indeed.
Anyway, after a stop off at Mcdonalds to allow the traffic time to clear, we set off on what would be another journey from hell. I decided I did not want to pay another £5.50 on the toll so we went up the old M6, only be told we could not enter the M62 as it was closed. Great! So we had to go the long way around, via the M54, before the long trek through the roadworks over the Pennines.
The journey was brightened up by a good old sing-song, with Emerson giving his rendiditon of the 'Mind the Gap' song about 50 times, before we switched on the CD and sang along to 'Crazy, Crazy Nights' all the way up the A1(M). Emerson just loves that song and it pretty much summed up the events of our trip. A crazy night indeed.
So, despite the travel problems it was a great night all in all. The win lifts us five points clear of 5pur2 with five to play and brings St. Totteringham's Day ever closer. Plus, I got home in time to see the goals again on Sky Sports News. The red card did seem a little harsh but it was only Bassong so who cares? Mind the gap...
Wolves 0 Arsenal 3
With Emerson off school for Easter, I decided to treat him to this midweek trip to Wolves. He cannot usually go to midweek games as he would never get up for school in the morning, so this was a rare opportunity and he was really looking forward to it.
We set off from Darlington at 3.30pm which meant we should have arrived in Wolverhampton by half past 6. But that was not taking into account an accident which had closed the M1 Southbound at Nottingham, which we did not find out about until we were approaching Leeds.
The closure was not until Junction 26 and we were turning off at Junction 28, but the traffic jams started just after Junction 29. That, however, was only the start of the problems. When we finally reached Junction 28, for the A38 , everyone had decided to turn off there as well so we crawled all the way to Derby.
By now our ETA had been put back to 7.16pm as we still had over 60 miles to go, and suddenly getting there in time for kick off was looking in doubt. Thankfully the traffic finally started to ease around the Burton area and we back on the road.
The next problem was the M6 Toll. Having not used it before, Emerson and I were trying to guess how much it would cost. He went for £1.50, although I'm not sure which decade he was thinking of. I thought it would be somewhere in the region of £3.00 so you can imagine our surprise when we saw a sign that said £5.50! Unbelievable! So, after paying over-the-top prices for fuel and road tax, we now had to pay another £5.50 to use a stretch of motorway.
Unsurprisingly it was empty. Having been struck on the old M6 around Birmingham many times in the past it was relief to have a clear run, especially as time was now against us, but five-pound-bloody-fifty??
Anyway, we finally arrived in Wolverhampton just after 7 o'clock and found a nice little estate to park the car, about a 10 minute walk from the ground. Having used the money I had set aside for parking on the toll, I now had little option other than to take my chances parking in a side street, but it seemed many Wolves fans were doing the same so I guessed it would safe.
I had not been to Molineux since the late 1990's and it has changed a little since then. The new stand, which is being build behind the goal at the North end of the stadium, will improve the overall look of a ground, which is decent enough by modern standards anyway.
We had to meet my mate Dan to collect the tickets outside the away entrance and Emerson was now getting very excited. He loves to get in the ground early to sample the atmosphere so we picked up the tickets and went straight in.
We were in the Steve Bull Stand, lower tier, situated opposite the Main Stand, facing the tunnel. Our seats were in the back row but virtually right on the halfway line which led to a great view.
 |
| View for our seats |
''4-2,'' I replied, trying to remain positive.
''Well I'm going for 4-1,'' he said confidently. ''Wolves are bottom so we should thrash them.''
Oh the naivety of youth...does he not remember QPR?
Emerson had heard about the Sylvan Ebanks-Blake song the Wolves fan sing when he scores, so he was hoping the 1 would be from him. However, he was disappointed to hear the Wolves striker would only be on the bench.
The match kicked off and was basically all over inside ten minutes. Theo was brought down in the area by 5pur2 loanee Bassong, who was shown a red card, and Robin cheekily chipped home the penalty to equal a Premier League record of scoring against 17 different sides in one season. It would of been 18 too had he his goalbound header against City on Sunday not been cleared by Vermaelen.
Less than a minute later it was 2-0. Theo played a 1-2 with Robin before slotting home his 11th goal of the season. Yes, that's 11 goals he has scored this season, on top of the 13 he got last season. And to think many people say he has no end product...
Emerson was overjoyed as he had already seen his two favourite players score and we hadn't played more than 12 minutes. This, he said, could end up 10-0!
 |
| Emerson celebrating going 2-0 up |
Despite that the Wolves fans did at least show some humour.
''How shit must you be, you've only scored 2,'' they sang.
I guess when you are in their situation you have to laugh.
Half time saw a penalty shoot-out between kids representing both clubs. Of course Emerson wanted the Arsenal kids to win but it was fixed so Wolves won 6-5. They even allowed a penalty to stand that had clearly been saved by the Wolves mascot who was in goal, but hey, even Emerson did not begrudge them a rare victory.
I was hoping we would really go for it in the second half and boost our goal difference, but we still appeared to be stuck in second gear. However, we could still have scored five or six as Ramsey missed two sitters, while Robin somehow fired wide from close range after good work from Ramsey down the right. Emerson could not believe he had missed.
''Perhaps he just did not want to score,'' he said.
 |
| The legend that is Theo Walcott in action |
Fair play to Wolves, they did not let their heads go down and Chesney was forced into two outstanding stops to deny Doyle and Fletcher, but this was as comfortable a victory as we have had all season.
With about five minute to go the travelling Gooners started singing 'Tottenham, Tottenham mind the gap' and Emerson loved it. He started jumping up and down, waving his arms about singing it and didn't stop until we had got back to the car. He had found a new favourite song and wanted everyone to know about it.
 |
| Another away win |
Another who has frustrated is Aaron Ramsey. He had another one of those games where he looks like he has bags of ability but seems unable to utilise it. He hangs on to the ball too long, runs around in circles a lot, and when presented with an opportunity to score, he fails to convert. At times he plays as the most forward of the midfielders but does not seem suited to that role at all. Rosicky, who has been playing there recently, does it so much better, as does Jack when he's fit.
On a brighter note, has there been a better central midfield partnership than Song and Arteta this season? The Spaniard has been the buy of the season and has brought another dimension to Song's game. The two were outstanding again here and makes the future look very bright indeed.
 |
| Emerson showing his appreciation for a job well done. |
The journey was brightened up by a good old sing-song, with Emerson giving his rendiditon of the 'Mind the Gap' song about 50 times, before we switched on the CD and sang along to 'Crazy, Crazy Nights' all the way up the A1(M). Emerson just loves that song and it pretty much summed up the events of our trip. A crazy night indeed.
So, despite the travel problems it was a great night all in all. The win lifts us five points clear of 5pur2 with five to play and brings St. Totteringham's Day ever closer. Plus, I got home in time to see the goals again on Sky Sports News. The red card did seem a little harsh but it was only Bassong so who cares? Mind the gap...
Friday, 6 April 2012
Sexism in football, the truth!
Sexism in football? Really? Well, according to Gabby Logan there is, although she seemed to produce very little actual evidence to back it up in her TV documentary this week.
It appears that there are plenty of woman making a very good living in football, many in the media and business sectors of the game, not something that screams 'sexism' to me.
Apparently some have been confronted with a few 'industrial' comments, so to speak. In other words, banter. One such woman even said she wanted to looked on as 'one of the lads,' yet took offence when the banter was directed at her. Strange.
But this so-called sexist industry has woman on the board of directors at clubs, women running media departments and women even running the line in the Premier League. Yes Gabby, sexism is rife alright.
She opened the programme with the line 'football is a man's world' and then went on to explain the lack of opportunities for women. For a man's world I would say women have been made very welcome indeed.
The fact is most working women do not want to be involved in football at the top level, therefore of course most of the top jobs go to men. If 99 out every 100 people who apply for these positions are male, which does appear to be the case, then of course there is a massive probability a man will get the job. That's not sexism love, it's just the law of averages.
But the bigger issue, for me, is that women like Karen Brady and Gabby Logan appear to be using the men's game to advance their own careers. There is, after all, a thriving women's game that needs powerful women to take it on. However, as there is not enough exposure or money to be made from it, these powerful women prefer, instead, to latch onto the men's game.
I covered a women's match for the press a while ago and there was not one woman in the press box. In fact, apart from the players and coaches, I did not see a single women at the game in any official capacity whatsoever. Yet cover any men's match and you will find women everywhere. Surely that balance is wrong? Men are having to do these jobs in the women's game because the women are far too interested in getting involved in the men's game. Why?
Sian Massey has done very well running the line in the Premier League, but she should be reffing in the women's game, a game that is crying out for some good women officials. But she has been brought into the men's game instead, almost as an anti-sexism statement.
Jackie Oakley is another example. She became the first female commentator on MOTD last year, presumably because no one could come up with a good reason for her not to do it. Unfortunately it merely showed that a woman's voice is not suited to commentating on the men's game, and it has not been repeated.
I have heard her commentate on women's matches, though, and her style is far more suited to that. In fact I would rather hear a woman commentating on those matches than Barry Davies, who seems to get the gig rather too often for my liking.
So, there you have it. There does not appear to be any evidence that sexism actually exists in football. Yes, comments are made to women in the game sometimes, and Brady was complaining about being called a 'slut' by fans. Surely that is no different to Mike Ashley being called a 'wanker' is it? Not nice, agreed, but hardly a major problem. And if you can't take the banter...
You see that is the thing that really irritates me. Women want to be part of this 'man's world' yet are the first to complain when we act like men! So now we have to change the way we have always behaved to fit in around them.
Surely if they want to be a part of it they should fit in with us, not the other way around? Take the banter, take the knocks like the rest of us. Be 'one of the lads.'
Funny how woman are quite happy to use their gender to get them what they want, yet are quick to pull out the sexism card when they feel it is used against them.
So Gabby, instead of looking for an issue that does not exist, just be thankful you have a job in the game you profess to love, even though you only got it in the first place thanks to your father and your good looks!! Now, who said sexist does not exist in football??
It appears that there are plenty of woman making a very good living in football, many in the media and business sectors of the game, not something that screams 'sexism' to me.
Apparently some have been confronted with a few 'industrial' comments, so to speak. In other words, banter. One such woman even said she wanted to looked on as 'one of the lads,' yet took offence when the banter was directed at her. Strange.
But this so-called sexist industry has woman on the board of directors at clubs, women running media departments and women even running the line in the Premier League. Yes Gabby, sexism is rife alright.
She opened the programme with the line 'football is a man's world' and then went on to explain the lack of opportunities for women. For a man's world I would say women have been made very welcome indeed.
The fact is most working women do not want to be involved in football at the top level, therefore of course most of the top jobs go to men. If 99 out every 100 people who apply for these positions are male, which does appear to be the case, then of course there is a massive probability a man will get the job. That's not sexism love, it's just the law of averages.
But the bigger issue, for me, is that women like Karen Brady and Gabby Logan appear to be using the men's game to advance their own careers. There is, after all, a thriving women's game that needs powerful women to take it on. However, as there is not enough exposure or money to be made from it, these powerful women prefer, instead, to latch onto the men's game.
I covered a women's match for the press a while ago and there was not one woman in the press box. In fact, apart from the players and coaches, I did not see a single women at the game in any official capacity whatsoever. Yet cover any men's match and you will find women everywhere. Surely that balance is wrong? Men are having to do these jobs in the women's game because the women are far too interested in getting involved in the men's game. Why?
Sian Massey has done very well running the line in the Premier League, but she should be reffing in the women's game, a game that is crying out for some good women officials. But she has been brought into the men's game instead, almost as an anti-sexism statement.
Jackie Oakley is another example. She became the first female commentator on MOTD last year, presumably because no one could come up with a good reason for her not to do it. Unfortunately it merely showed that a woman's voice is not suited to commentating on the men's game, and it has not been repeated.
I have heard her commentate on women's matches, though, and her style is far more suited to that. In fact I would rather hear a woman commentating on those matches than Barry Davies, who seems to get the gig rather too often for my liking.
So, there you have it. There does not appear to be any evidence that sexism actually exists in football. Yes, comments are made to women in the game sometimes, and Brady was complaining about being called a 'slut' by fans. Surely that is no different to Mike Ashley being called a 'wanker' is it? Not nice, agreed, but hardly a major problem. And if you can't take the banter...
You see that is the thing that really irritates me. Women want to be part of this 'man's world' yet are the first to complain when we act like men! So now we have to change the way we have always behaved to fit in around them.
Surely if they want to be a part of it they should fit in with us, not the other way around? Take the banter, take the knocks like the rest of us. Be 'one of the lads.'
Funny how woman are quite happy to use their gender to get them what they want, yet are quick to pull out the sexism card when they feel it is used against them.
So Gabby, instead of looking for an issue that does not exist, just be thankful you have a job in the game you profess to love, even though you only got it in the first place thanks to your father and your good looks!! Now, who said sexist does not exist in football??
Monday, 2 April 2012
A valiant effort from the Daggers keeps their survival hopes alive
Port Vale 0 Dagenham & Redbridge 1
by Ricky Butler at Vale Park
The Daggers recent revival continued as a second half header from Mickey Spillane gave John Still's side a very important three points at Vale Park on Saturday.
But it was only a superb late penalty save from goalkeeper Chris Lewington to deny Vale's top scorer Marc Richards that ensured the East-Londoners left Staffordshire with the victory that lifts them up to 19th place in the table.
"Chris is a young goalkeeper who has made mistakes, but we are not over-critical,'' said Still.
''We are a club who work with our players and help them to improve. He is improving and he's done very well to save the penalty, which has made sure we are going home with another very important victory.
"This is a tough place to come and Vale are in a false position after they had points deducted for going into administration. I'm absolutely delighted with the result.
"I felt we set up right because Chris hasn't had a lot to do until the penalty. He saved a couple of long-range shots early on, but we looked comfortable after that."
In a first half of very few chances, Vale threatened through the dangerous Richards and Louis Dodds early on, but it was Still's men who should have been in front at the break.
Medy Elito, who struck two vital goals in the recent win over Macclesfield, beat Vale keeper Stuart Tomlinson from 20 yards but his 44th minute effort came back off the inside of the left hand post and rebounded to safety.
After weathering some early Vale pressure at the start of the second half, the Daggers began to look more dangerous and they grabbed a fully deserved 65th minute lead.
Damien McCrory whipped in an inviting free kick from the right and Spillane arrived to send a powerful header beyond Tomlinson from six yards, sending the 114 away fans behind the goal into ecstasy.
The former Brentford man arrived at the club before Christmas as a defender but it has been his goals from midfield in recent weeks that have proved crucial for the Daggers survival hopes.
Vale, who went into administration last month, fought hard to get back on level terms in the closing stages but they ran into a resolute Daggers back-line, superbly marshalled by skipper Mark Arber.
However, with just eight minutes left on the clock referee Lee Collins spotted a push by Daggers substitute Charlie Wassmer on Josh Pope inside the area and awarded the hosts a rather generous penalty.
The Daggers npower League Two future was now very much in the balance but Lewington, who's late mistake cost his side two vital points at Barnet 10 days earlier, was the hero this time - diving to his left to keep out Richards' kick before then blocking the follow-up from Sean Rigg.
The danger was not over as Arber was forced to hack the ball clear in the ensuing scramble but the Daggers held on to extend their unbeaten run to four matches.
"I thought the win was deserved and if we keep putting in this level of performance then we should be fine,'' said Still.
"I'm very happy for everyone involved with the club because 10 points out of 12 is a great return at this stage of the season."
The Daggers now host fellow-strugglers Burton Albion on Good Friday looking for the win that could see them move eight points clear of the drop zone with just seven matches to play - an incredible turn around after looking doomed less than three weeks ago.
Attendance; 4,127(114 away)
by Ricky Butler at Vale Park
The Daggers recent revival continued as a second half header from Mickey Spillane gave John Still's side a very important three points at Vale Park on Saturday.
But it was only a superb late penalty save from goalkeeper Chris Lewington to deny Vale's top scorer Marc Richards that ensured the East-Londoners left Staffordshire with the victory that lifts them up to 19th place in the table.
"Chris is a young goalkeeper who has made mistakes, but we are not over-critical,'' said Still.
''We are a club who work with our players and help them to improve. He is improving and he's done very well to save the penalty, which has made sure we are going home with another very important victory.
"This is a tough place to come and Vale are in a false position after they had points deducted for going into administration. I'm absolutely delighted with the result.
"I felt we set up right because Chris hasn't had a lot to do until the penalty. He saved a couple of long-range shots early on, but we looked comfortable after that."
In a first half of very few chances, Vale threatened through the dangerous Richards and Louis Dodds early on, but it was Still's men who should have been in front at the break.
Medy Elito, who struck two vital goals in the recent win over Macclesfield, beat Vale keeper Stuart Tomlinson from 20 yards but his 44th minute effort came back off the inside of the left hand post and rebounded to safety.
After weathering some early Vale pressure at the start of the second half, the Daggers began to look more dangerous and they grabbed a fully deserved 65th minute lead.
Damien McCrory whipped in an inviting free kick from the right and Spillane arrived to send a powerful header beyond Tomlinson from six yards, sending the 114 away fans behind the goal into ecstasy.
The former Brentford man arrived at the club before Christmas as a defender but it has been his goals from midfield in recent weeks that have proved crucial for the Daggers survival hopes.
Vale, who went into administration last month, fought hard to get back on level terms in the closing stages but they ran into a resolute Daggers back-line, superbly marshalled by skipper Mark Arber.
However, with just eight minutes left on the clock referee Lee Collins spotted a push by Daggers substitute Charlie Wassmer on Josh Pope inside the area and awarded the hosts a rather generous penalty.
The Daggers npower League Two future was now very much in the balance but Lewington, who's late mistake cost his side two vital points at Barnet 10 days earlier, was the hero this time - diving to his left to keep out Richards' kick before then blocking the follow-up from Sean Rigg.
The danger was not over as Arber was forced to hack the ball clear in the ensuing scramble but the Daggers held on to extend their unbeaten run to four matches.
"I thought the win was deserved and if we keep putting in this level of performance then we should be fine,'' said Still.
"I'm very happy for everyone involved with the club because 10 points out of 12 is a great return at this stage of the season."
The Daggers now host fellow-strugglers Burton Albion on Good Friday looking for the win that could see them move eight points clear of the drop zone with just seven matches to play - an incredible turn around after looking doomed less than three weeks ago.
Attendance; 4,127(114 away)
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