Site note: I work Saturdays at the moment so coverage of Saturday games is bound to be pretty rubbish. I'm trying to improve coverage the rest of the time...



Email: mail@goodplaya.com

020406

Henry's Arsenal very special on my final Highbury visit

What a sad and yet brilliant day. Over 16 years since my first Highbury visit, yesterday was quite probably my last and one of the best. We started as we did back in October 1989 - lunch at the Chip Inn on Holloway Road. Then it was along Drayton Park and for one final time we hooked right up Martineau Road and then down Highbury Hill, where I sensed there were other ticket reg members soaking it in - knowing they were probably there for the very last time. The photo is taken from the far right hand side of the North Bank, looking towards the new stadium. The sun was reflecting the East stand straight onto the side glass panel and I shot straight through it - creating the surreal image of the old stadium imposed onto the new. See the end of the post for a bigger version.

Anyway, instead of turning off for the family enclosure on the West Lower as we once did, it was round to the North lower.  Then the afternoon started with a very moving minute of applause for David Rocastle, who died five years ago on Friday. It was a fine gesture – the clapping was sustained and the singing of his name swept right the way round Highbury, creating a lively atmosphere at kick-off. Minutes earlier Michael Thomas had been introduced to the crowd - a nice touch.

We started fairly slowly, predictably hungover from Wednesday. Villa looked fairly comfortable and Phillips may have scored. After the game David O’Leary said an early Villa goal could have changed the result. Maybe, but they got one last year and it didn’t stop us from hammering them. Worryingly, Cesc went off, replaced by Diaby.

We hadn’t created much when Sorensen beat Henry to a long ball from Eboue. But the captain hooked it immediately back towards goal, where Hughes headed off the only for the impressive Adebayor to nod it in off the bar and a defender’s back. If ever there was an illustration of why we bought him then this was it. Who else would have scored that header?

The second was a peach. Perhaps Villa could have got closer to Henry from Reyes’ long ball. But his instant control to bring it down and lob Sorensen was breathtaking. And yet by his standards it was nothing <i>that</i> special. We then took our foot off the pedal until half time and with the sun shining over the west stand and into the eyes of those in the east, Highbury had that slow, lazy spring afternoon feel to it that has moulded it’s character over the years.

At half time, it was hard not to think that we were in for a second half played at walking pace as the players understandably conserved their energy ahead of Wednesday. But within a minute of the restart that notion was banished. Adebayor brought down a long ball with a fabulous flick to Henry. He measured himself before curling an absolute peach beyond Sorensen from 20 yards.

The replay showed even he smiled as he celebrated. It was a great moment that left that left the North Bank in raptures and even in the Villa fans applauding. And they were again when after 64 minutes Van Persie replaced the captain. The thought that Henry may only have a handful of games left in an Arsenal shirt should pain not just Arsenal fans - but the whole of English football.

By now we were playing some wonderful stuff and Van Persie twisted, turned and jinked his way to a fabulous fourth from a narrow ankle following Pires through ball. Eboue was replaced by Djorou - again worrying. Then Adebayor played in the equally impressive Diaby for a fifth.

This was a brilliant performance. The kind we take for granted from Arsenal and the kind we never expect from any other team. The fans were loving it - basking in the glow of the spring sun and a wonderful performance.

And then the whistle went and my days of watching football at Highbury were (very likely) over. As the ground emptied I spent a few final moments taking one last look. And I suppose the reason I'm having to do so is because of performances like the one we had just given. Sure, titles and cups bring in more fans and the need for more seats.

But more than that, Arsene Wenger's team plays football so beautifully that a trip to watch them offers so much more than the excitement of win, lose or draw. That (and a bit of jealousy) is why the fans were singing "Have you ever seen Chelsea play like this?" And that is why as long as we remain true to Arsene's football, filling Ashburton Grove should not be dependent on Champions League football, much as we'd all love it.



...

---

010406

Villa today the start of eight crucial days

I thought about starting this morning’s blog with an April Fool, but this is no day for fooling around as it marks the first of three very big games in eight days.

Victory at home to Villa this afternoon is simply crucial. Failure to do so and we could find ourselves eight points behind Spurs by 5pm. But win, and the gap could narrow – Bolton play United, Spurs go to Newcastle and Blackburn and Wigan don’t meet until Monday night.

Given the precarious nature of our league position, should we fail to win today you worry it could follow us into Wednesday night. And with us not playing until 4pm on Sunday next weekend, the likes of Spurs could have further stretched their lead ahead before we even step out at… Old Trafford.

This is what makes it such an important week: by the end of it we could be Champions League semi-finalists and well placed in the race for fourth or we could be out of both. (Or we could have one but not the other). A small bit of me worries that we’ve been built up so high this week that to topple now would be an almighty fall. Certainly, it wouldn’t do our chances of keeping Thierry Henry much good.

I’m off to Highbury today for what, at the moment, looks like being my last visit to the ground. The first was on 14 October 1989 when we beat Manchester City 4-0. Today we will also remember the late David Rocastle, my boyhood hero, who played on that autumn day nearly 16 and a half years ago. So too did David O’Leary. Here’s hoping for a similar result against his lot this afternoon.

...

---

290306

Still in shock over Robert "cruncher" Pires

No proper update today I'm afraid, I'm still in utter shock over that tackle from Robert 'cruncher' Pires. Whoever is responsible for making those cult football t-shirts, if you produce a silhouette of that tackle under the headline "I saw Pires tackle", I promise to buy the t-shirt.

The moment really is deserving of being slowed down to about 1/40th of it's normal speed and having David Attenborough narate over the top of it. You can just see it: "This is the first time cameras have ever witnessed the Robert Pires tackling in the wild. It is truly one of nature's rarest events."

In fact, the tackle is even more shocking than the absurdly over the top coverage Cesc is getting. We know he's great, but the family album on page 3 of the Evening Standard? A plug on the front of the Sun (which is truly remarkable for a non England player so close to the World Cup)? Are you sure?

Of course, a few factors have combined to produce all this Cescsation stuff: We're the only English club left in Europe and so we're getting enormous coverage anyway, the Cesc Vieira reality exceeded even the greatest hype, the photographers got some awesome shots of him celebrating his goal and helping Vieira to his feet and finally, it's fair to say that the Spaniard's features are slightly fairer on the camera than the likes of Senderos or Hleb.

The praise is well deserved - but the reality is that on another week where there was something else of interest happening in football it would have been less mad. Either way, you hope with some optimism he won't let it get to his head or change him. This all really is quite exciting.

...

---

290306

Hey Bobby, what's the French for sliding tackle? Report + player ratings

Ouch. Football can be a cruel game. For five years Patrick Vieira hoovered up every shirked tackle and uncontested loose ball that the not very tough Robert Pires left in his wake. And then when Vieira returns to Arsenal, ostensibly to remind us of our midfield fragility without him, he suffers the indignity of not only falling victim to the rarest of Pires sliding tackles, but he also sees it cost his side the goal.

And of course it just had to be Cesc Fabregas who burst into the box, kept his cool and punished Paddy’s mistake. You could hardly have written the script.

We had looked nervy at times early on. But perhaps it was the fans rather than the players who were feeling the tension as, after all, Juve did not manage to create a single chance. We weathered an early storm at the start of the second half and then came out fighting like a resurgent boxer.

The second goal - Hleb to Cesc to Henry to net - was a true Arsenal peach and probably pleased nobody more than Henry. For the pass from Fabregas that set him up was vindication of his belief that far too many players are tempted by the shot when the pass is the more profitable option. Henry must have loved to receive that pass.

Throughout all this Vieira tried to do his thing, but largely failed. We as fans played it well - singing his name at the beginning but forgetting the niceties once it got going. If I’m honest, I was glad he got booked (he misses the second leg) but relieved he was not sent-off. It would have cast an inevitable shadow over our night in the sun. Their indiscipline at the end was simply shocking for such an experienced side.

A truly wonderful result coupled with some great performances. The defence and Senderos in particular were unbelievable. Cesc, obviously, too. Playa ratings to the right.

...

---

280306

Lengthy Arsenal v Juve preview: Vieira, Sol, superstition y el general Fabregas

Gooners, say a little prayer for me. Last night at about 10.30pm I got a phone call offering me a ticket for tonight in the North Upper for an eminently reasonable £50. Of course, I jumped at the chance. But it was not without a sense of trepidation.

And the trepidation was evident when I spoke to my brother a few minutes later and told him the news. “You lucky something or other” he called me. But I replied: “Yes, but don’t you remember the last time one of us paid £50 to sit in the North Bank for a Champions League game. You saw us lose 3-0 to Inter.” Normally, he would dismiss such paranoia by quite rightly calling me a twat. But this time he said: “Yes, that’s true.”

I confess that for a second I considered passing-up on the ticket for fear of invoking bad karma. But surely in this case the fear of such bad karma would evoke an even worse result? I hope it would. The bottom line is that I am planning to go and whatever the karma, tonight is clearly a double scarf night: the 2002 vintage that replaced the tiring 1989 original and the tired 1989 original itself, complete with tears and out of date logos. It’s second major outing in a month following the excitement of Madrid at Highbury.

After that self indulgent rant I’d probably better talk about the game. The reality is that while Juve can all but sew it up tonight, it is highly unlikely we could do the same. Discipline, maturity and patience are the key. Far better to guarantee a 0-0 than to go all out for 1-0 or 2-1. Times have changed. When we won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994 it was all about keeping it tight away from home (see Torino, PSG, Auxerre). But today the challenge is to keep it tight at home and sneak a goal away.

And what of Vieira? The way I see it we should give a round of applause at the beginning big enough that we get it completely out of our system. Then we go all out to make sure he finishes a loser. If that means getting over excited if he mistimes a tackle then so be it. If we stick to our game and all goes well then hopefully we'll be in the mood to give him another round of applause at the end.

Sol apparently is out after getting a kick in training, for what it matters. Irrespective of the truth, I think Wenger was right. Yes, Sol on top of his game would have been very useful. But it would have been a gargantuan risk to blood him with no first team practice. So in this case I think fate has saved the boss from a wrong decision. Though then again, what do I know.

What a night it will be. We need big, big performances from everyone. Vieira and Emerson against Gilberto and Fabregas, el general de Cataluña should be a fascinating tussle. I remember watching Vieira and Fabregas in central midfield when we disected Villa at Highbury 18 months ago. It was the final hurrah of the invincibles. And what a hurrah. Even Dennis looked like the wizard of old. But change is swift and the when Vieira and Cesc lock horns for their first loose ball, then it will be clear that while a part of Vieira will always be in Arsenal's heart, nowadays Fabregas is that heart.

Away from that, we still need the maturity to know that we’re not trying to win it tonight. What’s the rush? That should wait until next week. Come on you Gunners!

...

---

250306

Pompey will be a test, Sol and how to stop diving

Tomorrow will be our first trip outside London in a month and will provide a major test. Granted, we are heading south rather than north, but this will be the first time in a while when we will face the kind of home onslaught that has proved our undoing so often this season.

Wisely, I think, Arsene has decided not to bring back Sol yet. To do so the game before we play Juve and risk unsettling the defence would have been an unnecessary risk. That said when he does return I'll be happy to see him. For every bad moment such as the one against West Ham, there have probably been ten good ones, such as the 30 yard winner he struck in last season's corresponding fixture.

Elsewhere, Arsene reckons divers should be punished by imposing suspensions after games. This strikes me as one of the most logical and obvious things I have heard in a long time.

But why not go further? I would abolish the link between yellow/red cards and automatic suspensions. So, for example, a red card would not mean at least a one game ban and a yellow would not as a matter of course earn you disciplinary points. Instead, they would return to their sole original function - a red to eject a player from the match in progress and a yellow as a half way house to receiving a red.

Then, at the end of every game the referee would watch a video of the game, go through every incident (seen initially or unseen) and award suspensions and disciplinary points as appropriate. What would this mean?
1) The farce of appealing wrongful red and yellow cards would be got rid of instantly.
2) Bad tackles that are initially missed would be properly punished (irrespective of how many times SKY replay the incident).
3) Sly elbows would be easily got rid of.
4) Diving would become an almost pointless pursuit. What would be the point if it earned you an instant ban?
5) Players who surround and intimidate the referee can be punished according to what each has done.

Finally, Gooner Rob Marsden is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for Macmillan Cancer Relief. You can sponsor him here.

...

---

210306

Reserves: Sol looks sharp, Walcott looks electric + player ratings

I only saw the goals when our first team beat Charlton, so didn't bother updating. But I was at Underhill last night to see our second string beat their second string 2-0.

And it was interesting because Sol, Djourou, Diaby, Song, Walcott, Larsson and Van Persie all started. I suppose we'd better start with Sol, who played his first public game since the half time walkout. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but not only was he the first outfield playa to appear for the second half, but he also played well. Granted, the opposition consisted of nobodies, unknowns and unknown nobodies, but he still did well enough. Importantly, he looked trim. He was also talking a lot to the team (with the small crowd you could hear a lot of what he said, which was a strange experience). He also put in one thumping tackle on the edge of the Charlton area that Song picked up and gave to Bentdner who netted our second of the night.

So is Sol ready for first team action? A game like this can never tell you that much. But it can tell you if a playa is not ready. And tonight there was nothing to say that he wasn't ready. So now the decision lies with Arsene.

The other main attraction was Theo Walcott, who spent the first half hour out on the left wing and did precisely nothing, or maybe a bit less. Then he switched flanks with Seb Larsson he suddenly burst into life. To me the most apt description is to say that he looks like that really speedy little kid in the playground who, despite being about a foot shorter than everyone, is clearly better. His burst of pace really is electric and while he doesn't look like a weakling, as he broadens out he should become even stronger. He opened the scoring just after half time with a peach. Fed by Van Persie, Walcott burst into the box a la David Platt, jinked past his man and blasted the ball home. And it all happened in the blink of an eye.

Overall, we were deserved winners. Playa ratings to the right.

...

---

170306

All chill on the Henry front

I don't know for certain, but the reality is that the papers were probably not just ripping off their story straight from Barcablog. More likely, the sources at Barcelona did exist and the likelihood is that the same source gave the same story to the papers and to the blog. Certainly from what I've heard, the papers did not lift it straight from what was online. What has undertstandably sent many into a spin is that the blog (with it's slightly quirky grasp of English) had the story first. Had it been the other way round then there probably would have been no such issue.

However (and this is a big however), simply because people in high places at a Spanish club say something, it by no means makes it true. And simply because parts of the press report what the people in high places say as fact doesn't make it true either. The simple fact Patrick Vieira plays for Juventus and not Madrid tells us that much.

For what it is worth, I have heard Arsene Wenger is preparing for life after Thierry Henry and has set his sights on potential replacements. That comment alone could be construed and reported as Wenger being resigned to Henry leaving. And yet equally one can simply shrug one's shoulders and say that it tells us nothing we didn't already know. Henry acknowledged months ago that he could leave in the summer. And it is fairly blatant that were he to leave, not only would Barcelona be interested, but so too would Henry. After all, however much we may have slipped in the past 18 months, only Barca and their on field riches present a truly compelling case for Henry to leave Arsenal.

That Wenger should prepare for such an eventuality is hardly groundbreaking news. What would be groundbreaking news were if he was not preparing for it happening.

After all, it's not like this is the first time he has faced this situation. He all but tied up a deal to sign Michael Carrick in August 2004 when it looked very likely Vieira was off to Madrid. And yet he never gave up hope Vieira would stay. And when Vieira did decide to stay, Arsene pulled out of the Carrick deal. So just because we are looking at future kings does not mean the king is dead.

...

---

160306

World's most predictable Thierry Henry story appears

Blah, blah, blah, Thierry Henry has agreed to go say the reports coming out of Barcelona.

I'm going to give this story the as much space as it deserves, which is very little. All I will do, is to direct readers to the example of Patrick Vieira. Contrast how he did actually leave Arsenal for Juventus last summer to how he didn't actually leave Arsenal for Real Madrid the summer before. You'll see that Juve never had any need to indulge in the gamesmanship Madrid used in 2004 and Barca are using now. Why? Because they knew they genuinely had a deal for the playa sorted.

If we are to believe these claims are both a) substantial and b) anything new, then we are being asked to presume that it is the last couple of weeks that have made Henry's mind up to go. That would be the last couple of weeks in which we have knocked Real Madrid out of Europe and finally strung back to back league wins together.

I'm no fantasist. There is a very real chance he could go in the summer. But if he really had given Barcelona his word, then surely Laporta wouldn't be so stupid as to jeopardise his future relationship with the playa by landing him in the turd while he's still at Arsenal for no good reason. Perhaps the intention is to break the bond the fans enjoy with Henry. If so, then sorry Mr Laporta, but we Arsenal fans are already very familiar with these games.

Update: Posters on my comment board and Arseblogger are saying the Times piece was sourced from the very dodgy sounding Barcablog. If so, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. It was a story I had completely ignored when I first heard about it a couple of days ago because the source sounded so spurious. In fact I'd ignored it to the extent I had not even read it and thus did not know the Times piece was similar. As I said, oh dear.

Back in the real world, Charlton is a huge game on Saturday. Win it, and Spurs will go into their late kick-off at Birmingham below us. The last few weeks have been promising but the last thing we must talk about is a change in fortune or turning the corner. That has been our fatal mistake this season - comfort zones where the playas and fans think everything is sorted when in fact we have just papered over the cracks with one performance. Hopefully, the recent run is more than papering the cracks and certainly, it has offered more genuine hope than any other run this season. But we must maintain our standards and our commitment.

And we must hope that with Freddie out, Jose Reyes is fit to take his place on the left. Other than that, I'd leave the team how it was.

...

---

130306

Henry is the cheetah and Fabregas the sprightliest of the spring lambs

When Arsenal put on a show, it's the best show in town. And on possibly my final visit to Highbury, we got a well deserved and thoroughly heart warming win.

Henry's first was magnificent. He managed to beat the keeper via a brilliant slight of foot. After his initial touch, he suddenly pulled the ball back a little with another touch. It opened up an extra few inches and before Reina could adjust himself BANG, Henry had beaten him. Truly brilliant.

Henry the athlete is an extraordinary thing. His games don't consist of 90 minutes. Instead they are composed of small, irregular patches of incredible ferocity. He is like a cheetah - in both cases what they do is so intense that it can only happen in small tiny bursts.

And that is why Adebayor may suit Henry. As the captain fires up his engines, flitting in and out of the game, Adebayor never stops running, chasing and getting the ball. Not everything worked, but he played well and was unlucky to be subbed. Bringing on Dennis was a strange move - everyone round me thought it would make it harder for us to retain the ball up front and so it proved.

In midfield, Cesc was melt in your mouth good. The 18 year old outshone Alonso, Hamann and Gerrard, who he pressured into the mistake for the second goal. It's incredible that even when we've had nearly two seasons to get used to his talents, he still astonishes us with what he can do. Next to him Gilberto did reasonably well. His concentration has improved.

The loss to injury of Freddie was a big one. Pires (his replacement) simply won't defend and we can't afford it. It's scandalous how lazy he was. Hleb was excellent - returning to the very early season form that looked so promising and he's another tireless worker.

Eboue is so good Lauren had better watch out. He looks like a more natural right-back and offers a lot more going forward. A serious find. Which Kolo Toure is, of course, too. These are interesting times for Senderos. He has had a tough second year but continues to fight hard. The experience of the World Cup could do him a power of good. Flamini played very intelligently. He knows his limits and he sticks to them. Contrary to what Andy Gray said on SKY, Steven Gerrard's shot swerved like a boomerang. Jens may have done better, but it was a serious hit and an excellent header from Garcia.

For the record, I thought the definite foul in the run up to the equaliser was just part of a sequence Bennett refused to acknowledge. Then when he realised he was being ridiculous, he went over the top and dismissed Alonso too hastily.

Overall, a deserved victory and a performance from both sides that was just like two years ago.

...

---

120306

Liverpool today and the whole English thing

It's Liverpool today and it is simply vital we win. Liverpool are tough to beat but beat them we must. And personally, I would expect changes from Arsene in a bid to keep the squad feeling fresh. Expect at least two from Diaby, Adebayor, Dennis and Pires to come in.

There is a great article by Arseblog columnist Safety on Alan Pardew and Gordon Taylor's comments about our lack of Englishness.

But before you go off and read it, I want to ask a few questions myself: (and my piece is shorter).

When Johan Djourou and Kerrea Gilbert came into the side at the same time did you find any part of yourself cheering more for Gilbert because he was born in Hammersmith as opposed to the Ivory Coast? I didn't.

I knew very little about either of them but I rapidly liked both of them because a) they seemed good b) they had a good attitude.

That is not to say many fans don't genuinely end up falling for home grown playas. At Arsenal the likes of Adams, Rocastle, Merson, Parlour and Ashley Cole became big favourites.

But for me the affinity we have for Cole is more because we discovered he hated Spurs just like we do rather than him being English.

In the same way we are subconsciously drawn to newspaper articles about similar people to us (ie sex, age, job, looks) so we are drawn to playas we can associate with.

Take Cesc Fabregas. He is adored by fans. Perhaps it's only because he's just a great footballer. But perhaps it's also because he is fulfilling the teenage dream we all had.

And perhaps it is because in interviews last season he has talked of living in Barnet and taking the tube to the ground. And when he did, how many of us thought he'd be taking the Northern Line down to Kings Cross and then going up the short escalator to the Piccadilly Line like so many of us have before.

And when a few weeks ago he talked about taking his driving test, how many of us remembered being 18 and stalling along the same north London roads before our own tests?

We love Cesc. And yet he was born and bred in Catalonia and a large part of him will always be from there. And we loved all our various nationalities on Wednesday night because each and every one of them wore the shirt with the pride we would have had if we'd been on the pitch. And we could associate with that.

Maybe there is some truth that without an English spine teams lack the strength to grind out wins at Bolton, Blackburn etc. Certainly many have pointed to that being our downfall domestically this season.

And yet where were these voices when a largely foreign team took us to England's first unbeaten season in over 100 years? Nowhere.

All that English players can really claim to have is a stronger natural ability to scrape out those results. But in Lauren, Vieira, Gilberto, Henry, Pires, Freddie and others we had foreigners whose know how made that gap non-existant.

The rules coming in that will force us to have Englishmen in our European squads are farcical. Insist on home grown playas if you must but why reward Chelsea and United for having the cash to splash out on the likes of Lampard, Cole, Wright-Phillips, Rooney and Ferdinand. It makes no sense.

...

---

090306

Madrid only became rubbish once we beat them. Match report + playa ratings

What an incredible night. I'm starting to write this just minutes after getting home from Highbury and I'm absolutely shattered.

The action was simply breathtaking. The game was ridiculously end to end at times for such a precariously balanced tie. And the performance from our playas was just awesome.

People are still talking about Real Madrid being the perfect opponents for Arsenal. What a ridiculous attempt to belittle our achievement. Take a more defensive minded team and imagine they had kept two clean sheets against Real and hushed the Galaticos for 180 minutes. It would rightly be lauded as a tremendous triumph of organistation and discipline. But when we do it it's because the other side were poor. Yes, Ronaldo looks lke he's been single handedly keeping McDonalds in business. But the point is that this was a fantastic two legged victory against a side who nobody said were a soft touch when we drew them but only when we beat them.

Trying to remember everything that happened is almost impossible. It was not a night for keeping notes. Jens saved Ronaldo's header early on. Jose fired wide but Madrid had started well. Then Gilberto made an excellent tackle to save us. We got into the game a bit more and just before half time Jose hit the bar after great work by Henry. After half time the game became quite thrilling. Arsenal being Arsenal we had no intention of sitting back and defending our lead. And so it was end to end stuff for a while.

Raul hit the post with a wicked shot. Jens turned away the follow-up with an outstretched arm and a strong palm for an extraordinary save. We began to have the better of it. Henry had one effort brilliantly saved and pinged another wide. The game got into it's final minutes. Senderos shanked over the bar, Pires almost scored from his first half (for a moment I thought Jens had finally lost it and left his goal to join an Arsenal attack. Then I realised it was Casillas.) Robinho had an effort saved and Gooners howled for the final whistle in the first second leg close finish to a European tie since I had sat in the second row of the West stand way back when we beat Paris St Germain in April 1994. (Though Brondby was a bit hairy the following year.)

Then the whistle went. Sheer joy. Pandemonium. Hugs. Singing. Celebrations. Euphoria. But in among it all a steely determination I sensed from both fans and playas that this should not be the end but instead the beginning.

It was a fantastic, monumental night. Highbury, in the twighlight of it's life, was majestic. The east lower rose in outrage in unison at the slightest Real indiscretion. For one night only Matthieu Flamini could have been Nigel Winterburn. When the precocious Fabregas trotted over to take a corner late on, he urged the North Bank for more noise as if he hoped our decibels would compensate for his tiring legs. It was the most exciting, most thrilling 0-0 I have ever seen. Both sides went for attack, attack, attack and in the end the best team over 180 minutes won.

As I said, magnificent stuff. Playa ratings to the right.

...

---

080306

Arsenal v Madrid: Either way, a historical night

If we beat (or draw) with Real tonight it will be a brilliant victory, truly one of the great nights in the history of the old stadium. If we lose, by my reckoning it will be the last night full stop in the old stadium. So either way it will be a historical night. Let us just hope it's one filled with joy rather than one tinged with defeat and the realisation that a very long era has ended.

Whatever happens in the end, the beginning will be truly special. It may sound cringeworthy, but surely the excitement and anticipation that is currently sweeping through Arsenal fans around the world and will centre on the streets around Highbury later will have been rarely bettered. Certainly, for as long as we retain the upper hand, the excitement will be massive.

And that is where we face one of our major challenges. We have to be shit hot tonight. No taking our foot off the pedal. No thinking that we don't need to pressure them every time they get the ball. No thinking that responsibility doesn't start with the likes of Thierry Henry, Jose Reyes, Alex Hleb and Freddie Ljungberg. Real are brimming with players who need just the merest hint of an opening to conjur a stunning goal out of nothing. And of course a goal for Real can make things very tricky for us.

But on the bright side not as tricky as when we hosted Chelsea in the quarter final at Highbury two years ago. That year the fear of them adding to Lampard's equaliser seemed to paralyse us. This year we must remember that no matter how many away goals Real score, any kind of draw or win will send us through.

For such a big name, there is not a lot else to say. For me, it's a question of whether we can combine the best of both - good old fashioned English pressure when they have the ball and direct, penetrative running and counter attacks when we have it. If we can do those things and get the kind of individual performances we saw in Madrid, then Highbury should be optimistic about it's chances of seeing another night match. If we don't do those things, then Real will probably pick us off quite easily.

Finally, on a personal level, the good news is that I still appear to be going to the game. Here's hoping for a normal, regulation day at work. No excitement, no surprises. Please.

...

---

060306

From Fulham onto Madrid

As usual for a Saturday game, I saw only very brief highlights. They are highlights I won't recap as I figure if you wanted the details you'd have found them elswhere by now. Suffice to say, a good response. One thing it certainly doesn't mean is that we have turned the corner - we should know not to make that mistake by now. But if nothing else, a win gives us three points and means we aren't going into the Madrid game after a beating.

There have been some fair points made about us being the classic southern softies - in full flow on a spring day down by the Thames but easily beatable on a grim day up north. As I said, a fair point. But I think first goals are actually the most important thing. We have gone behind at Chelsea, Boro, Bolton, Newcastle, Everton, Liverpool, Blackburn and Spurs and at home to Chelsea, West Ham and Bolton and taken just two points and five goals from the games. (Now I check it, Fulham hit first in our 4-1 home victory too). On the flip side, there was the anomaly of the game at West Brom where we led and then lost but that is the sole example where we have scored first and not taken all three points.

My conclusion? Were the team told they were in a one goal winner takes it all contest, I'd expect them to beat almost every team in the Premiership - including the likes of Blackburn and Bolton away. But we seem to have become complacent and not clinical enough with the chances we do create (granted there aren't always dozens, but there are a few). What we seem to fail to realise is that getting one should really unlock the floodgates.

So what is there to say two days ahead of the big game? We SHOULD go into it with confidence. We won in Spain and got a good result on Saturday. But we mustn't be complacent. We wounded Madrid, but there is every chance that when they arrive at Highbury, Zidane's sparkle will be back, Eboue's certainty against Robinho gone, Beckham's crosses more vicious, Raul more evident and if he plays, Ronaldo less sluggish. These are all world class players who have got where they have got because they have a track record of turning it on in the big games.

Of course, to let-in an early goal would be heart breaking. But we must not let ourselves be overwhelmed by negativity. We beat them on merit last time and have to lose at Highbury on Wednesday night to go out. It promises to be a great occasion - I can't wait. And, of course, while abstractly speaking I'd love to be able to say I was there for the last GREAT night under the floodlights at Highbury, in reality that would mean us losing and not hosting a quarter-final tie. So, I'll happily settle for it being one of the last great Highbury nights.

...

---

040306

Same old pre-away game preview

Apologies for the lack of updates but really all there has been to mention is a few bits of news such as international debuts that have been widely reported elsewhere.

And ahead of Fulham today, it feels a bit like Groundhog Day. Another away day where if we play badly we will lose and if we play well, get a goal and take our chances we should be able to win. You can go into detailed tactical analysis if you like but I don't see the point. We know what we need to do. Anyway, me working on a saturday seems to have come at the same time as us being shit and therefore always playing in an untelevised game on a Saturday. So again, I won't get to see the game live. I only hope I'm more interested in the highlights than I was post Blackburn.

Just one more note on Fulham: In September 2004 we played poorly for 65 minutes at Fulham and won 3-0. Eighteen months later there's a decent chance we will again play badly for 65 minutes but this time lose 1-0. That day Freddie scored, we got an own goal and Reyes added a brilliantly taken third as part of his stunning start to the season. How times change.

There is also, of course, the whole Ashley Cole legal saga. I'm not going to say a lot on it, though I thought Arsene's comments yesterday about him not being a playa who is affected by these things when he gets on the pitch quite interesting. I'd argue that with hindsight, Cole's poor form last season (that was picked up by the blogs long before the papers) was the first sign of his impending contractual difficulties.

Finally, I am currently involved in a desparate, desparate battle. An email came round my department on Wednesday offering someone a corporate freebie for Arsenal v Madrid. "Is anyone interested?" it queried. This was where having an entirely female set of collegues was one serious bonus. So I got it. But then word got out to other departments and people far more senior than me have started circling like vultures. I'm fighting bravely.

On a side note, one funny thing about this corporate do is that apparently they also give us all scarves to wear for the match. Which is going to make me look like a plonker because not only will I be wearing that scarf, but also my standard one bought in 2002 that I wear for all matches I attend. And also there is the 1988 vintage that the 2002 one replaced. It is old and a bit tattered and hence was gracefully retired, but it is still ever present on the very big occasions. So I'll be the guy with three scarves.

...

---

270206

A non-update

I didn't see the game at Blackburn but from the very brief highlights I have seen, it looked like the same old story and not really worthy of a great deal of comment. It needs to be sorted. ...

---

250206

Time to get back to work at Blackburn

Just a very quick update this morning before I scuttle off for the fun that is working on a Saturday.

The dust is still settling post-Madrid and there seems to be a general consensus that to a lesser or greater extent Real's stand offish playing style suited us. I don't doubt there's some truth in that but equally it's wrong and spoil sportish to look at them as a typical Premiership side without the agression. As I said on Wednesday, they may not have the fight that Bolton do, but they have a hell of a lot Bolton don't have. That's why they are second in La Liga and apparently have some history in the Champions Leauge too.

So my point is not to let the doom merchants piss all over what I still regard as the greatest single tactical victory in Arsene's near decade long reign. If you're still not convinced and it all seemed a bit too easy, then that is exactly the point. When you comprehensively out-think a team it does seem easy!

No doubt we will come back to earth with a thud at Blackburn today. It will be interesting to see whose minds are still in the Bernebeu and whose minds are at Ewood, where we face the indignity (and I don't think that's too strong a word) of seeing Blackburn over-take us in the league if they win. And of course Blackburn includes David Bentley, who would no doubt (and quite legitimately) love to put one over us. That should be motivation enough. If there is anyone in a red (or yellow) shirt today who thinks victory in Madrid makes the league less important, they are sadly mistaken.

The reality is that our chances of winning the European Cup are still not good. We'd be far better advised trying to lock up qualification through the league.

I felt sorry for Chelsea the other night. For about 30 seconds. And then I laughed. No, it wasn't a sending-off, but in the murky world where two players collide and both's first thought is to out-do each other in the rolling along the ground stakes, you're going to win some and you're going to lose some. It happens. And for all their complaints over the referee, I don't suppose they will remember Geremi's handball or Terry's incredibly blatant foul and handball in one in the second half. I should add though that for short periods in the second half it was as exciting a game as I have seen in years. Great stuff.

That just about wraps things up. There have been mutterings in Goodplaya towers of some kind of site redesign (not just a pointless cosmetic exercise I should add). A redesign would, if I'm not mistaken, put me in the esteemed company of ANR who are also changing things. Though of course that is where the similarity ends as they have been around since 1537 and this site just ten minutes. On which note: get over getting the Cole exclusive wrong and get over predicting Adebayor would be important in Madrid. We all make cock-ups - I said a Sheffield United goal against us had been ruled out because it had been offside from a throw-in, which is clearly rubbish. Shit happens.

...

---

210206

Wenger goes from rock bottom to sky high in seven days

What a night. A week ago I tore into Arsene after the Liverpool game, calling it: "as big a failure as there has been in Arsene Wenger's reign." That was no exaggeration and it is no exaggeration to say that last night was probably Arsene's greatest single victory in almost a deade at Highbury. He simply got everything spot-on. He didn't just scramble a win with his patched-up side, he comprehensively out-thought Real. As I said, his best game of chess in 10 years and proof that on the European stage, he DOES have the tactical nouse.

And it started before the game. While we mortals pondered over whether he should plump for the silky skills of Pires or the grit of Diaby (both had their merits but neither seemed quite right), Arsene pulled Alex Hleb out of the hat in a move none of us were predicting. And sure enough he gave us an extra body in attack and an extra body in defence. A masterstroke. The substitutions were also spot-on - the right men at the right time.

This was an excellent performance. Detractors will argue that we did so well because we were allowed the time on the ball we so rarely get in the Premiership. True in part - but Real Madrid also bring a lot to the football field that Bolton don't. Thierry Henry took the glory on the night and it was an excellent goal. But for me the biggest heroes of the evening were the five who played across midfield, with Fabregas topping the roll of honour.

I'm not one for running through everything happened, so I'll tell the story through playa ratings.

Jens: Two brave stops at the feet of Beckham and otherwise very confident on the crosses. 8

Eboue: I can't remember a single mistake. No nonsense defending, slick passing and an attacking threat. Will give Lauren a run for his place. 8

Flamini: Struggled with Beckham but really excellent given the circumstanes. Never, ever lacks effort. 7.5

Kolo: I really thought he led the defence and seemed to be there when it mattered. Just as Eboue has come back from the African Nations Cup looking more like a first teamer, Kolo now looks like a senior player who will take responsibility for those round him. Excellent. 8

Senderos: Struggled for composure but was mainly guilty of shanking balls away too hurriedly rather than large scale cock-ups. 7

Gilberto: What was so, so crucial was that we managed to get Gilberto doing what Gilberto is good at and Cesc doing what Cesc is good at. We rarely saw Gilberto on the ball with time to think about what to do with a pass. Instead he was back to doing the wall job that he is best at. 8

Fabregas: Simply magnificent. Useful defensively and strong in the tackle, but his major contribution was the Alonso like passing that sliced open the Madrid defence. Probably his best game for the club. 9

Hleb: Fought hard and got through a lot of dogged work. His long range passing wasn't the greatest and his shooting needs work on it as we are all well aware, but his short passes were clean and crisp and helped us turn defence into attack. 7.5

Freddie: Still looking nervous and weak in front of goal and should have done better with early chance. But he really got stuck in and made sure that life for Madrid was very, very difficult. We needed all four midfielders to help out defensively and Fred did. 8

Reyes: Probably should have scored in the second minute, but put in a real old fashioned winger's performance that saw him torment Cicinho, who was lucky to stay on the pitch. An absolutely vital outlet. 8

Henry: If you were teaching the science of how a striker moves, Thierry Henry would be the last person on earth you would want to study. At times his unwillingness to get forwards is baffling. And then he scores a brilliant, brilliant goal. Certainly can't fault him for not delivering on the big occasion this time. 8

Work calls, so I must stop now. But all in all, this was a fantastic, momentous result that will be remembered for years even if the job is only half done. But we can think about the second leg later. For now we can sit-back and enjoy Barcelona v Chelsea safe in the knowledge we have built-up a great first leg lead. More this evening or tomorrow.

...

---

200206

Arsenal v Madrid: kick-off 10.45pm

I'd written a really downbeat preview about how Arsenal in the Bernebeu was never meant to be like this, with the squad decimated by bad form and incredible injuries. But now none of that seems to matter now. We're here and it's time to make the best of what we've got.

And boy is it excitng. It's a big day - not necessarily in the normal context of results but instead just because we're heading to the Bernebeu to face Madrid. It's one of those days where you know you're going to get very little work done. It's one of those days where you know that if your boss checks your internet history it will show you pressed refresh on NewsNow approximately every 60 seconds for the entire day. And it's one of those days where if you're in London you might even buy two separate editions of the Evening Standard, just so you don't miss any of the build-up. Crikey, it's so exciting that ITV have even opted to show our game ahead of the Liverpool one. (Though you suspect that in their heads they see it as showing the Real Madrid game).

On the pitch, Jose Reyes is in the 18 man squad and you'd back him to start given what he did to Madrid last time he played them. Then it probably becomes a question of two out of Pires, Ljungberg and Diaby. I can see logic in all of them getting a game so this is one I'll pass on to Arsene without further comment. Other than that, Henry, Cesc and Gilberto are definites as are Jens, Kolo, Senderos, Flamini and Eboue. It almost goes without saying that we need big performances from the likes of Henry, Gilberto, Jens, Ljungberg, Kolo and Pires tonight.

Other than that there is little else to say. Except to add that while the rest of you are watching the game, I shall be sealed inside a time bubble. See, it's mother's birthday tonight and not unreasonably she would like to celebrate it. With me cooking for ten people. So, phones will be switched off, computers shut down and perhaps even clocks turned back as we wait for the guests to leave before we sit-down about 10.45pm and watch the video as live. To ensure authenticity, we even considered sitting through the whole half-time talk on iTV. But then we realised that was tantamount to self harm and therefore wrong. Yes, I could just ditch the mother for good but a) while growing-up she was particularly good about scheduling normal family dinner during half-time and b) the last thing the team needs is my bad karma for sitting in the pub when I should be with her. So, the video it is.

So, wherever (and whenever!) you watch the match, enjoy it. And remember, even if it's all going wrong, United didn't even get this far.

...

---

150206

Wenger the biggest culprit in disgraceful performance

Apologies for the site constantly being down. It will be sorted very soon.

I'm not one for sensationalism on this site but last night's performance was an absolute disgrace. I can accept things going wrong. But I can't accept a complete lack of effort and stubborn incompetance. And last night the players' effort level was appalling. And the manager's decisions were just absurd. The story is best told in manager and playa ratings.

Wenger: How can he still play with Pires and Ljungberg away from home? Why buy Diaby and not choose him for a tough away game against a top midfield? Why stubbornly leave him on the bench when things are failing so obviously? Why refuse to change the way we play? It simply isn't good enough. He clearly thought we could hold on. I knew, you knew, we all knew we would get to 80 minutes and then concede like we did at Bolton and Wigan. It was so bloody obvious. Tonight may have just been a league game but it was as big a failure as there has been in Arsene Wenger's reign.

I should just add that those who call for him to go because of his recent failings are talking rubbish. This is one bad year in 10 and Arsene's previous genius means he must be given a chance to sort it out. But that said, tonight's display from the manager was abject, predictable, stubborn and inflexible. 0

Jens: Four brilliant, brilliant saves and almost an unbelievable one for the goal. Faultless. 10

Flamini: So completely out of position that it's hard to judge. More effort than most of the team but he really wasn't great.4.5

Senderos: Really not very good. Errors, a lack of confidence, confusion. It was all there. It's a fair question to ask whether he should be ahead of Djorou at the moment.4

Toure: Can't really argue with his performance. Worked hard, did things simply and put in a lot of effort.6

Eboue: His first Premiership start and he did alright. Unfortunate for the penalty. Not everything came off but he played with drive and determination.6

Now things get bad...

Gilberto: Disgrace. So, so bad. He's just so passive. Won't put his foot in, won't tackle, runs like one of those computer generated dinosaurs, isn't passing properly, isn't concentrating, isn't thinking and is talking about us winning the Champions League. Not a prayer.3

Cesc: Not good. Some people might think this a bit harsh but you simply can't try intricate flicks and lay-offs every time you get the ball as an alternative to getting stuck-in. Yes, some of them worked. But so often we just ended up in more trouble and within seconds had lost the ball. The annoying thing is that when he does put his foot in he can tackle. The most absurd thing was late on when he of all people thought he could take a quick throw from Jens, out-run three Liverpool defenders and score. Much as I like him he's hardly Mr Pacey is he?4.5

Ljungberg: He simply can't score but he didn't do that much wrong. To his credit he got stuck in and helped Eboue out.6

Pires: Absolute and utter disgrace. He simply has to go. I know he can still be great at home but we can't let a cancer like his resistance to getting stuck-in hang over our club. That kind of indulgent attitude that was ok a couple of years ago has to go. The likes of Robben, Duff, Ronaldo and even Reyes run about getting stuck in and helping their full-back. Pires doesn't. And he was shit going forward too.2

Adebayor: Not a disgrace. Worked hard in the first half, did some good stuff and would have scored but for poor refereeing that ruled him offside. Not great in the 2nd half but as I said no disgrace.6

Henry: Disgrace. Irrespective of whether he is captain or not, he is a senior player and has to inspire the youngsters around him. Looked really uninterested and his touch was shit, which is slightly more excusable but probably linked to the attitude.3

Diaby: Oh sorry. He didn't start and he didn't even come on. The one bloody midfielder at the club with a bit of power and he is considered surplus to requirements tonight. Tell me I'm not going mad here...

Conclusion:



Arsene has come out with the typical crap about us fighting hard, which I refuse to print because it's such utter rubbish. Liverpool fought hard, United fight hard, Chelsea fight hard, even bloody Bolton fight hard. But we don't. We're living like it's February 2004, not February 2006. We have to get stuck in. Properly. We have to pressure the ball. The number of times we didn't pressure their defenders and let them ping the ball out to the wingers was unbelievable.

At the heart of it is Arsene, who is just so unbelievably stubborn. I think the players we have are perfectly capable of playing a plan B. But nobody is telling them to. Nobody is telling them to get stuck in. Nobody is telling them to spray well thought out diagonal balls. Nobody is telling them to get into the box. I can't believe that we are that many players off being a very formidable side who can go to places like Old Trafford, Anfield and Stamford Bridge and put up a real fight. Yes, we need luck with injuries. Yes, we need two or three new players. And yes we need the players who are currently underperforming to perform. But we also need a manager who won't persist beyond all logic with playing Ljungberg and Pires away just because he doesn't want to be seen to be agreeeing with what Tony Adams said years ago.

...

---

140206

The Arsenal team you won't see tonight...

Kerrea Gilbert, Sol Campbell, Pascal Cygan, Ashley Cole
Theo Walcott, Lauren, Gael Clichy, Jose Reyes
Dennis Bergkamp, Robin Van Persie
Ok, so there's no keeper, Lauren is back in midfield and Gael Clichy fairly out of place. But I think the above ten injuries probably give a better indication of why we're struggling so much at the moment than Alan Hansen taking apart Seb Larsson's defending or Fat Sam's amateur psyschological diagnosis of Arsene Wenger. It's gone way beyond the stage of arguing that with a small squad you pick up injuries. The likes of Dennis, Walcott, Van Persie have hardly played any football recently while Cygan, Cole and Lauren have never previously been long term absentees.

It's fair to say Kolo should slot straight back in to central defence. Who he replaces and whether Eboue plays is anybody's guess. I wonder whether Arsene will plump for Freddie on the left to help protect the left-back and stick with Cesc on the right, in spite of it not working against Bolton. Up front it has to be Henry and Adebayoor. Lupoli, who played 90 minutes for the reserves last night, could make the bench. For them, Fowler faces a late fitness test. Which I think we all know he will pass.

Reyes near serious injury courtesy of puritans who harp on about diving

Before you accuse me of bias, let me say that Andy Faye's tackle was no worse than Matthieu Flamini's a few minutes later. The point is that Arjen Robben's dive against Liverpool last week had football's puritans (Alan Hansen, James Lawton in the Independent and the Times newspaper's anti diving campaign to name a few) venting all the moral fury they could muster and largely blaming it all on foreigners. Divers such as Robben, Reyes and Ronaldo are the pariahs of football in their eyes. And yet they virtually turn a blind eye to the appalling tackles that can put a player out for months.

Nobody seems willing to break the cosy consensus and say that the real cowards are not the divers but in fact the thugs. A diver costs the opposition a penalty, a two footed studs up tackle costs them a player for six months. Clamp down on diving by all means, but don't ignore the really ugly stuff either.

...

---

130206

Time for mad Jens to behave

I hate Bolton and I don't really buy the whole bogey team thing that much. On Saturday we were about two minutes away from getting the victory our second half performance deserved. I wasn't at the game and only saw highlights, but for all the plaudits Bolton seem to be getting this morning they managed three efforts on-target and five in total in 90 minutes against just about the most inexperienced Premiership defence ever. We managed 10 and 16. In the FA Cup our virtual reserve side was pretty unfortunate to lose. And though we played badly in the league defeat, we had what looked like a good goal disallowed and Henry also hit the woodwork twice. Before long, everything won't go in their favour and we will give them the beating they deserve and wipe the self satisfied smile off Fat Sam, who if you haven't realised speaks about as much grammatically correct English as John Prescott.

On which note, I thought the timing of Arsene's revelation that he turned down the England job was very funny. Right at the moment that the hideous Allardyce and Mclaren are whoring themselves like a couple of Wayne Rooney's grannies in the England-idol race to succeed Sven, Arsene reminded them all that irrespective of Arsenal's current difficulties, everybody knows he's their real first choice. I should just say that if Sam Allardyce does become the England manager, I'm supporting Poland, where my grandma was born. And I should just add that yes, it is entirely personal. I just can't stand the cunt. (sorry, but on this occasion it is the only word). The best I could wish for an Allardyce England reign would be an early death.

It's very hard to judge us at the moment. It's all very well them taking apart our defending on Match of the Day, but what is the point? We're fielding our fourth choice right-back, our fourth choice left back and our third and fifth choice centre backs. You have to laugh at the way people are saying that at least we'll have Eboue back for Anfield. He's hardly Mr Experienced is he with his zero premiership starts. Further up the field, Arsene has to reconcile what to do with Diaby, Cesc and Gilberto in light of all of them preferring to play in the centre. It's a tough one, though I suspect a fair few fans would be happy to give Gilberto a 'rest' so we can see how Cesc and Diaby do.

I do think Jens needs to learn how to behave and I'm not sure what purpose all the comments about match fixing serve. I accept that Bolton players are far less innocent than the TV pundits would have you believe - for example in the incident down by the byline ask yourself why exactly Jansen felt the need to grab onto Jens' leg for so long. But still, he must behave. As it happens he is playing very well. But his behaviour means that he is always risking a red card and we really can't afford that. We also expect better from Arsenal players. Up front, Van Persie is a massive loss - he gives defenders a lot more to think about. Hopefully he will be back to face Liverpool on Tuesday, when we will presumably have to score four on the basis that Robbie Fowler will score at least three on his own.

...

---

100206

Alex Song to offer Arsenal experience in defence?

First things first, my apologies that the site keeps going down. The truth is I'm tight as hell and don't bother paying for any web space. Which means that when I get too many hits Tiscali pull the site down. The trick is to get to visit the site early in the day. If anyone can recommend any cheap, reliable bandwidth providers then please email me at the address opposite.

Tony Cascarino said it would have been OK for Sol to have walked out two hours before the game but that it was bang out of order for him to go at half-time. Eh? Que? What the hell? Call me a simpleton but surely if you walk out on your team, you walk out on your team, irrespective of when you do it. The way I see it you either have a problem with Sol walking out or you are prepared to live with it (as is the case with me). I can't believe many of his critics would seriously be backing Campbell now had he pulled out an hour before the game rather than an hour into it. Of course, Cascarino's perspective has nothing to do with him (as he admits) once pulling out of a game two hours before kick-off because his head was fucked. Oh no.

He does, however, get support from Arseblog who describes him as "bang on". I suspect that on current form, were Arseblogger and I asked the day of the week we'd give conflicting answers. But hey, if we (or any of the other Arsenal blogs) were only ever agreeing with each other it would all get pretty boring pretty quickly.

Anyway, I think even we may be able to conclude jointly that the news that Alex Song is ready and raring to fill in at centre back on Saturday is about as welcome as syphilis. It's not that I hate the guy. It's just that a debutant 18 year-old midfielder next to a 19 year old and two 20 year olds is just about the last thing you would ever want when Sam Allardyce's merry men come to town. Would there ever have been a younger premiership defence? Of course, it should be mentioned that all this has come about because of an apparent injury to you know, who who in the 45 minutes he did play against West Ham apparently "hurt his foot".

Much as intend to continue to defend him on the walking out charge, I'd be suffering a serious humour failure if I didn't respond to news of Sol's hurt foot by saying that based on his performance I can only ask: "How the fuck?" And yes, I admit, the most likely answer was that he slipped as he walked down the steps outside the east stand...

...

---

090206

Time to revise theory of Vieiraism

Vieiraism:
2005 definition: Everything wrong with Arsenal is because of the presence of Patrick Vieira.
2006 definition: Everything wrong with Arsenal is because of the absence of Patrick Vieira.

Utter crap, isn't it? So many people are harping on about how much we miss Vieira - and to an extent they are right. But they forget that this time last year they were accusing Vieira of lacking effort, lacking committment, shirking responsibility and letting the younger players down. Which is exactly what they accuse the likes of Henry, Pires, Campbell and Gilberto of now. Rather than viewing Vieira as the answer to our current problems, it would make more sense to see him as being at least part of the cause.

And it might also be pertinent to ask whether Arsene Wenger opted to sell Vieira specifically because he feared his sloppiness, lack of concentration and inconsistency could be poised to transmit to the rest of the squad. Like many, Arsene quite feasibly believed that the Vieira of September 1996 to August 2004 was history. But that popular view of a year ago appears to have been forgotten. We can hark on and on about how we miss him and I'm sure that frequently we would have benefitted from his presence.

But equally it is only right that had he stayed there would have been times when our failings were exaccerbated. We can ask whether Vieira would have lifted the others from their sloppiness or whether his frame of mind would have only sent us further into the depths of disapointment. These are all pertinent questions and I ask them as someone who was less critical of Vieira than many others were last season.

In other news, I've been amazed how much attention Arjen Robben's "dive" has generated. I dislike diving, but surely it's time we started getting just as annoyed about wretched tackles that threaten careers? Where was the chorus of comdemnation when Tim Cahll launched himself at Thierry Henry's legs? The answer is nowhere. It's still morally acceptable to make a horror tackle. But if you do, just don't go down holding your face too heavily when you get a shove in the face.

Alex Hleb is being linked with a move away but personally I hope he stays. People forget Pires and Ljungberg were hardly first season hits. With a bit of tweaking I suspect Hleb can do a lot for us. And as for the stories, I suspect they are the work of a semi-official agent creating mischief or trying to get Hleb more games.

In Sol Campbell news, it appears his colleagues aren't yet ready to throw him to the lions, with a succession of senior players making it clear they are glad to see him back and look forward to see him playing again. And so say all of us, or at least some of us.

Finally, I should add that while I'm glad to see him back I await to see whether whatever the problem was has been fully resolved. I hope so.

...

---

050206

Campbell to return after 5 days. As was always the case.

Because of work commitments I haven't yet seen yesterday's match so other than welcome the win I can't say much about it. So that leaves Sol Campbell, who says he will return to training on Monday.

Now, forgive me if I don't quite buy some of the stories going round this morning about him announcing to the team that he was finished with football on Wednesday night. Perhaps he shouted out in frustration a couple of times like we all do. But I'm sceptical of any serious vow he was off for good. Why? Well today is Sunday. This happened on Wednesday. There was a fairly substantial account of what happened in the London Evening Standard on Thursday, given by the almost always reliable Steve Stammers. It included nothing about Sol quitting football. Perhaps he had agreed not to report Sol's decision to never play football again. Perhaps none of the other papers were able to get that (apparently very public) line for either Thursday, Friday or Saturday's papers. Perhaps Sunday papers always need to find a new line to a story.

Also, you will remember that before the story became a monster, it was by common consensus agreed that Arsene had given him five days leave and that he would return on Monday. Nothing changed. The story became massive because nobody knew where Sol was. Which surely makes a lot of sense. The last thing a high profile footballer needs when he is taking five days to get his head together is the press camped outside his house. And why the lack of communication with Arsene Wenger? Well, the pair had agreed five days leave quite amicably by all accounts. On the third day the boss and employee spoke about his return a couple of days later. Hardly earth shattering.

And of course the same reports this morning also claim he's been seeking help for six months because of severe depression. I'd be a hypocrite to pick and choose what to believe, but in a typical workplace, someone severely depressed for six months might either be off sick with a doctors certificate (Sol has taken five days) or at the very least expect understanding rather than condemnation from those he works with. And thankfully Sol Campbell seems to have got that - from Arsene Wenger to Kolo Toure to Robert Pires.

Let's just imagine Arsene had pulled Campbell off at half-time, told him he was a disgrace, told him he was dropped for Birmingham and told him not to show his face until Monday. Jonny Manager might have dealt with the situation like that. This is why we have Arsene Wenger. As football fans, just because we idolise players like non-human gods when they succeed, we don't have to deny them the same empathy we offer other human beings when they err.

Yet even now, I realise there are those who can't find one shard of sympathy for Sol over this. Well in that case, put it in it's context. Sol Campbell has played football, brilliantly, for 14 years. We're not so concerned about what he did at Spurs. But for England and Arsenal he has been an immense rock who for 14 years (five with us) has barely once been found wanting either for effort or produce. Surely we can't be ready to chuck away all that now over one perceived erring and a few pieces of sloppy defending?

Fortunately, I suspect that for many Arsenal fans that is not the case and that when he next wears our shirt it will be five years of trophy winning rather than five weeks of trouble that wiill be on most supporters' minds.

...

---

030206

Sol Campbell: Are footballers allowed to suffer mental illness?

Arsene Wenger has given Sol Campbell at least five days off so he can gather his thoughts. On SKY Sports News, Tony Gale said what Campbell needs to do is to just get out on the football pitch. That's why the far less decorated player of the two manages Arsenal and the much more successful Gale is a TV pundit.

A common sentiment on Campbell seems to be: we all have problems; we just roll up our sleeves and deal with them. But that's not true. Can you honestly say you don't have friends, family or work colleagues who have taken days, weeks or even months on leave from work at some point as they try to pull themselves together? Surely you not know people who speak of how they are tormented by depression, even if on the outsider they appear perfectly fine? And you must have seen someone storm out of the office inconsolable, tipped over the edge by something as innocuous as a computer freezing again or perhaps a petty argument.

Like it or not, the fact is one in three of us will suffer some form of mental illness in our lifetime. And the key word is ill, as Arsene so presciently put it in the aftermath of Tuesday. Illness more than a state of mind. A state of mind was what made Jermaine Pennant the stupid, arrogant, indulgent, wasteful player he was at Highbury. Illness is not the same thing.

So why has the idea that a footballer should suffer mental illness left so many so perplexed? Should their fantastic salaries act as a shield against mental illness? Well, if they do take months off on sick leave, it is true that they won't have to worry about recent UK government reforms of incapacity benefit. But that doesn't preclude them from illness and breakdowns. If wealth is no barrier to highly paid bankers, singers, actors and politicians plumbing the depths of mental torture, then why should footballers be shielded against it?

But what of the timing? It was wretched. But these things are bound to be. The point was that even had Sol had played the second half, he was already shattered and broken. He might have soldiered on bravely til the end, but he probably would have just ended up costing us more goals. And who cares that he went home? Whether he stayed and watched or showered and went is hardly the issue.

Were Sol Campbell renowned as a shirker of a bottler I could better understand the criticism. But he is not. In every major tournament he has stood up and excelled for England. He was always there for Spurs (that's why they still harp on about him leaving yet we've got over Rohan Ricketts going the other way). And until his troubles of the past year he has always been there for Arsenal, winning trophies that without him we probably wouldn't have won. So why are we so ready to think the worst?

Twenty years ago we would never have contemplated players spending weeks in rehabilitation as they battled alcoholism. "Deal with it like a man", we might have said. Who knows, in 20 years time we might realise footballers suffer from mental illness too.

...

---

020206

Five more points to reflect on post West Ham

1) Did you imagine a month ago that you’d go to bed concerned about the extent of Kerrea Gilbert’s back injury?

2) Goals don’t have to be perfect: Flamini’s ball for the first one was poor, Van Persie’s right footed cross was never going to go in and Pires’ shot not the most beautifully struck. Yet we scored. For the second, Dennis’ shot looped up and fell for Pires – but the point is these shots have to go somewhere!

3) Sol Campbell: There’s a difference between not caring and simply having a torrid time of it. Football fans seem too ready to spout personal abuse when one of their players is in the doldrums. No doubt Sky Sports News will haul out every ex-pro under the planet to have their say on Campbell walking out. For what it’s worth, my take is that in the heat of the moment he was probably far angrier with himself than with Arsene Wenger.

4) We can harp on about squad size, but if Chelsea had our defensive problems, they would be without: Del Horno (Cole), Ferreira (Lauren), Johnson (Clichy), Carvallho (Toure), Gallas (Cygan – inferior quality but plays the same role) and Bridge (Hoyte – both on loan). That would leave Terry (Campbell) and Huth (Senderos) at left-back, with two other players I have never heard of at full-back. Except the right back they brought in would be in Africa (Eboue) and the left-back (Gilbert) would be forced off too. Then who would play?

5) Can you believe that the thought of registering a retired Martin Keown as a player must now be entertained with a little seriousness, such are our injuries.

Full report from last night below and player ratings to the right.

...

---

010206

Arsenal 2 West Ham 3: Time for us to back Sol

In 17 years of watching Arsenal I can’t think of a more difficult game to put into words.

I’ll try starting with the negatives. We made three defensive errors. And we went through spells where we weren’t particularly threatening. But neither of those points really explain the result. For a start, three defensive errors does not normally result in three goals. And other than the goals and one very easy simple Lehman save, West Ham barely had an attack worthy of the name. And up front, we had chances. Van Persie hit a post early on. Then Henry’s volley was headed straight in when Freddie Ljungberg got in the way and inevitably, given his current luck, steered it wide. Djorou had one cleared off the line and Henry was inches wide to name just a couple more.

In short, for all our refusal to shoot at times and our defensive cock-ups, our luck is wretched at the moment. And taking into account our injuries (more of them later), our luck has been worse than wretched.

There will be much made of individual performances. On TV, Campbell’s failings were most obvious. His two errors cost us two goals – the first from a wretched attempt at a clearance and the second when he took an eternity to find his feet after Bobby Zamora had shrugged him aside far too easily. Sol was subbed at half-time and despite initial reports of an injury, SKY reported he had showered and left the ground within ten minutes of the second half starting.

No doubt, there will be a massive amount written about it and no end of speculation. Personally, I’m sympathetic with Sol. No doubt others will slam him for walking out on his team or bottling it or whatever. But the fact is that irrespective of the vast sums he earns and his recent rubbish form, I can’t remember him ever giving anything less than 100% when he’s worn the Arsenal shirt. So, while some may seek to crucify him for walking out of the ground, I’m prepared to believe he did it because he does care about his performances rather than because he doesn’t care. I’d hope that Arsenal fans will have the intelligence to get behind him now. After all, a Sol Campbell rehabilitated is far better than one crucified and broken.

Friends at the game have also criticised Thierry Henry, accusing him of having one of those games where he doesn’t look like he’s trying. To be fair, it wasn’t particularly obvious on TV, though I noted the speed at which he ran down the tunnel at the end of the game. The differing actions of Henry and Campbell show that very clearly, things are not right in our dressing room.

We are also being completely shafted by injuries at the moment. We started with the patently unfit/out of form Sol partnered by Djorou, with Gilbert on the right and Senderos left. It’s worth bearing in mind that Djorou and Gilbert didn’t even make the bench for our opening League Cup tie of the season at Sunderland. Then consider that two of them were off the pitch by the start of the second half, leaving us with Flamini, Senderos, Djorou and Larsson at the back, which just beggars belief.

Bizarre. And to think David Bentley scored a hat-trick tonight. At least it was against United. Playa ratings to the right.

...

---

|fhffg

Archives: July 2005, June 2005, May 2005, April 2005,March 2005, February 2005, January 2005, December 2004 and the embryonic goodplaya.

Click here to ensure you're seeing the most updated page on the site.

Playa ratings:

v Aston Villa (5-0)

v Juventus (2-0)

v Charlton Reserves (2-0)

v Real Madrid (0-0)

v West Ham (2-3)

v Sparta Prague (0-2)

v West Brom (2-1)

v Everton (2-0)

v Thun (2-1)

v Fulham (4-1)

v Liverpool (3-1)

v West Brom (2-0)

v Spurs (1-0)

v Chelsea (0-0)

v Boro (1-0)

v Palace (5-1)

v Wolves (2-0)

v Charlton (3-1)

v Newcastle (1-0)

v Fulham (2-0)

v Portsmouth (1-0)

v Chelsea (2-2)

v Rosenberg (5-1)

v Birmingham (3-0)

v Man United (0-1)