It's been over two days since Arsenal's capitulation against the enemy at the Grove. I've needed that amount of time to calm down after being left seething with anger, frustration and severe nausea.
I've had time to think, to evaluate and with a dashing of help from our London neighbours Chavski, I can finally bring myself to think clearly enough to write something that makes sense - to me anyway.
My Twitter account has been awash with comments, moans and rantings towards the players, some of them directly at the players who have Twitter accounts, Wenger and of course the media. The papers and various other media sources have loved the capitulation served up by the Gunners, who have brought all of the negativity upon themselves with what can only be described as a Jekyll and Hyde performance.
I won't go into individual performances. In my eyes, aside from the subs that came on, every player had a good first half, and an appalling second half. Some may argue that Fabregas was fairly consistent and had a glorious shot in the second half which was well saved, but I don't care about that.
I've had time to think, to evaluate and with a dashing of help from our London neighbours Chavski, I can finally bring myself to think clearly enough to write something that makes sense - to me anyway.
My Twitter account has been awash with comments, moans and rantings towards the players, some of them directly at the players who have Twitter accounts, Wenger and of course the media. The papers and various other media sources have loved the capitulation served up by the Gunners, who have brought all of the negativity upon themselves with what can only be described as a Jekyll and Hyde performance.
I won't go into individual performances. In my eyes, aside from the subs that came on, every player had a good first half, and an appalling second half. Some may argue that Fabregas was fairly consistent and had a glorious shot in the second half which was well saved, but I don't care about that.
In my eyes the overall second half was pathetic, annoying, frustrating... I could go on but like Arsenal's players in the second half, I've capitulated.
A common observation is that we missed a leader on the pitch.
Who is our leader? Cesc Fabregas.
What does a leader do? He rallies the troops, helps organise, kicks his team mates up the arse if needed and most importantly leads by example.
Did Fabregas do that on Saturday? No.
Accurate observation then.
But this has been the case on many occasions. Cesc’s leadership qualities do exist. He has earned a reputation as our ‘Gerrard’ though I prefer to refer to him as Arsenal’s captain fantastic.
The uproar surrounding 'Barca-gate' in the summer shows how important he is to the club and fans. But does his leadership help the team consistently? When he is injured, does he travel with the team everywhere, sit with the players in the dressing room as a dominant guiding light to encourage the team?
All I do know is that his leadership qualities aren’t always obvious.
He is no Viera that’s for sure. I think he will be one day but I don’t think he’ll ever be an Adams. Even Viera as a captain could not be mentioned in the same sentence as the legendary Mr Arsenal himself.
Wenger’s theory surrounding leadership is that every player on the pitch should be a leader. Not a bad policy. If that could be achieved then I’m all for it. But I don’t believe in that policy because it clearly hasn’t worked.
Don’t get me wrong. We have really worked well as a team and fought hard together at times. Only recently at Goodison did we see an example of great teamwork and collective battling to win a game. So we can do it but why could we not do that against our most bitter enemy - the Spuds?
A common observation is that we missed a leader on the pitch.
Who is our leader? Cesc Fabregas.
What does a leader do? He rallies the troops, helps organise, kicks his team mates up the arse if needed and most importantly leads by example.
Did Fabregas do that on Saturday? No.
Accurate observation then.
But this has been the case on many occasions. Cesc’s leadership qualities do exist. He has earned a reputation as our ‘Gerrard’ though I prefer to refer to him as Arsenal’s captain fantastic.
The uproar surrounding 'Barca-gate' in the summer shows how important he is to the club and fans. But does his leadership help the team consistently? When he is injured, does he travel with the team everywhere, sit with the players in the dressing room as a dominant guiding light to encourage the team?
All I do know is that his leadership qualities aren’t always obvious.
He is no Viera that’s for sure. I think he will be one day but I don’t think he’ll ever be an Adams. Even Viera as a captain could not be mentioned in the same sentence as the legendary Mr Arsenal himself.
Wenger’s theory surrounding leadership is that every player on the pitch should be a leader. Not a bad policy. If that could be achieved then I’m all for it. But I don’t believe in that policy because it clearly hasn’t worked.
Don’t get me wrong. We have really worked well as a team and fought hard together at times. Only recently at Goodison did we see an example of great teamwork and collective battling to win a game. So we can do it but why could we not do that against our most bitter enemy - the Spuds?
You’d think of all teams to up your game and rally and battle as a team against, it would be them. But the opposite happened on Saturday. We capitulated after taking a two goal lead, at home, in front of what was pleasingly an audible, noisy crowd of passionate home fans. And not for the first time - remember Wigan last season?
Wenger has cited complacency when in the lead as the reason. But Arsene, this has happened before on so many occassions. So what do you say to the players at half time when in the sort of comfortable position we were in on Saturday?
Wenger has cited complacency when in the lead as the reason. But Arsene, this has happened before on so many occassions. So what do you say to the players at half time when in the sort of comfortable position we were in on Saturday?
If Wenger is aware of the complacency issue, why did he not drum it into his player to NOT be complacent in the second half? Surely he must have done.
So did the players just ignore him? Just what the fuck is happening?
Do the players know how to not be complacent? What is the opposite of complacency?
These theories, questions, queries etc. could go on forever and before we know it, we could be at the top of the league. Why? Because the title race is wide open.
The top four is no longer. Manure have not lost - yet. But they have drawn a lot and are only two points ahead of the Gunners alongside the Chavs who have lost 3 of the last 4.
It’s all topsy-turvy. But the fact that we’re still in the race should not be used to justify any arguments in retaliation to the fans worries and criticisms. (Though some 'fans' do go way overboard and get far too personal)
These theories, questions, queries etc. could go on forever and before we know it, we could be at the top of the league. Why? Because the title race is wide open.
The top four is no longer. Manure have not lost - yet. But they have drawn a lot and are only two points ahead of the Gunners alongside the Chavs who have lost 3 of the last 4.
It’s all topsy-turvy. But the fact that we’re still in the race should not be used to justify any arguments in retaliation to the fans worries and criticisms. (Though some 'fans' do go way overboard and get far too personal)
We’re lucky we’re still in the race, it’s only because of our rivals’ inconsistencies too that we are in it.
We could and should be seven points clear now as we should not have lost to Newcastle, Spuds and West Brom, two promoted sides and our worst enemy who haven’t beaten us at home in the league since ‘93.
How mad does that make you feel because it makes me feel livid and sick.
Facts are facts though and stats are stats and we are, thanks to the inconsistency of the top teams, still in with just as much of a chance at the title as we always have been. I refuse to believe that we could possibly let another lead like Saturday’s slip. No matter who it is against.
Wenger says he is giving every last drop of his blood to help this team to win. I believe him but want him to stop cos he's proper pastey already.
We could and should be seven points clear now as we should not have lost to Newcastle, Spuds and West Brom, two promoted sides and our worst enemy who haven’t beaten us at home in the league since ‘93.
How mad does that make you feel because it makes me feel livid and sick.
Facts are facts though and stats are stats and we are, thanks to the inconsistency of the top teams, still in with just as much of a chance at the title as we always have been. I refuse to believe that we could possibly let another lead like Saturday’s slip. No matter who it is against.
Wenger says he is giving every last drop of his blood to help this team to win. I believe him but want him to stop cos he's proper pastey already.
The team let us and Wenger down the other day as well as themselves. Losing at home to the enemy hurt a lot, mainly cos it's not happened for so long, it painfully wrenched away at heart strings that hadn't felt any pain for a long time.
I can however, handle the twattish comments by Spud fans after they broke a 17 year hoodoo.Pathetic.
Let them have their latest DVD release. We’ve won the league at White Hart Lane. they will forever be in our shadow.
I just want the players to show how sorry they are and win back our faith again, by using that game as a catalyst to a trophy.
So roll on Tuesday when we have the chance to qualify, finally, for the next phase in the CL. There’s lots of rumour of wholesale changes. Whichever team goes out, there should be no excuse. they should batter Braga to cheer up the Gooners and look forward to battering our next opponents.
I hate Arsenal being compared to our rivals but we all know that the likes of the Manure would be considered a wounded tiger after a significant, poor defeat and all teams would fear a backlash following that.
We need to gauge that kind of mentality and take out our frustrations as a team by mauling our opponents from now.
As fans we have to vent our frustrations not at the players or Wenger, but by being raucous and loud at every game, home and away, in order to show our team we are 100% behind them.
I’ve not heard the Arsenal faithful being referred to as the 12th man for donkey’s ….. .but fuck that, let’s break another record and give the team a 13th man. I have a felling that they need OUR leadership.
So that's that horrible subject covered. Now I'd like to introduce a tiny new fun segment of my blog:
Football related babe of the week:
Just something, that as a red blooded male, I felt was missing from the blog. You can't have football without babes and beer. As pictures of beer aren't exactly as titillating and just make you want to go down the pub, I'll leave them out and with the current economic crisis, you could all do without me teasing you with sexy pictures of chilled amber nectar. So here is a fit football related babe of my choice for all you ladies and gents to drool over, envy, comment on, bitch about or whatever. Enjoy!
This is the lovely Sky Sports News Presenter
Also, to get you involved you can suggest football related totty - male or female - (we have to be fair to the Lady Gooners too!) by emailing them to: arsenalranterblog@gmail.com and I'll add them randomly to this section each week. If you want to be added to a mailing list to receive the ArsenalRanterblog as soon as it's published, please send an email to the same address with the ridiculous word: 'Rantmebabyonemoretime' in the subject box.
One more final note: I'd like to mention a great Gooner and blogger who's been nominated for 'Best Young Blogger' in the 'Not100% Awards'.
Siany Macalarny.
I recommend you check out her great blog archive and get voting ASAP!
click on this link to vote: Siany Macalarny .....all the best Sian, you helped inspire me to start the ArsenalRanterFC1886 blog and you've been a great idol. Good luck!
Hi, I was dead from that day onwards and really can't find the answer for defeat.
ReplyDeleteFacts, statistics and records does not matter anymore.
Really disappointed with Fabregas in the second half and would agree with your terms.
-ArsenaLKorner-
Sorry to hear you are dead mate. I hope you come back to life by tomorrow night at least. We always have to wait and see how the team reacts after a devastating defeat such as Saturday's. If it's a positive one, then we'll get over that loss much quicker.. if not, then i'm sure the rants, bad feeling and death will continue!
ReplyDelete