Worst. Defending. Ever.
Saturday, October 31, 2009 at 2:32PM Embarrassing. Three goals that were all birthed from Tottenham mistakes. If it isn't hard enough defending against their players on any given day, gifting them goals is the type of irony that laughs in your face then slaps your backside as you walk away with your head down, shaking, and asking yourself....why?
I was naive to ever believe that we could get something out of this game with Modric, Lennon and Defoe missing. Although for 42 minutes my original hope looked to be justified. Although the signs were there. Little tenacity and hunger to 'get in their faces'. We were containing them. Frustrating them. But that's not enough and too much of a risk. Which it proved to be the case when RvP beat King to make it one from a cross and then 11 seconds from the kick-off, a comedy of apologetic defending, allowed Sylar to dart through nothingness to make it two. All topped up (in the second half) by Gomes and King mixing it like a shit pub dj who's had too much booze to make it a despairing 3-0.
Arsenal don't have to perform above and beyond to beat us if we're going to pull our panties down and bend over for them. All lubed up, purring.
Fabregas about to rip the head off Tottenham...
Shame on them. Five stages of grief at the ready then.
So where did it go wrong? Apart from the on pitch suicide?
Tactically, although we needed a game plan (they pass the ball quicker, keep it better in possession and carry it around the pitch with intent and purpose) we don't have the outlet of Modric or Lennon, which left us with very little other than to attempt a quick break or a long ball up to Crouch. It was probably enough to keep us in the game until very late on. But the pre-half time collapse saw an end to that little dream. So whatever the strategy was, it wasn't enough. Playing pound-for-pound would have been equally suicidal (because of the missing player), but I'm not going to dwell on that excuse. We had players who could do a job. Or maybe that's where it actually went wrong. We 'thought' we had players who could do a job.
No pace. In mind and feet. No chance.
It wasn't enough to just go there and sit back and live dangerously. No blood and thunder. More like fluffy feathered pillows and a hot cup of coco.
Roll on next weekend. And if the Gods didn't think this was enough, shock horror, we've got United away in the cup.
Wonderful.
Reader Comments (153)
Lets forget the evil goons - we have this to look forward too :-)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8326000/8326597.stm
We just shouldn't be bothering to respond to the brain-celled amoeba littering this site with their cowardly and empty insults. There are many Arsenal fans who love the game, appreciate Tottenham's great history and who also fear and bemoan the present directions that football seems to be heading in.
The gutless Arsenal 'fans' who post on this site don't even really love their own club, let alone the sport itself, because one huge part of the deep relationship you have with your club, lies in its history and traditions, and your embrace of them. Witness what some cretin said about history on this thread and you see a moron bereft of any real depth of feeling between himself and his club, more like a parasite than a supporter.
One, surely, of the truly great features of this sport world-wide, has been in the fierce rivalries that have developed over many years in country after country between two roughly equal teams in terms of honours, support, geography and potential. Anyone who denigrates or diminishes these contests and their significance to and in the sport, has no real awareness or love for the game, not when you come down to it.
It's the same with the F.A. Cup. You would not believe it possible that one of the world's truly great sporting events for so many years, with a virtually indefinable magic all of its own, and with supporter after supporter dreaming that dream in early January, could have become the yearly Wembly bore it generally has, and the irony of that appalling final some years ago between Arsenal and United where Arsenal almost bored us all to death in winning the bloody thing, speaks volumes more about nails in coffins than it does about honours and accomplishments.
Spot on mate but let's not talk about the bastards anymore - we'll get them.