Suuuuuuuuper, Super Lob...

Take A Bow Son

This was the year that Robert Pires announced himself to the Premier League properly, with a masterful season that got him the Football Writer's Association's Player of the Year Award and the likes of Bergkamp, Vieira, Henry, Ljungberg, and Adams to bow to him while he accepted his league winner's medal on crutches. A bad knee injury in the spring ended his season and World Cup hopes but he was a revelation to the Arsenal that year and would become a key figure in one of the most lethal left sided attacks in the top flight for several seasons to come.

This is the lob against Villa--- incredibly deft first touch with the outside of his right boot to flick the ball over and inside his marker, then with the second touch a wonderful side-footed half-volley over Peter Schmeichel  to secure a vital three points away from home. A truly superb football player and the type of legend you want desperately back at the club in some capacity behind the scenes. Hypercool, super Robert Pires.

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Well That Was A Bit Special

from the road

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE

Ashburton Grove

Referee: Mike Dean

Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham Hotspur   26 February 2012
Sagna [40]                                    Saha [4]
Van Persie [43]                              Adebayor [31 pen]
Rosicky [51]
Walcott [65, 68]

For various reasons I have missed the last 3 matches down at the pub. Before Sunday, the title of my latest entry has been kind of mocking me. Ok, not kind of. Remorselessly fucking mocking me. Never give up. Right.  After each cup defeat I was sorely tempted to post something to address the irony of my conclusion in that previous report to the subsequent performances [or lack thereof].

Knowing that I would in all likelihood be unable to view this North London Derby didn’t help the pre-match tension, I have to say. With Mike Dean in charge and Phil Dowd between the two managers, there was even less optimism. 7amkickoff noted beforehand that we have never won a NLD with Dean in charge.

Never Give Up

from the factory floor

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE

Stadium of Light

Referee: Neil Swarbrick

Sunderland 1-2 Arsenal    11 February 2012

McClean [70]                Ramsey [75]
                                          Henry [90]

There are times when football is pure entertainment, at others a necessary distraction. After the work week leading up to this match, and the last performance versus Blackburn, I was hoping for both.  It seems every available preview made a significant point about the 120 minutes Sunderland played in midweek while we were rested. Nevertheless, I found myself continuing the Star Wars theme from the roll call for this trip to the Stadium of Light. My first thought upon arrival at the Factory was "I have a bad feeling about this." 

First of all, not having a midweek game for a set of about 15 players who have featured almost every match up to this point is not the same as being rested. Second, if any manager knows how to conserve resources, get behind the ball, and counter attack it's Martin O'Neill. Third, our team doesn't need the kind of complacency that we showed based on the assumption that the opponent will be tired. And fourth, there is a much more glamorous tie on the midweek horizon where a trip to the San Siro awaits. This does not a cocktail for a winning Arsenal performance make.

Welcome Bac

all you see is Bacary Sagna

I think there are a good many Gooners who would have spoken very highly of Bacary Sagna before this season. In 2007-08 he was selected to the team of the year by his fellow footballers and has maintained a high and consistent level across his Arsenal career since. In recent seasons he has stepped up his attacking play and improved his crossing, while maintaining his defensive tenacity and physical strength.

This year, he started on that same trajectory despite the team’s miserable start but we have been robbed of his services by a broken leg sustained at White Hart Lane in a game that halted the mini-revival after Blackburn.  His absence may have been softened, only for his understudy to also come up lame. Instead his period out has seen our attack suffer, teams regularly profit from attacking down our right flank, and recently a run of dropped points that has undone the real revival we enjoyed post-Tottenham.

His return could not have come at a better time, as we enter into a period of very difficult fixtures across three competitions. He hasn’t featured much yet as he regains fitness, but with a little luck he will be up to full speed very soon. It’s good to see you, sir. Welcome Bac.


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That Was Unexpected. And Fantastic.

from the factory floor

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE

Ashburton Grove

Referee: Andre Marriner

Arsenal 7-1 Blackburn Rovers     4 February 2012

Van Persie [2, 38, 62]                  Pederson [31] 

Oxlade-Chamberlain [40, 54]

Arteta [51]

Henry [90]   

                                

I must apologize for the tardiness of this post. A polar bear fell on me.

Speaking of tardy, I got to the Factory in the third minute and joined Carissa on the main level with Liam behind the bar. Unlike my last late arrival, the Arsenal were not so gracious and scored about 90 seconds before.  That lack of hospitality from the home side would become a trend on the day. No need to ask who scored though. Our captain does like his goals versus Blackburn. Ever since his first season in 2004-05 when Van Persie emerged in the FA Cup semi-final, he’s had a thing for scoring against the Blackeyes.

The question that also just about didn’t need asking was who set it up. It seems the thing you have to do with Theo is speak authoritatively about how he doesn’t get THAT many assists and he fucks around and busts a triple. Walcott, gotta say it was a good day. My opening volley was that at kickoff Song had more assists than Theo on the season, with Van Persie and Gervinho level.  If I have to make ridiculous bets and wear egg on my face with this kind of trivia to drag this Arsenal side over the line then so be it.