I hate matches like that... well – I love them too, you know the ones I mean, the matches that are good games for the neutral to watch. Fenerbahce were obviously far from great but going into the game there were a lot of negative noises floating about... i.e. how the home crowed would get to us, how Fenerbahce never lose at home, how our makeshift defence was too frail to cope – etc.
On the Facebook intelligentsia discussion group (where I periodically lurk) all of these dark clouds seemed to have gathered and there were predictive mumbles of 0-1, 1-1 and 2-2 being the end result – the overwhelming consensus was that: "it would be a tough game". I alone predicted: "We are going to smash them 1-4" – so I was almost right. I even put my money where my mouth was and went large on HT/FT Arsenal/Arsenal and got fantastic odds :-D. I'm yet to figure out where all this doom and gloom came from – the talking heads in the commentary box were doing their bit pre-match to pour water on our chances... but think, ignore that cunt, his ilk and what the papers tell you – remember we are the team who fucked AC Milan in their own back yard – so who the fuck are Fenerbahce anyway?
That's what right minded Arsenal fans should have been thinking... there's no way we were going to lose that game – even with Song and Silvestre as centre backs.
Fenerbahce, give them their due, were right battlers and never gave up on attacking – they had belief right up until half time that they could score themselves right back into the match. Full respect to them – I was a very nervous gooner and was praying for the half time whistle to preserve out 2 goal advantage... in the dressing room when the adrenaline starts to wane and you are 1-3 down – it's much harder to get motivated than if you were 2-3.
The whistle came and I breathed a sigh of relief.
The half time period was spent online discussing who was more of a liability at CB; Silvestre or Song – I thought Silvestre looked out of place and Song was getting exposed in the air... Silvestre also tends to hump it up field rather than play it out, which I felt upset our flow a bit... the Fenerbahce goal went in off Silvestre but it came off a foul on Song (who may or may not have had enough height to clear it) so I couldn't really hold either of them responsible for it. Right after the break though our nit-picking was silenced when Song scored with a Silvestre assist... hey ho!
But let's rewind to the first half for a second. The first two goals were absolute magic – and all of it went through Fabregas... it looked all too easy for first Adebayor then Walcott to get in behind the defence but both movements were timed to perfection. Fabregas was awesome. His vision and skill made them look like schoolboys twice within 70 seconds – Ade and Theo just had to keep their nerve... which, of course, they did and they finished like they were on the training ground... I like to think that Fabregas caught Aragones' eye on the way off the field with a knowing smirk, "not bad for a Catalan eh? Just you wait for the home leg – then I'll really going to punish you old man for leaving me on the bench in the Euros!"
The other midfielder who showed some ambition to get a regular start was Diaby. Diaby had a blinder; he chased balls like a spaniel on crack and attacked/finished like a seasoned striker! We've seen Diaby do this before... the Carling Cup final against Chelsea is an occasion which springs to mind – if he can stay injury free and focused then I expect to see much more of him as a versatile regular adding the depth in options we need in the midfield.
Much was made of the Fenerbahce fans reputation of being thuggish and uncompromising – but not so, they struck me intelligent and devoted. They wanted to unsettle us – but it didn't work. They wanted to unsettle the officials – again, it didn't work... and at the end they had no complaints... they even applauded Arsenal off the field – so hardly the bunch of stabby Turkish hooligans that they were painted as... maybe they only get a bit stabby and angry when they feel hard done by I wonder?
Talking head #1 (the one spewing a torrent of inane shit under the guise of commentary) tripped over his lying tongue with this 'off the cuff' (i.e. pre written card with a list of things to drop in if he could) remark:
"Oh the Fenerbahce fans are getting at the officials but it's all too easy to blame the referee when your heroes are having an off day."
It was in a tone of voice that was so irritatingly condescending and obviously directed that, in a bid to purge to poison from my ear, I involuntarily shouted: "FUCK OFF" before he finished his sentence... that'll be the Tourette's again! This illustrates to me that this year we are going to be robbed again... although I concede that I actively look for it so my perception may be bias. The template is set and the criminals all briefed with their alibis and cover stories... you tell me - who else was that comment meant for?
The mornings papers reaffirmed my opinion... it was all about Manchester United and Berbatov's 'exhilarating' display against the mighty Celtic... Arsenal – 3 pages in, buried. Sky sports news this morning even went as far as to show the goals/scores from every other game last night and miss the Arsenal match out completely!
Fuckers.
Firstly the mighty Berbatov's goals were both fucking offside right and secondly they beat Celtic at home. Lets look at the facts:
a) United were unbeaten in the last 16 European home games.
b) Celtic have lost 17 of their last 18 European games.
So, considering this; is the fact that Manchester United cheated their way to a 3-0 victory over Celtic really news?
Conversely let's look at the basic facts of the Arsenal game:
a) Fenerbahce were undefeated at home in 15 European games.
b) The Arsenal team's average age was 22 and cost less to assemble than the 'offside goal-hanger' Berbatov's transfer fee.
c) Arsenal played some proper football and beat Fenerbahce fair and square in a glorious open game that was 'great for the neutral' 2 goals to 5.
So answer me this – in retrospect, which game/result is more newsworthy/praiseworthy and why do I see nothing but pictures of Berbatov's smiling fucking face this morning?
I think I preferred him at Tottenham.
Let's now look forward to the game against West Ham at the weekend. It does not bode well, in my book, that last night's result was so crudely brushed under the media carpet. It does not bode well that the talking heads are apologising in advance for the referee and officials... it does not bode well at all.
Personally I think we are going to smash them... although lets look at a worst case scenario:
Howard Webb gets to ref the match.
Webb, as we know, is right up the Hammers arse – I guess this is because a significant percentage of West Ham fans are racist thugs and he's an ex copper... so he feels right at home in his workplace.
But even with Webb giving the Hammers 'Carte Blanche' taciticy to kick the shit out of us and his itchy twitchy whistle finger in and around the Arsenal penalty area; I still rate our chances. West Ham are in chaos due to the bankruptcy of Iceland (see previous post somewhere); they need to raise around 50 million quid in the next transfer window to avoid administration... so all the players will have one eye on the door and hopefully be looking to show some individual talent i.e. play a game of football rather than shut up shop and stick the boot in. Also Zola isn't Curbishly, he's new, naive and idealistic; and I can't see him pre match telling his team to "kick us out of the game, play for a draw and trip over your own feet anywhere in a scoring position" as he'll be looking to attract cheap young talent and loan deals in January to play his style of football... we also have nice, squeaky clean English Theo 'I'm-not-a-granny-fucker' Walcott – and if worst comes to worst – players looking at pay cuts and transfers wouldn't dare kick him off the field and risk the public backlash if they broke him.
No fear Theo!
Let's see what happens...
