Saturday 1 January 2005
Arsenal home. What was the score? 1-3
I don't quite know how I feel about today's game. Up and until Van Persie's third goal I thought we more than matched Arsenal with the contest quite evenly balanced, you know, us in a Ford Focus and them in a Rolls Royce kind of way.
Whilst the Arse were not at the top of their game, they still won a lot of second ball and 3 goals from 5 shots on target explained their obvious quality despite for once Henry not scoring - he has scored more Premiership goals against us than any other.
Talal El Karkouri's free kick alone was worth me getting out of bed this morning with a bastard headache. And at half-time I sat amongst a number of Arsenal fans feeling a lot better. I was also thinking to myself that for once it was us who had scored on the brink of half-time and not them because both Arsenal and Man U have a horrible habit of netting just before or after the break against us.
Of course 3 minutes into the 2nd half I was cursing my bloody self for being so cocky. Curbs and others are saying the goal was offside but I couldn't tell from the television and neither was it mentioned by the commentators so that was news to me when I read the reports later.
Yesterday I called for a more cavalier style and Dennis Rommedahl duly obliged in the opening minutes because he started on fire and we did create some good opportunites in the first period but for the umpteenth time recently we failed to take any of them from open play.
As for individual performances, I thought Bartlett did admirably well up front, him and his team mates are beginning to master the formation a lot better than they were a month ago but he still doesn't look like he's got a goal in him. HH was again outstanding as was new hero and top goalscorer (that tells a sorry tale doesn't it?) El Camel.
Thomas looked tired and I think he should be rested on Monday. Rommedahl should be perservered with like Murphy was. He gave Ashley Cole a couple of scares today. Kish was again so often wasteful in possession and at times is a car wreck waiting to happen. As for Matt Holland, how many other people are getting fed up of him being quietly effective? That would be fine in the church mouse 5-a-sides but I want to see more from him.
Reports from those that were there: cafc.co.uk; BBC Sport; Sky Sports; All Quiet.
¶ 20:39
Whilst the Arse were not at the top of their game, they still won a lot of second ball and 3 goals from 5 shots on target explained their obvious quality despite for once Henry not scoring - he has scored more Premiership goals against us than any other.
Talal El Karkouri's free kick alone was worth me getting out of bed this morning with a bastard headache. And at half-time I sat amongst a number of Arsenal fans feeling a lot better. I was also thinking to myself that for once it was us who had scored on the brink of half-time and not them because both Arsenal and Man U have a horrible habit of netting just before or after the break against us.
Of course 3 minutes into the 2nd half I was cursing my bloody self for being so cocky. Curbs and others are saying the goal was offside but I couldn't tell from the television and neither was it mentioned by the commentators so that was news to me when I read the reports later.
Yesterday I called for a more cavalier style and Dennis Rommedahl duly obliged in the opening minutes because he started on fire and we did create some good opportunites in the first period but for the umpteenth time recently we failed to take any of them from open play.
As for individual performances, I thought Bartlett did admirably well up front, him and his team mates are beginning to master the formation a lot better than they were a month ago but he still doesn't look like he's got a goal in him. HH was again outstanding as was new hero and top goalscorer (that tells a sorry tale doesn't it?) El Camel.
Thomas looked tired and I think he should be rested on Monday. Rommedahl should be perservered with like Murphy was. He gave Ashley Cole a couple of scares today. Kish was again so often wasteful in possession and at times is a car wreck waiting to happen. As for Matt Holland, how many other people are getting fed up of him being quietly effective? That would be fine in the church mouse 5-a-sides but I want to see more from him.
Reports from those that were there: cafc.co.uk; BBC Sport; Sky Sports; All Quiet.
¶ 20:39
