Back To The Future
Chelsea delivered the final nail in the title coffin of Arsenal on Sunday with a 2-0 win at Highbury. Arjen Robben and Joe Cole scored the goals, which condemned Arsenal to their first home defeat of the season.
In all honesty it was an evenly matched and competitive game, which could have gone either way. Henry hit a post and shortly after Van Persie scored a legitimate goal which, was incorrectly ruled out for offside. The key moments went against Arsenal as Chelsea capitalised ruthlessly on defensive mistakes and some poor refereeing.
Essien is a dirty player, it has happened too many times to be coincidence. He elbowed Lauren and should have been sent off. Lauren lost a tooth and that makes a mockery of Mourinho's bizarre rant about Arsenal having a strategy. A strategy to protect our players and the spirit of the game perhaps.
It was a close game, which could have gone either way. I can accept that, we have a few injuries and lacked a bit of cutting edge and confidence, but in the majority we played with pride and passion and were unlucky. No massive gulf between the sides, despite the over hyped and undereducated media reports.
Arsenal have issues of their own to sort out before they look to overhaul Chelsea. We need a midfield capable of overpowering opponents and a driving force, a real captain.
I think the core of the club is good enough to build upon, and with a few signings and time, we will recover to make this season a stepping-stone to future success.
The difference between the two sides on Sunday?
The winning habit, which we don't have at present and Chelsea do.
But they paid for it.
Chelsea are summed up by their arrogant and classless manager. Mourinho refused to shake Wenger's hand. Kenyon and Mourinho act like they are above the rules of footballing society, like they are on a higher plane. The ONLY reason they are in this position is money.
Pre Abramovic they were building and had a long-term goal. I had respect for them, I even relished the day when they would challenge for the title. But only on a level playing field.
Now they have interrupted that building process and opted to buy instant success.
What a great achievement that is.
Chelsea have no long term planning. They have no structure and cannot maintain this success.
You can't buy good football let alone tradition, history and respect.
Chelsea are sitting on top of a self-erected volcano. It is new and colourful, it's exciting, for the first time they are at the top.
Success goes in cycles. Chelsea may well stay at the top for a few more seasons.
There will come a time when that volcano explodes. Chelsea will be in freefall. They have no longevity.
Arsenal have a brand new stadium, financial and structural stability, players of immense potential and a long-term future. All of that, AND the new stadium, safely well out the way of the path of Chelsea's lava.
posted by JoeBoni @ 12:35 PM
19 comments
19 Comments:
GunnerPete says.....well done Boni, your article is acurate & intelligent, unlike some of the moronic statements I have read on other sites.
My only problem with our beloved club is with the lies told to us year in year out. Arsene & Dein, have repeated over & over that we have the resources to keep building for the future, but, when it comes to the crunch, we sell instead.
AW, is talking nonsense when he states publicy that ' I see nothing wrong with our defence' and I see an improvement on last years performances???? Why sai it when its patently obvious its not true. We 'allowed' PV4 & Edu to go....I believe to say money. Bad planning! We allowed Spurs, Manure, Pool & even Toon, to buy ALL the UK talent going, and then say 'there is nothing available thats better than what we have already and it too expensive' ! Well, Im sorry Arsene....I think Robinson, Dawson, Huddelston, Carrick, Rooney, Parker, Cole J, Jenas, are class and affordable. I also thinl they are better fighters than the Freddy's, Pires, Cygans, & even Sol nowdays.
My answer is to have a healthy mix of UK & overseas talent. Why for instance was Hoyte & Smith loaned out when they are playing beter than Lauren, Cygan, Pires & Freddy?
So after being a Gunner for 57 years, I see the same terrible mistakes being made as in the 1970's & 1980/90's at AFC.....selling stars and replacing with novices. We will lose Walcott to Spurs or Liverpool because they really want him.
We have a gutless midfield.
De ja vu pre Vieira.
No one seems to notice that ALL yes ALL of Wenger's achievements have been with PV4.
It's no coincidence that we've belly flopped since he's gone.
Don't know where but it's dire that we find Vieira's replacement.
Not the little girl Fairygas!
You can say what you like but Chelsea outclassed you in every department yesterday. I'm a manure fan and cheered you guys on yesterday, but - dodgy offside decision apart - I seriously thought you looked no better than a top six side yesterday in comparison.
If you ask me Wenger has spent too long moaning about Chelsea - it's about time he just shut up and got on with his job of trying to rebuild Arsenal to where they should be. The same can said of Sir Alex here. . .
a perfect post. agreed with everything here and couldnt of put it better myself. i hope some chelsea fans are reading and al legitimate gooners are reading it too. theres nothing to add to it.
the sentiments are spot on. i think on saving gracve is that this chelsea team with this money could be a lot better but the likes of adnriiy, thierry, and ronaldinho are staying loyal to their clubs which once again i sone of footballs saving grace these days.
There is no predicament at Arsenal. In RVP and Thierry they have two, IMO, the two greatest strikers in the premiership as a partnership and both are clinical finishers especially RVP who is just getting better nad better.
Come January maybe a Vieria placement will come in. Infact Im sure one is on its way. Lets not forget Arsene is an actual genius, he will have this in mind. Not the fact hes a genius but the fact he'll need a PV replacement. im excited and come new season a new stadium i think we'll push chelski.
the real sickener of yesterday was the fact had we won chelski cud of been caught. not by us but liverpool or utd only 6 points is a gap which i think is realistic enough to start intimidatign the chelski performances. their 9 point cushion is seemingluy too much for me.
wot an aweosme seaon we have next year. wot r the rules on jan signings, cud we get a vieira replacement whos not played in europe, if arsne does that cud we win europe, in france, a wodneful send off for highbury to have a parade from paris with the european cup being ddisplaey at a home highbury crowd before its forver signed off into the histroy books. would be the dream. and nothing less would be a fitting tribute for the team and ground.
heres to dreaming !
si
p.s. again fuckign fantastic post boni mate, this shud be read over most over shitty mugs posting some crap and udnereducated posts reports as u said !
cheers pal
si
Dear Anon 1.48PM,
It's 'deja vous' not 'de ja vu' and Fabregas is arguably the best young player since Wayne Rooney.
You shouldn't talk badly about someone who shows so much passion to the cause.
People like you need to be taken into a field and shot.
Write positive comments about our team or write nothing at all.
Cheers, Richard Godden
P.S. Senderos, Fabregas and Van Persie need to be recognised for their recent efforts towards Arsenal's future...some passionate display's all round.
Firstly, I should own up to being a Mighty Blues fan (and have been for decades).
I am not here to gloat or to take the p***, but to hopefully put a small sense of perspective on a major issue for Gooners - the Viera replacement.
For years you guys were arguing, not without merit, that he was the best in the world in his position. Although, he may not the outstanding power he once was, it was always going to be a nightmare to replace him. Apart from Viera and Keane, also on the wane, who else stands out and how much do you think he would cost.
In my opinion, if he had the choice AW would really have only two ready made replacements. Scott Parker, we were never going to sell him to you, and Michael Essien, how much ?. Therefore I believe that AW is looking for potential and/or somebody he already has to step up, but that will take time.
The bottom line is that you have outstanding YOUNG talent that will grow plus a manager with a proven record at picking up diamonds. I know it may be difficult but give them time. After all you guys should know that the gap between first, second and third is very small.
On yesterdays game, we had some decisions and luck go our way and in the past it has gone your way. Football isn't perfect - thats why its played, managed and officiated by humans. That's why we love it.
Sorry for the length of this and hope nobody gets offended.
A sensible comment from a Ch£ls£a fan! However, Scott Parker is no PV4 and Essien is not welcome in N5 - he is essentially a cunt, an overpriced one at that. Cheers, Richard Godden
Thanks Richard, at least I think it was a complement, LOL.
As for Parker that was kinda my point. How can you replace the best in the world ?
As for Essien, you are of course entitled to your opinion, but may I suggest that that would not necessarily be your view if AW signed him rather than JM ?
I am not wishing to start a range war here but rather along the lines of the fact that the very qualities that made Viera a hero to Gooners made him hated by every other fan. Much like Wise for us and obviously other teams have their players as well.
My point is not to defend anybody or anything but merely try to be objective.
So taking that into account, and being objective IF you had Essien (forgetting the money), do you think that the Gooners would be a better team this year than they are ? Just a fun hypothetical, nothing more.
Firebird...
Very true, if Essien had been a gooner it might be a different story! Look at all the England players that get booed when they play for their clubs. The people who jeer Rooney, Ferdinand and jibe Robinson for being fat are the same people who hero-worship them during world cups etc...
People are funny!
First time I have had the chance to look this week, but Joe as always top Blog:
Most of your points make a lot of sense especially you point about our longevity.
Just wonder how many of theses so called Chelski fan’s will be around if & when the oil baron pulls the rug from underneath them in a few years time.
& that's not sour-grapes that is just pure business logic don’t care how much money he has he will not keep ploughing money in there.
Now getting back to “us” yes we have a future I can't see us being out of the top three much for the next ten years either.
But will this be good enough for some of our own prawn sandwich brigade, & will we loss this support if he dose not move into the market this Jan (but in their case I for one don’t think it would be a bad thing) @ least the new ground may be a bit more lively.
Because we all know really that Henry has already made up his mind about next year you only have to look @ his body language every week.
So why should Arsen & the Arsenal board just buy fill-in players until next year to appease him, would we not be better off waiting for the right players to come alone?
Lee.
i dont se any big names leaving. certainly not cole, and with a new stadium on its way doont see thierry leaving. but if he left all is not lost. with the kind of money we'd get then he would be replaced by alot of class id hope.
arsenals style isnt as formidable as chelskis so i cant see the premiership being wrestled. their defence is a lot strudier than ours. we need a centreback desperately incase kolo or sol get injured. we also need a pv4 replacement. senderos isnt up to the task if u ask me.
nice to see a level headed chelski fan, ur posts add a nice balance to this site ! and noddy, essien in essence s a cunt - best comment ever.
that was si btw.
Si,
Sorry mate cant agree with you here realistically both Cole & Henry will not be here next year.
Why because on both counts their silence is deafening as to their commitment to the club next year.
& I still cant forgive Cole anyway so he can fuck-off as far as I’m concerned.
My opinion has always been if you don’t want to play for the ARS do one.
Although I do agree with one point we will have plenty of money come next summer to replace just not this Jan. but when we sell both of them + the money we already have to play with.
We should be talking 30-40 million here?
The main reason being the right players will not be on the market in Jan so boys the best we can hope for this season is a couple of cups perhaps.
Lee.
i hatwe to think the one true arsenal fan may be off. coel stays
arsen wont let thierry go. the new stadium will be graced with these talents. lee i firmly believe this. thierry wont leave he is loved at arsenal, and the board will show more grit then ever to keep him.
we miss lieks of tony and ray batltig nfor the cause, cole is masisve to keep and hes yougn and english.
thierry dare i say it is replaceable his arrogance and laissez faire attitude can cost us in big matches but hes a genius and one id love to see at ashburton gove
si
Si,
Sorry have I got you right are you saying Cole is an Arsenal fan.
yes. always has been as far as im aware. is this wrong ? one of the last local lads whom support th club within the ranks, if not the only.
get some more battling englishmen in there. or lets chaneg the way we play. its not working.
si
He may well say he's an Arsenal supporter (easy to say) but do you think going to an arch-rival to talk terms while under contract was inline with being an Arsenal supporter, could you honestly see the likes of Tony Adams - DB10 I could go on but I won't would conduct themselves in this way?
Si I think your very misguided & should expect more from your so called supports, "or is it me in the minority" were I expect a certain code with my team.
Lee.
lee different times there. adams was a higbury legend. one of my fave players whom actually goes to the wonderful david seaman.
different times now. is gerrard not a liverpool fan for talkig nto chelsea. hes liverpool through and through, as is ashley with arsenal.
i chose not to have to defend my comments especially ones which cant be either 100% founded or denied. for me hes an arsenal fan but ud have to ask him that. i dont care i think he is. he seems to be, he says he is, and hes a local lad, ive n o real reason to dount it.
si
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