Good morning.
Difficult to know quite how to approach this. I can’t even fake incredulity over a season that was such a joy that has turned into, well …an ingrowing toenail.
The soundtrack to the build up of the game itself wasn’t so much the cheery humming of Chas & Dave, more Arry making a series of backhanded confessions about his frankly unforgivable behaviour.
He admitted that Levy & Co. plus others at the club thought he had been distracted by the England business. A backhanded way of acknowledging many of us want to kill him for abandoning us. He told the Independent that he hadn’t got it because he was too outspoken. A backhanded confession he has a mouth approximately 2437 times larger than his brain.
Trawling through Arry’s post match comments since Fabio resigned and the singular theme that has emerged is the one of ‘luck’. Luck has conspired against us. We were ‘unlucky’. We ‘battered’ ’em yet just didn’t get ‘the break’.
Now don’t get me wrong. I can understand when at the fun fair you chuck a ball at a coconut and miss. Bad luck! But to wheel out the absence of a rabbit’s foot, the fact that you forgot to throw salt over your shoulder whilst wearing lucky pants whilst reciting the Lord’s Prayer backwards after a dozen games doesn’t stack up.
The saddest thing is watching our cracking squad being mismanaged by a dithering, deceitful and demented Pearly King with a button eating disorder.
Walker is now our free kick specialist, right winger and occasional right back.
On Danny Rose, he’s thick, for sure, but far from the villain in of the piece. Those that Tweeted abuse at him ought wind it in. There has to be line drawn between letting off steam online and what you say and do in real life. I don’t go to games and boo. I go to scream, sing (after a fashion) and shout the lads on.
And on this subject. Will those of you with such a huge hole in your lives that feel the urge to try and police what people type online …kindly naff off? You’re holier than thou garbage is giving the rest of us who are balanced and normal a headache.
‘Patience!’ ‘Get behind the team!’ ‘This is the best we’ve done in 47 years!’ If you genuinely want to release these upbeat emotions, then buy a bloody ticket and spare the rest of us the religious zealot spiel. Nobody who enjoys free thought is with you. We don’t need policing.
The game was predictable enough fare. At one stage we counter attacked, yes counter attacked to find seven Villans in their penalty area …not including Given.
Tactically Arry screwed up yet again. In a nutshell he waited forever after Rose was sent off and then when we desperately needed a goal, he brought on Scotty Parker. Three at the back was the answer, but he’s too obstinate to even consider it.
The Fulham game could well turn out to be the Tea Time of The Long Knives.
5.009 Shocking goal. He didn’t even move.
4.000 Guilty of being too gormless to wear the shirt.
6.999 He’s largely just what the Dr. ordered.
6.876 Took his goal well, otherwise a commanding shift.
4.003 Good at running, but also frequently outwitted by sheep.
7.234 Does the job of four men every game.
6. 564 A bit wasteful, a bit not quite at the races,
7.001 Better, not worth £40m yet but looking sharper.
6.345 If you stayed on the left son, you’d achieve much more.
7.145 He’d do a lot better with Kyle and Bale playing in position.
7.212 His first touch is routinely iffy. Come on Ade, sort it out!
For any who ever wondered about Harry’s plan B, it was there for everyone to see yesterday that it simply doesn’t exist. Even when situations conspire to force the issue as they did yesterday he has no clue what to do. He dithered around and offered no direction or inspiration to the team in white, who were putting in all the effort but would be right to look to their manager for organization and strategy – but there was none. In the end, he brought off an attacking player and brought on a defensive one, with a few minutes on the clock. The wrong substitution at the wrong time. I still can’t fathom the justification. I personally think he just brought Scotty on cos he’s one of his faves. Either that or he was looking to protect a point which Villa were desperate to hold on to – in other words a point which never looked in any danger to us.
There was a big opportunity at redemption for Harry – a gift from the football gods – and he sat there for 40 minutes and did nothing. All he needed was a copy of ‘My Pet Goat’ to complete the effect.
Bush would have had 3rd sewn up.
pissed off 3rd was ours and they threw it away. gooners losing shoulda given the team a lift and i really thought we would smash villa.danny rose what are you doing man
I think Rose was hard done by with the red card. Can see why the ref gave it, it looks bad but I’ve watched it several times since and he goes to clear the ball but scuffs it as Hesky nudges him and Hutton runs into his studs. Don’t think he deserves the crap he’s getting to be honest.
As for the rest of it ……… Doh!!!
Nudge or no nudge, you can’t lead with your studs a foot off the ground. Dangerous as hell. Hutton had his weight on that leg and is lucky it didn’t break straight off.
Kyle Walker looked drunk for the first 30 minutes. I was certain he would cost us a goal, and we were lucky (to steal a phrase from ‘Arry)he didn’t.
Can’t lay all the blame with Rose, but losing a man with a half yet to play hasn’t helped us. And by god what an moronic challenge… Gave the ref no choice, and from a position where there was no real threat of danger. The goal they did get was a total fluke. Granted, Brad cvould have tried to move, but I doubt anyone would have saved it unless they were poorly positioned in the first place. If there is a silver lining it is that Rose won’t be available in the last game.
Come on Woy, give us a hand. It ain’t over til it’s over, and at least Le Arse look every bit as shaky and unreliable as we do.
A top chap on Twitter described him as having the look of a man that had, ‘just realised he’d lost his passport’.
More Harry bashing I see. Yes he has his flaws I suppose, but I cant help but notice how rarely you’re drawn on your preferred replacement?
If I cast my mind back then I seem to recall that yes, in fact we did mostly batter several sides during our blip, and just couldn’t stick it away. You can blame Harry, you can blame Adebayor et al or you can blame luck.
I don’t know whether all the coaching in the world would teach this lot how to get round the opposition when they’re parking the proverbial, so Harry is at best only partially responsible if you ask me!
We MUST give him another year without slating him every week. We could still finish 3rd you know!
What will all you eternal optimists say after the fulham game when we DONT get third? Ah well theres always next season lads!!!! Tomorrow never comes.
Like all his ‘support’ you have to come in like you understand more than the rest of us, you’re experienced in these matters, more thoughtful.
You use the word ‘blip’ like a surgeon would use the word ‘nick’ to describe a torn off limb.
What does, “I cant help but notice how rarely you’re drawn on your preferred replacement?” mean in English? Asside from the fact I have said I would take anyone with a CV of winning and Capello would top my list before, what is ‘rarely drawn’? A still life that won’t sit still?
You want to give him another year. Hurrah. I don’t have a problem with you feeling like that.
But nobody is interested in you whining about ‘Arry bashing’; make your point and don’t fret about my view or anyone else’s.
I am begining to agree with “all” you say HH :freu
Here here. Postman Pat for me too. FCOYS