Disappointed

Very, very disappointed with you Arsenal boys and how we've been treated after the match yesterday.

I'm not thinking about only on here, but particularly articles like this and the comments that go with it:

http://blog.emiratesstadium.info/archives/20999

I have always seen Arsenal as classy, doing their own thing, rising above the rest- back in the days of the invincibles Arsenal were admired by everyone. Earlier in the season I thought we had a great match and your fans were good lads. Now, I see, it's only when you're winning. The excuses since yesterday have been appalling. You seem to have forgotten some of the things your fans like Kuntakite and Oxo said during the match- how we should have been miles ahead by half time and you should have had players sent off.

Yet once the result comes in, far too many of you were throwing the blame at us for cheating, diving and hard tackling. The irony of this is, considering today's results, it actually now looks like a point gained for you having come back from behind.

As to the accusations of cheating- yes, Norwich players were pretty slow when we went ahead. The worst incident, when Hoolahan stupidly threw the ball away, he deservedly got booked. BUT hang on a gunner-tinted minute... What about when Sczesny and Vermaelen were very, very slow once you were 3-2 up? Double-standards. All teams do the delaying thing. Yes, it's annoying and it's a shame, but we were both as guilty of it equally yesterday, because let's face it, which team when they're ahead in a tight game is going to be in a hurry to play?

As for the simply ludicrous accusation that Norwich were fouling everywhere, let me point you to the fair play league:
http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/matchday/fair-play.html
Now what does that tell you? Did you know in the Norwich-Chelsea match in January there were no fouls in the first half of a match for the first time in Prem history? (Interestingly, that was also a draw, but the Chelsea fans were much more inclined to come over to our board and congratulate us on our efforts than you were. Even bitter, bitter Spurtz were begrudgingly gracious in defeat). Ultimately, we are far from a dirty team. Though we do have the steel to stand up for ourselves in the middle when necessary. We have a couple of players who have dived, and some who have put in some nasty challenges, but don't all teams? (I'm looking at you Ramsey).

The quite preposterous suggestion that Bradley Johnson "meant" the stamp on Bacary Sagna is quite probably libelous. Watch the youtube video and you can see that Johnson goes for the ball, is not even looking at Sagna, and it is a foul (which the ref gives advantage for), but there is no malicious intent whatsoever. [EDIT: here is the video you can see he's not even looking at Sagna and it's just clumsy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2PyeW-i3HM ]. Apart from anything else, the incident happened so quickly nobody noticed, if he did mean it, it was incredibly subtle. And I'll tell you something for free, Bradley Johnson is not a subtle man. Try looking at a montage of some of his shots on (by which I mean off) goal. There is no way in hell he meant that on Sagna, and when you consider it was on his leg that is probably still weak from the earlier injury, it's pretty clear that it was an unfortunate and clumsy challenge from Johnson which was a foul, but there was nothing malicious in it. Now I think Sagna is the best right-back in the league, I honestly think he's phenomenal, so I'm truly sorry that he's suffered the same nasty injury again, but I'm extremely disappointed that he's so unprofessional as to accuse Johnson and give you Gunners yet more excuses.

As for the accusations that Holt should have been sent off. I'm sorry, that is simply ridiculous. Song ran over and pushed him on two occasions (and pushed over Ryan Bennett), all three incidents worthy of yellow cards. There was a lot of handbags going on between them and it was six of one. Now Holt had close to his best game in a Norwich shirt, which is one of the fourteen reasons he deserves an England call up, but I think even the most gunner-tinted of you has to admit that, as the commentators pointed out, Song was pushing and shoving at least as bad.

As for the penalties, if you read the bbc website and watch some of the commentary and slow mo's after the game you will realise that Coquelin did not get the ball, he got a chunk of Hoolahan. You will also see that Gervinho was offside, which dragged Ruddy out towards him immediately before RVP was pushed by Naughton (which he most definitely was). But ultimately none of that matters. What matters is we all know that the referee in this match was shamefully bad. After an appalling first half in which we should have been out of sight, the ref had an appalling second half when you should have had a penalty for that clear hand ball, amongst several other glaring errors. So let's just agree there- the refereeing has been incredibly disappointing for a newly promoted side, expecting high standards in the top division. Too many times we have suffered (against Chelsea at SB, at home to Stoke, at WHL even though it made no difference to the result). As far as I'm concerned, this is where you lot should be aiming your guns.

It would have been great if just one or two of the Arsenal fans had put their hands up and said well done. Especially in the light of us getting a draw, which has had no impact on your CL battle. Unfortunately, while before I had a lot of respect for Arsenal, now I think you might just be too proud to admit that for 70 odd minutes you were outplayed by little old Norwich and by a bunch of League 1 players whose best attributes are "team spirit" and hard work. A few of our players do actually have a bit of skill, you know. Sure, they only cost a max of £2m and most are in the £1000s, but they're really not so bad.

A real shame because I've rooted for you since the beginning of the season

 

you played well , but your players did themselves no favours with their timewasting antics .

Like , a free kick is awarded to Arsenal , Song tries to get the ball , one of your players walks away with it while another steps in his way to block song even getting to the divvy.

When the moron finally shifts his ass, the guy with the ball throws it 20 yards anyway .

And this is not near the end of the game , but about 50 minutes in .

Stupid , childish ,small club championship style behaviour.


If the cap fits you may as well wear it.

 

IMO the ref was generally crap, he hurt both of us. We both should have had players sent off, we both should have had penalties, we both got screwed. Holt did what Holt does best, use his size to piss off the man marking him.

 

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!! POT KETTLE BLACK

Did you read my post? Clearly not. Vermaelen and Szczesny were as guilty of it as the Norwich players- because they recognised that it was a tight game and at the time they were only 3-2 up and the game was in thee balance. So you can take your hypocrisy and petty insults elsewhere. I think Song's behaviour was far more childish. You're doing yourself no favours coming across as an arrogant blustering fool looking for excuses. The fact is ALL clubs do it, it's not got anything to do with being small or big. It's, shamefully, a part of the game. But it makes sense if you're fighting to hold a lead. And as I said, if you'd bothered to take your gunner-myopic specs off and put on some reading glasses, Hoolahan got justifiably yellow carded for that pathetic incident, so you can't really complain.

If we're a Championship club, how come we're in the prem? How come we held you to a draw (and should if the ref had been half decent, have had the game put to bed by half time). Also, I'll have you know, we have the eleventh biggest support in the country. We came third in the inaugural season of the Premier League and it is, as far as we're concerned, home. We're not under any illusions that clubs like the Manchesters, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool aren't miles bigger than us, obviously they are, but you're betraying your lack of footballing knowledge here. I bet the more humble gunners (of which there are, fortunately, plenty) will remember well the early nineties.

There a few Gunners with far more class than you. Good to see you have stamped and certificated my thread with justification!

 

Exactly, that's what I said. I do think that if he's using his size and then Song starts on him, you can hardly blame Holt though. Song wasn't "on song" yesterday, but a player of his class, miles ahead of any Norwich player, should be able to rise above it.

 

yeah i read your post , it was all sh1t .

"you can take your hypocrisy and petty insults elsewhere "

what the f@ck does that mean you f@cking dope. ?

time of the month is it ?

 

I can't speak for everyone else but as far as I go, I said Norwich were the better team and if it wasn't for poor officiating, you could've been 4-1 up and that we played poorly. Anyone suggesting otherwise is deluded.

 

Sorry Kuntakinte, I did acknowledge you in my original post and yeah, you were one of the decent fans, so thanks. Sorry if it wasn't clear.

Shame you have bellends like gunner.b.allright who can only try and WUM, but I guess all clubs do.

 

some of these yokels need to cut down on the cabbage water .


" who can only try and WUM "

your on OUR board you carrot crunching kunt.

 

I've never had a problem with Norwich; you can read my posts yesterday. I did not say anything bad about them, I think they are up to the level of a decent midtable side and you did us the favour of beating the Spuds, which was not unwelcome....

However some the behaviour yesterday was not sporting at all and only served to heighten an already tense atmosphere. By all means be competitive, but some of the Norwich players behaviour was bordering on cynical and nasty at times. It reminded me of the Newcastle game the way they were wasting time. You can be competitive and kill the game without having to resort to tactics. When Wigan beat us at home earlier in the season I was ready to give them full credit for their performance.

 

Ah, I see, you're a thirteen-year old who doesn't like being shown up!

My bad, in that case I won't engage you any more.

 

Hurrah !

ps , its impossible to be shown up by a resident of Norwich .

If i had to live there i would gas myself without further ado.

 

Ah sorry mate, I got distracted.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions but I think it's unfair not to give Norwich credit. At 2-1 up, you still came out and attacked while other clubs would've sat back. Sure there were a few spats but that's football. Swansea and Norwich have been a credit to the game, and even when we went 3-2 up we still conceded, and that was due to Norwich's determination and our slack defending.

I'm disappointed if other gooners think otherwise but that's their opinion.

 

Tell me, what are managers supposed to do at the end of a game?

Arsenal players have never been nasty and cynical, I suppose!

 

Thanks zaGooner, yeah I did see those, I didn't list all the decent Gunners- there were a few. I knew there were because you were alright in the match at Carrow Road.

What cynical things exactly beyond what I've already said? We gave a few fouls away and got three yellows, but you got two and Benayoun should have got at least one. I've already criticised Hoolahan, but I honestly think he got justly punished for it and that should be the end of it. It hardly had a huge impact on the result. I think you have to also bear in mind that, technically, our players are considerably poorer. There is an element of clumsiness involved more than anything. Also, in the grand scheme of cheating- think Ashley Young or the Chelsea performances v Barcelona (and equally some of the Barcelona performances), I think we were miles off that level. Particularly when you add in that Szczesny and Vermaelen were willing to slow the game down just as much (though admittedly they didn't throw the ball away!)- it does make tactical sense after all.

I just think one incident (the Hoolahan one), should hardly label the whole performance from Norwich as "dirty" or "cynical". Particularly when you consider how aggrieved we felt going in at half time

 

Are you still here ?

I thought you said you were dissapointed with us .

Why dont you just f@ck off and be dissapointed on your own board where we dont have to read your dross. ?

 

I agree, we were terrible in that 1st half, couldn't cope with their midfield properly. I believe standard policy here is to blame Ramsey.

 

I didn't say we weren't! Read the post again. If an Arsenal player acted in a similar manner I would be just as critical, i.e. Song's idiotic pushing and shoving, etc.
The physical side of Norwich's play yesterday was too much for our defence to handle at times, and after they went behind they didn't give up. It's creditable. I would say the same thing about any team that came to the Emirates and gave Arsenal a game (i.e WBA last season)
I have always had respect for the Canaries... they are a well run club and I willing to give credit where credit is due.
Fair enough on the comments then. We can have differing on how the game should be played, but I always think it should played in the right spirit.

Best of luck for the coming season.

 

When you say your opinion of our fans- yeah we have a few idiots, but don't all teams? Are you including me in that, because my post is not a wind-up? After all, you only have to read gunner.b.allright's intelligent and well-argued posts on this thread

 

Canary - lets make this short and sweet:

Norwich got some bad decisions and could have been out of sight.
We then got some bad decisions
Ref had a poor game overall
Norwich players were timewasting - blatantly.

end of story.

Your long long post was boring.