Three in a row and Wenger through the wringer
Three top flight wins in a row for the first time since 1984’s Huddy inspired great escape. The final game was by far the least enthralling installment of the trilogy, but who is really complaining about that? After a first half when both sides were as poor as each other, few could have predicted what became an emphatic victory for us. Not that we didn’t deserve the victory overall I hasten to add. The plethora of bad refereeing decisions that have gone against us this season are embedded in our collective psyche, leaving a dark bitter stain. The point has to be made however that we were the recipients of good fortune at The Hawthorns when Jonesy, shall we say, tumbled a bit too easily and Foy kindly gave us the penalty. I think he dived but there is one glaring factor which has to be brought into the debate…. why did WBA keeper Frank Carson feel the need to dash from his goal? Jonesy still had a lot to do. But dash he did to lead us to Matty’s ruthlessly executed penalty to give us a lead we rarely looked likely to lose. Our opponents looked demoralised and we continued to grind and graft and got a second, with a more valid penalty, which Jon Walters hammered home with much aplomb. Right at the death Jonesy did some great jinky work on the left which put Walters in again. The hapless Frank Carson saved the first effort with rare competence but the rebound deflected to Walters who ruthlessly swept the ball home for his second and our third. Admittedly, the third gave the scoreline a flattering complexion, but that’s football it happens, it feels good to be on the right side of some (minor) injustice! So our strangely, phenomenally, bizarrely, amazingly brilliant record against WBA continues. On Saturday the Baggies heads went down from the moment we scored as if being behind to Stoke City was such a depressingly familiar feeling. That’s hardly surprising. It’s probably as depressing for them as it is awe inspiring for us! So, three wins in a row and two clean sheets. It’s fair to say things are looking up. Life is good! The elephants have made a sharp exit!! Hopefully that’s the last we’ve seen of the unwelcome big grey floppy eared tusky sods!!! They are beautiful animals but not what I want in the loungeroom on Saturday night whilst watching Stoke play!!
After their hopeless display against Sunderland Chelsea were much improved against Birmingham. Birmingham mustered one shot at goal while Chelsea had twenty five, yet, amusingly, Chelsea still lost! It’d be fanciful to suggest the behind the scenes wrangling was responsible for their Saturday’s defeat but the aforemtioned wrangling is clearly having a detrimental effect on the club as a whole. The dismissal of Wilkins and the subsequent internal squabbling is as undignified as it is funny! Abramavic bought Chelsea seven years ago and while the money has bought success the ongoing meddling from administrators at the club is obstructive to whoever the manager may be. The Independent reported on Monday that Ancelotti might be on the verge of resignation because he doesn’t have the power his contemporaries have at their respective clubs. It seems resignation rumours were somewhat melodratic, but it does demonstrate how difficult Chelsea can be to manage. A bottomless pit of transfer funds doesn’t compensate for the impracticalities of big club decisions being made behind your back. On buying the club in 2003 Abramovic’s mission statement was to win two European Cups (Champions league my arse!) in the first ten years. That they are yet to win one proves that a winning culture to match the cream of world football can’t just be bought, it has to be built over a period of years… even with that bottomless pit.
Another London club that went through the wringer at the weekend are those lovable purists at The Emirates. How did that happen? Well, Arry played a blinder. The astonishing second half comeback came with Defoe replacing Lennon and playing as a striker while Van De Vaart moved to the right. This gave them options all over the attacking third and eventually they outnumbered poor old Arsenal into submission. I’m sure all Stokies shed a tear for Arsene Wenger as he wandered the touchline in exasperated frustration. It was a truly fantastic game and an example of all that is good about football. However, one disappointing aspect is that Arsenal got three yellow cards. The whole world was watching and their blunt violence again brings shame and disgust onto the reputation of English football. When you reduce yourself to that kind of thuggery it ceases to be football.
Hey get this for any oxymoron… FIFA Ethics committee!! Honestly, it really exists. Look at this if you don’t believe me. http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/bodies/committee=1882034.html They must have the easiest job in football! Like driving the snow plough in Dubai.
England were well beaten by France. Technically and tactically outclassed. To slag off Capello for this performance and result is to miss some salient points. The clamour was for different younger players to gain some international experience… which they did. That we were comprehensively beaten just emphasises AGAIN that the technical ability of English players in inferior to that of many other countries. France were one of few teams to have an even worse World Cup than England yet they already look to be rebuilding and preparing for the future. If England host 2018 the role of the national football traning centre at Burton will get sharper focus as it will be a legitimate target to aim for. By then we may have started to see the fruits of that labour (heaven knows we’ve waited long enough) and finally get English players who can trap a ball and pass it accurately and keep the ball and patiently unlock an opposing defence, you may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.