Arsenal
Signings or Sign Out Banner Confiscated
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By Boris Mellor
May 10 2010
It was quite an enjoyable day, but not a lot of that had to do with the football, it was mainly what goes on around the ritual of the final match of the season. It started off by meeting a bunch of Fulham fans at the Faltering Full Back pub in Stroud Green. A very pleasant place for a pre match drink. Paul our Cult Zero sponsor, a Fulham Fan, was there with friends and family, Paul assured me that Fulham would not start with more than 4 first team regulars, so that rid me of any pre match nerves.
I needn't have worried as Spurs were about to bottle it after being 2-1 up at half time, my only regret is I didn't know that I could have got 14-1 on Burnley winning at half time.
I listened carefully to the players' names being read out, Fabianski, the crowd almost silent. Campbell, big cheer and chant, Clichy, big cheer. Eboue loudest of all, only outdone by RvP. Even the response to Theo was muted. Most got a sullen response or a polite round of applause, apart from Djourou, and he was on the bench.
Meanwhile in the upper tier a banner declaring Signings or Sign Out hung over the edge for all to see, except the stewards and those sitting in the North Bank itself. By half time the Kremlin got its act together and the banner was confiscated.
The match had sold out months ago before during heady days of pre March 27th, but there were quite a few empty seats. I counted six empty boxes; and a quarter of club level failed to turn up. Obviously, a minority felt bitter about the sudden collapse.
Paul was almost spot on, only three first team regulars started for them. It is hard to make judgements against such depleted opposition. Even the Fulham players on the pitch made little effort. Arsenal scored four, but only had 12 shots in total, six of those off target. Meanwhile Fulham managed a pathetic one shot off target.
It was good to see another team's keeper have a bad day, however the crowds cheering every time Fabianski collected the ball or kicked out was stupid and could have backfired. Fabianski had little to do, and that he did badly, but he is not responsible for team selection.
Eboue was hilarious; the man's a star, not necessarily for football reasons. His antics on the corner flag produced tears of laughter rolling down my face. He and RvP were the only stars of the day.
Less than half the crowd remained for the gap of latitude, but those that did cheered enthusiastically. Eduardo looked miserable, Rosicky sheepish, and Almunia clapped carefully with his allegedly, injured, but unbandaged wrist. Ramsey looked remarkably agile. Strangely, I seemed to get out of the ground quicker than usual.
In the garden at the Bank, the Wenger loyalists were demanding he sign four players; meanwhile the opposition demanded he sign four players. There could be a basis of a coalition here. Wenger loyalists want him to change course, but admit if he does not they are not sure what the next step should be. There was a consensus that finishing third was probably more than could be expected, taking into account the weakness of the squad at the start and finish of the season.
Then it was off to Tayyabs for a Bank Posse end of season celebration. We were honoured with the presence of the President of the Macedonian Arsenal Football Supporters. I didn't have the heart to ask which Macedonia.
It might not have been the best season ever, but after stuffing the mixed grill starter, we all agreed it was the best end of season banquet ever. Thanks to Noble Trojan for organising it.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:05:14:20:03:30 by Padre Pio.
Best,
the President.
Nice to have met you.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:05:10:17:13:51 by Padre Pio.
He's not good enough to play for Arsenal, not now, not ever, and he should p*ss off to a smaller club. End of.
I dont feel sorry for him, in the same way that I wouldn't feel sorry for a bus driver who claimed to be good at driving buses then kept driving off cliffs with loads of passengers inside.
gosh how i loved that line...........its a pity and still a good thing that arsenal fans are gentlemen who are willing to give wenger & the board the longest rope to do whatever they like.............keep toying with us..............
enjoyed it.... great read
Can We Now Trust The Process 🤔🤷🏿♀️ or Should We Still Remain Cautious 🙇🏿♀️
Theodore roosevelt - In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
No sorry I'm a decent minded chap who normally observes the 'dont mock your own team' sort of rules, Eboue was different, the boy has had his good games before and since. Plus my feeling about that game was that Wenger was being booed as much as anything for f*cking about with the team too much.
Fabianski is different, he is an impostor, not good enough, I couldn't give a sh*t if his confidence was wrecked I dont want him playing for the club. Its a two way thing, sport, theres a lot of people paying good money to watch him play, he doesnt have to be a rocket scientist to realise he's out of his depth, he should ask for a transfer and @#$%& off to Kaiserslautern or somewhere no harm done lets all forget about him.
Don`t misunderstand me please, I`m no fan of any of our keepers. (I have never seen Szczensy play). IMO we haven`t had a Arsenal standard keeper since Mad Jens got the heave-hoe.
For whatever reason, our best possible back 4 of Sagna, Gallas, TV and Clichy. have not been able to protect our keepers, even though we, as fans, we see them as a top 4 back 4. They, in general, have been average to poor in big games this past season. There have been next to no outstanding performances by our defense in big games this season.
Vermaelen was picked as a member of the EPL team of the season and he was adjudged a success by everyone, but he was at the heart of a defense who leaked about 10 or 12 too many goals and it`s not all down to Fabianski.
Since the end of WW1, 1919, when the FA restarted its 4 tier football league, with Arsenal fc in the 1st div, there’s only ever been one club to have never been relegated from Div 1/ EPL.
Arsenal fc
Let’s keep making history
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
As for you celine. You might think you're a 'decent minded chap' as you put it.
I think you're a complete f*cking idiot.
It's one thing giving someone the bird for not trying, like Eboue got 2 seasons ago, but it's quite another jeering and ironically cheering a player who is obviously trying his hardest and who, equally obviously, has lost all confidence.
The last thing he needs is a number of morons who purport to want Arsenal to win as much as he does, doing their best to see Arsenal lose by doing that to him.
It beggars belief how you think you can even start to justify your stupidity.
If you think you were being clever or funny then the slap I would have given you would have disabused you of that notion.
In fact, tell me where you sit and I'll do it next time I'm fortunate enough to get a ticket.
I'm going to lightly take the @#$%& out of the players. Calm the f@ck down.
Funny you should mention spilling lager into Brians ruby, because that was exactly what he did to me. Fortunately it was almost finished.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Quote:Simon68
Good read Padre. Shame I couldn't be at Tayyabs to spill lager in Brian's ruby on Sunday!
As for you celine. You might think you're a 'decent minded chap' as you put it.
I think you're a complete f*cking idiot.
It's one thing giving someone the bird for not trying, like Eboue got 2 seasons ago, but it's quite another jeering and ironically cheering a player who is obviously trying his hardest and who, equally obviously, has lost all confidence.
The last thing he needs is a number of morons who purport to want Arsenal to win as much as he does, doing their best to see Arsenal lose by doing that to him.
It beggars belief how you think you can even start to justify your stupidity.
If you think you were being clever or funny then the slap I would have given you would have disabused you of that notion.
In fact, tell me where you sit and I'll do it next time I'm fortunate enough to get a ticket.
..
..
Ref the point about putting him off and causing him to make more mistakes, well, if Sunday had been competitive in any way shape or form, then slaughtering one of your own players is suicide. In fact if anyone did it in a competitive game when we were chasing the title I would probably have a go at them. But the game wasn't competitive and you could tell that after about three minutes. It was a very boring end of season knockabout. So I have to disagree on that aspect.
So take this as an apology. And Simon mate if you still want a punch up I'm afraid I move seats every game so the best I can do is PM you my first seat of next season and you can come along and smack me in the face. But I would appreciate a phone call first.
It would take the edge off it and I'd feel a bit guilty.
It's still unforgiveable to do that to an Arsenal player though.
Don't do it again unless a player isn't trying.
We didnt know that the match was pointless until full time, at half time Spurs were winning so it did matter, Fabianski is capable of shipping 3 goals anyday.
Although I agree its wrong to jeer him, I also think its time he went. Every team oop North will do the same dirty tricks on him. He has no chance
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)
Date: 11 May, 2010 21:17
Every team oop North will do the same dirty tricks on him. He has no chance
surely padre you are not suggesting for one minute that english refs are anything other than unbiased and would never allow our goalie to be subjected to fouls that they would not call
by the way if you are not saying I bloody well am, shower of crooked muppets, who do as much to decide who wins the title as most players on the pitch
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
You clearly see Roberts elbow Fabianski for the first one and for the second it was a clear and obvious tactic for Dunn not to jump, but to back straight into the players around Fabianski. He backed into Sol, who in turn went into Fabianski causing him to miss the ball.
Any other team and the ref would have given fouls, but this is Arsenal and as we know they don't like being roughed up so all the more reason not to penalise the other side.
It's perverse logic, cock-eyed reasoning or whatever expression you want to use but it's what happens unfortunately.
I do agree entirely with you though Padre, and I have said it before, that Fabianski hasn't got the right temperament to play in big games and should go.
I get the feeling that AW's stubborn streak will come out and he will stay with Almunia going.
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