oops

By Boris Mellor
February 18 2010

I carefully set my DTR to record the match before I set off for Porto, just in case there were any controversial moments that needed the benefit of replay. Well there were plenty of such moments but I haven’t had the heart to look at the replays yet.

The result was an extremely disappointing one, but as we trudged home on what had proved to quite a cold Portuguese night Arsenal fans felt that the tie was not over.

We hadn’t been beaten by a particularly good team, but more by the inadequacy of the Arsenal keeper. The main difference between the two teams on the night was that they had a decent keeper.

I nearly didn’t get to the match as my 5:30 am train was cancelled, as I was pondering whether the next train would get me to Gatwick on time it was announced that all trains in and out of London Bridge were cancelled due to a fire on the track.

Unlike an Arsenal keeper I reacted in a flash and jumped a cab to Victoria, crossing London in only ten minutes. At a flash I had added another £34 to my bill with cab fare and new rail ticket. I congratulated myself on getting to Gatwick earlier than my original train would have done. Knowing what I know now I should have gone home and took my chances with Thomas Cooks insurance policy.

Fabianski Passes the Test

As we waited over 30 minutes at the end of the game to leave the site of our torment Fabianski was chosen at random as one of the two players to undergo a mandatory drug test. Perhaps the testers were hoping for some explanation to his bizarre performance, but this test proved to be the only test he passed all night, though apparently he missed the specimen jar twice.

 

Once again the Pole has ensured that Almunia remains number one at the club. I had a close up view of his first blunder as the Arsenal fans were behind his goal. In fairness to him he may have been startled by the ease that the Oporto attack got past Clichy. But it took only 7 minutes before the away fans could crow “you’re not singing anymore” at stunned Porto supporters, plus our old favourite, “Double Double, Sol Campbell has done the double”. Indeed he had, having headed the ball home and lost a CL match twice in a row.

Storm in Porto

At halftime a friend watching on TV informed me that the Arsenal players in the tunnel had tried to deal out justice to Porto players for their treatment of Cesc. The referee was a disgrace allowing Fabregas to be targeted again and again.

However, at half time I felt quite perky about our chances, and sensed we were getting on top, however it only took six minutes after kick off for that false appraisal to be corrected as Fabianski gifted another chance to Porto. The home crowd were in stitches and the stadium ignited in delight, they knew that there could only be one result against such a bunch of stumblebums.

Their reaction, and the architecture of the stadium, seemed to rub in what can be done when a ground is designed for real fans and not the corporate elite. Up until the second goal the home support had been ok, but without the sound muffler of Club level and ostentatious boxes the crowd level was soon turned up.

Arsenal had chased the game once; it was too much to ask this line up to do it twice. The team did try, but I felt that they no longer believed in the possibility of equalising, and the fans began to feel the same way. True Rosicky was denied a nailed on penalty, but nobody else had the courage to make a similar direct assault on goal. Theo was brought on, but I struggled to see him, not just because of the smoke from flares and the fact that fans are allowed to smoke inside the stadium.

Apart from Eboue they all wanted to tippy tappy in front of goal, and Carlos (Who?) made absolutely no difference to that either.

Time wasted – No Initiative

Before the match started I took the opportunity to visit the Croft wine cellar and was informed by the pretty young Portuguese tour guide that Percy Croft believed that time not spent drinking Port was time wasted, well this performance did nothing to disprove that theory.

 Porto is a rare Town where you could get rat legged completely for free, as every wine cellar, and there are quite a few, will give you at least one free glass of port. I said could, as I didn’t, but I was very disappointed at the lack of initiative of most, not all, of my fellow Gooners who passed this golden opportunity by.

Well we still have a chance of winning this tie, as long as we can find a keeper by March 9^th, but to be on the safe side I suggest having a bottle of vintage tawny ready for emergencies.