[Drummer]

While we all send our best wishes to Eduardo after the horrific injury he suffered against Birmingham, I think that Arsenals recent form has been conveniently overlooked when discussing them.

They capitulated against united, losing their heads, kicking out at united players, but it seemed to be more important to talk about Nani Showboating then their awful discipline.

They drew at home to a Milan team struggling in the Serie A, yet there was no real negative comments on this result.

Then against birmingham they were truely awful in the 1st half and blew a 2-1 lead in the final mins of the game. Then their captain has a mental breakdown and cries on the pitch

Am I the only person that thinks arsenal cracks are beginning to show? Their captain seems to be cracking up after the first pressure letdown game of the league this season. Nobody seems to be capable of stepping up to the plate when it matters. Adebayer seems to be too childish to put his arguement with Bentner aside (see the shot he took when 2-1, with an easy pass to bentner a tap in!) .

Whats remarkable is how Wenger has managed to deflect any criticism or negative comments on his team by blaming everything but the backbone that his team are missing.

As far as I am concerned, the season starts now. This is where the big boys stand up and the weak fall. Now people expect arsenal to win the league, they are starting to feel the pressure they have never felt before. United have still got alot to do to win the league, but you have to feel their experience could proove to be enough to get them over the line. If united can keep winning, I think Arsenal will fold like origami!!!:jester:

 

[Drito]

Now as you said, it is based on mental strength. With 5 points behind, it was out of our hands, but with 3 points only and a great goal difference (in a title run-in that will make us play Arsenal), means it is up to us to win it. If the players can keep their heads like in 0203, we'll beat them convincibly...I mean for fecks sake, Gallas has already started crying - talk about a Le Bottler

 

[Yatta]

I mean for fecks sake, Gallas has already started crying - talking about a Le Bottler

Any excuse to post this again...

[tub]Yx7dQVG9HDw[/tub]

Great post by the way Drummer, I agree fully.

 

[Drito]

But, but he couldn't be bothered to care about a 4-0 defeat against Man United, so why would he care about a draw against Brum.....it is apparent something got stuck in his eye.

 

[O Glorioso]

Well they're ****ed unless Van Persie comes back, because now they lack depth at the forward position which is gonna ask Adebayor to do and play much more.

 

[Ghost World]

Hopefully we'll see an Adebayor/Bendtner partnership, since they supposedly hate each other.

 

[PatrickBateman]

The title started in August.

Ghost World, get my woman out of your avatar you ****.

 

[satish_iitg]

Hopefully we'll see an Adebayor/Bendtner partnership, since they supposedly hate each other.

bang on..any one noticed in the birmingham match that adebayor had a great chance to pass to bendtner who was in a great position but he didnt pass to him.it seems that they dont even talk to each other.

But as drummer said that its about time for us to show the mental strength and be consistent.gallas was supposed to be the experienced player who will guide the inexperienced players to title. But his mental strength is questanable after his :frownani: ....

3 points with arsenal still to visit old trafford.:boxing: :boxing:

 

[nEEbz]

They drew at home to a Milan team struggling in the Serie A, yet there was no real negative comments on this result.

exactly.

I mean just check out how Manure, who were top of the league, drubbed Milan who were pretty pathetic domestically, in the CL semis. I mean that makes ...oh no wait :lala:

 

[PatrickBateman]

exactly.

I mean just check out how Manure, who were top of the league, drubbed Milan who were pretty pathetic domestically, in the CL semis. I mean that makes ...oh no wait :lala:

I'll finish it for you, that makes us Champions, and Arsenal ...oh no wait :lala:

 

[nEEbz]

how does getting humilated by Milan makes you champions? :googly:

 

[PatrickBateman]

how does getting humilated by Milan makes you champions? :googly:

Champions of England.

I think you'll find we beat them at home. Let's hope Wenger's wonders©™ will humiliate Milan at the San Siro to cement themselves as the greatest team to ever kick a football, although they've never won the European cup.

 

[nEEbz]

Champions of England.

How come that came into the context of Milan, UCL and European stage? :googly:

 

[PatrickBateman]

How come that came into the context of Milan, UCL and European stage? :googly:

You said we were top of the league...?

 

[Drummer]

How come that came into the context of Milan, UCL and European stage? :googly:

Milan went on to win the CL last year, were at least playing well in the Serie A at the time also. Recently they are dropping shocking points in their own league and didnt exactly flatter in the CL groups. You are only as good as you are in a season and form fluctuates otherwise we wouldnt have the likes of average teams like Liverpool and Porto winning the CL. 4 years ago united drawing in lyon would of been a fantastic result, now its just, well its just a decent one.

The milan game has put arsenals form into context, you cant take it as a single entity itself. This time 2 months ago, the way arsenal were playing a draw wouldve been considered a bad result, but since the pressure is really hotting up, as usual the english media are choosing to ignore the growing erratic performances of arsenal, in favor of bailing them out with every excuse under the sun (arsenal didnt show up/ werent interested in the fa cup, they were unlucky, they couldnt compose themselves after the injury)

Im pointing out that in all competitons arsenal are certainly not looking as pompously confident/Arrogant as they did even 2 months ago.

I have to laugh at some responses about Gallas "showing how passionate he is for the club etc".

Ok..... Things arent going well for your team, you arent playing well, have had a bad week and one of your players suffers a horrifying injury, as captain or leader which will benefit your team most:

a) Gathering all the players around to get them to focus on their jobs, psych them up, try to reassure them, help them weather the storm by using your experience in the game to build up their confidence and get them focused

Or

b) Do you have a mickey fit when you concede a dodgy but poorly timed peno, storm down to the other end of the pitch on your own, kick an advertising boarding and break down in tears after the game, sitting on the pitch for 2 mins on your own after the game? (Comparison in Management terms, kevin keegans "I will love it if we beat them" when it all got too much for him)

Well, if you are an arsenal fan (from many posts I have seen on comments below newstories of Gallas reaction) apparantly a real captain and leader is b)

Nothing has been won or lost in the league yet, but at the moment united have the psychological upper hand. Things can change so quickly, particularly as arsenal have a nice cushion and united were playing a hopeless team on saturday. As of now United are the favourates for the league because each game is a cup final until May. This arsenal team have only one league winner (Who as mentioned was in tears after the Brummie Game) and has not yet proven that it has the Bottle or the nerve to win games consistantly with the pressure that they will feel over the next couple of months (assuming united start winning the games they should be winning). United are league champions, have a huge squad to call on and have not been offering any excuses as to why they have dropped bad points.

I think somebody mentioned that the league starts in August but the real challenge for the league starts now. Any average team can win games during the season against anybody. The champions of each season win the games when they matter most, when there is so much riding on them and the pressure is huge. In August Anybody can win the league, buy nobody can lose it, but by the end of Feb every season we generally know who is gonna be fighting for it and every slipup is multiplied how your rival has taken advantage of it. March to May is when the Champions elect fight it out and with three points seperating the top two, its the team with the most nerve (not excuses) that will win the biggest prize of the season..

 

[Maturin]

Yet again someone who overlooks the effect that the Eduardo injury had on the players. How many times. Gallas would not have reacted to the extent he did if it was not for that injury he witnessed. They wanted that win so badly. It became even more important to them because of Eduardo. And before you say he is the captain and he should have kept his feelings in check and why didn't others in the team throw a fit think about this. He is the captain. He was taking all the sadness, anger and frustration of the day onto himself. He was the sponge for all the emotion that day.

 

[Maturin]

Nice to see you are very confident Drummer.

 

[Drummer]

Yet again someone who overlooks the effect that the Eduardo injury had on the players. How many times. Gallas would not have reacted to the extent he did if it was not for that injury he witnessed. They wanted that win so badly. It became even more important to them because of Eduardo. And before you say he is the captain and he should have kept his feelings in check and why didn't others in the team throw a fit think about this. He is the captain. He was taking all the sadness, anger and frustration of the day onto himself. He was the sponge for all the emotion that day.

Sorry pal, dont agree. I remember David Bussts injury at united v Coventry. Schmeichal nearly got sick, but united still went on to win. You were playing a relegation threatened team who were down to ten men for 90 mins (if you include extra time).

Do you seriously think that Tony Adams would of broken down in such a way had that happened on his watch? A leader leads by example and thats certainly not going to have a positive effect on the younger players around him.

Nobody is questioning whether or not the game was emotional for the arsenal players, but if you are looking to win the title you cant blame these things as acceptable in defence of your team. United lost to city and while some papers/pundits said its understandable given the emotion of the occasion, that doesnt cut it with me or the united players/manager as they know only losers give excuses for underperforming. If you look at any quotes after the game united players were saying that its not acceptable to blame the munich factor as reason for their performances and the manager was even more damning! Thats what champions do, they accept the blame for their faults and look to make things better.

When our teams start to wobble, its human nature to look for reasons that might not neccessarily be the case to save us from accepting the cold hard facts that dont taste nice.

The last time I can remember a sportstar acting like Gallas was Oliver McCall against Lennox lewis when he burst into tears for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Gallas had no reason to act like he did, he was frustrated and upset but what about the rest of the arsenal team? Nothing was won or lost in this game, but it was a tough week of football and a game that wouldve given arsenal a huge title boost. I can only think of the pressure getting to Gallas, simple as.

Were it Clichy or another youngster, while it still would of been odd, it would of been more understandable, but this guy is your club captain and the only player on your team to lose their marbles in full view of everybody!

I am not overly confident that united will win the league, I am only saying that arsenal have alot to proove over the next 3 months and have an uphill struggle if thats the way their captain is going to react to setbacks!

 

[Maturin]

The last time I can remember a sportstar acting like Gallas was Oliver McCall against Lennox lewis when he burst into tears for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

That's a terrible example to give. No comparison whatsoever. That was just a fighter sh*tting himself before a fight.

And you mentioned Tony Adams. All players are different. Adams would have done the stiff upper lip thing, hidden his feelings and then got absolutely hammered in a pub to deal with it. Is that better?

 

[Drummer]

That's a terrible example to give. No comparison whatsoever. That was just a fighter sh*tting himself before a fight.

And you mentioned Tony Adams. All players are different. Adams would have done the stiff upper lip thing, hidden his feelings and then got absolutely hammered in a pub to deal with it. Is that better?

McCall couldnt deal with the pressure, didnt look like Gallas could deal with the occasion either, crying isnt exactly a sign of dealing with a difficult situation strongly now is it??

Yes Captains can have differant ways to deal with differant situations but Adams personal response would do more damage to himself then the team. thats the point. Adams would think of the team first, then his own demons/emotion 2ndly. Airing your emotions in the manner that Gallas did, for the whole world to witness cannot in anyway have a positive effect on team morale. I dont see how it looked in anyway a Player pining for their fallen comrade, it looked more like a spoilt child disgusted with a bad decision by clichy after a very dissapointing week.

I really think you are living in the clouds if you think, in any way, that Gallas response was that of a captain (person) in control of their emotions or a captain who can be looked up to by an inexperienced squad looking for guidance. If you dont look in control of your emotions how are you supposed to teach your team to get control of theirs and how can they respect your guidance? Gallas and Eboue showed great Ill Discipline against united and Adebayer wont pass to Bentner because of a spat he had with him, this all points to a team thats not together and Gallas actions at Birmingham were all his own, with his own selfish interests at heart. (ie I want to win the league, I am perfect and dont make any mistakes why must I play with such young incompetent players).

Yep, I think his response would be more apropriatly described as a over dramatised sulk!! Not like French players to do that now is it ????