Yet again I get to write a nice, positive blog. Either I’m cursed or Blogger is, but since he got to go to the game, and he’s not here to defend himself, I’m going with him. I actually thought this was my first blog since last year’s final, but according to WordPress I’ve written 10 blogs since then. Time flies when you’re (not) having fun.
Anyway, I’m not going to get out the usual European template since the last time I wrote a blog for a Champions’ League game was last year’s final when we snatched glory from the jaws of defeat!
Oh.
So, yeah, does anyone else wish Cesc had taken out Alex instead of Kone? I suppose he might not have scored the own goal if he had but he wouldn’t have got the cunting equaliser either, or generally played so well.
I dunno. We huffed and puffed but ultimately didn’t do enough, and the chances we missed – in both legs – cost us big time. We should’ve put it beyond them in the first leg; at home we just didn’t do enough. Too much fannying about on the edge of the box and not enough penetration, if you’ll excuse the pun. It’s difficult to find positives so sorry if this doesn’t make you feel much better.
It was a bit of a makeshift back four, with Kolo at right back (who did well) and Gilberto at centre back, and despite his recent composure playing there, Bert had a few seriously hairy moments and occasionally didn’t just get rid of it like you’d want your centre back to do. On one occasion they appealed for a penalty but it was nothing and Farfan just fell over Bert while he was already on the ground. I thought Clichy did well down the left side (at least we didn’t have to put up with that cunt David Pleat calling him Cliche). He’s really got some pace that lad, and I’m glad it’s him we’ve got and not an utter cunt playing there any more. Gallas was solid (though anyone know what it was that he briefly had to go back to the changing room for?).
Midfield wasn’t brilliant, at least on either wing. Freddie tried hard and was harshly treated by the ref in my opinion. Denilson and Cesc did well enough in the centre (how did Cesc miss that chance though?!), especially Denilson who’s slotted right in (that penalty shout aside!). Diaby did well when he came on too.
I don’t want to single him out, but I’m going to have to. Time and again, Hleb was guilty of taking too much time on the ball and taking the wrong option, and very much of not shooting. To be fair I’m not sure he had that many clear chances last might but it seems too often that he just will not shoot. I’m usually a fan of Hleb’s and I’ve always thought we’ve looked a better team with him in the side, but we certainly didn’t last night. I don’t know what’s happened to him but as Blogger said, he really seems to have taken a step backwards. Maybe he’s carrying an injury – he doesn’t look right to me (I mean that figuratively and not literally you cruel bastards!). Perhaps I’m being generous.
Up front wasn’t great either. Baptista missed a few chances and I’m sorry to say he just doesn’t seem to fit. I do have a feeling he’ll stay at the end of the season though, so hopefully it’s just a question of adapting. He’s determined but I don’t remember him doing very much in the first half and for the first 20 minutes was completely anonymous. Adebayor…tried hard, but he missed a couple of good chances too. Henry was ineffective when he came on and despite the fans’ ovation he didn’t have much of an influence at all apart from a free kick that Gomes could’ve just caught (and according to the BBC, he’s now out for three weeks, so injury may have played a not insignificant part in his display). For all the manager’s talk before the game about us needing to be clinical in front of goal when we did get a chance, we weren’t at all.
That said, the game – indeed the tie – was pretty much all us and if we’d had someone capable of scoring a cunting goal and taken our chances we would’ve – should’ve – won. But PSV scored more goals than we did, and for Alex to get the equaliser after his own goal showed a lot of character – and said a lot about our ability to defend set pieces. I just fucking knew that cunt would score, so well played and good luck to them. Cocu aside; I hate that ugly fucking cunt. I can’t see them going much further in the tournament, but who knows?
Anyway, the season might be over in terms of silver pots but there’s still some Premiership games to concentrate on and we can look back at a season of settling in several new players. Not good enough for our club, but I’ll let Blogger dissect that at a later date.
Until next time, Gooners. Thanks to a lovely, gorgeous forum member who knows who she is, I’ll be coming down for the West Ham game at the beginning of April. Hope to see some of you there.
