Xmas Lunch Ruined Djourou not Diaby was Turning Point
By Boris Mellor
February 6 2011
Have you noticed how much later Christmas is being celebrated these days, Celine tells me he celebrated it with some of his family a week ago, but to go one better I did so yesterday. After all the famous Emirates Screening always goes wrong so it was as good a time as any to meet the folks from Nottingham.
Could the screenings be cursed? Everyone I have ever been to either ended in a draw or a defeat, I can’t recall ever seeing a win and I have been to a lot.
I digress, let’s get back to the point I was in the Hornsey Hills exchanging presents, ironically I was given a copy of “Can't be Arsed” which is subtitled a “101 Things Not To Do Before You Die”. That’s my kind of book – not realising the fates were trying to tell me something about the team.
I was feeling relaxed, thinking how many more garlic prawns I could stuff without spoiling my appetite for the next round of Pork, Lamb, and Beef Mezze when the phone bleeped, 3.01 we were one up, two minutes later it was 2 up, on 9 minutes three up and at 26 minutes four up. Now it might be early February but it felt like Xmas, I was feeling smug, smugger than a smug professor of smugology at Oxford.
I don’t need to detail the reverse traffic of doom laden texts that I received in the second half, but suffice it to say we were by now having coffee in Crouche Ende and I was crapping myself. It was 4-4 and I feared the coup de grace any minute. Well they managed to avoid defeat, which meant that a point was gained on Man U, now you didn’t really expect that did you? I know I didn’t.
The inquest began, since then I have watched the game, and spoke to several others who did watch, or listen to it, live. Everybody agreed the referee was awful, and I can’t say I disagree. But I don’t buy the idea that a rotten ref fully explains losing a four goal lead, especially as he disallowed a perfectly good Newcastle goal. It could have been worse!
Chuckle Brothers ride again
So did Diaby’s sending of cause the collapse? Arsenal have won lots of games with ten men it doesn’t explain it for me. Having studied the footage I think the loss of Djourou on 49 minutes had more impact than the ref dishing out penalties, or the sending off.
I never thought I would say it but Djourou has been key to the Arsenal defence this season. When he plays we nearly always win; when Squeakyarchie and Koscielny play together disaster is not far behind. You could see the chaos and panic ensue once they became the centre of the defence. The high line was lost, Djourou’s pre-emptive clearing of the ball was lost, and his tidy passing out of the ball was lost. Like John Prescott before he went to Ruskin the defence was all at sea.
Sure slag off the ref, I don’t disagree he was a disgrace, but more importantly what will happen next now we only have two fit centre backs left, one of which doesn’t bear thinking about. I hope I am wrong but this match could have the impact on the title race that the breaking of Eduardo’s leg at Birmingham did.
Facing Barca with the chuckle brothers doesn’t fill me with confidence; I suspect there are even some in the team who feel the same way.
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2011:02:12:00:41:19 by Padre Pio.
. chuckle brothers. where on earth do you get the words you unearth..i laughed so hard i forgot we broke an EPL record that i feel ashamed that we did..
the ref was hideous and diaby's sending off was pretty bad but looking back and analyzing how trouble came calling, djourou making way for squeakyarchie was just where trouble and disaster starting raring it's ugly head..
that guy spreads panic like a swarm of locust... and if like you said chuckle brothers are to be the defense pairing against villa, messi ,xavi and the bunch, HEAVENS HELP US we need to kidnapp lady luck and get her drunk and on our side.lol
squeakyarchie & chuckle brothers
Can We Now Trust The Process 🤔🤷🏿♀️ or Should We Still Remain Cautious 🙇🏿♀️
Instead of weathering the storm caused by JD injury, Diaby again showed us why hes one the most brain dead footballers of his generation.Another contender for that title is Tomas Rosicky, whoes sole purpose at the club seems to be just to keep Cesc on side.
The injury's and suspensions are racking up with Jack and WS twiiter comments likely to be investigated.
As for JD well Wenger was at pains to point out at the beginnig of the season he was cautious over his knee.It seems however when we were down to two CD, rather than bring in reinforcements, caution was throwin to the wind and now were facing that exact same CD crsis we were in last season.
Wenger loves creating a noose for his own neck especialy with the supporters, alsa the people with the real power to hold him to account and swing that rope over the tree remain ever silent.
"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.
"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:Jonny Bravo
Agree losing Djourou was the catalyst for the madness to begin.What ensued after must have been something akin to Berlin circa April 1945, instead this time the red army was the one in shambolic retreat.
Instead of weathering the storm caused by JD injury, Diaby again showed us why hes one the most brain dead footballers of his generation.Another contender for that title is Tomas Rosicky, whoes sole purpose at the club seems to be just to keep Cesc on side.
The injury's and suspensions are racking up with Jack and WS twiiter comments likely to be investigated.
As for JD well Wenger was at pains to point out at the beginnig of the season he was cautious over his knee.It seems however when we were down to two CD, rather than bring in reinforcements, caution was throwin to the wind and now were facing that exact same CD crsis we were in last season.
Wenger loves creating a noose for his own neck especialy with the supporters, alsa the people with the real power to hold him to account and swing that rope over the tree remain ever silent.
very true