Written by Mean Lean on Monday, 28 February 2011 16:25

I had plenty of time to jot down my thoughts after the game yesterday evening but I ended up staring into the screen not managing to write anything down. Plenty of people seem to relish coming out after defeat and setbacks but I just cannot do it. When we win I want to read and contribute with all like minded Gooners but when we lose I want to hide away and deal with the pain. The pain was in full effect at the final whistle that's for sure.

Why oh why do we have to make everything so difficult for ourselves?

Defeat is one thing, losing the way we did is another at it is difficult to take but what I find the hardest to stomach is that we got to the final and did not play our game. What has served us so well for the last few months just did not materialise throughout the whole 90 minutes.

There would be more weight attached to the tiredness theory had we started in the way that we usually do and then dropped off but that just didn't happen. We looked like a disjointed second team rather than the team who close you down all over the pitch and move the ball too quickly for defenders to handle. The Wembley pitch should have suited one team and one team only but we did not use it apart from in our own half.

After what Birmingham City did to our players at St Andrews this season, I have very little time for them but I have to credit them for their commitment and determination which was spot on. With the absence of Theo Walcott they played a very high line and swarmed over us in the middle of the pitch. The three Birmingham City midfielders moved together as a trio and they cut down our passing options as often as they could.

We did not see the triangles, did not see the fluidity from our game at all and that hurt. That was the major disappointment.

We had been riding our luck at points during the game. Bowyer was flagged for offside when Gael Clichy played him on, our young keeper could have received his marching orders had the assistant linesman not come to his rescue. Woodwork was also struck from the opposition in the second half.

Birmingham City's opening goal came from the predictable set piece, and while many are slamming our players for not dealing with it, you have to bare in mind that Birmingham City have scored the most amount of goals from set pieces in the league this season and not all of those goals has come against Arsenal. They have scored the most from set pieces because they are very good at it. When the ball is played in the air to a player who is 6ft7 then it is difficult to stop him from winning the ball.

Our response was very good and within ten minutes we found the equaliser, Wilshere struck the crossbar from distance with a great strike from outside the box. The ball ended up at the feet of Andrey Arshavin who rolled his man very well but his cut back was top class. He didn't just put the ball into the box, he measured his cut back to perfection and Van Persie who can finish equally well with both feet executed a fantastic volley on his right foot into the corner.

That should have been the wake up call, should have inspired the side to play their game and score the second goal.

In the second half we had a spell where we could have won the game, Rosicky had a half volley just wide of the far post, Nasri hit the face of Foster in goal and Bendtner, the second half substitute had an effort saved by man of the match Ben Foster in goal.

When not at your best you have to be ruthless when the chances come your way because you are not going to be presented with endless opportunities to make it count.

Without being at our best, we dominated possession, we had more shots on and off target and looked the more likely scorers of the next all important goal but then came the mistake. Minutes away from extra time Koscielny and Szczesny got in each others way, and the ball rolled to Martins to tap into an empty net for what is likely to be his easiest career goal to date.

As usual we are hearing and seeing the finger being pointed in all directions. Our goalkeeper and new defender have been part of the reason why we have got to a final and are still competing in three competitions. Mistakes happen, even at awful times of the game. This was not the fault of any individual, it was most certainly a collective failure. We didn't function correctly, we didn't purr as we can. Partly due to Birmingham City's display on the day but mostly, at least in my eyes on our own performance.

I wanted Arsenal to win the Carling cup after getting to the finals, I am sure the players would have wanted to lift the trophy. We are all disappointed but let us get one thing straight here. The previous season, this season and next season, the Carling cup is placed as fourth priority. Let's not get it twisted, we have bigger targets and that has been the case since Arsene Wenger took over.

We started this competition allowing our squad players to get games, allowing fringe players the chance to impress. Whilst the praise should rightly go to the opposition for beating us the players should not let this distract them from our main objectives.

Before Sunday we had lost once, away to Ipswich since mid December. We have played our way into a good position in the league title race, we have a narrow margin against Barcelona to try and keep hold of. As well as an away trip to Manchester United in the FA Cup. We have plenty to play for.

I do not expect the players to feel sorry for themselves, point fingers and sulk so why should we as supporters? Let us dust ourselves down, pick ourselves up and correct our wrong's.

If we win a big trophy this season then this pain will turn into a minor itch.

Arsenal till I die.

Szczesny (6.5)
Sagna (6)
Djourou (7)
Koscielny (6)
Clichy (6)
Song (5)
Wilshere (6.5)
Rosicky (5)
Nasri (6)
Van Persie (6)
Arshavin (5.5)

Please note that ratings are only my interpretations of the game and that others will have differing opinions

Catch Wenger Boy's inspirational words here

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Comments (38)

• 28-Feb-2011 16:58 | | However  - Hopes pinned on winning
  

  We won't win anything this year, these players obviously cracked under the pressure, that's not something you can change, their mentality will always be to crack under pressure, and they won't get over that, if utd drop points before us, we are almost certain to drop points, because they feel pressure.

• 28-Feb-2011 17:08 | | gooner  - very good article
  

  look just because of that mistake we cant lose the faith what mistakes we make only will make us stronger and less prone to them .Look that was a total mixup but we can win someting for sure this season

• 28-Feb-2011 17:20 | | cavalry  - Whistling past the graveyard
  

  It would be interesting if when giving the players a rating out of ten from now on we marked them for effort only. Yesterday we got beaten by a really mediocre Birmingham team but fair play to them they gave 100% everything they had and we had too many players who did not give past 40%
  It has happened time and again this year. We just don't have balls, a spine and players who will win the battle and then the game.
  Wenger has for too long by talking about spirit, determination and focus has been whistling past the graveyard. About time we put some real men into the Arsenal jersey again and not watery players like Rosicky, Diaby, Arshavin, Denilson et al.
  Fabregas, Nasri and Wilshere deserve bettter around them

• 28-Feb-2011 17:20 | | Larry Mbaco
  

  This season is not over by any means. Yesterday was terrible, and even now it hurts like hell. But we have plenty to play for. As you said we are still in three competitions. We can't allow one defensive mix-up to destroy our season. Utd have two very tough games this week, games they lost last season. If that happens again tomorrow and Sunday and we bounce back like I know we will, then by the end of the week we could be a point behind with a game in hand and in the quarter finals of the FA Cup. I believe in Arsenal and I believe in Arsène Wenger. Keep the faith! ARSENAL TILL I DIE

• 28-Feb-2011 17:31 | | browny
  

  I am generally quite positive as a gooner but I have a bad feeling that in 3 weeks we could be looking at nothing again this year. This is largely due to our great ability to shoot ourselves in the foot. We are literally handing games over to other teams.
  
  We keep talking about learning from our mistakes and correcting our wrongs but never do, so what is different this time. What exactly is it that we learn from this and what makes anyone think we will learn from this and correct it. Is it that we need to strengthen our defence or that we have no back up to Song who now looks like he has played a few too many games. Are these new revelations to us that we will now correct. No, they are problems that have been evident for some time and NOT been corrected. Have we addressed the fact that one defender always seems to play the opposition on side when the other 3 have tried to spring the offside trap. Clichy played Bowyer on yesterday and thankfully the lino got it wrong. He and Koscielny were also guilty of it 3-4 times against Barca. We got away with it then but will Barca be as forgiving again and can you honestly say that you think Arsenal have tried to work on and correct this fault. Did we learn from being 2-0 up at Wigan last year with 80 mins on the clock and then losing 3-2. Did we correct things to ensure this didn't happen again. Well Spurs at home and Newcastle away will tell you how much we learnt from that Wigan game. Those two games saw us throw away 5 points which would now have us top of the league and putting huge pressure on Utd with 2 difficult games rather than giving them a cushion to play with.
  
  I can't see us winning the league because we seem to be unable to learn and can you seriously tell me that from now on we will not serve up more defensive howlers or throw games we are dominating. I think the frustration for me as with many gooners is just how close we are but don't seem to be prepared to address a couple of simple issues that would make us the dominant force. So, I hope I am wrong but for me to keep going on about learning from our mistakes and correcting our wrongs is currently just a pointless waste of breath.

• 28-Feb-2011 17:37 | | Man United Killa  - I told you so!!
  

  I have said time and again that this team will win NOTHING unless we change our attitude and mentality and then have some real quality back up.Rosicky was a disaster waiting to occur.I dont blame the Goal Keeper or Koscielny as much as I blame Wenger (for the substitutions he made) and Rosicky for his awful displays.It all comes down to quality and ability.The good players stood out.RVP,Nasri and Wishere showed their quality.Rosicky should never play in an Arsenal shirt.How can he be a back up for Cesc.Such Rubbish.Until we change our transfer policies and sign some real winner who know what it means to go for a win,we wont even win a plastic cup.
  True this may not be a big cup but it teaches us how to win and how it feels like to work hard to win.These kids dont know anything about that....
  Do we always have to concede?Terrible defense,a midfield that seems depleted when there is only one injury and an attack that has only one potent consistent scorer (RVP).Do you really call this a winning team? Chamachk makes more back passes than any other striker I have ever seen since Adebayor.God is he a defender or a striker....This team is not ready...they should put their mouth where their money is.,.talking about getting past Barca..with such a porous defense???I beg to differ but our beloved ARsenal is far from complete.First 11 okay..but what if we need backup...terrible terrible depth..its only a back up made of average players..that does not win you ANYTHING..NOT EVEN A PLASTIC CUP!

• 28-Feb-2011 17:39 | | Bala
  

  Great one again ML I am really confident we can win a trophy this season.Yesterdays loss was bad luck combined with communication problem and Fosters performance.I am sure our boys will bounce back

• 28-Feb-2011 17:42 | | Man United Killa  - We need quality
  

  We need more of RVP-Cesc-Nasri-Nasri-Wilshere-Arsh-Sagna-Walcott type of players and less of Diaby-Denilson-Clichy (knows nothing of offside traps and crossing a ball)-Bendtner-Chamackh-Rosicky-Djourou---the list is endless....Song cant keep his damn head in big games and just fouls people.He needs to learn that being an attack breaker does not just mean to foul people.DARN!!!

• 28-Feb-2011 17:43 | | Peanut  - Oh dear...
  

  Oh dear. But the quadruple is still on, right?

• 01-Mar-2011 00:43 | | MeanLean
  

  MUD,
  
  Long time no see. I had a feeling you may leave a comment today though.

• 28-Feb-2011 17:49 | | Man United Killa  - I agree with you but...
  

  I will be the first to point out that our beloved ARSENAL has a lot of quality...but guess what? its just not enough in today's modern game.We need more quality.How else would you explain the kind of performance we got from Rosciky yesterday.I doubt it would have come to this if we had a better replacement for Cesc.El Capitano would only have to come onto the field after the game to lift the cup because his replacement would have done a good job.But NO.Rosicky passes the ball sideways than even Song does.OMG!!!and i sit there wondering What the Heck?
  No one is saying Arsenal lack quality..we have it but ITS JUST NOT ENOUGH.If we really had that extra quality we would have finished them off.This was not a piece of cake of a game by any means but come on Arsenal does not really have an excuse for this one.We should have showed up and we just didnt do that....like always...How long will we give lousy excuses...

• 28-Feb-2011 17:50 | | wellthatsnice
  

  giving Rosicky a 5 for his dreadful performance in that game is a joke. He so clearly is not talented enough to play in the MLS much less the EPL. He does a poor job of finding his open strikers, doesnt track back to mark up, and cant score. Otherwise he is fantastic.
  
  Our CB's have been poor at communication, and our back 4 never seem to be on the same page with eachother.
  
  Bendtner does not play the arsenal style of football and is worth more to us as sale bait then on the pitch, and chamakh isn't fast, good on the ball, or able to find his teamates. both would be best suited on another teams roster.
  
  Without Fab, Walcott and RVP this team cant win. With them i think we can play with anyone....they are clearly irreplaceable in our current form.

• 28-Feb-2011 17:51 | | Man United Killa  - but of course
  

  Haha..In our dreams!!..we will go cupless this season.Things must change.Football is dynamic and it has changed.so must our policies!simple as that!

• 28-Feb-2011 17:54 | | Adams
  

  ML, Larry, couldn't agree more. Let's get on with enjoying the rest of the season supporting the club that it is a privilege and a pleasure to support.

• 28-Feb-2011 17:54 | | Man United Killa  - Mean Lean...HAHAHAHA...you are funny my friend
  

  Actually,I travelled for a bit..New Job in the midwest...you know....
  But ML I am very disappointed...extremely...If a team loses because they are unlucky you know it and if they lose because they are not ready you know it.We always say we were unlucky..So tell me.for how long are we going to use that line?We need to beef up with quality,not quantity...we are almost there..just a few key signings and we will be all set...but at the moment,we just aint ready yet.

• 28-Feb-2011 18:01 | | Gooner'79
  

  As soon as I saw Rosicky on the team sheet, I felt a sense of dread.
  I can't believe that he was played in Cesc's position when Nasri always excels in that position.
  
  Rosicky is a weak link in our team and I've totally lost my patience with him.
  
  Don't want to see him in the first team again.

• 28-Feb-2011 18:15 | | bluefva
  

  i for one think arsenal are an amazing team, i have always loved there style of play, yesterday was just our day and i will take it with open arms.
  im sure they can pick themselves up!
  great advert for a great game, two teams with different styles but it shows both can be affective!
  all the best for the future, oh, hands off our ben!

• 28-Feb-2011 18:16 | | Joblow  - We have...
  

  We have quality, just need consistency!! All the players u say aren't good are the same players (excluding Rosicky) that save the team when the first eleven are out!! And if u do not agree then u should place Walcott in that group as well!! Gunners 4 life, in defeat, in victory and especially when those same players (ex....Ros....) make us all happy by winning the double THIS SEASON!!!

• 28-Feb-2011 18:22 | | Joblow
  

  B4 i thought he brought good possession of the ball with the rest of the team but now he doesn't, does not help in defense or get the passes right. Nothing is working for him. and to imagine he said he wants to win a title with this team yet still he can't put 1+1 to get 2. Sad, his long ranger he seems to have totally lost in his arsenal. Looks like we need to PAY a TEAM TO BUY HIM at the rate!! Cuz seriously he brings nothing to the team!!

• 28-Feb-2011 18:33 | | Man United Killa  - hmmm
  

  The consistency is not there because of the lack of that extra quality...from whence comes that consistency my brother

• 28-Feb-2011 18:35 | | Man United Killa  - Thanks
  

  Thank you brother..you took the words right out of my mouth..there comes the question of extra quality when those players are injured?where my replacements @? Rosicky????Are you kidding me?crap!!!

• 28-Feb-2011 20:38 | | Ibrahim  - Injuries
  

  I may be the only one who do that, but i care the most about injuries. Fab, RVP and Wallcott should stay fit for most of the remaining game. a lot of fans are complaining now but that does not change the following facts
  
  - we are now one of the best 2 team in the league.
  - keeping the same level again (AGAIN the same level ) will see us on the top of the league in may).
  - The best team will win the league. Until now we are the best Unites is overperforming.
  - It is mutch more difficult to collaps in a league than collapsing in a game
  - the quality on the field is the most important factor for winning league
  - We have the most quality at this moment.
  - WE SHOULD KEEP OUR BEST PLAYERS FIT FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON.

• 28-Feb-2011 21:00 | | Goonzilla
  

  There was a mix up between defender and keeper. Not much anyone can do about that. Tough luck. Move on. Like ML pointed out, 4th priority in our quest for silverware. We cannot dwell on this failure. We can look back and learn from it, but to moan and sulk about it will only hinder future progress. Let's see how they bounce back.....and hopefully Van P's injury isn't long term.
  
  Gooner till I die

• 28-Feb-2011 21:00 | | Phil
  

  Rosicky playing in the Cesc role Wenger must be fucking mad.The truth is our first 11 is a match for anyone but one or two injuries and we are fucked.Cesc is our only world class player and you could tell how much we missed him.We cannot carry on saying we will win something.When we throw away games like yesterday.Wenger has now lost more than he has won in finals.Yesterday we were out-thought and out-fought.We should have been playing with 10 men for 89mins thanks to that dopey linesmen.Can you imagine Wenger if that decision had gone against us

• 28-Feb-2011 21:03 | | Goonzilla
  

  Haven't seen you guys in a while. Vampires who only come out when its dark. Save your conclusions for May. I guess you will probably tell us that you predicted this loss will come to pass.

• 28-Feb-2011 21:05 | | Goonzilla
  

  Ibrahim, nice comments. Injuries will decide whether we achieve anything come may. Hopefully Fab can stay fit when he returns and I also hope Van P's injury isnt long term.
  
  True fans support the team through good times and bad times. This is the time to decide where you stand.

• 28-Feb-2011 22:11 | | Man United Killa  - True fans indeed
  

  Criticizing your team about things you are unhappy about has nothing to do with being a true fan or not...or standing by the team for that matter.The fact that you scold your kid does not mean you dont love them.We are hurt because we know we deserve so much better.
  You have to be a realist my friend.This team will win nothing.Not because we dont have quality but because we dont have ENOUGH quality.One injury and we are screwed.Cesc does not play for 10 minutes and we cant find a through pass to split a defense.Are you kidding me?Do you really think you can win a league with such a squad?Injuries will come and go but our response in terms of replacements will be the eventual decider.Replacing Cesc with Rubbish Rosicky and RVP with Chamackh? are you kidding me?

• 28-Feb-2011 22:27 | | luis zelaya
  

  mark my words, rosicky will save our season.

• 28-Feb-2011 23:42 | | sapman
  

  I will be the first to point out that our beloved ARSENAL has a lot of quality...but guess what? its just not enough in today's modern game.We need more quality.How else would you explain the kind of performance we got from Rosciky yesterday.I doubt it would have come to this if we had a better replacement for Cesc.El Capitano would only have to come onto the field after the game to lift the cup because his replacement would have done a good job.But NO.Rosicky passes the ball sideways than even Song does.OMG!!!and i sit there wondering What the Heck?
  No one is saying Arsenal lack quality..we have it but ITS JUST NOT ENOUGH.If we really had that extra quality we would have finished them off.This was not a piece of cake of a game by any means but come on Arsenal does not really have an excuse for this one.We should have showed up and we just didnt do that....like always...How long will we give lousy excuses...
  
  
  RELAX MATE ...THE SQUAD IS NOT MATURE ENOUGH TO KNOW HOw TO BE A CUNT IN ORDER TO WIN ...WE PLAY FOOTBALL NOT SCOPEFOOT.
  
  wenger's football is applied by inexpereinced kids who havent won anything in their carreers ...not vieiras bergkamps gilbertos henrys and pires'
  
  its not about excuses it about timing and taking advantage of others decline .....luck ..which is the only ingredient missing from this arsenal is when preparation meets opportunity
  
  people are asking from 21 22 18 19 24 25 23 year olds to deliver what 28 29 30 31 32 33 spit blood in order to win...and i aint talking about the fkn cc...

• 01-Mar-2011 00:21 | | Northbanksy
  

  Great piece.
  
  Yes, i'm disappointed that we didn't end up winning, but lets be honest...
  alot has been made of McLeish's astute tactical game plan & how well they played (& they did) but please, lets get a grip, we were a few minutes away from extra time when one freak defensive error gifted BC a goal & the game. It's not like we were under the cosh!!
  
  You're right,Arsenal didn't play particularly well & I think looked tired. Thats hardly surprising though given that 4 days earlier they'd had a tough game against Stoke City, whereas BC's last game had been 8 days earlier.
  Even with this lack lustre performance, it was only Ben Fosters "outstanding" 'Man of the Match' performance that had kept the score to one all untill the 88th minute, which implies that though poor we were still very much in it.
  
  Yes, this trophy would be nice, but most Gooners are not half as desperate to win one as the journos & pundits are to see Arsenal fail to do so.

• 01-Mar-2011 00:28 | | Northbanksy
  

  Is this the same back four that have kept 6 out of 8 clean sheets in the EPL since the start of the year????
  
  Agree about Rosicky though.

• 01-Mar-2011 00:46 | | MeanLean
  

  So which positions do we need to improve upon and what sort of quality are you thinking of?
  
  I tend to think we have the strongest squad in the league but it seems to me that you expect Arsenal to have a whole squad full of the very best players. Do you expect world class players to sit on the bench and wait for a chance?
  
  Give me an example from one of our rivals of better back ups to us.

• 01-Mar-2011 00:59 | | MeanLean
  

  Thank you,
  
  It's good to hear some common sense from Gooners and not what the media are telling us

• 01-Mar-2011 07:41 | | Subir Kumar Roy  - improving the squad
  

  I think Man Utd Killa has a point. Positions we could beef up
  
  i) DM: Song is our DM, with Frimpong being the backup. Presently haven't seen Song play in the DM role, Frimpong is injured and lacks PL experience. Moreover he would be missing during ACN. Song is not blessed with speed. Don't even mention Denilson and Diaby.
  
  ii) CBs: TV5 injured, DJ, Kosh and Squills are three available. Tremendous improvement required in Squills. Any of the three injured and we are rendered thin in the defensive dept. Need one CB, tall and dominating.
  
  I don't want to sound harsh, but could we replace Denilson, Rosicky, Diaby, Almunia with some homegrown players like JET, Lansbury etc.

• 01-Mar-2011 07:47 | | Subir Kumar Roy
  

  what is it with song? his role should be protecting the back four, rather than joining in the attack ineffectively and lumbering up painstakingly when the attack has broken down and fouling needlessly. He is not a speed demon, so why not religiously sit in front of the back four, when the opposition is physical and playing 4-5-1. It is my observation that in the days Arsenal play average, Song's play and positioning are also contributory. Am I wrong?

• 01-Mar-2011 14:08 | | Man United Killa  - Your answers
  

  Let me give you an example.I have always thought of Gourcuff,Van der Vaat and Nuri Sahin as Arsenal type players.and these are players who can sit in for Cesc.It does not mean they will have to sit on the bench it means we have a better team and we can rotate whenever we like and still have very good quality.and those are just a few of those who can add quality to the team.Rosicky is past his best.Period!
  Talking about the Attack force.Tell me ML about just one Arsenal striker apart from RVP who actually picks the ball and runs consistently at the defence.None.Bendtner does it once in a while and that it.Chamachk,I wish I could vouch for him.What is the use of a striker?simple-to cause panic in the defence.RVP does that.what about Chamackh.ummm.I dont think so.Bendtner is not a good enough backup for Arsenal.Dont kid yourself.This is ARsenal and we deserve better.
  About the defence..hahaha..dont even get me started.Koscielny is amazing.I love his positioning but positioning is not all.He gets bullied by big strikers.But anything is better than Djourou.He is fast and foolish.He uses only strength.No brain.It would be nice to have a defender who bullies strikers for a change.Sakho comes to mind.plus in the Russian league--there are many many defenders at good prices.Hummels in Dortmund is fantastic too.Dude!!there are lots of options.
  Personally I think Sczenzy is okay..he is a star in the making.Quality quality keeper.I know I spelt the name wrong though.

• 01-Mar-2011 14:21 | | Man United Killa  - Response to North
  

  No..its not..and it is the same back four that have to concede in every game?DARN!Sometimes Sczenzy has saved us.I think he is a quality keeper..the back four?hmmm...I cant say.TV5 where are ya?

• 01-Mar-2011 21:52 | | dkgooner  - Nice one Adams
  

  Agree 100%.
  Tried to write a longer piece but when I pressed Send, the software must have read it through and thought, "F*** that boring sh*t"" and dumped it. Couldn't be bothered to write it all again.
  
  That was earlier in the day. Right now, it's just after the Chelsea-ManU game and Chelsea did the business. Mind you, if you'd asked me at half-time I'd have said no chance - United were so superior in the first 45 minutes. But it just shows what can be done if you put them under a lot of pressure. Think Chelsea were a bit lucky with the penalty but no doubt about the equaliser - cracking goal. Another plus was Vidic being sent off which presumably puts him out of the Liverpool game.
  I don't buy all this stuff about United not being a good side or winning when they haven't played well. They looked much the better team here in the first half and got really battered physically in the second half. David Luiz was lucky to stay on the pitch until he was substituted.
  Anyway, all to play for still. Hope springs eternal.

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