Written by Lindsay Melrose Monday, 08 November 2010 16:35

GunnerTalk Blog

By Lindsay Sheehan

November is thought of in the Gooner community as our version of unlucky 13. This seasons’ November sees a serious amount of tricky games and we started the programme true to form with a Champions League defeat on Tuesday.

The match was never going to be as easy as the Carling Cup game. Today saw a full strength Newcastle who, although already no slouches on their travels, were buoyed further after last week’s drubbing of their local rivals Sunderland.

The first 10 minutes was all them and over 70% of possession went to the Magpies.  For all that they didn’t really cause us much grief and, gradually, as the half progressed Arsenal came more and more into the game.

Cesc hit the bar with a ferocious free kick.  Krul made up for the pun fuelled headlines after his shocker at St James’ park and produced a save of a quality equal to Nasri’s shot. Walcott was ‘unlucky Theo’ to not get on the end of some beautiful Cesc passes and Chamack chose to pass more than shoot, proving he really has settled into our (frustrating) way of playing.

Alan Smith mentioned that we have had a tough time at home recently and have learnt to be patient. Have you leant to be patient? Not me. I haven’t leant a damn thing about patience. In fact if anything I am more impatient than ever.  What I know about Arsenal is, that even though in the last 10 minutes of the half we reversed the possession statistic of the opening 10, a smash and grab can always be expected.

Just as we were starting to relax with Fabianski in goal he undid all his hard work with yet another flap. The Up For Grabs crew had renamed him Schmichael (although completely tongue-in-cheek) due to his previous improvement in form. But just on the stroke of half time (co-incidentally when we scored via goalie-howler in the CC game) he confidently came out to deal with Barton’s free kick. Unfortunately Caroll and his head were an hour earlier and stronger to the ball and he was left grabbing air.

Half time was a bit weird. Please tell me why that prick Audley Harrison was paraded? For fucks sake what a joke. Was that supposed to inspire the crowd or the players? Is he a symbol of fight, grit and determination? I had the misfortune of watching him box at Alexandra Palace (and paying for that privilege) and he couldn’t inspire a piss up in a brewery with Gazza and Five Bellies in attendance.  Then Sky’s  “Oh Carol (l)” montage stuck in my throat a little. They were showing their class again considering he is a woman-punching, coke-sniffing thug by all accounts. Good player though and I’m sure once Joey Barton finishes with him he’ll be back on the straight and narrow.  

The bench proved the feeling we’ve all had that our squad has definitely strengthened. For once it looked like we had options to reverse the situation. Nasri went off to be replaced by the out of form Asharvin and Chamack was replaced by a mythical beast known only as the lesser-spotted, one-legged Robin Van Persie. I was quite surprised, although rumours were abound he was close to a return, I had filed those in the same folder as the old “this is our year” by Spurs fans.

We had corners and free kicks but they amounted to nothing. I am under no illusion that we do not practice these in training. Since TH left (miss you) I don’t bother to be excited by either.

As I was watching the clock tick down I thought, if we were Chelsea we’d score 2 late goals and grab the 3 points. That’s what champions are made of.  But clearly we are still light. Against height, weight and determined guts we falter. Not something we didn’t know but evidence of it again was clearly on display as per West Brom, West Ham and the Brum.  Sad considering it had looked as if we had turned the corner. We made chances, Cesc into the goalies hands, Arshavin over the bar, Bendtner couldn’t capitalise on a good through ball, the woodwork was rattled by Theo but it was all huff like the Wolf at the piggy’s brick house.  We topped it off with a blatant red card for Koscielny. A bad, bad, day at the office.

Reasons to be positive Jack Wilshire and another mature, hard working performance from the wee man. Bottom Line? We didn’t create enough, we were flat, the fight was not there and neither was the quality.  Chelsea and Man Utd can play under par time and time again yet still nick 3 points. We can’t and if we don’t learn how it’s going to be another yet another season where we fall short. I am sure the factions among us with regards to Le Boss will be at war tomorrow morning.  If I didn’t feel sick enough already, the sight of the fat, naked, wobbling, moobed Geordies celebrating finished me off.  Sobering thoughts Gooners I’m afraid.

(As I sign off Chelsea are two down at Anfield to a rejuvenated Liverpool and as much as this has made me smile (half-heartedly) if it’s a home win it makes our defeat even more soul destroying.)