Most Gooners expected to lose, so it was a feeling of relief after a 0-0 draw.
Arsene saw it the same way as the fans, so he played five in midfield : Reyes, Hleb, Fabregas, Gilberto and Pires.
That meant that Arsenal spent 93 minutes playing in front of the United back four.
It also meant that Rooney did not get the ball in dangerous positions, so he did not achieve as much as I expected.
In the last half hour Rooney raced shoulder to shoulder with Reyes near one touchline and sent the Spaniard hurtling into the advertising board.
Then Rooney chased back 50 yards down the other touchline to disposses Thierry Henry, who had made a fast run down that flank.
Arsenal had only two shots on target, so did United.
Just before half-time, when Ronaldo spooned over the best chance of the game, I said,”This is a typical Alex Ferguson first half away performance, he’s done this for the last 15 years. Keep it tight, see what happens, look for a break.”
Many other things could be said, but it was such an uninspiring game that I’m not in the mood to say them today.
KOLO & RIO both played well.
Very well.
IF YOU ARE READING this in California, or South Africa, I’ll try to describe the strange atmosphere.
Before the game, as I waited outside Arsenal tube, it was a drab, damp night in Gillespie Road, doom and gloom everywhere, Gooners expecting to lose.
It’s become that sort of season : buy a redcurrant shirt and suffer. Grin and bear it and hope your suffering will end soon.
Some friends appeared, we chatted. Then, among the fans coming out of the station,a guy with short hair in a mud-green threequarter length coat.
It was Stuart Pearce on his own, walking in a crowd of bodies, not making eye contact with anyone, as a face does if he or she does not want to be recognised.
There was no vibrancy, no noise, no undercurrent of expectancy among the crowd, no happy faces.
Then I heard some some boisterousness, as some beefy Man United fans embraced a couple of others who had been waiting for them. Several had London accents.
One of those who had just arrived said, “On the train up here, two little eight year olds. One says to the other, ‘Will we see some dirty Northern bastards?’ “
They all laughed.
Then Doug arrived and we walked up to the entrance.
“There’s no buzz, no anticipation, is there?”I said.
“No,” he said. “As I was walking up that long tunnel, it was like a funeral. You didn’t like to say anything.”
WHEN THE MATCH ENDED the United players went to salute their fans at the Clock End.
As their blue-kitted players walked back towards the tunnel, the Arsenal fans chanted, “Champions League, you’re having a laugh ! Champions League, you’re having a laugh !”
A girl turned to her friend and said, “I’m quite happy, really. I thought we’d lose four nil.”
OTHER NEWS
Lucky Arsenal will play Real Madrid before Capello takes over.
Capello has a holiday home in Madrid, goes there when Serie A shuts down at Xmas.
Looks as if he’s told Perez : get Cicinho, who is the new Cafu, and sign Cassano for £4 million. Then I will clear out Raul, Ronaldo and bring in Adriano and give you a proper football team.
Cassano is a fantastic talent, but an enfant terrible.
Next season you will NOT see anything as humiliating as Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 3 at the Bernebeu.
LOOKS as if Harry Redknapp’s pal Pini Zahavi has found a billionaire’s son to buy half of Portsmouth for £100 million.
Alexandre Gaydamak hosted a New Year’s Eve charity bash in Israel where entrance was £2,000 and it was the hottest ticket in town.
STUART PEARCE’s Man City play Spurs tonight.
The Spurs team is full of players Arsene rejected : Robinson, Defoe, Carrick, Dawson, Reid, Davids.
What a fantastic player Davids would have been at Arsenal this season!
He would have been magnificent!