The first goal at Birmingham WAS a free-kick.
The penalty WASN’T a penalty.
Why did Arsene bring on those two subs?
Can Clichy concentrate after 80 minutes?
Do you blame Gallas for being emotional?
On the first goal, McFadden had lost control of the ball in the D, and Gallas had the ball, but McFadden was near enough to challenge Gallas, so Flamini rashly blocked him off, as a tackling midfielder would do in centrefield, where a referee will often allow such a minor obstruction .
Flamini’s challenge WAS a foul and McFadden whipped a superlative free-kick over a short wall that did not jump and Almunia’s starting position was a step too far to his right. Would Lehmann have saved such a pacy free-kick? We’ll never know.
Clichy’s late blunder came after Theo Walcott’s two goals in five minutes had put Arsenal ahead.
As a mistake, it was beyond belief. But Clichy has lost concentration twice in a month, late in games. Once at Man City, where he lost possession to Corluka and gave away a goal, and again at Birmingham to concede a penalty which cost two points.
Flamini volleyed a short pass to Clichy in the box and Clichy didn’t see Stuart Parnaby out wide. He looked behind him towards Almunia, as if he’d had a call, allowing Parnaby to get the ball and take it into the box. Having lost concentration, Clichy recovered with exceptional agility and got his foot to the ball to poke it away and Parnaby fell over his outstretched thigh.
It wasn’t a penalty but Mike Dean gave it and McFadden scored.
When Arsenal were leading 2-1 in 89 minutes, and Arsene brought on Gilberto and Denilson, I was shouting, “Why ? Why?”
Arsenal were controlling the game, although Birmingham were having a good five minutes.
Why take off Walcott, who had scored two goals? He had been holding his groin after one run but was he injured? He took off Hleb, his best keep-ball player, who had been doubtful before the game. Hleb and Walcott were still a threat. Could they not play another five minutes against 10 men?
After those subs came on, Arsenal gave the ball to Birmingham again and again and again, so it looked as if they had ten men, not Birmingham. That was ridiculous and that led to a Clichy boob that was beyond ridiculous. They were 2-1 up against 10 men in stoppage time but could not close out the game.
If you were emotional, watching that penalty incident, think how emotional William Gallas was.
Gallas is quirky, one-off personality, but he’s been a good captain for Arsenal so far.
His competitive concentration has been one of the keys to their Premier League success all season.
Why did he go walkabout? Was he furious with the ref ? Was he mad at Clichy and keen to get as far away from him as possible? As if to say : That’s nothing to do with me, that not how I defend, that’s not how I play this game?
In that moment, Gallas saw 8 months of hard work by 30 people go down the toilet . Having started the game by witnessing the most horrific injury he’d ever seen, Gallas ended it with a close-up view of the most stupid defensive error he’d ever seen.
So he freaked out. Or, as we say in polite sporting parlance, he over-reacted. Captains should not do what Gallas did, of course. You don’t walk down the other end of the field while a penalty is being taken.You’re just giving the tabloids a chance to call you a drama queen. This is the decisive month of Arsenal’s season and everyone has to keep their nerve and keep the faith, especially the senior players.
Birmingham are a well-organised side with half-decent players but they draw a lot of games.
In last year’s Carling Cup Final, Arsenal’s youngish side outplayed Chelsea’s stars but lost 2-1.
In Sunday’s Carling Final, Spurs outplayed Chelsea and won 2-1.
Avram Grant wanted to omit John Terry, apparently, but the players talked him out of that. Terry played OK but Chelsea’s passing and movement were pitiful.Spurs had all the early chances and won in extra time with a Woodgate header.Anelka was on the teamsheet but not seen on the pitch.
So Avram Grant flunked his big test. His team was far too negative & had no balance in midfield & didn’t perform. A tedious, scrappy contest but the better team won the Carling Cup.
ENIC 2 Oligarch 1.
When JT and Lampard harangued the ref at the end, Henk ten Cate got between them and muscled them away. HTK, or somebody else, will be the Chelsea manager next season
On Saturday night, having watched the Arsenal game, and Manchester United’s 5-1 massacre of NewKKastle, and England’s rugby in Paris, I couldn’t take any more football, so I watched an American film on TV, something I very rarely do. The only Matt Damon movie I’d previously seen was The Talented Mr Ripley and this one, The Bourne Identity, is a nicely-paced, classy thriller with a good screenplay.
The second Bourne film is on ITV2 next Saturday at the same time. Some say it’s better than the first one. Others say it’s not as good. Maybe I’ll watch that and miss Match of the Day again.