From: ThomB : I keep forgettin…
Dear Myles,
Thank you for your thoughts regarding the weekend games, always worth hearing the views of an almost partial neutral not blinded by club loyalty who loves the game itself more than any one club.
I really enjoyed the Saints-Chelsea tie which was exciting from start to finish and I thought Mike Dean had a great performance keeping control of the match while ensuring the game flowed. But on to other matters.
I do have to disagree with your Gooner friend’s assessment of our game, in that he told you that 3-0 flattered us.
It may have been that West Ham still had a great chance to snatch a point with 15 left, but what what I witnessed (or at least perceived) was a good team performance from Arsenal and some very neat football (and credit to the playing staff and team for that), tainted slightly by the all too familiar and frustrating profligacy in front of goal and lack of ruthlessness that has come to be accepted at the club.
The old habits of trying to walk it into the net, and allowing ourselves to get hit on the break while pushed up by a long ball up the flank resurfaced, and had West Ham been any better than not awful, or had any pace up front, I fear it would have been costly.
Koscielny was exceptional, by the way.
I also think that Theo had a much better game than what people, including our own fans, are making out.
Okay he missed a few chances, but worked hard, and was notably first out to throw himself in front of a shot that West Ham got off from a corner. He also should have had a penalty. I also think the manager discussing Theos’ contract with the hacks 24 hours before a home game was highly unprofessional at the least and needless.
Describing him as “difficult” couldn’t help and I wonder if his single- mindedness is edging him out of the club like many before him.
Now we have a big tie away to an average but well organised Monaco side, and despite the deficit from the first leg embarrassment I think we still have a decent chance of progressing. Especially given the fact that we have faced this uphill situation repetitively over several seasons(!) in the k/o phase of the CL, falling just short against much better outfits.
To conclude on a lighter note, interesting to read Wenger’s quotes this morning, he said “Sometimes in life, you make a big mistake….We wanted too much to make a difference in the first game and forgot our basics – that means to defend well and attack well.”
You gotta laugh. What was the name of that old Checkmates Ltd tune produced by Phil Spector, re- released by former Steely Dan backing vocalist Michael McDonald in the 80’s??
Myles says :
Arsenal could go through but they’re not a team you can trust.
I’ve got a really candid quote from Donald Fagen in my forthcoming memoir. Spoke to Donald backstage after they played the Rainbow. Loved the Seventies & a lot of time with American musicians. After that I spent far too much time with football managers.
Enjoyed that famous Tom Wolfe piece about Phil Spector, especially the bit where he told the pilot of a plane that was about to take off to let him out. Paranoid Phil had a panic attack and told the other passengers, ” This plane ain’t gonna make it!”
His enemies didn’t play one of the greatest singles of all time just to fuck him over. River Deep, Mountain High wasn’t a smash hit in the USA because radio stations didn’t play it.