I Turned The Pub Blue With Language

A trip around the Gooner blogs made for some interesting reading last night. Doom and gloom merchants are suggesting that Thierry Henry is either a) past his prime or b) holding back our play. Im not against criticism per se... I dole it out to all and sundry (Gallas being booked was retarded yesterday, for instance) but I get annoyed by the mindless knee jerk variety.

It is true that Henry was not at his best but the pinnacle of genius is not reached every week and simply put the “we’re better off without him” stuff is ridiculous. Loads of Gooners have completely bottled it.

I feel that in spite of echoes of the City match, yesterday felt a bit like our draws during the undefeated season. We are playing fantastic football and if we can continue our form and grab 4 points each against Chelsea, United (almost there) and Liverpool I believe we’ve won this league. Everyone must calm down. Senderos is back. Clichy is near a return. Diaby. Lauren. Baptista. There is more to come from this side and many more options to be employed by Wenger particularly with the strength Baptista and Diaby can offer in the side.

About yesterday. I watched the Everton match at a North London pub (yes, a pub!!!) with an Everton supporter and quite early on in the match I made comment that I've seen this movie before. And yes, the Blues set up to hold us and in spite of possession that apparently broke the Premiership record (in the 85-90% region) Everton scored first and thereafter defended stoutly for 70 minutes with Arsenal attacking (and also tempting fate by employing only Gallas and Toure in a back TWO for much of the match).

It was frustrating and the Everton supporter I was with was very ill advised to yelp "GET IN" when Cahill scored in a pub filled with agitated Gooners. But let's offer praise where it is due... Andy Johnson did a fantastic job pressing any Arsenal player on the ball. He's a top player and would start for England alongside Rooney if I were king.

While much of the match saw me rain epithets towards *referee Mike Wiley, that goal found me more subdued than normal and perhaps vindicated for suggesting on an earlier free kick that Henry step away and let Van Persie take the free kick (Henry hit the wall). Van Persie should take any tasty free kicks on the right side of the pitch. That elegant left foot of his is a howitzer of a weapon. His 5 goals this season are showing that he can achieve the greatness so often predicted for him.

CSKA Moscow on Wednesday. I think this is the toughest test of the season. They are a strong side that play good football. We MUST win this match, not to calm the stupidly frayed nerves of a worryingly large number of Gooners (imagine if we had LOST yesterday... geez) but to more or less secure our place in the knock out phase of the Champions League.

I just hope the side can show more bottle than our supporters.