I have no complaints about the team’s performance against Arsenal nor should any other fan because we gave it absolutely everything against a very good side and on any other day would have come out with something.
But my overwhelming impression was of Winston Reid who showing again that he’s simply not a top four club player and if he was trying to impress Arsene Wenger he failed miserably.
He could have no complaints about the penalty yet there he was jumping up and down pleading the case. Sorry mate, you brought him down plain and simple and for much of the game looked pretty average.
Everybody who was inside the ground or watching on a stream could feel nothing but sympathy for the Irons but I’m afraid I can’t agree with Sam and the others who believe the early strike by Alex Song should have stood.
Diafra was offside plain and simple and I don’t believe the official had any other decision to make than to raise his flag.
Arsenal were strong and showed great movement at times but no better than us and all in all it was a great game which we weren’t allowed to enjoy properly because of the final result.
However, the supporters will have left a lot happier than they did at Chelsea where the team showed nothing. You can’t con Irons supporters. If you put in the shift and given it your best they will stay with you.
Obviously Adrian was outstanding and as Hugh wrote yesterday the Spanish national team should be beckonng very soon.
Morgan Amalfitano was a revelation. He has real skill and invention and a terrific work ethic. But for Adrian he would have been my man of the match.
I think we can take terrific encouragement and confidence from the Arsenal game and get right back on track against West Brom.
And as we head towards the end of the year I’d like to thank and congratulate everybody at the club for a terrific first half. You’ve all done a great job.
Let’s kick on – we’re a top six or better club!
Vlaar’s performance yesterday at villa was great. If Winston does go we should be after him.
at last sanity prevails, it was offside, it was a penalty.
that doesnt detract from we gave them a game and should of shared the point rather than let them have 3.
Hi Leroy, good article I have a slightly different perspective on the performance, yes everyone with the exception of Reid and Song played well and gave 100% and we can all be proud of the performance, Song tried hard but yesterday he other than the disallowed goal he was only at about 75%. With regards to Reid he stepped over the cross that also led to the second goal made me wonder if he wasn’t doing it deliberately… Song’s goal should have been allowed, since 2006 goals such as that have been allowed, although the ball eventually went through Sakho’s legs its flight was for Szezny to the left of the player who made no attempts to contact it and every attempt to avoid contact with it. Wenger said himself in an interview immediately after the game he didn’t understand why it wasn’t given. If Arsenal, Chelsea, Man U or City had hit that shot it would have been allowed, they also might have got both penalty decisions the Sakho one and a blatant one on Amalfitano in the closing seconds. Although Carroll did a lot defensively I think we play better with Sakho and Valencia, although he gave the ball away a few times Valencia’s pace caused them a lot of problems, Noble was also missed and if Nolan isn’t playing someone needs to stand on the opposition keeper at set plays, it was too easy for Szezny and nullified our threat from corners allowing him unrestricted access to claim most of the crosses from corners. If our finishing had been better we woudl have got something from the game, it has been better than previous years but they need some more sessions with Sheringham and if Carroll is playing they need to teach Valencia to run off him as he will likely get a lot of shots on goal if he learns to read what AC is doing.