CC Final * Arsenal - Birmingham City * Sun 27 Feb 4:00pm-SS1

[eye4goal]

I think we just have too many nice guys in this team. Szczesney and Wilshere will learn from this but I worry about some players almost in their mid 20s and yet to win something. Wenger's skills will be tested to the limit in making sure we can handle the pressure towards the end of the season.

 

[Clrnc]

Just wondering if Fabianski made this error he would be lambasted. Just because it was golden boy Szczesny it was less of a matter imo.

 

[goonerwarsh]

We were petrified apparently...

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11694_6785751,00.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 51,00.html</a>

 

[Kroket]

Just wondering if Fabianski made this error he would be lambasted. Just because it was golden boy Szczesny it was less of a matter imo.

He's been getting lots of justified praise recently and people have rightly been critical of him yesterday, at least on here. Don't see the problem really.

 

[USArsenal]

im actually one of those people who think Snes was more at fault for the ****-up than Kos was (though Kos played his part).

with either one of them, its a matter of inexperience and not being in this kind of pressure-filled position before (league games are not the same as a cup final, even if its the CC - it was Wembley after all)..

its whether they (more to the point Snes) learns from it and becomes stronger by it that's the question..

 

[DJ_Markstar]

We were petrified apparently...

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11694_6785751,00.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 51,00.html</a>" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What a *****. Their "attacking play" consisted of parking the bus and launching balls into the box. Same old same old, not sure how that differs to how they usually play.

 

[brady_style]

We were petrified apparently...

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11694_6785751,00.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 51,00.html</a>" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What a *****. Their "attacking play" consisted of parking the bus and launching balls into the box. Same old same old, not sure how that differs to how they usually play.

He's exaggerating but flush with the first major success of his career he is allowed to exaggerate.

Our CB's did look uncomfortable under the high ball all game. Well .. Kos certainly did.

 

[dyeruz]

Just wondering if Fabianski made this error he would be lambasted. Just because it was golden boy Szczesny it was less of a matter imo.

its a fact if it was Fabianski he would have been slaughtered, Alumnia stood on his head and kept us in that Champions league tie last year against Barca yet still got slaughtered for coming out too early for Ibra's goal and rightly so, we're looking for a goal keeping saviour, Szczesny's still got some credit left in his account

 

[eye4goal]

This is the first "major" error from Szczesney if we can blame it entirely on him. Fabianski is more mistake prone or at least was. Chelsea in the FA Cup semis, Porto, Wigan etc

 

[CandysRoom]

I was expecting lots of abuse of friends yesterday, but most texts and phone calls i recieved were of the same feeling, "Same old Arsenal". Much as i hate to say it, i feel the same.

Birmingham had their best game for a long time, maybe ever. But why were we so toothless for large periods of the game? I'm still pretty dispondant about this tbh.

 

[TOPG]

This is the first "major" error from Szczesney if we can blame it entirely on him. Fabianski is more mistake prone or at least was. Chelsea in the FA Cup semis, Porto, Wigan etc

Szczesny kept us in the game at 1-0 with a brilliant save from Zigic. Every player makes mistakes, the crucial thing is how they recover from them.

 

[qs]

Just wondering if Fabianski made this error he would be lambasted. Just because it was golden boy Szczesny it was less of a matter imo.

In fairness thats just because Fabianski has made similar mistakes so often in the past. IMO he had seriously improved and was doing a great job this season but Shez hasn't really had any howlers before so people are much more likely to forgive the first one or two. Same as they did with Fab.

 

[outlaw_member]

Szczesny has saved our bacon more than enough times to let this mistake slide. His save on Zigic earlier in the game had kept us in the contest, although had the referees been on their game, he'd have walked quicker than Jens Lehmann.

 

[CandysRoom]

We got lucky on the decision earlier, but i don't blame Szczesny for the mistake. Kos was in a position to put his foot through the ball and had fully commited to it. Whether a shout came from behind, one in that position just whack the ball into stand z.

 

[Kroket]

I recall Szczesny and Djourou having a few familiar ****-ups this season, especially on crosses. Somehow I find it hard to imagine someone like Szczesny not making himself heard enough...

 

[outlaw_member]

Come to think of it, Szczesny made two errors yesterday. He flapped at thin air for the Zigic goal.

 

[progman07]

We got lucky on the decision earlier, but i don't blame Szczesny for the mistake. Kos was in a position to put his foot through the ball and had fully commited to it. Whether a shout came from behind, one in that position just whack the ball into stand z.

That's also how I see it, though I'm pretty sure I'd be a little more biased against Almunia or Fabianski, had they made the same thing there, so I'm still not sure about what to think.

 

[progman07]

Come to think of it, Szczesny made two errors yesterday. He flapped at thin air for the Zigic goal.

Robin marked Zigic, after the header you can't do much if you are the keeper, it can go anywhere.

His mistake was, I felt, the penalty situation earlier, you just can't risk getting sent off AND conceding a penalty in the 3rd minute... luckily it was wrongly ruled offside.

 

[Rahul]

Disappointing result & performance. Heartbreaking stuff this. Even though Schzney made us all look comfortable at the back for quite a while, I still had that gut feeling that we were going to screw this up, one way or the other. I was watching this game with fellow gooners and I was in tears right at the end. They asked me why do I grieve over a "worthless" cup, but to be honest I wanted this cup more than anything for some odd reason. I really wanted it because even though I was one of the people who want Arsène out, I do firmly believe that he and his team deserve it. If this is hard on us, I just can't imagine how the players feel. Do not give me the random bullshit that the players don't care or the players lack heart. The matter of the fact is, they were all distraught and all destroyed. We had more to lose than win to be honest. Birmingham either way will be regarded as heroes and we only had one option which was to win. Evidently, some people around here were knee-jerking around with the "title is gone, champions league is gone, we are screwed." Although those comments are far-fetched and simply absurd, with injuries to RVP, Fabregas and Walcott and the recent blow of the final CC will haunt us. With that said, I do believe we can stand up and I do believe that we will perform better. I am sure players were dreaming about finally gifting the fans a trophy and that was one of the main reasons they performed poorly. We were anxious but at the same time nervous. Losing was definitely not an option but it was what the players feared during the game. We were somewhat shocked by Birmingham and how the approached the game, and to honest we should of expected that if not more. Questioning our hunger vs theirs should not be talked upon because in my opinion hunger had absolutely nothing to do with the game. Yes, they were blocking balls, throwing bodies, tackling hard, pressing hard but those are only things you do to Arsenal and after that have the pleasure of watching them destroy themselves. We were hungry, if not more than Birmingham but the fear of defeat in what have been an unbelievably long time since our last cup was what got to the players. I don't questions one players attitude towards the final but some of the players quality of performance was abysmal, that's where the match ratings kick in, so until then.

What I am about to say might come as a shock to most but since yesterdays game I have changed my stance. We lost, the CC cup final to Birmingham (which they thoroughly deserved), but I have changed my stance towards Arsène. I wanted him out more than anything because I believed that he doesn't know how to address or communicate with the players any more. I questioned his passion and his methods but I for one apologize for everything I have stated towards him. When I was in tears right at the end, it was not only because We as fans finally deserve a cup or a trophy but because Arsène Wenger deserves more than that. I feel for him and I applaud his characteristics. Yes, we haven't got a trophy for a long while but what Arsène is/has been doing so far with all the budget and pressure he has, he has been an angel. He has his mistakes as we all do but I for one apologize for wanting him out and for tearing him to shreds with every loss or draw. I will not give up and will back him and the team even more now.

As the **** Andy Gray would say - Take a bow son,take a bow!

 

[Y va marquer]

Sczcesny has been immense for us since taking over from Fabianski but he should have grabbed and held that ball as if his life depended on it.
Agreed that Kos should have lumped it out of the stadium but he didn't so Sczcesny should have dealt with it.

It's more than unfortunate, it's almost tragic that it happened the way it did.
Youth and inexperience - under pressure they just seemed to freeze.