Date: 2nd May 2011 at 1:30am
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So after 90 minutes in North London the title race is well and truly on.

With Chelsea breathing down our necks after a controversial 2-1 win on Saturday we knew what we had to do going into Sunday’s game against Arsenal and unfortunately we were unable to get the required result.

Arsenal for all their collapses over the course of the season won without being particularly spectacular and that is probably what is most riling about this defeat, it was very avoidable.

United’s decision to go with 2 up top and a 2 man central midfield proved the wrong decision as Arsenal’s 3 man midfield of Song, Wilshere and Ramsey were able to nullify Carrick and Anderson. All 3 were guilty of a number of infringements but even looking beyond that we just generally weren’t good enough in what was another lacklustre performance.

Vidic was extremely lucky not to concede a penalty in the first half and could even have seen red ruling him out for the last 3 games of the season but this does not balance out with Foy missing Clichy essentially stamping on the back of Owen’s calf and potentially giving away a penalty. I have said it before and I’ll say it again, if you think karma has anything to do with football then you should probably watch another sport. All this talk of decisions balancing out is ridiculous and they should be judged individually.

The performance as I said wasn’t good enough, Song was obviously given the job of sitting on Rooney and did his job even if it was outside the rules of the game. Hernandez had an uncharacteristically quiet game with zero shots on goal in his time on the pitch. Looking at the goal Vidic gave the ball away (as he did in the first half where we were luck that Wilshere didn’t convert), we weren’t quick enough to close down Van Persie and finally how on earth was Ramsey afforded the time to get his shot off, Park is normally one of our top performers against Arsenal but today it was he that was ball watching. Been said before but the fact we still rely on Giggs and Scholes in midfield, despite their age, speaks volumes. Of course Scholes was banned but the lack of Giggs told and at this stage they should be a bonus rather than an integral part of the team.

Looking ahead the familiar refrain ‘United like to do things the hard way’ comes to mind. With next week’s game against Chelsea and what could be a tricky tie against Blackburn away the title doesn’t seem as certain (I still think we will win it). The title has always been in our hands and I won’t question whether the players want it, only a moron would ask if a man who makes his living playing a sport wants to win a championship. If they didn’t want to win they wouldn’t be at Old Trafford playing under Sir Alex Ferguson.

I’m not too sure if a draw will be good enough as I said Blackburn away may be a tricky tie but having beaten Chelsea three times already this season, the belief will be there that we can get the job done. Chelsea aren’t just going to stroll it either as Everton at Goodison Park could be a tough one on the final day of the season.

So all we can do now is wait for next week.

 

20 responses to “Pardon my rambling: An incoherent look at Arsenal and it’s implications”

  1. Gooner1 says:

    Can you explain to me what song done that was outside the laws of the game ? Thanks

    • Chudi says:

      You didn’t see his persistent fouling? Blocking people off the ball etc

      • Yosh says:

        I think Wenger told Billong to do his best second rate Darren Fletcher impression totally missing the essence of the role.

  2. John says:

    At the end of the day the best team won. Arsenal should have won the fa cup tie as well

    Its quite refreshing to see arsenal be clinical and not waste countless chances against Man utd and concede on the counter.

    Yes Man Utd played in the week but arsenal have played more matches than anyone else in England ie carling cup, fa cup replays etc

  3. Aditi says:

    ferguson has clearly lost it…wrong substitutions, wrong startin line up formation… Bring in Jose Mourinho!!!!

    • The Glutton says:

      Yay! Fergie’s lost it.

      Do you not know how much of a cliché that has become? A cliché that holds no water in terms of the trophies we continue to win.

      Osama Bin Laden… blimey.

      • Aditi says:

        ‘trophies we continue to win’?? Wen was d last time we won an important trophy??

        • Chudi says:

          The season before last, we won the Premiership. Last season we won the Carling Cup. You?

  4. Mike says:

    Don’t be so bitter. Song was in no way “outside the laws of the game” and in fact the “foul” he did get end up getting booked for was an excellent tackle. Foy also conspired to get in the way almost every time Arsenal got the ball, and how he missed Vidic destroying Wilshere in the first half is a mystery, and don’t even get me started on Vidic’s hand of god to counter your very weak Owen appeal. It is worth noting also that Rooney deserved to see a red card. He got booked for a nothing tackle on Wilshere just inside the Arsenal half and was justifiably annoyed but his reaction warranted a yellow card, firstly for his appalling language to the ref and secondly for kicking the ball away. Under the laws of the game having been booked for the foul he should have seen red. But yet again Rooney gets away with it.

    I’m an Arsenal fan and I watched the game with several United fans who have been United fans for 20+ years and they were all gracious in accepting that United deserved nothing from the game and that Arsenal deserved the win. Maybe you should learn some grace and humility.

    United should, and most probably will, win the league. They deserve it as they have been (not the best as that is too much of a compliment given the poor standard of football from every party) the least shit team in the league this year.

  5. Rai says:

    Aditi – are you fuckin stupid? Fuck off and follow someone else you obviously aren’t a proper United follower. “Fergie has lost it”….CL semi final, top of the league with a few games left…yes mate SAF has clearly lost it. Prick.

    • Aditi says:

      he clearly cant beat chelsea or liverpool away…now even arsenal has started to beat us….champions league semis n which tough team did we face to reach d semis or final?? Wen was d last time we won d league or the uefa?? Ferguson isn’t d same man he was

  6. NichoUnited says:

    Mike….where to start? You accuse the author of being bitter and then go on to suggest Foy deliberately got in the way, Vidic whould have been sent off, Owen didn’t deserve a penalty, Rooney should have been sent off, United are the least shit and United were responsible for most attocities in WWI and WWII. Did I miss anything?. Hello Pot…this is kettle! Try being gracious in winning as well. While you are at it….try getting your coach to lead by example.

    We probably deserved to lose on balance but there are swings and roundabouts with decisions. United will take the league if good enough in spite of bad decisions. I don’t think there is anything too bitter in the article, dissapointed yes but who wouldn’t be at losing?

    • Mike says:

      Um why would I be bitter? WE bloody won. We deserved to win. I was making the point that decisions evened themselves out and on the balance of play Arsenal were the better side.

      Everyone in football says this is the weakest league for years, and they are right, the best team won’t win, the least shit team will. United haven’t been good this season but they’ve consistently got results playing badly. Fair play to them it’s the mark of champions.

      As for Rooney, I was making the point that Song was not outside the laws of the game in any way, and I was addressing the very common point made by fans and journalists world wide that Rooney seems to get away with murder. The way he behaves on a football field, especially towards refs is a disgrace. Phenomenal football, horrendous person.

      Owen deserved a penalty, but no more than Vidic deserved to concede one and be sent off. So 1-1 there.

      The Foy comment was meant tongue in cheek but it is very difficult to convey that in text format.

      In what way was Wenger anything other than gracious in victory?

      • NichoUnited says:

        Wenger? Don’t be an arse…literally…..you need look no further back than his little episode with Kenny for starters. I never said anything about gracious only in victory and that it only related to that game? Then again you have a good teacher when it comes to being blinkered.

        Why would you be bitter? 6 years without trophies might be a good place to start? Writing comments on a United forum might be another?

        Everyone saw the handball in slow motion replay. Fortunate, yes. Owen’s situation was a lot more obvious.

        Rooney’s reaction? How about Van Persie’s reaction with the linesman? Horrendous person that Van Persie…..

  7. chelseafan says:

    How the f did you win against chelsea thrice already this season? Or are you looking ahead, already? Hold on to your horses, mate 😉

    • NichoUnited says:

      Horse has already bolted chelseafan…….Community Shield. Easy to forget heh?

  8. karlomu says:

    the last time we won the league was 2009 missed out narrowly last season and are still on course to win it this season ADITI YOUR A CLUELESS CLOWN mourinho has proved against barca his style is sterile, real utd fans love football formed with the same ethos as sir alex the greatest manager in the history of the game give it up aditi you naive child…

  9. karlomu says:

    and by the way aditi who wants to win the uefa cup anyway

  10. Yosh says:

    I think I speak for everyone when I say there is a huge clown among us cough(aditi)cough. I think every single Manchester United fan would become bald if Mourinho took over as we’d all pull our hair out. On que, every weekend. And probably our pubes during Match of the day. . (sorry if your reading this before watershed)