Twisted tales from the tabloids...

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by CARL ELDRIDGE We take a bit of a battering in the papers this morning after the 2-0 defeat to Roman FC at Shit Bridge yesterday. Despite a much improved performance after the capitulation against the Mancs, the tabloids give us a good kicking, with Chelsea fan Rob Beasley's report in the Sun about as bad and biased as it gets.

Here is a sample of his balanced piece on the game: There's only one Didier Drogba, one England captain, one team in London... and there's only one team top of the league, having a laugh. Celebrating Chelsea fans belted out that message loud and clear at Stamford Bridge last night. But the buoyant Blues crowd missed one out. There's also only one team that can stop them taking the title - the usual suspects Manchester United. Arsenal are out of it.

Out of it we may be and Beasley, who usually makes things up for the News of the World, must have been out of it too based on his intro. Twot. I didn't see any 'celebrating Chelsea fans' and given that the ground was silent apart from us lot I fail to see what message was 'belted out'. Twot.

John Cross in the Mirror is just as twisted. He writes: Not even blinkered Arsene Wenger could deny Didier Drogba deserved the man-of-the-match champagne. In fact, the Arsenal manager may as well raise the white flag and not bother turning up the next time Drogba is in Chelsea’s starting line-up.

Incredibly, Wenger said Drogba did not do very much when Chelsea beat Arsenal at the Emirates in November. Apart from score twice and bully Arsenal into submission.

Fast forward two months and it was a different venue but same old story. Drogba scored twice, was a lick of paint away from a hat-trick and put in a performance which typified the gulf in class between the two clubs. Chelsea were powerful, strong and dominant. Arsenal lightweight, disappointing and toothless up front. Twot.

Fat Sam (Martin Samuel not Allardyce), writing in the Mail, pens this: Here comes another one, just like the other one. Cast your minds back to November when Chelsea went to Arsenal. Yes? Well, it was like this. Didier Drogba unstoppable, Chelsea irresistible, Arsene Wenger certifiable.

Arsenal had 70 per cent of possession, he claimed. They were always on the front foot and in the game, apparently. It was not an exhibition of football from Chelsea. Not in the purest sense, maybe.

Not in terms of beauty for its sake, but from the seventh minute, when Chelsea scored, there was only going to be one winner and Wenger is in denial if he cannot see that. Arsenal had more of the ball - 58 per cent, actually - but Chelsea had the game, and their manager, Carlo Ancelotti, had the more incisive analysis. Twot.

Back to the Sun and they claim Marouane Chamakh has hinted he would choose a move to Arsenal over Liverpool. The Bordeaux striker is free at the end of the season but, despite reports suggesting he has agreed a deal with Rafa Benitez's Reds, the Morocco international admitted he would prefer to go to the Gunners.

He said: "My choice is to join a Premier League club. If I had a choice, I would go to Arsenal. Bordeaux gave me a lot. I will soon clarify things so the club can prepare my successor."

Could have done with him up front yeserday. Right, where are the Anadin?

Written by: Eldo71 Monday, 08 February 2010 09:10

Comments

+1 # Remi 2010-02-08 09:52

Had 70% of the possession and did fuck all with it, as usual!!!!

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0 # Danish Gooner 2010-02-08 10:05

Chamakh is powderpuff

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+1 # Luis 2010-02-08 10:31

The only way you stop it is by winning,if had played for 5 hours we still would not have won..........

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+2 # alf15 2010-02-08 10:49

One things gets under my skin, we have a super small fast team, yet we dont use the counter attack at all! How many times had Nasri got space to run and he just stop turned back and found a player! We need to use are strengths, and crossing the ball into the box with a 5.5 ft midget striker is not one of them. We should be beating players with one on ones with our pace! Eboue did it when he came on! But arsene doesnt want that, he is too set in his ways about pass move pass move. Its looks great but we can be read like a book, we need to change it up alot more! We have been found out with no strikers! and Wenger looks clueless to it! Its starring you in the face you fool, you should of bought a striker!

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0 # batkadare 2010-02-08 12:56

I agree with you completely concerning the usage of counter attacks by our team, or should i say the disusage. It looks like our player are looking forward to playing in front of Chelsea's box, looking forward to endless short passes trying to find a gap. Like you said, the only one that did what all the other players are supposed to do was Eboue, but that was too late to make any difference.

But i don't think that Wenger wants that style of play no matter what, i think that the players sometimes don't have the mental strength to proceed forward on counter attacks against the stronger teams, because they wouldn't know what to do when they get there, it looks like they are not used to that kind of play.

And another thing I would like to point out, that I'm used to seeing from our team, is the "static" play from the player in possession of the ball. The man in possession doesn't really move, the one that doesn't have the ball is the one that is moving trying to find a better position. While that style of play is lethal many times, you cannot hope to win all your games like that. Some teams will adapt their style so that it counters ours (like Chelsea or Man Utd have been doing for the last 4 or 5 games). They will defend well, put 7 or 8 players in the box and try to inflict damage on counter attacks. Our players don't dribble, I know that some players don't have that ability but the ones that do have it, don't do it. I really think that our team is a great one and consists of excellent players, the only problem is just that we have to surprise heavier opponents by changing our tactics against them. They will always expect us to control the possession of the ball and practice short endless passes, but why don't we just try to defend well, with many player behind the ball, and then try to inflict some damage on the counter attacks.

Gooner 'till i die!!

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+1 # Remi 2010-02-08 10:51

The sooner we stop trying to emulate Barcelona the better

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+2 # ahmad from syria 2010-02-08 10:54

come on you mighty reds it is not over yet guys it is not over

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0 # Remi 2010-02-08 11:17

I wish i could remain as positive as you Ahmad :(

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+2 # ahmad from syria 2010-02-08 11:24

i really think we can still do it and win it in the end there are still 13 rounds to be palyed anything can happen lets wait and see but lets keep on supporting the great name of arsenal fc

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+1 # Eldo 2010-02-08 11:21

That's the spirit, Ahmad -- as a tribute to your faith in the glorious Gunners I am no going to have the lrics of Good Old Arsenal tattoed on my torso! Check this out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXFSVRaEvrc

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0 # ahmad from syria 2010-02-08 11:58

thank u so much i will see it at home because im using my mobile ( i dont have internet here at the office)

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0 # Hamy 2010-02-08 11:37

At the pace we are playing...yea its over

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+1 # ahmad from syria 2010-02-08 11:54

keep the faith support the arsenal like u never did before and if u have the chance to go to the games sing and be loud as much as u can

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0 # Nicky 2010-02-08 11:51

Remember the WW2 film "A Bridge too far"?
Well Arsenal have " a pass too far". If only someone would take the lear and SHOOT and stop this irritating pass upon pass until the ball arrives at a brick wall.

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0 # John in Norfolk 2010-02-08 11:52

It's not just the tabloids, you should read the vitriolic piece by Henry Winter in The Telegraph.

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0 # Not over the hill 2010-02-08 12:20

A Minister calls Terry dismissal as England captain as crass! We now know the reason Terry did not go to Man City was because of his "bit on the side". This game was already created for Chelsea's expertise in stopping counter attacks, legal or illegal. We perhaps know that Mr Wenger sort a late signing, too late! If we call the fainthearts "Private Frasers", it is too easy to adduce who Mr Wenger is, at this time. The signns have been there since the double defeats in Manchester, the capitulation against Chelsea in November. No points against either Chelsea or Manchester United this season. To see a gaolkeeper like Almunia booting the ball upfield for AA to head, where even if he could?
Still readind the results from old newspapers during the war years of 39-45, when Arsenal lost in the 1930s was worse than it is now!
The ARSENAL EXPECTS!!!

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0 # GoonerMatt 2010-02-08 12:32

Unfortunately I could not be there yesterday, so had to put up with Jamie Redknapp going on and on. I dont think he likes us at all. Andy Gray was spot on, saying that he could not complain about Arsenal's performance, we showed great spirit and determination etc we just could not finish it off, Graeme Souness was well rounded also. Jamie should get a managers job and then see what he can put into action.

As for the game, it was disappointing, we have run out of steam. We are badly missing Van Persie. One man was the difference yesterday and that is Drogba, as it pains me to say it if we had Drogba then we would have won. We also probably would have won the title by now.

Wenger has got to stop using Bendtner because he is never going to be good enough for the EPL. We must buy a recognised top level striker/forward, a goalkeeper who can command the defense and potentially a defender who can take over from Gallas.

Gallas has done a magnificent job since his troubles with the captaincy etc but he does not marshall the defence enough.

The midfield looks ok, as long as Fabregas does not leave in the summer.

We still have a small chance of getting back into it, but lets get on with the Champions League. Maybe Wenger should have played the full side at Stoke as similar to a couple of years ago when we put out a young side against Manure we then fell away in the EPL.

Come on you Gunners!

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