Walking Dead Break Into a Trot A Stiff Test

In the old days when reserve teams were full of grown up men, not babies in nappies, the B team was known as the “stiffs”. It was a good description, there was nothing more soul destroying than being a senior player playing in front of a few thousand in the echoing emptiness of the main stadium.

Now and again there was good turnout when a new signing turned out for the stiffs. In those days new buys like George Eastham had to perform in the reserves before they got a real game, and a player off form would be relegated to the stiffs. More sensibly players recovering from injury didn’t go on loan but got back to fitness in the stiffs.

I don’t how or why the term came about, but perhaps it referred to fact that players that were long term reserves rarely had pace, and that reserve games were often played slightly faster than walking pace.

Whatever the origins of the term it fitted most of the Arsenal players that turned out in the two cup games before this latest tonking of Leeds. The last two cup performances were played in a stiff tempo by the Arsenal, true the opposition ran around and it paid off.

When I saw the line up this time, although it was stronger, I still groaned. I had predicted a 3-1 win, but almost felt like changing it. Surely Wenger should have played his strongest team at Elland Road? All that stuff about the cauldron and the magnificent 12 th man, surely we couldn’t rely on B Team extra strong? But I hadn’t reckoned on two things, one the incredible form of Samir Nasri, and secondly Wenger must have told them if they didn’t buck up they really would be in the stiffs.

Arsenal played at tempo, even though players not at the top of their game chased back and ran around. Arsenal were fantastic in the first half, the only bone of contention was that they went off only 2-1 at halftime. Better opposition might have punished the Gunner’s profligacy in front of goal, but Leeds learnt the hard way about the gulf that exists between Premiership and Championship.

Leed’s goal that brought the game back to 2-1 was a screamer, it was the goal of the game, but it failed to bring Leeds back from the dead.  To try and up the tempo Leeds put on Bromby and Sam, Wenger responded by putting on Fabregas and Robin van Persie. How demoralising can that be? You are losing 2-1 and then the opposition put on two classy internationals.

It was good coaching, Arsenal immediately kept more of the ball, and only 5 minutes after the substitutions Bendtner’s superb cross found RvP who headed home to end Leed’s interest in the cup.

Not bad, but do you remember that bloke who scored seven goals in one season against Leeds, and they were still in the Premiership? No replays were needed then, but Arsenal were not fielding any stiffs.