Unlucky? Loneliness of Long Distance Season Ticket Holder

For the first time in 42 years Arsenal have failed to score a goal in the first two games. Indeed the attempts on goal were so infrequent, and weak, that I felt it might take another 42years before this line up would ever find the goal.Those who worried that Nasri might be booed had little to worry about, a few booed his name, but most cheered. Worryingly he was our second best player for much of the match, until during the second half he lost interest.

I say second best because the best player was Frimpong, with his powerful tackling, great motor and powerful running. Unfortunately he doesn’t know how to keep calm and at 13.47 I replied by text to a friend that he would be lucky to stay on. Twenty five minutes into the second half my grim prophecy was fulfilled. Doesn’t anyone speak to these players at half time?

The football was not scintillating from either side, it was a fairly mediocre game of industrial football. Carroll spent a lot of time falling to ground and pretending he had been fouled, but was so ineffectual against a make shift defence that included Miquel and Jenkinson that he was taken off after 71 minutes.

The game changed with Frimpong’s sending off, and the team were under the cosh.  A desperate Miquel clearance bounced off Ramsey’s nose leaving Sir Chesny with no chance, I goal down and ten men.

Suddenly the Liverpool fans remembered they were at the game, the Arsenal fans responded by urging the team on, and for a while it worked, but as the clock ran down the team became dispirited and stood almost statuesque to allow Suarez a free shot at goal.

Unlucky?

A friend text me that the TV slow mo showed both goals offside, but if Arsenal were unlucky it was a point that was stolen not three, they never looked like scoring all game. Indeed Liverpool’s 8 shots on target tested the Arsenal keeper far more than the Gunners’ six shots on target tested Reina. Frimpong might have been unlucky on his first yellow, but some refs would have given a straight red on that tackle.

As Arsenal trudged off the faithful, who remained, applauded all the team, but Nasri walked off head down ignoring everyone.

The Arsenal game was typified by poor performances, Walcott and Arshavin were both poor, Ramsey couldn’t find a player on his own side. RvP spun like a cog in an empty universe. It was surprising the defence did as well as it did as the midfield kept putting it under pressure.

This was a depleted team more akin to a line up you would see in the Carling Cup. The fact that they held Liverpool at bay for so long suggests to me that the Scousers are not that good.

Loneliness of Long Distance Season Ticket Holder Vox Pop

Once again I recognised no one in my row, so I carried out a small investigation, I asked the guy on my right had he got a season ticket for the first time? He replied yes but he was going to farm it out, he had been 3000+ in the queue.

I turned to my left and asked the same question, the reply was yes first year and 6000+ plus in the queue.

Attempts to get a “spend some fec.king money” chant going didn’t take off, however there was a mixture of boos and cheers  at the very end, and the management may ignore the discontent, but my feeling is that they should worry about the turnover in season ticket holders even if the threadbare nature of the squad doesn’t concern them.

This is the worst start for 40 years, with Man Utd away next week, and internationals the week after, it may take a while before the team can get that particular monkey off its back.