Filed under: Arsenal, Birmingham, Carling Cup, Football
Arsenal's visit next week to the Camp Nou looks more and more foreboding. It seems to me their one valid hope of survival, of somehow retaining their one lead goal over Barcelona, lies in the presence of Cesc Fabregas: Once as we know a Barcelona junior himself. His absence from the disastrous League Cup Final at Wembley was all too starkly apparent. His drive, his invention, his inspiration were palpably missed. And the gaping holes in Arsenal's defence, largely concealed at The Emirates, helped materially by such an untypical miss by the dazzling Lionel Messi and the disallowing of what looked a perfectly good goal, could be seriously exposed in Spain.Arsenal's young Polish keeper, Wojciech Szczesny did well in the first leg and followed that with a glorious one handed save from John Carew of Stoke, the following week. But his inexperience was all too evident against Birmingham City at Wembley, as was the inadequacy of centre back, Laurent Koscielny, who had also done well against Barcelona. The fatal misunderstanding between them at the end of the game was almost ludicrous. You cannot really blame Arsene Wenger for the fact that his first choice centre back Thomas Vermaelen, has been absent, injured for most of the season. But this protracted failure to sign an adequate goalkeeper, when one was urgently needed, has cost him and the club dear.
If you recall the Gunners were absurdly lucky not to concede a penalty, and the red card loss of Szcz?sny, at the start of the game, thanks to the inadequacy of the linesman who gave Lee Bowyer offside after he had been brought down by the Polish goal keeper. You may feel that rough justice in the end was done.
FanHouse UK Picture Galleries: WAGS: Do They Still Matter? | CHEEKY: Things Sport Fans Write
AGELESS: When They Were Young | WTA: Players To Watch | KITS: Best Of The Lot | KITS: And The Worst
AGELESS: When They Were Young | WTA: Players To Watch | KITS: Best Of The Lot | KITS: And The Worst
Personally, I took pleasure in the fact that two of City's most gifted players, Jean Beausejour the Chilean and Obafemi Martins, the somersaulting last gasp scorer, from Nigeria came on as substitutes. I have seen both of them impressively in action for Birmingham this season and each, in the Italian saying as the ability "to invent the game." In the case of Martins and his exuberant somersaults, the ability to win it.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/03/01/league-cup-arsenal-birmingham-cesc-fabregas-barcelona/
Carlos Tevez Cesc Fabregas Charley Hoffman Clarence Seedorf Cristiano Ronaldo
No comments:
Post a Comment