Arsenal 1 Birmingham 2 - Let's Be Optimistic

He always has his tongue out it seems...

     Well then. This is going to be fairly difficult to write. I'm just going to start now, and hope for the best.

    When the lineups first came out, I was very, very surprised to see Rosicky start, instead of Diaby or Bendtner. I chose Diaby to start, but because he was not on the bench I can only assume he picked up a knock before the match. So we started like this -

     Arshavin      van Persie       Nasri

                          Rosicky

               Wilshere       Song

Clichy     Koscielny     Djourou     Sagna

                         Szczesny

     A decent squad, but right from the get go I wasn't very happy with the selection of Rosicky. I thought we would've been much better off with Nik in Theo's vacated spot, and Nasri given Cesc's role. And even if Nik wasn't to start, give Nasri Cesc's role and put Rosicky on the right flank. I think Bendtner's physical presence would be important and his height important on set plays. None the less, this squad should be capable of delivering a win. 

     It's important to think about the amount of pressure that was on Arsenal going into this match. The starting XI must have felt like the entire world was watching them, and demanded a trophy, because of the drought. So nerves would be expected in the match. But I'm not here to make excuses, because even with the pressure, all of these players have international experience except for Koscielny, Szczesny, and you could give Wilshere a pass.

     Right from the start, we got lucky. Lee Bowyer was played in by Zigic, our defence split open, and Szczesny made a challenge that surely would have been a red card and a penalty. Thankfully, it was called offside. The thing is, Lee Bowyer wasn't offside. Oooph. That was too damn close.

    
     We started very nervous, you could tell, the jitters in the legs, the chills when the players weren't cold, you could just tell.

     But after a couple minutes Arsenal began to settle down and the player that really seemed to catch everyone's eye was young Jack. He seemed the most confident on the ball and his passes were intelligent and accurate.

     We created a couple half chances: an RvP volley, two Djourou corners, and a Nasri shot. But credit to Birmingham: they were keeping their shape very well and we found it very difficult to break them down.

     Then, in our own half, Sagna played a ball to Wilshere. A simple pass, but as it was put right between Djourou and Wilshere, neither player knew whether or not to go for it. As a result, Brum got the ball and a cross was put into our box. Thankfully, Kos managed to head the ball out for a corner ahead of Zigic.

     Then lightning struck. the corner was put in and Roger Johnson beat Koscielny to the ball who headed it goal-wards and Zigic flicked it on from close range. One nil to Brum, in just the 28th minute.

     Koscielny should have done better, but regarding Zigic you can't expect much more. Szczesny could do nothing, but you cold expect a little bit more from Djourou despite Zigic's height.

     What I want to note though, is that we gave up possession in a dangerous area, when we weren't under that much pressure,  which resulted in conceding the corner, and then conceding the goal, etc etc.

     Shameful.

     After that, the back four looked very nervous, even more than before. As a result, just minutes after the goal, Zigic found himself one v one with Szczesny, but Woijcech made himself big and made the save. Had that gone in, we would've really been fucked.

     Then all of a sudden, we scored.

     We were on the counter, and Wilshere shot (YAY, he finally shot!) from 20 yards and hit the bar. (SHIT, he can shoot!) Brum tried to clear the ball, but it was a poor clearance and it fell to Arshavin on the right flank. He wiggled a little and made his way to the byline. He put it into the center for RvP, and the Dutchman's scissor-kick volley found the bottom left-hand corner. It really was an absolutely amazing goal. His chocolate leg might just be better than his left!

     Because of his shot though, he was hurt and went off for a bit before coming back on. (Turns out he's injured as a result, more on that further down the post).

     After that, Arsenal played with much more confidence. We were camped in their half, but failed to create anything, until right before the break. Nasri ripped a shot from about 26 yards out which was saved by Foster.

     So into the break we went, and I was thankful that we were level.

     The first half really wasn't that good. We were sloppy in possession, we were too nervous, and we could'nt break Brum down. This was due to a couple of reasons:

• Rosicky is too 'naive' at times to play it wide, he seems to like to have the ball central. There were many times when he could have sent Clichy up the field, but didn't.

• Song was having a terrible game. His passing was poor, and he wasn't protecting the back four very well.

• Arshavin could not combat with Carr. As a result, he continuously strayed from his position to the opposite flank, which created congestion there. Rosicky did not help by playing the ball to that side so often, either.

• Nasri was very quiet. Other than two shots, you couldn't tell he was there.

• We weren't moving off the ball. Everyone seemed to be stationary.

     Other than those cons, Wilshere was playing very well, as was RvP. Djourou was alright, and Koscielny was decent as well.

     So the second half began, and we started brightly. Rosicky put a shot just wide, and the off the ball movement was much better; we had more energy. We applied constant pressure, but couldn't create any clear cut chances.

   
     As the half wore on, around the 56th we started to lose our dominance. It was back to sharing the ball with Brum. As a result, Fahey had a shot and was very unlucky not to put Birmingham two - one up. His shot hit the post, and Szczesny could do nothing about it. Because of Birmingham's chance, it seemed to re-energize Arsenal. But, after a couple minutes, our sloppy play was present again, and we couldn't make anything of our possession.

     Eventually, around the 62nd Nasri came into the match more. This was a result of Rosicky switching to Theo's position, and from that point forward I really didn't know Rosicky was on the pitch. Classic, pointless, unproductive, Rosicky.

     Around the 70th minute the match was very dull, and on came Bendtner for RvP. At first I was upset at this, and wanted Rosicky off. Why would we take our best striker off? I later learned that van Persie was taken off because of his injury he received from his goal.

     I then realized that Jack was on the pitch too, but he wasn't playing as well as he did in the first half. His confidence wasn't there, nor was his dominance of the midfield.

     Even so, we had some chances. Nasri had shot via the counter which hit Foster in the face. Haha. Then Bendtner was on the edge of their penalty area, and again there was no one moving, and no one for him in the box. Therefore, he took matters into his own hands and showed great skill to get a shot off. It deflected and Foster made a brilliant save.

     In the 78th Chamakh was put on in place of Arshavin. I disagreed with that decision, because even though Arsahvin wasn't playing well, he was more likely to score/create something than Rosicky. Even so, In Arsene We Trust.

     Even with Chamakh on the pitch, their was no movement off the ball. Everyone seemed tired, and unwilling, as if they just didn't want it enough. No one had ideas, until Nasri had another shot from distance and Foster did brilliantly for Brum again.

     In the 83rd Martins came on for Fahey, and despite Zigic being nearly dead from fatigue, our defense would have to stay focused as to not let up a late goal. The match wore on, and Arsenal created nothing.

     Then God shit on us. In the 89th minute, Foster pumped the ball up field, and Zigic flicked the ball on, into our penalty box. Szczesny came out to collect, and clearly gave Koscielny a shout, but still Kos went to clear it out.

     Whether or not Koscielny tried to clear it and missed the ball, our pulled out of his clearance because of Szczesny, it didn't matter. Because Koscielny swiped at the ball two feet away from Sczcesny, the Pole was put off and couldn't catch the ball properly. The ball fell kindly for Martins, who wouldn't miss from 12 yards out on an open net.

     My first thought: Are you fucking kidding me?

     My second thought: Wait, what just happened.

     My third and final thought: Shit, we've just lost the Carling Cup Final.

     What an absurd goal to give away. What bollocks. You'd expect better from them, especially in the final minute of a cup final.

Derp

     After that, Arsenal was just shell shocked. We went forward, but our passes were aimless. Martins had another chance, but  Szczesny came out and made the stop. Other than that, the ball was in our half for the added time and when the final whistle blew I was distraught.

     You can't say that we deserved to win the match. Birmingham was the better team, and they fully deserved the silverware. The only things I didn't like about them winning was that we didn't, and that Lee Bowyer is a cunt and should never have won a trophy in his career.

     You've got to feel for Woijcech and Kos. Poor communication in the last minute and they cost the whole team.
     One thing I especially didn't like was that after Brum scored, a horde of Birmingham players passed by LK6 and WS53. When the group passed, a Birmingham player pushed the head of Koscielny down. Extremely unsporting, and a real piece of cuntery. So, based on my description, who do you think did that to Kos?

     That's right! Ding ding ding! Lee Bowyer! The slippery cunt strikes again!

     The fucker.

     Many of the players for this Arsenal side did not preform today, and I'm not going to list them. I'll just do the damn player ratings now.

• Szczesny - 5.5 - Could've done better with the first goal, was not commanding in the box, and obviously, was at fault for the goal along with Koscielny.

• Sagna - 6 - Had a very poor night. When he went forward he was not very effective, and didn't do very well defensively. He was also at fault for the first goal.

• Djourou - 6.5 - Our best defender on the night. (Not much of a title, though). He dealt with some of Birmingham's crosses, but should've have marked Zigic better on the first goal.

• Koscielny - 5 - Did not have a good game. I hate to say it, but he cost us the game. He really should have either cleared the ball or let Szczesny take it, for Brum's second goal. He and Djourou were easily sliced open at times.

• Clichy - 6 - Did not see much of the ball, mainly because of Rosicky. He did alright defensively. 

• Song - 5.5 - The worst I've ever seen him play. His passing was shit, he left the back four vulnerable, and didn't break up play well. 

• Wilshere - 7 - Had a brilliant first half.  His shot which hit the crossbar started our goal. His second half wasn't very good, though. Perhaps fatigue made it's way into his game.

• Rosicky - 5.5 - Ugh. I just hate Rosicky. He's utterly pointless. He is naive to using the flanks, and isn't productive going forward. A waste of space in my opinion.

• Nasri - 7 - In the first half he was quiet, and unable to make a real impact. in the second half however, he did, especially when he played in Cesc's role. His shots were brilliant, and looked our most likely to create something.

• Van Persie - 7 - In the first half he looked uncomfortable, but his goal was absolutely brilliant. Top class. I still can't get over it. He didn't look as good in the second period, and was subbed off due to injury.

• Arshavin - 6 - We all expected a big performance from him, but he came up short. He didn't convert a chance he got very early on, but he did assist RvP's goal. His movement was poor, with his continuous runs to the opposite flank he upset our shape and balance. As a result we were congested on the right hand side. I think his movement was one of the main reasons why we weren't able to create much.

• Bendtner - 6.5 - He and I were disappointed that he didn't start,  but when he came on he did have an impact. His passing was good, but he had a chance to score and couldn't capitalize.

• Chamakh - 6 - Didn't really have an effect on proceedings when he came on, but wasn't given much time in all honesty. He did help however on defending set pieces.

• Arsene Wenger - 6.5 - I believe he made a mistake by starting Rosicky over Bendtner, and not putting Nasri in Cesc's role. Also, I wasn't happy that he took Arshavin off and not Rosicky, and that he didn't give Bendtner much time on the pitch.

     The team simply did not preform today. It also showed how much we miss Cesc and Walcott. But, again, I really think we would have been better off with Nasri in Cesc's role and Nik in Theo's spot. I can't stress it enough.

    
     This is what Wenger said regarding said regarding the match, and I  have to agree with him:

"I am bitterly disappointed, like the whole team. We had some problems to start the game, the number of games we played caught up a little bit on us. It took us a while to get into the rhythm and pace of the game. In the second half we were on top, unfortunately we couldn’t score the second goal and, in the end, we made a mistake that left us no time at all to respond. We were preparing to play extra time."

     What's very important is how the side responds to this match, obviously. Wilshere has shown the best character, I believe, simply by crying. It shows how much he wants 'it', and his drive. We're still in three other competitions, and while it would have been nice to win the Carling Cup, it's lowest on the list of prestigious trophies, so we might as well just win one of the others!

     Instead of putting this loss behind us, I think it's important that we remember this one. We have to remember the pain and the anguish we have all felt, and swear to ourselves to never experience it again. That is probably the best experience you can get in order to win future trophies, even more so than winning a trophy and going on for another. Why? Because in life, not just sport, we remember the times of pain more than the times of joy, sadly. 

     Some people are blaming Wenger. They're upset at our drought, and the fact that we haven't taken this golden opportunity.
     Those that are upset with him, are off their rocker.

     Wenger has managed the invincibles, won two doubles, brought Arsenal to their first Champions League Final, and won other pieces of silverware. To question him is mad.
     This is nowhere near the team of Keown, Viera, Bergkamp, and Henry, regarding the style of play. It's a new generation. We are no solid team that wins by one goal and holds that lead. We are a free flowing side with flare and excitement. We are a work in progress. Our players our young, and you can't expect them to fully mature overnight.
     Arsenal plays the best football in the Premier League, bar none. We should be proud of the talent we have, and being capable of being one of the very best sides in the world with players so young. And because our players are so young and have so much promise already, I have full confidence that our team will be the best in the world in two years or so. But constantly crucifying this Arsenal squad will get them nowhere. They need our support, and we need to give it to them. Come on you Gunners.

 
     Oh and by the way, I have some bad news. As of right now, van Persie is injured and will not be back in time for the Barcelona match. Bollocks. It happened as a result of his goal.

Robin wincing - a classic celebration after scoring a brilliant goal in a final.

     Oh and by the way, I have some good news. As of right now, Puyol, Xavi, and Valdes all look like doubts for the Barca match against us. Yippee. And if Puyol can't make it, and Pique is suspended, it should be pretty good. Woohoo.

     So obviously everyone feels terrible for the loss, the players more than the fans, obviously. This is what some of the players said on Twitter:

Jack, the best tweeter of the entire Arsenal team -

"All i can say is sorry to the fans..it hurts alot i know but we must all stick together, still in 3 other comps! We have to move on!Sorry <3"

Cesc, who must feel terrible at the moment, but still acting professional -

"Congratulations to Birmingham. This team has great potential and there r still great targets to play for this season. Thanks for ur support."

Nasri, who never uses punctuation, and says what we want to hear -

"Thank you for your support guys its a massive blow but we have to look forward wednesday FA Cup and we have still 3 competition so chin up"

Lastly, Sagna, who I feel terrible for especially because he apparently invited a lot of friends and family to the match. This tweet breaks my wittle heart -

"Just feel ashamed..sorry."

     Alright then. I think that's enough. Let's look ahead to Wednesday, our home tie against Orient. Very important that the home fans really supports the squad, to give the lads a lift.

     Till then.