December 2012 « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News, supporting the club, the players and the manager
Reading v’s Arsenal. Commentary by Dumb and Dumber (Ian Darke and Steve McManaman)
Cameron Wolfe selects the commentators’ best quotes from the game as available in North America.
Arsene Wenger is feeling the heat after Arsenal’s embarrassing cup exit against 4th tier Bradford last week.
Reading are in trouble but Arsenal are the real talking point in all the newspapers and on the radio.
Three changes to the team surprisingly knocked out of the league cup last week by Bradford.
(So we’re two minutes in and they can’t stop mentioning the league cup defeat)
Reading are bottom of the league now but Arsenal are not at their best just now. So they have a good opportunity tonight Reading if their really at it and have a good attitude.
(So Reading are currently bottom. They haven’t beaten Arsenal in their last ten attempts but he thinks Reading can beat Arsenal tonight if they get at them? Oh no sorry “have a good attitude”)
Much focus on Arsene Wenger plenty of debate. Fans are split it seems that his distinguished time at the club might be coming to an end. Although some think he needs more time after all the trophies he’s brought to the club.
(So looks like Arsene is on his way out again. Feels like it’s every week he’s going to be sacked)
Looks like they have two jet healed players tonight playing in Walcott and Chamberlain. They were missing that at Bradford. It was painful to watch or at least it was in you were an Arsenal fan.
(Strangely enough I watched the whole game on Arsenal player even though I knew the result. Extra time and the penalty shoot out. I didn’t find it painful to watch I thought we were unlucky not to win the game. The only painful thing for me was the result.)
Arsenal are desperate for the win tonight to stop the radio phone inquests going on again.
Reading have a corner so it’s time to start talking about Arsenal’s shaky defence. Or in their words it’s not been that “Firm”
Podolski scores.
Now it was all too easy because Reading aren’t closing us down. Not too much talk about what a good move it was or cross from Gibbs for the goal. Or how well Podolski took the ball down and scored.
It’s all about how Reading are disorganised. In the background the Arsenal fans are in good voice.
The cameraman shows Steve Bould.
I think Arsenal have been angry a little about a few reports that Steve Bould isn’t getting on with Arsene Wenger. He isn’t getting enough of a say in the coaching. I don’t think they liked that publicity last week. Unsurprisingly they say everything is hunky dory. On that front anyway.
If he’d watched the pre Reading interview by Arsene he would have heard Arsene say that the rift is all lies made up in the newspapers.
Theo has a clear cut chance to put us two nil up.
That’s so poor from Reading. Walcott had a good chance there. He should’ve took it round the keeper who did very well there.
So far it’s too easy for Arsenal. They should’ve been two nil up if Walcott had scored. Reading know what Arsenal weakness is. They should be attacking the centre backs.
Almost half an hour gone and TV5 makes a great block and it’s the first time it’s been acknowledged that it was a great piece of play from us tonight.
Arsenal did win their last Premier league game. Despite all the bad publicity about the Bradford result. They beat WBA 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium but they’ve only once won back to back matches this season. That tells a bit of a story.
(To me it’s bizarre that the WBA result would be lost amid the Bradford result since it happened at the weekend before we played Bradford? I suppose you can make it all fit nicely if it serves your purpose?)
Yeah. They’ll be kicking themselves if they don’t win tonight.
They’ve been dominant tonight but only one goal to show for it.
Santi pops up and scores the second.
(Maybe we won’t have to kick ourselves now?)
So instead of talking about how well we’re playing and we’re two nil up. They talk about the champions league draw and it’s McManaman who’s doing the draw. YAWN!
Then Santi pops up and scores his second but again it’s all about how bad Reading are playing. It’s three nil with only just over half an hour gone. Shouldn’t it all be about how good we’re playing?
Reading really need half time. Reading look shell shocked. Looking at how they’re playing their relegation candidates.
The keeper looks exposed and he’s had to able out the defence several times.
In the background the Arsenal fans are in good voice.
Walcott still hasn’t signed a new deal yet. He’s got his wish tonight playing down the middle although he still hasn’t scored yet. They say he’s going to sign a new contract but they said that about Nasri, Fabregras and RVP.
It doesn’t look good does it? The fact that he can sign for someone else in just three weeks. I’d like to know what’s in his mind and whether he’s been approached by English teams or teams form abroad. The only reason to move is too excel yourself.
Whilst this debate is going on Jack has been brought down by a high foot. (yellow card) If only they had been watching they would’ve known this but no let’s talk about Theo signing for some other team. Still not much of a mention of how well we’re playing tonight.
They’re back to talking about the Bradford defeat and how bland we were that night. Shock horror.
Oh no. they must be reading the wrong script because they just mentioned Arsenal are playing well tonight but……
As much as Arsenal are playing well tonight it’s all down to the ineptitude from Reading. They’ve also lost at Norwich and Man.U too.
So far shots on target 7-0 to us.
I said this before go and close the players down. Go and kick one of their players. Go and influence the play.
It’s disgusting to hear an ex player think that kicking another player is a great way to influence the game.
Yeah. Arsenal once conceded the lead in a four four draw up at Newcastle but I couldn’t honestly see that here.
Sounds like that’s exactly what he’d like to see.
Half time.
What a performance form Arsenal. They’ve answered their critics they’ve been electric but Reading have stood back and let them do it.
What do we have to do to get credit for how well we’re playing? The movement has been very good in the first half. Gibbs has been a real threat down the left and there seems to be plenty of support from the midfield when we’re going forward.
Unfortunately they don’t see it like that as during the halftime talk it’s the great Reading post mortem.
Twitter question at halftime.
Should Theo be given the chance to play through the middle?
No. He played well last year when they had RVP up front. Giroud and Podolski both flatter to deceive so maybe yeah he should.
That’s’ if he’s still there to play up front.
So that starts off as no but by the end of the sentence it’s yes then added by the other one if he’s still there. Nice!
Arsenal are full of it. If their confidence needed it a boost after recent developments their certainly getting it here.
Guess the recent developments is that Bradford game again?
Amazingly since the start of the second half it’s still all about how Reading are playing and their position in the league. Their even talking about how well Harry’s doing at QPR.
Classic:
Arsenal’s record so far going into this game. Six wins six draws and four defeats. Which is why they find themselves eighteen points of the lead and only fifteen of the bottom. So there nearer to the bottom than they are the top. Hard to credit but it’s true.
Honestly. He should be talking about how we’re dominating this game. Since this is the game that their supposed to be commentating on. No let’s start analysing how our season is going so far and how bad it’s been. According to them anyway.
Now their talking about Readings tactics for this evening and how their getting them wrong. Suddenly it’s better for Reading because their getting a “foot in”.
OMG!
Arsenal have been very solid at the back.
It must stick in his throat saying that.
I’ll bet there are many North American fans enjoying this after they’re endured so much.
Yep. I’m enjoying it. The only thing not enjoyable is the commentators.
Santi pops up again with the fourth and his well deserved hatrick. Only surprise so far is that Theo hasn’t managed to rip Reading apart up front.
Shots so far 15-2
We’re back to talking about Reading.
Reading score.
Here we go. They’ve got one back. Let’s see what they can do now.
Well. Arsenal came back from four down.
So we’re off and running again. They’ve got one back and their almost willing Reading to score more and prove them right.
Reading score again and shock horror it’s all about the great Reading comeback. It’s all Reading at the moment. Sounds like I’m watching this match on Reading TV.
Maybe I should mute? No I’d miss all this fun.
If Reading get another one. It’ll be a great finish. Reading has been transformed.
Those Arsenal fans are just starting to wonder. We can’t mess this up. Can we? Well you can only imagine the type of publicity will follow this if they do.
Arsenal fan are back to singing loudly in the background.
Which always sounds good.
Vermaelen plays it forward. Of course it was his missed penalty that insured the shoot out defeat at Bradford. I think there is no doubt that Arsenal have a flaky side to them these days?
Oh yeah. They’ve been poor which is why it surprised me that it took Reading sixty five minutes to get at the Arsenal defence.
I swear Ian Darke is obsessed with the Bradford game. So granted we had some good comments fro a couple of minutes when we went four nil up but that’s by the wayside now. We’re back to how poor we are and how Reading can get something from this game.
Mertesaker has his critics but you don’t win eighty odd caps for Germany unless you’re pretty good. Although some people wonder did Arsene sign him as he’d just gone past his best?
I think Arsene may have to look and change his thinking at how he buys in the transfer market. Seems like the Arsenal fans are concerned that they’re settling for second best at the moment and not really being there for the silverware. Just aiming for the top four and having a healthy bank balance. Maybe a little reminder that it is a glory game?
Epitomises everything I can’t stand about commentators.
I’ve said it before. The fans would rather see the team a £100m in debt if they were winning trophies.
Just like Real Madrid do every year to sign players just like you? I think you’ll find it’s a lot more than £100m though. Just ask Man. City?
Theo scores the fifth. Great pass from Santi.
We’re neutrals. All we want to see is goals.
Yeah. We’re definitely neutrals.
If only that was true?
They share a joke about Santi’s penalty against WBA as he’s substituted.
Laugh. I almost did.
Arsenal have only won two in their last seven going into this one.
Theo’s off. Giroud’s on.
Giroud’s played on through the middle and almost lobs their keeper. Who in all honestly should have been their man of the match? Without his saves it would have been more like 9-2.
So the last time these two were commentating for me was the 5-2 demolition of the Spuds. In that game as in this you wouldn’t have thought we had been so dominant. If you were listening to this on the radio instead of watching it on TV you would honestly believe that Reading had half a chance of pulling this game back. In reality though. Although they did come more in to the game after they scored their first goal. They never looked like getting anything from this game at all. Unless of course you’re one of the above neutral commentators who were willing them to pull this game level. Maybe they did want it to finish 7-4?
Table shows we’re up to fifth two points behind those Spuds.
Come on Stoke.
Let’s hope for the same level of performance up at Wigan on Saturday.