The worst part of this defeat and a happy birthday wish to Opa Wim « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News. Supporting the Lord Wenger; coach of the decade

By Walter Broeckx

Damned Robin look what you have done now. Opa Wim celebrated his 91th birthday and you ruined his day.  We will be back on the substitution later on but for me we lost this match because Robin missed a golden chance when we were 1-0 down early in the second half.
Rosicky capitalized from a slip from Smalling and ran to the United goal, then he gave the ball to Robin who did everything right at first. Avoiding two defenders to have a clear sight of goal and then ….misfiring from close range in an almost empty net.  That was for me the turning point of the game. This wasn’t Wenger, this wasn’t Arshavin: this was Robin. But as I am a supporter I will not get on his back. Shit happens and this was a shit shot. The look on his face told it all and what a luck he has been around for a while now because such a miss would kill a young player. Or are we going to boo him next time around?

The first half we had the better of the game in the opening stages. But we couldn’t capitalise from the few occasions we could creat. Nerves and pressure I think?  United wasn’t that good in the opening exchanges in the game. But the further the game went on, the better United became in the first half. And when they scored you could have felt it coming. Giggs got too much time and Vermaelen got beaten in the air for once. But with Vermaelen only being ready at the last minute who are we to blame him for this. Or are we going to boo him next time around?

In the second half we saw the PL debut of Nico Yennaris at right back. He had to look Nani in the eyes. I can imagine easier starts for a young lad. But my boy…. what a performance from the young lad. I think he did very well and after the opening nerves he became better and better. Whatever comes from this day on, I sure wouldn’t mind seeing him playing as long as Sagna or Jenkinson are not fit.  For those who like to boo our own players: he is one of the youth project you know. So if you want to boo him: just leave the stadium and never come back will you.

With a whole team missing, with our 11th choice right back on the field we gave United a game in the second half. We had by far the better chances and we just spilled them. Maybe we should boo our own players for that?  Van Persie, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain all could and some should have scored the equaliser earlier then it finally arrived. That is where I felt the game was lost.  In a top game you have to take your chances or you will pay for it.
United could play the counter attack, as they like to do when 1-0 up against a team. And even though Mertesacker might be a bit slow in the first meters when it comes to sprinting he showed what a German player is all about when Wellbeck got away from him and played the ball past Szczesny only to see our big Germand pole using his long legs to kick the ball away before it could cross the line. This was brilliant defending from my part as many would have stopped running after being beaten but he carried on because he knew what could happen. Experience they call this and sometimes this is more important for a defender than being fast in the first meters.

Oxlade-Chamberlain had a great game in his first PL start or have I missed a start before? What a player we have in our hands. Wenger has brought him slowly to make sure that when he would play him he wouldn’t disappoint. Because with our own fans ready to boo our own players imagine what would have happened if he would have a bad game? Yeah, I could imagine a few fans booing the youngster. However Wenger felt he was ready to perform and this in a top game! Not an easy thing and a brave thing to do. Oxlade-Chamberlain delivered and had a great game. Taken in account that this was his first start in the PL, and against United you couldn’t ask for more. Well an assist was more we could ask. Oxlade-Chamberlain provided one.  Looks like we have another great young player ready to shine for the Arsenal. Well done to The Ox!

I think I have arrived at the substitution point by now. Was he suffering from cramps? If so Wenger was right to substitute him. Yes he had a great game but having a player on the field who could not run and fight completely is a risk. And imagine him getting an injury if he had kept him on the field. But what followed was something that made me sick.
At 1-1 with the game ready to be taken some of our supporters found it necessary to boo a player that we bring on the field. Now I can understand that you didn’t like the fact that The Ox was taken off the field. I have no problem with that as I also wasn’t happy with him going off.

BUT WHY ON EARTH DO YOU STUPID TWATS THEN BOO A PLAYER THAT IS ENTERING THE FIELD FOR US????????
Yeah, that sure must have been a great motivation for Arshavin. That surely will have made him feel welcome. That surely will have inspired him to give his all. I think that of all those who booed him in fact that most of them have been yelling at Wenger a few years ago in the January transfer window that Wenger should be sacked if we didn’t sign him. Arshavin was one of our most expensive players and yes he is declining a bit. BUT WHY ON EARTH DO YOU BOO HIME EVEN BEFORE HE HAS KICKED A BALL????????

Nobody could foresee that he would be involved in the second United goal at that time. But maybe your booing didn’t inspire him to do like he did last year when he came on against United when we were leading 1-0. He then made a few tackles and won them to our surprise. Maybe because on that day we cheered for him when he came on. Now we could here boos around the ground by some miserable twats.  Last season he came on against Barcelona to score our second goal and to seal our win against Barcelona. Don’t you think this man still deserves a little respect???? As long as he is an Arsenal player he deserves our respect in fact. And no reason is good enough for me to boo an Arsenal player when he enters the field to play for Arsenal. NO REASON!

For those who booed him when he came on I can only say that I feel that you added to our defeat.  How would you feel when you would be Arshavin?  Haven’t you learned anything from Eboue? Once the booing began in that game he lost it completely. I really cannot believe that you boo a player that comes on the field and that you think this would be helping the team.

Why didn’t you support the 11 players on the field for Gods sake? Because it was what they needed. They didn’t needed to hear boo from their own fans.

Maybe this will be the end for Arshavin at Arsenal. Maybe Wenger will sell him now and try to bring in another player in his place. And maybe that player would hold Oxlade-Chamberlain back in the next weeks/months/years. Now we had a great young player seemingly ready to start games for us and be very great for us in the future and we even have an older player who didn’t moan that much for sitting on the bench. Maybe now he will want to move on (and I cannot blame him for this). My only suggestion would be for those who booed a new Arsenal player entering the field: If Arshavin leaves us this season why don’t you just jog along with him. And then the empty spaces you leave behind in the Emirates could be filled with supporters that are willing to support every single player we put on the field. If  you like him or not.

Because it is only with supporting our players that we will get the best out of them, not by booing them.

PS: and still Opa Wim (Opa in Dutch= grandfather) I want to wish you a happy birthday. And no boos from me, not even for Robin…