Most United fans I know have dealt with the crushing blow Arsenal delivered us in injury time on Saturday, and accepted the draw for what it was, a good result. We’d have taken a 2-2 before kick off, away from home against the in form team in the league, and in a game which was pretty even, taking a point will do. Of course it would have been incredible to take all three points from the Emirates, but the draw is more suitable for the way the game panned out, and we’d be wise not to focus too much on the time their equaliser was scored.
There are several positives to be taken from the game, and we need to pay more attention to them. Firstly, the Gooners had to work bloody hard to scrape just a point at home against us. Whilst elated with an injury time goal, I’d be feeling rather concerned if United had only just managed to salvage a point at home against Arsenal.
Secondly, for all of Arsenal’s possession, they created little to nothing in the first half, and their five man midfield could not get past Anderson and Hargreaves. Whilst being credited for their one touch passes and free flowing football, the second half saw Arsenal giving the ball away right, left and centre, unable to pull off their quick passing against us.
Thirdly, it tells you an awful lot about a game if the Man of the Match award is given to a defender. Whilst of course Gallas will receive plaudits for bagging the equalising goal, it can not be awarded for that alone. When the two best teams in the country meet, and the home side finds a defender as their best player, it certainly indicates which side were the more domineering. I’d have fully expected one of our defenders to be our best player, having to deal with the onslaught Wenger’s kids were supposedly going to deliver. However, it was our midfield man Anderson, our very own kid, who had the best performance for us.
Finally, Ferguson has addressed my favourite point today, and it is in relation to the reaction of the Arsenal players and fans at the final whistle. Of course, an injury time goal which prevents a loss is going to be a happy occasion, particularly against a title rival. But there was something rather desperate about Arsenal’s post match antics. The United players left the field with their heads hung, disappointed to pick up just one point at the Emirates, whilst in contrast, the Arsenal players remained on the field, hugging and cheering. It was quite remarkable to see a team who are supposed to be our title rivals so happy to only draw with us at home.
Sir Alex has today said the rejoicing didn’t end there, as they continued to celebrate their one point in the dressing room. “At the end of the Arsenal game, our players were in the dressing room feeling absolutely sick,” he said. “That’s twice in two years they’ve turned the game around and got something in the last minute, so we were definitely disappointed to come away with a draw. Meanwhile, their dressing room was elated. They were celebrating as if they’d won the World Cup, which I found very interesting. Our players took something out of that, psychologically. I think we’re a better team than Arsenal now. They’re a young team and they’re going to be a very good team – there’s no question of that – but we went there when they were on top form and they hardly managed a shot on goal. There were definitely a lot of positives for us.”
Sir Alex Ferguson is the master of the mind games, whatever attempts Wenger, Mourinho and Benitez have brought to the table over recent years, and this certainly is a heavy shot on the Arsenal team, who will have hopefully realised the error of their ways. To be so openly ecstatic about picking up a draw at home should, on reflection, feel rather embarrassing to Wenger’s kids.
The game showed us what we knew already, that Manchester United are a superior team to anyone else in the league. It is a long season, and of course cannot predict the future. Chelsea fans all over will have been feeling foolish for their over confidence at the start of the season, and I’m sure John “five points is a lot to catch up” Terry can vouch for that, and it is not a trap I want to fall for. However, at this point, I can see no other team posing a serious threat to us retaining our title.
A point will do, and whilst you may have woken up with a sore head on Sunday morning, at least you won’t have felt the embarrassment of an Arsenal fan, who woke up working out what celebrating a draw at home to United actually meant. Thanks for the laugh Wengerboys.
[edit.] This article has caused quite a stir with the Wengerboys. It’s almost as if they feel they have something to prove. Maybe they would like to be reminded of the comments their legend and hero made six months ago. When Spurs scored a late goal at White Hart Lane against the Gooners, making the scoreline 2-2, Henry said, “What makes me laugh is the way Tottenham always celebrate whenever they get a draw against us…I was amazed to see their reaction at the full-time whistle. I had to look twice at the score on the TV because I thought they had won it the way they were celebrating.” My my, how things change when the boot is on the other foot. Just as Henry and co. laughed at Spurs back in April, Fergie and co. are laughing at Arsenal now. Awww, it’s kind of cute when you think about it.
Man Utd News 24/7
“hey were celebrating as if they’d won the World Cup, ” funny that. its exactly what i thought in the pub. it was all i could do not to stare at the gooners jumping around the pub hugging and cheering as they barely pulled out a draw! as always, fergie says it best!
21 years and counting. Best manager in the world
I watched this game from a recording I’d made. United only seem to have one way of playing, home or away. That’s by spearing balls out to runners on the flanks and hammering crosses in for runners through the middle. They’ve been that way for years now. A solid back line and sturdy midfield who handle pressure well. They will be hard to beat. Arsenal are a different team now and are well capable of passing United to death at Old Trafford and scoring a few. My guess is that United will again have to play much of that game in their own half to have a chance of holding Arsenal. Meanwhile Chelsea are reeling them both in for the kill. Prediction – 1 Chelsea 2 Arsenal 3 United 4 Liverpool
You should remember this team was being written off by everybody all summer, being told they’d finish outside the top 4 and that they’d be useless without Henry. They got off to a flyer and were then told they hadn’t played anybody. The wheels were supposed to come off against Liverpool and United and they didnt. The celebrations at the end were a realisation that this team can compete for the title but its typical that the pretentious twats of United like to think its all about them.
Topgun…Sky Sports and the Guardian had United down as finishing 4th last season also, wondering how on earth we’d cope without Ruud. “Where are all the goals come from?” they asked. So yes, United are very familiar with your plight.
And if scraping a draw at home in injury time against United makes you think that you are going to seriously competing for the title, that really does say an awful lot about how highly you rate United
“I’d be feeling rather concerned if United had only just managed to salvage a point at home against Arsenal.” – you must have shat your pants when we beat you home and away last year then…
Seriously, what is all the fuss about. The title is very rarely decided with the games amongst the top four.
Yes, I’ll admit that we’re all a bit over excited at Arsenal at the moment. Six months of everyone and his dog rubbishing your team and telling you that you’re finished will do that to a person.
To be honest lads, we are not that concerned with what you think – to us its like this. It was a tough game for us as was to be expected against the in-form league champions, with our previously untried young side and to be honest we made some defensive errors, which in a six pointer, could have lost us our game in hand advantage. However, our new found, never say die attitude, delivered for us right at the death when even the most diehard supporter was beginning to give up hope and we evened things out against a defense that had up till then proved so hard to breakdown and suddenly, we were still top of the league, still with a game in hand, had broken our club record for going 25 games undefeated in all competitions. This against real potential premiership winners.
So we felt very good about it. It was so much better than losing if not anything as good as winning, but then we did that twice last season, without any real effect on the fortunes of either team.
So there it is, we/I’m still excited aout the outcome and justify it by saying that if you can’t get excited about the positives, then you ought to give it all up.
Here’s to the next time.
What biased Tosh !!!!
Arsenal is a work in progress,Man Utd is the finished article that is why our boys celebretad like they had won the cup.And instead of laughing at us you should pad yourselfes on the back because United is an awesome team and i say that as a Gooner and Wengers team had just played the Champions and passed the test with flying colours.
Danish, this is a United blog (if the massive badge at the top of the page didn’t give it away). Surprisingly, you will find articles with United bias on a United blog. If you don’t want to read such things, then don’t read United blogs.
You must understand that was a huge point for us at this point in the season. it keeps our unbeaten run goin also keeps us at the top of the league with still a game in hand. i think that is worth celebrating a little, ok it may have been a little O.T.T, but i’m more than sure you guys would do the same!!
Erm, no?? And here here- you’d think the United badge would give it away wouldn’t you Dane Goon?? Daft Punk.
Furthermore, you threw the kitchen sink and his mum at us to no avail, all that possession and passing, you had what to show for it?? Two scrappy goals (goals nonetheless, but a departure fro the ‘purist’ game you lot play) And Ray Livesey- you another goon who’ll make do with winning crap all as long as you chalk up victories against United??
“Arsenal is a work in progress,Man Utd is the finished article”
and that says it all. Championnnnes
After the match, one of the pundits(forgot his name) said man u were taught a footballing lesson today by arsenal. It got me thinking, if having lots of possession and not creating any real clear-cut chances to break down the defense is a footballing lesson to others, then teams like derby sunderland & birmingham(no offense to them) must be very happy to be taught a lesson by arsenal. They can have as much possession as they can create but we are not conceding is good enough. After all, possession don’t win you games, goals do. Whatever it is, the game is over and we shall see what happened at old trafford. And btw, man u is not the finished article yet, cause i feel sir alex still dunno what’s his really best 11. He’s still trying to get out the best of anderson, nani and tevez. Time will tell =)
Scott let me point you to the reaction of Arsenal against Spurs (their arch rivals about whom they don’t give too much of a fuck about, just as we don’t give that much of a fuck about Arsenal as they do) when they drew 2-2.
Their reaction was like this: CLICK HERE
Funny to see how quickly people can forget.
United the finished article? eh Rooney=21 Ronny= 22(i think) Anderson=19 Nani=20 Pique=20 Tevez=23. Hell even Fletcher is still 22 or 23. Giggs, Neville, Van Der Sar and Scholes are (just) past their best and their will maybe be one or two new young players to come in in January (if the tabloids are to be believed)
Okay boys and girls. It’s as simple as this. I’m an Arsenal fan, but I am an objective one. Been a fan for 27 years but football is my first and foremost.
I think Man United played the better game, on the weekend. They were sharper on the counter, the defence was a brick wall and the goals were more clinical. Yes I think Arsenal had the lions-share of posession but wsn’t able to do much with it….However, I think Wenger made a tactical error. This past weekend wasn’t the real Arsenal, the real Arsenal is what came out when their backs were to the wall. I think a lone striker was a bad choice, one which Wenger won’t make when they make the trip to Old Trafford. It will be a completely different game. One which will produce the highest quality attacking football.
Scott u seemed to have pissed some Gooners off. Some of the more ridiculoous comments made by them include:
“Arsenal is a work in progress,Man Utd is the finished article” (now this is just a ridiculous statement, becuase A. United is always evolving and always growing, making us one of the most verstile teams. B. When u look at our big stars they are all fairly young, and Fergie has a new batch of Fledglings waitng to play, Evans, Pique,
Eagles, Carthcart, just to name a few.
“typical that the pretentious twats of United like to think its all about them.” (Well u had just played US so idk maybe Arse was celebrating about the results to the Chelsea game)”
What biased Tosh !!!!”( I am not sure if this comes as a suprise to the poster but IT IS. OMG the big United badge on the home page and the name Republik Of Mancunia should have given it away.)
So Scott Keeping on Keeping on, ; )