The return of that smug prick Thierry Henry might be just what the doctor ordered to make Sunday’s game more like the fiery encounters we used to enjoy. Whilst the Arsenal official site claims this match will be “epic” and one of the biggest games on the clubs’ calendars, I can’t help but think they’re living in the past. This game hasn’t been a biggie for years. Arsenal don’t win anything and they don’t pose a serious threat to us winning the title, so why would we care any more? Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy beating them more than most clubs, mainly because of their fans, who no longer have any right to be as arrogant as they are, but I’d rather see us beat Chelsea, Liverpool or City.
Gone are the days when you could expect a fight, whether that be on the pitch or in the tunnel, with characters like Keane, Vieira, Ruud, Cole, Neville, Lauren etc. no longer proudly donning our shirts. Arsenal are more like Reyes than they are Vieira these days, namby pamby no marks who just don’t have the bottle for the title or success. Would the Arsenal of old have lost to Birmingham in the League Cup final? Would they fuck. I hated that team because they were as brilliant as they were egotistical and like United, had the determined spirit to go and get games won. They had bags full of confidence and self-belief which made them incredibly annoying and incredibly tricky to beat.
I look at United’s current squad and whilst in actual fact 2006-2007 was the last time we had amounted more points on 21 games than we have this season, we hardly have the players we used to who’d be up for a scrap or be capable of blowing every other team away to win the title. But however far away United are from their best ever squads, it’s nothing like the difference between this current Arsenal team and the one that went unbeaten. That doesn’t mean Sunday will be a walk in the park, obviously not, they do have players who can cause damage and a one off result means little. I’m sure no Arsenal fan would argue that Swansea, Fulham, Blackburn or Liverpool were better teams than them, even though all of them have got three points against them this season. But their fans do have to seriously contemplate the fact they probably won’t be playing any Champions League football next season, illustrating just how far their expectations have shifted.
Looking back, the 6-1 victory over Arsenal probably ranks as my favourite in recent years, with United going 16 points clear of them with three months of the season left to go back in 2001. The 3-1 victory over them in the Champions League semi-final was also great, with us ripping them apart and giving them a lesson on impressive attacking football.
However, when you think of great games between the two clubs it’s hard to look past that 4-2 at Highbury. Both clubs had been displaced from the top spot by Chelsea, who looked as though they were going to dominate English football indefinitely at the time, leaving us two to battle it out for 2nd place. This game though was like a film. In fact, if it was a film, you’d roll your eyes at the plot.
It started with our captain charging down the tunnel after Arsenal’s captain. At that point, nobody really knew what had gone on, although Roy was gibbering on about Gary Neville. “I’ll see you out there!” he said, pointing at Vieira over the referee’s shoulder. He meant business.
It was Vieira who struck first though, putting Arsenal 1-0 up with less than ten minutes played. Ryan Giggs levelled the score ten minutes later, only for Dennis Bergkamp to put them 2-1 up before half-time. After the restart, Cristiano Ronaldo, who was still referred to as a “one trick pony” back then, scored two goals in four minutes and we were ahead. He held his finger to his lips, incensing the home crowd, and United looked good for the points. Then, with 20 minutes to go, Mikael Silvestre only went and bloody headbutted Freddie Ljungberg! “I have seen it but I can’t believe it,” said Ferguson after the game. “Mikael has such an impeccable disciplinary record.” That was the first and last red card of his career, and what a way to get it.
United replaced Ronaldo with Brown, Giggs with Saha, and looked to cling on to the 3 points with ten men for twenty minutes away from home. A draw wouldn’t have been the end of the world but if Arsenal equalised quickly, we would have then been left fighting not to lose.
Then, without warning, something magical happened. It wasn’t Henry or Rooney, it wasn’t Bergkamp or Scholes, it was John O’Shea. Yes, there he was, shock all across his face, eyes out on stalks, after putting away the most delightful chip to secure our 4-2 win. God bless him.
Beating them 8-2 this season felt a fraction as good as that result in 2005 did. I was laughing by the end of that game, thoroughly enjoying the pain they must be feeling as yet another goal was scored, but the rivalry between the clubs is nothing like it was. Beating Arsenal 8-2 was better than doing the same to Bolton but there is nothing like the intensity of feelings between the clubs now. I hated that Arsenal team. Pires, Henry, Bergkamp, Ljunberg, Cole, Lauren, Campbell, Lehmann, Keown, Reyes, Vieira… I hated them. Now? I’m fairly indifferent. Wilshere is a bit of a cock, Van Persie can punish you, but I’m not going to get too worked up about any of their players and that’s why the 8-2 didn’t feel like it would have a few years ago.
So, just as you start to prepare for another less than special “clash” between the two clubs, Henry signs for them again! What a fantastic way to add a bit of spice to the occasion. He scored 8 goals in 14 league games against us during his first stint at Arsenal, some of those incredibly painful to even think about, let alone watch again. Remember that ridiculous goal he scored against us in 2000 from outside the box, flicking the ball up with his first touch then lobbing the keeper with his second? Or that injury time winner in 2007 after we had been winning the game with ten minutes to go? Agony.
I hated Henry whilst he was at Arsenal but he’s managed to intensify that feeling since he left.
“At one point it crossed my mind to leave,” he said in the summer of 2006. “But I think with my heart and my heart told me to stay. I’ve never played in Spain and never will. This is my last contract.”
The following summer he was parading around the Nou Camp in a Barcelona shirt. “It has been a long chase but I’m finally here and happy to be here and I can’t wait to go out there and show what I can do,” he said. “It is incredible. I am looking forward to playing in the Camp Nou and helping the team in every way I can. Barcelona are a wonderful club steeped in tradition and play beautiful football. I’m sure I will be very happy here.”
He has of course reverted to the sentiments of his 2006 statement now though, claiming to have the club in his heart, being a fan, loving Arsenal etc. Like Cantona, Solskjaer, Giggs, Scholes, Neville, to name a few, Henry had the option of seeing out his career at Arsenal. He chose not to do that though, he chose to leave, yet whenever he’s given the opportunity, bleats on about his bond with Arsenal. What a load of bollocks. They give him an awful statue to celebrate the eight seasons and two league titles he won, he has a little cry about it, and here he is, back playing for the club he “supports”.
No need to feel indifferent about Sunday any more though because now you get to eagerly await one of our lads putting in a crunching tackle or Henry miskicking the ball and putting it out for a throw. You also get to feel sick in your stomach every time he gets on the ball in the box, dreading the thought of him sticking it in our net just one last time.
So, welcome back Henry, you twat, I’ve really missed hating you.
Man Utd News 24/7
That last line had me in splits
Phil jones
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc_AeqpfiiE&feature=youtube_gdata_player
dont even think the prick will play as he got injured last week didnt he?! anyway, 3 Points is a must to keep up with Shittey…
…….. and his beard really suits him……… not!
He hasn’t got the pace any more and that beard will not help his drag co-efficient either!
Side-show to the main event, come on United.
Nice.
It’s too bad Silvestre isn’t also back to play as CM and keep him in check like he used to do.
The rivalry isn’t what it used to be, but they do have a score to settle. And lets not forget that they beat us last year at the Emirates. Any kind of win will do.
Henry is cheating pubic faced cunt.
Take a bow Scotty boy that is a magical piece. Loved reading it and brought back some memories.
My fave though has to be the ending sentance!! Henry is a cock, never fuckin liked him and im glad u feel the same. Roll on Sunday!!
If we keep RVP relatively quiet (ie only let him score once!), we should be OK.
With Djourou and Miquel at fullback, Tony V and Nani will have a field day. That’s where the game will be won.
Nice article Scott. Summed up how I feel about Henry. Have to disagree with you about wanting to beat chelski more, personal preference I suppose. l’arse fans have always been smug little cunts, even in the George Graham days when they played the worst football I have ever seen. That 8-2 win put those pricks right in their place and you have to laugh at the youtube videos of them “still singing” whilst losing 8-2. Funny as fuck, about time you found your voices!!!
Sundays game won’t be easy however despite their lackluster performance vs the Welsh Barcelona. I always look forward to playing l’arse victory tastes so sweet and we have a good record at emirates despite losing last year (unlike at stanford bridge). Scholes, Rooney, Evra and Ferdinand who aint no mug have the ferocity to take of them. Granted not like Keano but still better than anyone they have. Shame Wilshere isn’t playing would love to see him writhe in pain.
He’s just a shit Freddie Kanoute nowadays.
Cheat, Twat, Liar.
Oh my god the 4-2…. I was chased down the road out of the pub after that one, ahhhh, happy days.
Good day Reds!
Michael Carrick believes Sir Alex has mellowed, but admits the players still don’t know when the gaffer will next blow a fuse.
“Sometimes you go in at halftime and expect him to go mad because we haven’t done well, but sometimes that’s the time when he doesn’t,” said Carrick. “He encourages you instead. Then at times you go in thinking you’ve done well and you’re all happy and he comes in and lets you know what he thinks.”
“There’s that element of surprise, but also the fact that you want to please him all the time. It’s incredible to think at the age he’s at that he’s still driven and has the determination and desire to come into work every day. We had a couple of bad results over Christmas, but he’s the one who picks us up and says it’s not so bad, we need to go again, but we need to be better. It’s incredible to know how he does it. He is the club.”
On the hairdryer: “I think the story comes with more fear than when it actually happens. Apparently, talking to other players it used to be a lot worse. Maybe he’s calmed down a bit!”
Anyone got updates from SAF’s presser?
Nani says that the immaculate Emirates playing surface will bring the best out of him – stating that it is his favourite ground to play at:
“Arsenal is the one. The pitch is fantastic. If you have the skills to play, you can play there. The atmosphere is fantastic and the team always likes to play football and you can express yourself and enjoy your football.”
“We’ve had some fantastic results against them, but 8-2 was too much against a good team like Arsenal.”
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - –
Show us your skills Nani! Also, two assists and a goal please.
Have to admit he did have a class of his own… hopefully we’ll be able to get the 3 points from there to keep up with the bitters, why not level if harry’s men do beat them, but this time even if Utd win, am not expecting the 8-2 scoreline
ex TOAT
09:45 Here are the main updates from Sir Alex’s press conference:
“We’re a bit better in terms of injuries. Smalling and Jones are fit. Cleverley and Young have done some running which is good. It would be a great boost to have them back – they’re influential players.
“Anderson is still a bit short – he got an injury in training last week.
“Sunday’s game [against Arsenal] is the start of a hectic spell for us and I hope we come through the programme well.”
Morning all
I know I may get some stick for saying this but I always admired Henry as a player in his prime and off the field he is a top bloke, never really hated him at all. Keown and Lauren on the other hand, well that is a different story.
Even as an Arsenal fan i really enjoyed reading that, brought back some good and bad memories. Like you said the 8-2 was more laughable than hurting! That 4-2 and 2-0 at OT really hurt as did a 2-1 @ HIghbury way back in 2001 when Keane got 2.
But to counter balance those we’ve got winning the league in 2002, overmars in 98 and a very special 3-0 in 99.
Anyways, don’t think it’ll be much of a spectacle on Sunday with Nani and Valencia having the freedom of the wings….
Jones and Smalling fit for Sun.
But Ando out.
Young and Clevs 10 days away from training
Who to start in MF on Sunday then? Carrick and who? Scholes? Jones? Giggs?
Not taking questions re Morrison or re De Gea possibly needing eye surgery.
Says ‘no problems’ re Welbeck future.
@ Cedars – Man you have to stop with this l’arse love!!! I could just about handle Robin Van Rapist but Henry is a cunt, see France vs Ireland for confirmation. His free pass of who he played for got revoked after that game. May I also suggest to add Ljunberg, the diving queen Pires & Sol Campbell to your cunt list.
great piece scott, but i read somewhere henry is a doubt for the game on sunday with a pulled muscle (i could be wrong though)
Ooh, and another prickly tweet from Ravel:
RavelMorrison49 Ravel Ryan Morrison
Never asked for 30k 50k 20k never refused 12k were do people get all this from
I can understand his frustration, but he needs to stop going public with all this stuff. He could compromise already fractious negotiations.
For what it’s worth, his profile pic has gone back to being Utd-related, rather than a pic of him throwing some signs with one of his mandemz.
Carrick and Jones should be the certain 2 starting midfielders for me. If Fergie wants to play 4-5-1, he could add Scholes to the frey. However, it won’t surprise me if we see both Scholes and Giggs start this game. Which will be a mistake.
Wenger on rivalry with United: “It’s still the same.”
“It is not the only game any more because you have Chelsea and Man City coming in, with Liverpool still there. But it is a game that is watched all over the world. We do [lift ourselves], we think we are on a similar level. I still think that when we have everybody available we are a strong force in this league.
Sir Alex Ferguson has often packed his midfield for games at the Emirates in a bid to counter Arsenal’s passing game, but Wenger is not overly concerned by the tactic:
“They sometimes have a very compact midfield to kill our passing game and get us on the counter-attack. They do that very well. I believe that sometimes it works for them, although last year we beat them 1-0 in a convincing way. It depends on how well we play on the day, how well we pass the ball through their lines, no matter how many are in there.”
And to add to my last comment, for me we have to revert back to 4-5-1 for this game. That’s what’s brought us the most success at Arsenal in recent years. 4-4-2 plays into their hands.
Speaking to Arsenal.com, Wenger confirmed that Mikel Arteta and Bacary Sagna will definitely miss the match, Thierry will need a late fitness test and Thomas Vermaelen remains a major doubt with Wenger saying “he looks short” for this weekend.
Great post Scott. Top, top player in his day but THE smuggest smariest cunt about. Will never forget when he was injured and was arsenals official cheerleader. Poncing up the touchline in his black coat and leather gloves. Cunt.
Excellent piece scott, that 4-2 game brings back such passionate memories
Hope we give them a sound beating again.
As much as Henry was a good player, I never liked him much – too smarmy! anyone remember his patronizing pat to Ronaldo in that game? everyone liked to ridicule ronnie back then – one trick pony indeed! ha.
If Vermaelen and Arteta are out it really would be a cock-up not to win this match. How will they line up?
Chesneh
Djourou
Mertesacker
Koscienly
Miquel
Song
Benayoun
Ramsey
Arshavin
RVP
Walcott
Shit, if we can’t take that lineup apart, something’s wrong.
NRD
Hahaha…. At the end of the day if its not a United player I could not give a rat’s ass (Apart from RVP of course! haha)
I certainly agree about the names you mentioned, already on my cunt list!
@King Eric
LOL! Ya i remember that fucking cock i remember he used to get all the players to hug each other at the start of every game and the end just so it will show what a great captain he was to the cameras fucking cringe worthy shit.Never liked the cunt
NOT TO MENTION WHAT A CHEATING BASTERD HE IS!
What you Mancs/Londoners/Home Counties lot don’t like about us is the fact that you have been the most successful team for the last 2 decades BUT in the Invincibles we are the ones who produced the best team the Premiership has ever seen and is ever likely to see, you know as well as I do that not one of your Championship winning teams could lace their boots……FACT.
Come on fellas, Henry was the first to come out and support a rematch between France and Ireland, not his fault the ref did not see it. Kiko v Chelsea springs to mind…
Bloody hell, have I suddenly become too soft?
Or am I just stirring the pot? haha
No need to stir the pot Cedars when you get numpties like mattcunt posting here who don’t know what they are talking about. Some invincible team couldn’t even get close to winning the Champions League!!!
some think united will turn up and just clear them out easily. It will be a much tougher, tighter game this time. Revenge will be on their mind and united have to counter that, not go there thinking it will be an easy ride like some fans would have you believe. The premier league is unpredictable, i think it’s proven that often this season.
@mattcon
That was a great Arsenal team no doubt.
But did they win back to back titles? Did they win a champions league? the Answer is NOOOOOOOOOOO!!
And if i recall it WAS a United team that not only laced there boots smashed there unbeaten record to smitherens and sent ye spirriling into medocrity that ye are in now so wind your neck in!
@mattcon – that invincible tag is way over-rated mate IMO… arsenal had too many draws in that run. Now if many of them were victories, may be we will appreciate it.
on a random note – No one has won 4 titles in a row, united were so close to doing it couple of years ago, when refs twat cheated us out of it with chelsea home and away – that still hurts!
Could somebody tell me, did Wenger win back to back league titles with l’arse?
Ah I see, a gooner giving it large about the invincible team…. What was their record again? One title
Even Blackburn managed one title, no difference as far as I am concerned
NRD
The answer would be NO, their record in Europe is top notch though, after all they did make it to a final once
No, we didn’t win back to back titles because the team broke up, aged etc..but for that 1 season (and a half) we played football at a level that has never been seen or repeated, you’ve had good sides no doubt, but you haven’t had a side that was close to that one, can you honestly say you can see a team going on a run like that ever again?? I very very much doubt it – I would hazard a guess that I’m not alone in that opinion. @Gaz, if you remember the game rightly Rooney (English players never dive and cheat!!!) dived for the penalty which won you the game – hardly smashing us to smitherens now was it!!
Really cedars? Even Mourinho managed back to back titles and dogleash. Maybe wenger isn’t all that after all?
NRD
I guess we could rate both Mureen and dogleash as better managers then, no doubt about that.
Arsenal players have always been renowned for their grace and skill, one of the best they possess is throwing soup and pizza at opposition players and managers in the tunnel
@mattcon
That Rooney dived for that pen was nothing more than delightful justice for the fact that Pires managed to bellyflop his way to a penalty on many an ocassion when the unbeaten run was threatened.
And I’d say it’s a greature measure of a club side to win the three major trophies you’re engaged in (1999 anyone?), rather than forgoing two of them and instead sustaining an impressive but in fact essentially arbitrary record in one of them. You didn’t win any more trophies for going unbeaten than we did for winning the league in 99. Difference was we also won two other trophies on top of that.
Sir Alex said: “It’s always a hard game with Arsenal, but it should be a good game.”
“They’ve recovered well [after we beat them 8-2]. They’ve qualified for the next stage of the Champions League so there’s not a lot wrong there. They’ve had to contend with injuries to defenders, especially the two full-backs, Sagna and Gibbs, who have both been out for quite a while. It’s not easy to be without your two regular full-backs. They’ve equipped themselves well.”
Fergie recognises the significance of the next few weeks:
“It’s the start of a hectic spell for us. We’ve got Liverpool twice, Tottenham, Chelsea, and of course Arsenal. It’s a fantastic run of games and I hope we come through it well. It could decide a lot of the season.”
To the 2 simpletons, (NRD & Cedars)
You know and I know that Wenger is one of if not the best in the business……what he has acheived with his budget is different level, you are the biggest club in the world – so would you say your European record matches that stature over the last 25, 30 years – big fat NO!! if we had your resources, cash etc.. i wouldn’t be too chuffed with that
Here is something we will never see again, the number of trophies Ryan Giggs has won in his career and what United have achieved under Sir Alex. I would take that over going unbeaten in one season any day of the week…
Anyway, what ever suits your fancy
@mattcon
Come on now how many pens down the years have ye one for diving etc.. no point going down that road.
ye lost the game 2 nil i believe anyway my point is that after that game Arsenal have never been the same neither has whinger hes lost his marbles since then. Whereas usual SAF goes from strength to strength and i would also argue for many of our championship winning teams against that side particulrly 94/99/08 would do em
@mattcon
Don’t think you’ll find anyone denying that our European record is relatively disappointing. Coming up against one of the greatest club sides in the history of world football in the final twice in three years doesn’t help though.
However, 12 league titles in 20 years does tend to numb that particular pain a little but.
Just read spray on pants redcunts preview for sky for the game Sunday what a twat he goes on about Arsenals “injury Crisis” in the full back positions and compares it to 2001 when Liverpool had babel and Carrahoof as full backs 2001 and fucking one!!!!!
What about us having Carrick at Centre half and Tony V at Full back and Rooney in Midfield for our injurys not a fucking word of it!! hate that useless cunt the most faggotty queerist pundit i ever seen.
Arsenal have had some decent sides under Wenger, but calling him a great is pathetic. What has he won over the past 6 years? And please do not give me that cash excuse, Arsenal are a club paranoid about making money rather then investing it
As good as the invincible team was I’d still take the team of 99 that went 45 games unbeaten in all competitions. Think we won a few things that year as well, can’t remember.
To mattcunt, in all honesty its been 20 or so year not 30. Learn to count, we were all banned out of europe because of a certain club and it “wasn’t their fault.” Your probably joined on the l’arse jizzfest when Wenger came strolling. Don’t suppose you ever saw the tripe that George Graham dished out on the field. Having said that at least he could get the job done in Europe. For the record since we’ve been in the Champions League and the inception of the new format no team has won it more than 3 times and we’ve won it twice. Do you know why that is? Because its hard to win, thats why your trophy cabinet only has one European trophy in it. Even Spurs have won more!!!!
BOOM
Good evening Red Devils around the world…
This will be a cracking game..
I bet Chicha and rafael will start and we will start..we need pace in this game..(if danny is unfit)
###
Here is the link to Barmby’s brace..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HllQsMVwEqo
sorry if posted earlier..
Ah yes, the Cup Winners Cup, we have us one just for the heck of it. Even Everton have one too
NRD – You really are a simpleton of the highest order.
I saw the Graham era, dull but effective etc etc…Wenger moved the goalposts and changed the game, I shudder to think what he could do with your budget. To consistently compete on what is essentially a bottom half of the table budget is phenomanal, its not hard to go and splash 30 mill plus on established talent, some go wrong but if you buy enough of them it will eventually work – and you’ve certainly done that. You only impressed me when Giggs and co. came through, since then you’ve just outbid the rest……therefore you are c*nts and always will be.
In Arsene we Trust
On long-term absentees Ashley Young and Tom Cleverley, Fergie said: “They are doing a good running programme at the moment and their fitness levels are good.
On Cleverley, he added: “I am hopeful in 10 days’ time, he will be playing football on the training side of it. That is the plan anyway, unless there is any recurrence. We can kick on and then it depends how he does in the training. His fitness levels should be fine and if that is correct, he could cope right away. You are talking about a week.”
On negotiations over a new contract for striker Danny Welbeck, Sir Alex said: “There is no issue. We know the situation well with Danny. There is nothing to worry about there.”
@mattcon
The money United spent was money we EARNED. Arsene Whinger is a cunt afraid to spend money in case he fucks it up. How long did we listen to his bullshit about kids coming through? they all turned out to be shite. All that cunt whinger does is kick water bottles and suck Henrys cheating cock. The players he buys are all fucking faggotty ponces who cry if someone tackles them poofter faggots
mattcon
I am sure you noticed that I for one never addressed you personally, I was enjoying the banter and the laughs at your pathetic excuse of a football club. Now you come on a say we are all cunts?
Do one and fuck off pal, take you Wenger, le arse and shove it
Again, enough with the ‘had we had your resources’ bollocks. Tickets at the airline stadium are the most expensive in the league, your pathetic club generates more revenue than most however your ‘genius’ of a manger never spends any of it.
I am pretty sure all those signings on deadline day were ‘planned’ and not panic buys after we thrashed your lot eh?
@mattcon
Wenger. Great tactician? Yes. Great ability to put together a team that plays above a sum of its parts? Yes. Great coach of attacking football? Yes.
Stomach for the fight? No. Ability to give his players the stomach for the fight, year after year? No.
If he was here, with our budget and our expectations, he’d crumble under the pressure. How many seasons have your team started out flying, playing attacking football and swatting teams aside, only to crumble as soon as the pressure mounts? He simply lacks the man-management skills and character to cope.
The pretty football and the fiscal efficiency distract many from this fairly obvious shortcoming.
Oh whatever should I do. Someone call the Samritans I’ve been called a simpleton by mattcunt the l’arse fan. O’ Shea, Brown, Fletcher, Welbeck have all come through all bar Brown have scored past you so can’t be that bad and Browns had MOM performances on more than one occasion since the Fergie Fledlings era. wenger has damaged english football more than people realise. He’s been there 15 years and the only english/british players brought through are Cole and Wilshere. The rest have been bought or kidnapped from africa/spain. Its there for all to see.
You really do get all your information from The Sun which I suspect will be rolled up into your back pocket once you finish your greasy fry up. We’ve only bought a £30 million player once and its no secret fans are split about that signing. So name these mythcial several £30million+ players you speak of. Your budget bottom half, don’t make me laugh. Clubs in the bottom half would love to be able to splash the cash that you do. Carry on the path you are you’ll soon have a bottom half of the table budget, then you’ll have something to cry about.
SAF confirms there are no issues with Welbeck.
so that’s that then.
bullshit all the way.
Cedars….never yourself, more your knuckle dragging mates NRD and Gaz.
You boys cannot hide from the fact that you are the biggest club in the world, therefore have bigger budget etc etc….we are a small club punching way above our weight basically because of Graham and particularly Wenger….you know and I know the game is all about money now and we are the one club that doesn’t fall in line on that front, yet still compete….for that we deserve massive credit. End of.
A smug genius!
Have to echo Notorious sentiments…..help save Cedars from his Arsenal addiction! Top of the morning lads!
Costas – Hope you’re wrong on Scholes and Giggs? I start with one, but not both. Usually Fergie would go 451 for these games. I think we’ll go 442, with Rooney dropping back at times to support the midfield, if needed. Danny’s in great scoring form. Hope he’s fit. I’m confident of victory. If spuds do us a favour and at least hold city, that will give our lads a great boast ahead of the game.
This team for me: Anders, Rafael Rio Smalling Evra, Valencia Carrick Jones Nani, Rooney Welbeck.
Everton deserve credit for finishing top half without any money. l’arse CL every year get to at least the 2nd round and where does the money go? Kroenke and Usmanov and Wenger “did not see it.”
mattcon
That is not how things work around here, even if you were not referring to me being a cunt and yet only Gaz and NRD than I take offence, after all they are my ‘knuckle dragging mates’
You started the abuse pal so now live with it
Willie
You twat! Sorry I mean twatter, how is life with the tweets treating you? I must say that at some level I consider you a traitor of sorts….haha
Pretty impressive line up, I really hope we go there for the win as opposed to avoiding defeat
@Cedars leave it mate. No point he’s left us with this gold gem of information which has me grinning like a Cheshire cat.
mattcon says @ 11.57 – we are a small club punching way above our weight
My work here is complete. Lads never let a l’arse fan claim their club is big when one of their own admits to it. Funny as fuck that. Always knew they were small time, can’t even give Graham credit, as much as I hated his style of football he put l’arse back on the map when they were going nowhere for about 10-15 years. Disrespectful, arrogant, condescending bunch of no mark cunts. Yea supporters of a small club bit like stoke city really.
….on that note, bored now, hopefully will log back on Monday and have ALOT to say…..enjoy the game, safe half hour journey to the ground from whatever part of London or neighbouring counties you all live in.
IN ARSENE WE TRUST.
@mattcon
Your “cunt” comment set this shit off it was banter till then. The end of story is SAF trumps Whinger every day of the week, do you honestly think he strolled into Aberdeen with wads of cash? or at United for that matter? SAF has built better and stronger teams the Whinger ever could
@matttwat
Hope to see you hear Monday but i know you will be crying into your packet of Sugar POOFS so wont be able
Alex McLeish>Wenger
On Cleverly’s return (+- 3 weeks) “It would be a great boost to us,” the manager said.
“The way that Tom started the season was absolutely phenomenal. I have not seen a young player have that impact at our club for a long time. He has been a loss because he has something different from everyone else.”
mattcon- you bought a new stadium.
How much were Reyes? Pires? Henry? Bergkamp? Van Persie? Overmars? Arshavin? Arteta? All two for one at Tesco I suppose?
I concede that we may have had a slightly larger budget but just look at the youth academy players we’ve brought through. Let’s also remember the poaching of other European or South American youth team players pre contract that arsenal have done- Arsene tried it with the Da Silvas but missed out because the approach was so cloak and dagger.
‘Woe is me from Islington’ is getting a slightly arduous now. Money or lack of it isn’t the sole reason the Goons have regressed; it’s players without heart, spending wedge on the wrong players- as Per Mertz- but maybe down to the fans not making any noise unless you’re playing United, Spurs or Chelsea.
Henry is looks like Kanoute now too, that must hurt.
Whatever the result may be, if in YOUR favour it won’t be 8-2, 6-1 or 4-0.
Interesting article.
Just a note. Dont get carried away, this game is huge, arse may not win trophys this year but
they will help decide who does. Remember thier win at stamford bridge?
This game will dependon whois avaliable.
If arse play the same team against swansea, We have a huge chance of tearing them apart .
We wont know till game time Sunday.
@mattcon: well matt, ur a con man arent u? keep conning yrself with yr shit.
NRD – Just read your comment, always gave Graham credit, read the posts properly you numpty. Essentially we had the resources of a small club etc etc.. but got successful through good management (Graham then Wenger) and have punched above our weight and grown, how is that big news?
Anyway, as I said, massively bored of this now.
What is an arsenal fan doing on ROM?
NRD
You missed out a 6-2 at Highbury, League Cup, Lee Sharp hat-rick
lebomanc
They are all obsessed with us. I have never ever visited any opposition team blog
@gaz…. I think you’ll find the first time I posted on here I got called mattcunt in reply…..classless club, classless fans…..end of.
Claiming that Arsene is like the greatest thing EVER. If only he had some more money, oh and players who had the balls to keep it going for a full season, oh and less decisions go against them, oh and if’s and but’s. Gooners
Cedarsdevil
Ya obviously… me too never. I find it a bit poitless
Btw how is everything? You still in faraya?
mattcon
I thought you were bored already and decided to piss off ages ago? Addictive are we not?
Stick around, we may even make you see the light.
lebomanc
Everything is great my dear, no I am not still in Faraya, only spent a few days with a friend. Its been a very cold winter so far. Hope you are well in Dubai
We’re a classless club. I remember that next time our players throw pizza at the opposing manager. Do come back mattcunt, you’ve made me laugh today.
After 04 there was a massive fan base from Birmingham wearing those hideous yellow l’arse shirts, they all seemed to have disappeared now last time I was in Englands biggest shithole.
@ Cedars – Well said. Danny Wallace ran rings round them as well that day. Can’t believe that was 20 years ago.
mutton cloth – dry up.
Cedarsdevil
Ya its been very cold there… dubai’s fine the weather is actually good!
mottclone – you look just like a cunt, no surprise there then.
Afternoon all
Just nipped on in my lunch 30mins! Funniest line I’ve read is ” Poncing up the touchline in his black coat and leather gloves. Cunt.” thanks King Eric, made me laugh!
Cedars
Dont get jealous looking at the picture STR has posted on the thread “is that your RVP having his bum squeezed?”
muchcon – con, much?
mattcon – are those more to your liking? Better than the unsavoury ‘mattcunt’?
A troll by any other name is still a wum. And a poor one at that.
Mike
Yes sadly it is, got me jealous that! haha
Those drugs you were on Cedars have damaged your brain. Whats the name of the company lets sue the fuckers.
@WillieRedNut following you on twitter now. (soul sold separately)
@Notorious
Hi mate. Arsene hasn’t won back to back titles, but I wouldn’t hold that against him. On the other hand, Arsenal’s European exploits under Wenger have been highly entertaining.Getting knocked out by PAOK in 97, Losing to Panathinaikos and Olympiakos and of course, losing the Uefa cup final to Galatasaray in 2000. I mention these teams because the word budget was thrown around earlier. To the best of my knowledge, those teams didn’t have half of their budget.
@willie
The problem with 4-5-1 this season is that other than Danny, none of our other strikers can play the position. It also means Rooney playing in CM. So by that logic, I could see the line up something like this:
Linde – Smalling, Rio, Evans, Evra – Valencia, Rooney, Carrick, Scholes, Nani – Welbeck.
Wenger is the demon headmaster. I’ve never seen one person brainwash so many people into believing so much tripe. “A small club” with a “small budget”. They should be able to compete with City off ticket revenue alone due to the scandalous cost of a ticket.
I imagine all arsenal fans to be sat at boarding school with their “buddies” in their Jack Wills uniform calling everybody dude.
Mattcon. It is a fucking myth pal made up by the cockney media that wenger revolutionised the game with diets and youth players etc. Fergie was doing that in the eighties mate. Your youth side got knocked out again at the second hurdle by Derby. Oh and that invincible side wasn’t a patch on your 98 side. That was some team.
Lebomanc-
What is an arsenal fan doing on ROM?
Getting bummed by the looks of it
I have always hated RVP since the League Cup game against United years ago when Kieran Richardson tackled him and RVP took a couple of swings at him trying to punch him for no other reason that he had dared to try and tackle him. Arrogant tw@
Classless bunch of Whinging gits. Their manager is reason alone to despise the club. Hasn’t he heard of Specsavers ? I reckon, having claimed so often he didn’t see it, that they should be offered a sponsorship from them.
Also, loved the post champions league final defeat to Barcelona (when the mad German took the early shower) that when Henry was interviewed he confirmed that He knew they were a small club because they didnt get any ref decisions. Poor loosers, I would eight two be one of small clubs fans !!!
coor, Clevs could be back within a week. Things a finally looking up, except Ando has gone and done himself again.
@slim
Back training properly in 10 days, then MAYBE back playing a week after that.
Financial Fair Play is the lifeline by which Arsenal, Tottenham and even United’s futures cling. That Arsenal have declined since the rise of Chelsea and City money is no surprise at all and if it was not for the sheer awesomeness of United we’d be out of the game too. This is why Arsenal are in trouble, and I wish them well against everybody but us to be honest because I enjoy watching them play and sure, they’ve been twats in the past, but they’ve never been scummy. I also appreciate that they’ve never tried to do things the easy way.
But that said, the fact that Henry gets a statue speaks volumes. He was perhaps the greatest player to wear the Arsenal shirt, but you’d never call him a servant to the club. He never made any sacrifices for the club. Hell it wasn’t as if, when he was wanted, he even had to be asked twice. And he gets a statue. All style, no substance with Wenger’s Arsenal.
I think United are perfectly poised, facing this enfeebled Arsenal team, to once again destroy them. They can’t defend, they don’t contest the midfield as well as we do and they don’t have too many ideas going forward. If United do go with a beefy midfield I don’t see Arsenal having an answer to that and we have the option to switch up to 4-4-2. With Arsenal’s defensive frailties I can really see us thumping them even with five in the middle given the number of goal scorers we have in the side.
3 points is a fucking must on Sunday. I don’t give a flying rats fuck how we get them as long as we get them. Last minute penalty for a Henry hand ball taken by Scholes into the top corner would be wanking tackle.
Yeah Tom still has some way to go. If we are lucky, he could be back in time for Chelsea.
Also good to hear the boss didn’t make a meal of Danny’s contract. The boys a Manc for fuck sake. No problem there whatsoever, he’ll sign a contract, when it appears no doubt
Slim
Ya i can see welbeck staying with unted for a vey long time. He’s been with united for a while and will stay for a long while
Costas & kanchelskis
Fergies’s gonna surprise you “doubting-Thomas’s”/ you’re not gonna dampen my excitement
George best part 1 – sky sports
amazing..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wwzlOdWNRo
the part 2 and Sir Bobby Charlton part and 2 are in Que after the video..
Loved the videos..
Loved the way besty stopped the game and invited the defender to have a go at him
@slim
Sorry mate but if history teaches us anything, is that the closer Tom gets to returning, the further away he is.
@ Costas – I know Wenger hadn’t won back to back titles but both you and King Eric made the point about the myth about how much l’arse spend, but after all they are a small club so can’t hold that against them.
Another thing I’d like to get off my chest. When other clubs fans call us classless. What the fuck does that even mean? I suppose we’re supposed to sit here and listen to all the shit and drivel such as Manchester is Blue, we only win the league by spending £30 million+ on players. If we keep quiet we’re classy are we? Are we fuck the minute we stand up and defend our club like supporters are supposed to we suddenly become arrogant and classless.
These tabloid reading easily manipulated Sky Sports sycophants wouldn’t know what class was if it bit them on the arse. Flawed logic that, through the class word around when you don’t get your own way. Babies, toys and prams come to mind.
l’arse fans just as big cunts as the vermin, cit-eh and the sheep herders. Through stoke in there as well.
Besty part 2..
in this video – from minutes 1 to 3, goosebumps…fantastic..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHYleMQ0TSY&feature=related
@slim
Wish you were right. But after rushing him back last time, I doubt he’ll take that risk again.
meant to say throw not through
Anyone seen that ‘mega party’ on youtube??? I fell off my fucking chair backwards i laughed that hard.
kanchelskis
yeahi see where you’re coming from. still , its good news, the boss feels confident and the Tom himself has made an effort to keep all updated. Reckon he’ll be in the frame for the thick of things at the end or start of February
We got to give Danny boy the money he’s asking for. He’s going to be way better than Chica so why should he settle for way less than what Chica receives. Loyalty aside, this is business and his future to think about. Disappointed Drinkwater has been sold. Now lets trash the Gunners!
Anderson injured again Bonus.
Cedars – It’s treating me well mate lol. Very confident for Sunday. We’re gonna do the goonsquad!
@Costas
You could be right? With Arsenal’s injury problems though, I hope we go for it. The Carrick/Jones partnership has been a fruitful one for United. Just depends on Fergie’s mindset. Also, how city fare against Spurs, could determine our tactics.
@NRD
Seen it mate!
Matts – a – con – artist!
@Notorious, willie
By the way guys, what are your twitter names? You know you can’t do without me.
LMFAOOOO “smug prick” hahahaha that almost had me rolling hahaha.
Costas – @WRN99
Cheers willie. If someone who has the name costas in their handle starts following you soon, be afraid. It’s me.
@ Costas You’re being followed…4Eva
I’ve got stalkers!
Well said Scott. Can’t stand this cunt who is straight from the top drawer. I didn’t even respect his talent as an adversary, he was so fucking arrogant. I’ll never forget that header in 2007. He ran around as if he had scored an incredible last minute winner. Fucking prick, he scored a bog standard header but was strutting down the touchline as if he was as good as Cantona. At least Cantona was a fucking good person, Henry is a first class bearded lying cheating diving crying undeserving-of-a-statue-ing backstabbing cunt. May he rot in hell (America). Also I do have to laugh at these still oh so arrogant Arsenal fans. Really I don’t hear them that often these days, they don’t have much to shout about do they, but when they get going, fuck me. I just want to shove a brick in their mouth to shut them up. They’re nearly as bad as City being “moral winners” and “winners in our heads”. They’re attitude is “oh well, even if we don’t win some silverware, we’re still the best team for purists.” Are they fuck. They are boring to watch. At least that team that Scott mentioned, which I think we can all agree we hated those fucking bastards, was a good team that had characters and an unbelievably arrogant approach football and life in general. This Arsenal team, aside from Van Persie, you might as well shout “Who?” loudly after each player is read out on the tannoy before the game. So uninspiring, so fucking dreadful. And yet so fucking arrogant. How dare you, how very fucking dare you tackle a player of Arsenal Football Club. We are the purists, you are common scum. Makes me fucking sick that attitude. If they win with a good display against us, and no controversy, Fergie will pay them their dues. If we win, no matter what happens, Wenger will moan and not offer any credit. That sums up the difference between the clubs. In fact I see Arsenal as the kind of club that typifies some of the worst aspects of modern football. Not in terms of history, transfers, fucking ridiculous wages etc. More that it’s no longer relatable to the working class. I’m not saying football is exclusively for working class men, but that’s where it all started and where all the passion comes from. So many of these posh rich Arsenal fans are so snobby and cuntish, like a lot of Southerners who have a superiority complex. This hasn’t been helped by having the most expensive tickets in English football. And for what? To see a mediocre team of young French virgins get spanked by perennial champions (i.e. us). It’s such a shame to see average people like my mate who is an Arsenal fan (usually don’t talk about footy with him, starts getting heated and he gets arrogant like most Arsenal cunts) priced out of the game. He’s followed Arsenal all his life, his sister has a terminal illness and he can’t go and see his beloved team. In that respect I feel sorry for Arsenal fans to be honest. But then you get arrogant fucking pricks saying shite like “Nasri is ten times as good as Nani” and then change their tune to “Nasri you fucking cant”. Henry is probably the most arrogant of all Arsenal “fans”. No wonder they love him so much, he’s one of the biggest, widest and now the hairiest cunt I’ve ever seen. Hope Phil welcomes him back to England with a crunching tackle. Then we spank them and hear Wenger moan moan while Fergie sits back and enjoys a glass of red. Fucking c’mon United, destroy those arrogant cunts.
“So, welcome back Henry, you twat, I’ve really missed hating you.” EPIC LOL.
Arsenal are no longer the threat they used to be. There was a time when I used to wait eagerly for the Arsenal-UTD match but not anymore. Arsenal have declined rapidly and Arsene Wenger has done absolutely nothing about it. When we sold Ronaldo and Tevez, two of our most influential players during 07-09 seasons and SAF brought in Valencia, Obertan and Owen, everyone kept saying that we couldn’t win the league but we proved them wrong by winning the league last season and reaching the finals of CL. Whereas Arsenal after selling Fabregas, their star player have just gone from pretty good to gutter stenching bad. Arsenal fans can sing all they want about how Arsene is managing a team on limited resources and blah blah but the fact is that fans or people in general don’t care about the balance sheet in sports, what they want is for their team to win trophies and be competitive. Arsenal have been reduced to a bunch of pussies who get spanked by every other decent team and it stems from Arsene. His behavior or attitude on the touchline just reeks of desperation. His approach of scooping players from some African country or some random french bloke and then instantly throwing them in the deep end has backfired badly. He needs to step back and see that his approach and team is in need of a major overhaul. There are no leaders nor experience in that team. I used to laugh my ass off when everyone used to say that Arsenal play the most beautiful football in the whole wide world. But what have they got to show for it??? Zero trophies in the last 6 years. I am pretty sure they won’t make it to the CL this year unless Arsene resigns everyone from that “invincible” squad and makes them 9 years younger. Goodbye Arsenal. Hope you enjoy your beautiful football show.
Wow, you really hate Henry. What a bitter article.
@Notorious
Taken care of.
Sorry I ask for a request first. It was my meeting with the Facebook warrior over here that forced me to make the account private. You’ll follow my lead after a while, lol.
LOLOLOL what a cracking article Scott!!
I still remember that 2-4 night.. it was magical..
being from North London with a lot of friends being Arsenal fans it was a great feeling the next day going in the College and just SILENCE from those bloody gooners..
I know this match has lost its spark since arsenal have not been competing for the Premierleague but its still one of those games that i look forward to..
I just love when arsenal lose.. this year they finally shut up about “playing the best football in england”! i think they realised they sound like complete DICKS when that “beautiful football” resulted in ZERO trophies since 2005 hahaha!!
COME ON UNITED!!
Costas – I’m still pending! It’s me, seriously!
Poor Gooner. Didn’t like getting bashed.
Why should he expect anything different? If we went on an Arse blog they’d be the same, nasty fuckers some of them. I love the fact he calls us Home Counties and London lot, Its a fact the whole country envies our fan base. Don’t agree they are a small club though, they are bigger than shitty and they’re MASSIVE.
Wilshere is a bit of a cock – understatement of the year
Whatever you said about Arsenal they were top quality opponents and at their peak,with Pires, Petit et al, were fabulous to watch- proper rivals. Dennis Bergkamp is probably my favourite non-United player, pure class.
As opposed to City, Chelsea, Liverpool who were, and will always be, functional, classless scum.
@Doghouse 13:29: Well said. The way I see it, there’s a big dividing line between ‘proper’ football clubs with a real fan base, like United, Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle vs the scummy, store-bought toys of despots and oligarchs like City and Chelski.
As far as I am concerned, being the best in the PL means winning THE title. And United has done that repeatedly over time. 19 times to be exact. Who was saying something about someone lacing anyone’s boots ? Pfft
Typical pathetic whiny Le Arse fans.
Arsenal have won it 13 times tbf.
Love it. It’s on Bitches.
Great piece. It does get the blood moving thing about those pricks and how they have done us over the years. I would absolutely agree that beating them brings satisfaction but is not nearly as epic. As I sadi before to them. It’s on Bitches.
loved reading that, proper united fan talking sense, quality
More deluded analysis. United in better form? Didn’t you just lose to Newcastle at home 3-0?
does anyone out here think anderson is the next ‘perenially crocked hargreaves’. gets injured in training all hte time and looks almost dreadful when he returns. had a promising start to the season, thot he’d finally come good this season but doesnt look like it. waste of good talent if u aske me but just doesnt seem to have the discipline to hold it together. just beginning to wonder if fergies gonna get fed up if this continues
Manchester United fans opposed to Henry might like this piece:
http://leftbackinthechangingroom.blogspot.com/2012/01/man-crush-1-thierry-henry.html
Hope that an MUFC blogger will submit a Man Crush for the blog soon!
RCM
Titi Henry = a tit.
Wow. Bitter. Scared much is it.