One nil to the Arsenal – so stop the bitching, Ye oily faced pundits!

So after a long break with the distractions of the 3rd round FA cup and the Carling cup, the Premiership is back this weekend. Maybe it was a good thing to take a break coz’ clearly I was at risk of cardiac arrest going by the way my beloved Arsenal were playing.

Today was a good day at the office as the Arsenal fulfilled its minimum obligation and gave credence to the mantra “One nil to the Arsenal”. 10 years ago, it was almost expected that boring boring Arsenal would win one nil, shut up shop, lock down the hatches and close the game with a display of world class defensive prowess in the form of a wall of steel in the names of Dixon, Bold, Keown, Winterburn and the Gaffa Mr. Adams himself.

Clearly Arsene Wenger has spoilt us rotten in the last 10 years with the expectation of sublime and scintillating football that leaves Arsenal open to the criticism that the teams desire is to walk the ball into the net. In recent times as evidence by our indifferent performance this season, many fans including myself have advocated and shouted our voices out for the team to win ugly if we needed to and to balance the pretty, sexy and master class football with a bit of steel and nerve, a matter which has cost us points in the latter stages of matches.

I say today was a good day at the office coz’ Bolton came to the Emirates with a standard and predictable M.O. Park 10 players in front of the goal like a bus and defend at the cost of playing any decent football. Arsenal has been heavily criticized by all manner of pundits and so called knowledgeable people for not being creative enough to have a spark to break such teams that bring a bus along to park in front of the goal.

Today, there was a nervy but determined discipline that will undoubtedly help with the consistency of grinding out results when needed, something we have failed to do. Consistency begets confidence, confidence begets form, and form in turn switches on the class that we know the team has.

There’s been all manner of talk from all and sundry (including yours truly) of the need to reinforce the squad to fight for any honours. But today, I saw a team that went back to basics in defending, a team that was disciplined enough to be patient and a team that had the guile to wear down a determined Bolton team set up to defend and defend with 10 men.

It was quite amusing actually to watch the Arsenal kick into 3rd, 4th and 5th gear and totally bum rush, sweat and make Bolton chase shadows as we bombarded their goal for the last 20 mins. Clearly, the strategy to work and wear them down paid off, and the goal came. A sublime and patient build up involving 5 players, a combination of one touch passes, Robin Bang Persie’s slick slide rule thread of the ball low across the goal, and a resolute slum dunk into the back of the net by Bendtner. Job done, 3 points in the bag and hence a good day at the office.

And as for the smug-faced, crooked toothed (is this an English word?), oily faced, cheap ass suited, arm chair bound pundits, whose only aim in the last 2 months seems to be to carry a message of doom and gloom about the Arsenal, get a frigging life and stop bitching. You shout from high heaven about how Arsenal doesn’t have a backbone or spine any more, and don’t note that the adjustments the team have made that cost us to play ugly deals with our deficiencies of leaking stupid goals. Either you let Arsenal play its beautiful game, or accept if we win ugly when needed….like today.

…And by the way, Liverpool right now are really playing crap against Stoke City….so get off our backs and bitch about that.

One nil to the Arsenal….bring on the next game!