TBIF – The Weekly Gunners Town Crew Review

Friday The 24th April, 2015

Welcome to Thank Bergkamp It’s Friday – where members of the Gunners Town writing team gather to take a look at the Arsenal week that’s just passed. It’s a simple format, really – each week, a smattering of our eclectic scribes will select a HERO, a VILLAIN, a HIGHLIGHT, and a LOWLIGHT from the previous seven days.

Lastly they will share what is in their ‘HEADLIGHTs‘, which could be a player to watch, a worry for a forthcoming match, a potential banana-skin to look out for…. 

We’d love to know what you think: do you agree/disagree? Did we miss something? If you would like to participate, please add your selections in the Comments below…

-~• HERO •~-

A shout out to a person/organization that you feel has done something praiseworthy in the past week.

Dave: Hard to look beyond our newly nominated for the ‘PFA Player of the Year’ dynamo, Alexis Sanchez. Not only saving our blushes but that of many of his team mates who struggled at Wembley.

Paul: Alexis Sanchez. He’s the one player I don’t have to scream “shoot!” at… If you don’t shoot, you can’t score. I wish Özil would give shooting a bash more often…

Alex: Who is more important: the scorer or the provider? Sanchez or Ozil? I’d go with Ozil. He made these goals against Reading possible

Anu: Alexis Sanchez for scoring a crucial double. Mesut Ozil for putting in another underrated, quiet but very important performance to pull the strings in midfield.

Matt: Alexis Sánchez. Two goals at Wembley in his debut season to move us to the final. Continues to run himself into oblivion for the good of the team.

Steve: Federici. I feel sorry for the guy, but a win is a win, however you get it & he helped us get it.

HERO of the Week: Alexis Sanchez

-~• VILLAIN •~-

A shout-down to a person/organization that you feel has done something shameworthy in the past week.

Dave: Sorry to say Kieran Gibbs. I was more surprised by his inclusion than I was Debuchy’s – given the impressive and consistent levels of Monreal. I saw no need to risk Gibbs against Reading’s most potent threat and he was duly awful. Whether it is lack of confidence or lack of games I am not sure, but Nacho must play now.

Paul: Sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone. Monreal and Bellerin were both missed at Wembley on Saturday. I understand the need to rotate, but I’m hoping that Wenger fields his best possible team for the Final. (If I had my druthers, that would mean playing Ospina – which won’t happen.) But Gibbs was just horrendous in the Semi…

Alex: Whichever bloke injured Mertesacker.

Anu: I have two candidates. The Atletico players this week for physically hassling the ref when their player was in the wrong. And two, most of the pundits (and coverage of the Arsenal-Reading semifinal) who once again showed a not-so-subtle bias against the North London club.

Matt: Kieran Gibbs. Horrible return to the team. He kept giving the ball away, particularly in the first half, which put us under enormous pressure. He didn’t help for the goal we conceded either. Goes to show how solid Nacho Monreal is and how important a consistent run of games is for your form.

Steve: Still Michael Owen. The man still thinks that Sterling is better than Ozil. The man is still truly deluded

VILLAIN of the Week: Kieran Gibbs

-~• HIGHLIGHT •~-

The most memorable or poignant moment of the past week. Typically an event, rather than a person/organization.

Dave: How poor Raheem Sterling continues to be as Liverpool fall away. Not bothered who finishes 3rd and 4th behind us and Chelsea but I am enjoying the greedy young one being exposed for being not as good as our media and his manager would like us to believe.

Paul: Never mind North London! The world is pretty RED too! I enjoyed the Twitter Premier League map (see below). I think you will too.

Alex: Arsenal progressing to the final of the FA Cup, where we’ll have a (supposedly) easier ride (thanks, Villa!)

Anu: Making it to a consecutive FA Cup final.

Matt: That Mesut Özil pass for Sánchez’s first goal. He looks and thinks ‘I’ll just hook it over nine Reading defenders to set up a goal’. Tremendous.

Steve: A bit obvious really, but making consecutive appearances at Wembley is the mutt’s…

-~• LOWLIGHT •~-

The most forgettable or disappointing moment of the past week. Typically an event, rather than a person/organization.

Dave: The fact that Arsenal fans still want Wenger to move for Raheem Sterling. Sorry I don’t see it.

Paul: Learning of Jon Moss‘s appointment as the FA Cup Final referee. There’s a great blog about him and the part he plays in the fixedness of football here. Well worth a read.

Alex: Henderson will be on 100k-per-week. Really? Who came up with that brilliant idea?

Anu: Conceding the goal that made it 1-1 for Reading and letting them take us into extra time. Though it should be pointed out that we didn’t played as badly as so many made it out to be, but also that Reading had some great patches where they looked dangerous.

Matt: Might sound harsh but I don’t care. The outpouring of sympathy for Adam Federici. Yes it was a horrible moment for him but he’s still alive. Stop acting as if he’s just died. Nobody was particular nice or sympathetic to Wojciech Szczesny after the Birmingham incident. Plus the frame of the goal saved him a couple of times. Get a grip.

Steve: The Haters. We get the result without the performance & the haters start again on Wenger.
FFS enjoy the result, enjoy Wembley, one below par performance doth not the season make.

LOWLIGHT of the Week: These Two Twats

-~• HEADLIGHT •~-

A prediction or warning for the week ahead. Perhaps a banana skin that we need to look out for; the return of a player; something you are looking forward to…

Dave: Fast approaching decision time for Wenger on the midfield.  Ramsey wide has proved effective one game in 3 and with a crucial run in and Cup Final the boss will soon have to make the decision he is putting off. Coq will stay put as will Ozil so one of Santi or Ramsey must lose out. The decision becomes imperative if Ox returns as Ox on right and Alexis on left is whne we seem the most balanced.

Paul: Revenge for our 6-0 thrashing  in Wenger’s 1000th game is at the top of my list. I’d love nothing more than to see Mourinho, Fabregas and Terry – the whole scummy Chelsea gang humiliated at the Emirates. (Never mind what it would mean for the title non-race…)

Alex: Chelsea game on Sunday will be the ultimate test of how far we’ve come this season. A win will be the clearest marker we’ll be title contenders next season.

Anu: The good feelings of the last few months with the Arsenal victories over top sides and their consistent performances to see them in second will have to face the litmus test of Chelsea before they can truely say they are here to stay. Breaking the vodoo of Jose is an essential step if Arsenal want to go another step forward in their eventual goal of winning the PL title in the next 2 seasons. Knowing that Chelsea will come to the Emirates playing for the draw, time for the boys and Arsene Wenger’s newly rediscovered tactics to take the game to them. UTA.

Matt: It’s about time that Jose Mourinho monkey got taken off Arsene Wenger’s back and shot to death. With a tranquilliser dart, I must add. I like monkeys. 

Steve: Trying to get a pass to fly back to UK for 2 days for the final. The wife is not having it at the moment, but will keep on trying 😉

HEADLIGHT of the Week: Wenger (and monkey)

Special thanks to this week’s contributors:

Dave: 

Paul: 

Alex: 

Anu: 

Matt: 

Steve: 

GT Crew