BFTG - Arsenal (a)

[Winchester Royal]

Sat in the home end. People in front got in 10 minutes late, sat in the wrong seats, spent the whole game on their phones (occasionally Periscoping when Giroud was warming up), left 20 minutes before the end. Not sure what they got out of the game.

And people complain about our fans

Sounds much like my experience - got in 10 minutes late, sat in block 125 amongst a load of tourists, and had to keep getting up and down so others in the row could go and buy a bottle of coke.

[KDRF]

Thought Joey was very poor, looked a pace behind everyone else and kept on losing men. Would have much preferred Quinn instead who would have hassled the arsenal players in possession and put pressure on them.

Also thought Blackett was poor, the first 20 mins Arsenal had two clear chances from him being dragged out of position by ball watching. Also has this really annoying habit of taking one too many touches when in possession which slows the play down.

Thought Samuel and Kelly looked promising and both should be considered on Saturday, Kelly looked to get the ball forward a bit quicker than Evans does.

Subs were poor again barring Kermogant. Kermogant caused problems and made us more of a threat, but what the hell was he doing bringing on Gravenberch. We were crying out for Swift after we conceded the second goal as playing 3 defensive mids gave us nothing going forward. Also if Meite is fit enough to be on the bench he should have had 20 mins, Jenkinson looked off the pace and with an injection of fresh legs he could have ran at him.

[No Fixed Abode]

Serious question.

When you saw the team Reading put out, did you a feel a little deflated and let down? 5,000+ fans paying good money, many taking the day/afternoon off work.

No disrespect to the players involved, it's good experience for them. But so early on in the season with no obvious sign of a promotion charge I thought Stam would have put out a stronger team than that.

I can understand teams who are competing in Europe and have a busy schedule coming up. But a Tuesday game after a Saturday game, surely most of those that played at Rotherham could have managed the chance to play at the Emirates?

In football terms, £10 isn't good money

I'm surprised by the negativity on here as the game exceeded my expectations. We were still genuinely in contention with 15 minutes to go and probably had more time in possession than in the sum of our previous visits to The Emirates.

Anyone going to any EFL cup game expecting to see two full strength teams is deluding themselves but it's a good chance to see fringe players play, particularly last night in an environment they would never have experienced before. If think Arsenal called this perfectly with the pricing structure that reflected the likely team line ups and both sets of fans responded. Had it been £30 I probably wouldn't have bothered. I can't believe people were offering spare tickets at £75+ online, I'm amazed anyone would pay that.

If I'm surprised by the negativity here, I was bemused at the people around me, many of whom seemed outraged and angry that we weren't dominating Arsenal, away from home and raining in crosses and shots. Presume this was their first game this season

It's a little simple to suggest it was only £10. Train fare from Reading = £20. So that's your £30 right there and you still went.

[Green]

Ended up in the ToLOLington pre match, a Green King affair with only Abbot and IPA on, served of course in a plastic glass. Bouncers on the door enforcing a home fans only rule and asking to see tickets, but talked my way in. Actually not a bad place for a pre match pint given its proximity to the stadium - got served very quickly and even got a seat.
Post match Duchess of Kent on Liverpool Road by Highbury & Islington. Your archetypal Islington gastropub but a decent range of ales on from independent London breweries.

Quite liked the Emirates, comfortable seats and a great view from wherever you sit. Also didn't have to queue for beers at half time, and ended up watching most of the second half from the comfort of the concourse with a few beers.

Non-match stuff: travel was an absolute nightmare, much harder than the Madejski. If I ever go to an evening match at the Emirates again then I'll probably walk once I get to the Victoria line.

Bit at that I thought it was a doddle. Two tube lines and the Overground vs queuing for shuttle buses

[paultheroyal]

Just focus on the ticket price Kes... travel is paid the same wherever you go....

As for the result... we do have such bellend fans. Embarrassing chants, demanding a victory, moaning etc etc....

We are making progress and this season is surpassing all expectations

[East Grinstead Royal]

A colleague of mine is a STH at Arsenal and he advised me to walk to Finsbury Park after the game. Queued outside for 5 minutes, but then got on the first tube towards Brixton. Not as packed as in the rush hour. Had to run at Victoria, but got on the 10.32 with seconds to spare. Got home around 11.30, same as I would after a home game with an 8pm kick-off.

Quite surprised at how many Arsenal supporters were on the train out of Victoria. Then again, they would have been surprised at me being on the same train. Also surprised to see others in RFC shirts getting off at Three Bridges.

I bought a jumbo sausage from a stall outside the ground - for some reason the guy running the stall likes to call all his customers "colonel." Anyway, I could only eat half of it - the bread was dreadful.

Stood in Block 24 for the whole game, 8 rows further back than my seat at the MadStad, but nowhere near as high up. The shallow rake doesn't help the atmosphere and I didn't hear any racist / ISIS chants, nor see any untoward stewarding.

Glad I went, but not itching to go back.

[biff]

Jobi was exasperated with that. Always encouraging "G" (macleary) to attack, which never really materialised. Left on 70 minutes. Lovely chap.

[Mr Udagawa]

Is that Brendy on the right?

and Lembit Opik on the left?

[bobby1413]

We are making progress and this season is surpassing all expectations

This...

I can't believe how moany our fans are. At Rotherham the guys behind me were acting as if we were 3-0 down and bottom of the league.

Within minutes one of them said "wish I hadn't bothered now"... and every missed pass was met with "arrghhhh useless".

[bcubed]

listened on t' radio

good to hear us have periods of possession and forward play instead of just defending all the time.
good to see us not budge from the game plan
good to see the youngsters getting a go in a less pressurised match against very good players and acquitting themselves well.
think in Watson and Kelly we have two very decent prospects indeed.

sounded like it was just our mistakes, and the Ox were the difference between the two teams



chamberlain needs to leave arsenal, hes at his peak, in great form, and not getting played. its ruining him.

true

[LUX]

well that's Chelsea and Reading crossed off the list

Reading and Chelsea are both competing in Europe. Just because we're leaving the EU, England is part of Europe......durrr

Not surprised then that Stam rested some players - we have a key European game coming up on Saturday.

yep, against two-times European Cup winners, from a time when likeable English clubs did so, made up of British/Irish players. Likeable British players.

[Ascotexgunner]

Drove to Kings Cross and parked (free after 6).…..then caught tube.....just a coup!e of stops. Came back via Finsbury park......no queing and straight back home to Sunninghill for 11.30.
Downer of the night was I was in the Arsenal end......urgh......clueless and disrespectful.....many had bags of tat from the club shop, most spent time messing around on their phones, they hardly sang and basically if you thought it was bad at our place....well....there's nearly 60000 and the atmos was rubbish.
Give me the Madjeski over the Cameldome anyday.
As a side issue I'd play Watson over Gunter anyday. He did alright and looked more confident defending than Gunter who just can't defend full stop.

[Green]

Yeh guy next to me had 3 huge carrier bags of megastore clobber

TBF it was half term and a cup game so perfect for day trippers and their families.

[Hound]

to be fair to the Gunners support last night, I once went to watch them play in the champs league with an Arsenal supporting mate. They were just as clueless and passionless then.

A couple of half baked rounds of 'We hate Tottenham' and a lot of munching on their organic chicken nuggets and triple cooked chips. Surely the most middle class support in the country.

Still it made a comfortable atmosphere to bring along my 6 year old to, even if he had to spend half the game standing on the seat to see what was going on

[Saaaaaaaammmmmm]

Sat in Row 2 so didn't exactly have the best view of the game, we were literally below the pitch. To think people pay hundreds for a season ticket at the Emirates where there are very few seats with a decent view of the action....

Anyway, thought the team was just a little flat and Arsenal definitely were there for the taking. To be honest I am getting sick of the passing it out from the back, I've been patient all season but I still don't get the purpose of it. Giving it to Joey on the edge of the area will gain you absolutely nothing, and last night it ended up with the opposition scoring. Stick it on Kermorgant's head, or if you're going to pass it on the floor, do it quickly and to players in space. And if you haven't got the ball, get yourself into space, so someone can pass to you

See Newcastle last night:
https://twitter.com/Kike_Marin_/status/ ... 8383578112

Was really excited to see Kelly get an actual chance but thought he was a bit disappointing, looked nervous and gave the ball away lots. Seen him enough times to know that he is a far better footballer than he showed last night, so hopefully he gets some more opportunities. He'd be perfect in those home games in which we get 70%-odd possession, but strangely we've decided to play him in the matches that suit him least, away at Rotherham and Arsenal

Evans was poor, he's been a real let down since he joined. I know he's young but he was very highly rated at City but whilst at Reading he's done nothing to prove them right, and unlike Kelly he's had plenty of chances to do that this season. Too slow, doesn't do anything significant, and was simply a passenger last night.

Samuel I thought did okay all things considered. Touch was good, the mazy run in the second half was fun, it's just a shame he didn't get much service. Would be nice if Stam would start giving him a go in league matches now, just 15 minutes at the end when we don't look like scoring is all we're asking Jaap

Again, the subs literally made no sense. Yann improved things but for the second week running what's with bringing on Gravenberch and sticking him out of position? He looked completely out of place on the right flank, just as he did up front against Villa. To be fair he looks out of place on a football pitch full stop but I'm happy to give the guy a chance if we get to see him play where he's meant to. Swift obviously would have changed things for the better, but he was stuck on the bench. Also Meite running down the wing would at least have given us something different, Quinn is a good player but he won't get you back into a game you don't look like winning

Highlight of the game was probably catching the ball after it flew over the bar, first time I've ever managed it. Also managed to hit the RFC Cameraman when I tried throwing it back on the pitch. Given he spent most of the game filming me, probably deserved it, decent cheer from those around me so thanks for the support guys

Spotted Twitter Icon RFCDan but was able to avoid him, Jobi McAnuff but he was able to avoid me, and a kid crying at full time

Looking forward to Forest on Saturday and the comforts of the Upper West

[Ascotexgunner]

Yeh guy next to me had 3 huge carrier bags of megastore clobber

TBF it was half term and a cup game so perfect for day trippers and their families.

Have you seen the overpriced crap they sell (did take a peak)....Its commercialism at its worst.

[biff]

Soo....

Getting to the game was a nightmare.

We could have been 4-5 down in the first 20 minutes so the result was ok.

Standing: fine. Stood all 90.

Atmosphere: bit flat but then that's inevitable taking 6000 away, was still better than the home end.

Football: could have done better, the first goal was given away, but then...see above.

Stewarding: people getting chucked out for comparing Habsi with ISIS. Not necessarily in a racist or negative way, but it was a retarded thing to chant, when you think about it, and when you got dragged out, people were applauding, and that from standing, singing fans, not your day trippers. So bear that in mind when you turn up to games at the age of 14 with your baseball cap pulled down over your eyes like a real casual. You're not. Them times are gine, deal with it, join a boxing club.

Struggling to see how any reference of Al Habsi to ISIS isn't racist or negative. oxf*rd disgusting racist scum. And that about our best player on the pitch. Shocking.

Some fat ginger nonce behind me at Charlton was making monkey noises and chanting EDL songs under his breath whenever al habsi got the ball. Kick it out notified, can clearly see the wnker on RFC youtube and all.

[Green]

Yeh guy next to me had 3 huge carrier bags of megastore clobber

TBF it was half term and a cup game so perfect for day trippers and their families.

Have you seen the overpriced crap they sell (did take a peak)....Its commercialism at its worst.

I didn't but I can well imagine the contents of those bags would be worth around £500

[sandman]

Interesting to see people picking out Kelly for giving the ball away when Evans and Van Den Berg were far worse for it.

Part of me admires Stam for trying to play his style at Arsenal but for the most part I'm cursing his stupidity. They were there for the taking, a good team but a beatable one, and we just played the same slow passing style rather than getting in their faces.

Al Habsi was obviously motm, Samuel did well when we actually got the ball to him, Moore was composed and Obita was fairly solid.

[biff]

Literally nothing to enjoy about the whole experience yesterday. Travel, stadium, atmosphere, performance, prices, travel back again. Insipid again (work in progress or not, theyre professionals who should be able to adapt to changes in style a little faster than they have), and a 2nd rate Arsenal weren't tested at all. Samuel looks pacey but the 4-3-3 style doesnt suit the players we currently have. Watson did enough to keep his place IMO, offers an extra dimension that Gunter hasnt for a while/ever.

Meeting Jobi a highlight. A player from a better time, with lovely eyes.