Sunday, April 17, 2011

Other Great Cock Ups, part 1: Spring 2008.

Eboue's late blunder against Liverpool got me feeling nostalgic about other comical cock ups from recent bumbling Arsenal teams.

2008- Champions League Quarter Final, second leg: Liverpool away.
The culprit: Kolo, and everyone else.

Arsenal endured some rotten luck in this tie, but stupidity was the ultimate reason they lost it. With minutes to go, Theo Walcott produced a rare moment of brilliance, racing past numerous challenges from the edge of one box to the other on a marathon sprint, then pulling the ball back for Adebayor to slot home. With the score at 2-2, Arsenal were heading through on away goals. In this situation, most good teams know how to shut up shop and hold on.
As soon as Liverpool kicked off, they sent the ball wide down their left, where Ryan Babel waltzed into the box. Arsenal had been caught snoozing after what should have been the decisive goal, but the danger would probably have been quelled by William Gallas, who was shaping to confront Babel. But Kolo panicked and performed a clumsy-looking windmill impression behind the Dutchman, who conjured some contact and went down to win a penalty. Gerrard converted, and Babel scored another in stoppage time to remove any doubt.
It may have been a harsh penalty, but Toure was stupid, Arsenal were sleepy and unprofessional. It was already becoming a familiar theme...

2008- Premiership: Birmingham away
The culprit: Gael Clichy

People like to pinpoint the Old Trafford capitulation in the FA Cup, but Arsene Wenger practically forfeited that game with his team selection. This was the day that a promising season really started to fall apart.
First, Eduardo was snapped in two by Martin Taylor's dopey lunge, and Arsenal played the rest of the first half in a daze, despite their numerical advantage after Taylor's dismissal. At half time they trailed to James McFadden's fine free kick.
Pulling themselves together, Arsenal did enough after the interval to win the game. Theo Walcott plundered a quick fire brace, and Adebayor should have squared to Bendtner to finish off the game, but shot selfishly because he hated the Dane.
Still, that should not have mattered. Conceding once to 10 men was bad enough- surely Arsenal would not do it again. Birmingham had not posed much of a threat, but as we have seen countless times since, if you can't make a chance, Arsenal will make one for you. In the final minute, Gael Clichy sized up a loose ball in his own penalty area, unaware, somehow, that a Birmingham player was ready to steal in. Clichy recovered to nick the ball away but the referee awarded a penalty. McFadden scored, Gallas lost the plot, Arsenal's season fell to shit.
Clichy's mistake was probably the single stupidest thing I have seen an Arsenal player do. Some might argue that his career has not yet recovered.

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