More video from the Porto match
With a slightly more reliable internet connection here at home, I was able to upload some more sights and sounds from Arsenal’s 5-0 win over Porto on Tuesday, enjoy.
Before every match Arsenal play “The Wonder of You” by Elvis Presley and while it’s not very well received by many of Arsenal’s middle-class spectators there is very clearly a smattering of fans who like the song. I’m one of them and I don’t care what others think. I think Arsenal should keep playing the song and not bow to pressure from the uptight citizens’ brigade. If they do, it could become our anthem, like “You’ll never walk alone” which is clearly what the board are hoping for.
Here’s the fans singing “Super Nick” after he scored the first goal. You can hear some people try the one-nil song, that doesn’t take off until a few minutes later.
Besides, who wants to sing “one-nil” when you could sing “four-nil?”
And as the match winds up I caught the fans singing “Sol is a Goonah!” Awesome way to end this section, don’t you think?
Injury “Crisis”
Like I said the other day, I would love to be wrong here but when the boss said Cesc’s injury was “small, small” using the exact same phrase as he used to describe Eduardo’s hamstring injury it made me worry. While the two players are in different places as far as fitness and recovery from injury, Eduardo was out for a month and I think Cesc could miss a month as well.
Given his injury problems this season and the upcoming schedule, I actually don’t think this is a problem. Do you take a chance on Cesc’s hamstring against Hull, Wet Hams, Birmingham, and Wolves or do you rest him, rehab him, and save him for the last 5 games where we play Tottenham, Man City, and in all likelihood a decisive game in the Champions League?
While I’m worried about Cesc’s injury, I’m even more concerned with Gallas’ calf problem. Cesc has back-up in Nasri and Rosicky but Gallas’ replacement is Campbell, Song, and lastly, Silvestre. With Song suspended in the League and Campbell having played on Tuesday, I’d say there’s a really good chance that Silvestre will play against Hull on Saturday.
Maybe Wenger is resting Gallas for the big games ahead? I don’t know, but I do know I’d love for Silvestre to have a really good game on Saturday. Like a monster game, where he destroys Stephen Hunt, physically. He could really help the team if he did that.
Centurions Update
I noticed that I hadn’t updated my side-bar where I keep a running count of the number of goals that Arsenal have scored and divide it by the games that Arsenal have played and come up with a predicted final tally. As of the Burnley game Arsenal are top of the goal scoring table in the Premier League with an amazing haul of 69 goals.
Just to put that number in perspective, last year Arsenal, Chelsea, and winners Man U scored 68 goals in all games while high-flyer’s Liverpool hauled in 77. In fact, in this decade there have only been two teams to reach the high water mark of goals scored (87) Man U and Arsenal, neither of which won the league the years that they did so.
There are just 9 league games left in the season and Arsenal have scored 69 goals in the league. With a decent run-in, Bendtner hitting form, Nasri and Diaby healthy, and goals pouring in from all over the field, Arsenal have a real chance at both the title and the 100 goals mark; the latter a feat I put up there with the invincibles. Unfortunately, they need to score 31 goals in 9 games and get our goals for average to 3.44 in those last 10.
Let’s put 6 past Hull on the weekend to get things started properly!
Right, that’s it for the moment, I’ve got a top 10 list coming soon, keep an eye out for that.
The trouble with ‘The Wonder of You’ is that it’s such a downer just when the atmosphere needs pumped up. Something more upbeat (personal choice would be ‘Ride of the Valkyries’) would be better as it would get people going.
March 11th, 2010 at 7:52 am
@Ralph,
When no-one else can understand me
When everything I do is wrong
You give me hope and consolation
You give me strength to carry on
And you’re always there to lend a hand
In everything I do
That’s the wonder
The wonder of you
And when you smile the world is brighter
You touch my hand and I’m a king
Your kiss to me is worth a fortune
Your love for me is everything
I’ll guess I’ll never know the reason why
You love me like you do
That’s the wonder
The wonder of you
I think that’s plenty uplifting and especially the last stanza which is sung a 3rd (or maybe even a 5th) higher that the other parts.
March 11th, 2010 at 8:18 am
@Tim,
Tim – the lyrics may be but the tune is soporific and sends people to sleep rather than geeing them up for a game.
March 11th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
“you never walk alone” isnt exactly “disco inferno”
March 11th, 2010 at 9:20 am
sorry tim have to agree with ralph most gooners i know dont like it its like ralph says its too slow. dont know what it could be but i think they should ask the fans. im sure they can put some sort of poll together on the arsenal website. then take the top three suggestions and let the fans vote on them that way everyones happy…. well almost.
March 11th, 2010 at 11:51 am
@chris, The trouble with Wonder of You is that it’s Elvis -_-
Let’s have some Queen! Fat Bottom Girls, I say!
March 11th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
@Shobo, Clash – London Calling.
Ooo, a top 10 list. I like top 10 lists. I wonder why it’s always 10 though. Turn it up to 11, Tim. 11 players on a team after all. Hey, you could add 7 subs too.
March 11th, 2010 at 10:47 am
@Patrick, Eleven. Exactly. One louder.
Thanks again for posting these great vidoes. I will have to watch them properly when I am not at work. How difficult was it getting ticket to the games being a red level member? I am hoping to catch either the Man City game or very last home game against Fulham. Any idea when the tickets for them will go on sale? How did you buy yours? Do you keep checking the site everyday?
March 11th, 2010 at 8:46 am
@nycgunner,
1. With the economy the way that it is, it’s a snap getting tickets. I’d bet a red level member who went online the moment the tickets went on sale could easily get seats at those two games. You may have to sit in the expensive seats, but you’ll get tickets.
2. Red Level ticket sales are announced on the site. http://www.arsenal.com/membership/buy-tickets
Red level tickets go on sale on the 24th.
3. I went online the day and time that they go on sale and bought them.
March 11th, 2010 at 9:16 am
Fantastic. That’s very encouraging. Thank you.
silvers have taken near all the city and fulham tickets. Bring back fatboy slim like the last 3 years at highbury,atmos was cracking then. You dont need a big sing song
March 11th, 2010 at 8:41 am
i see on the website that some tix for the fullham game are going for sale on the 9th of april – is that not correct then?
there will be a minimum 1500 tickets for fulham,but at the minute it looks like that will be all thats available to red
I hate “You’ll never walk alone.” Maudlin, aggressively sentimental. And if the lads at Its Up for Grabs can be believed, the twist is, if you’re a Gooner, you better sprint away from Anfield to avoid getting beaten.
Just an idea — why not create a guide for getting tickets for American gooners and keep it on your site?
i like to sing….thats the wonder…..of arrrrr-ser-naaaal at the end instead of wonder of you
I’m uncomfortable with the idea that a song is being imposed on us by upstairs. Who chose Elvis as our song? Why not something more contemporary?
March 11th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
@connolysagent, Aye.
Hey Tim
You gonna subscribe to Foxsoccer.tv ????
I Just signed up and am super excited.
Time for football overload til the end of the season.
March 12th, 2010 at 4:43 am
@Cord4Gooner, nah, Doyle’s got fox soccer plus.
March 12th, 2010 at 8:31 am
@Tim,
Fox Soccer + is showing only 2 Live EPL matches this weekend.
Where as Fox Soccer Tv will have 5 Live games this weekend and every Match from the weekend will be on Demand. And then you can watch all Champions League Matches too … I think it is worth the 14.95 a month.
Hi Guys, someone mentioned earlier on why there wasn’t a poll amongst Arsenal supporters for their choice from 3 anthem candidates. In the 2005-06 season there was a poll with the 3 options below: 1. The theme from the “A” Team 2. The Wonder of you 3. Good old Arsenal.
Now, as you may guess form my avatar, chose the theme from the “A” team but the consensus was Good old Arsenal was the popular choice so I don’t know how the Elvis got chosen. I have to say I’m not unhappy with Elvis, when it was played before our ill-fated Champions League S/F it was spine tingling. On balance I’m happy with The Wonder of you – it’ll take time to grow on us though. If we want to be pumped up before the game I’d play “Ride the lightning” by Metallica just after the Elvis.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:06 am
what i ment to say was arsenal fans put a song forward in the first poll (any song they like) then after say a week of putting songs forward they count them up and take the top three songs and then vote over the the three.
might not be the best idea i just think it give the fans more choice. because i would like to know how they got the three songs to choose from (1. The theme from the “A” Team 2. The Wonder of you 3. Good old Arsenal) any idea
Chary?
March 12th, 2010 at 6:23 am
Chris, I recall that there was some liaison with Arsenal fan groups, Red Action, AISA(Arsenal Independent Supporters Association) and some others)regarding the choice of 3, but the final choice offered did come as a surprise. Like I said, I’m pretty sure “Good old Arsenal” would have been the overwhelming favourite based on my gut feeling and the other gooners I spoke to.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:36 am
it would be much better than The Wonder of You.
cheers chary.
March 12th, 2010 at 8:03 am
@Chary, “Good Old Arsenal” is widely panned by the folks I have spoken to and on the It’s Up For Grabs Now podcast.
Also, it’s sung to the tune of Rule Britannia when it would be more apropos for Arsenal to have a song sung to the tune of La Marseillaise
PS – I have a few recordings of the wonder of you pre match(Birmingham & FC Twente) on my You tube account if anyone’s interested – just search for user name “Charybdis1966”. I’ve got some stuff of the first look at the Verminator in the Barnet friendly in July last year.