From My Seat: Arsenal (H)

We all saw it coming but what a downer as a draw felt like a loss. Final whistle and no ‘Grand Old Team’ as the fans filed silently out of the ground.

Another season and first home game, so it’s off to our Room of Nonsense in our local Cathedral of Dreams. The staff give us a warm north Liverpool welcome in true guttural tones that are to the uneducated ear almost intelligible – suffice to say, a loose translation would be: "Hello, nice to see you gentlemen back again."

The ale was ordered and soon the room filled with familiar faces and we got down to the nitty-gritty of sorting the team out and compiling a list of players that Roberto should be bringing in. No real agreement reached but, in the knowledge that the room was full of managerial experts, someone would have it right so we had another swig and moved on to the next subject – today's correct score. Some wild guesses there and all for a home win. The team came through and no real argument about it with almost all agreeing that it was probably our first pick. Time passed quickly and even with Chelsea on three screens no-one seemed that bothered as one optimistic chant rang out that we were to win the league. There is just nothing like a gang of Blues in a boozer on match day.

Time for the walk up arrived and the jiggers that led to Spellow Lane were thronged. Soon, Goodison Road was reached and the iconic street sign hove into view – I must have a word with Mayor Joe as some of the letters are in RED! The road was a mass of bodies, queues at the Fat Van, Blue Dragon and the Chippy long, and the badge and scarf stall was doing a bomb. The Fan Zone was pumping out music with a base beat that went to the very soul and the mural of Roberto looked down on the goings on from his perch on the end of the main stand. On past the ‘Winslow’ now renamed ‘The New Winslow, The People's Pub’ and into the ground. Z-Cars and here we go again – another season of whatever it brings... and who knows what that maybe. The only certainty is that we all believe we will be there, week-in & week-out, to find out.

The game started and, from the off, we looked to be at it; in truth, we took the first half with some delightful football played in a controlled manner that had the Gunners wilting.

After only five mins. Pienaar went down in a tackle and got a free-kick which came to naught after he had recovered. Not much in that at first glance but it was to be the end of Pienaar’s day as he could be seen gesticulating to the bench that he had an injury. He went down and sat there and Arsenal put the ball out. Physio’s ran on but no-one was in doubt that that was him done for the day; the big question being: Who would replace him?

The answer was Osman, into the playmaker role, as we went 4-3-3 with Rom right, Mirallas left, and Naismith central. Pienaar lasting just nine mins raised the question: How fit was he to even start? Osman is Osman and everyone knows he is not the strongest but he has got a great understanding of the game and he soon settled to his role of always being available and keeping moves ticking with both short and long passes.

Ten mins after Pienaar leaving us, we struck. McCarthy, who was covering ground at pace and breaking up Arsenal's rhythm, was scythed down by Sanchez. The free-kick saw Barry put in a dangerous cross that looked to be aimed at Lukaku but he must have heard a call from Coleman behind him as he left it and the Irishman buried and turned and celebrated in front of the packed Park End with much gusto. Hell, he was as pleased as us.

We were having to repel the inevitable Arsenal response and I must say we were doing it with some aplomb as we played keep-ball in Catalan fashion. The Arsenal fans had taken up their full allocation and were noisy and had questioned our lethargy in the singing department so the time was now right for a response as we belted out :We only sing when we’re winning", while "Allez Ally O" rang out amongst others.

Mirallas was a threat down the left but no-one, not even him, seemed to know what he might do next but he did get put in one-on-one and should have netted; he seemed to slip at the vital moment and shuffle the ball wide. Some of the faithful were less than kind with their comments. However, we continued to boss the game with good footie and the tireless work from McCarthy and Naismith were a standout feature that Arsenal found hard to staunch. The visitors did make some chances but most were put wide or smuggled away from danger by a committed rearguard.

Mirallas was fouled at the corner of the 18-yard box. He took the free kick himself and the ball flew in at great pace and many assembled thought for a split second he had scored – alas only the side netting was disturbed. We were on top to such an extent that the Arsenal players started to make a few sly digs and kicks which, by the end of the game, would see four of them booked and Wilshere very lucky to stay on.

Half-time beckoned and a move started at the back saw the ball fed to Lukaku who had been limping but he powered past the German centre-back, showing good strength, and – wouldn’t you just believe it – the impressive Naismith was busting a gut to offer himself; the pass duly came and Naismith slotted with ease and arrogant confidence. If only Mirallas had done that earlier, I thought, before jumping up and down as you do in such circumstances. We waited for the big screen to show a rerun but it seemed to show possible offside so it was halted quicker than you could blink. Must have been okay though as the Premier League's finest lino didn’t flag.

The half-time whistle came and went and the chat was of how well we had played that half and how it may have been more... yet, in many a conversation, the thought was we need to keep on the front foot and get at least one more and not go into Leicester mode. Oh, if only Roberto had been listening...

Second half and Wenger had pulled the underperforming Sanchez and sent on the Frenchman Giroud. The Blues started the half in what looked like it might be "What we have, we hold" mode, with passing movements that went nowhere. Pretty triangles that frustrated the Arsenal to the point of some nasty digs, and one shameful tackle on Barry from Wilshere that should have seen red, not yellow. Barry recovered after treatment.

We now seemed to allow Arsenal to come on to us and look to hit them on the break. Good plan but as it turned out we were not too good at it for when we did break we either lost possession or played a poor pass which had Arsenal coming back at us which in turn seemed to give them extra confidence.

The fans were getting restless but, as we had kept them out, we sort of went along with the method without really believing we were not dicing with death. Many thousands of the fans present have been coming for years and, in many of those years, we have seen this trait to let good leads slip and either lose or draw from a winning position, so we had good reason to be a tad apprehensive. When an attempted backheel to find Naismith in their box went hopelessly wrong, the Arsenal broke and quickly, ending in Giroud being put in and – but for a quite brilliant save from Howard – it would have been 2-1. Nerves jangled on the terraces and, somehow, we all knew that, if Arsenal did get a goal, anything could happen.

Our nerves were not helped by our players now powering forward in search of a third without the necessary thought being put in place to deal with a quick counter; this was epitomised when Baines did great to swap passes with a teammate and put a peach of a pass into the box where both Naismith and Osman were just too far ahead of the trajectory of the ball and Arsenal swept to the other end – but for sterling work from the tireless McCarthy in breaking up the move, the opposition would have been in.

Lukaku was now limping badly but was soldiering on. Arsenal were still committing nasty fouls when, on 75 mins, Wenger pulled Wilshere before he saw red, as well as Oxlade-Chamberlain, who had hardly shown, and replaced them with Cazorla and Campbell, respectively. A couple of minutes later, Lukaku had signalled he was spent and was replaced by McGeady.

I have to say this didn’t sit right with me as Arsenal were now on top and in Cazorla they had the ingredient they were missing. A playmaker who could pick a pass to join up their play. We had a proven man marker on the bench in Besic who had man-marked Messi in the World Cup to some acclaim; if our intention was to hold what we have, what better chance could we give ourselves than neutralise their main creative force? But I was overruled by Roberto and McGeady it was. Fair play, though: right away a Coleman – McGeady link-up down the right saw McGeady show good pace but, alas, no end-product and Arsenal broke yet again.

We were now going deeper and deeper and clearances were becoming panicky lumps to anywhere; all you could do was just watch the clock tick ever so slowly... 83 mins came up and another attack saw us defend desperately but still allow Ramsey freedom to hit a loose ball home. Shrugs and sighs and trepidation that there were still 9 mins to go. The Arsenal players grabbed the ball and raced back for the kick-off ready to attack again. Would or could our manager respond? Well, he did... in as much as we got a look at our new loanee and clapped off Mirallas, who had had an in-and-out game.

Now we needed a leader to rally the troops sufficiently to at least see out the game; alas, none came forward... and we continued to hack balls forward in hope rather than purpose – and that just doesn’t work. 90 mins came up as Arsenal equalised and we jeered as a cross was wild and bypassed our box and headed for the away fans section; however, it was retrieved and a regulation cross came in that found the head of Giroud, who levelled. We all saw it coming but what a downer as a draw felt like a loss. Final whistle and no ‘Grand Old Team’ as the fans filed silently out of the ground.

MotM – McCarthy or Naismith for me.

Overall a disappointing end to what should have been a win –compounded by the number of players who seemed to finish the game limping, as well as those who had been forced off. Much work for Roberto in this coming week, where I believe his main task will be to work out how to get a consistency of performance in both halves, rather than a good first and a wasted second.

Still, a couple of seasons ago we would have celebrated holding Arsenal to a draw at home, so we are progressing. It would seem to me we need some reinforcements but I think the manager will leave it till after the Chelsea game then go on a mad dash if he feels it is necessary. It will be either an exciting Deadline Day or a damp squib for those a blue persuasion.

Many are down tonight but we will be up next week to have a crack at the title favourites – see you there.

UP THE BLUES.

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