We only sing when we are winning

We only sing when we are winning

The main ASCB home in Bulgaria is at The Academy in Dianabad, Sofia.  It can host hundreds. We often get big crowds no more so than for Alan Smith as our star guest earlier in the year. It has massive screens everywhere so you can easily find a home to watch the Arsenal lose, sorry win, I meant win, I really did. But we did lose last night, victim to a team, PSG, who were content to use a low block, and outsprint our guys in fast breaks enough to score two top class goals and send us home crying.

Yes, we lost

We were too slow in breaking, our players should have been sprinting forward every time David Raya collected the ball, instead he was left with little option but to wait till everyone got in position before releasing the ball. Yes, we had chances, quite a few more than PSG and we should have scored more than the one we did. Declan Rice could easily have collapsed PSG’s resistance in the very early stages but decided it was too early to score so he headed the ball casually wide. Declan, what are you doing to us?

Out, out , out and out

We are out of everything now this year and that perennial dream of fans has resurfaced – next season. We will have x, x and x back and we will have bought y, y and y and we will have dumped u, u and u. U being for useless. We will be unbeatable. Oh yes we will.

The team need it to win matches

Last night our fans in the Academy were quiet, much quieter than I have ever heard them. The prevailing mood was pessimism. One or two, like me, were optimistic but most seemed downbeat. There was no singing, again for the first time for me. We did have 10 fans in Paris and maybe they would have led the singing, I don’t know. But we were quiet and even a great opening spell in which we dominated, and really should have scored with Donnarumma and the defence working very hard but needing luck or, to be truthful, our bad finishing, still only raised the decibels a little higher. Last night, the majority of ASCB in the Academy didn’t believe. And so they failed to scream at the screen which has been proven to lift the team to the greatest heights. And we lost.

Unlucky Arsenal?

Yes, we were a little unlucky over the two nights. We had some excellent periods both games. We should have scored more. Last night was the culmination of losing our entire forward line and our top attacking midfielder for long periods. We had no proper striker for most of the season. And the makeshift ones didn’t gel properly. That to me, was the true problem. Our attack just didn’t gel since before Christmas. We created lots of chances, but most were tippy tappy stuff and not as dangerous as if you had Henry and Bergkamp to turn chances into goals. That is why you have specialist strikers. That is their job. Otherwise you can create more chances than the other team but they punish us with maybe just the one chance.

A rubbish Leicester scored two against us

I was at Leicester in the Emirates early in the season, to illustrate my point. Leicester were poor, truly among the worst teams I have ever seen live at the Arsenal. We were two nil up at halftime and should have been four or five. It was boring and I expected more of the same in the second half but somehow Leicester got a break on 47 minutes and James Justin, the full back scored. Leicester improved but still seemed content to waste time and defend rather than attack. But they got another breakaway on 63 minutes and Justin again scored. We were tippy tappy, creating half or even quarter chances but not really looking like scoring until well into injury time when we scored two and made the scoreline look respectable. Leicester were terrible but we were twice caught with breakaways and had to scramble a win. Last night PSG also caught us with breakaways but they were a much better team than Leicester.

Spoiler alert! We need to convert more chances

I reckon most of our goals conceded this year were from breakaways and set ball positions often from lower teams. The lack of a coherent forward line meant we didn’t make the most of our territorial and positioning advantages. Our weakness to breakaways meant every team had a chance. The low block, coupled with waiting for our defence to be too far forward meant two or three good chances were conceded every game. We paid the price because we couldn’t outscore them and last night was the epitome of that. We had more chances and lost. The story of our season.

Bye bye team when we are losing

I suspect the Academy has seen its last big house this term. Quite a few left early last night when the second goal went in. The same at the Emirates, it will be easy to get tickets for Newcastle in our last home game. We probably don’t need much more points to qualify for the Champions League but to guarantee it at this stage we need three points from the last three. Liverpool away in holiday mood could be three and job done. Newcastle at home could be three and job done if we fail at Anfield. Then Southampton away and surely we can get the three points we need there? Chelsea are playing both Newcastle and Forest so points will be dropped and we have a far superior goal difference.

And now the end is near?

Will we need to win this for Champions League?

It has been a strange season. We were mostly brilliant in Europe, even without a recognized striker. We beat Real Madrid home and away in the Champions League, something few clubs can claim. But it has all fizzled out. We have no trophy. We may still finish second but I feel our fans have become weary. At least those fans who think we should win everything. I will be an Arsenal supporter next year and the next. And so on. I have seen poor years and some were quite recent. We are up there now, we are competing, and when x, x and x come back, y, y, and y come in and we get rid of u, u, and u, we will have the best team in the world next season. The great days are around the corner, or there may come a time again when we are finishing 8^th or worse. I do believe our team will be stronger come August, and if I am right, that means we will be fighting for all the major trophies for 2025/26. Up the Arsenal!