Peter Hughes
(Ed’s note – This was submitted in the week after Arsenal’s recent visit to Wembley, and I have finally got the chance to run it as things are a little quieter on the AFC front with the international break.)
We have appeared in nine cup finals under Arsene Wenger and probably underperformed in at least five of those. We don't seem to approach them as a one-off game and merely try to play our normal game. It is of course not a normal match and the opposition raise their game while we seem to lack real passion on most of those occasions. We have shown that passion in home games against Chelsea and Barcelona this season but it was sadly lacking when we visited Wembley in late February.
We performed well in two FA Cup finals, against Newcastle and Chelsea. Two of Arsene’s finals - in the FA Cup against Liverpool and League Cup against Chelsea - we had periods of dominating the game before surrendering leads and losing. Galatasaray was a poor performance in which we could not raise our game against poor opposition. The FA Cup win against Southampton was laboured and the win against Man U was fortunate to say the least. Facing Barcelona of course we were handicapped with Lehmann's early sending off but fought gallantly until succumbing to defeat late in the game. We must have been favourites in all those games bar Barcelona and been at least evens with Man U. Won four, lost five, not a good return considering if we had played to 75% of our ability we would have won at least three more of those finals, a statistic which should have reflected our ability. I certainly felt Wenger was over cautious in some of those early finals but not in the later ones.
It is pretty obvious we are not going to win by just passing the opposition to death. You use your superior ability but mix that with urgency and passion. Nasri is a world class player but clearly did not fancy mixing it with the opposition in the Carling Cup Final. I am not picking on Nasri but merely using that as an example to illustrate how opposing teams raise their game and find that extra determination. We have the skill but need to add determination to be first to every ball. To give the opposition that feeling that there will be two or three Arsenal players breathing down their neck every time they have the ball. That is how Birmingham managed to stay with us so long when on ability we should have been out of sight.
We cannot have any real complaint about the result in that final. It is our fault for leaving the game in the balance for so long. Once again we knew that a shot out of the blue or in this case a massive error could beat us. Szczesny clearly shouted for the ball and should take the lion’s share of the blame. Had he stayed on his line for the first goal I don't think Birmingham would have scored. As he came out he should have cleared but got nowhere near the ball. Great goalkeepers are measured by how few mistakes they make rather than the saves. I still think he can be Arsenal's number 1, but there are not many mistakes bigger than one which loses a final. It is all irrelevant now but Birmingham were looking out on their feet. Several of their players were clearly tired suffering from cramp but of course we did not reach extra time.
Just a couple of footnotes which irritated me, being such a bad loser. Bowyer feigning injury and getting Koscielny booked. He clearly did not make contact with Bowyer who held his shins as though he had been caught with an over the top tackle. Why can't retrospective action be taken against players when the evidence is conclusive? Also the Birmingham player who slapped Koscielny on the head after their winner. Totally out of order. Again why can't action be taken? If it had happened in normal play off the ball and the referee had seen it he would have been sent off.
And then there’s the thousands of Arsenal fans who left when Birmingham scored. I was as sick as a parrot, but when you support your team there are more disappointments than victories. There were still four minutes to go. Support means that - win or lose not just in good times.
