Graham Perry
Dear Fellow Gunners
Much speculation about tonight just as there was in May 1989 when George - without the glare of twitter, social media, phone-ins, email and 24 hour wall to wall football coverage - prepared his team for the match
And yet the phrase Two Clear Goals was uppermost in all our minds.
And remember the context (that word again) – two extra time goals by Ian Rush enabled Liverpool to beat Everton in the FA Cup Final and achieve the first half of the Double.
All they had to do was to hold on against Arsenal and they had the Double.
Ironic then that it was in 1971 that we came from behind to beat Liverpool at Wembley and win the Cup and the Double.
All that Liverpool had to do was to hold on and win the Double.
All that Olympiakos have to do is to hold on against Arsenal and they go through – not us – to the knockout phase.
The build up to Anfield ’89 proceeded – George was in relaxed jokey mood designed to remove the pressure on the players.
You may not know that the build-up was upset when the day before the big match Paul Merson was banned from driving on a drink-drive offence.
The Daily Mirror headline on the day of the match screamed “ARSENAL DO NOT HAVE A PRAYER”.
So they all prayed – we won and even atheists began to believe.
But the pressure was on Liverpool – their fans were about to celebrate the Double – they were the home side.
All they had to do was to keep the two goal difference – even one would do
Tomorrow night the pressure on the Greeks in Greece is on Olympiakos.
They have to hold on – they have to keep us out.
What is that mindset going to do to their defenders – cool, calm and collected?
No they will be tense, worried, concerned and the likelihood that they will concede a penalty is high.
Their midfield will withdraw when we mount an attack – that is to be expected but the tension will take its toll – get to their heads and get to their legs.
I don’t want to pretend for a moment that we will not be wrestling with pressure but make no mistake 0-0 at half time helps us more than it helps them.
The chances will come – remember how Mickey Thomas missed with 15 minutes to go but for sure there were going to more chances and one came and at the death when Mickey redeemed himself with that most famous chip over Grobelaar. We cheered and celebrated and shouted and screamed. Joy unrestrained. What a great moment.
George directed Rocastle and Thomas and Richardson to close down their midfield – disrupt Liverpool’s rhythm – their football did not flow.
Liverpool expected AFC to go in search of an early goal – they expected us to go full frontal for a goal but actually GG made clear that 0-0 at half time was more important.
A clean sheet was what he wanted and what his team delivered.
Liverpool could never decide whether to defend or attack. It was their undoing.
I hope we get to the same position – the tension in the home team dressing room will be unbearable.
It won’t be easy for us either but we know the chances come later in the game – the lunging tackles, the desperate clearances.
If we score one we will score two and if they get one back we can still get a third.
It is not misplaced optimism and of course it can all change if we concede a penalty and a red card.
It can happen but if we keep all eleven on the pitch and we start the second half at nil-nil we are in with a real chance.
And with fresh legs with ten minutes to go who knows?
And then we can think of Villa on Sunday and the title chase.
Fingers crossed.
Ed’s note – Graham has responded to the comments made to his previous circular on Monday reflecting on the Sunderland game. His responses can be read on the comments towards the bottom of the relevant page here
