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Eboue Cheats and then Taunts 12 Wigan Supporters

By mac14 on September 21, 2009

Arsenal rebounded from their two defeats in Manchester this weekend with a resounding 4-nil victory over Wigan at the Emirates. It was a cakewalk really and Martinez’s side never looked like they might come away with anything for their troubles. Arsenal created boatloads of chances and, but for better finishing from Eboue and van Persie, could easily have scored 7. But the misses don’t matter in 4-nil victories.

Though they probably matter to van Persie as the football gods refused to let him score on the day. He continually got himself into scoring positions and, by the end, when he totally whiffed on a shot in the box, it was almost comical. On the other side of the spectrum, our new gem continues to impress with each match. Vermaelen showed his leaping ability once again with the opening goal and then made it 2-nil with a delightful chip just inside the box minutes after the restart.

Almost as soon as the final whistle blew, the media immediately began their weekly post-match Arsenal witchhunt. This time Eboue was the target. After a quality volley by Eduardo came back off the post he stepped up to a loose ball in the box and smashed it towards the goal. The shot took a deflection off Eboue’s leg but looked destined for the net anyway. Eduardo peeled off to the near-side celebrating while Eboue went the other way doing the same. Eduardo turned around and, when he realized what had happened, put his hands up and had a laugh. The whole team came together smiling and laughing about the mix-up.

However, the media tried to claim that Eboue took off to celebrate in front of the Wigan fans, “just like Adebayor” did to the Arsenal fans at City. You have got to be kidding me! That is the best they can do. First of all, the misunderstanding was understood by everyone in the stadium and on television.

Second, why would Eboue care to celebrate the third goal in an eventual 4-nil victory over Wigan, of all sides, in front of the 15 supporters they had left at the Emirates? Even Wenger looked highly annoyed and bemused when the question was posed to him in his post-match press conference. The Sun then called Eboue “a cheat” for his handball in the box for which he was carded. Has it really come to this?

What Wenger was really upset about though was the fact that repeated rough challenges by Wigan went unpunished by the referee. It’s clear that Arsene, and many supporters, feel that the club is not being treated fairly on the pitch and in the media. And anyone who thinks it is just paranoia on the part of Wenger and the fans would do well to remind themselves that just because someone is paranoid doesn’t mean no one is out to get them.

Another theme to come out of the match is the lack of atmosphere at the Emirates. How many times do we have to hear this? On the Setanta broadcast at half-time, they isolated a few videos of older gentlemen in the crowd standing and applauding after Vermaelen’s goal and Pat Dolan, of all people, made fun of them for not being enthusiastic enough. What does he want a 50-year old man to do? Take his shirt off? Leap up and down like a 15-year old? Give me a break, Pat. The man is insufferably anti-Arsenal and taking cheap shots at the supporters is just low-class stuff.

Finally, I couldn’t end the reflections on the match without addressing the issue of the “sullen Cesc.” Talk about blowing things out of proportion. Apparently, because Cesc didn’t run the length of the pitch celebrating a 4th goal in stoppage time of a 4-nil win against Wigan, it means that his head has been turned by Barcelona this summer or any of half a dozen other equally outlandish suggestions floating around the blogosphere.

Cesc is the captain and he leads by example. Showing up an opponent who has been beaten and beaten down all afternoon is a bit unsportsmanlike even though it goes on all the time. Cesc has chosen a different way and its best that we all let him become the captain that he wants to be.

18 Comments

Arse&Nose

September 21, 2009 at 6:23 am

There was no lack of atmosphere in the stadium, its funny that the people who moan about lack of atmosphere usually watch the games on tv.

Maybe its more to do with the microphones or stadium acoustics because when I go to matches the atmosphere is pretty good!

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- ArsenalStation
  
  September 21, 2009 at 8:42 am
  
  I was thinking the same thing. I get so tired of hearing that crap about the atmosphere all the time. The way people talk you would think West Ham-Millwall was the norm at every ground.
  
  Though even Ray Parlour commented on it on ArsenalTV’s broadcast about the Emirates being really quiet, but that was at the start of the match, not after the goal like Dolan on Setanta.
  
  Reply
- Bernard Ramsdale
  
  September 21, 2009 at 3:04 pm
  
  Totally agree about people who complain about lack of atmosphere at football grounds being the TV watchers!
  
  Here in Wigan it is an epidemic!
  
  People would rather sit in the pub watching Latics on illegal channels and most of the pubs feed the idiots at half time as well.
  
  The other set of sad plebs are the ones who sit at home and watch ‘their’ team on Sky! Wigan is awash with Manchester United, Liverpool, Man City and various other ‘supporters’ shirts every weekendm it is heartbreaking. And everyone of these ‘fans’ loves nothing better than rubbing our faces in the dirt at any given. opportunity.
  
  They then laugh at our average attendances of just 18,000 and don’t realise that for everyy remark and giggle, they should be ashamed of themselves, not we fans who actually do support our local team.
  
  Congrats on a resounding victory and here’s hoping we’ll be half as good as you guys within the next few years!
  
  Good luck for the season. Not that you’ll need much!
  
  Reply
  - Michael Hattem
    
    September 21, 2009 at 5:25 pm
    
    You are so right. I, of course, am an American supporter but I am also a season ticket holder of my hometown MLS club, the worst in the league. Our domestic league suffers from the same problem, tons of people who only support PL sides and not their local MLS club as well.
    
    Sent from my iPod
    
    Reply
Gareth26GOONER

September 21, 2009 at 6:27 am

Prats who dont go are the ones who comment on this. In fairness,upper tier has always been a graveyard,us lower tier regulars try n get it going

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Lanre

September 21, 2009 at 6:55 am

Dat is football everybody kown

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Lanre

September 21, 2009 at 6:56 am

Dat is football everybody it can happen 2 any club

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K-gunner

September 21, 2009 at 7:28 am

wats dis post on about. Cesc was injured and was going through pain. the wigan players were thuggish, or do you want him to fake it when he’s in pain…You folks talk bout players wanting away, dats hw u started wit adebayor, now cesc….twats!

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- ArsenalStation
  
  September 21, 2009 at 8:40 am
  
  Actually “wat dis comment on about” is more appropriate. You obviously misunderstood, misread, or failed to read the entire article. You might also want to look up “irony” and “satire” in the dictionary. And, please… NO TEXT SPEAK!!!
  
  Reply
- ArsenalStation
  
  September 21, 2009 at 2:54 pm
  
  Each time I read your comment i wonder more and more what article you read, if any. You should try it before commenting. Regular readers know my disgust for, and parodying of, the media.
  
  Reply
ClockEndRider

September 21, 2009 at 7:35 am

This side of the pond, who knows who Pat Dolan is? Perhaps a gentle reminder to him of this by you over there might help him to balance his own self-importance with the knowledge that he is a footballing nobody.

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Jim

September 21, 2009 at 8:32 am

-Dat is football-
-wats dis post on about.-

People who write in ‘txt spk’ should be shot.

A fair summary. Although we all know Eboue is a cheat. I wish he wouldnt. And I wish that RVP would just stay on his feet a little more.

Lower tier looks great. Atmosphere in the Upper (where I sit above the away fans) could be better. We get told to ‘si daaaan and shad up’ too often though

Reply
- ArsenalStation
  
  September 21, 2009 at 8:44 am
  
  “People who write in ‘txt spk’ should be shot” is also a fair summary. Obviously the headline was an satiric play on the way the media has treated Eboue after the match in trying to find anything to make him look bad.
  
  Reply
Ted Harwood

September 21, 2009 at 1:05 pm

It seemed to me that Cesc wasn’t celebrating not only because it would have been gratuitous at that point, but because he was concerned about being a bit hobbled. I haven’t heard much about in injury, though, so I assume everything is okay…

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Tommy Gore

September 21, 2009 at 4:45 pm

It sticks in my craw how Arsenal supporters turned on – and, in this article, turn on – Wigan supporters. I remember the days of Arsenal drawing in 13 – 18000 in the 80s. Arsenal fans seem to think that taking the iss out of Wigan is fair game. This is a small club with a devoted and loyal fanbase, not a bunch of Johnny- come-latelys, who support their club through thick and thin and are realists, fully aware that they are continuing to punch their weight. These arrogant Gooners should show a little more humility and respect, and spend their energies getting behind their own side rather than trying to belittle the sterling efforts of Wigan’s supporters in getting behind their side. Pathetic and typical of the nouveaux riches who don’t know on which side their bread is buttered.

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- Ted Harwood
  
  September 21, 2009 at 4:53 pm
  
  Where did anyone say anything about Wigan supporters in the original article, aside from mentioning that there weren’t many left in the stands in LONDON at the end of a 4-0 match? If the situation were reversed, there probably wouldn’t be many Arsenal fans left in Wigan, either.
  
  I think you’ll find the only person saying anything about Wigan fans is a Wigan supporter himself, in comments section, and he’s making excellent points and clearly showing his love for his local side…
  
  Nobody’s taking the piss out of anybody here, as far as I can see, except for the original post taking the piss out of the media.
  
  Reply
  - ArsenalStation
    
    September 21, 2009 at 5:30 pm
    
    Exactly right, Ted. I was commenting on the media, not on the quality of Wigan’s support as evidenced by the admirably gracious comment by the Wigan supporter. It is amazing how people make such comments after so obviously only reading the headline and not the article.
    
    Reply
- ArsenalStation
  
  September 21, 2009 at 10:35 pm
  
  Tommy, you know what really sticks in my craw… people who comment on articles after only reading the headline. The article said nothing derogatory about Wigan supporters. And also people who make judgments about supporters of other clubs without knowing anything about them. I have supported Arsenal since 1998. Never mind that because you are doing the same thing you accuse me of doing to Wigan by calling Arsenal supporters “Johnny-come-latelys.” The only difference is I didn’t “turn on” Wigan supporters but you did “turn on” Arsenal supporters. And I know that because I actually took the time to read your comment before I replied.
  
  Reply