Those six words were ringing around my living room, when the second half incident between Gervinho and Joey Barton occurred. The first match report of the new season comes at St James Park with the late kick off game between Newcastle and Arsenal. After gathering several other people’s opinions on the game, I get a real insight that some people aren’t necessarily taking the positives out of the game, especially Arsenal fans.
“Spend the F***ing money” was also a chant rang around the ground, quite a fitting message for both sides, and in the early exchanges, both sides need to listen to that chant. The lack of real tempo was apparent with Arsenal dominating possession, eighteen yards from goal. In the two hundred and nine clear passes within the first 20 minutes, there was no clear cut chance.
In retrospect, I still can’t think of a clear cut chance now. The game was dominated in the middle of the park with only Gervinho providing some width, to the groan of Arsenal fans when he didn’t make the most of the fantastic position he’d found himself in. The final ball was awful for Arsenal and with yes, dare I say, Cesc Fabregas the whole fluidity of the play was non-existent.
As the first half went on, Newcastle still couldn’t get involved with the tactics all wrong. Playing Barton out wide meant he couldn’t influence the game in the way he wanted to, and with Cabaye in the middle, still adapting to the quick Premier League pace, the lack of creativity shone throughout the team. To add a more positive note to the report, Coloccini made several vital interceptions and overall, led from the back.
His leadership was the only positive I can make from the first half as literally; it was very, very boring. After being taken off before the start of the second half, Demba Ba really did disappoint me. Alongside Ameobi up front, the duo clearly need more minutes behind their belt as Ameobi, in particular, spent more time on the ground than on his feet.
I was slightly more optimistic going into the second half as the game started to stretch, still leading to no clear cut chances, just a few snap shots. Gabriel Obertan came on for Ba and made an impact when out running Sagna to a ball, who’s no slouch as well as feeding the ball into Cabaye with a fluorescent flick into his path, only to be treated with a scuffed effort.
Arsenal still dominated the play with Alex Song providing the midfield assurance that he provides. Again, no chances which was frustrating to watch apart from the one exception when Theo Walcott cut inside from the left and shot straight into Tim Krul, who gathered at the second attempt. Then, the incident.
With Gervinho diving inside the box, Barton’s reaction sparked horrific scenes, leaving Barton laying on the floor in Didier Drogba style and Gervinho off the pitch for a ‘slap’ leading the Arsenal fans and players into disarray. With several players in the book, the ref took a tough stance on the game but the leniency towards Barton’s reaction is inexcusable with both deserving to see red. The game ended fittingly with an Arsenal counter attack with what missing? The final ball.
Newcastle will have the happier set of fans but Arsenal have to take some positives, there wasn’t any defensive errors with Vermaelen reinstating his claim as their number one centre back. I hope you’ve had a great start to your footbaling weekend with the proper football starting tomorrow.
Thanks for reading,
Footylad.
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