On Wednesday, Arsenal held an open day for the media ahead of Saturday’s F.A. Cup Final. Tim Stillman went along for Arseblog News to see what the craic was.
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Following conferences with Thomas Vermaelen and Lukas Podolski, we are made to wait a little for Kieran Gibbs. After some minutes, many journalists clack their tongues in irritation. James Olley of the Standard uses the time a little more wisely, furiously tapping away at his laptop before calmly announcing that he has finished his transcripts of the Podolski and Vermaelen interviews. One reporter loudly jokes, “D’you reckon Gibbs pulled his hamstring walking up the stairs?”
It seems Gibbs’ career to date is viewed through the prism of the treatment room and it’s a perception that he’ll find difficult to shake. This was soon apparent in the questions he faced. Determined to correct the perception, Kieran points out, “I’ve played 40 games this season. I think it’s been my best season in terms of my numbers and my stats and my performances.” Tellingly, he also points to injuries as a big reason for the Gunners’ 9 year wait for silverware, “We’ve not been the luckiest in terms of injuries at key stages of seasons.”
Gibbs of course was left out of Roy Hodgson’s World Cup squad this week, with even Jon Flanagan of Liverpool preferred to the Arsenal left back on the standby list. He confirmed that he hadn’t spoken to Hodgson for clarification of his omission either, “That’s not my focus at the moment. We have a big game on Saturday that I want to win.”
Gibbs is also pressed about the amount of pressure Arsenal are under as favourites at Wembley, “Of course there’s pressure, but pressure can bring the best out of you,” he says, looking for a positive outlook, “We have played under pressure the whole season. We’re excited about the game and want to turn the pressure into a positive attitude and we look forward to the game.
“A trophy would add an extra positive feel to our season. I feel like the team deserve to finish the season in a positive way. When you look back on your career you want to be able to say what you’ve won and we want to look back on this year and say we won the F.A. Cup. Everyone knows how we play the game and I’m not sure we’ll change too much for this.”
Famously, in the late 60s, Arsenal players lobbied coach Don Howe and asked him if some of the pictures of the 30s heroes, such as Drake, Bastin, James and Mercer from the 50s, all cradling trophies, could be removed. They felt it was burdensome to see them whilst the club was enduring a trophy drought. Howe’s no nonsense reply was, “If you want them taken down, you replace them with your own pictures.”
It was therefore somewhat fitting that Gibbs was asked almost an identical question about pictures in the club’s media room of the likes of Vieira, Henry and Adams with silverware, “There’s no hiding the fact that we haven’t won a trophy for a few years, so there’s an extra pressure. We’ve come this far, so we’ll do everything we can to get up there [on the wall].”
Gibbs comes across as a person much the same way as he does a player, as someone that takes things in his stride. You don’t imagine he’s the camera hungry type, but if Arsenal win on Saturday, Kieran will be preparing his good side for a dose of pictorial immortality on the Gunners’ wall of fame. LD.
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#GunningFortheCup
COYG!!!!!!!!
Har Har Modi!
Has anyone read what Lawrenson wrote on the BBC and I quote here “Wenger needs to win the FA Cup, though. If he does that, he will put to bed all that rubbish about it being nine years since they won a trophy. I am bored of that, and it will allow him to just get on with things next season. ” See even that whinging tosspot realises how boring that old line is. We’re gonna win it tomorrow. COYBeautiful Gunners
Gibbo!!! This guy can really perform under pressure…Shown it before…Time to prove it again!!!!!
That slide tackle against West Brom.
C”mon Arsenal! You can do it!
Who the fuck is Luke Shaw?!
God some of the media in the UK are such Hacks. Really don’t know why people pay attention to some of the guff they spout. Bunch of fucking oxygen thief’s.
Time to bring the Cup home.
Have you seen Hartson talking about “big clubs” coming in for Ramsey on the BBC? Seems like shitting on Arsenal is a pre-requisite for joining the inside clique there, much like being a paedo was for hosting a kids show.
Ramsey plays for the biggest club of all.
Up The Arsenal!
Sorry, did you actually read the article or just the headline? Nothing Hartson said could be construed as ‘shitting on Arsenal’. Hartson’s quotes: “Aaron Ramsey will be linked to 10 clubs in the summer. But I can’t see him leaving Arsenal in the foreseeable future. He’s settled and loves the club. He’s a top player and Arsenal don’t want to lose him. He may feel ‘I’ve had one outstanding season and Arsenal stuck by me when I wasn’t playing that great a few years ago’. When he does get linked and when bids come in for him that tells you… Read more »
Yeah, I read it and in between the lines too. This is the first time we’ve ever heard talk of Ramsey moving to a bigger club. I’ve never seen any speculation of this type before, so Hartson has just basically planted the first devious seed of Ramsey potentially leaving us in the future. Perhaps not the “foreseeable” future, but further down the line. I also thought he backed that up with his outstanding season comment which imo implied that for the time being Ramsey owed us a debt. Why mention the prospect of him leaving at all, that’s what I’d… Read more »
I think you’re reading too much into this and seeing what you want to see. I’ve never found Hartson to be negative towards Arsenal the way that Merson is. Even Adams has tended to come out more negatively in the press than Hartson. Hartson seems to admire Wenger and the club.
As for bids on players, it seems like every club has to fight off bids on players, no? I seem to recall Pogba getting pried out of Ferguson’s grasp at United. Barca’s had to fend off United with Cesc. That’s just how business is done.
Not the first-when he started scoring for fun in September, some hack had the cheek to ask Arsene if a £50 million bid would be enough. I think Wenger’s raised eyebrow said it all. Fucking cuntish media. And in fairness to Hartson, I think his quote was twisted (I read it on the BBC) to get a reaction.
Probably bitter that he is vying with Jeffers & Park for the ‘Wengers biggest dud signing’ trophy.
I doubt anyone would rate Hartson as Wenger’s biggest dud signing for a very simple reason.
Let’s see if he can work it out.
Why am I seeing people down vote the positive comments? We are #GunningForTheCup and C’mon Arsenal, you can do it! COYG!!!
I think it may be because hashtag ‘gunning for the cup’ is a marketing thing done by arsenal twitter that the more cynical amongst us has little time for.
That would be the ‘glass half empty’ brigade.
Are you any relation of WindyArseCity?
Above all Im a football supporter, bleed red. All good talking about hashtag ‘gunningforthecup’ but in the end footbal aint about what the latest arsenal hashtag is.
Or because ‘gunning for the cup’ is a lame slogan that has nothing to do with football. Don’t have to have my glass half full to start regurgitating slogans from the arsenal marketing team. No disrespect to those that do, but its understandable that it doesn’t strike a chord with many.
The world be like #BringBackOurGirls
We be like #BringBackOurTrophies
Come on You Gunners!!!
definitely too soon.
Some perspective, please. Trophies, ultimately, are merely things, and the kidnapped girls in Nigeria are human beings who are being put through almost unimaginable horror. I want us to win tomorrow as much as anyone, but frankly, your comparison is distasteful.
If anybody reading this is going to Wembley tomorrow please keep an eye out for John Terry in full kit, shinpads and boots, please punch him in the eye and all and make sure that he doesn’t appear on the pitch to grab the trophy and spoil the photos
It’s fine, he will trip over a prone Steven Gerrard.
and the drama queen who said they would win triphies this season. I bet maureen will get disguised as Gunnersaurus or something to get his hands on some silverware
FA CUP “Finally Arsenal’s Cup.
Ole Ole Ole Ole..Arsenal wins the 2013/2014 FA Cup.. Terrific performance 4rm Arsenal..
come on, Keith. the ‘f’ key is easier to reach than the ‘4’ key. And the ‘o’ key isn’t that far away either…
Its about damn time..boys make us proud… then get hold of that community shield as well…2 trophies in few months…getting ahead of myself but cant help it..have been waiting for a loong time.. thrash that hull city or tigers or whatever.. tomorrow invited all my manure and chelshit fans..both of which remain trophyless.. can feel i will be in tears…hopefully seeing wenger gets hold of that cup
i cant wait anymore damn it!!!! wanna watch it right now
I can kind of accept that Baines and Shaw are going to the world cup, they’re pretty good, but i find it unbelievable that Gibbs was never even in the mix. Gibbs seems such a switched on lad. I have absolutely no evidence to support this theory, (although I like to believe it’s true), but I think Arsenal’s transfer policy and requirements for players is as much about their character and intelligence as it is about their footballing quality. No knuckle-draggers and/or twitter philosophers Obviously we don’t always get it right, and when someone turns out to be a cunt,… Read more »
Those that are saying Ramsay will stay as he sort of owes the club for sticking by him are being unrealistic. Yes I think he’ll stay for at least two more seasons but if he carries on with this form, unless we start winning the PL or CL, as soon as the Madrids, Barca’s etc come in for him he’ll be gone. No such thing as loyalty anymore. Look at Van Persie. And we all know that all our board are I interested in is making money?
Wouldn’t mind if we sold Ramsay for £50m as long as we keep Ramsey.
Players leaving for Money is understandable. If i as a carpenter was approached by a rival company who wanted me to come and do the same job for them, but for twice the money, then ofcourse i would switch Jobs. Anyone who claim that they would not is probably lying. So i am not convinced Ramsey would stay with Arsenal if for instance Real Madrid or Barca came in and wanted to double his wage. We have seen it many times before in Arsenal, and we will see it again. Money is king. And the biggest Clubs can pretty much… Read more »
Beers in the fridge. Well, I’m gonna have to buy some more before kick off. My nerves got to me and I’ve one left. Arsecast and a beer it is!
On another note, nice to see John Terry getting a minimum wage girl the sack for speaking the truth.
Such a heartwarming story! Good old Brave John Terry!
You know what Pearson, it would make me laugh my balls clean off it Terry appeared in full kit to run around the pitch celebrating.
How could England bring him to a world cup he can’t play mor than a few games and hes crocked.
Just read Steven Cunt Howard’s column in the sun. Seriously, what is his fucking problem with Arsenal? Constantly slagging the club off every chance he gets and now, on the eve of the final, totally decimates our season. Fucking hate this fucking cunting cunt.
Quietly shitting myself about tomorrow but can’t wait for the game too start.
I think it’s the fear of losing and knowing we are capable of doing so ( I was at the Birmingham fuck up) but I’m sure THIS team will do it.
It’s great to be in a final isn’t it!
Come on you fucking beautiful Gunners
I had a bad feeling about Birmingham, but I’ve got a good feeling about this.
Arsenal are going to fucking destroy Hull.