How come Tottenham wanted the win more than Arsenal?

I have seen many North London derbies in my time, and many have turned into a battle on the pitch, but Saturday’s exhibition by the Arsenal players was the worst I have ever seen. We were totally dominated by Tottenham, and they bullied our ineffectual players right through the match. Jack Wilshere was the only one who looked prepared to fight for the shirt but he wasn’t big enough or strong enough to do it on his own.

As Pat Rice said before the game: “When you play against your fiercest rivals, as much as Tottenham want to win, we want to win even more,” he said. “We should want to win even more.

“For me, it wasn’t about the winning of the game, it was bragging rights. Having been brought up around Highbury, I know what it was like when Tottenham had a great side in the 1960s with Bobby Smith and John White. I know how much stick we took as Arsenal supporters, and quite rightly too.

“You come up through that and you want [the players] to know that because some of them are from abroad and they haven’t sampled it. You tell them that sometimes it’s more than winning a game, it’s the bragging rights.

“Nine times out of 10, you go out and you’re fighting for the supporters. You know that if we lose – and please God we don’t – for that 24 hours or so, or until we play them next time, you’re going to get hammered.

“The thing about it is if you win it, everything that’s gone before it passes to one side – it’s not as important as winning the derby. The big thing is that whenever people seeing you trying and fighting for the cause – at least with Arsenal fans – sometimes you may win or lose, but as long as you try and they can see that fight, you can hold your hands up. That’s all people can ask of you.”

He is right. At least if we could see that they were prepared to do anything to win the game, you could forgive them, but I didn’t see any of that on Saturday. They were like sheep to the slaughter and when we got to half-time without a shot on target, we knew it was just a matter of time until Tottenham won the game. It was absolutely vital to our season that we got the points from this game, but not at any time did we look like we could do it. We were severely embarrassed and there was no-one on the pitch (or the dugout) to get them to raise their game.

It was a sad day in the history of Arsenal Football Club.

Darren N

18 Comments

  1. In something like 50% the matches we have played the last couple of seasons, we have seemed less motivated than the opponents in at least one half. So it really is just same old. same old.
    And the reason?
    We have a manager, who can’t install a winning attitude into his team and he isn’t held accountable for the results either. So it has become a “cultural” thing, and it will continue until we get a manager with a different attitude.

  2. I dont think Miki and Aubameyang knew how important the match was, or weren’t as bothered. I think everyone else cared, but when was the last time we’ve seen passion in an Arsene Wenger team? Nobody expects Arsenal to be hard to beat anymore. That’s just the way it is, and until the club decides it’s time to move in a different direction, Arsenal will keep looking pathetic in big games.

  3. Or is that Tottenham, as hard as it to say, are player for player a much better side. I think we just need to accept this and not look for excuses.

    1. Very difficult to argue with your comments Tom but it hurts to admit it.The question that MUST be asked is WHY HAVE WE BEEN ALLOWED TO FALL SO FAR BEHIND AND WHO IS RESPONSIBLE

    1. I feel like we’re just going to gloat about this until Spuds inevitably do win a trophy, and then we have nothing to deflect against our poor recent seasons. At the moment they are a better side than us and something needs to be done about that. Arsenal need to be competing for more than just FA Cup. Arsenal need to be in the title race.I think making fun of spurs is counterproductive at the moment considering they are on their way to UCL, and have a good record against us in recent seasons.

      1. How it hurts to admit it but it’s true.
        BUT!!! What happens if the Spuds do not qualify for Champions League next season and also fail to win either the CL or FA Cup?
        What a spectacular F**K UP that will be for them.

  4. We are light years behind spurs, it will become even more evident once they are in their new stadium with the extra revenue from ticket and the onsite brewery sales we will be left behind…£300k a week to Ozil… oh my days. We need a top to bottom clearout, starting with the overated show ponies.

  5. Is anybody else getting the intense dread of another potential Arsenal February melt down?
    We could be out of the Europa Cup and losers in the League cup final before the month is out.

    But I still have hope that just maybe we beat the February blues and go on to win both competitions. Then Arsene can leave, head held high, with praise ringing in his ears.

    Well, here’s hoping.

    1. We seem to have a little meltdown each month right now……
      I am disappointed with the spuds game. I want us to win every game yes, but especially against our north london rivals!! But we were out-muscled & outplayed…..?
      Oh well that’s gone now… onto the next game. I’d love a clean sheet, as I’ve really forgotten what that’s like! Would love a decent performance too
      COYG

    2. Not from me he won’t. When he leaves, this May, I believe, I will be swigging the champage in celebration, which is already on ice, ready to uncork. When , not if, we are out of those two comps, as losers, his sacking will become nearer and nearer and mu mood increasingly ecstatic as each day passes. Only then can our club begin its already decade long needed healing process.

  6. ” How come”, you ask. You cannot be serious! The answer is obvious! Wenger, the demotivator, buyer of under determined players and constant picker of universally accepted useless players. Whoever could I mean, Granit! Wenger does not like real tough physically powerful and athletic players. He would rather play weedy nine stone dripping wet midfielders and cumbersome, immobile, couldn’t care less so called “players” as DCM. Even his centre backs are shortish, scrawny and apart from MERTS,all over the place positionally. Were Merts born human, rather than as a statue, he could have been a good player. But it is entirely down to Wenger, and until he is sacked we have zero chance of ANY improvement and a certainty of further drift.

    1. jon fox, again you are spot on regarding the lack of physicality, strength and downright “mongrel” in latter Wenger teams. Maybe the reason is that they are less likely to question Wenger and put forward forthright commentts or suggestions.
      After the Spurs game I listened on u tube to an interview with Joey Barton. He stated that when he played with Sol Campbell at Newcastle United, he asked Sol what differences he noticed in the dressing room and training between his stints at Arsenal. Sol said when he went to Arsenal the first time players would speak their minds and openly criticize each other and gee each other up. In his second stint Wenger discouraged conflict and dissent.
      We all know which teams were more successful!

  7. Spurs wanted it more because the man in charge at Arsenal is Wenger – the man who gives zero motivation to his team on big match days

  8. TO ADMIN: Are Thumbs Up/Down ever coming back? I don’t mean to be dramatic but I’m coming here less and less since they’ve been gone, and the reason for it is the amount of keyboard warriors and trolls in this place has probably quadrupled in recent weeks. Before you could see if the person was serious or not by the amount of positive/negative votes. People were having intelligent conversations, and it was fun to see how many were agreeing or disagreeing with each other. Now it just seems that for every decent post there’s a 10 of idiotic ones. People are posting just for the sake of posting, and it’s getting extremely annoying. Hate to say it but I will probably be leaving for good if this doesn’t change. Thank you for your attention!

    1. I feel the same way Vlad. From the Admin we get only claptrap and non answers, so he is either not serious, doesn’t care or Wenger like, ie he is incompetant. They were promised to return two weeks ago, then there was , apparently, a technical issue and since then complete silence fron the Admin. He obviously just doesn’t care and there is no one above him to call upon for answers,. This site clearly won’t last long , as many others too think like us. Shame though!

  9. Spuds wanted to win more because their players have to earn contracts and fight for their careers whereas at Arsenal players that Wenger likes get contracts and don’t have to fight for their place.

  10. At least 3 maybe 4 new first team players needed for this team to compete.
    GK – Jan Obiak from Atletico Madrid can be available in the summer
    CD – Daniele Rugani from Juve is not getting enough minutes and he is a young warrior. Koulibally from Napoli would probably be better but harder to get.
    DM – Fabinho from Monaco is looking to move on – Jorginho from Napoli will be harder to get.
    LW: Draxler from PSG is not getting enough minutes and could be looking to move on.

    If we are are able to do this type of business this summer and get a new manager like Ancelotti or Conte or Allegri someone who knows how to build a defensive line. Then we should be able to compete.
    Per,Santi, Xhaka, Elneny, Welbeck, Lucas, Asano, Jenkinson, Campbell,Akpom should all move on in the summer. Iwobi should be loaned out. Nelson, AMN, Willock, Adeleide should be given more 1st team chances.

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