What A Difference….Five Years Make

Article by e-Arsenal Correspondent Lewis Borg-Cardona

Follow e-Arsenal on Twitter!

Another year, another St. Totteringham’s Day!

If that’s one hardy annual that flowers around the same time every season (19 in a row now and counting), there’s no denying not everything in the Arsenal garden is rosy. Let’s face it, any team with ambitions to win the Premiership shouldn’t be losing to title rivals 3-6, 1-5, 0-6 and 0-3 in the same campaign. But reflecting on another ‘fourth place trophy’ finish the other day, I happened across a match-day programme from five years ago that puts a lot of the 2013/14 imperfections in perspective.

The programme in question was for a March 17th FA Cup quarter-final against – of all teams – Hull City. Yes, the infamous match during which then Hull manager Phil Brown and assistant Brian Horton created a hostile Ashburton Grove atmosphere that saw the orange one receive an FA charge of improper conduct, alongside Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas (the latter, later cleared of spitting). So what does the programme tell us about the respective merits of the 2008/09 Arsenal, versus the current incarnation?

Well, first up, no prizes for guessing Arsenal were then fourth in the table, behind Liverpool, Chelsea and eventual champions Manchester United. That’s where they would end up some nine matches later, on 72 points. So, with two matches left of this season, at least the 2013/14 team can already boast a better points total.

As for the programme’s cover star, it was ‘cult’ hero Emmanuel Eboue; pictured mid-dance in pitch side celebration, following the first of two goals he scored in the previous game, a 4-0 home league win against Blackburn Rovers. It was his only brace for Arsenal in a five year club career, but - as the ironic chant went - : “You’ve only come to see Eboue”.

Actually on that March evening in 2009 you could also see Johann Djourou, William Gallas, Alex Song, Carlos Vela, Andrei Arshavin and a rare 90 minute appearance from that most occasional of Arsenal starters, Abou Diaby. Also on the bench: the likes of Mikael Silvestre, Nicklas Bendtner and Denilson. OK, so Robin Van Persie started, as did current stars Fabianski, Sagna, Gibbs and Walcott; but seriously, would any of the others make the current squad ? I don’t think so.

By the way, while we’re talking squad depth, let’s not forget that 2008/09 squad contained Gunners afterthought Amaury Bischoff; the man from Alsace whose total record for Arsenal reads: four appearances as a substitute; no goals; no assists. Makes Kim Källström come across as a legend.

Turning to the programme notes, Arsène Wenger wrote in 2009 of that year’s FA Cup run: “Of course there is a burning desire to win silverware this season. When you are at this stage of the competition…you give everything you can to win it, and that is what we will do.” Five years on, with the trophy cabinet still undisturbed since that fortuitous 2005 FA Cup win, it’s ‘Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose’, as Le Professeur almost definitely wouldn’t say.

Meanwhile, the player highlighted in the 2009 programme feature ‘Pole position for cup success’ (sic) was that year’s FA Cup keeper Lukasz Fabianski; yet to face up to a major match shoot-out at the time and prophetically quoted as saying: “For a keeper it’s a fantastic opportunity to be the hero.” Fast forward to 2014 and having enjoyed that opportunity, the man once derided as ‘Flapianski’ is hoping to get the nod from his manager to (perhaps) make his Arsenal swansong as an FA Cup winning keeper.

Finally, in a week when London Underground strikes made those Monday evening ‘mind the gap’ quips faintly redundant , what of our N17 neighbours in 2009 ? Well, St. Totteringham’s Day came early that year, falling on April 11th, with six games left to play. Plus ça change once more…….

© e-Football 2014 All rights reserved no part of this document or this website may be reproduced without consent of e-Football