GENIUS OF JAMES
ARSENAL - SHEFFIELD 8:1
— Vagrant | 14/04/1930 —

If it is agreed that goals are the things which the followers of football love most of all, then they had their fill of satisfaction at Highbury, where Arsenal scored eight times against Sheffield United ere their opponents responded for the only time. One got the impression, however, that it is possible for players and spectators alike to have too much of a good thing. When Arsenal were eight up the people began to leave the ground, and the Arsenal players seemed quite content with their big bag. If it had been otherwise there might have been the story of the biggest post-war victory to record.

One of the first essentials in telling the story of the rout of the Sheffielders is to make quite legitimate excuses for them. Only one of the eight goals — the third — was obtained while the United were at full power. The first two came when Gillespie was off the field with a badly cut cheek.

Three were obtained while Kendall was suffering from an injury which prevented him from moving at all rapidly, and the last two were put past Birks when that player took the place of Kendall on his final retirement.

LAMBERT'S THREE.

For 20 minutes it was a match — and a really good one, too — with one side as efficient, seemingly, as the other. During that spell there were no goals scored, but between then and the interval Hulme, Johnstone, Bastin, and Johnstone, in the order, placed the ball into the Sheffield goal.

There were four more goals scored by Arsenal in the first 22 minutes of the second half. Lambert dribbled right round Kendall, and James showed that he could do the same thing. A free kick against Birks for carrying saw James tap the ball to Lambert, who scored easily, and Lambert also claimed the eighth. To keep up a flicker of interest the United rallied near the end and Pickering scored for them.

Because of the misfortunes which befell Sheffield the result cannot be accepted as anything like a true reflex of the respective merits of the two teams. Two side-line questions arise form the Sheffield point of view. One is whether an injured goalkeeper does his side a good service by pluckily staying on the field when he is almost useless, and the other why football teams do not make a point of having some player in the side who can take the goalkeeper's job in an emergency?

When Kendall went off nobody seemed to know who should "keep" in his stead, and Birks, on whom the final choice fell, had obviously very little idea of the requirements of the position.

JAMES AT HIS BEST.

Apart from some good centres by Tunstall and Gibson in the opening stages, not much was seen of the United attackers, and the half-backs were completely overrun when things began to go against the side.

I think it must be granted that Arsenal would have won with the forces arrayed evenly against them, for the general form was well above their average standard, and some of the play was quite sparkling.

The half-backs, as a line, were splendid, taking the ball up to the forwards and distributing with accuracy and discretion. Then there was Alec James at his very best to "make" the attack a thing altogether too good for the opposition, and it is, indeed, good for Arsenal prospects that their inside left should now be revealing his real genius. Bastin and Hulme were flyers down the wings, and the goals which these players obtained were very good indeed. Then Lambert seemed to be quicker than usual to pick up the pass and swerve round the full backs. Altogether, and making every possible allowance, a display by the Arsenal which will give the players and their supporters greater confidence for the Cup struggle which is ahead.

Arsenal — Preedy; Parker, Hapgood; Haynes, Seddon, John; Hulme, Jonhstone, Lambert, James, and Bastin.

Sheffield United — Kendall; Webster, Birks; Sampy, Matthews, Green; Gibson, Pickering, Dunne, Gillespie, and Tunstall.

Referee: A. A. Archer, Market Harborough.