10 man Arsenal, no problema.
Arsenal go down to 10 men when Senderos gets a straight red card (61′) for hauling down Yakubu OUTSIDE the box. Mike Riley gives a PK after Yakubu ends up tumbling over into the box. Yakubu dispatches it with a calm finish. No one who knows Arsenal would view this predicament as more than an trifling annoyance. We KNOW we had at least one goal in us yet.
Henry scored a superb goal (78′) after trapping an Adebayor flick to get our well deserved draw. A well rested Henry decided to work hard for the team today. He made runs,he closed down the CBs to force errant clears, and he tracked back on defense in the end. Henry was MOTM today.
Fabregas, Rosicky did not have good games coming off the Sp*rs game in mid-week. Fabregas was clearly tired because he gave the ball away, made underweighted passes and couldn’t connect on 1-2s. Rosicky was not as dynamic in attack when compared to the Sp*rs game.
Justin Hoyte (not Gavin) started out poorly against Downing who single-handedly destroyed Bolton with a goal and 3 assists. Since Hoyte played in mid-week as well, we can give him a pass as well. He finally started shutting down Downing’s crosses by late 2nd half.
Adebayor reverted back to having a poor first touch the whole game. Again, he also should get a pass after the Sp*rs game. He did work hard for 85′ until subbed by Aliadiere.
Gilbero turned in an excellent performance considering he also played in mid-week. Flamini started in place of Walcott. He showed industry but with little purpose or effect. His time draws nigh.
Senderos deserved his red card. He was slow to react to Yakubu’s run and lacked the pace to close him down once beaten. That play alone exposes all of Senderos’ deficits. I will also include the panic clearances he makes. Wenger knows. Djourou/Gallas can not return soon enough.
It was nice to see Denilson get into the game (80′) for Hoyte.
Toure almost had a howler (47′) when he misplayed his dummy move while Yakubu pressured him. Toure otherwise had a solid game which included some attacking runs.
In the end, Middlesbrough have nothing to brag about. They lost two points to a tired Arsenal team despite being up a goal and up a man. A flat Arsenal team, down a man and down a goal is still a match for ANY team in the EPL.
80 Responses to “Middlesbrough 1 - 1 Arsenal”
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February 3rd, 2007 at 5:06 pm
I'm going to have to disagree with you on the Red Card. It should have been a yellow. While I can't remember if Senderos was the last defender, the foul happened out side the box.
Everything else is spot on!
February 3rd, 2007 at 6:29 pm
I think that the draw is a fair result for both teams. We didn’t deserve to win because we had a poor game, and Middlesbrough didn’t deserve to win because they were playing not to lose the game.
Senderos deserved the red card, no doubt about that, because there was noone infront of Yakubu and when you make a foul in that situation it’s a straight red, no matter how hard/soft the foul was. Flamini was once again clueless, but infact most of the players were just not at their best.
Henry MOTM? Nope, my vote goes for Clichy once again. He was our best performer today, both in defence and attack, so he is my MOTM.
We blew a chance to catch up with Liverpool, and who knows what is going to happen till the end of the season if we continue to play like this. We need Hleb as soon as possible because without him we just can’t create enough chances. Hope he is back sooner than expected.
At the end, can someone tell me why the hell we can’t score first? It’s annoying to see the same story every week.
February 3rd, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Toure trailed on the play as Yakubu burst past him. Senderos’ only reacted after Yakubu was past Toure. Senderos was facing the play so he should have anticipated Yakubu’s run. His angled run to catch Yakubu placed him as the lone defender as he pulled at Yakubu’s shoulder.
February 3rd, 2007 at 7:41 pm
Frankly the team looked exhausted. They lacked some creativity in the final third. The passing wasn’t crisp and everyone looked a bit out of sync. Adebayor and Rosicky looked especially tired. They worked hard but didn’t create much. It shows me how much this team relies on Fabregas. He has every right to be tired after playing so many games between this year and last year. Hopefully, we can find a way to get him a bit of a rest here and there. I would rather see him play in the League and Champions League. He can rest for the Carling Cup Final and the FA Cup. Henry worked hard today. He was the most rested player and he worked hard for the team. Glad he got the goal that he deserved. Clichy was fantastic again. He is in a rich vein of form right now. Glad to see that he has shaken off the effects of the broken foot. Flamini offers a good work rate, but not much else. He is a good squad player but can’t be relied on to lift a team. I thought Toure and Hoyte were both very solid. Overall, they did not let them create many chances. There was the penalty and the excellent save by Jens on Viduka. Hats off to Gilberto and the defense, excluding Senderos. He has no right to be on a Prem pitch. Nothing more to say about that. Hopefully, they can take some positives from the comeback and get some rest and some of the injured lads back for next Sunday.
February 3rd, 2007 at 7:49 pm
Clichy did have a very good game. He shut down Middlesbrough (R) side attack-Cattermole and later Morrison. He had some 1-2’s but i don’t recall any telling crosses into the box.
My MOTM criteria include: did the player set a tone in the match and did they have a defining moment (a goal or a cumulative effort) that keeps me from being depressed for the rest of the day.
Could go either way.
February 3rd, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Middlesbrough played very well, and Arsenal are heavily struck by injuries, so the equation of injuries + drivel such as Hoyte, Flamini, Senderos and a very tired Fabregas = not a lot. A draw was a very good result under the circumstances.
Lehmann - excellent, irreplaceable at the moment, must be offered 2 year deal
Hoyte - didn’t cut out a single cross all day
Toure - excellent, apart from one uncostly misdemeanour
Senderos - clown, no pace, plays the man not the ball, definite red - no pen
Clichy - another excellent game
Flamini - headless chicken, about as creative as a cabbage
Fabregas - tired, marked out of game
Rosicky - did ok, nothing miraculous
Gilberto - pretty solid
Henry - more active than in recent games, took his goal like a lethal predator
Adebayor - solid game, not sure where he gets the energy from
Subs:
Denilson - introduced to late to get into the game
Aliadiere - ditto
February 3rd, 2007 at 8:42 pm
We play Wigan next after 7 days rest (hooray). I’m getting tired just watching our tired team. I would suggest that we treat Wigan like a Carling Cup game. Wigan are 17th, 5 points above the drop. Wenger needs to get real about the title chase. We need to reorganize our priorities. Trophies, si, top four finish, si, top two finish, no. We need to rest Fabregas, Henry, Rosicky for Bolton. Start Djourou, Aliadiere, Baptista, Denilson, Traore, Hoyte, Diaby, Toure, Gilberto, Eboue, Walcott, and Alumnia against Wigan. Denilson especially needs to get intergrated into the first team now. Drop Flamini.
February 3rd, 2007 at 8:53 pm
When is fifa going to get real and introduce video technology? The sendy foul was outside the box though I agree with your posts, he should not have put himself in that position in the first place. Since Hleb is still injured, flamini should start from the bench, he’s a hardworker and will chase the ball all game long but Denilson offers much of a threat going forward.
February 3rd, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Flamini needs to sit down for a couple of fixtures and watch his teammates. Then if he sees us get scored on, his confused look is acceptable. Until then, I do not want to see him making the clueless face until he either sits or redeems himself.
February 4th, 2007 at 12:59 am
The first half was DREADFUL football. From both teams.
Nobody looked very interested in playing.
I don’t think Senderos deserved a straight red. That is debatable.
But NO WAY should it have been a penalty. It was outside the box. Bad refereeing decision.
Having said that, ONLY AFTER THAT… did Arsenal start to play football. We “kicked it up a notch”. That was impressive. We got a point from a match where we could have easily lost… and down a man and a goal, we battled back.
We were a tired bunch out there, and it showed throughout.
Clichy was very good today. Henry’s goal was CLASS. Toure played well… ran at their defense and was his usual solid self (bar the one bad play. Gilberto was pretty good today as well.
Other than that, we were woeful. Cesc? He was really off his game. Not good at all. Adebayor has terrible first touch. He was anonymous. Sendy? Please hurry back Gallas… Flamini and Rosicky did not offer much either.
1-1 is about right today. Although Boro created f*** all for the most part. One good turn by Viduka, and the infamous play with Senderos and Yakubu.
We didn’t lose.
Thats about the most we can say.
February 4th, 2007 at 7:12 am
Why wasn’t it a straight red?
February 4th, 2007 at 9:28 am
I don’t think there was a lot of contact from the replays I saw…
I have seen worse fouls not get red cards.
I am thinking back to the Blackburn match… where we were down a man, and the Blackburn defender was clearly the last man… took our player down, and got a yellow.
Its always a judgement decision. Some referees let the game be played. Some take out the red too quickly.
Like I said, it was “debatable”.
February 4th, 2007 at 9:46 am
“Frankly the team looked exhausted. They lacked some creativity in the final third”
Well, maybe Arsenal should try start playing some DIRECT FOOTBALL in the final third for once? Instead of the diagonal pass into the box for a return 1-2 setup (which often results in the return pass being flicked high into the box which requires the runner to take a first touch before shooting), maybe just shoot the ball a bit more often? We tried to score the perfect goal once again and it’s cost us.
February 4th, 2007 at 9:59 am
I thought Henry, Clichy, and Lehman had very good games. Everyone else was ordinary at best. Very minimal contact on Yakubu, but 99% of the strikers in the prem would do the exact same thing and collapse when they felt any contact. Maybe it was not a red, but it definitely was not a penalty. I wonder if Arsene will appeal the decision.
The biggest problem was almost a total lack of wing play. Flamini should not have even been on the pitch, and Rosicky always drifts toward the center. Hopefully, Wenger will address this in the summer. Theo has been slow developing, and we really need wingers with some real pace.
February 4th, 2007 at 10:09 am
Senderos fouled (if you want to call it that) Yakubu when he was the last man back, so technically the red card was the correct decision. However, it was outside the box and should never have been a PK.
February 4th, 2007 at 10:12 am
Arsenal took plenty of shots from outside. I’m not sure how much more direct they ned to be. The bottom line is that this is the way they play and it isn’t going to change under Wenger.
February 4th, 2007 at 10:14 am
There are midweek friendlies, so keep your fingers crossed.
February 4th, 2007 at 10:18 am
The letter of the law is a straight red. So I can’t really fault that call, although it would be nice to see the refs think about it every once in a while (video replay anyone?). There seemed to be minimal contact though, and it was definitely outside the box. I think the only definitive thing you can say is that Riley is a pr**ck and seems to go out of his way to make things difficult for Arsenal.
February 4th, 2007 at 10:44 am
I thought it was quite a decent performance considering who we had missing. Again, we started slowly but in the second half we were turning the screw, without really looking like we were going to score. Much of this was due to Rosicky, and Fabregas especially, who were sloppy and lacksadaisical in movement and thought.
We need more from Fabregas going forward in these games if we are to even look like title winners in the coming years. His general play in the opponents penalty area is quite frankly pathetic for a player of his ability. Yesterday his whole game was off but he too often flatters to deceive in this area. His ball to adebayor in the second half was sloppiness of the highest order.
Though Hoyte played well again. Even old Cloven Hoof himself, Phil Senderos, did ok apart from the customary f*ck up for the goal. We will never win anything substantial with that **AYE CARUMBA**(censored) in central defence and a fantastic all-round talent like Toure who switches off in the air.
Main plus was Henry, who back to his brilliant best. Star man for me.
February 4th, 2007 at 10:51 am
FIFA is one of the last great bastions of sport?s Luddites. The average professional athlete in any sport today could probably run rings around the average player of 40-50 years ago. The NHL recognized this and added a second ref eight years ago. Unfortunately Blatter and his ilk think progress is wiping their ass with two sheets of Charmin instead of one.
And WTF is it with Senderos? Put Gallas out there in a wheelchair, we?d get better production. The man looks like Lurch and plays like Baby Huey (apologies to the younger guys who don?t remember those characters).
February 4th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
I’ve never liked Mike Riley as a referee because he makes so many poor/bad calls.
I also think he’s wearing a T-shirt under his ref outfit that says “I cheer for ManUre or any one playing Arsenal”.
I don’t think Arsenal lost this game I just think that Mike Riley won it and Boro benifited from the Riley win.
February 4th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
So Sendy is out … who will play along Toure in CB. Is it the time to regret why we sold Lauren. We could have possibly used him in CB even here is a RB.
February 4th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
I watched the highlights. Boro’s goal was debatable. Henry’s goal was typical of him. I hope he is getting back to his best.
I guess such performances may happen when the team is down with so many injuries and some players are tired. But it’s heartening to see that we don’t give up easily.
With Liverpool dropping points, I had hoped to catch up. But I still feel we should be able to make it to 3rd place.
February 4th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Djourou is back from his injury so he is the only choice we have, and is much better choice than Senderos.
February 4th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
3rd or 4th doesn’t make any difference, you still need to play qualifiers for the Champions League. So the 2nd place is the priority and I think we are able to achieve that because Chelsea need to play with us at The Emirates so we have a good chance.
Believe!!!
February 4th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
I bet Gilberto could play there.
February 4th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
We should play a train chimp there, let’s face it - it couldn’t do a worse job than Senderos.
February 4th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
I believe too, but it’s one step at a time.
For a long time, we’ve been thinking that 3rd should be possible. But we haven’t got there yet.
February 4th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Result exactly as predicted. Lollygag, lollygag, lollygag… Boro scores, then the jets kick in a bit - all of a sudden look interested… BANG - a bit of brilliance - match is even… a late minute goal didn’t happen (Why can’t Ade run off of the g*dd*mn pitch when subbed????????????????).
We went into this match looking like we would be happy with nil-nil. AW looked disgusted at the end. Good for him - wasted opportunity. I know we’re tired, but it was Groundhog Day again.
February 4th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Looks like Wenger tried to push Aliadiere out the door yet again in January, to Middlesbrough on loan until the end of the season - only to have to change his mind when Van Persie broke his foot.
Doesn’t look to me like the actions of a manager who sees a future for this player. That’s four times he’s tried to loan him out, three successfully, but it seems Aliadiere has never impressed enough for anyone to make a bid. Doesn’t look good for that pint does it Stag?
February 4th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
The more I see Senderos play, the more convinced I am that he is NOT a Premiership player.
He reminds me very much of Jeff Blockley from the early 70’s and Tommy Caton from th early 80’s who also cost us games because of their weak performances at the centre of our defence.
He is a liability and the saving grace for us is that he’s out for the next two games.
By then, Gallas will hopefully be match fit again. In the meantime, Djourou will be an adequate replacement.
February 4th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
klh….I don’t know what game you were watching, because Senderos WAS the last defender and thoroughly deserved to be sent off!!!!
It may have been outside the box, but he let Yakubu get away and he cost us three points!!!!
This numpty has cost us games in the past. The saving grace is that he’s out for two games now and hopefully by then Gallas will be back!!!!!
February 4th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
In my opinion…..Senderos cost us three points as we had Boro’ on the back foot and it was only a matter of time till we opened the scoring.
But thanks to that Swiss numbnut we ended up having to scrape a draw!
February 4th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Danny
Calling Senderos a clown….is an insult to clowns.
This Swiss numpty cost us three points today in a game we were in complete control of!
Boro’ never threatened us until PS6 decided to help them! Lehmann didn’t even have a save to make until the penalty, which never was because the offence happened outside the box!
At the end of the day, Senderos is not a Premiership player!
Thank God we have Djourou as back up. Hopefully this two game ban Senderos has now got will be enough time to get Gallas back into the squad.
February 4th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
nope, even better, he is out for 3 games!
February 4th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
The main reasons we didnt win yesterday:
- the numerous, f—–g injuries.
- senderos
- a lack of “unpredictable” strikers: RvP and Baptista. I think this Boro game was the kind that would have suited RvP just perfectly.
February 4th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
yeah, senderos is a clown of the highest order and in certain league with cygan. however has anyone bothered to notice that TOURE could not win a rather straightforward header and not for the first time. he knows he is playing beside a donkey…so if he had made sure to win the header in the first place, then the aforementioned donkey would not have had a chance to f–k up would he.
also if he had won his header in midweek the team wont have had to play an extra 30 minutes of football and maybe we would have had a bit more strenght today.
Toure for all his ground strengths and in attack is BLOODY HOPELESS in the air. for at least three quaters of our corners and freekicks conceded he is AT FAULT. check the videos! he loses his man and his headers ALL the time.
yeah, toure deserves a pass cos he saves our ass a lot of times….but seriously he costs us quite a number of goals by simply not being able to judge the flight of the ball.
the coaches should work with him on it. there is a problem, the problem is obvious, there is no point anybody sweettalking it away. the coaches should work with him on that aspect of his game.
February 4th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
So far at least Hoyte, Senderos, Toure, Fabregas, Flamini, Rosicky and Adebayor have been criticised by at least one post. (I could have missed others). That means only Clichy, Lehmann, Gilberto and Henry escape criticism. Did anyone notice that only one of that four started in the Carling Cup - Gilberto - and he had missed the previous three matches through suspension?
Time for a reality check. We are unbeaten in 2007. We are too far behind to pose a challenge given our start to the season, but overall things now are better (on a consistent basis) than at any other time over the last two seasons. This is despite a horrendous list of injuries.
On yesterday, the consensus is that it wasn’t a penalty and some have argued that Senderos shouldn’t have been sent off. So from one viewpoint we were unlucky to drop points. Ok, ok, that may be red-tinted glasses.
However, the criticism is way over the top. Senderos is 21 and will make mistakes. Hoyte has improved over the last two months. I am surprised by it but give the lad credit. Yes, Toure can’t head, but Senderos can. I heard George Graham recently on radio saying he always liked playing with two different types of centre-half together. One pacy and good on the ball. The second wouldn’t have to be pacy but had to be a good header.
As for Flamini, he is a utility player, slotting in willingly whenever needed. Who would you have played instead of him. A chronically out-of-form Walcott or Randall who has yet to make his debut? I understand the calls for Denilson but he has only played a few games so far.
February 4th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
I must admit that although Toure has had a great season, the last month has seen a lot of good and bad from him. Fred’s right, it’s becoming alarming how many headers he is missing - it’s really poor.
Maybe he’s tired, or maybe he’s just struggling being stuck between two barely able defenders in Hoyte and Senderos. After all, who would make you feel more comfortable, them two or Lauren and Gallas? But then looking back I can’t remember Toure ever being that good in cutting out crosses, it was always Campbell, Gilberto and Vieira heading them away. His faults are becoming more exposed now, even if his contribution is still massive. Believe me, if Toure got injured tomorrow Arsenal’s defence would fold like a pack of cards.
February 4th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
I identified Senderos weaknesses 2 years ago and he is no better now than he was then, so there’s no reason to think he will be better in another 2 years either. I’m afraid this kid cannot cut it, he has fundemental flaws in his game. You cannot acquire pace, he has none. His passing is barely adequate, especially long balls, which he might as well pick up and throw to the opposition. However, his biggest problem is mental, he simply knows he’s incapable, it’s written all over his face - he has no confidence and it spreads to other players and makes them nervous. He just can’t hack it at the top; other players are bailing him out. Thankfully Djourou and Gallas will see the permanent end of him for sure, so it’s just a matter of time.
As for Hoyte, he is also barely adequate. Yes, he has improved lately, for the first half of the season he was one of the worst players I have ever seen play for Arsenal, and I really mean that, but lately he has upgraded himself to “adequate”. Unfortunately, we’re going to need more than adequate players to win major trophies in the future.
Same goes for Flamini, who is again barely adequate. Virtually anyone could do what he does, just pick any player at the club and put them in whatever position he’s playing in and they would do just as adequate a job. Thankfully, Denilson and Diaby will eventually ensure his future at the club is negligible.
It’s not a matter of disliking these players or even not appreciating the effort they put in, because I think we all do - it’s just accepting the fact that they’re drivel and need to be surpassed. Arsenal has a lot of injuries at the moment, but this time next year I think Senderos and Flamini will be asking for transfers. Unfortunately Hoyte might stick around because Wenger is nervous about UEFA’s insistence on clubs fielding home resident players - so pray that Eboue keeps fit, even though I hate the little diving sh*t.
February 4th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
Agreed in regards to Senderos and Flamini. Senderos looks like he is going to shite his pants every time the ball comes his way. Flamini works hard but will never offer anything more than that.
I disagree slightly on Hoyte. I think he has made some improvements over the past few weeks. Considering he had no where to go but up makes this less surprising. But I do think he has some discernable pace. And he is getting a bit more comfortable on the ball. I think Eboue will be the first choice. He needs to cut out the diving and get the ankle sorted out. Hoyte can be a useful backup at both outside back spots. If he doesn’t work out, we have Gilbert on loan and doing well at Cardiff. I hope Hoyte continues to make strides and sticks around. He played well against Middlesbrough and that was against a quality wide player in Downing.
February 4th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
yeah Big Phil made a mistake (outside of the box) but he has been IMMENSE this season… **AYE CARUMBA**(censored) quality stopper.. and Flamini’s work rate is excellent.. he is not a creative player he was put on the right wing to help protect Hoyte on right back… he is a defensive midfielder and did his job well.. I think the problem was we were tired.. Cesc was visibly off… even Ade was a bit slow… the boys have done us proud with all the injuries.. hard to fault them… hopefully soon we will have some relief with players coming back from injury…
February 4th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
Calling Big Phil a clown is a disgrace he has been quality this season and has been immense in the center… and calling Matty a “headless chicken”.. no class… Matty’s job is defensive.. covering for Hoyte who is OK at best… works hard but not there… putting Flam on the right was not for creativity it was tactical and a wise decision imo.
February 4th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
I agree with this… Flam reminds me of Grimandi.. not great but a decent utility player that is nice to have around that can cover left back (CL last year) center mid or wherever… I think that all this crap on Big Phil is misguided… I think he is much better than anyone is giving him credit for… Arsene knows…
and Igor was horrific… as was Cygan… though I did see him get a brace…
February 5th, 2007 at 12:17 am
Time will tell.
He will get a few chances to shine with our injuries, and I think he’ll be a success.
Wenger would not have EXTENDED his contract and kept him on the team, if he didn’t want him. See: LAUREN
He LIKED Lauren, just wasn’t emotional about it. Said he had to play Hoyte and Eboue. If he didn’t want Aliadiere in the team, he’d be gone.
February 5th, 2007 at 12:20 am
Henry certainly doesn’t escape criticism. I have seen folks say we are better without him. That he’s a lousy leader. He doesn’t give enough effort. All utter crap…
Senderos gets too much as well.
It was on THIS SITE, that folks wanted Senderos to be named CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM, instead of Henry. Calling him the Swiss Tony Adams.
February 5th, 2007 at 12:25 am
I love the folks on here slating players, week in and week out. Always looking for a scapegoat… then the next week, propping someone else up as the next great thing.
Senderos is getting hammered regularly now… I can remember folks actually wanting him as CAPTAIN of the team, over Henry… saying he is the Swiss Tony Adams. Now he’s a clown… and can’t play football. The equivalent of Cygan.
Are you feckin’ kidding me… or drunk… or both?
Surely, he’s somewhere in between. He’s young. The experience will only make him better. Tony Adams ain’t walking thru that door. Sorry.
I’ve seen Gilberto slated… he’s proved his worth and value…
I’ve seen Lehmann slated… he’s proved his worth and value…
I just don’t understand the slating of very young players… or propping them up as the next great one.
A glimpse of Denilson, and he’s the second coming… why get so carried away one way or the other, based on a few performances.
That… I don’t understand.
February 5th, 2007 at 12:28 am
and YES DanielT… I support my favorites… most definitely. I would LIKE to see players get their chance and succeed for a varity of reasons…
I’ve never said the likes of Aliadiere would be THIERRY HENRY… but I don’t say players suck, are clowns, and have no business being in the team…
The last player I thought shouldn’t be in the team for a while, was Ray Parlour… and I came to appreciate his tenacity and drive… and what he brought to the team in spirit. (I see that in Flamini now)…
February 5th, 2007 at 1:38 am
I thought so, but I watched Sky Sports yesterday and they said it was only a 2 game ban.
February 5th, 2007 at 1:40 am
Whenever I’ve seen Senderos play this season he has been “pants”
February 5th, 2007 at 1:42 am
I have to disagree with you Aog. Everytime PS6 has played…he has had ‘mare for us!
February 5th, 2007 at 3:56 am
If one of Hoyte or Eboue had an injury that would sideline the player for the rest of the season I’m pretty sure that Lauren would have stayed to fill that place, just like Aliadiere now.
February 5th, 2007 at 4:11 am
Pretty much an expected result. Expected a 1-1 .. got a 1-1. Great spirit yet again to come back . I think we are the top team with respect to comebacks..no one has saved more games than us.
Lehmann made that top top save otherwise we’d have probably lost..or maybe not but it would have been really tough. Henry was rubbish in the first half but when it mattered most the KING stepped up. Rosicky was excellent and runs all around all the time trying to create something quite contrary to what people here have ben saying. Adebayor runs so much that watching him makes me tired…gr8 stuff.
Fab4 had a poor game…he needs a rest…HE DEFINITELY NEEDS a rest…as does Kolo. I’m scared that either will break down and then we’ll be in deep deep trouble. Flamini going forward was a waste , defensively decent. Maybe Denilson should have come on a bit quicker. Still the right wing provided zilch all game long..offensively. Gilberto was invisible again which means he was good..amazing the number of balls he wins without fouling like Robbie Savage. Hoyte and Clichy were very good. We dont miss Cole at all thnx to Clichy’s super speed development.
People have slated Hoyte for allowing Downing to cross the ball so much in the first half. The same people do not realise that Stuart Downing is one of the best crossers from the left wing in the premiership. Off the top of your heads tell me one person in the league who crosses the ball better consistently from the left wing. So yes.. while Hoyte had a bit of a rough time in the first half he recovered very well later .. so a decent performance overall and some great tackling as well. Kolo needs a break as I’ve already said…give him 2 weeks off and see how well he performs after that. BTW he’s still only 25(time to reach his peak) and is not as bad in the air as people are making him out to be…There are people better than him but he more than makes up for it with his stunning all round game.He will learn..
Lastly…lets look at the goal properly…again..slowly before slating Sendy based on what the commentators said.
1. Kolo missed the header allowing Viduka to flick it into space..between Senderos and Hoyte.
2.Arsenal play zonal marking…right? So if you notice Yakubu was closest to Hoyte just before Senderos .. maybe just ahead of him even so no way Senderos is going to be out there unless he’s man marking which Arsenal dont.
3.Hoyte can only foul Yakubu to stop him which he does not do becasue its risky ..he’s almost the last man, so he lets Yakubu run.
4.Now Senderos has to cut Yakubu off so he makes a diagonal run directly towards Yakubu and the ball.
5.Now ideally Sendy should get on the ball side which in this case is on Yakubu’s left. So Hoyte is the only player ballside because he’s on Yakubu’s left but too far off.
6.So there’s 2 options now…either Senderos gets ball side by running directly across Yakubu or make a tackle and get the ball. Yakubu will go down both ways because he is so close to the dee but a clean challenge is possible.
7.Sendy is not quick so he’s not going to intercept the ball and Yakubu is through on goal if he doesnt tackle. So Sendy tackles…unfortunately its a clumsy challenge and Yakubu goes down. SInce the ref is Mike Riley he gives the red card and the penalty.
RED CARD: Yes(Last man rule)
Penalty: No(Contact outside the area)
In effect while Sendy is at fault for a bad challenge much of the blame is also with Toure who knows all this and more with Hoyte who just gives up letting Yakubu run. Give the guy a break…will you…he’s young and is going to have a blunder here and there. Even if he hadnt “fouled” Yakubu it might have been a clear goal…so I’m not sure he had too many options.
Sendy’s a good player…maybe not the most elegant..but he’ll learn. All said.. Gallas cant come back fast enough… not coz Sendy’s bad more because of his quality and experience and ofcourse one of the best CB’s in the EPL.
February 5th, 2007 at 5:38 am
People have been saying this about Senderos for a while now. I was saying it this time last year although I admit I was a fan when he first broke in to the team.
If a player is not good enough he’s not good enough. If he fecked off somewhere else we wouldn’t keep going on about it.
February 5th, 2007 at 5:42 am
This coming from someone who wanted to get rid of Wenger and constantly slagged of Fabregas.
Sometimes good players turn bad and bad players turn good, in that respect occasionally we have to eat our words. However, over the years it has become obvious that YOU have to eat your words every few months, whereas I hardly ever have to eat mine.
Generally speaking, if a player is at a club 3 years and churning out average-to-bad performances every week then it’s usually bye-bye. Experience tells you that. So one day it will be bye-bye Senderos/Flamini/Aliadiere, with very limited opportunities for them when injured players return to full fitness.
Experience also tells you about how good a player COULD be with just a small amount of insight and basic observation, talents which you don’t seem to possess. I seem to remember you ignorantly criticising Fabregas, when it was so obvious he’s a world class player from almost day one. Just like the day Vieira walked out on that pitch, you knew immediately he was a star - then you can put up with a few bad performances because you know the player has all the necessary ingredients to be world class. You can’t say that about Flamini or Senderos, and never could - and no-one is expecting them to be Fabregas or Adams, but I think we all expect A LOT more than what they give.
In Denilson, you can immediately see he has the required talents - unless you’re stupid and know nothing about football you can see with your own eyes that Denilson has the basic ingredients to be a fabulous player almost immediately.
February 5th, 2007 at 5:48 am
What makes Senderos a massive liability is that he has no brains. If you can’t make the tackle then DON’T attempt it - otherwise it could be a penalty and a red card. It’s better to just let the player get through because Lehmann is still good enough to stop the striker. How many times have we seen Senderos play this game of rough handling a striker who is clean through?? It’s pure suicide. If he’s going to do it 3 times every season then you never know what games it will be, it could be a home game in the Champions League and the away goal could take us out of teh competition, it could be in a massive title race game, whatever - he just never seems to learn.
Anyway, it was a clear red card - he fouled the player in my eyes although it was outside the box. If the situation was reversed and it was Henry clean through and manhandled like that you would be going apesh*t for a penalty and a red - that’s guaranteed.
February 5th, 2007 at 6:45 am
The point is Danny… as a footballer the first thing you are taught while defending is(I’m guessing..i’ve never played professionally)to get the ball cleanly without a slide tackle or something fancy… if that doesnt work you try a slide or a fancy tackle between the legs of the attacker. If that doesnt work or you know it wont work.. you foul him…sounds sick but its true.
Lastly if an opponent is through on goal you will foul him but you will not give up a cheap goal..even if it means a red card. Thats what Lehmann did when Eto’o was through at Paris last year. The only difference being is that Jens was the last man b4 goal.
What I’m saying is..it is not in the mentality of the footballer to “let” someone go through.. you will try and block a potential attack off yourself at all costs.
On hindsight we can look back and say that Sendy shd have let Yakubu through and you’re possibly right when u say Jens could’ve blocked it off..he may have .. he may not have…but in that last second before it became irretreivable for Sendy its hard to slate him for not letting Yakubu through…its real harsh..thats all I’m saying..
On him not having brains….All I’ll say is…A forward is supposed to be at his peak btw 28 and 31. A defender(CB) is supposed to be at his peak at around 30-34 or in some cases even 35 or 36. There are very high quality CB’s who never make mistakes at 20. Sendy will make mistakes..ofcourse..which may seem stupid and then people want Djourou to play..but he too will make mistakes…because its tough not to when you’re so young…
Trust me … he’ll be okay. Otherwise wouldn’t have given him Tony Adams’s number.Surely AW must see something in him…inspite of his blunders?? And I’m not questioning AW… no way .. no way..
February 5th, 2007 at 6:47 am
Not everyone learns that fast…or is ultra talented or a freak like Cesc… a CB rarely is.. give him time.. and be patient… If he’s not good enough.. AW will ship him off..if he does that I’ll admit you’re right…not without that…
February 5th, 2007 at 7:31 am
Well said. It was Hoyte’s fault for giving up on tracking the run then Senderos did what any good defender would do and tried to stop the goal. I’m not sure where people get this idea from that Senderos shouldn’t have made any challenge and even then Yakubu admitted after the game that he didn’t touch him, but it’s still Senderos’ fault! I guess people have favourites and not so favourites, but the only thing that counts against Senderos is our playing style. We all saw how good he can be in a team playing deep (our CL campaign, Switzerland), which is exactly what John Terry does (and somehow he’s meant to be the world;s best defender), but Arsenal typically play a high line, with attacking full backs and commit a lot of players forward, so ideally you 2 quick CBs. Perhaps Wenger is at fault for playing too high a line??
February 5th, 2007 at 8:11 am
Yep, I’ve said that many times. Playing deep Senderos is OK, as we saw in the Champions League when we played ultra-defensive 4-5-1. As soon as we play a high line he’s all over the place, you’re right Wenger is at fault - but still have to accept the player is not good enough to cope with certain situations. Arsenal is primarily an attacking team, so really there are few games that Senderos is suited to.
I disagree that the player HAS to make a challenger, I think we saw it with the Giggs goal yesterday, the player could have challenged but didn’t. It’s much easier to come back with 11 men than 10, that is obvious.
February 5th, 2007 at 8:21 am
Terry is equally good playing deep or high up the pitch. That’s just ignorance and buying into the myth he lacks pace. I can’t remember him ever getting caught high up the pitch in the last three years.
February 5th, 2007 at 8:24 am
John Terry is 26 now. Born and bred on English soil and accustomed to the pace of the English game by now. Plus he’s an outstanding defender….probably the best in england right now.
COmparing him with a 20 year old Senderos who is a third/fourth choice CB is like comparing apples and oranges and saying that an orange is sour while an apple is sweet. Maybe not the right analogy but you get what I’m saying…
February 5th, 2007 at 8:26 am
Plus the fact that John Terry didnt start for Chelsea when he was 20… did he? I wasnt that much into EPL 7 years back.. so correct me if I’m wrong. I believe Desailly, Melchiot etc used to start in CB that time.
So Sendy will make mistakes… live with it.
February 5th, 2007 at 8:32 am
No he doesnt have to..I’m just saying its kinda ingrained in the psyche of a footballer that he has to stop an attack if he can. When to stop and when not to stop an attacker is something which comes with experience.
Plus…United were already 3-0 up then…and the defender would be silly if he tried to stop Giggs. If it had been 0-0 or 1-0 I’ll bet he would’ve tried a last ditch tackle.
February 5th, 2007 at 8:40 am
Hence I said “While I can't remember if Senderos was the last defender, the foul happened out side the box.”
February 5th, 2007 at 10:04 am
Maybe you are right in the world according to Danny, but not in the real world mate.
Denilson hasn’t played enough to show feck all.
NEVER did I slate Fabregas, call him a clown, say he would never make it. Thats the difference Danny… I don’t rip players.
The flip - flopping goes week to week… rather than season to season.
Thats what is ridiculous.
February 5th, 2007 at 10:15 am
up to, and including, our dismantling of juventus, you constantly screamed how cesc has done ‘FCUK ALL’ for most of the season.
you put your foot in your mouth so much you’ve got athletes tongue.
and now you’re going to argue that you never slate anyone?
typical…
February 5th, 2007 at 11:24 am
Ever watch John Terry play for England? Is he as good?
February 5th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Ever watch John Terry play for England? In WC06? Is he as good?
February 5th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Not only do you talk rubbish but you’re a liar and a hypocrite. I am not going to trawl through all your previous posts, but I think most people well remember you ripping into Fabregas because it wasn’t all that long ago. Remember, before you start talking about your arse for the umpteenth time that some people have good memories.
When Aliadiere gets booted out you will no doubt come out with more total guff about how you never said he would amount to anything, blah blah blah.
February 5th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
He made his debut for Chelsea aged 18, his first proper season was aged 20 - he made 23 starts.
February 5th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
There were some shots from outside the box, but it wasn’t the 1st choice play. Those shots happened after the initial passing into the box was blocked and it was an opportunistic strike (most of them ended up being sprayed shots).
I hope to see more incisive shooting in or around the box at the get go, not as a plan B. I still see too many cheeky passes in the box that does nothing other than give defenders time to get back into play.
February 5th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Well,
Lehman was WELL outside of the box when he threw the ball upfield that led to Henry’s equalizer.
I’d say, this time around, the ref error evened itself out within the same game.
February 5th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Don’t forget it’s international friendlies this week. fingers crossed we don’t lose anymore players!
February 5th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Show me.
Please show me where I slated a player.
Compared to Vieira, Cesc Fabregas has done F**K all in the game of football.
Your talking an old master v. young wizard.
I’ve never said he sucked, can’t play, was a clown, shouldn’t be playin in the premiership…
all the non-sense you like.
February 5th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
“Fancy tackling between the legs of the attacker”; what on earth are you talking about? Players supposed to be at their peak between this age and that age. What on earth are you talking about?
February 5th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
i have a great memory, danny.
and i do recall during the undefeated season, when all was rosy in stagland, you and me and a number of others on this site questioning wenger’s tactics in europe.
oh stag had a right ole cow, he did.
how dare we question the boss’ tactical nous. started calling us ‘the fellowship of the miserable.’
remember?
then, as the story goes, wenger sold vieira.
and stag’s little world came crashing down around him.
it’s been open season on wenger ever since on the stag safari.
and it probably won’t end until we buy back paddy, bobby, and ralphy. and maybe anthony stokes.
perhaps curtis davies and yaya toure.
February 6th, 2007 at 1:31 am
What I meant was…
1.Fancy tackling:
A forward who has the ball in front of him running towards goal. A Defender who is just behind him but cannot directly reach the ball with his foot without tackling. So there are tackles where the CB tries to get a view of the ball between the legs of the defender. At the exact moment he makes a challenge. If its perfectly executed the CB will win the ball.If he’s not quick enough the ball would have gone too far forward for the defender to reach even with a risky slide tackle.
Since this kind of tackle calls for absolutely perfect timing..I called it a “FANCY SLIDE TACKLE” ……
2.Players at their peak
Yeah… thought that was straightforward. Atleast thats what all those coaches say. A goalie has his best years in his 30’s. Thats why they play so long. Why do forwards stop playing well after 31-32..ofcourse there are exceptions like Teddy Sheringham :). 28-32 are their best years when they are experienced and extrememly skilled as well. Same with a CB .. the more experience you get the better you are … I feel a CB can play on very well even at 35 if he has good positional sense and can read the game. You cant do that as as striker…rather it becomes very tough.
February 6th, 2007 at 1:43 am
Hmm fair enough….. but then John Terry is an outstanding player.. a natural defender…unlike Sendy who has to work harder…to reach that level…credit to him if he can…
February 6th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Oh yeah, Ya Ya Toure. Shouldn’t mention him really, it might start Stag off again. It’ been a good five minutes since he last mentioned him!