Aug 25
Sorry this is somewhat late. I went down the pub to watch the match this morning, and only just got home a bit ago. Anyway, it was tough going for a very long time. Man City are a very organized team under Sven, and after the missed penalty by Robin van Persie, it was looking a bit dire.
Cue Cesc Fabregas, the super Spaniard. His fantastic rising shot across the face of goal into the far corner was a bit of magic, and proved all the Gunners needed to earn the points.
89 Responses to “Arsenal 1 - 0 Man City”
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August 25th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Tough but a well deserved win. My biggest concern is the injury that Sagna picked up. He was by far our best defender this year (pre-season and competitive games) and if he has a big setback it would affect his form and confidence when he comes back. I hope it’s just a minor injury.
Gilberto at CB is half a player he is when he plays in midfield. Yes, we didn’t concede a goal, but we were exposed many times. I prefer a real CB there.
Denilson did OK in my opinion, he is definitely a better solution than Flamini for that position when Gilberto is unavailable.
And what subs bench is that, with all central players there? Why wasn’t Walcott included in the squad?
August 25th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
Sagna didn’t seem to have a serious injury - winded by a knee in the side, doubt he will be out long.
Watched the full game on Sky tonight, I thought we played well - the main problem is the same as last year. The forward players need to work harder in training and develop a better understanding. Van Persie plays it along the six yard box and Adebayor stands back, the strikers go in for the kill and Hleb plays it behind them, this was happening all afternoon. The players need to instinctively know what each other are going to do in and around the box, if they knew that today Arsenal would have won 4-0. So hopefully this time next year they will win this sort of game 4-0.
There is definitely more resilience in the side now, they play as a team and defend as a team. It’s far from perfect, but if we win our game in hand we’ll be top - so early signs are quite positive.
I think a lot of the so-called lesser teams have the money to buy very good players, and top managers are now littered around the division more than ever. I think it’s becoming much harder for the big teams to thrash the little teams, that is already in evidence this season.
I would like to see Wenger play a more attacking team at home though, maybe put Van Persie on the left wing like he does for Holland, and Adebayor and Eduardo up front. Maybe play Hleb left wing as Rosicky is not really doing it for me at the moment and only deserves to be sub.
August 25th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
Sorry I meant play Van Persie right wing.
By the way, Toure was awesome today and Gilberto miles better than Senderos would have been. Senderos could have made a crucial error that would have dropped us points, thats what he does, Gilberto has so much more intelligence.
August 25th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Danny
Agreed…..Gilberto was very solid and intelligent today.
Denilson, in two years, will be magnificent.
I would love to see Theo on the LEFT wing instead of Rosicky; his contribution has become minimal….
August 25th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
I thought Rosicky played well. For me he is one of the untouchables like Hleb and Fabregas who are just too talented to be benched.
I would drop Adebayor. He spends alot of time running around creating a scene but doing very little. He gets caught offside too often- though it’s good he’s making a run- and never ever looks like scoring a goal unless it’s an add-on.
I would love to be able to play a 4-4-2 diamond with Hleb at the tip of the midfield. Play Denilson, Diaby, Flamini on right-mid and just tell them to work the line and play it simple. Hleb would be dynamite with two strikers in front of him dragging defenders away. Preferably Van Persie and Eduardo up-front.
The performance was better than it sounded on the radio and we looked pretty good. Still wish we would sign someone though, but it looks like Wenger isn’t doing anything on that front.
August 25th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Watched Drenthe tonight for Real Madrid. Although he played at LB, he was great. The kid has power, pace, skills… All the attributes that makes a great winger. He would have been a great addition, but once again Wenger was not interested in a player that is chasing half a Europe. Too bad.
August 25th, 2007 at 7:28 pm
An enjoyable match to watch.
For me, it was great to see Gilberto back - I thought he played well in his role for the day - dependable.
Toure was a rock.
I agree with Mazza that Adebayor looks like lots of sizzle but no steak - of course it is his first match back, so we’ll see. He is so athletic - he really is rough around all the edges - I wouldn’t drop him, though.
Our corner kicks seemed weak.
Again, not enough shots on goal - I was hoping to pepper the kid and see what happens.
I would like to see Eduardo get a start. Maybe we’ll see that Wednesday night.
Bottom line - it feels like the key to the lock hasn’t been found. We just don’t really know each other yet as intimated by Danny T. A real work in progress - but we all knew that at the beginning of the season. 7 points out of 9 is acceptable at this point from 2 home / 1 away.
City is one of the more interesting teams - I hope they do well.
August 25th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
“I would drop Adebayor. He spends alot of time running around creating a scene but doing very little.”
Personally, I would rather to have more of our players running around creating a scene, than standing around watching the game.
August 25th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
I like Adebayor, he causes a lot of problems for the opposition and is a good link up player. If he can score 15 goals a season and 10 assists then he will be of great value, as long as the midfield keep on scoring and Van Persie gets 20+. Everyone needs to chip in with this team.
August 25th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Ade runs the channel, that gives us another dimension. His game compliment Fabregas’ well. Cesc has that vision to supply through ball, but u also need someone to run into it.
For those forwards who like to run the channel, or break the offside trap, naturally there is higher chance for them to get caught offside than the strikers who like to drop deep.
August 25th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
You know, it is worth a mention that there was no bullshite in this game - no dives, no glares, no trash talking, and only one yellow card for one rash challenge.
A joy…
August 25th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
I thoroughly enjoyed the game today. There is much to improve upon but I loved the fight they showed.
I don’t mind Ade getting caught offside too much. Once or twice it was due to laziness or lack of fitness. But the other times, he made crafty runs and the delivery came a step too late for him. All he needs to do is get it to click once a match and it could be the difference.
Fabregas turned it on and off today. But when he is on, he is a true pleasure to watch. I suspect he will get more consistent as the season goes on which should terrify the other defenses around the league. I was also glad to see that he played pretty well along side Denilson. Sometimes they get in each others way because they have similar games. But Denilson played the holding role really well today.
And what more can you say about Gilberto. I hope Senderos learned a few things today about composure and class. Either that, or I hope he stays on the bench a while longer and Wenger plays Gilberto there more. Senderos will cost us points this year if he plays. Gilberto looked rock solid.
August 25th, 2007 at 8:34 pm
While I wasn’t able to watch this game because I had to drop my sister off at college, I have to agree with Mazza about dropping Adebayor based on what I’ve seen in the previous season. Adebayor only has 12 goals in 42 appearances, which is not nearly enough for a striker. Add his 8 assists to that and you have a great sub - but still not someone good enough for the Arsenal first team.
Same goes for Flamini. He’s not a good replacement for Gilberto (thank god he’s back) but he is a decent squad player. I think we need to sign some new defenders though… the Djourou loan was a bad idea.
-Lazyasian http://lazy-arse.blogspot.com
August 25th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
I’ve never been so eager to see Adebayor go off. Did u see the impact Eduardo made on arrival ? I felt Ade shouldn’t have started against the likes of Dunne and Richards who are very good in the air. He plays an aerial game mostly and Dunne was going to have fun defending that.
Somehow Ade is trying to do a ‘Thierry’. He loves coming in from the left and hanging around the edge of the area making it harder for him to finish given that he’s no Henry obviously.
Agree with Danny about the way the players don’t read each other’s game. Especially when Hleb attacks from the flanks. Hleb is never going to cross so I expected better from the forwards.
I felt Rosicky was a handful. Corluka’s face kept popping up on the screen and there’s no way a defender gets as much screen time unless he’s having a busy day. Rosicky might not have caused that much but he looked good. It wouldn’t have hurt to have Walcott on the sidelines.
Next match Eduardo should start. Pompey have some of the tallest defenders in Distin, Campbell and Hreidarsson . Adebayor will not be as effective against a team that is that good in the air. They need somebody like Eduardo who’s going to run at them.
Btw what is up with Arsenal players and getting knocks. How can you be that fragile.
August 25th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
The biggest positive is winning games which we would have drawn last season. There cannot be anything more important than that. Results give you confidence, which in turn helps you get more results.
Mazza, if you think there weren’t too many changes, he is the list
- Almunia in goal
- Gilberto as CB
- Flamini as RB
- Denilson in CM
- Rosicky returning from injury
- Ade’s first game
I said it before and I say it again - we haven’t found our rhythm yet. So it’s doubly satisfying to win games. 4 of 6 goals have come in the last 10 mins.
My MOTM is Hleb. It was a joy to watch him thread so many balls into the penalty area. Pity, we couldn’t take advantage of it more than once. The penalty he earned was super.
I was disappointed with RvP’s penalty miss, not because he missed, but because it was a poor shot.
Ade is an enigma. It’s great that he runs into the channel, but sad that his shot is so poor. He hates 1:1s. Notice how he tries to round the GK. Why doesn’t he shoot like he did vs Spurs last season? I still believe Eduardo will replace him in the first 11 soon.
Gilberto was good. He did make one near fatal mistake in the first half. But Elano, with options to his left and right and only Clichy to beat, shot directly our GK. Almunia had a good game. Needed to make two saves, but did those well.
Rosicky needs to improve. As good a player as he is, he needs to make things happen. If he gets a long run in the side, he might do it, so let’s hope he remains fit.
My biggest disappointment was to see Song replace RvP. What was that? It’s like Senderos replacing a striker last season? As soon as Song was on, the team lost shape and looked vulnerable. We should have got Bendtner in and put long balls, which he could have attacked. As Mazza says, sometimes Wenger comes across as clueless when it comes to substitutions.
August 25th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
I’ll tell you what, my biggest worry is Cesc getting injured. He plays composed and brilliant 95% and then flies in unannounced on some random tackle with no significance. I’m also worried about Hleb and Van Persie. If either of the 3 goes down we lose 33% of our goals.
I love Flamini as the enforcer. His passes need work, but he gives the team strength and aggression. He works well with Cesc and Rosicky.
I think Eduardo showed flashes today. He made good space for himself on and off the ball. He’s got guile and pace and I think he’ll make life difficult. He’s small, though, will he stand up to the EPL?
Great game, excellent win, only a handful of grey hairs.
August 25th, 2007 at 10:16 pm
I hope Sagna is well, because after he was off and Denilson came on with Flamini moved to RB, City kept attacking down the left side and Flamini left our defense exposed.
I’m not going to point out other weaknesses in our performance today, because at the end it’s 3 points for us and 1-nil to the arse. Perhaps lady luck is with us this season because last year we would have drew or lost this type of game when we kept attacking and the opposition just put 10 man behind the ball and counter attack us once and we concede against the run of play.
August 25th, 2007 at 11:43 pm
“..Man City are a very organized team under Sven, …”
Thats why I believe Sven to be a very strong tactician. If u compare the current Citeh defence with Stuart Pearce’s team from last season, the defensive guile and discipline is definitely in the current team but almost non-existence in last year’s team. Coaching does make a difference. Something which I hope Wenger can take away that he needs better organization in Arsenal’s defence instead of relying on the recovery speed of Toure. 3 points in the bag but it could have easily been like last season and ended 0-0. Championship contenders? Next season maybe if the nucleus of the team stays. 4th place is possible.
August 26th, 2007 at 12:56 am
Couldnt catch the game again ..sadly
… from what I hear though and what I read online we never gave up and kept coming back and scored another late goal..in a nutshell. Isnt there a pattern developing here??
It’s wonderful that we have great resilience and are coming back from tough situations where we would have drawn last year and winning games..and winning them 1-0 when the opposition is tough. However the worrying thing is that we still somehow cant seem to score first half. WHen we score we sit back and let the opposition come at us and are unable to up a gear after that too well. Dunno why that’s happening. However if we score first we rarely rarely lose so its fine…long may that continue
I wouldnt want to slate Ade too much , after all he hardly played preseason or any games in the league at all. He is bound to be rusty. He should be physically and mentally fit by the time the Spurs game comes around.
Midfield getting goals is positive…if Cesc n Hleb can hit 8-10 a season in the league regularly…we’ll be challenging … Hleb seems to do it every single game so far..touchwood. I’d rest him on Wednesday against Sparta and play Diaby if he’s fit. But he’s probably not and with Bert coming back Cesc n he will probably slot in at CM and Sendy at CB. Yep he shd be fit Tuesday..along with Sagna according to AW so thats a relief..Sagna specially. People have sadly started to assume that Sendy will screw up in a game even if he’s not played… thats a sorry state of affairs IMO .. and absolute herd mentality.
How wz Denilson?? No one’s talking about how bad he was either and numerous second hand opinions seem to say he did well so that’s good. G
August 26th, 2007 at 12:56 am
Couldnt catch the game again ..sadly
… from what I hear though and what I read online we never gave up and kept coming back and scored another late goal..in a nutshell. Isnt there a pattern developing here??
It’s wonderful that we have great resilience and are coming back from tough situations where we would have drawn last year and winning games..and winning them 1-0 when the opposition is tough. However the worrying thing is that we still somehow cant seem to score first half. WHen we score we sit back and let the opposition come at us and are unable to up a gear after that too well. Dunno why that’s happening. However if we score first we rarely rarely lose so its fine…long may that continue
I wouldnt want to slate Ade too much , after all he hardly played preseason or any games in the league at all. He is bound to be rusty. He should be physically and mentally fit by the time the Spurs game comes around.
Midfield getting goals is positive…if Cesc n Hleb can hit 8-10 a season in the league regularly…we’ll be challenging … Hleb seems to do it every single game so far..touchwood. I’d rest him on Wednesday against Sparta and play Diaby if he’s fit. But he’s probably not and with Bert coming back Cesc n he will probably slot in at CM and Sendy at CB. Yep he shd be fit Tuesday..along with Sagna according to AW so thats a relief..Sagna specially. People have sadly started to assume that Sendy will screw up in a game even if he’s not played… thats a sorry state of affairs IMO .. and absolute herd mentality.
How wz Denilson?? No one’s talking about how bad he was either and numerous second hand opinions seem to say he did well so that’s good. Gives us more options in CM. WIll watch the highlights n comment..gtr get to work now ..
August 26th, 2007 at 12:57 am
sorry…double post
August 26th, 2007 at 1:33 am
Hleb’s penalty was not down to trickery. He simply got ahead of the defender after Cesc put in a good ball. Now, that’s a first for Hleb. Hope he can do more.
Like last year, we are getting a lot of penalties. Need to convert them.
August 26th, 2007 at 2:34 am
DannyT, I think your expectation of 15 goals and 10 assists from Adebayor should be reversed as that’s more realistic. But at the end of the day it’s still 25 goals so I’d take it. Give him time as he’s fresh off of a groin injury and is a bit jaded. If you guys don’t know what that’s like then I’ll break it down for you; the last thing you want to do is take a hard shot or make a long pass. It takes forever for that pain to really go away and you’re so scared that you’ll re-aggravate it. I mentioned it the other day talking about how Patrick Vieira doesn’t even shoot from distance anymore and it’s been YEARS since he did his groin in. With that, I think Adebayor did well.
It would be interesting to see how well Edu and Ade play together. I think they should start on Tuesday as they both need game time and RvP could use a break.
LDE, Denilson played well. He used the ball well and got on the end of a few chances. He’s not afraid to shoot. However I can see what Mazza was upset about with Denilson. In the Blackburn game, Dunn scored his goal when he did a one-two. Denilson was with Dunn but didn’t track him all the way back and no one was there to challenge Dunn’s shot. Well, I saw Denilson do that a couple times against City also. He’s got to tighten that up as that’s just plain laziness.
We were missing quite a few first choice and second choice players at GK, CB, RB, and DM. To still boss the game and come away with a win is a fine result.
August 26th, 2007 at 2:51 am
Yes fair enough Josh..I didnt catch the game but if he’s done that then yes its definitely an area to tighten up…it will come with experience though..and he is bound to make mistakes in arguably the toughest position in the pitch..where positional awareness is so important. The kid has a lot of talent..if coached properly and if he learns fast there’s no reason why he can’t improve. Thats all I’m saying..there is no way I will just write some one off after 15 games in a season where you were a substitute in 10 of them…
Oh forgot forgot….what was Song doing there…why why does AW do that?? Makes my heart flutter everytime…he did it with Cygan,Sendy and now Song…it must be that blind spot Danny was talking about…
August 26th, 2007 at 2:55 am
Chelsea are top right now but shouldn’t be. The referee gave them a point against Liverpool. I also predicted Portsmouth to beat Chelsea yesterday but Harry played a 4-5-1 with no Benjani. Portsmouth needed Benjani’s runs in behind the Chelsea defense yesterday to break them down. It’s a shame because Portsmouth could have won that game.
Point is Chelsea are not as strong as they have been. Liverpool is the team most likely to win the EPL this season with all their quality depth but we’ll see.
With Hleb dribbling into the penalty area and Dudu and Cesc making their clever movements, we should score a few more chances even when the opponents park the bus in front of the goal. More impressive than Hleb’s dribbling is his vision. I noticed when he was at Stuttgart that he has the ability to see every possible option and the shiftiness to change his mind. Let’s see how well we do with those extra goals..
August 26th, 2007 at 2:56 am
Whew..another late win from the Gunners….seems to be making this a habit
In the last 20 minutes or so…we played like the Arsenal of old…everytime we got the ball i expected a goal to come through. Once again looks like Helb is finally coming into his own…has always been my favourite player and when on song…he’s too good..everytime he came on from wide right..he invariably got into the box with the help of his trickery:D ..a little more composure from him and he’ll be one of our stars.
That said..the first half and the initial 20 minutes of the second half was nothing to write home about..but the reasons could be because of the enforced changes that Wenger was forced to make.
Overall…good result
August 26th, 2007 at 2:57 am
Song is fucking garbage. I can’t believe Wenger paid for that freaking assclown. He’s cost us more than van Persie for crying out loud.
August 26th, 2007 at 3:06 am
Don’t worry about Song, when Diaby and Gilberto are back into the middle you’ll never hear from him again.
August 26th, 2007 at 4:00 am
Josh…no player deserves to be called fucking garbage….he’s done more than you and I put together… well definitely more than me at any rate… thing is he doesn’t seem to be good enough to play for Arsenal though.. he might do very well at a mid table side anywhere…he did okay at Charlton though not as brilliant as people said he did.
August 26th, 2007 at 4:01 am
We shouldn’t be hearing from Song now, even if Diaby and Gilberto are out. Why put Song when Bendtner could do a much better job, even if we are defending? With Song on, we were all over the place. I couldn’t make out who was where. I saw Hleb on the left, Rosicky in the middle and Song on the right. Don’t remember where Cesc was. It just upsets the balance. I don’t know why Wenger risks everything by putting him on.
August 26th, 2007 at 5:50 am
Didn’t see the game….but nice to see a little run happening. Hopefully we can ride out the early season injuries and get a more settled team.
Can’t understand why some folk waste a lot of headspace castigating players they don’t rate - even when they don’t play!! Anyway, good for a laugh.
August 26th, 2007 at 6:00 am
Like you said, Kiwi, you didn’t see the game but Song did play. Okay LDE, you’re right. Song isn’t fucking garbage. But his game is straight from a landfill. You’re absolutely right that he doesn’t seem to be good enough to play for Arsenal. So why on earth would Wenger pay FOUR MILLION POUNDS for that guy when we already knew he wasn’t good enough?
He cost Arsenal more than Lehmann, Almunia, Clichy, Toure, Eboue, Senderos, Djourou, Flamini, Fabregas, Bendtner, van Persie, Denilson, and Diaby. He cost as much as “World Cup winning” Gilberto. We could have brought Sidwell or Bentley back for that type of money. And they’re English. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who rates Song higher than those two or anyone else quoted at four million pounds.
August 26th, 2007 at 6:13 am
I think the issue with Denilson is that we don’t know if he is a replacement for Gilberto or Fabregas. We (the fans) would like to think that he is the former, but that requires a kind of discipline which doesn’t come naturally to a 19 year old.
As for Song, I think he cost 1-2M, not 4M. But that doesn’t change how good or bad he is. Point is, with 4 CMs and Flamini, I don’t know why Wenger thought we needed another.
I thought Martin Petrov had a good game. Which leads me to believe that there are decent wingers out there who can do a job for Arsenal. He cost 4.5M. I guess Wenger is just not interested in bringing a winger. This is what frustrates us. 6 CMs but not a decent winger. Maybe AW will surprise everyone in the next 5 days. One can wish and hope.
August 26th, 2007 at 6:16 am
By the way, it was Rosicky who laid the ball for Hleb which led to the penalty, Not Cesc as I wrote earlier. Now that’s two good signs - Rosicky putting in an assist and Hleb making a good run.
August 26th, 2007 at 6:26 am
See I look at it in a very simple way…Okay Song ATM looks not so good and gets everyone’s Blood pressure high as soon as he comes on.Agreed!! Now the point is AW has seen something in him.. this is not apparent as of now….to us and to a lot of “expert posters” on this forum…and I cannot blame them for having this view. Why? because apart from that 6-3 game where our kids walked over Pool I havent seen Alex Song perform well.
Now the point remains…how many games has he been given? How many runs of games has he been given? 1? 2? .. i don’t think its even that many. How is it possible to rate a player after seeing him for just one half against Fulham where the whole team was anonymous?
Also there have been times where I’ve questioned AW… when RVP got sent off against Southampton and I heard about “that rape incident” .. I was thinking .. okay another Jermaine Pennant.. talented, brash, super cocky but not an “Arsenal” player … today RVP is close to being an untouchable in the current Arsenal setup …
Hleb…last year people were sick of his non shooting … this year he’s been man of teh season so far …. yes u can see Hleb is more talented…but the thing I’m trying to say here is… AW very rarely screws up with players…those he buys… I’m sure he bought Song with something in mind.. maybe to replace Gilberto? Have you looked at Song run? His movement is very similar to that of Bert …I’m talking just how he runs…not his positional awareness..AW might well have thot.. Bert is getting on now..and there’s no gurantee he’ll stay…so let me be proactive and buy a similar player…thats how AW works…he buys similar skill sets to what he already has…ALWAYS….
Song might well go…coz Denilson n Diaby are above him for sure..and if bert stays on…then he will leave and AW will let him go as well…but he’s never ever had a chance .. fans are on hi s back and even booed him off if I heard right… th ose things affect you as a player..more so when you’re young….so YES Song ATM is not good enough and 90% will be sold…. that soesnt mean he is crap or anything….obviously as usual this is just IMO …
August 26th, 2007 at 7:15 am
And they’re English.
-joshuad
Racist comment. You should be ashamed.
August 26th, 2007 at 7:29 am
I thought Denilson played his best game to date as a holding midfielder. In previous games, he has attempted to get in advanced positions or wide, while vacating the center of the pitch. Today, he probably only did that once or twice. He also had several excellent interceptions and tackles that started us on quick counter attacks. Furthermore, I thought he did a very good job of providing a simple outlet for players that got squeezed on the touchline. He wasn’t perfect but I saw shades of Makele in his performance and it went a long way to assuring me that he will be able to take over for Gilberto in a few years.
I also thought Ade had a decent game for his first game back. His finishing will always be frustrating. I think some of the frustration will be eased if we continue to get more goals from midfield this year. In the first twenty minutes Kolo and Cesc played more direct to Ade in behind the defense. I think it is crucial for Arsenal to be able to mix it up with some more direct play every once and a while. I also think he did an excellent job of holding the ball up against two very physical center halves. Give Ade two more games to get his fitness and sharpness up and he will start giving us some goals.
August 26th, 2007 at 7:32 am
Song is the first player I sold on FM. But let’s be fair to Song boys. Check his appearance stats:
05/06 3 + 2 Subs in league (Overall 6+3)
06/07 1 + 1 Subs in league (Overall 4+2)
so he has only started in 4 league matches in 2 years for us. How can we actually judge how good he really is?
getting 15 minutes a match every now and then is very difficult for any player to do anything to impress. Take Eduardo, coming on as a late subs in second half, he couldn’t be able to do much neither.
August 26th, 2007 at 7:49 am
My criticism is not directed at Song. I haven’t seen anything special in him, but he is young and has hardly played.
If you see my original post, my criticism was directed straight at Wenger. Bringing Song on for RvP with a few minutes to defend was not the right thing to do, in my opinion. I felt that Bendtner for RvP was the better option.
We have been complaining about how Wenger puts Cygan or Senderos to defend and ends up making things worse. How different is this?
August 26th, 2007 at 7:58 am
@Andez: It looks you’ve been badly bitten by the FM bug…
…
@Nipuna: It is a Wenger mistake…absolutely…I dont know why he keeps doing it all the time… there’s hardly any proof that it works well either….
As for Song…teh stats by Andez tell the story. I’d like to see if Patrick Vieira could do any better than Song if given the same amount of playing time when he was 19.
August 26th, 2007 at 8:17 am
yup LDE haha! this game is addictive!
the other day i saw a highly rated youngster named Ray Jones. it was the first time I learned about this player. then i went checking his real life status on QPR net. 2 days later I heard the news he was involved in a car accident and died.
perhaps had i never heard of him it wouldn’t make the news as shocking. the kid was just 18, and highly rated by QPR (in real life) as well. it was always a sad new when u learned about someone in the football world, whom we had seen them played before past away, such as David Rocastle a few years back or Brian Clough whom i had a lot respect with. but when u think of an 18-year-old whose career has just begun and u don’t know how far he would have go… really feel a bit sorry to hear the news.
August 26th, 2007 at 8:23 am
btw, nipuna, i think AW put Song there just try to protect the lead. lot of managers would do the same when u had a goal lead with a few minutes left - by taking off one of ur striker and put in a defensive midfielder. Hell, sometimes I did the same with my FM team as well!
besides, what’s the fuss? I personally don’t remember how many touches Song got of the ball. Nor making any mistake which would have got City levelled.
August 26th, 2007 at 8:33 am
Andez u know …it may be done by numerous managers but its actually a dumb substitution most of the time..the player is not ready to come on and is not warmed up and the move backfires….sadly even AW does it… more than a defensive sub I think its a move to waste time…nothing else..anyway as u said.. nothing happened so we can give it a rest…
August 26th, 2007 at 8:41 am
Andez, I think I know what Wenger’s intention is.
But I don’t think it’s working with Song. Last week, Wenger brought Denilson for Eduardo at Blackburn. That makes sense. Our strength is passing. So I think it’s important to bring a guy who can keep and pass the ball. Not sure Song can do either. 
August 26th, 2007 at 9:27 am
Ade needs to be dropped. He has a poor 1s touch and when you play up top that is the most important thing, super sub him. Good game for Arsenal 8 shots on goal is great but we need to work on corners we seem to force them all the time but have yet to convert. WTF is up with that 10 corners against Fullham
I think it was 7 or more against Man City that sucks we need to put these away. But we controlled position and the midfield, except for a few flashes of brilliance and let’s face it a stellar defense from Man city. The game was played at Arsenals leisure good game
August 26th, 2007 at 9:40 am
“so he has only started in 4 league matches in 2 years for us. How can we actually judge how good he really is?”
“As for Song…the stats by Andez tell the story. I’d like to see if Patrick Vieira could do any better than Song if given the same amount of playing time when he was 19.”
The thing is, if he was good enough, like PV4, he would have played much more. AW is not fool to leave a talented player like Vieira on the bench. Vieira was a class act at 19 and deserved to play, while Song probably is less talented and simply doesn’t deserve more time. AW sold Vieira to make room for Cesc, because the kid is great, don’t you think he would have done the same with Gilberto if Song was a great talent too?
August 26th, 2007 at 9:51 am
@Sheed: Thats a point about Vieira’s talent but people like him andi Cesc come along only once in a while. I’m just saying that Song may be a slow starter…I wasn’t comparing him to Paddy. So while Paddy might excel straightaway Song may not and take a while to settle down. Maybe if he gets 5-6 games in a row he could show why AW is keen on him. But he MIGHT make mistakes in those games which can be costly and am not sure we can afford that…neither can AW hence SOng gets no playing time and none of us rate him…
As for the GIlberto thing…Bert had a quite astounding season last year and really stepped up…and is a consistent performer..and didn’t flirt with Madrid all the time…plus his game hasn’t deteriorated at all..Paddy while still a great player had gone down from those high standards he’d set himself…so teh sale…Song might be sold as well…I dont know…but its harsh on the kid to expect him to show as much ability as Paddy…at 19…how many people are like that??? Very few…
August 26th, 2007 at 9:54 am
I am not saying Song is great. Song is very much a bit part player, he only get on a few minutes every now and then, just don’t think he deserves as much criticism.
Ppl question why AW keeps Song. but his role is pretty much a backup. or maybe a backup for the backup. As a backup for the backup, he’s not really that bad. Besides, if we got someone as good as Vieira, there is every chance one of our regular starters would not be happy for a bench role and may wanna leave.
Since Song is backup for a backup, so i think we ought not to judge him as a starter.
August 26th, 2007 at 10:27 am
I have several comments for Gooners’ favorite Arsenal players to bash:
What I personally think about Adebayor is this- since Senderos doesn’t play a lot anymore, most of you, like most teams’ fans need a whipping boy & it’s now Adebayor for y’all.
I don’t understand the criticism of him from most of you. On one occasion he did very well just to even get a shot off when the ball was up on him when he was in the box & several times made good runs only for guys not to feed him the ball on time or he was in good position but Hleb would decide yet again, not to play the cross but wait for the defender to close the space down & so Hleb could then try to jink past hmim but instead lose the ball.
Maybe most of you missed the game which many of you admit right before you give critiques of a players game, yes, great way to earn credibility their, dudes. So for those experts who give analysis while not watching the match & for those Adebayor haters, I’ll remind you how Adebayor did a pretty decent job winning the ball in the AIR, allowing Van Persie some shots afterwards & keeping an Arsenal attack alive while winning the ball in the AIR (the air is that place where golden boys Henry, Van Persie, etc. are completely foreign too).
So hate him all you want but he when he’s in there he adds something different to the Arsenal attack & might add even more if Rosicky & Hleb would freaking cross more instead of trying to dribble past everyone every time.
With all that said, however, I do agree that Eduardo should possibly start over him as Eduardo also looks to have better passing & crossing skills than, well, frankly, all of our other strikers. Plus he’s direct in his game. I like that a lot. I just feel people are a bit too hard on Adebayor.
As for Song I can understand more of people’s criticisms although as Andez points out he’s technically a backup of a backup & as Danny says when our injury list gets shorter, doubt Song even makes the bench regularly. So if Song only plays 5-10 minutes a game, woopty do. I guess it’s time to start crying over the Muamba deal then, yes? Drat, he was English too (via the DR Congo), yep definitely mourning time. Oh wait, I’m American, whew. Y’all mourn. Or perhaps it’s time to call up….uhhhhhh yeah, that guy from the youths to be a backup backup defensive midfielder. Seriously though, Song I would get rid of eventually…
And as for Flamini, I also think this is a case of Gooners being too hard on the guy, b/c from his pre-season matches & the 3 matches so far this season, I’ve seen an improvement in his game. Granted it gets blocked most of the time but he’s one of the few midfielders that looks willing to take a pop on goal consistently. Plus he runs & works tirelessly when he’s in there, which I think we need at this point for this team in it’s current “evolutionary” state, if you will. Also have to remember, Flamini’s only 23, I think.
So all in all, where we stand with losing Henry & having 3 “crap” players like Adebayor, Flamini & Song, I like where we’re sitting.
August 26th, 2007 at 11:27 am
£4m for Song? I think you’ll find it was £1m - although that was probably too much. Still, he did nothing wrong yesterday, don’t know what the fuss is all about.
Senderos is not a whipping boy, he’s a defender who can’t cope with the pressure, so few want him near the team. That’s a simple fact. If other players were as bad as him no doubt they’d get criticised too.
August 26th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Spurs probably didn’t deserve to lose that one. Again a referee decision probably decided the outcome. United could have conceded a penalty along with Wes Brown got sending off. Instead, they went on to beat Spurs with a fine Nani strike.
It looked to me United is even more clueless than us on how to break down a packing defence.
Last season when anyone dared to point out our INJURY as one of the factors that set us back, immediately he would get mocked us “talking excuses”.
but the truth is, INJURY always play a part in football. Without Rooney and Ronaldo, even the defending champions would struggle.
August 26th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
The Gooners favourite whipping boys - Senderos, Adebayor, Song and Flamini do share one thing in common - all are hardworking lads without the football flair of Cesc or Hleb.
perhaps fans got used to watching the free-flowing football AW offered in the past decade, they simply not used to the sight of a less skillful player wearing an Arsenal shirt.
personally, since the day 1 I started following Arsenal, I always loved the players who work hard. That’s what got me picked the George Graham’s hardworking donkeys ahead of Liverpool’s all starred flair and skillful team at that time.
August 26th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Well, let’s hope for the unthinkable and have Chelsea sell us Diarra, Wenger go for Martins and actually sign him, then sell Song. At some point, he too will go out on loan or leave..
For the game, I too was disappointed with RvP’s PK. He should either wait until the keeper commits or slam it like before. Like most others, Flamini at RB was a drop-off v. Sagna- no surprise there. Nevertheless, he slotted in and did the job. Versatility in squad players is key and Flamini has that..
As for Da Silva v. Adebayor, I’d keep as it for a bit. It seems Da Silva is a bit off the pace compared to the competition so give him time to find his way.. van Persie and Adebayor need some time to re-establish an understanding.That said, why not start him against Prague and give van Persie a breather.
August 26th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Senderos & Song I can understand the flak they get- they f*ck up a lot & look nervous in a lot of situations.
Adebayor & Flamini, IMO, aren’t clueless or prone to nerves, they just lack the quality & flair we’re accustomed to. Although I do think that both get a bad rap unlike Senderos & Song. Those 2 I can understand people’s beef with them, although I still side a little with Senderos more than most would.
And I’d trade all of Hleb’s flair for some freaking more consistent end product or some more crosses. Maybe he & Quincy could go start a football/soccer version of AND1.
August 26th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Andez, as for the Spurs v ManU game, all I know is this- no way, no how is any ref or linesman going to have the balls to call a penalty on ManU AT Old Trafford in that situation.
Not to mention, if it was a PK in the Chelsea-Liverpool match how was Vidic’s attempted rugby tackle on Berbatov 2 minutes prior also not a PK? Wasn’t as bas as Rio Ferdinand’s uncalled bodycheck as the last man against Freddie in the streak breaker but still, Vidic laid a pretty good body on Berbatov & seemed to undercut him even if it was a fair shoulder charge.
G*d d*mn, I hate ManU & how they always seem to get the benefit of the doubt from referees, they’re like the 70s & 80s Dallas Cowboys in that respect.
August 26th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
GSteve, I tihnk I’d rest Van Persie against Sparta as well & give Eduardo a start just to see what he can do for a full 90 minutes on a big stage. 2 birds with one stone- give Eduardo a runout when we have some error room in the ECL tie plus rest Van Persie for the EPL where it’s most likely only a matter of time before some mid-table side takes out Van Persie with an ankle or foot injury with some “English” play.
August 26th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
definitely agree curt. in fact, i think it’s somewhat a miracle van Persie still remains free from the treatment table after 3 EPL matches. he seemed to always at the receving end of some harsh tackles. Vs City, a Hermann’s flying tackle could have broken his angle.
August 26th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
I didn’t think either was a penalty against Man Utd, Vidic didn’t even know Berbatov was there when he ran across him and the so-called handball was still inconclusive after 10 replays. Man Utd do look dreadful without Ronaldo and Rooney, worse than Arsenal did without Henry and Van Persie. Playing Hargreaves and Carrick together is pointless, they’re both holding midfielders, and Scholes and Giggs both look 1 year nearer retirement. Mind you, Tottenham’s midfield was crap - I think Arsenal would have taken Man Utd today had they played them instead of Tottenham.
August 26th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
Can someone from you who watched the United - Spurs game tell me how was Gareth Bale playing and if he played left wing or left back.
August 26th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Bale looked decent. Albeit, the rest of the Spurs midfield is total garbage. So perhaps he looks good in comparison. He played left midfield. Lee played left back.
I don’t think either of the instances were penalties. Vidic and Berbatov just collided. It wasn’t down to one or the other. And the ball hit Brown in the side. His arm went forward but it didn’t make contact. The referee did an excellent job.
But enough about them. I agree with all that suggest a rest for Van Persie. I also think that Theo needs to get a start ahead of Rosicky or Hleb. They could both use the rest. And Theo’s pace should be useful on the counter as Sparta will be forced to commit some players forward. But I guess it will all depend on who is fit.
August 26th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Played LW for 70 min or so then LB. Did well I think but not great. Pretty good FK cross of the one I remember. I don’t think it matters if you take a player out in the box whether you know they’re there or not. That said I don’t see it as a clear-cut penalty and Berbatov accorded himself well by getting up and playing on. Sad to admit I like a few players on the Spurs team. I think the Bale-Clichy left side would have been awesome…
Speaking of other games, did anyone watch Everton-Blackburn? D. Dunn is a thug with footballing skills. Committed tackling fine, I clearly recall 2x where he took out legs while twisting the players shoulder around. Anyway…
August 26th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Dunno about Theo. When some here were screaming about Henry’s replacement, I thought Wenger looked at Theo and thought ” In time..” He is young but my worry is seems to shy around the physical stuff and doesn’t seem to be able to dribble around defenders. If Walcott starts, he should be substituted for a true midfielder around 65 min. Fine to give some players a rest, but too many is dangerous. My guess would be Hleb or Rosicky will rest but not both.
With a 2-0 lead, Wenger might even play with 5 midfielders but again I’d rather see that after 65.
August 26th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Off-topic.
I see Sol Campbell described as masterful by the BBC against Chelsea. Masterful. My last memories of Sol are of a guy whose stella career like his butt had turned pear-shaped.
Credit then to Harry Rednapp who yet again proves his ability to rejuvanate ailing talent. And credit also to Sol for pulling himself together.
The 2004 invincibles are an interesting case-study in the power of the group to collectively drop their bundle. Removing Vieira was like releasing the valve on a tire - out rushed the air of belief and conviction. Absolutely fascinating. Hard to believe that individualy and collectively characters such as Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Ljungberg, Gilberto, little Fab, Cole, Lauren, Campbell, Toure Lehmann……weren’t up to it.
August 26th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
Spurs is a perfect example of how good players don’t necessarily make a good team. They’re just way too inconsistent.
Bale looked ok IMO, he had a chance to put in a cross near the end to give Spurs a chance for a draw but his cutback pass was pretty dreadful.
As for the ManU penalty calls vs. non-calls, I just meant when was the last time you saw a bad call or questionable penalty called against ManU especially at Old Trafford? I’m just saying if it wasn’t Wes Brown but if it was a center back for Sunderland or Wigan AGAINST ManU, it wouldn’t have shocked me at all if it was given FOR ManU if the situation was in reverse.
Although I do think Vidic knew exactly what he was doing & just b/c he didn’t “see” him, I believe he knew he was there with sense that professional athletes have. Maybe I have it all wrong but it looked to me Vidic knew what he was doing & I could’ve sworn he got his hand on Berbatov’s shoulder as they were going down to ensure that Berbatov had more work to do in recovering getting to the ball.
I agree with you Danny w/o Ronaldo & Rooney, ManU’s midfield look pretty short of ideas outside of Nani & even he looks a little predictable- i.e. direct run, trick attempt/jink, shot. He looks way more selfish than Cristiano Ronaldo as he seems to look to shoot all the time.
August 26th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
theo is not somebody we really should put our hopes on IMO i think he should be loaned out for experience.
his ball control is bad, he has no conviction, he is easily dispossessed and he has no fighting spirit. he only offers speed….but without the all the others he is pretty useless in my opinion. yeah, yeah, i know he is really young, but that doesnt stop him from having some fighting spirit at least - isnt that what english players are known for? i really really hope he can surprise me though.
as for sparta, i think we will play like this:
almunia
flamini - toure - gilberto - clichy
walcott - hleb - denilson - fabregas - rosicky
adebayor
bench: fabianski, traore, hoyte, song, eduardo, RVP, bendtner
this should be enough to close out the tie.
August 26th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Henry warms the subs bench :- ) - can’t see him doing that for long.
That old favourite of Stags, Yaya Toure, starts!
The irony in all this is that I think Henry, like Vieira, are both happy to be in a team with a multitude of other ’stars’. This gives them what they want - less responsibility. They don’t want to be ‘carrying’ a young team with potential. They no longer possess the hunger you need for a fresh challenge with lotsa risk.
August 26th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Arsène Wenger admitted that the memory of Schmeichel Snr denying another Dutchman, Dennis Bergkamp, in the 1999 FA Cup semi-final replay at Villa Park flashed through his mind shortly before Schmeichel Jnr saved Van Persie’s kick. “I hope I don’t meet the grandson,” Wenger said.
August 26th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
Interesting selection IMO Fred. You would pick Flamini over Hoyte to start? That means to me Hoyte should be sold this summer. I don’t think Wenger will go that attacking (Walcott, Hleb, and Rosicky) or inexperienced (Denilson) to start a match that gets us to the group stage. My team-
Almunia
Sagna-Toure-Gilberto-Clichy
Walcott Fabregas Flamini Rosicky
Adebayor- Eduardo
Bench of: Fabianski, Hleb, Senderos, Denilson, RVP, Bendtner
Hoyte would slot in for Sagna if he can’t recover will Song or Traore taking the bench spot. I just think Wenger will have a stronger defense and a more balanced mid-field. I could also see Senderos come in for Gilberto too. What I expect him to do is sub some attackers early esp. if we get a goal.
As for the PK save, Schmeichel indicated he what tape of van Persie and saw he preferred going to the right…(on Fox’s PL review show).
August 26th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
i would pick flamini over hoyte….but i wont sell hoyte cos we are already short on numbers as things stand.
in my lineup i assume eboue, sagna, diaby and senderos are out totally. in that case flamini will be RB and my midfield will probably be what wenger would use. i am quite sure wenger will go all 4-5-1 on us.
anyway we will see.
last point: if wenger in the next few months for any reason whatsoever as much as complains about injuries or a “thin” squad i will fly over to london and personally smack him over the head!
i am not looking for “star” players….but there are definitely “wenger” style and priced players out there. i just cant for the life of me understand why he wont get in a LW and a CB. we really are lacking in depth. we are already down to bare bones in central defense. and our wings are already bare.
i am ready to wait for the kids to grow up…..but wenger should at least make it a full squad with proper depth. if i hear wenger moaning about injuries i would really be pissed off.
August 26th, 2007 at 10:36 pm
The Flamster’s quite a useful player. He can play in a variety of midfield positions and at fullback. If he accepts this as his role in the team and applies himself he will be an asset.
My gut feel is that he isn’t good enough to challenge for a 1st choice central midfield role (and may never be). But a utility player with a good attitude is invaluable.
Utility players can provide continuity by covering for short-term injuries in a variety of positions. I remember Steve Nicol doing it for Liverpool. He could almost play anywhere. It meant the team didn’t have to continually integrate a new player when a 1st choice guy was out injured. Steve Nicol would come in a ‘do the job’ - at FB, CB, midfield even striker.
August 27th, 2007 at 6:11 am
Do you all know when Sendy, Sagna & Eboue are back?
August 27th, 2007 at 7:32 am
Nope….Sendy and Sagna apparently will be fit for Sparta Prague though….Eboue dunno…
August 27th, 2007 at 8:36 am
Jack in NY, you’re right. I was racist in calling those boys English and if I’m not careful then I’m going straight to hell. In fact, if you line up all the people going to hell, I might go straight to the front of the line.
I could have sworn I read last summer that we’d signed Song for four million quid. My memory sucks so maybe I got it wrong. Sorry I yelled. I’ve just had knee surgery and the narcotics have me trippin’.
I think Adebayor was very good. You have to consider guys coming back from injury are not going to be fully match fit. With that, yesterday’s performance was solid. His pace allows us to stretch defenses which is something, now that Henry’s gone, that no one else in the team can do. It makes more space for Hleb, Rosicky, Fab, and especially RvP to do what they do best.
August 27th, 2007 at 9:11 am
As far as the Manure/Spuds match, I wrote before the season began that United were going to miss Saha more than they knew. Well, they might have missed Rooney and Ronaldo but they’ve missed Saha more. Even with the Rooney and Ronaldo, they didn’t looke like they’d come close to threatening Chelsea for the title until they put Saha in the side.
To score goals you must have a central focal point. You need a striker who can hold up balls played to feet, get in behind defenses, be good in the air, or preferably all of the above. They have to be a physically imposing type of player with the guile, workrate, and experience to lead the attack.
Perfect example is when Vieira left, Arsenal played a 4-5-1 with Henry leading the line. Problem is Henry still wanted to drift into wide positions, leaving the team with no point of attack. Well, TH14 picks up an injury and in steps Reyes who didn’t drift wide but stayed central, hence providing a point of attack and suddenly Arsenal’s offence has a bit of bite to it. I’m sure you all remember the plaudits Jose got during that time. Henry slightly alters his game and suddenly we stop losing to teams like Middlesborough.
Another example is Rooney at the World Cup last summer. Owen goes down and Rooney is asked to do something he’s never done before; successfully play as a lone striker, (even though he’s a support striker) in the World Cup with world class defenders, and little help from the midfield, as a twenty year old who’s not even match fit as he’s just barely recovered from a broken foot. Great idea, right?
Well we all watched Rooney try with all he had and fail miserably while, out of frustration be red carded. The point is I’ve heard so many on this site say that Tevez is to similar to Rooney. With that, why would any one expect Tevez or Rooney to be successful as playing a primary striker’s role? With Saha out, the writing was on the wall before the season even began.
Don’t listen to those idiot pundits. They don’t know football. If Saha was fit, like he was at the beginning of last season, United would probably be sitting atop the table with 12 points right now and that’s with or without Ronaldo and Rooney.
August 27th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Don’t know if people have seen this. I thought it was hilarious. I doubt much of it is true. But I f’in hate the guy and I wouldn’t put it past him.
http://100percentinjuryrate.blogspot.com/2007/08/frank-lampards-contract-demands-are.html
August 27th, 2007 at 9:44 am
“To score goals you must have a central focal point. You need a striker who can hold up balls played to feet, get in behind defenses, be good in the air, or preferably all of the above. They have to be a physically imposing type of player with the guile, workrate, and experience to lead the attack.”
EXACTLY Josh. That’s also a quality which I believe Adebayor offers us. Naturally his finishing still left much to be desired, he is still very important to our attack.
His ability to hold up the ball, to link up play helps our build up play significantly.
The difference can be seen from the Blackburn match and City match. van Persie is a much better finisher, but he’s less effectively to lead the line. Without Ade to lead the line, our midfield found it very hard to build up any attack as van Persie is not strong enough to hold the ball up and wait for his teammates’ support.
The term LINK UP PLAY often get ignored by fans. But it’s very vital in the game.
August 27th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
And it’s even worse now that Solskjaer has retired.
August 27th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
I was suprised back then when Fergie went for Tevez instead of Berbertov. Jol came out and said now he would rather die than to sell Berbertov. I hope he won’t die. ‘Cos otherwise that means Berbertov would be @ United. Throw them a Berbertov now United is going to have as “perfect” a team as anyone could have in the Premiership. Immediately they would be back into the title hunt.
August 27th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
“I was suprised back then when Fergie went for Tevez instead of Berbertov”
Your speaking with a rational mind Andez. Thing is, Ferguson couldn’t resist Tevez, he looked every inch a ManU player. Just he’s come at the wrong time - IMO.
Like JD says there’s no focus for all this creative inspiration.
Lesson, managers aren’t necessarily rational even when spending millions of pounds that aren’t there’s.
It may well sow the seeds of disharmony - let’s hope so.
August 27th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
And the disharmony at 3-Point Lane, another place of cash-splashing, is growing by the day.
August 27th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
Josh, I think Solskjaer is still playing. OK, he is not playing coz he is injured, but he is still a Man Utd player. He has not retired.
August 27th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Josh, I just read that you were right, Ole has retired.
August 27th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Football boards are much like investors.
Investors tend to buy when the share price is high and sell when it is low. At the heart of this is the speculative nature of their investing - take a punt and when it goes bad exit.
Similarly most Boards take a punt and when it goes bad exit. Typically what they are saying is that they don’t back their decision. If they did would they panic after 3 games? Spurs are destined to stay a middling club.
Contrast to Arsenal and ManU, they bought well, backed their decision, and hold for the long-term. Look at the return they have got (and continue to get).
August 27th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
Whoops…..I meant to include ‘managers’
“Similarly most Boards take a punt on managers and when it goes bad exit.”
August 27th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Watch out for Spurs, I hate em, but they will be on a one-way mission to beat Arsenal. They have no shot for a Top 8 finish with Blackburn, Man City, Portsmouth, and Newcastle charging hard. I fear that game to be our decider this season: win - we roll; lose - it’ll be a long season. A draw at Spurs will do me fine this year.
This is what I think of when I’m on the toite.
August 28th, 2007 at 6:57 am
A bit after the fact, but at the game on Saturday and have a few thoughts.
Hleb is a seriously underrated player, I’m not sure a lot of people realise quite what we’ve got there. Some of the crowd roars at him to shoot when there are 4 defenders in front of him and no possible angle to get a shot away, chumps. In the meantime Hleb constantly releases players into space with a 3-10 yard pass which takes 3 opponents out the game and on Saturday he worked hard to win the ball back and even pulled out of the sort of challenge he’d have given a silly free kick away for last season. I could hardly believe it when I picked up the sunday papers and saw our player ratings, Fabregas who scored the goal, but was generally well below par 8/10 motm…Hleb won a penalty, provided assist and was at the centre of most good things we did 5/10, 6/10 ‘disinterested’, etc. Absolute rubbish, Hleb is very much a key player for us.
Denilson..was much better than Flamini in the centre of midfield, he doesn’t run around as much, but he controls that area so much better with passing and positioning. He’s no Gilberto, but he is a very talented player and we were a better team with him in there.
Gilberto - I was surprised to read how well some people thought he played, to me he dived in a few times where if it had been Senderos it would have evidence for the prosecution. Fair enough, he wasn’t expecting to play, let alone at CB but he looked about as rusty as Adebayor, who I thought did ok. He caused Super Micah Richards problems in most areas of the pitch (not the penalty area), brought the ball down in tight situations and allowed us to go long - he surely deserves a couple more games back before he faces full scale criticism. anyway, back to the defence, we remain suicidal at times and some of the risks we take are incredible. I know we are committed to attacking, stylish football, but there has to be some sort of organisation at the back in any team and I long for the day that Steve Bould and Martin Keown are in charge of just even one training session a week.
Overall, we didn’t actually play too well - not Van Persie, who looked frustrated during the game and nervous for the penalty, not Fabregas who didn’t do too much, not Clichy who was very subdued, not Rosicky who flitted in and out (but to be fair got stronger as the game went on), not Toure who didn’t have the drive he often has…international week I’d guess - we played a fair bit below par and won. 3 points.
August 28th, 2007 at 7:28 am
Pirate, about Hleb, 70 % of football fans are as thick as shit, especially those that turn up to the Emirates every other week and reside in North London. They wouldn’t know an intelligent footballer if it hit them in the face. English football football fans in general can only relate to the Lampards and Gerrards of this world. The blood and thunder footballer. That’s why they’re all shocked when England get knocked out tournaments while the discerning among us are not surprised at all.
August 28th, 2007 at 8:51 am
I even remember folks on this site who said things like Hleb should be dropped and he should only be a squad player and put a fire under his ass and play Eboue in front of Hleb and all other sorts of foolishness. I’m glad Wenger knows.
Could you imagine Arsenal in Europe with Jose Reyes on the left, Hleb on the right, and Fab in the middle along with Ade spreading defenses and RvP with space? I know it won’t happen but that was Wenger’s vision. Just imagine.
August 28th, 2007 at 9:02 am
Antonio Puerta’s condition looks very grim. He was linked to us at one point. Shame.