Just wanted to post something to capture any talk regarding the European games, some goal scoring stats or other Arsenal related topics:
Champs League:
Game 1: Man Utd vs Barca
It will be interesting to see if Barca can salvage their season at Old Trafford. Although a goal scoring draw will do for Barca and draws has been something they have had plenty of in La Liga. Barca’s 10 ties is the most of any of the top 5 teams.
Game 2: Guess the Score?
The last 7 Champs League ties between Liverpool & Chelsea have ended with the following scores: 0-0 (3 times), 1-0 (3 times, 2 for Liverpool & 1 for Chelsea, all home results) and last week’s 1-1. Prior to last week, no team had scored a goal away from home. Although, in theory no away player has managed that feat yet.
The tie is interestingly set up as Liverpool will have to score, meaning they have to be enter Chelsea’s half. Anyone care to venture a score? Will either team finally score more than one goal in this game? Or are we set for another game of chess?
UEFA Cup:
Both UEFA Cup ties are balanced nicely, although Zenit have an away goal. It is unclear how many of the 4 teams will be in the Champs League next year. Bayern are certain to be there, Rangers should join them as they have 3 games in hand over Celtic despite trailing by 5 points. Whereas Fiorentina only hold a 2 point lead over Milan for that final spot with 3 games to go; Sampdoria are 4 points back of Fiorentina. The Russian season is a bit too early in and Zenit have not gotten off to the best start. Key for Zenit will be holding onto their main players.
European Goal-scorers:
I was curious to see where Adebayor ranked with the other European goal-scorers in terms of goals only (no stats on assists).
League: Player, Team, Goals
England:
Italy:
Spain:
Germany:
France:
Portugal:
Holland:
59 Responses to “Mid-week Talk”
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April 29th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Is this legit?
http://highbury1913.blogspot.com/2008/04/confirmed-arsenal-sign-dimitrov-for.html
April 29th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Seems to me that two people get 98% of greenlit “articles” around here, why is that?
April 29th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
No truth in it I presume:
http://youngguns.wordpress.com/2008/04/29/arsenal-have-not-signed-nikolay-dimitrov-ffs/
April 29th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Chelsea 1 - 0 Liverpool
If I need a daytime nap I may consider watching that game.
Just saw the Manu, Barca game which was settled in the first half by a Paul Scholes blast from outside the box. The old red head may have lost a step but he still knows how to score.
The 1-0 Manu victory is once again a microcosm of their season. Winning ugly when needed, with individualistic runs from Nani and Ronaldo, a dogged display from Tevez and a tight defense which locked shop after they scored.
It also looks like the Dimitrov blog is also false.
April 29th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Feel a bit for Henry, although he is pretty much the master of his own destiny. We see once again, that going to a ‘greener pasture’, with Barcelona perhaps the greenest looking, more often than not fails to deliver. We also see that a gambit of big names and reputations often fails to deliver.
Sadly for Henry he isn’t even appreciated by the Barca fans & media. At least at Arsenal he was appreciated, even pandered to. Just makes me think again that the Arsenal boys have it pretty good. Wenger really coddles them and lets them play to their strengths.
Are you listening…….Flamini and Hleb?
April 29th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Manure and Chelski (or Liversuck) playing for the European title… I feel sick. I don’t think I’m even going to watch the CL final, and it’s been many-a-year since I haven’t watched.
April 29th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Know how you feel.
ManU are a better footballing side than the other two, but they win enough, Liverpool currently play ugly football whilst Chelsea are just plain ugly no matter which way you cut it.
April 29th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
yup, grass aint that greener elsewhere, barca have had a woeful season in a two horse race especially with the 60 mill they blasted last summer.
the truth of the matter is the only greener grass to be gone to are probably chelsea and man u……at least at present. but flamini wont make bench for either team. hleb wont start for either. ferguson would absolutely hate someone like hleb.
imagine that scholes ball falling to hleb ? LOL.
April 29th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Whilst I have concerns about the depth of quality & robustness of our squad in certain areas, nevertheless Arsenal Mk3 is on an upward trajectory.
April 29th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Man U is my lifelong most hated team, and always will be. but if they r going to win the CL this season i must say they are the worthy winners. it’s not simply about the talent they got (they are rich, god bless them), more of their collective spirit and style of play.
Ferguson isn’t one who play football like chess. and he’s not afraid to get his team to attack. i look at Chelsea, look at Liverpool, and all those Series A big guns, those may be the “tactical” more intelligent side, but they are also the chicken shit.
Fortune favours the brave and bold. So do us fans.
and mentally United under Fergie are always a tough side. with all those foreign signings in recent years, i thought they could have lost that aspect of their game. but they still got it, a big heart.
our team have shown the character of their own this season, but i have to be honest, we are still behind United and Chelsea in terms of the fighting spirit.
April 29th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Will Gilberto stay now that Flamini is basically gone? It seems like all the talk of Gilberto leaving has died down since it’s all but certain Flamini is out the door.
Knowing Arsene he probably will keep Gilberto another year while he works in a younger replacement which seems now to be Denilson. He keeps playing Song at CB which indicates he will use him in that position next season. If so, Senderos probably is gone.
By playing Traore on the left wing in the last five reserve games is that an indication he is being groomed as the Vela backup nest season?
Who the hell knows, but all these guessing games are keeping me in suspense.
April 29th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Twice now Barcelona have totally schooled United in possession football. In both games they had 60 % of the ball.
Barcelona are the best possession team in world football. Arsenal are a close second.
If we replace the likes of Eboue with a player on the technical level of Fabregas and Hleb we will be able to neutralise them for years to come.
Cheap turnovers are United’s lifeblood. That’s how they get most of their goals. Relying on communication breakdowns in midfield. Barca have impeccable ball players so these lapses are very rare and as a result United were limp for large spells. Only Barca’s full backs let them down in that department. Paul Scholes goal came from Zambrotta slackness.
The only thing missing from Barcelona is the Samuel Etoo of yesteryear. His blade has been blunted.
April 29th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Andez, I emphatically agree with that entire post. Man U is my most-hated team and always has been too. But at the same time… I have to tip my hat to them. I would love it if we played like them. In fact, the way I see it, we’ve been trying to become like them ever since Wenger arrived. The Invincibles, in my view, are Arsenal’s answer to the ‘99ers.
And just when Arsenal looked like they were going to permanently (at least for a good while) displace United as the dominant force in English football (we had just come off an unbeaten season and were on our way to our frist consecutive league title since 1935), along came those arrogant blokes at Chelski, who blew away AW’s decade of delicate building in one fell swoop, with massive inflows of cash.
If it wasn’t for Roman Abramavich, I frimly believe we would have won the title in ‘05, and then who knows what? United were in a re-building era and if it wasn’t for Chelski’s millions upon millions of pounds we would have been the sole dominant force in England for at least two seasons, potentially 3 or 4.
April 29th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
good pt caribkid, that’s exactly how i think - should Flamster leaves, Gilberto will stay.
Wenger will want to make Gilberto as the one to pluck the gap, while at the same time waiting for Denilson or Song to establish himself.
otherwise if we buy a new DM in his mid 20s, Denilson would have no future in the club.
and if we let Gilbero goes, and buy another old veteran to pluck the gap, it’s pointless neither.
so should Flamster leaves, the best sceniro is for Gilberto to stay.
April 29th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
I seem to remember before this season with Bert and Fabregas in the centre we were perpetually complaining about being pushed around.
Flamini may not be flash, but in tandem with Fabregas they find a way to compete in the thick of the action. They’re both fiesty albeit not big. But they have the attitude.
Bert, bless him, does not have the attitude. He was ok with Vieira, because Vieira was big and imposing and Bert could ‘compliment’ him in a non-fussy way.
IMO we can’t rely on Bert and Fab - it’s as simple as that.
If the Flamster goes the only ‘option’ who appears to have the attitude for the midfield battle is Song……and Wenger is moving the pieces to play him at CB. So things don’t look good.
Denilson & Diaby? Haven’t shown the attitude.
My question is - how many pieces in the Arsenal jigsaw can we afford to come labeled ‘potential’? Almost every ‘back-up’ player in the squad is ‘potential’. Now (with Song or whoever) we’re going to add another ‘potential’ player to the starting line-up?
April 29th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Andez, ManU don’t play attacking football in Europe. Actually, Fergie tries to be “tactical”. I think he learned it from Liverpool’s success. Remember how much criticism he got for the 0-0 draw in Barca. If he had actually attacked, they might have won 3-0 and the tie would be over. It was not over until the final whistle last night because IF Barca had scored one goal …
Actually, Wenger has been trying to copy the same. Not tactically, but he has given up the gung-ho attacking style of the Invincibles and replaced it with a slow passing possession style football supposedly better suited for Europe. But he forgot one critical component - the defense. A strong defense is the bedrock for success in Europe. Liverpool and Chelsea have always had it, ManU have it now. Arsenal? Well, let’s just say that we conceded two goals each against Derby, Sunderland and Birmingham.
April 29th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Your right Nipuna - possession is our new game.
I also agree that a strong defence is the most sure route to quick success and sustained success. One problem. Wenger. He’s just not into buying A-class defenders - we got Campbell on a free, and Gallas in a swap. Nor is he into coaching a defensive mindset. Our best defence was George Graham’s, and the invincibles defence only ‘lasted’ for a year.
So, to me, our best hope is:
1. Outscore the opposition, and keep them on the backfoot through our possession and attacking menace.
2. Rely on the existing defence to collectively improve along with the midfield so that we are a tougher proposition to breakdown.
3. Is there another Sagna out there who is 6ft 3 & plays CB? Wouldn’t that be nice!
Perhaps if Wenger engaged a defensive coach and gave him some authority to improve it things may change - but that seems a slim hope.
April 30th, 2008 at 1:56 am
Tony Adams has openly invited Arsenal to employ him. Will Wenger listen? We have two BIG egos at play here. Wenger and Adams. Let’s see.
I have always maintained that Wenger is not very good at defense. Sagna is his best defensive signing in 10+ years. That says a LOT about him. Campbell and Gallas don’t count (as Kiwi mentioned).
I will also say that we can attain some kind of success in the league without a strong defense, but we will definitely struggle in Europe. So despite our perceived change in style to suit us in Europe, I don’t think we are in a better shape than any of the previous years. What disappoints me the most is that we don’t seem to have learned from the success of CL 2006.
But you never know. Nobody expected Sagna last season and what a defender he has proved to be. Maybe Wenger can pull that magic rabbit out of the hat again.
April 30th, 2008 at 6:11 am
On a funny note -
“It is a little odd that Thierry has failed to Va Va Voom in Barcelona. I mean he went from playing for a team who likes to make pretty passes, keep control of the ball, and never finish to playing with a team that likes to make pretty passes, keep control of the ball, and never finish.”
“Watching Barcelona last night, I was struck by how much they reminded me of
Arsenal:
a/ Lightning-quick pass and move.
b/ Technically superior to the opposition.
c/ F*ck-all to show for it at the end of the season.”
April 30th, 2008 at 7:21 am
spot on… nipuna…
Barca’s actually my second fav team and the reason for that is that I see them as Spain’s Arsenal (or Arsenal as England’s Barca). Painful that my 2 fav teams have decided to “never finish”…
Hope this all changes next season (read Barca vs Arse CL final with Arse winning)