The penultimate game of a season that we’ll all remember for a variety of reasons. The ManU win means that we’re officially out of the running for the EPL title. I haven’t been able to watch any football apart from a few scraps of the CL game primarily cause I can’t bear to watch an English team do so well and we not even being involved. I can’t even honestly say that we weren’t good enough..well result wise yes as some of our wise realists will point out..but football wise I think we deserved better.
I’m also not sure what the loss of Keith Edelman means football’istically. There’s rumours of Danny Fizzmann having dumped him and him needing a “fresh challenge” or whatever. Ken Friar again? Wasn’t he also helping AW last year with the transfers? Its getting really tight at the board level. Surely AW needs some help? Hope everything works out…without Usmanov having to even touch the club.
Flamini and Hleb I have no clue what is going on so I won’t add fat to the fire and speculate. There’s enough of that already. Numerous links to players as well..so now we know who all is not coming atleast; Niko Krancjar being the latest on the list.
Everton’s season has tapered off primarily due to a small squad and injuries to key players. If you look at positions 5-8 Everton are closest to how Arsenal operate..small spenders, decent football and a shrewd economic savvy manager. Plus I quite like Everton ; they’re the only northern club that beat us in those Paddyless years without kicking us. They play hard but fair football. I’d have quite liked them to go that next step and seal a CL spot..but maybe they’d have struggled with that small squad. Still hope they get a UEFA cup slot at least.
I’m off tactical previews till the qualifiers next season coz there is no point. So I’ll just put out the squad that AW will put out tomorrow. Since glass boy is being preserved for the Euros for whatever reason ..possibly for being flogged in a 4-3-3 wide right 90/120 minutes every game so Arsenal can treat him when he comes back this will be the squad:
Fabianski
Toure Gallas Song Clichy
Denilson Gilberto Cesc Walcott
Adebayor Bendtner
Arsenal 2 - Everton 0
18 Responses to “Arsenal - Everton”
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May 3rd, 2008 at 8:34 pm
At this point our final home game makes no significant difference in the EPL standings and would highly suggest we play our youngsters to see how they cope against a very good Everton Team. Unfortunately, because of the myriad of injuries and suspensions to Hleib, Rosicky, RVP, Eduardo and Diaby we are very thin in attack so Ade will probably have to start.
Let’s rest Fab, Toure and Gallas and bring them on with 10 minutes left so the fans can honor them for the season.
Fabianski
Eboue, Song, Djourou, Clichy
Walcott, Gilberto, Denilson, Traore
Ade Bendtner
Bench: Mannone, Fab, Gallas, Toure,
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Looking forward to seeing the squad for the match..now that we have nothing to play for….we might as well give some youngsters a chance.
Pretty interesting that over the last few days Wenger seems to be coming out in the open over the lack of funds to make high profile transfers..probably confirming what most of us have felt all along. Guess the criticism from all the fans who were calling him ’stingy’ and blaming his ego finally got to him. Given a choice he would not have liked to go public with this view..but I guess he finally had to speak up.
When you now look at it….it has been nothing short of remarkable that we are still competing for trophies every year and Wenger has done a great job in still keeping us as one of the top clubs in the world…..if anything..even though we not won trophies…the stature of AFC as a club has gone up quite a few notches over the last 2-3 years thanks to the football we play.
May 4th, 2008 at 2:05 am
Wenger is yet to try any of the experiments I had suggested sometime back. My team would be
Fabianski
Toure Djourou Senderos Clichy
Eboue Song Denilson Traore
Bendtner Walcott
May 4th, 2008 at 8:17 am
What do you mean Wenger wouldn’t want to speak up? Haven’t you noticed the pattern? He does this every year. When Arsenal are doing well in the league Wenger turns into a moralist who preaches the virtues of his philosophy, and when we fall off the rails- like we always do- he goes on about not having any money to buy players.
Remember last summer when he said if someone handed him £100 million he would give it straight back? I do.
Wenger can’t have it both ways. He either keeps a consistent line regarding money and transfers or he leaves himself open to critcism and scrutiny.
Agreed though, he is doing a very good job with what he has spent compared to other teams.
May 4th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Not happy with the team put out today. Midfield of Gilberto and Denilson …let’s see how this one goes :))
Flamini is not even on the bench..could be a sign that he’s out.
May 4th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Eboue has looked so useless and wasteful on the right wing. If he is still playing wide midfield next season, I’ll be seriously questioning if Arsene knows.
May 4th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Nipuna. He will play there next season knowing Wenger wants to keep the “continuation” thingy. All we can do is hope Eboue can improve and provide quality crosses.
May 4th, 2008 at 10:27 am
Good Win ..Song and Traore were very impressive …..Bendtner’s goal was great. Eboue was bad..looked totally bereft of confidence …anyway..Job done..3 more points.
Cheers
May 4th, 2008 at 10:28 am
at least traore looked good today.
May 4th, 2008 at 10:29 am
1-0 to the Arsenal. Good cross by Traore and great header by Bendtner.
Other than that, the game was so slow and boring, I almost fell asleep. Typical end of season encounter.
A BIG THANKS to Jens Lehmann who played his last game for Arsenal. Despite his moments of madness, he was SIMPLY THE BEST!!! Good luck to him.
May 4th, 2008 at 10:35 am
I really liked Fabianski’s save of Andy Johnson. I can see why Wenger rates him so highly. Needs more games under his belt. For goalkeepers and defenders, experience matter so much.
May 4th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Bendtner now has 5 league goals. 4 of those have been very important goals - 2 winners over Spurs and Everton, and 2 against Villa and Liverpool which earned us draws. The other was the opener against Derby.
Pretty good for just 5 league starts.
May 4th, 2008 at 11:16 am
we have reached 80 points. thats great.
thankfully i only joined the match at 70 minutes. these end of season pointless games are terrible.
why play senderos when gibbs and djorou are on the bench??
i hope it is a farewell gesture from wenger to senderos!
May 4th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Milan beat Inter and Fiorentina lose to Cagliari. That should help Flamini make up his mind.
May 4th, 2008 at 11:37 am
fab did make a nice save, but shouldn’t he have charged ahead and intercepted the ball earlier? he seems to stay back a lot, on corners too, which worries me. more important that he make good decisions than be a great shot stopper.
May 4th, 2008 at 11:47 am
You can say it a typical end of season encounter but every single game which involves Denilson partnering Gilberto has that same tedious and boring feel to it. I’m afraid Denilson needs to find a way to sharpen up or inject some dynamism in his play because he makes Cesc Fabregas look like Michael Essien.
Walcott again looked pretty poor against drilled opposition.
Bendtner again looked switched on. This fella has a big future.
Fabianski doesn’t convince at all. He should run out and been a sweeper keeper for the Johnson shot.
May 4th, 2008 at 11:49 am
mirabile dictu, mazza, i agree with all your points!
May 4th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
we will probably have to buy a flamini-like CM.
maybe even get someone english - who can run turbo 90 minutes non-stop.
fabianski is mediocre - pretty much like almunia. but at least he is in his early 20s unlike manuel who is in his 30s. he still has time to grow - as a backup.
so lets get an:
AM/winger, a CM and a CB.
lets keep EVERYBODY else apart from flamini and lehmann.
even gilberto. we cant afford to shed numbers at this time.