AT: Ajax vs Arsenal | 08/08/08

[clockwork orange]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

Wenger said we were poor positionally in the first half. Justifiation i supose for going out and buying an experienced DM to organise things.

Cesc just looked amazing. Took him one half to find his range.

Thought we started with a lack of focus. They wanted it more than we did. So we were 1 step too late. Few basic postional mistakes were made too. Hope we learn from tonight, because I do not want us to start with a goal down like we did a lot last season. Thought this was also caused by starting too casual.

Anyway this was good practise for the Twente match, because they play 4-3-3 too (though their wingers cut less inside). We can't afford to start like tonight v Twente, because they'll go for it like mad men early on. We're 100 times better, but still need to work for it, otherwise Twente could upset us like they did Ajax.

 

[nazo]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

Isn't he more of a cm anyways :? What's with Wenger converting all cm's into cb's

 

[qs]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

The big question after tonight for me is not about our defence in the long term because both goals resulted from Toure being unfit. The question now is will he be fit enough for Twente or West Brom?

 

[EMIR8_SOLDIER]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

I dunno but if he is were Finished before we even start. From what ive seen of him today after that bug hes looked much better than the lot of the other CB all pre season put together

Now I got all the time for him but Today I finally saw Gallas in decline. His concetration has dropped a lot due to age and at times was crouching in pain with his back again. I know its pre season but Ajaxs second goal was no different to the chesleas second at SB, wheres the sign of improvement.

Come on boys wake up, lets keep a first clean sheet in our last pre season game tomorow please

 

[USArsenal]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

thought we kept a clean sheet against Real Madrid?

 

[tactica442]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

The big question after tonight for me is not about our defence in the long term because both goals resulted from Touré being unfit. The question now is will he be fit enough for Twente or West Brom?

Toure should start tomorrow againt Sevilla.

But Senderos should start alongside Gallas against FC Twente.

Kolo looks gained a few pounds.

 

[nidza7]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

on AM we dont count clean sheets when they,re clean USArsenal...

:wink:

 

[sparky44]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

Showed a lot of heart and pride that half. This young team has that n them.

After Eboue's cross, he went on a run and played a ball inside the full back for Sagna obviously off the confidence of that cross. It got me thinking. Imagine if Eboue had the unwavering support of the fans Theo has, what type of player would he be? Or better still, if Theo was hounded the way Eboue is, what type of player would he be?

Eboue would be far more liked if it wasnt for the fact that he is such a ****. Despite that delicious cross for ade, he is still a ****. Theo walcott isnt a ****

 

[Galahad]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

Even though I do tend to agree with you EMIR8 I have to tell you that we have, indeed, kept a clean sheet in preseason already...against a team full of poor players called something like "real" Madrid or so...some no names I think ;-) But yes we are horrible in defense and it certainly needs to be fixed...

 

[tactica442]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

I think some overuse the word cvnt.

Cashley is a 120%, de facto, cvntblister (borrow this word from arseblog) cvnt. I think we'd all agree.

Ade is a greedy ****. Fill that space with an absuvive word whatever you want but not the word cvnt.

Eboue is often a useless ****, again, use whatever word but no cvnt.

Agree or disagree?

 

[JazzG]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

Good recovery in the 2nd half but the cracks are so bloody obvious it is embarrassing. Like I said before if we don't have money fair enough we can't strengthen but I'm sure we do and Wenger is being stubborn as usual and it is gonna cost us big time. We are still a defensive midfielder and centre back away from winning the title and if Wenger can't see that then we are gonna be in for another long hard season of suffering. I just hope this time we don't get ahead and throw it away again, it was hard enough dealing with it last season so hopefully won't have to go through that again because I'm just as convinced as ever this team isn't defensively strong enough.

Thought Fabregas was just great in the 2nd half, took him 45 minutes to find his feet but the guy is just a phenomenal player.

 

[Mr Wolf]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

Even if I consider him a right back, not a right winger, I'm happy that Ebouè has done a decent performance and a great cross for Ade; on a hilarious note, during the training camp in Bad Walsterdorf I had noticed that the two are close friends.....

 

[Dez]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

What is with the manbags??

 

[vanPersie]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

Imagine if Eboue had the unwavering support of the fans Theo has, what type of player would he be?

If he had unwavering support, he'd be a very well-liked one lol.

Today, we scored more than we let in. We went a season unbeaten playing that sort of system...ideally you wouldn't be conceding through mistakes, but as long as the front men are banging them in we needn't worry.

 

[Anzac]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

haven't read the posts in here & didn't see anything of the game - have only read the match report on another site.

Having said that IMO we can NOT afford to squander 3 scoring chances early in the match, and then go 2 goals down and then expect to be able to come back & win in the 2nd half. Many teams in the PL & CL will not afford us that sort of opportunity. Likewise in doing so we constantly put ourselves under sooo much pressure in chasing the game, and it also places further pressure on AW's developing players - if we are chasing we are more likely to stay with the starting XI, which will eventually burn them out. Similarly the developing players actually have less chance at playing time and do not improve, then when we need to bring them on or start them they have stagnated & the pressure continues to mount.

 

[kel varnsen]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

Good recovery in the 2nd half but the cracks are so bloody obvious it is embarrassing. Like I said before if we don't have money fair enough we can't strengthen but I'm sure we do and Wenger is being stubborn as usual and it is gonna cost us big time. We are still a defensive midfielder and centre back away from winning the title and if Wenger can't see that then we are gonna be in for another long hard season of suffering. I just hope this time we don't get ahead and throw it away again, it was hard enough dealing with it last season so hopefully won't have to go through that again because I'm just as convinced as ever this team isn't defensively strong enough.

Thought Fabregas was just great in the 2nd half, took him 45 minutes to find his feet but the guy is just a phenomenal player.

fabregas is by far the best player here and without him, we would not even be close to good enough to win anything this year. fantastic player. just hope nasri and rosicky can stay fit for most the season, otherwise it'll be difficult. fabregas can't carry the midfield every time we play...

 

[hujja]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

So the general consensus is "great win but shortcomings glaringly obvious".

I agree with pretty much everything that's already been said.

What I don't understand is how can one man not see (or ignore) the problems that millions of everyday fans can?!!

I'm sick and tired of seeing Eboue playing on the wings (that cross was one in a million). I'm absolutely fed up with this new found trend of going behind early and then chasing for the rest of the game, the general crapness of our centre halves and the lack of defensive cover in midfield.

The new season is really shaping up to be a long and excruciating one.

 

[Gazza Martinez]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

Hopefully we get Inler on board. He looks to have the right stuff, because I don't think Denilson is quite ready to perform throughout a whole season. Hell, not even Cesc has produced more than half a season's worth of good football yet. And I agree that at least one of Nasri and Rosicky must stay fit for most of the season.

 

[Clrnc]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

I think we are still very very short in depth and quality, very hard for us to win any title unless we have absolutely no injuries to our first team.

Remember, Ajax played with alot of youngsters too. And we didn't even perform particularly well. Our goals were scored because of their defensive mistakes from their youths.

We need at least another Central Midfield, and a 2nd player prefably CB but I just realised we got 6 CBs including song and nordveit. Got depth, no quality. Or maybe buy a playmaker like Arshavin and move eboue back. ideal

 

[sparky44]

Re: Amsterdam: Ajax v Arsenal | 08-08-08 20:15

Great comeback but we made it so much harder than it should of been, although it can be put down to match fitness the lapses in concentration was a real concern because it was the same mistakes we were making last season. Cannot wait until alex song returns from the Olympics, expecting a big season from him.

One positive that came from the match was how well van persie, adebayor & bendtner hooked up late on in the game. Might be something we could consider, maybe something similar to man united 4-2-4 with walcott/nasri operating alongside them. It would be frightening if those three can establish some sort of connection and you can forget about defense... (only joking, new CB please wenger!)

One last thing, is bacary sagna man or machine? Phenomenal player and quickly becoming my favorite also