PL: Arsenal vs Manchester United | 21/01/07

[YuenBiaoFan]

You rewatched the game? Looking at it again, do you think we deserved to win?

Anyway, here are some nice pics from Sunday(nicked from another forum)-

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id ... 698&size=o

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id ... 527&size=l

I don't like saying 'x team deserved to win', it gives me a headache defining terms on why one team should or shouldn't. Games like CSKA are a freak.

But we struggled to create good chances and didn't look like scoring at all until our Dutchman came on. And the less said about what I think of Henry's perfromance second time round the better for my safety I think!

 

[Captain]

We created as good and better chances then ManU.

 

[Captain]

and on the second viewing it was obvious to me that Henry actually played well (for the first half at least).

 

[YuenBiaoFan]

When?

I certainly don't remember any VDS saves akin to Jens' first half injury time ones.

But we had more shots and more possession I think.

So who deserved what?

In the first half he was ****, NO first touch, consistently losing the ball, passing the ball to VDS from acute 30 yard angles, the usual tricks and flicks from him that haven't come off.

 

[Alfonso]

I don't like saying 'x team deserved to win', it gives me a headache defining terms on why one team should or shouldn't. Games like CSKA are a freak.

Your sitting on the fence mate

You either deserve to win or you dont, unless it is very even, like Man Utd Chelsea(Man Utd dominated the first half, Chelsea dominated the second) earlier this season.

I think we deserved to win. Our performance from the 10th min to the 40th min of the first half was very good imo. Our heads dropped a bit when they scored, but after we got our equaliser there was only going to be one winner.

Man Utd were solid, but hardly spectaculor. Overall i think we deserved to win.

Il admit when were lucky, e.g Liverpool in the FA Cup this year, but against Man Utd we werent lucky, and if we were, we made our own luck! 8)

 

[Captain]

When?

I certainly don't remember any VDS saves akin to Jens' first half injury time ones.

But we had more shots and more possession I think.

So who deserved what?

In the first half he was s**t, NO first touch, consistently losing the ball, passing the ball to VDS from acute 30 yard angles, the usual tricks and flicks from him that haven't come off.

So they had two good chances and scored one; we had three good chances and scored two, hence we had better chances then they did. Speculative efforts and balls dropping in the box we were far superior.

 

[YuenBiaoFan]

We didn't make our own luck but one of our subbed on strikers was CLINICAL.

Gets a chance and BANG, a goal.

This is why I believe he's been THE striker for us this season. Scores when he has to.

I said it would be a mistake not starting RVP instead of Ade (resigned to the fact that both would not be starting) and perhaps if he wasn't still carrying a slight knock then he would of done.

I'd say they too had THREE good chances, Rooney's shot, Larsson's header and Rooney's goal.

We had Henry's header and the two goals.

 

[Alfonso]

I thought Henry played ok in the first half. He had two efforts saved by VDS in that half, a header from Ade's cross and a shot after a weak free kick. Two decent saves from the keeper.

In the second half Henry was awful i felt. But made up for it by scoring the winner.

But the best player on that pitch was Cesc Balboa.

 

[DC Gunner]

When?
I certainly don't remember any VDS saves akin to Jens' first half injury time ones.

What about Jens himself, did he need to make similar saves at any other point ?

 

[YuenBiaoFan]

AND only 19!!!

What a player.

And what a team he's going to play in!

 

[Alfonso]

We didn't make our own luck but one of our subbed on strikers was CLINICAL.

Gets a chance and BANG, a goal.

This is why I believe he's been THE striker for us this season. Scores when he has to.

I said it would be a mistake not starting RVP instead of Ade (resigned to the fact that both would not be starting) and perhaps if he wasn't still carrying a slight knock then he would of done.

And who set up RvP to score? Yes you guessed it, your best mate Thierry. That 'flick' by Henry was CRUCIAL. No flick, no goal, no RvP is the man.

Anyway Thierry deserves at least a 7 for his taunt to Gary Neville after RvP scored.

 

[YuenBiaoFan]

That was no flick.

You'e giving him FAAAARRR too much credit.

He tried to backheel and ****ed it up.

Given RvP was 20 odd yards away when that move initiated it's a huge stretch to say that was a 'flick'.

Henry deserves a 10 JUST for slapping that ****s head.

A 5 for the rest of the game though.

I dread to think of the criticism he would've received had that been Ade playin like that instead of Henry.

 

[ronitc]

he didn't touch the ball.

the ball didn't change speed or angle after henry's attempted flick, therefore he either missed the ball, or his touch was inconsequential.

 

[Captain]

I'd say they too had THREE good chances, Rooney's shot, Larsson's header and Rooney's goal.

We had Henry's header and the two goals.

Rooney's shot was a speculative effort; only equal to the two or three Cesc had which VDS dealt with without any worry like Lehman did with Rooney's.

Henry however was good for at least 30mins of the first 45. what you should be questioning is the wayward passing of our midfield; if henry makes a run and they pass it into a defender that's no his fault. Hleb, cesc and rosicky were guilty of this at least 5-6 times when promising moves were developing.

Also, as you have watched it again too; could you verify the amount of defensive work Hleb got through for me and tell me how poor Flamini was.

 

[YuenBiaoFan]

I'm a big supporter of Hleb's defensive capabilities. He's very VERY good at it and Sunday was no different.

If that helps to verify your view or not?

I actually thought Flamini had a pretty good game though, not a Gilberto style DM but one that hustled and harried well. Woud like to think though that if Gils was playing he wouldn't of let Evra steamroller through the pitch so easily.

 

[Captain]

See, I thought Flamini did nothing for the most part and that is why Hleb was constantly playing behind Cesc. In the second half Wenger had obviously had a word because Hleb started playing higher up the pitch and getting involved in attacks.

First half it was something like this:

Hleb---
-------Cesc
----------------Rosicky

for the most part, the game just passed Flamini by in my opinion; he looked horribly out of his depth.

 

[DC Gunner]

See, I thought Flamini did nothing for the most part and that is why Hleb was constantly playing behind Cesc. In the second half Wenger had obviously had a word because Hleb started playing higher up the pitch and getting involved in attacks.

First half it was something like this:

Hleb---
-------Cesc
----------------Rosicky

for the most part, the game just passed Flamini by in my opinion; he looked horribly out of his depth.

I personally don't like flamini too much, but got to say that I did not see commit many mistakes, Hleb on the other hand looked slow for this kind of game, and we definitely looked like needing a rosicky type player on that side as well

 

[celestis]

See, I thought Flamini did nothing for the most part and that is why Hleb was constantly playing behind Cesc. In the second half Wenger had obviously had a word because Hleb started playing higher up the pitch and getting involved in attacks.

First half it was something like this:

Hleb---
-------Cesc
----------------Rosicky

for the most part, the game just passed Flamini by in my opinion; he looked horribly out of his depth.

Not to mention if Bert has played Evra probably would not have made the cross for the Manc game. Would have been tracked all the way.

 

[jgunner84]

What is the matter with you people? In the first half we constantly attacked the Manutd half and played excellent football. It is in the beginning of the 2nd half they played better than us and they scored a goal.

Again later in the 2nd half we played better than them because they tried to defend the 1-0 lead. We were on the attack constantly.

The only reason why we didn't have many goal scoring chances is because of Ferdinand. His defending was awesome IMO. One of the best performances I have seen till date. He kept breaking all the Arsenal moves in the Manutd half.

Have I been watching a different game? :roll:

 

[Captain]

I personally don't like flamini too much, but got to say that I did not see commit many mistakes, Hleb on the other hand looked slow for this kind of game, and we definitely looked like needing a rosicky type player on that side as well

He didn't make mistakes because the game passed him by. He was barely involved.

If you get to watch the game again, take note of Hleb's contribution in the first half and watch what is happening with Rosicky and Flamini. I think you'll change your mind.