First Of all, I would just like to reflect on yesterday’s performance against Everton. Arsenal really do have to learn how to keep the lead, and kill the game off and that is the main difference between Man utd and Arsenal. When man utd get a chance they are ruthless and make sure that when they are 1 – 0 up they go for more. Look at yesterday. They were 2 – 0 up at half time to a good Bolton side and they could have had a few more. The second half Bolton piled on the pressure and got one goal back, but man utd held out because they had that crucial second goal.
We took an undeserved lead through Kanu, and Cole saved one off the line and Rooney missed a sitter. Then in the 75th minute Martyn takes a long goal kick, and Ferguson beat Cygan to the header too easily, Cole made a mistake as he should have cleared it and Jeffers took a good shot and it was probably better than any shot I have seen him take at Arsenal which Lehmann does well to save, and Radzinski was there to make sure he puts in with a good finish. Just before they scored Henry had a golden chance to finish the game off as it was him and Kanu against one defender, but he hesitated and took too long. Henry is a great player, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I wish he would just take a shot himself if he was in a position like yesterday.
Middlesboro are a very good team and although they have recently been getting a bad name for being a boring football team that cannot score this will not be an easy match. This will be our first match against them this month, as we have to play them another three times after this match. We beat them 4-0 at the Riverside earlier on this season when we probably played the best football of the season for the first half hour of the game. We were quick, direct and critical and very scary on the counter attack in the match, and that is when Arsenal are at their best. Another thing about boro is that Mclaren is their manager and will want to do his mate Ferguson a favour by taking three points off us.
Below is a list of their key players in my view:
Juninho + Mendieta – key men 1
Job + Nemeth – Key Men 2
Mills – Key Man 3
Southgate + Ehiough – Key Men 4
Schwarzer – Key Man 5
Boro will come to Highbury with confidence after getting a good win against Fulham at home. Below is the best team line up I think Wenger should put out:
Lehmann
Lauren Campbell Keown Cole
Ljungberg Vieira Edu Pires
Kanu Henry
I heard Toure is injured so I would put Lauren at right back. Cygan was very poor yesterday and I would rather have Keown because he is so solid. I would also bring in Edu as we will need his creativity. But Wenger will probably go with:
Lehmann
Lauren Campbell Cygan Cole
Ljungberg Vieira Gilberto Pires
Kanu Henry
I really hope we win this match as we will need it as a morale booster but it will be very difficult. Also Man utd take on Newcastle and I have three different scenarios about the way this match can go:
1. Man utd beat them like men against boys
2. Newcastle attempt to play against them and hold on for the draw
3. Newcastle pressure them and cracks appear in their (Man utd’s) defence and Newcastle take the win
I really want Newcastle to beat them but experience is key in these kinds of matches and Man utd have more of it, so Shearer, Speed and Given will have to up their performance to another level to bring confidence to the team. Newcastle are not a team I would personally like to play right now because they were brilliant against Southampton and Dyer, Robert and Shearer are all on fire, but I bet you they will bend over for Man utd and with Bramble in Newcastle’s defence I can easily see Scholes and RVN exploiting him.
Anyway, we need to worry about own match and I hope we beat Boro to get our confidence back!!!
Come On You Gunners!!!!
We took an undeserved lead through Kanu, and Cole saved one off the line and Rooney missed a sitter. Then in the 75th minute Martyn takes a long goal kick, and Ferguson beat Cygan to the header too easily, Cole made a mistake as he should have cleared it and Jeffers took a good shot and it was probably better than any shot I have seen him take at Arsenal which Lehmann does well to save, and Radzinski was there to make sure he puts in with a good finish. Just before they scored Henry had a golden chance to finish the game off as it was him and Kanu against one defender, but he hesitated and took too long. Henry is a great player, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I wish he would just take a shot himself if he was in a position like yesterday.
Middlesboro are a very good team and although they have recently been getting a bad name for being a boring football team that cannot score this will not be an easy match. This will be our first match against them this month, as we have to play them another three times after this match. We beat them 4-0 at the Riverside earlier on this season when we probably played the best football of the season for the first half hour of the game. We were quick, direct and critical and very scary on the counter attack in the match, and that is when Arsenal are at their best. Another thing about boro is that Mclaren is their manager and will want to do his mate Ferguson a favour by taking three points off us.
Below is a list of their key players in my view:
Juninho + Mendieta – key men 1
Job + Nemeth – Key Men 2
Mills – Key Man 3
Southgate + Ehiough – Key Men 4
Schwarzer – Key Man 5
Boro will come to Highbury with confidence after getting a good win against Fulham at home. Below is the best team line up I think Wenger should put out:
Lehmann
Lauren Campbell Keown Cole
Ljungberg Vieira Edu Pires
Kanu Henry
I heard Toure is injured so I would put Lauren at right back. Cygan was very poor yesterday and I would rather have Keown because he is so solid. I would also bring in Edu as we will need his creativity. But Wenger will probably go with:
Lehmann
Lauren Campbell Cygan Cole
Ljungberg Vieira Gilberto Pires
Kanu Henry
I really hope we win this match as we will need it as a morale booster but it will be very difficult. Also Man utd take on Newcastle and I have three different scenarios about the way this match can go:
1. Man utd beat them like men against boys
2. Newcastle attempt to play against them and hold on for the draw
3. Newcastle pressure them and cracks appear in their (Man utd’s) defence and Newcastle take the win
I really want Newcastle to beat them but experience is key in these kinds of matches and Man utd have more of it, so Shearer, Speed and Given will have to up their performance to another level to bring confidence to the team. Newcastle are not a team I would personally like to play right now because they were brilliant against Southampton and Dyer, Robert and Shearer are all on fire, but I bet you they will bend over for Man utd and with Bramble in Newcastle’s defence I can easily see Scholes and RVN exploiting him.
Anyway, we need to worry about own match and I hope we beat Boro to get our confidence back!!!
Come On You Gunners!!!!
