PL: Manchester City vs Arsenal | 26/08/06

[hellolo]

I hope yesterdays game showed people how good Gilberto is, the amount of times he covered for Eboue and Hoyte was amazing, best reader of the game

 

[Fredrock]

anyone for joey barton and cesc in midfield together? we could do with someone who gets stuck in and goes forward with real purpose.

Sounds good to me! Someone who actually plays a bit dirty but can attack as well as defend. However, I don't want Gilberto out of our midfield as I think that he is our best player at the moment. He's grown into a giant in midfield and I think he is more or less carrying the team on his shoulders until TH and Freddie are fit. He is becoming the physical presence we have lacked since PV4 left. He was everywhere yesterday, clearing the ball in our penalty area as well as finishing attacks in theirs. Cesc, Barton and Gilberto in those games where we employ a 4-5-1.

 

[MsianGonners (Erwan)]

We conrol the game..from the start to the end...we have lots of chances in front of goals...i dont know what happen to the team...the like of Hleb, Rosicky and Fabregas is too afraid to shoot ouside of the box....the lads too happy to pass the ball among them..by the time one of them decided to have a go...Man City players already covered the possition well...it's really disappointing...We lost away game again, we did nof finish the job...we can easily lead 4-0 at half time...Hoyte is our weekest link...

 

[MsianGonners (Erwan)]

We conrol the game..from the start to the end...we have lots of chances in front of goals...i dont know what happen to the team...the like of Hleb, Rosicky and Fabregas is too afraid to shoot ouside of the box....the lads too happy to pass the ball among them..by the time one of them decided to have a go...Man City players already covered the possition well...it's really disappointing...We lost away game again, we did nof finish the job...we can easily lead 4-0 at half time...Hoyte is our weekest link...

 

[kid_A]

its like watching last season all over again

 

[sabret00the]

reyes or ribery ?

Ribery all day everyday, if there's ever a player we needed, it's him, he has all the attributes in regards to what we're missing in the final third.

 

[cubbz_th14]

I hope yesterdays game showed people how good Gilberto is, the amount of times he covered for Eboue and Hoyte was amazing, best reader of the game

true, he seems to be unsung hero of the term - just because he is brazillian people expect him to do joga bonito ****, defensively he was quality yesterday and saved eboue's ass

 

[sabret00the]

I'm a lot more relaxed now and apologize to those especailly Sabre who I cussed earlier.

no probs, it's all post-match reaction, can't hold that against ya.

RVP wasn't that good today. All those saying he was this and that also get a grip he was as guilty as Thierry missing chances.

the difference is one took his chances at goal, worked for the team, particularly in regards to movement, while the other wanted the ball to feet, didn't have a shot on goal from open play and refused to jump for balls, not to mention dilly-dallied in front of goal when we were in need of a goal.

i'm not saying that RvP was fantastic and you have to feel that, you're entitled to your own views and i'll respect them. but to compare his performance to Henry's is taking it a bit far.

As for Henry needing games to get fit, you're right, but playing 90 minutes when unfit leads to problems such a groin strains and cramps later in the season and to leave him up front centre and force the better striker to the wing where he was stuck trying to provide width at the expense of providing a threat is a bit a joke.

 

[sabret00the]

Speaking of Pires I think we are missing him abit.

But I am too tired to bother explaining why and I need to be up at 6.

Night all.

We really lack width at the moment, Pires was an intelligent player, he knew only to come inside when Ash overlapped or Henry came outside thus we always had width on the left and we exploited it. We now try and play everything through the middle and it's getting easy to crowd us out. Very reminiscant of when we couldn't break down 4-5-1's due to a lack of width.

 

[sabret00the]

Classic example in the second half when he worked his way to the by-line at the edge of the six-yard box and then hammered an uncontrollable ball backwards to Kolo when we had a man right in the centre of the goal. Ludicrous!

yeah, ignoring everything he did up to that point...

hleb, and rosicky, are the only players at arsenal who have the skill and talent to cut through the back four like he did there. sure, the final ball was a bit sloppy, but everything up to that point was nothing short of world class.

...and i'm not afraid to say it again, rosicky and hleb are the two best wingers in the world. they play football exactly how the game was meant to be played.

they aint wingers though

Overmars, Giggs, Pires, Ronaldo, Duff, Robben

they are wingers

hleb and rosicky and got the lethal last ball to the forwards

and yet at Arsenal it will NEVER be the LAST BALL

 

[celestis]

I think Walcott is going to be what Reyes should have been.

 

[RocktheCasbah]

I'm a lot more relaxed now and apologize to those especailly Sabre who I cussed earlier.

no probs, it's all post-match reaction, can't hold that against ya.

RVP wasn't that good today. All those saying he was this and that also get a grip he was as guilty as Thierry missing chances.

the difference is one took his chances at goal, worked for the team, particularly in regards to movement, while the other wanted the ball to feet, didn't have a shot on goal from open play and refused to jump for balls, not to mention dilly-dallied in front of goal when we were in need of a goal.

Fairly clear you're referring to Henry in this post, while he had one of the worst games in a finishing sense that I've seen from him in an Arsenal shirt, you seem to have forgotten the the two one on ones he had, one of which was created by a lovely little spin between the defenders. They were from open play, no?

 

[jester]

also when he was through from the defensive mistake and kicked it at the keeper

 

[sabret00the]

I'm a lot more relaxed now and apologize to those especailly Sabre who I cussed earlier.

no probs, it's all post-match reaction, can't hold that against ya.

RVP wasn't that good today. All those saying he was this and that also get a grip he was as guilty as Thierry missing chances.

the difference is one took his chances at goal, worked for the team, particularly in regards to movement, while the other wanted the ball to feet, didn't have a shot on goal from open play and refused to jump for balls, not to mention dilly-dallied in front of goal when we were in need of a goal.

Fairly clear you're referring to Henry in this post, while he had one of the worst games in a finishing sense that I've seen from him in an Arsenal shirt, you seem to have forgotten the the two one on ones he had, one of which was created by a lovely little spin between the defenders. They were from open play, no?

my memories short, i'll admit i need to rewatch the game or atleast the highlights, but wasn't one a wayward (or was it a pass to the keeper) shot and didn't the other fizzle out from him dilly-dallying.

Btw, i was referring to Henry openly, i didn't mean it to be a backhanded infer type thing, i thought highlighting his name both in jay-d's post and my own would've shown that.

 

[Gurgen]

What I find remarkable is that everyone criticizes RvP for not working for the team, yet yesterday he did exactly that and he still gets stick because he didn't score. I'd laugh if it wasn't so ridiculous.

Henry however could have cut back for an RvP tap in twice but chose the weak shot instead. I shudder to think what would happen on here if RvP had done that.

 

[celestis]

You talking about that one on one with the keeper ? With RVP open on the other side. In truth I thought the same thing , but frankly the truth is a striker in that position should always shoot . If Henry had passed that , then I would have been worried he was having a confidence crisis.

 

[Gurgen]

You talking about that one on one with the keeper ? With RVP open on the other side. In truth I thought the same thing , but frankly the truth is a striker in that position should always shoot . If Henry had passed that , then I would have been worried he was having a confidence crisis.

So do I, I too think he should shoot.

But I think RvP should be allowed to shoot from such a position as well. Only when he does and misses everyone is on his back.

If you're a striker and open in the box you shoot on goal. Plain and simple. Or at least you get to make your own mind up. RvP is a big boy after all.

 

[celestis]

You talking about that one on one with the keeper ? With RVP open on the other side. In truth I thought the same thing , but frankly the truth is a striker in that position should always shoot . If Henry had passed that , then I would have been worried he was having a confidence crisis.

So do I, I too think he should shoot.

But I think RvP should be allowed to shoot from such a position as well. Only when he does and misses everyone is on his back.

If you're a striker and open in the box you shoot on goal. Plain and simple. Or at least you get to make your own mind up. RvP is a big boy after all.

For sure RVP. in that position should shoot. It's about time the entire team take that responsibiliy up instead of looking for Henry evenhough he is standing behind them.
Reason I think that people get on his back is because whenever he has time you think he will score. I for one always get out of my seat whenver he even looks like shaping for a shot, such is his aura. I will say though for the amount of times he has hit the bar he is owed a few.

 

[eye4goal]

Watched the game. Watched the highlights and re-watched the game and tried to analyse our shortcomings. Apart from Henry we are on the same boat as everybody else with regards to players coming late from the world cup. Something is wrong about Henry something more than his sharpness. Henry thinks that we still need some players. Henry is trying to find his way back to fitness in a competitive game. Why doesnt Wenger sub him then? This is a problem at the moment. Van Persie is fine he is playing more for the team he always manages to hit the target. He will be a phenomenal player in a season or two. Hleb and Gilberto I think are our two best players now followed by Toure, Walcott and Fabregas.

With regards to our game plan and style of play. With Rosicky and Hleb our team has no midfield shape I dont think these two can play together esp in the prem. Ljungberg has the experience and understanding of the game but I dont think he is as good as he used to be. Ljungerg Gilberto Cesc Hleb is the best option at the moment. If we keep Reyes we will be fine with Walcott coming on as a sub. I think Reyes is more usefull than we think we really need to replace him

We need afew players to come in. Mascherano would be great. We should also try to swap Reyes with Maxi Rodriguez who I always thought of as a more complete player than Ribery

 

[gooner_singh]

So many people on here are prospective arsenal managers, got solutions to all the problems.Buying a player you saw do well for another team does not mean he will do the same for arsenal, thats if he comes to arsenal. I for one will not make any suggestions to buy players, wenger can buy anyone he wants but it will not be anyone who people would recommend, likes of maxi rodriguez, many people who recommend players have probably never seen them play 90minutes.

It is easy to say buy him n him, never that easy, arsenal have not lost because we did not buy, should have beaten the likes of man city but oh well, maybe an off day and hope it does not happen again.

Getting tired of this man united game, from what I saw yesterday watford did pretty well against them, its not like man united suddenly became the best team on earth and arsenal should be scared, a lot can happen till that game.If all you are concerned about left back position, then cole would be playing there and he is more than able to cope with ronaldo. Man to man, arsenal first team can match anyone as long as everyone is fit. Had we won the first two games, it would be all smiles and people thinking yeah wengers kids have come to the party, there is time left and even chelsea have lost, for those who think they will win the title unchallenged.

It will all come good in the end...