Player Ratings - CL: CSKA Moscow vs Arsenal | 17/10/06

[Jameel46]

Lehmann - 6 - could've done better with the goal

Gallas - 7 - looked solid

Toure - 7.5 - tackled well

Djourou - 6 - didn't do enough, should've blocked the freekick

Hoyte - 5 - didn't really get involved, but to be honest he didn't have much to do

VP - 5 - was too selfish during the best chance, didn't look interested

Gilberto - 6 - too many misplaced passes

Fabregas - 6.5 - couldn't start anything and got caught in possesion once or twice

Rosicky - 7 - main supplier to Henry

Hleb - 6 - didn't really get going

Henry - 6- should've had a goal, but most of the time his first touch was heavy and killed one or two chances

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Adebayor - 7 - looked lively & got involved, the team looked better going forward after he came on

Walcott - 6 - didn't make an impact but did well when on the ball

Clichy - 7 - looked good, looked determined, and more importantly looked fit

 

[Bergy_1995]

Lehmann - Not at fault for the goal, that was the wall. If Djourou or Fabregas had stood their ground it wouldn't have gone anywhere near the goal. Jens didn't do bad whatsoever, I'd give him 6.

Hoyte - Looked very inexperienced and made some elementary errors. Wenger should've played Clichy on the left, reshuffled the centre and put either Djourou, Gallas or Kolo right back. Deserves no more than a 4

Toure - Commanding throughout, tackles were impeccable and could always be counted on. Not a bad word to say really. Just wish we had 10 other Toure's on the pitch. 9

Djourou - Looked very shaky and prone to error like Hoyte but improved as the game went on. Made a menze for a dire first half. Still has a fair bit to learn - although to be fair it was a big test for him. 5.9

Gallas - Much like Toure seemed one of the better players on the pitch and remained solid throughout. Only bad word: got caught on one or more occasions... however made up for it with some great tackles. 7

Hleb - I was literaly tearing my hair out last night with this guy. What on earth was he doing? Very wasteful throughout the game and showed no signs of getting better. Dire performance. 3

Gilberto - Not much better than Hleb to be honest. Got caught far too many times and insisted on giving the ball away. Didn't offer enough cover to deal with Carvalho either. The guy needs to improve on a more consistent basis or Wenger will replace him. 5

Fabregas - Didn't have a good first half at all and was dominated by Dudu. However he turned things round somewhat midway through the second half and set up some good play, not to mention his last ditch tackle on Dudu to prevent a goal. If other players had been up-to it we might've had some goals from his play. 6.9

Rosicky - Always a threat, great on the ball. Again, like with Fabregas, if other players had been more up to it I'm sure Rosicky would've been much more effective. Some great touches, invention and all-round threat. Best attacking player. 8

Van Persie - Looked a complete waste on the left-wing and too predictable. Persie is a striker and should've been played through the centre - or at least on the right like he does with Holland. Pretty poor display from Robin, missed too great chances. 5

Henry - Obviously unlucky with the disallowed goal but to be honest - other than that he simply wasn't involved enough. If Arsenal are to win a game, it more often than not involves Henry. He wasn't given enough supply for a start, and with Persie occupying that favoured forward left-side position he likes, there wasn't much he could do. Defenders were close all night long, so a pretty quiet night for Thierry. 6

Subs
Adebayor 6 - Looked lively
Walcott 6 - Same
Clichy 7 - Our first team left back. Woohoo. Very encouraging return

 

[Clrnc]

lehmann 6.5 - not at fault for goal. made decent saves

hoyte 5.5 - poor lad. attacked by cska throughout and he cant cope.

djourou 6 - shown his inexperience. way to go.

toure 7 - solid, including a wonderful last ditch tackle.

gallas 7 - same^

gilberto 6 - misplaced lotsa passes. not his day

hleb 6 - spectator

cesc 6.5 - couldn't cope too

rosicky 6.5 - tried and tried. provided good services.

rvp 6 - indecisiveness cost us

henry 6 - ineffective

subs
ade 6.5 - once he came on everything changed.
walcott 6 - lively, though had little of the ball
clichy 7 - can see how much he changed the whole play once he comes on

 

[Fouz]

Lehmann - Not at fault for the goal, that was the wall. If Djourou or Fabregas had stood their ground it wouldn't have gone anywhere near the goal. Jens didn't do bad whatsoever, I'd give him 6.

Totally agree with Bergy, Our only chance for stopping that goal was for either Cesc or Djourou to block it, which I don't really blame them for not. However, with such power, Jens had very little time to see where to ball was going.

 

[wowwow.]

Hoyte was raped numerous times by Zherkov. When Chelsea played CSKA two years ago, Zhirkov did likewise to Glen Johnson, winning a penalty from him, and eventually getting him sent off.
We needed an outlet tonight down the flanks. Hleb and Eboue have an understanding which works very well. Hoyte looks like a rabbit in the headlights, not daring to commit forward because he knows his defending is substandard. Hleb came infield, as he usually does, but then the RB didn't overlap to keep the width, making Arsenal very narrow in the final third, and basically piling bodies on top of bodies.

I am not Wenger, evidently, but this is what I would have done: Assuming Clichy and Eboue weren't fit, I'd have played Walcott on the left of a 4-4-2 with Adebayor and Henry up front. Walcott could have got some chalk his boots, providing the width and outlet on the left that Eboue usually gives us on the right. Adebayor would have allowed us to win some more aerial possession, and mix it up with the 3 CBs Moscow played. Henry just can't play against 3 men, he was swamped and overrun.

I love Van Persie, his attitude and his outrageous skill. However, on a bad pitch and a cold day, against a pretty physical and canny side, I don't think his style of game would work. He was always looking to cut inside, and the bobbling pitch meant his delicate touches often went astray. He is wasted on the left, and maybe should be played on the right of the 4-5-1, with Walcott or Hleb on the left.

is it entirely necessary to use the word raped i think its inappropriate and i am sure you could find a more fitting word,or has this site attracted the lowest type of ****.