Sevilla V Arsenal - Tuesday November 27 - 7.45pm

[awooga83]

I don't think anyone is saying the teams that top the group are easy but they all have weaknesses in the past there has usually been one dominant team who has looked awesome and seemed unbeatable, that hasn't happened this year they all look fragile and best of all they look weak in their defence a crucial element in knockout football. I think we are capable of beating any of those sides.

As it is knockout football a bad performance in one game can often be your undoing not like the league stage so yeah one of these big teams could be tough they could also be total crap and we would be glad to play rather then the end of the season where everyone starts to focuse more on the trophy.

Luck plays a massive role in this tournament and the quality of teams isn't always reflected as you would expect.

 

[Alfonso]

Two reasons why you want to exit as late as possible if you don't win the Champs League:
1 - UEFA Champions League Coefficient;
2 - TV money

Very good point.

 

[awooga83]

Well its obvious you would like to exit as late as possible but playing smaller teams in the champions league doesn't really have a bearing either PSV last season. One off cup games anything can happen, get the perfect tactics you win comfortably, players hit top form you win comfortably get that bit of luck its see's you through irrespective of who you are playing against, no point getting hung up on it. All you do by saying you don't want to face a top team is show fear and the biggest weakness you can which is mental weakness.

 

[vin de guerre]

I think we have still a VERY good chance of finishing off in top spot. Steua are definitely out of their league, while Slava are unbeaten at home and Seville are definitely different proposition away from home! I reckon on Seville drawing and us getting a hat full at home!

 

[Herbert Chapman]

What I said at half time:



My midpoint musings


1) senderos really is pathetic, what is the point in having a third choice centre back that takes 5 games to get into any sort of form- hw wont be any good unless he is first choice forever- and he never will be here cos hes not half as good as Touré or galas, I’m sure djourou’s better as well, I think hoyte’s probably better there- as is Gilberto and song…that is it 7th choice centre back…a club of our stature does not need a centre back that cant ‘do’ football….what is the point in having a hefty fridge at CB if they loose EVERY header also???......Troure’s bailing him out- TROURE- first ever cl appearance!!!
2) Talking of armand- he’s done well
3) I’m pretty sure Gilberto is trying to cause a goal, did well to get back but an inexplicably bad clearance……
4) Touré shouldn’t have lost the guy by so much for the 2nd
5) It’s only a matter of time before bendtner replaces ade surely!!- he plays how ade wished he could
6) All the other players have done well


Stupid things commentators said-

“well that’s Touré- still a fullback by trade” STILL?????!
“Almunia should have done better for the 2nd goal”- WHAT??- give me a break, even the professional’s are being out of order to him, also comparing one of his saves to fat robbos’s rubbish England one- NO!!!- it bounced infront of his face, cnat catch them

- and to all the people saying al dissent shout in the lobby- watch him here……


the 2 least risky changes experienced Gilberto and relatively proven senderos- could single handedly loose us the game………………











what I’m thinking now:


ok guys, we can say ‘that defeat was inconsequential’ we can say in a more colloquial fashion “the loss don’t matter’- but the fact is, we clearly could have won that game with the personel on show, so why didn’t we….? We’ve lost our record- and we can speculate that that wont affect our morale- but we don’t know that

Almunia:7, did everything that was asked of him, looked like he didn’t believe he could save the pen, but to be honest, you cant criticise a GK for not saving a pentaly- helpless on the goals, speedy distribution etc etc etc, I’d have been sh*ting myself if I had to keep goal behind senderos playing like that

Hoyte-6.5-he did ok, he deserves the second rb spot…not a liability, like senderos

Touré:7.5, did the job of both CB’s, because senderos was, on this occasion, useless

Senderos:2, I NEVER give players lower than 5, but…jeez,…now, I don’t kow the politically correct term for this, so I ought to be careful, but is he a … ‘ret*rd’, ok maybe if he spent a little less time learning 5 languages and a little more learning how to be a centre back, he might be some use- hell, maybe we can give him a job as a translator or interpreter……caused the first goal, nearly caused other, cant kick the ball, lost every header except one- and how tall and strong is he?-lots, lots is the answer, he also seemed to forget which sport he was playing at one point and picked up the ball……
Troure:7- did really really well, offensively and defensivly, if clichy is coleII, does that make him coleIII?- good presopect, I don’t neccesarilly see him overtaking clichy- but could make a lot of money on him if he isn’t happy as number 2……bailed senderos out on a couple of occasions

Eboue:7.5- slowly turning into a good winger I reckon…good skills, nice and direct, won a penalty that wasn’t given…had to do a bit defensibly as well because of cr*py senderos…

Denilson:7- gets booked a lot, gives away a lot of freekicks but great passing range- was driving the midfield today

Cesc:6- didn’t really look like he could be bothered- he had nothing to prove like most of the other guys out there…good friends with senderos apparently- I’d say he needs to have words

Gilberto:5.5- atrocious first half, rubbish attempt at a clearance, and a stupid number of hospital balls- I remember he’s always done them, don’t get them with flamini…should the majority that he has and senderos dosent in order to improve in the 2nd half-

Eduardo:- 7.5- good finish, always a danger, did well in a position that isn’t his favourite, would have been the match winner if it weren’t for senderos

Bendtner-8.5- brilliant, hold the ball up in a 451 like he’s been doing it for 20 years, and a great cross to eddy, if we insist on playing 451, it has to be him over ade, he cant be far of the forst 11, especially if robin still aint ready, he’s tall like senderos, although curiously, not crap like him…….

Rosicky:-5- was on the pitch for a good half our- did anyone else see him- maybe he was talking to senderos- cos philipe certainly wasn’t doing any defending??

Sagna:-5:- ‘quick our defence is struggling, senderos is having a Campbell-esque breakdown- yep, just like last time he played and got sent off…he’s swinging his feet at the ball, jumping around randomly, god! He’s just picked up the ball, get sagna ready’ ‘who will we take off?’- ‘hoyte of course…’ no influence, mind you, it is difficult from RB

Wallcott-5- ‘quick senderos nearly gave away another penalty- we’re struggling, ebout is our only threat from midfield, we need to make a change, seriously, eboue is the only one who is doing any good offensively, get Walcott ready’ ‘who will we take off?’- ‘eboue of course…’

Arsène- for managing-6.5- worth the rick with the changes, senderos wasn’t that big of a rixk, yet it was him who let us down
Arsène-for playing hide and seek with the fourth official, and probably being suspended for 8 games-10-genius……..



We just didn’t come back after we conceded, that’s a mental problem, not mental as in senderos is mental, ut mental as in- if our 2 strongest mental players were on the field (flamini and galas)- we would have picked ourselves up and finished them off….

…I know it isn’t the end of the world, but….but we could have done soooo much better, and it is such a philiping shame that we didn’t…


Terrible ref…missed our penalty, got every other goalkick/corner decision wrong, and had to eat his wistle when the lino corrected him (at least he listened)- but then he seemed determined to give another pen…and did when three people fell over……….and on that note, all these people saying that sevillia are a great footballing side?- not consistently they aint- I’ve never seen a bigger bunch of divers since the last Olympics…they make eboue look like he always stays on his feet….the were jumping around everywhere like there was a sniper in the stands…



To summarise- disapointing……should’ve just written that, would have saved all our time..

Had me In stiches thanks for that

As for the result, keep calm everone, we took a gamble (not that big in my opinion and yes we came unstuck, we had them chasing shadows for 15 mins and took the lead playing "the Arsenal way"

Problem is we then **** ourselves and imploded.

The way I see it their exposure to the top level of European Football ultimatley will be more significant than the result last night. For instance, Traore will not recieve a bigger roasting than he was given last night by anyother team he faces for the rest of the season. I feel this was a baptisum of Fire to show the younger ones just how good they have to be.

As for Senderos, maybe his exposure was the proof the he just aint gonna fit into our footballing way.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article516568.ece

"Wenger" after game.

He admitted: “I did gamble with my team but I don’t regret it. I wanted some players to be exposed to the top level.”

 

[Zico]

I think we have still a VERY good chance of finishing off in top spot. Steua are definitely out of their league, while Slava are unbeaten at home and Seville are definitely different proposition away from home! I reckon on Seville drawing and us getting a hat full at home!

There is one very small problem. Neither Slavia nor Steaua have anything to play for anymore. Slavia are definitely going to the UEFA cup and Steaua are definitely out of European competition. Now, those ARE teams that can afford to send out second string sides in the last match.

 

[number_0]

seriously which team do you fear the most?
milan is well past it, i dont think they can handle our pace

That's what people said last year and Milan ended up winning the CL. The fact that they are so experienced and have that proven record in the comp is their competitive advantage. They know when to raise it up when they have to.

If we were to finish second, I would rather face one of the two big Spanish clubs than one of the Milan sides. The Spanish sides are more flaky.

United should have beat AC last season. They were by far the better side in the first leg. They can't handle the pace of the English teams, especially us. We can do that to them and then hold them to a draw away.

Milan controlled the game at OT untill Gattuso got injured. Anyway, did you not see what Milan did to them in the second leg? When was the last time you saw Man Utd get destroyed like that?

Playing them away in the San Siro in a knock out stage is prob the toughest game in club football.

milan is a great side no doubt about it, but have they imporved from last year? i dont think so, ronaldo isnt much of an improvement over gilardino and inzagi, he will prebebly be injured at the time.
is pato even regestered for the CL even?

manu were utterly crap in san siro from futigue, vidic was all over the place, and their maginificance rooney and ronaldo were stationary in attack, but credits to milan! that was one of the best games they played in the CL ever.

imo better face them in the second round then in the semis or finals where the stakes are higher, that my only reason i want them ASAP.

 

[nidza7]

where`s Villa game match thread?

 

[>YounGunner<]

Weve learnt yesterday that Traore is clearly not ready for this level. The amount of times he went missing in the left back slot was shocking. All i saw in the 2nd half was Naves bringing a ball down in a crossing position with Traore ordering a big mac in the local Mcdonalds.

 

[RockyRocastle]

What a fantastic place Seville is. A belter of an away trip apart from 90 odd minutes somewhere in the middle which just proved a inconvenience getting in the way of all the drinking, eating and trying your luck with all the sexy spanish sorts. Always the case on Euro aways through.

Ive just scanned through some of the responses on here and not surprised to see all the moaning and knee jerk reactions.

I couldnt actually give ****. We lost? So what?

If Ade, Gallas, Clichy, Rosicky and Flamini have great games on Saturday and we win, well done Arsène Wenger.

Id take three points on Saturday over winning last night every day.

It is all about the league this year, that is where our priorities are, although based on last night a certain bald headed fellow who always looks like he's about to cry could mess that up for us!

I say bring on Barca in the next round and have two fantastic games, and if we go out we go out. Then concentrate 100% on the league.

 

[Dragon181]

What a fantastic place Seville is. A belter of an away trip apart from 90 odd minutes somewhere in the middle which just proved a inconvenience getting in the way of all the drinking, eating and trying your luck with all the sexy spanish sorts. Always the case on Euro aways through.

Ive just scanned through some of the responses on here and not surprised to see all the moaning and knee jerk reactions.

I couldnt actually give f**k. We lost? So what?

If Ade, Gallas, Clichy, Rosicky and Flamini have great games on Saturday and we win, well done Arsène Wenger.

Id take three points on Saturday over winning last night every day.

It is all about the league this year, that is where our priorities are, although based on last night a certain bald headed fellow who always looks like he's about to cry could mess that up for us!

I say bring on Barca in the next round and have two fantastic games, and if we go out we go out. Then concentrate 100% on the league.

Personally, I'm greedy and want it all: League, Carling Cup, FA Cup, and Champions League. And I think we could take it all.

But I do agree that last night's loss was not as debilitating as some here might think. Besides I think a fully healthy side would dismantle anyone else we could play. Bring on Milan, Barca, Inter, Porto, and whoever else wins their group. We are the Arsenal. We bow down to no one.

 

[MDGoonah41]

This still begs the question; if Wenger didn't care about last night's result, why play Fabregas? I don't buy the "rustiness" excuse, Cesc needs rest, not games. Now our best player is likely to miss our next match. Why couldn't Diarra start if the game was meaningless?

 

[tam1886]

I havent seen anything about Fabregas' injury today, but I'm sure he's fine. As I remember, he was moving ok, and didn't look injured. He got taken off as a precaution because he felt his left hamstring was a bit tight.

I don't think he's injured, and I'm sure he;ll be fine for Villa.

 

[Macho]

What a fantastic place Seville is. A belter of an away trip apart from 90 odd minutes somewhere in the middle which just proved a inconvenience getting in the way of all the drinking, eating and trying your luck with all the sexy spanish sorts. Always the case on Euro aways through.

Ive just scanned through some of the responses on here and not surprised to see all the moaning and knee jerk reactions.

I couldnt actually give f**k. We lost? So what?

If Ade, Gallas, Clichy, Rosicky and Flamini have great games on Saturday and we win, well done Arsène Wenger.

Id take three points on Saturday over winning last night every day.

It is all about the league this year, that is where our priorities are, although based on last night a certain bald headed fellow who always looks like he's about to cry could mess that up for us!

I say bring on Barca in the next round and have two fantastic games, and if we go out we go out. Then concentrate 100% on the league.

Wenger has got his eye on the league aswell, particularly the December period. Not that he is favouring one or the other, but we already qualified Wenger thought he did the right thing on fielding a weaker side.

Wenger: "For me the unbeaten record in the Champions League is not important. What was important was to qualify and do well the Premier League. We had to make a decision because we have a very heavy programme. You could see some players who played all the games got injured. We have a very important December. I knew we had to make choice in the different competitions and, to me, December is based on the Premier League."

I personally agree with him. A loss is hard to take, but perhaps it will be a small price to pay.

 

[Rohit]

Why is a loss so hard to take when we didn't deserve to win, when we wern't really hard done by the refree and we had half our first teamers out?

If our players start finding a loss hard to digest we'll crumble like we did in '04 after Old Trafford.

 

[vin de guerre]

I think we have still a VERY good chance of finishing off in top spot. Steua are definitely out of their league, while Slava are unbeaten at home and Seville are definitely different proposition away from home! I reckon on Seville drawing and us getting a hat full at home!

There is one very small problem. Neither Slavia nor Steaua have anything to play for anymore. Slavia are definitely going to the UEFA cup and Steaua are definitely out of European competition. Now, those ARE teams that can afford to send out second string sides in the last match.

Now I dont really want to rub this in! :evil: :evil: ops:

BUT

If my memory serves me right. We, being Israel had nothing to play for against Russia and look what happened!

On the other hand, they may throw the game to win £50k Merc!

 

[Zico]

I think we have still a VERY good chance of finishing off in top spot. Steua are definitely out of their league, while Slava are unbeaten at home and Seville are definitely different proposition away from home! I reckon on Seville drawing and us getting a hat full at home!

There is one very small problem. Neither Slavia nor Steaua have anything to play for anymore. Slavia are definitely going to the UEFA cup and Steaua are definitely out of European competition. Now, those ARE teams that can afford to send out second string sides in the last match.

Now I dont really want to rub this in! :evil: :evil: ops:

BUT

If my memory serves me right. We, being Israel had nothing to play for against Russia and look what happened!

On the other hand, they may throw the game to win £50k Merc!

I think the stakes were higher in that case. It was a national game with lots of international scrutiny (due to the incompetence of the English national team). Israel's coach could simply not afford to send out a losing side.

The Stauea and Slavia coaches probably shouldn't care much given that their places are fixed and both Sevilla and Arsenal are in the knockout stage.

 

[Timleaf]

It's nice to finish top of the group, but then it's also nice to win every game you ever play...it would be nice if your top players never, ever got tired.

But then in the real world these 'nice' things don't always happen. Sometimes you have to make-do and overcome...without *****ing and moaning like a bunch of housewives!

 

[CrazyInLoveWithArsenal]

Slavia might well get a result against Sevilla. They are unbeaten at home in the CL and have beaten Ajax there this season.

 

[vin de guerre]

I think we have still a VERY good chance of finishing off in top spot. Steua are definitely out of their league, while Slava are unbeaten at home and Seville are definitely different proposition away from home! I reckon on Seville drawing and us getting a hat full at home!

There is one very small problem. Neither Slavia nor Steaua have anything to play for anymore. Slavia are definitely going to the UEFA cup and Steaua are definitely out of European competition. Now, those ARE teams that can afford to send out second string sides in the last match.

Now I dont really want to rub this in! :evil: :evil: ops:

BUT

If my memory serves me right. We, being Israel had nothing to play for against Russia and look what happened!

On the other hand, they may throw the game to win £50k Merc!

I think the stakes were higher in that case. It was a national game with lots of international scrutiny (due to the incompetence of the English national team). Israel's coach could simply not afford to send out a losing side.

The Stauea and Slavia coaches probably shouldn't care much given that their places are fixed and both Sevilla and Arsenal are in the knockout stage.

You dont know the National coach and yes we sent out a bunch of kids (average age of 22!) They beat Russia because of two major points:
1; A good opertunity to show there is still pride in the profession.
2; A good display window to get into EPL!
Slavia are unbeaten at home and I think they will want to keep it that way! It is worth boasting about. Where as Steua have no reason to be cheerful.