UCL: Arsenal vs Olympiacos | 29/09/09, 19:45 | SSX

[qs]

Good peformance. Really pleased with William Gallas's form, I think he is now finally been accepted as an Arsenal player.

TBH even I'm pleased with Gallas form (City aside) so he must be doing something right. Vermaelen makes a difference to him too.

 

[Klaus Daimler]

Well played Arsenal, nice football tonight and good to see Cesc, Rvp and AA clicking.

Apparently Vermaelen cut his own hand off for fun in the dressing room, hence the bandage...by the time he walked on to the pitch it had grown back.

see klaus that's wot you should have said!

Damnit. I hereby declare famous no 10 as my mortal enemy.

 

[sabret00the]

Just a couple points. For all of our possession and approach play, we were sup-par again in the final third. all our shots were low and at the keeper.

Shavva was once again disappointing, but no doubt better than previously. His dribbling is so underwhelming though. What he excels at is taking shots.

Eboue was our best player tonight and that was from right back and even leaving us exposed a few times.

Wenger going 4-2-4 was weird but it was beautiful and the most disciplined we've been formation wise.

Diaby was woeful and Song was clumsy.

Fabregas just doesn't look good as an attacking midfielder, when will we give up on that?

I agreed with all but one of Robin's in-box passes.

 

[Alfonso]

Just look at the names that were in our starting line up tonight:

Gallas
Fabregas
Rosicky
Arshavin
RvP.

In terms of names this is the best team we have had since 2004. Fans around Europe instantly recognise those names and it adds value to us as a club.

Gallas and Rosicky have been known for years in Europe, as youngsters 10 years ago they were both tipped to be the next best thing in their respective positions.

Finally, when oppositon players from Europe see those names on the team sheet it will install a fear factor, something we have not had since the days of Pires, Viera, Bergkamp and Henry

 

[Alfonso]

Btw, just a word on Song.

It used to infuriate me how Makelele was the master of the tactical foul, nothing nasty, just stopping attacks but with no yellow card. Song did that today.

I know Wenger complained about Fletcher doing this to us so we have to be able to see it from both sides. Song is also more than capable of numerous niggly fouls to break up counter attacks. Wenger may be referring to it more in the way that we are usually the side pushing forward and need the flow etc, its usually the defensive teams tactic.

 

[qs]

Btw, just a word on Song.

It used to infuriate me how Makelele was the master of the tactical foul, nothing nasty, just stopping attacks but with no yellow card. Song did that today.

I know Wenger complained about Fletcher doing this to us so we have to be able to see it from both sides. Song is also more than capable of numerous niggly fouls to break up counter attacks. Wenger may be referring to it more in the way that we are usually the side pushing forward and need the flow etc, its usually the defensive teams tactic.

Actually thats something I wanted to talk about in terms of Song. Like it or not its part of his job. Now I didn't notice him doing it tonight but against Fulham there were alot of times I thought he should've done it. Its definitely something he needs to add to his game. Too often he commits fouls in danger areas, he needs to commit them earlier to stop attacks and cause nothing free kicks.

 

[kamikaze80]

Just look at the names that were in our starting line up tonight:

Gallas
Fabregas
Rosicky
Arshavin
RvP.

In terms of names this is the best team we have had since 2004. Fans around Europe instantly recognise those names and it adds value to us as a club.

Finally, when oppositon players from Europe see those names on the team sheet it will install a fear factor, something we have not had since the days of Pires, Viera, Bergkamp and Henry

it's definitely a very solid core - not invincibles level, of course, but championship calibre. it's just the one missing CM we need.

 

[number_0]

Just a couple points. For all of our possession and approach play, we were sup-par again in the final third. all our shots were low and at the keeper.

Shavva was once again disappointing, but no doubt better than previously. His dribbling is so underwhelming though. What he excels at is taking shots.

Eboue was our best player tonight and that was from right back and even leaving us exposed a few times.

Wenger going 4-2-4 was weird but it was beautiful and the most disciplined we've been formation wise.

Diaby was woeful and Song was clumsy.

Fabregas just doesn't look good as an attacking midfielder, when will we give up on that?

I agreed with all but one of Robin's in-box passes.

This.
Never thought I'd agree with you one day.

 

[ibby]

So far this season in the Champions League: we've been awarded a penalty for a dive, been awarded 2 offside goals and had a goal that came off Gallas's back.

Some teams get all the luck..

 

[banduan]

So far this season in the Champions League: we've been awarded a penalty for a dive, been awarded 2 offside goals and had a goal that came off Gallas's back.

Some teams get all the luck..

I'm just nitpicking but the Liege goal wasn't offside but defo handball. OTOH, we didn't get a penalty against the Greeks when we should have.

 

[ibby]

You reckon that was handball? Definitely hit his hand but I wouldn't have given it.

 

[raphael_as]

So far this season in the Champions League: we've been awarded a penalty for a dive, been awarded 2 offside goals and had a goal that came off Gallas's back.

Some teams get all the luck.

WTF? you're *****ing about the team you (presumably) support getting the rub of the green?? Hell it's not even as if we've been getting it all our own way (ManU immediately springs to mind) so again WTF??

 

[Gurgen]

The worrying thing is that we still can't defend set pieces. Every game this season we have conceded at least one huge chance from a set piece. I think that is going to cost us come the business end of the season.

 

[sabret00the]

I hear what you're saying, but the defence is starting to come together, so it will improve. My biggest worry is about how greatly Diaby disrupts the balance of our midfield and how woeful he is in general. Really killed off a lot of attacks with poor decision making. We need him away from this club.

 

[Gurgen]

Did you see that moment where a goal kick came to him, there was no-one around and he headed it out for an Olympiakos throw in our own half?

 

[fabo]

Yeah definitely the worst player at the club who gets regular games.

The header was ridiculous and shows a lack of awareness....similar to the United OG.

 

[ibby]

WTF? you're *****ing about the team you (presumably) support getting the rub of the green?? Hell it's not even as if we've been getting it all our own way (ManU immediately springs to mind) so again WTF??

It was tongue in cheek you mong, I would have thought the ellipses would have given it away, clearly not..

And besides, if you were here when we lost to United, there is apparently a conspiracy against Arsenal, I don't see the same Arsenal fans complaining now about the poor refereeing. Double standards, but then again, it's expected (of course).

 

[redanddread]

The worrying thing is that we still can't defend set pieces. Every game this season we have conceded at least one huge chance from a set piece. I think that is going to cost us come the business end of the season.

You may be interested to know that (apprarently) 50% of all the EPL goals this year have come from set pieces.....so we are not the only ones having problems. I believe ALL of Liverpool's goals against (Hull??) have come from set pieces.

Conceding a chance and a goal are two way different things-however, I understand your concern and we still don't deal with set pieces as solidly as I would like. Lets hope it's just chances and not goals that we concede!

 

[HollandGooner]

One very positive note was that those four players where clicking all over the place Rosicky,Arshavin,Fabregas,RVP cant wait to have Nasri also back, damn.. it looks good..

 

[redanddread]

WTF? you're *****ing about the team you (presumably) support getting the rub of the green?? Hell it's not even as if we've been getting it all our own way (ManU immediately springs to mind) so again WTF??

It was tongue in cheek you mong, I would have thought the ellipses would have given it away, clearly not..

And besides, if you were here when we lost to United, there is apparently a conspiracy against Arsenal, I don't see the same Arsenal fans complaining now about the poor refereeing. Double standards, but then again, it's expected (of course).

Always is bro. U can rationalise why your team get's the wrong/bad call in their favour but always have problems justifying and accepting it when it goes against your team........only natural to defend & protect your own.