United V Arsenal [Sat 16 May; 12:45]

[Biggus]

The value of a player is irrelevant the mentality of our players on the whole is wrong. We need stronger characters and guys who feel genuine pain when losing not hit the clubs the night after a bad loss....

I'm guessing Biggus was making a height joke?

1.75 metres...

You got it Atmo, sorry Jazz I should have said 5'10" or something.

Bollox.

Whats the point in quoting the guys whole post if you're just going to say one word (and a rude one at that). :roll:

 

[32inchVerticalLeap]

The value of a player is irrelevant the mentality of our players on the whole is wrong. We need stronger characters and guys who feel genuine pain when losing not hit the clubs the night after a bad loss....

I'm guessing Biggus was making a height joke?

1.75 metres...

You got it Atmo, sorry Jazz I should have said 5'10" or something.

Bollox.

Whats the point in quoting the guys whole post if you're just going to say one word (and a rude one at that). :roll:

Because it summed up my thoughts. And i did highlight the part i was referring to.

 

[tam1886]

And hey, it would be typical of us to actually bloody perform when it seems against all the odds and rationality for us to do so.

Obviously I want us to win, I'm not one of those who look for us to lose to be taught lessons, but if we do pull it off, it's going to be so incredibly annoying and frustrating. For the simple fact that we'll hear the words character, strength, development, and quality. All things we couldn't seem to muster together when it mattered, yet which will be held up to show how far we have come. In fact, I've just realised while typing this that we're going to get them even if we lose. I've just depressed myself

Screw that - winning at Old Trafford would definitely be special, and would at least set up an interesting last day of the season.

Hull playing Manchester United, winner takes all... At least that way, one of the teams I f****g hate will get screwed.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing I'd like more than to beat them and have them sweating over the title. It's just that if we beat them, we're going to get the same old stories telling us how fantastoc the team is and how close we are. Hearing that would be a right pain in the arse if we do indeed beat them. Football-wise it would be great, but the spin it would generate might be a nightmare.

 

[Proof]

I don't want those ****s from Man.Utd. to win the title against The Arsenal. Hopefully our players will put on 'hubris' performance especially for the fans. A 0-4 would be sweet.

------------------- Almunia ------------------
--- Sagna ----- Toure ---- Djourou ---- Eboue ---
--- Nasri --- Fabregas --- Song ----- Arshavin -----
-------------- Van Persie ---- Adebayor ------------

 

[AFCG7]

I think we'll get hammered.

 

[Lord Dula]

Guys do what I'm doing and stick a tenner on United.

 

[patrick42uk]

I think we'll get hammered.

Impaled. It will make for uncomfortable viewing.

 

[Sover]

The build up to this game is so underwhelming seeing as it's so irrelevant and we're no longer their equal. How far we've fallen these few seasons.

Hm, we were just 4 points off them last season, we haven't fallen that far.
We've already beaten them this season, no reason we can't do it again.
On our day with a first choice line up we're every bit as good as them.

Europe was a different game entirely, we froze and got punished for it.


This weekend we should be relaxed, nothing to lose and a few of our players will get the chance to prove a point.

It doesn't matter if we were just 4 points off last season because unlike us they didn't bottle it when it really mattered. They also won the Champions League. And they're probably going to repeat the Double this season.

Europe wasn't a different game. If anything, it was the exact same s***e we saw at Anfield except without the goals from our side. Lax defending but this time, we didn't have Andrei to curb our humiliation.

Our situation going into this game is no different than it was last week against Chelsea. Look what happened then.

There is a massive massive gulf in quality and experience between our side and the Big 3. The reality is, most of our starters wouldn't even make the bench for the likes of United and Chelsea.

If Arsène decides to do something positive about the squad this summer, perhaps it would be a different story but at the moment, I don't think we can make valid comparisons with those clubs.

Europe was a totally different game as it was the first of a 2 leg affair and the whole approach tactically was more inhibited than it can be on Saturday. The 2nd leg was unfortunate for 2 early errors kiling the tie. It's harsh to judge the team on just those 2 games.

On Sunday for 20 minutes we tore through Chelsea without Ashavin in the team and were lacking a clinical finish, but otherwise as good as them all over the pitch. All we're lacking is some good fortune. There certainly isn't any gulf between the teams. We're just 9 points behind a multi million pound Chelsea side, how can that be considered a gulf?

If there was massive gulf between us and the top 3 it has obviously developed in recent months as it's not that long ago we beat Utd, Chelsea and drew with Liverpool whilst playing with 10 men.

Sagna and Clichy are as good as any
Fabregas, Nasri, Ashavin are as good as any
RvP and Eduardo are as good as any

All these players would walk into a United, Chelsea and certainly Liverpool side.

The only players on show for Chelsea I'd take would be Cech and ,ironically, Anelka.

United I'd take Ferdinand and Vidic

Liverpool I'd take Alonso and Torres.

As for last season, we didn't bottle it - we just had too many critical injuries - Eduardo was one, but we were never the same at the back after Sagna went off at Chelsea.

 

[Sover]

I don't want those c**nts from Man.Utd. to win the title against The Arsenal. Hopefully our players will put on 'hubris' performance especially for the fans. A 0-4 would be sweet.

------------------- Almunia ------------------
--- Sagna ----- Touré ---- Djourou ---- Eboue ---
--- Nasri --- Fabregas --- Song ----- Arshavin -----
-------------- Van Persie ---- Adebayor ------------

I'd swap Gibbs for Eboue and put Ashavin up front with RvP, move Nasri to the left and Walcott on the right.


------------------- Almunia ------------------
--- Sagna ----- Touré ---- Djourou ---- Gibbs ---
--- Walcott --- Fabregas --- Song ----- Nasri -----
-------------- Van Persie ---- Arshavin ------------


And we're going to win 8))

 

[General]

No I've just come from watching ManU struggling with Wigan. If we set up properly on Saturday I expect us to match them too.

That's the hundred million dollar question! Do you really expect anything other than Cesc in the hole and Diaby or some other Neanderthal on the wing? If the past few weeks are anything to go by, we should see the usual balls setup.

 

[hackajack]

I'd play a front six of

Song Fabregas
Walcott Nasri Arshavin
Adebayor

... and tie Fabregas to Song with a 10-yard rope so he can't try that poxy switching with Nasri like he did v Chelsea.

 

[Rocafella]

If we play Cesc in the hole (which I doubt), we're in for it.

 

[JazzG]

The value of a player is irrelevant the mentality of our players on the whole is wrong. We need stronger characters and guys who feel genuine pain when losing not hit the clubs the night after a bad loss....

I'm guessing Biggus was making a height joke?

1.75 metres...

You got it Atmo, sorry Jazz I should have said 5'10" or something

Whoops ops: Saying that the £1.75m part might of been true as well

 

[Wenger14]

While thinking about this game, I was curious to see what our record against the top 3 has been like in recent seasons.

So for anyone interested, this is what it looks like in the last 3 seasons since our move to the emirates (might have a few errors):

Played: 26
Won: 8
Drawn: 9
Lost: 9
Goals For: 43
Goals Against: 47

Doesn't look too bad, but what it doesn't show is that 5 of those 8 wins came in the first 6 games against them in the last 3 seasons (twice against United and thrice against Liverpool, the other one being a draw at Stamford Bridge when we had quite a few key players out injured).

Our record after that is not pretty at all. The turning point was our loss against Chelsea in the Carling Cup Final.

Since that game:

Played: 20
Won: 3
Drawn: 8
Lost: 9
Goals For: 27
Goals Against: 41

These include losses of 1-4, 2-4 to Liverpool, 0-4, 1-3 to United and 1-4 to Chelsea.

We really have struggled against them in the last 2+ years.

 

[Captain]

No Titi. It's those massive players that are often the difference in those games.

 

[Sover]

Ferdinand definitely out tomorrow which is good news for us. United aren't the same without him, as was evident against Wigan on Wednesday.

If we play our strongest team we certainly have enough to cause an upset in this one.

Think positive thoughts

 

[progman07]

Fabianski

Toure Sagna Silvestre Eboue

Denilson Nasri Diaby Arshavin

Cesc

Ade


Play as many players out of position as possible (irony, all of these players have played in these positions before).

 

[Anzac]

Fabianski

Touré Sagna Silvestre Eboue

Denilson Nasri Diaby Arshavin

Cesc

Ade


Play as many players out of position as possible (irony, all of these players have played in these positions before).

In the best Maxwell Smart voice.......

Ah yes I see = the old Drunken Master "I don't know what the f*ck I'm Doing' trick........ :wink:

 

[McIntyre]

Ferdinand definitely out tomorrow which is good news for us. United aren't the same without him, as was evident against Wigan on Wednesday.

If Adebayor doesn't manage to get the better of Jonny Evans, then I think he'll need to go and take a long hard look in the mirror.

They'll probably detail Vidic to take on Ade, but he's got to get himself about and make sure he's up against Evans or the full backs as much as possible. Just as Drogba made sure he was always challenging the weaker or slower of our centre halves.

Play to your strengths and the opposition's weaknesses.

 

[atmosphere]

Ferdinand definitely out tomorrow which is good news for us. United aren't the same without him, as was evident against Wigan on Wednesday.

If Adebayor doesn't manage to get the better of Jonny Evans, then I think he'll need to go and take a long hard look in the mirror.

They'll probably detail Vidic to take on Ade, but he's got to get himself about and make sure he's up against Evans or the full backs as much as possible. Just as Drogba made sure he was always challenging the weaker or slower of our centre halves.

Play to your strengths and the opposition's weaknesses.

You just know he's gonna spend most of his time poncing about on the left side touchline where he has to run a marathon just to be able to circumnavigate John O'Bese.

Talking of which, I'd really like to see Theo play on the left to test old Paddy McGuinness as he's looked pretty ineffective up against Evra recently, who to be fair is no slouch. Like you say, our strengths v their weaknesses.