Topic: You have to take your hat off to Arsene Wenger...

[rushyman]

Gooner

why didnt Henry start?

and do you want to kill Hleb?

[USgooner]

Gooner

why didnt Henry start?

and do you want to kill Hleb?

Henry has been out for 2 weeks. and now after only playing 30min today, he done his groin and out for at least 3 weeks. so he certainly will miss our trip tr Anfield.

[Rizla]

Interesting interview...said PSV were well marshaled but any of the remaining English sides would beat them in his opinion

Been a bit of a bad few weeks for Mr Wenger. But that's football which is like everything else in life, you can be going along smoothly on the crest of a wave then all of a sudden things start going tits up...

[¡Basta Ya!]

Cesc Fabregas is the most overrated foreigner in the league by a fucking mile.

Thought he was distinctly average again tonight too.

[TipTopKop]

Interesting interview...said PSV were well marshaled but any of the remaining English sides would beat them in his opinion

Been a bit of a bad few weeks for Mr Wenger. But that's football which is like everything else in life, you can be going along smoothly on the crest of a wave then all of a sudden things start going tits up...

The thing is, they had a chance to put the game away, many chances, good posession, but not finishing (wonder where we've seen that), and so as long as this went on, a goal the other always looked like it could spell trouble, and sure enough it did. They were also missing V. Persie, Rosicky, and Henry wasn't all there, but still should have put the game away.

[USgooner]

The thing is, they had a chance to put the game away, many chances, good posession, but not finishing (wonder where we've seen that), and so as long as this went on, a goal the other always looked like it could spell trouble, and sure enough it did. They were also missing V. Persie, Rosicky, and Henry wasn't all there, but still should have put the game away.

Henry has not had great season by his standerds, but you always gonna miss player like him when his not playing.

We've also missed our top scorer, Robin van perise who was having great season till he got his long term injury.

Gallas may as well not been here. out most of the season.

Rosicky is quality but his injury prone.

Ade makes Jeffers look like Ian Rush.

Baptista, apart from the Liverpool CC match has been useless all season. no wounder Madrid didn't want him.

Cesc, Fantastic Midfielder, one of the best IMO. but cant score for life of him.

Freddi, spends more time of his arse then on his foot. anther useless player.

Shit season all in all.

Wenger need to sort it out.

[Something Else]

Wenger need to sort it out.

how long you feel he will have to sort it?

[TipTopKop]

Baptista, apart from the Liverpool CC match has been useless all season. no wounder Madrid didn't want him.

Harsh, he was good against Spurs also, and there are rumours that Madrid have been impressed, and may want him back.

Cesc, Fantastic Midfielder, one of the best IMO. but cant score for life of him.

Cesc is the Only Arsenal player I REALLY feel sure will be something very special in future. How he embarrassed the current darling Ronaldo in Old Trafford was something special. He is being asked to move mountains, at his young age, he is the only one I can really count on to turn into something Really special in future.

[¡Basta Ya!]

Rosicky is quality but his injury prone.

He is average. Some flashes of good play and some real spoon moments.

Cesc, Fantastic Midfielder, one of the best IMO. but cant score for life of him.

I agree with the last third of your statement (can't score for shit)

One of the best? Seriously?

[USgooner]

He is average. Some flashes of good play and some real spoon moments.


I agree with the last third of your statement (can't score for shit)

One of the best? Seriously?

I honestly think he is. but my god he needs to improve his finishing.

[cakmin]

The damage was done 2 weeks ago actually. Just like when we played Benfica, losing away and not scoring a goal is a big trouble in Europe. A must win game with 2 clear goals minimum is Europe is tough really, even if it is at home because just a single mistake can cost you a game.

[Des Lynam]

What the hell was Lehmann doing for their (PSV) goal?

Awful goal-keeping. If he'd have stayed on his line, he probs would have saved the header.

[classycarra]

What the hell was Lehmann doing for their (PSV) goal?

Awful goal-keeping. If he'd have stayed on his line, he probs would have saved the header.

was wondering the same, although i couldnt say if he would have saved it or not.

maybe lehmann though the ball was coming too high above the bodies and he'd be able to claim it, after all it was a salmon-esque leap by alex

[USgooner]

What the hell was Lehmann doing for their (PSV) goal?

Awful goal-keeping. If he'd have stayed on his line, he probs would have saved the header.

Caught in Two minds. Common error made my goal keepers.

[Des Lynam]

was wondering the same, although i couldnt say if he would have saved it or not.

maybe lehmann though the ball was coming too high above the bodies and he'd be able to claim it, after all it was a salmon-esque leap by alex

True. As Gary Mac said, he actually jumped higher than the crossbar. Or at least it seemed.

Lehmann is still a cock though. Of the higest order.

Caught in Two minds. Common error made by bad/average/over-rated goal keepers.

[classycarra]

Caught in Two minds. Common error made by bad/average/over-rated mental goal keepers.

[Fred Madison]

Lehmann is havin' a dreadful season btw.

[Fred Madison]

Wenger rues 'horrendous' results

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger reflected on an "horrendous" spell after they were dumped out the Champions League by PSV Eindhoven at The Emirates.

Defender Alex - on loan from Chelsea - gave Arsenal the lead with an own goal, but then headed a late leveller to send PSV through 2-1 on aggregate.

He said: "There are a lot of positives but the two weeks have been horrendous.

"We can only think we played the game we wanted to play but we didn't take our chances. It's cruel."

'I think Chelsea will be very happy Alex scored here' - PSV Eindhoven coach Ronald Koeman

And the irony of PSV hero Alex's links with Chelsea did not escape the beaten Wenger.

The 24-year-old was bought in a joint agreement between PSV and Chelsea in 2004 with the contract stipulating he spend two seasons in Holland before moving to Stamford Bridge.

But Alex's failure to play for Brazil has frustrated the former Santos defender's efforts to switch to the Premiership on work permit grounds.

Wenger said: "Alex won PSV the tie alone, which is only a bit of an exaggeration.

"He kept their defence very tight and saved them every time. He made the difference at set-pieces and dominated our players in the air easily.

"Chelsea have the money to buy the best players - that's not new information.

"I don't know the rules and I don't think he's the only player Chelsea own like that."

He added: "I don't feel we failed in the Carling Cup. We're out of the FA Cup and that was a big disappointment, but is minor compared to this.

"Now we have to secure a place in the Champions League because we have a responsibility to finish as high as we can and try to overtake Liverpool.

"We lacked a bit of sharpness and of course we lacked a bit of quality in the final third."

PSV coach Ronald Koeman - who sent Liverpool and Manchester United crashing out of the Champions League last season, was elated and paid tribute to the performance of Alex.

He said: "He's one of the best central defenders there is and it's incredible he plays for a team like PSV.

"He's Chelsea's player and PSV rent him from Chelsea because he's still not allowed to play in England.

"We're proud he plays for us but know it won't be for much longer.

"He can play against Chelsea in the next round because he's at PSV until the end of the season.

"After that we'll talk to Chelsea about his situation. It was an agreement with Chelsea that he stays with us for the season.

"I think Chelsea will be very happy Alex scored tonight."

[Fred Madison]

Imagine a Chelsea-defence with Alex and Terry. Would anyone score against them?

[kavah]

Imagine a Chelsea-defence with Alex and Terry. Would anyone score against them?

And a big threat at corners too.  Chelsea own him don't they? I expect we'll  see moving to chelsea next season.

[¡Basta Ya!]

Alex is far better than Terry. He is like a Mix between Terry and Carra.

[Fred Madison]

Read the Wenger-article ...

It's almost certain he'll move there next season.

[¡Basta Ya!]

I honestly think he is. but my god he needs to improve his finishing.

I would prefer Barton or Nolan than Fabregas. He certainly isn't up there with teh likes of Xavi, Gerrard, Kaka and the likes.

[TheRedBull]

I would prefer Barton or Nolan than Fabregas. He certainly isn't up there with teh likes of Xavi, Gerrard, Kaka and the likes.

IMO, despite scored a lot more goals, Barton and Nolan are no match for Fabregas in the creativity department.

[Fred Madison]

I would prefer Barton or Nolan than Fabregas. He certainly isn't up there with teh likes of Xavi, Gerrard, Kaka and the likes.

Fabregas is still only 19, you know ...

[cornelius]

Who was it that KO you out then. Benfica?

Yup.

Did you know that Benfica have won the European cup twice and been losing finalists 5 times?!!! PSV have won it once as well, funnily enough, by beating Benfica on penalties. I think that there's no shame in being knocked out by clubs with true European pedigree and you should get over it quite quickly.

[Benitez]

seems this was spot on about Arsenal and Wenger in Europe    :


One of the big stories of last  season was Arsenal’s progress to the Champions League final for the first time in their history. Now with the new Champions League season looming, it’s a good time to look back at Arsenal’s ride to the final without a misty eyed haze romanticising the journey.

One aspect of Arsenal’s run to the final is how it was seen by the neutral. A number of times comments where uttered such as ‘I’m glad Arsenal have made it to the final, because of the style of football they play’. Maybe many of the neutrals didn’t actually watch much of Arsenal during this run! They got to the final, by scoring a grand total of 4 goals in 6 knock-out stage games, scoring in only 3 of those games, conceding 0. Hardly the stuff of ‘entertaining football’, in fact, it was a snooze-a-thon.

So first things first, to be blunt, it’s about time Arsene Wenger took his team to a Champions League final isn’t it. For the last decade he’s managed one of the most talented squads, certainly in this country and probably in Europe. Yet year after year he’s failed on the European stage. Law of averages  would suggest that he’d get there eventually. 

The ironic thing is though, that the style in which Arsenal achieved their place in the final, was seemingly achieved more through necessity than tactical judgement. For years Wenger has failed to compete with some of Europe’s leading  teams, mainly because he lacked the tactical acumen to change games depending on the tactics of the opposition. Arsenal had one plan, and while it could be pretty on the eye, it was often ineffective in Europe against well drilled, technical teams.

So this year Wenger finds himself in a position where he’s missing some of his more experienced players. Lauren, Ashley Cole and Sol Campbell are injured, forcing him into using a mostly untried back four. And logically he kept things simple, rather than have them play a more expansive style of football.

It worked a treat, Arsenal defended their way to the final like no team has done for years.

Where they lucky with the opposition they faced on the way? I’m sure no one will argue that they got the simplest of groups to begin with, facing one of the poorest Ajax sides in years, and two other teams who where more UEFA cup standard than Champions League.

In facing Real Madrid, they where playing a reputation rather than a great team. It looks good on the CV, but we all know Real Madrid of the last couple of years where a shadow of their former selves. They finished 2nd in a poor group, getting stuffed by Lyon along the way, and only managing convincing wins against  Rosenborg. And at the time of the last 16 stage where being  led by a caretaker coach with no European experience. Lets put it this way, it was a good time to play  them.

Arsenal do though deserve much credit for getting by Juventus. The home game against the Turin team really was their defining moment in the competition. They outplayed them for much of the 90 minutes, and deserved all the plaudits they got from that performance.

By the time they somewhat fortunately went to Villarreal with a 1-0 lead, Wenger was able to start calling on his old guard with Sol Campbell back for this game. Whether changing the back line that had served them well in previous games had a baring on the game, I don’t know. But the fact is, to say Villarreal outplayed Arsenal would be doing Villarreal a disservice. They dominated from start to finish. Luckily for Arsenal though, Villarreal striker Franco squandered chance after chance. And with Diego Forlan back in Manchester United form, Villarreal succeeded in shooting themselves in the foot. What should have been a comfortable victory for the Spanish team, ended up with Arsenal clinging on for dear life to their 1-0 advantage.

The funny thing is about the game against Villarreal is that having got into a defensive mode for all of the knock-out stages, they seemed incapable of getting out of it. It’s almost as if Wenger went full circle. From only being able to get his team to play one way in an attacking sense for so many years, now he got them stuck in a defensive rut, unable to change things at the right time, or to bring a spark to a game. It seems a continued flaw of Wenger’s coaching in Europe, that he has difficulty changing games once they are ongoing. And it could have, and probably should have cost Arsenal dearly in the semi-final.

As for the final itself we should have known better than to expect it to be a classic. When a match is built up as one, chances are you end up disappointed. Last year’s final between Milan and Liverpool was meant to be a bore, yet it ended up being the best Champions League final in memory. This year was meant to be a feast of football, yet it ended up a damp squib. The two main attractions in Henry and Ronaldinho failed to live up to the hype and both had poor games. With or without the sending off, it was a game that lacked spark and cohesion.

In conclusion, Arsenal like all teams who get to a final rode their luck at times, and I don’t think many would argue that Barcelona weren’t worthy winners in the end, and that Arsenal did well to get as far as they did. The final was certainly a step too far. But has anything really changed with Arsenal and European football? Yes you can say finally Wenger has realised after 10 years, that you need to be able to shut up shop to progress in Europe, as much as you need to turn on the style. It’s whether he can master doing both within a game that’s the key question. And was this realisation that you need to be more defensively responsible born out of fluke due to the players available to him, more than anything else? Or will he next season be able to combine this with some attacking flair - which was so sorely missing during much of Arsenal’s snooze-fest of football towards the final? It’ll be interesting to see if this really was a one-off on Arsenal’s behalf, or whether Wenger has finally figured out European competition.

from 'ere

[¡Basta Ya!]

Fabregas is still only 19, you know ...

I never said he wasn't a good young player, did I?

Is he one of the best in the world? Not a chance.

[Fred Madison]

I never said he wasn't a good young player, did I?

Is he one of the best in the world? Not a chance.

He still has some years ahead of him to become one of the best.

[mulfella]

Freddi, spends more time in someone's arse then on his foot. anther useless player.

Alledgedly surely

[cornelius]

Alledgedly surely

Why do you think Campbell left? Big lovers tiff is what I heard

There's lots of strange sexual practices go on at ARSEnal. Led usually by The Professor. Often the changing room is like a scene from Eyes Wide Shut according to various sources.

[fudge]

Imagine a Chelsea-defence with Alex and Terry. Would anyone score against them?

Yeah Alex would score a few own goals

[fudge]

Why do you think Campbell left? Big lovers tiff is what I heard

There's lots of strange sexual practices go on at ARSEnal. Led usually by The Professor. Often the changing room is like a scene from Eyes Wide Shut according to various sources.

Were these sources drinking special brew?

[cornelius]

Were these sources drinking special brew?

No I just used my imagination. I don't think you have to concentrate too hard to conjour up in your mind what probably goes on in Arsenal's dressing room. Wenger is clearly the leader. Van Persie likes to molest. That kind of thing. Think the scene in League of Gentlemen where Tubbs is having her breast sucked on by a pig! I'm fairly certain that's the kind of thing that goes on at the Emirates!

[fudge]

No I just used my imagination. I don't think you have to concentrate too hard to conjour up in your mind what probably goes on in Arsenal's dressing room. Wenger is clearly the leader. Van Persie likes to molest. That kind of thing. Think the scene in League of Gentlemen where Tubbs is having her breast sucked on by a pig! I'm fairly certain that's the kind of thing that goes on at the Emirates!

I can see it now, Tubbs is having her breast sucked by Paul Merson whilst Wenger says "You're not local" to every player in the dressing room.

[Terry de Niro]

I can see it now, Tubbs is having her breast sucked by Paul Merson whilst Wenger says "You're not local" to every player in the dressing room.

"We didn't burn him"

[the oxonian]

Wenger is clearly the leader of the gang.

now , now

[cornelius]

now , now

very good. 

[Juan Loco]

Imagine a Chelsea-defence with Alex and Terry. Would anyone score against them?

That depends if Chelsea keep on playing their on the edge of their 6 yard box or they actually try and use an offside trap occasionally.

They'd be piss poor if you got rid of their minders.

[Tom_B]

Amusing how today every Arsenal fan writing to SSN is moaning about wanting to win trophies now and that Wenger plays the kids too much. Hypocrites the lot of them.