As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
I Hate Hleb wrote:I don't think there was anything particularly wrong with our starting line-up. Rosicky was our best player until taken off and Theo, although quiet, had our best chance of the half and looked our most dangerous forward (not difficult I know, given our general paucity in attack).
It's just that the team played below average first half; a bit better in the second, where we missed opportunites,and then criminally let the points slip when our mate in goal made another hash.
Like I said, I'm not sure the line-up or Wenger/the players thinking ahead to the Barca match was the reason we didn't win. Wenger's failure to strengthen the goal-keeping department was more of a contributory factor.
We'd had a whole weeks rest since the West Ham game, so I don't understand why Arshavin and Nasri were rested.
If they are considered out best wide players (which they are, as they'll both start against Barca) then they should have played today - it was a massive, massive game and Wenger's team selection suggested he'd prioritised Barca, and I find that hard to swallow.
We'll never know if they would have improved us, but my opinion is that when you play a tough vital away game, that you cannot afford to slip up in, YOU PLAY YOUR BEST SIDE AND GIVE YOURSELF THE BEST CHANCE OF VICTORY.
We didn't do that, and now we're left with what if's.
Yes, Almunia is a problem - but that's something we're stuck with. Resting players for a 'bigger game' was a gamble, and I'm not sure Arshavin and Nasri needed a longer rest than the 7 days they'd just had
Well Nasri has hardly been 'sparkling' in away matches and, although a big fan of his, Arshavin has been below average recently for a player of his undoubted ability.
Although I would probably have preferred to start with Arshavin rather than Theo, I'm not sure there is that much difference in quality between an in form Rosicky - which he was - and the Russian/Frenchman. I repeat though, I don't believe the loss of points was down to Wenger thinking ahead to the Barca match.
Two players who on the whole don't fancy away games, and certainly not the sort of away game this was going to be, didn't play. It's hardly crime of the century. Ultimately we were going to get a hard fought 1-0 'win of champions' until the clown in goal decided to throw one in his own net. If Wenger should be blamed for that result, that is the reason not the team selection.
I Hate Hleb wrote:I repeat though, I don't believe the loss of points was down to Wenger thinking ahead to the Barca match.
We'll never know, but when you don't play your strongest XI you cannot say you gave everything to win.
We'll play our strongest XI against Barca, because that is the game Wenger prioritised. Personally, I think he was foolish to do so, as I think the league is (or was) our best chance of success. Now our best chance of success in the Champions League, so lets hope he made the right choice
No, fair enough and I really don't have much time particularly for Denilson but I think to make out we picked some terribly understrength side is unfair. If they were rested with Wednesday in mind I have to ask why Wenger thinks it is so impossible for professionals to play twice in four days. Players throughout the English game do it routinely. Ours, physically better conditioned than most, should do so too.
I feel gutted! Wenger dropped the ball not doubt! This is like last season's FA cup game all over again in one week time we will be out of contention on both fronts because to him... I have not felt this bad in a long time!!
Let's be honest, we're only so close to challenging for the title because Chelsea and Man U have dropped points you wouldn't expect them to this season. We've lost/drawn games we did expect to. A team with a front line of Bendtner and Walcott is not good enough to win the PL, the same as a team with a goalkeeper who is arguably not a premiership quality keeper is not likely to win the PL (or CL)!
We're a decent team but are still 3 or 4 top quality players short of being likely winners of the PL or CL. Ultimately, that is unlikely to change under Wenger as he will point to this season and say we were almost there and hardly strengthen in the summer whereas United and Chelsea (not to mention City, Spuds etc) will undoubtedly strengthen, and they won't be signing 20 year olds for 4 or 5 million.
The problem with Arsenal remains Arsene Wenger.
TeeCee wrote:Let's be honest, we're only so close to challenging for the title because Chelsea and Man U have dropped points you wouldn't expect them to this season.
That is such a stupid thing to say. And quite a few people on here keep on repeating it aswell as though it makes sense. It's ridiculous to say that we're only in it because of man u anc chelsea fucking it up. Well how about us dropping points against West ham when 2-0 up, making stupid mistakes like today with almunia. If these points had not been dropped we'd have been first. So it's not just down to "chelsea and man u being shit and dropping points". We've deserved to be in the position we are and if it wasnt for stupid mistakes we could have been even higher. In the same way that the other two have dropped stupid points, we have aswell.
