SLAVIA - HAVE YOU EVER SEEN US PLAY THAT SHIT?

southampton gooner · Post by **southampton gooner** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 9:54 am

Gallas and Almunia came over and threw shirts to us rest came to edge of pitch to clap.
Was a good day lots of good bars etc.

EdgeOfTown · Post by **EdgeOfTown** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:10 am

should have thrown you're fecking money back after that!!
Obviously the conditions didn't help us but we need to do better than that..Not too many good performances last night but valuable experience and another clean sheet cant be bad, and we qualified so all in all a success..I just hope we've got this bad performance out our system because we wont get away with playing like that too much in the premiership..Now a decent rest and onto Reading, should be 3 points.

Post by **I Hate Hleb** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:38 am

SPUDMASHER wrote:I know we don't want to finish as runners up as it makes the next round harder, but, if we want to win the competition we've got to beat the best teams! Does it really matter at which stage we do that?

NOT A PERSONAL DIG AT YOU SPUDMASHER, BUT I'VE ALWAYS HATED THAT CLICHE!!

FOOTBALL HISTORY - EVEN MORE RECENT ONE - IS LITTERED WITH EXAMPLES OF WHERE THAT SIMPLY ISN'T TRUE.

donaldo · Post by **donaldo** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 11:05 am

We were shit.The players who had something to prove were the biggest disappointments.Bendtner keeps telling us he should be in the team but he was crap.Eduardo and Theo were the invisible men.And Denilson and Diaby were shocking in midfield.

Only Diarra and Almunia came out of the game with any credit.Felt sorry for the travelling Gooners who paid hard earned cash to watch such rubbish

Red Carpet · Post by **Red Carpet** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 12:21 pm

Am i really reading this criticism ?!?!?
F*ck me, I'm not saying for a second that the team are above some strong words but lets put a bit of perspective on this.
Wenger made 8 changes to the side that played on Saturday, any wholesale changes of that size are clearly going to affect the cohesion and momentum that we have enjoyed this season.
Slavia had a very physical and often cynical approach in a game that they were desperate not to lose. The conditions were also appauling.
Yes as a spectable it was poor but ultimately the objective of qualification was achieved. There are many many games to go (we hope) this season and AW was absolutely right to rest players for the hard winter ahead that could well shape the rest of our season.
In May should we be parading silverwear, games like last night may well carry greater significance.

highburyJD · Post by **highburyJD** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 2:52 pm

southampton gooner wrote:If anything they should have put in half a performance for the travelling fans! It was alright for them sat in their big Arsenal coats and stupid granny blankets but there were people there who had probably spent upwards of Â£250 quid and at least 24 hours of their time to go and see them.

Just got home. Got up at 03.00 yesterday got home at 07.45 today had about an hours sleep on bench at Gatwick waiting for my train. And can't go to bed cos got to wait till 10.30 when villa tickeys go on sale (my son only has 8 credits) Spent fuck knows how much and it was fucking freezing and pissing down most of day. Game was shyt 1 shot on target all game. But thats the risk you take. You have to experiance the shit games to appreciate thr good ones.

I was thinkin thank fek I didn't go as I watched the game
everyone was poor going 4ward
song have a senderesque per4mance - generally good but 2bursts of narcolepsy picking up his man, he HAS2 iron that out
thought diarra was good and most of the fouls given against him where fussy
think he need 2play further 4ward 2influence the game as does denilson
if we hav2 play 4-2-3-1 I'd like 2see diaby deep and denilson 4ward
bendtner couldn't get in2 the game
dudu and theo are not wingers
gilberto can't push the tempo like the flanimal does
(probably a technically better more positionally disciplined player but against inferior opposition we need2 drive the pace of the game)
was impressed again by tavares

BrusselsNorthbank · Post by **BrusselsNorthbank** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 2:58 pm

Think I'm with you, Red Hat, on this one. Yes, we did n't play well, not enough movement, passes going astray, etc. but 8 changes from 10 outfield players was probably 3 too many.

Think positively - great experience for the CC game at B'burn!!

tomkingsbury · Post by **tomkingsbury** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 4:09 pm

Goonanana wrote:If anything they should have put in half a performance for the travelling fans!

too right, some of my mates went to the game and i had the chance to go but couldnt get time off work and im happy i didnt go. The fans deserve better than that, but then i dont think we should criticise wenger. Hopefully the game was some kind of steep learning curve for the youngsters playin in shit conditions against a poor side.

wenger had a chance to maintain match fitness amongst some of our squad players whilst facing the luxury of being able to rest many of our better players this season, and considering we only needed a point to go thru to the next round, fair play to him. the game was ultimately meaningless and thats why i think our lads played with no desire and eagerness to win the game, whihc u would thought they would ahve to impress AW.

Dont forget these lads smashed sheff utd (agreed a lot worse than slavia prague especially under robson) when they needed to do the business, so ultimately im just gutted i went to a pub and spent money buying drinks to watch a team with no real emphasis to win, knowing many loyal fans travelled to prague to encounter the horrible conditions to watch the arsenal grab a nil-nil draw!! i think anyone who watched the match were let down!!

Red Carpet · Post by **Red Carpet** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 4:29 pm

There is a balance here though isn't there.
We all ultimately want to see the team win silverware.
You do not win silverware by busting a gut for 60 games a season just to keep the travelling fans happy.
Last night was a game where a change of personnel was needed and as a result of many factors, conditions, change in players, oppositions tactics it wasn't a freeflowing football fest.
I think after what we have seen in the first three months of this season (especially given our probable ambitions in August) it would be very harsh to criticise the players for not putting on a Harlem Globtrotters style performance.
To win things you need to mix your game up, last night, with a very different team they did that.
Did I enjoy it ?! .. not particularly, but should we be succesful this season we may see a few more of those. Anyone watching or going to Prague surely has to appreciate that ?!?.
We are all sounding just a little bit spoilt today.

Post by **I Hate Hleb** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 5:25 pm

I DON'T EXPECT TO SEE A SPECTACLE AND OUTSTANDING FOOTBALL EVERY TIME WE PLAY, BUT IS SEEING A FEW ATTEMPTS AT GOAL ASKING TOO MUCH?

Charlie! Charlie! · Post by **Charlie! Charlie!** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 5:27 pm

Did anyone else think Theo looked like he kept forgetting the ball when he ran?

All_Arsenal_1886 · Post by **All_Arsenal_1886** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 5:30 pm

Charlie! Charlie! wrote:Did anyone else think Theo looked like he kept forgetting the ball when he ran?

3 or 4 times i think

southampton gooner · Post by **southampton gooner** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 6:36 pm

I'm interested to know.
The people who have been 'giving it large' about they should of done it for the traveling fans are the ones who didn't go. I went and I'm not complaining. The facts are we got to Prague about 10am and go picked up at 18.30. So 8 1/2 hours on the piss and having fun in Prague. So the football was crap and it was freezing and pissing down. I think Le Boss is a god but i cant blame him for the weather.
So how do the people who went feel ?

Bergkamp95 · Post by **Bergkamp95** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 6:38 pm

It was the worst game i have seen in a long time no one played exceptsionally well just hope they can do better against reding on monday

southampton gooner · Post by **southampton gooner** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 6:40 pm

Would like to add. Met Jesper in Irish bar in old town. He didn't look like he was missing out on a good time.