What are you guys on about?!?!?!?

[Magic Hat]

While it wasn't a vital match, the failure to beat Slavia means he still had some importance but to lose to that manner even if we had played the under 9's was an embarrassment. Traore will learn from this while Big Phil got some matchfitness so not an utter waste, be even better if this results in Almunia being dropped, but we must respond strongly to this setback, a good test for the players.

[Goonanana]

Sorry Cesc but you're very wrong

1. Cesc felt a twinge in his Hammy that's why he came off, I saw it before he took the free kick on the left wing aboout 5 mins before he signalled to the bench

2. This was definately not a nothing game. You're logic of oh yea we can beat anyone because we are amazing so what does it matter is frankly bollocks. If we want to win the league we don't want to have to play Barcelona followed by United, followed by Inter Milan all on top of all the league games! When will our players ever get a bloody break? If we get shaktar and kill the game in one leg we get a chance to rest, play Barcelona twice and our players run their arse off for 180 minutes, oh and thats on top of the fact that no matter how much you hope you'll never have your full strength team for both legs bound to be some injuries!!

[Rilo II]

Maybe I'm just trying to stay positive, but I'm not getting too down. While we obviously want to win the group, the aim is to quaify which we have done. Yes, 2nd place could mean a tougher 2nd round match, but if we've got our sights set on going all the way we will have tough match after tough match. We have shown in previous seasons that we can beat the big teams and there's not a club in the tournament that we couldn't beat on our day.

Considering the month we have coming up it was sensible to rest players. Describing last nights match as a nothing game is going a bit far, but at the moment it is the least of our priorities as we had already qualified. I'd rather sacrafice last nights game to keep players fresh for the league.

Another thing is regarding the unbeaten run. It was going to come to an end sooner or later. I think that losing last nights match would affect the players mentality a lot less than a league defeat would. They knew they were already qualified, and they knew it was a hugely understrength team with youth and a couple of rusty seniors. I don't see why they'd be too disheartened with the loss. I really beleive this and I fully expect to bounce back with a victory at Villa Park on Saturday.

Chin up gooners, Maybe everything isn't quite as rosy as the inital post suggested, but it's not nearly as bad as some people seem to think.

[EdgeOfTown]

This SHOULD have been a nothing match, had we sent a half decent team to Prague and won then it would have been. Yes I hope we can beat Barcelona home and away, I also hope that I will get to have a threesome with Kylie and Danni Minogue

Agreed, I'm more concerned we only got a draw from an average side in Prague than losing to a good Seville team who are very strong at home..with a scratch side..

[Cus Geezer]

I'd like to judge whether it was a nothing game from the comfort of next June with hindsight.

As mentioned earlier - with historically long unbeaten runs that we've had previously we haven't shrugged defeat off so easily.[/quote]

[Hagbard 23]

No It wasn't a nothing game(?).
But it wasn't a must win game either. Yes, It would've been better if we finished on top, but I reckon that the gamble Le Prof made was worth it.

"Bloodying" (is that a word ?), Bendtner etc at this level is, I think, a stroke
of genius.
This could prove invaluable later in the season when , come March, RVP,Ade and Theo are all crocked.

Lets face it , no matter what happens in the CL, yr gonna have to face the
big-boys sooner or later.

Lets eliminate the big guns early, and have a nice easy stroll to the title we
all want!

[highburyJD]

I think the bucharest v prague game did us in
if prague where under pressure 4the uefa cup they'd prob have got at least a draw off seville
thought that taveres in midfield was a good player
no they have nothing 2play4 I'm not so sure - but def wouldn't right them off

[singup4theArse]

The only 'nothing' games are friendlies. Arsene obviously had an eye to the Xmas schedule when he picked for this game. Like an earlier poster said I only wish he'd picked anyone but 'big phil' at CB.

[Ben-gooner14]

Yeah the game was not important for the point of view of the fans, but a game like that no denying it was important for some of them players, Gilberto could of done himself a world of good and probally got himself a start for the villa game tomorrow doubt it now! Senderos confidense will be knocked severly, even though he probally wouldn't of started this weekend.

It will just frustrate me though if we come 2nd in the group, when we were in control. And still should be.

[Justin-the-Gooner]

There are never games that are "nothing" for our club. Man Utd can say it when they get knocked out by Coventry at home but we won't. For players like Senderos (new Cygan), Hoyte (Sagna is much better), Traore (Carling Cup player but he is only eighteen), Denilson (didn't know where he was playing, left-wing or centre-midfield), Gilberto (showed us why Flamini is playing instead of him), Eduardo (can't header and can't use his right foot) and Bendtner; it was an "everything" game and most of them expect Bendtner didn't perform like they should have. In conclusion, I'd like to ask you: how can a game that will prolong our unbeaten run of 29 games be a "nothing" game?

Very wise words.