Villarreal away

donaldo · Post by **donaldo** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:07 pm

1-1 fair result they were the better team first half we were in the second.

If only we had signed AA in the summer we miss his quality in the CL

MickeyFabs · Post by **MickeyFabs** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:11 pm

I think that we should try to sign Senna again next season. I thought he was first class.

He also possesses that bit of steel and experience, although he's probably 15 years older than a usual Wenger signing!!

tinpot lane · Post by **tinpot lane** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:16 pm

Good result, great second half performance. A little frustrated we didn't go for the second but maybe i'm being greedy

Hopefully we'll have Eddie and RvP back for the second leg.

rigsby · Post by **rigsby** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:21 pm

Good result given the first half, thought we could have gone on and scored another but i'ld hv taken 1-1 at HT.

A few thoughts:

Theo- I'm still unconvinced he's any good, he rushes passes or hangs on to it too long, doesn't take players on, his quickness of thought isn't there which is worrying. I just get the feeling if he wasn't an english player we'ld be moaning abt him all the time.

Almunia/Gallas injuries- Not too bad, Djorou is a more than capable replacement, yes Gallas is a loss but we've been without him for long period before. Hopefully it isn't too bad. And almunia has never convinced me, so we're replacing him with another 'decent-but-thats-all' keeper. I really do think we need a new one.

Denilson/Song- just need to stay in position more, other than that they both played fine.

Adebayor- Useless bar that wonder goal, but one goal can't hide that he was generally pretty awful. As was Fabregas bar the pass tbh

Number 5 · Post by **Number 5** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:40 pm

Tonight special praise comes from me not to any of the players but to the Manager.

I thought AW had a blinding match.

The initial set up was as expected given the players we had out so I couldn't fault him there. What I did like was his resistance to change things immediatly when things went wrong. He could easlily have changed shape at half time but I think during the first half he could see Villareal running around like energiser bunnies and knew they would be knackered at some point in the second half.

Wether he was warming Bendtner up to get Adebayor going or wether he was about to make the change after 5 minutes second half I credit him for not going through with it when we dominated early on second half and sticking with the plan.

Again with 15 or so left he realised they would have one final push and with his last sub doubled up on the right using Eboue, happier with 1-1 than taking a risk and lose 2-1.

Would he have done the same having not been forced into the two first half changes? I would like to think so.

So tonight more than the players who did turn things around second half I'm most impressed with Wenger. Perhaps all that blind confidence and unswerving support of the players has started to come to fruition.

franksav63 · Post by **franksav63** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:12 pm

Number 5 wrote:Tonight special praise comes from me not to any of the players but to the Manager.

I thought AW had a blinding match.

The initial set up was as expected given the players we had out so I couldn't fault him there. What I did like was his resistance to change things immediatly when things went wrong. He could easlily have changed shape at half time but I think during the first half he could see Villareal running around like energiser bunnies and knew they would be knackered at some point in the second half.

Wether he was warming Bendtner up to get Adebayor going or wether he was about to make the change after 5 minutes second half I credit him for not going through with it when we dominated early on second half and sticking with the plan.

Again with 15 or so left he realised they would have one final push and with his last sub doubled up on the right using Eboue, happier with 1-1 than taking a risk and lose 2-1.

Would he have done the same having not been forced into the two first half changes? I would like to think so.

So tonight more than the players who did turn things around second half I'm most impressed with Wenger. Perhaps all that blind confidence and unswerving support of the players has started to come to fruition.

No5 I said this on another thread, but you're spot on. I think he must have tore a strip of Ade at half time because he was dreadful in the first half.

It was just the kick up the arse that Ade required, seeing Bendtner warming up, after that he had a stormer, scoring a great goal, chasing down defenders, like he was doing last season.

Overall a great result, now to finish the job off at the Grove which I'm confident that we'll do...

gusher311 · Post by **gusher311** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:17 pm

I don't like Geedybayor at all but the man did score a great goal

.

Happy we got the away goal

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:23 pm

Maybe our name is on that Cup because we were very, very lucky tonight. Should have been at least two down before we levelled. After that we were better.

But if we are going through, it requires a 90 minuite not a 50 minute performance, at the Emirates.

Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:26 pm

Keep the faith

Henry is gunner be in tears in Rome when Fabby lifts the big eared trophy!!!

JMascis666 · Post by **JMascis666** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:29 pm

From your mouth to gods ears !

Post by **Chippy** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 11:00 pm

Had some people round tonight so unable to read or post during the game. Just read the thread and it is really interesting to see the emotions moving over time. mine were doing the same (close to heart attack) while watching. I was wondering what would happen while i was reading all the Ade is shit stuff what people would say when he scored.

Glad to see that it was my own view, fabulous goal (actually one of the best we'll ever see) but shite for most of the rest of the game.

Why can't we bottle the sublime stuff and not have the total dross? Still, great result and we should do it at thof.

Porto in the semi.

augie · Post by **augie** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 11:15 pm

A few thoughts -

1. Like everybody else I cannot slate greedybollox and song enough for their diabolical performances

Yes he scored a great goal and yes I understand our fans want to be heard singing but to sing that greedycunts song after a performance like this is embarrassing

Did you know that it song 30m and 5 seconds to win his 1st tackle in the game ??

This guy is supposed to be our defensive midfielder ffs

2. Denilson worked his socks off tonight both defensively and when in possession - I like that whenever he passes the ball he keeps moving to take up a position to receive the ball again and there are more than 1 or 2 of ours that dont do that

3. In a game where we had a few passengers I thought that nasri was up there with the worst of them

His commitment looked iffy to me and I thought that he basically hid all night long

4. Theo looked unstoppable 1st half and looked invisible 2nd half

Is it that teams are quickly working out how to play him ? Is it that he is pace and no final ball ? Fcuk knows but given his undoubted potential he really needs to up his game if he is to make his mark at this level.

I have to say that while I understand number 5's praising of wenger, I would like to add some criticism -
I feel that without doubt that he should have taken off cesc - for the 1st hour he was peripheral, his lack of match fitness was evident but most importantly he looked like a red card waiting to happen. He was booked ridiculously (I cannot understand how that stupid rule was thought out

) and there is no doubt that the spaniards played on this and tried to get him sent off. However we also have to acknowledge that cesc committed 4 fouls after that yellow and another ref probably would have sent him off
Secondly I would again like to question wenger's thinking when he subbed theo for eboue. Every time he makes a change like that it changes our game plan and we switch from the dominant team that the team that is under the cosh cos we have given the momentum to the opposition. Why does he do that ? I can understand his thinking that a draw would be a good result but we were on top and forcing them back and surely the best form of defense is attack especially when our defense was looking so assured in the 2nd half ? I am sorry but I just cant get his thinking there

Lastly credit to fabianski and djouru who did well when they came on at a time that we were under pressure and major kudos to kolo who I felt marshalled the defence superbly all night

Cesc is God · Post by **Cesc is God** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 11:56 pm

gusher311 wrote:I don't like Geedybayor at all but the man did score a great goal .

Happy we got the away goal

Summed up my evening, Gus.

Gooner Whitey · Post by **Gooner Whitey** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:44 am

just got back ...absolutely nakered, pissed down with rain allday.....not so good first half but we did play expceptional in patches of the 2nd half....Adebayor was very lazy until his very good goal which kicked him into life...........Villareal also passed well, very strange stand they stuck us gooners in tonight...and putting the big glass window up at the front basically prevented us from creating a good atmosphere but we sure did try!!

Hopefully the job will be finished off next wendesday

now im off to bed for 12 hours lol

Post by **flash gunner** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 5:15 am

Thought we played well but what a frustrating player Adebayor is!!!! Scores a top class goal but plays like a tosspot all night

Oh well we have an away goal