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

[Cesc is God]

Tonight was a nothing game! Can't you see that?

That is why AW put out the side that he did. His priority was always the Villa/Newcastle game, thus explaining why Cesc came out so early.

And AW only got 'sent into the stands' because of the shite officials. The consistent diving, fouling and time wasting was enough to get any Gooner angry!

And I'll re-inforce what I said, IT WAS A NOTHING GAME! Sure it was a CL game, but we are already through!!!

And anyway, we could beat anyone with our first team so it doesn't matter if we finish 2nd... Juventus and Real Madrid in 2006?

Please, send me your thoughts as I would love to answer them!

[T.S]

A possible Cesc injury and confidence dented going in to a make or break part of the season. Discuss.

[Wayno]

Cesc, was it really a nothing game? Wenger himself had expressed how important it was for us to win the group, are you saying that Wenger is wrong? Do you really want to risk playing Barcelona in the first round with the second leg away from home, when had we won tonight, we could have eliminated such risk? Also historically we respond to a defeat when ending a long unbeaten run with another defeat, this surely is worrying considering the games we have coming up. I don't think anyone is suggesting that our season is over after only one defeat, but lets be honest, this team is now in unknown terroritory, how will they respond to what was a comprehensive defeat.

[REB]

look at the teams this season who are top of there groups,, all the big guns,,
yes i agree we didnt need to win to progress but it was important to keep our run going ,, and what about the poor guys who spent £££s following the team all over europe to have to watch the carling cup team


we are arsenal and we are abig club but its times like tonight that you realise just how small our squad is,, maybe not in numbers but in qualty

[Cesc is God]

I still dont get your logic.

We CAN beat Barcelona with a full strength team - no Senderos, no Eboue at RM, no Hoyte, no Traore, unfit Gilberto, no Denilson...

Well?

[Wayno]

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

[REB]

what

if all those players you named arent good to beat barcelona then why do play them ,,
again the quality of our squad isnt good enough,,

i want us to win everything but i know thats not going to happen,
the point is the likes of senderos and eboue are just not good enough

[RocastleRock]

The Damage was done away to prague.. I think it would of been best going there stronger and getting a win.

[Justin-the-Gooner]

Mate I must disagree.

This "Nothing" game could have been the difference between getting Shaktar and AC Milan.

[Red Gunner]

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?

[I Hate Hleb]

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?

SPOT ON AGAIN!! WISE WORDS FROM A VERY YOUNG MAN. ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE ONLY 17, KHALID?

[daz10_uk]

A possible Cesc injury and confidence dented going in to a make or break part of the season. Discuss.

Exactly TS

[Red Gunner]

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?

SPOT ON AGAIN!! WISE WORDS FROM A VERY YOUNG MAN. ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE ONLY 17, KHALID?

Thank you for the compliment

[RaM]

This loss was not a 'nothing match'. It has cost us in terms of Champions League position and morale.

I'm not saying we couldn't beat the likes of Milan and Barca were we to be drawn with them, but really, do you think Wenger would want that? Nobody would want to have to slog their way through the competition when an easier draw is on offer.

And now the team has to live with the fact that they have lost their unbeaten run, but hopefully it won't play too much in the minds of those that didn't play, because they weren't there. (Doubtful, but hopefully the likes of Hleb, RVP, Gallas, Clichy won't be too put off by it. Their experienced enough not to be though I think.)

Positives? Well hopefully this match has taught Wenger a lot about some of our fringe players, especially in terms of those that need to be sold and what replacements he may need.


This might just be me, but if we were to lose the unbeaten run, now would be the least opportune time to do so. I'd much rather we dropped 3 points in the league than the champions league, because the champions league seems an exact science, and success in it is based on a small number of games that it is crucial to play well in. In the league however, it is always possible to regain lost ground.

[EL-Z]

a nothing match? how can you justify what could prove the difference between a solid CL run and a first stage knockout as a nothing game. If we had beaten Prague away then yes maybe a nothing game but saying that tonights game was a nothing game is the exact mentality that complacency and arrogance will get you. I personally didn't see it as a nothing game and neither did the rest of the 2,100 who have just returned from Spain with me. The justification of another 90 minute Senderos show was obscene at best. The man was a disgrace out there and Ive never heard so many people in a stand wishing Song had played instead. Surely Arsene must have got the idea when ironic cheers went up when Senderos actually made a tackle late in the 2nd half. I personally thought Traore had a good game considering he was isolated on the left and constantly had to drop in too cover Big Phil leaving the flank exposed. Going forward the lad was aggressive and adventurous. One wonders why we couldnt play the whole match like we did for the 1st 15mins. But back to my original point. To say it was a nothing match is a far from correct assessment. Lets just hope th team doesnt adopt the same complacency or naivity otherwise Villa could be a long day for us all