Arsenal tuesday

[Thants]

Probably our best performance in terms of steamrolling, unfortunately it cost us. I cant see it as points lost. I can only love our team more after that.

[Herp McDerp]

How can you not see it as points lost? I'm happy we salvaged a point and all that, but how is it possible not to be dissapointed with that result?

[Thants]

How can you not see it as points lost? I'm happy we salvaged a point and all that, but how is it possible not to be dissapointed with that result?

 

I didn't say I wasnt disappointed. Of course I'm disappointed. Sad fact is we should have won 12-4.

[hamstrung]

Barely slept last night because of that. Strange set of emotions after that match.

[King Emlyn]

I've totally changed my mind about Benayoun. He's a fucking superstar, I seriously, seriously love the little fella. Not only does he have lots of ability but I can only echo what Gerrard said in the studio, 'He has the heart of a lion'.

 

His performances, and more importantly his desire over the course of the season have been top drawer.

 

I've never been wronger about a player than I was about Benayoun.

Yep, i'd have to echo that. Sometimes it's great being wrong.

[kalasoma]

Come on Crouchy. Put 3 in against the Mancs.

[ToxtethTerror]

We played well but we should have buried them. It looks like we lack pace at the back when we are attacking. Arsenal we missing their keeper, Gallas, Cliche, Van Persie, Aderbayo etc.... We were always going to batter them we just didn't have the pace at the back to cope when they counter.

[sir roger]

Obviously disappointed at the result but you can't look at each game totally in isolation.

 

As I have posted in another thread ( one blaming the defence for everything and wanting Carra dropped etc.) , following the depths of the Boro game we somehow managed to pick ourselves up by our bootstraps and win the next 5 league games

( including Mancs away , Villa & Fulham away ) by 16-1 on aggregate.

 

16 points out of 18 with a +15 goal difference and a renewed slight chance of the Prem has been fabulous and the team and manager should be lauded for that.

[stringvest]

Hmmmm, who to believe, Fungus, or Steven Gerrard who in the studio tonight mentioned about how open we are now playing because we are chasing?

 

Tough one.

 

erm....

 

of course we are playing differently - it's amazing some just can't bring themselves to admit it.

 

Really miffed about last night though. I had bad flashbacks to the 6-3 game. Really poor defending, but credit to Arsenal - the forced and harried our defence and made the fullbacks and Mascherano in particular look very vulnerable.

 

We had lots of energy and really took the game to them - a bit more quality and technique in front of goal and we would have seen them off. We need investment there, just to bring that extra step up of quality that our chance-building deserves. Not only in games like that, but especially in tight games where chances are at a premium. A higher conversion rate would see us win more points, and you know what points mean.

 

Benayoun had a great game last night. Even Kuyt had a good game, but Benayoun was magnificent I thought. Ran his socks off, covered more ground than anyone, scored a brave goal from an impossible angle, and made at least one key defensive clearance when a goal was on the cards. A 9.5 out of 10 performance.

[stringvest]

Yeah, yeah, turn it in lad. It's ok to praise the manager for correcting a mistaken approach.

 

And that's what people are doing. I'm really glad we're not going out with the same mentality as we did early in the season. I am delighted that Benitez has set the team up to go fir the jugular (I just wish we hadn't forgot how to defend). I got back after 2am this morning, and disappointed as I was with the result, I was elated with the match as a spectacle. I've made that same journey on more than one occasion this season after a gutless insipid match where our approach and team selection has almost predetermined the outcome.

[Whelan]

Really pissed off with last night, three mistakes against Chelsea and three mistakes last night. I don't actually think we defended badly! we were not harrased or hanging on, outside the goals (all 4 of them) they didn't open us up at all! Stupid fucking mistakes, and sorry it is the day after but I am getting fed up with Aurelio at left back, too many times he lets the wide player run at him, doesn't put a tackle in and just watches him. We are far, far too nice. How many times last night did an Arsenal player come out of a situation with two or three liverpool players around him!

 

Saying that, every bounce and every deflection landed at their feet!

 

Seriously pissed for the first time this season I don't think we are going to win the league!

[hamstrung]

We played well but we should have buried them. It looks like we lack pace at the back when we are attacking. Arsenal we missing their keeper, Gallas, Cliche, Van Persie, Aderbayo etc.... We were always going to batter them we just didn't have the pace at the back to cope when they counter.

 

They got a point because we made defensive mistakes that weren't about pace - they were just cock-ups. That and the fact that Arshavin finished all his 4 chances well.

 

We took them apart but made uncharacteristic mistakes at the back.

[coop]

Still can not get my head around scoring 4 against both Arsenal and Chelsea and left feeling dissappointed because we never won.

 

Not many defenders would live with the pace of Walcott but it is clear that in our defensive four last night we lacked any kind of speed and both Mascherano and Alonso were trying to attack to were leaving spaces in the middle of the park.

 

If the title is gone this season then i hope Rafa just continues to set a marker down for next season and we continue to play the way we have been doing and just attack teams as no-one it has been proved can stop us when we attack with the power and intensity like last night its just your top attacking teams like Arsenal will always catch you on the break.

 

Rafa over these last few games has seen what is needed to win the league and that is not to be patient and hope to wear teams down but to just attack them with everything you have got and they will fall into submission.

[Whelan]

Coop,

 

How many times over Rafa's reign have we seen teams come and have one chance and score one goal, compared to how many times we do it.

Being ruthless isn't solely about putting chances away, it is also playing the right pass (Carragher in the second half shooting instead of playing to his right) and it is also about not making stupid fucking mistakes, Wigan at home, Boro away, Everton at home, Wigan away, we have thrown away at least ten points with stupid, defensive errors.

I am not Aggers biggest fan but he does give us pace, Johnson or Richards will add pace, Barry will certainly bring more movement in the middle....im babbling now, still pissed off.

 

Why did we sell Riise! I could always blame him when we got beat, now I have no-one

[Herp McDerp]

Coop,

Why did we sell Riise! I could always blame him when we got beat, now I have no-one

 

 

Same, and I didn't even feel guilty as he was ginge, and that shit overrides team solidarity.

[J-V]

We played well but we should have buried them. It looks like we lack pace at the back when we are attacking. Arsenal we missing their keeper, Gallas, Cliche, Van Persie, Aderbayo etc.... We were always going to batter them we just didn't have the pace at the back to cope when they counter.

They countered once (4th goal). Other then that 3 gifts were given.

[gkmacca]

The Arsenal fans: what is it about some crowds that only seems to make them audible when they're trying to wind up the other team's fans? I know there's always banter, but you don't hear Arsenal fans much at all unless they're chanting 'HOOF!' or 'Sign on!' They're supposed to be these great lovers of their attractive team, yet they only seem interested in winding up their opposing fans. Even at the Emirates they're like it. What a really sad bunch they are. Don't they actually ENJOY supporting their team? Even the mancs, with their idiotic variations on 'nick nack paddy whack,' mix up the insults with chants and songs for their own team. Chelski don't really count these days, but the Gooners must be the most charmless set of fans in the league.

[RedKnight]

Brownie's been spot on in this thread.

 

I'm gutted about last night, just feel totally dejected, mostly because we could have swamped Arsenal without making three horrendous errors along the way. Arshavin is now filed under 'little cunt' too, fucking mock-suprise looking cunt. Yossi was magnificent as was Torres, to be fair, when we attacked we looked great, unfortunately defending was appalling, Mascherano was even given a shout by the crowd for the first goal.

 

Plus Fabregas is so snide he deserves to be playing for Chelsea.

[Whelan]

Couldn't believe their first goal, Fabregas goes down, Alonso kicks it out (even gestures to the crowd), Fabregas gets up challenges Alonso from the throw in and (sorry if I have it wrong) from that they scored!

 

WE ARE TOO FUCKING NICE!

[INTORRESTING]

it will still be massive progress if we can be in with a shout in May. We are the team to watch and have smashed 4 past united, chelsea, arsenal and madrid in the last 6 weeks which really is incredible progress and we have only lost 2. We are a force in Europe and very hard to beat, our attitude has been incredible lately

 

We just need a couple more match winners and a full season of gerrard and torres and a few areas addressed and then i will have to praise rafa for building a fantastic squad in 5 years. The future is very bright and there is still a chance this year but i do think nerves are hurting us a bit as we have missed so many opportunities to get ahead.

 

People are scared of having 3 trophyless seasons but at the end of the day there are only two we really want and we always have a chance now in the cl but history shows you don't win it every year and we have been building to try and win the title. When you are really close you often come up short. Look at the barren spells Arsenal have endured, Chelsea and even United at times. It is a long term thing and i would also like to know what some expect for the next 5 years? 2 titles and 1 cl, 1 title, 5 challeneges? It would be interesting to see

Edited April 22, 2009 by INTORRESTING

[gkmacca]

Can we get Allardyce and Ginsoak to denounce Arshavin for his gestures? Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but they seemed disrespectful.

[Brownie]

Good point on Fabregas; he's such a snidy, horrible cunt.

 

I've just watched the game again and the whole injustice of it all is just sickening. We absolutely pummelled them up until 60 odd minutes when we made two fucking dreadful errors.

 

Yes, that's our fault, but sometimes you need the breaks to counter the courage of your convictions.

 

Let's hope the breaks are gonna happen in another way, i.e. the Mancs don't get them.

 

One other thing I wanted to comment on, is the commentary from last night's game. My mate was texting me about it last night but I was too enthralled to even notice; he was right though. Their goals were met by jubilation from Gray and Tyler yet it sounded like a morgue when ours went in. I have no idea why.

[Whelan]

it will still be massive progress if we can be in with a shout in May. We are the team to watch and have smashed 4 past united, chelsea, arsenal and madrid in the last 6 weeks which really is incredible progress and we have only lost 2. We are a force in Europe and very hard to beat, our attitude has been incredible lately

 

We just need a couple more match winners and a full season of gerrard and torres and a few areas addressed and then i will have to praise rafa for building a fantastic squad in 5 years. The future is very bright and there is still a chance this year but i do think nerves are hurting us a bit as we have missed so many opportunities to get ahead.

 

Tell me the last champions who conceded four goals in successive matches! Chelsea, United and Arsenal's championship winning teams would have won easily last night, nothing to be proud off we not Newcastle.

[RedKnight]

Good point on Fabregas; he's such a snidy, horrible cunt.

 

I've just watched the game again and the whole injustice of it all is just sickening. We absolutely pummelled them up until 60 odd minutes when we made two fucking dreadful errors.

 

Yes, that's our fault, but sometimes you need the breaks to counter the courage of your convictions.

 

Let's hope the breaks are gonna happen in another way, i.e. the Mancs don't get them.

 

One other thing I wanted to comment on, is the commentary from last night's game. My mate was texting me about it last night but I was too enthralled to even notice; he was right though. Their goals were met by jubilation from Gray and Tyler yet it sounded like a morgue when ours went in. I have no idea why.

 

I noticed the elation in Tyler's voice when they scored compared to when we put ours in, I assume people just want to see us fail, it's a better story.

[INTORRESTING]

One was in the Cl so it is only really one game that applies and we smashed 4 past united. Football has changed, there are world class players all over the pitch and any one of them can have their day in the sun at any time.

 

How do you know they would have won easily?