Liverpool Vs Arsenal | Champions League 08/04/08

[Fabrestuta]

we've lead the league for the majority of the season, and been globally praised for our style

although our squad has been raveged with injuries and is now looking threadbare, although bar chelseas no other squad would be able to stand up to these injuries

the fa cup game, wenger knew we couldnt challenge on all 4 fronts so i think he sacrificed it, the carling cup wasnt our first team again this is wengers policy and other managers are following suite to an extent.

champs league, a penalty decision(1st leg) did have a massive influence on the outcome whatever way you look at it, although obviousy we should have taken our chances and then these decisions would havent been that major

thats another way you could look at this season

I admire your half glass full attitude man I really do, but its hard to find anything good when once again you come up short, and the fact that we are going to go trophieless again (unless something crazy happens) is eating away at me. We have had injuries and of course that has an effect, but earlier in the season United were crippled and still managed to win games, not directed at you I assure you, but I'm sick of hearing that excuse.

The fact that Wenger had to make a choice on which cups we would compete proves what some of us have been saying all along, our squad is ridiculously thin and its showing, but even people on this site continue to whistle and pretend we are going to turn it around "in the next game", but nothing we have done can back that up.

I'm not trying to be negative for argument sake, but everything is not ok, and finishing third instead of fourth in the league wont exactly fill me with pride.

[silvester]

can we be anymore unlucky?...

[Gunflash]

Well that was the best and the worst game I have ever seen. Benitez picked the wrong team, handed the initiative to Arsenal but we completely let him off the hook with some atrocious defending. What on earth was Senderos thinking off, gifting Hyppia that free header? Senderos has massive potential but he's still too error-prone. The football we played for the first 30 minutes or so was some of the best I've seen this season. Liverpool were chasing shadows. But, as usual, we failed to score enough goals when we were on top. Liverpool fought back well but even at 2-1 down I was confident because we only needed to score one, for every two that Liverpool managed. Walcott's run to set up Adebayor's goal was electrifying. Surely Wenger must ditch Eboue and give Walcott his chance. Yet again the big decision went against us. The ref couldn't signal quick enough for the penalty. That felt like the worst moment of the season.

So we're out and it's going to be three seasons without a trophy (even Spurs won the Carling Cup) although we went three seasons without a trophy from 1999-2001 before winning the Double. Our squad is simply too thin. Wenger needs to address this issue over the summer. Selling Diarra was a mistake and I knew we'd regret it because once Flamini went off, we never really bossed the midfield again. Wenger can say what he's like about sacrificing the FA Cup but there is no way a 4-0 defeat at Old Trafford can NOT affect you psychologically and we haven't been the same since that really.

[gooner4lyf]

phillipe senderos is a joke

[Reverend Gooner]

we've lead the league for the majority of the season, and been globally praised for our style

although our squad has been raveged with injuries and is now looking threadbare, although bar chelseas no other squad would be able to stand up to these injuries

the fa cup game, wenger knew we couldnt challenge on all 4 fronts so i think he sacrificed it, the carling cup wasnt our first team again this is wengers policy and other managers are following suite to an extent.

champs league, a penalty decision(1st leg) did have a massive influence on the outcome whatever way you look at it, although obviousy we should have taken our chances and then these decisions would havent been that major

thats another way you could look at this season

I admire your half glass full attitude man I really do, but its hard to find anything good when once again you come up short, and the fact that we are going to go trophieless again (unless something crazy happens) is eating away at me. We have had injuries and of course that has an effect, but earlier in the season United were crippled and still managed to win games, not directed at you I assure you, but I'm sick of hearing that excuse.

The fact that Wenger had to make a choice on which cups we would compete proves what some of us have been saying all along, our squad is ridiculously thin and its showing, but even people on this site continue to whistle and pretend we are going to turn it around "in the next game", but nothing we have done can back that up.

I'm not trying to be negative for argument sake, but everything is not ok, and finishing third instead of fourth in the league wont exactly fill me with pride.

I understand how you feel because of how the season has gone but i still think we can be proud of our players this season. If someone had said to me that we would finish the season with 80+ points (most likely), CC semi final, Early FA cup exit and Champions league quarters i would say that is really good considering where we were the last couple of years and how everyone was writing us off.
Finishing with mid 80+ points is brilliant even though it may still mean 3rd. 80+ points is a championship winning point total and even if we don't win it at least we got there.

Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool have all spent immense millions in the last two years and we have more than matched them despite our lack of investment. We will finish this season with about 15 points more than last season and that is progress, especially without Henry.


Don't get me wrong i am gutted, i truely am. We should have had the strength to hold the lead at the top of the table but we did not, we collapsed in an unbelievable fashion and it was our own fault. However we have still excelled this season in the league, we beat Milan in the Champion League and we went out to the masters of Europe in very dodgy curcumstances and despite a raggedy defence and fatigued team we took them all the way. We can be proud of our Champions league campaign despite the horrific way we went out.


I think we have much to rue but also much to be proud of, at the end of the day we were highly competitive this season and fundamentally i am pleased with that. Due to the circumstances of the last 2 months though it is a very hollow kind of pleasure right now.

[Fabrestuta]

I understand how you feel because of how the season has gone but i still think we can be proud of our players this season. If someone had said to me that we would finish the season with 80+ points (most likely), CC semi final, Early FA cup exit and Champions league quarters i would say that is really good considering where we were the last couple of years and how everyone was writing us off.
Finishing with mid 80+ points is brilliant even though it may still mean 3rd. 80+ points is a championship winning point total and even if we don't win it at least we got there.

Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool have all spent immense millions in the last two years and we have more than matched them despite our lack of investment. We will finish this season with about 15 points more than last season and that is progress, especially without Henry.


Don't get me wrong i am gutted, i truely am. We should have had the strength to hold the lead at the top of the table but we did not, we collapsed in an unbelievable fashion and it was our own fault. However we have still excelled this season in the league, we beat Milan in the Champion League and we went out to the masters of Europe in very dodgy curcumstances and despite a raggedy defence and fatigued team we took them all the way. We can be proud of our Champions league campaign despite the horrific way we went out.


I think we have much to rue but also much to be proud of, at the end of the day we were highly competitive this season and fundamentally i am pleased with that. Due to the circumstances of the last 2 months though it is a very hollow kind of pleasure right now.

Thats all true and maybe I am being overly critical, but its probably the fact that we started the season in such an amazing fashion and were challenging on all fronts until we seemed to hit an invisible wall that makes all thiks harder to take.

We were written off at the start of the season and no doubt proved many people wrong, so we can take a lot of solace from that, but the fact that we forgot how to win in the league when it was ours for the taking is a killer. Getting hammered in two cups and losing in the CL quarters would be a lot easier to take if we had held on in the Prem.

[Good_Eye_Sniper]

f**k it, I'm going up to Liverpool tomorrow with a chain gun. Who's with me?

[Reverend Gooner]

We were written off at the start of the season and no doubt proved many people wrong, so we can take a lot of solace from that, but the fact that we forgot how to win in the league when it was ours for the taking is a killer. Getting hammered in two cups and losing in the CL quarters would be a lot easier to take if we had held on in the Prem.

I know, i know it really is a killer. I think we have some real psychological issues within the squad, we are the most confidence based side in the world. We are like a snooker player in mentality, when things are on song we do difficult things effortlessly, completely cleaning up but in times of pressure, anything which could affect our confidence does and we end up messing up things we only recently could do almost without thinking.

That is what i think we need to work on, we do not have the right mental strength to deal with psychological pressure, we have the talent to win trophies already, we just need a few more additions to beef up the squad and as i said some added resolve for the times it just needs to get done.

[singaporegooner]

I'm starting to believe that we have the worst of luck with anything Dutch related...
Dutch player pulling our player down in the box = no penalty
Our defender barely touching a Dutch player in the box = penalty
Our best Striker(Dutch) = injured for most of the season

ARGHHH!!!!! I'm so pissed now i can bite someone's head off...

Then again...we really should have held on after Theo's brilliant run and Ade's equalizer...
1 min of loss of concentration and all our hardwork went out the window...
Guess thats what it really is to play in the top flight...zero margin for error...

[Windass10]

Unlucky to lose but thats football hey, gutted totally we could have gone through but not meant to be.

[ozgooner]

bounced outta bed at 4:30 am to watch this game . what a game , obviously not the result we wanted but this is why we love this game . the highs and the lows , the ecstasy and the agony . i was never happier when we slotted our second only to have my heart torn out , thrown on the floor and have it stomped on barely a minute later . oh well , in the end we were simply not quite good enough . let's smash those manc c%%ts next hey .

[arseman]

f**k it, I'm going up to Liverpool tomorrow with a chain gun. Who's with me?

count me in..

[rvtheace]

Just watched the match. Ouch.

[liger05]

Hey, Liverpool fan in peace.

I like Arsenal. I think you play some amazing football and thats the way I want Liverpool to play. I aint a huge fan of Rafa. We get some amazing results in the CL but the way we play at times is not the way I like to see my team play.

As for this tie I think last week u should of beat us. U should of had a penalty and if it wasnt for Bendtner u would of won. Last week was a prime example of what I dislike about rafa. We didnt try to win the game last week and set up not to get beat.

Last night u guys started the game in great form. First 25 mins it was men against boys. We couldnt get near u lot and u were passing and moving like u can.
Fantastic goal from diaby. Really good football which lead to the goal.

I didnt like the way we set up. Gerrard and Kuyt and are not wide players and we had no balance in midfield. The Hyppia goal was a big goal as it dragged us back in the game. We didnt look like scoring and it was such a big goal. To be honest I am surprised Sendros is still at Arsenal. He has never progressed and still makes the same mistakes. He isnt comfortable enough on the ball for your team and last night was awful defending. He wasnt even looking at the ball for the Hyppia goal.

That goal and Flamini getting injured changed the game. Our midfield were coming more and more into the game. Gilberto isnt as mobile as Flamini and doesnt cover as much ground.

2nd half u guys were showing your fatigue. Before the game I though we would nick it 2-1 just cos I think your big players are on there last legs. Fabregas looked tired and we were seeing a lot more of the ball. Eboue should of done better when he got into the box past reina. His another player who to me isnt good enough for your side. His decision making at times is shocking and last night he could of just rolled it to Adebayor in the box. The Torres goal was a great finish from just a long punt up field. He should never of been given so much space but was a terrific finish. By then I thought it was it as I thought u were to fatigued to make another final push. After Adebayor missed that chance (should of took a touch) I thought we were home and dry.

Walcott's run was immense. Aurelio should of took him out but great pace, control and balance. 2 - 2 and I was devastated as I thought we were out then.
The penalty was harsh. No doubt it was a soft penalty. In real time I thought it was a penalty but from the replay's it looks like Toure coulsnt really do anything. He tried to avoid contact but couldnt and it looked accidental. His only fault was allowing Babel to get in that position.

I aint one to gloat as I dont do all that smug football fan crap. I appreciate expansive attacking football and enjoy watching arsenal play. Before Wenger I used to hate u lot as I thought then u played awful stuff. I dont think we are better than you and I got huge respect for Gerrard who in the interview didnt gloat and say we were the better side when he was asked.

I hope u can win the league but it will be difficult. I admire what Wenger is trying to do but he has to buy more depth for the squad. In the modern game its impossible to challenge on all fronts without the strong squad. If your big guns could of got more rest I think u would be top of the league.

[arseman]

Hey, Liverpool fan in peace.

I like Arsenal. I think you play some amazing football and thats the way I want Liverpool to play. I aint a huge fan of Rafa. We get some amazing results in the CL but the way we play at times is not the way I like to see my team play.

As for this tie I think last week u should of beat us. U should of had a penalty and if it wasnt for Bendtner u would of won. Last week was a prime example of what I dislike about rafa. We didnt try to win the game last week and set up not to get beat.

Last night u guys started the game in great form. First 25 mins it was men against boys. We couldnt get near u lot and u were passing and moving like u can.
Fantastic goal from diaby. Really good football which lead to the goal.

I didnt like the way we set up. Gerrard and Kuyt and are not wide players and we had no balance in midfield. The Hyppia goal was a big goal as it dragged us back in the game. We didnt look like scoring and it was such a big goal. To be honest I am surprised Sendros is still at Arsenal. He has never progressed and still makes the same mistakes. He isnt comfortable enough on the ball for your team and last night was awful defending. He wasnt even looking at the ball for the Hyppia goal.

That goal and Flamini getting injured changed the game. Our midfield were coming more and more into the game. Gilberto isnt as mobile as Flamini and doesnt cover as much ground.

2nd half u guys were showing your fatigue. Before the game I though we would nick it 2-1 just cos I think your big players are on there last legs. Fabregas looked tired and we were seeing a lot more of the ball. Eboue should of done better when he got into the box past reina. His another player who to me isnt good enough for your side. His decision making at times is shocking and last night he could of just rolled it to Adebayor in the box. The Torres goal was a great finish from just a long punt up field. He should never of been given so much space but was a terrific finish. By then I thought it was it as I thought u were to fatigued to make another final push. After Adebayor missed that chance (should of took a touch) I thought we were home and dry.

Walcott's run was immense. Aurelio should of took him out but great pace, control and balance. 2 - 2 and I was devastated as I thought we were out then.
The penalty was harsh. No doubt it was a soft penalty. In real time I thought it was a penalty but from the replay's it looks like Toure coulsnt really do anything. He tried to avoid contact but couldnt and it looked accidental. His only fault was allowing Babel to get in that position.

I aint one to gloat as I dont do all that smug football fan crap. I appreciate expansive attacking football and enjoy watching arsenal play. Before Wenger I used to hate u lot as I thought then u played awful stuff. I dont think we are better than you and I got huge respect for Gerrard who in the interview didnt gloat and say we were the better side when he was asked.

I hope u can win the league but it will be difficult. I admire what Wenger is trying to do but he has to buy more depth for the squad. In the modern game its impossible to challenge on all fronts without the strong squad. If your big guns could of got more rest I think u would be top of the league.

A pool fan not taking the p*ss?? Fair play to you, sir, thanks for the kind words