Man Utd Vs Arsenal | Premiership 13/04/08

[Good_Eye_Sniper]

We have been saying for months something needs to be done, I don't think ANYONE here is afraid to say it.

Yeah, everyone has been saying something needs to be done. I'm talking about cutting players loose, players that it might hurt to part with, but players that are passengers.

Not nice, but that's life. We need game winners, not pretty passers

Oh right well I agree. Changes do need to be made but I don't necessarily think we need to get rid of players, I think they need a kick up the arse and be in fear of losing their place.

Agreed. Every other top team has a rotation system to some degree, and we don't. I think therein lies the problem.

[Reverend Gooner]

I am really proud of the lads today, that is the first time we have lost to United and i have not felt too down about it. With the way our season has gone i figured it was not likely we would get anything out of this game anyway.

We played really well, the whole game, i would say the better team overall and despite going 2-1 behind we battled hard to the end. I was worried that our heads would drop after Hargreaves scored as that happens with us but it did not and the lads showed some pride by playing well and putting in 100% effort till the end.

I know we should have scored a few today and if we took our many chances we would have won easily but that has been us this season, we just couldn't do it when it mattered. I did not expect us to suddenly become a killing machine in this match, i am just proud of how we played and our work ethic.

We showed today that we have the talent in our squad, we just have to break the psychological block we have that makes us buckle at key moments during the saeson and we need to take more of our chances. We are fundamentally a great team, we just have some problems we need to deal with like most other teams. We are not this awful, incompetent, biggest flops in British sport, etc team which the media like to portray us as, if we were then why does every team on the continent fear playing us. Every time we get drawn against a team in the Champions league knockout stage they always say it is a tough draw and that is because we are a f**king great team.

We may not be the best team right now but we are a great team and i see that a few people are after blood at the moment but to be honest i am proud of our boys today and i do not think we need to start from stage one. Compare this season to our last two, are we worse off? i don't think so, we have just had our hopes raised a bit more this season compared to the other two and the reason our hopes were raised is because we are better now than we were then.

We did ruined it for ourselves by losing our resolve over the last two months it is true but also if Ferguson comes out and says that we have had woeful injury problems this year then you know there is truth in that. Things which were inside and outside of our control went wrong at the same time, if either one did not happen then i am sure we would be champions and maybe into the Champions league semi's but to our bad luck and also our shortcomings they did not but overall we have had a great season and i do not think that we deserve the damnation that we are getting from the media, rival and even our own fans.

[SE13]

I am really proud of the lads today, that is the first time we have lost to United and i have not felt too down about it. With the way our season has gone i figured it was not likely we would get anything out of this game anyway.

We played really well, the whole game, i would say the better team overall and despite going 2-1 behind we battled hard to the end. I was worried that our heads would drop after Hargreaves scored as that happens with us but it did not and the lads showed some pride by playing well and putting in 100% effort till the end.

I know we should have scored a few today and if we took our many chances we would have won easily but that has been us this season, we just couldn't do it when it mattered. I did not expect us to suddenly become a killing machine in this match, i am just proud of how we played and our work ethic.

We showed today that we have the talent in our squad, we just have to break the psychological block we have that makes us buckle at key moments during the saeson and we need to take more of our chances. We are fundamentally a great team, we just have some problems we need to deal with like most other teams. We are not this awful, incompetent, biggest flops in British sport, etc team which the media like to portray us as, if we were then why does every team on the continent fear playing us. Every time we get drawn against a team in the Champions league knockout stage they always say it is a tough draw and that is because we are a f**king great team.

We may not be the best team right now but we are a great team and i see that a few people are after blood at the moment but to be honest i am proud of our boys today and i do not think we need to start from stage one. Compare this season to our last two, are we worse off? i don't think so, we have just had our hopes raised a bit more this season compared to the other two and the reason our hopes were raised is because we are better now than we were then.

We did ruined it for ourselves by losing our resolve over the last two months it is true but also if Ferguson comes out and says that we have had woeful injury problems this year then you know there is truth in that. Things which were inside and outside of our control went wrong at the same time, if either one did not happen then i am sure we would be champions and maybe into the Champions league semi's but to our bad luck and also our shortcomings they did not but overall we have had a great season and i do not think that we deserve the damnation that we are getting from the media, rival and even our own fans.

I pretty much agree with all of that....

[Fabrestuta]

Thats all true Rev, but as Venables said the other day this was one of the easiest years to get into the top 4, so although we were written off at the start of the season coming 3rd or 4th isn't as great as it seems.
In Wengers interview the other day he was asked if the drubbing we got at United in the FA cup was a turning point and he said, and I quote "we were not going for the FA cup this year, we were going for the CL and the league" that says it all, a team like Arsenal doesn't have a squad to compete in every competition? And even after he said that he stated he wouldn't spend big in the summer.

Don't get me wrong I am proud of what we've done, but were were in a great position to win the league and pick up at least one trophy (the CC) and we end up with nothing again.

[Inchpräctice]

Wenger's reaction:

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/ne ... MHD=soccer

[Good_Eye_Sniper]

I admire your stoicism Rev, but I cannot be completely proud of a team that only works in 4/5ths of the field.

Individual players? Yes - Clichy, Walcott, Toure were excellent today.

However, as a team, I'm not going to say I am proud of them. That almost makes me feel like I'm happy to have "only" lost 2-1 today. Don't get me wrong, I was expecting a much more unforgiving game, but when you analyse the chances we had, and have had throughout the season, it's easy to see that the one thing that we've NEVER had a problem with (well, not since George Graham), scoring goals, has desered us.

We simply don't have the finishers in the squad now, and those few that we do have have one foot in the treatment room all season.

I'm sick of seeing chances going begging. Chances that other teams would bury quite happily.

Attacking and scoring has never been Wenger's shotfalling, so he needs to address this first and foremost in the summer, closely followed by our inability to defend a lead.

[Fabrestuta]

I admire your stoicism Rev, but I cannot be completely proud of a team that only works in 4/5ths of the field.

Individual players? Yes - Clichy, Walcott, Toure were excellent today.

However, as a team, I'm not going to say I am proud of them. That almost makes me feel like I'm happy to have "only" lost 2-1 today. Don't get me wrong, I was expecting a much more unforgiving game, but when you analyse the chances we had, and have had throughout the season, it's easy to see that the one thing that we've NEVER had a problem with (well, not since George Graham), scoring goals, has desered us.

We simply don't have the finishers in the squad now, and those few that we do have have one foot in the treatment room all season.

I'm sick of seeing chances going begging. Chances that other teams would bury quite happily.

Attacking and scoring has never been Wenger's shotfalling, so he needs to address this first and foremost in the summer, closely followed by our inability to defend a lead.

We can't score goals, but unlike teams under George Graham we can't stop other teams from scoring either. Chelsea won 1-0 every week under Mourinho and won the league 2 years in a row. United have conceded 6 goals at home all season and look where they are.

[rodney]

Today sums up the season, not good enough. We had plenty of chances to score and didn't put them away. Ade and Bendtner both missed great chances. Robin is wasted on the left and Eboue was f***ing shite on the right. Hleb was brilliant, but there is no goals to his game. Cesc although was very good today, how much better would be had he been given a breather?

It's amazing how the season has fallen apart.

[Inchpräctice]

This is a video clip of Fergie's reaction - he's actually quite respectful and complimentary towards us:

http://www.skysports.com/video/0,20285, ... 92,00.html

[Inchpräctice]

I'm sick of seeing chances going begging. Chances that other teams would bury quite happily.

Attacking and scoring has never been Wenger's shotfalling, so he needs to address this first and foremost in the summer, closely followed by our inability to defend a lead.

Agree.

Today sums up the season, not good enough. We had plenty of chances to score and didn't put them away. Ade and Bendtner both missed great chances. Robin is wasted on the left and Eboue was f***ing shite on the right. Hleb was brilliant, but there is no goals to his game. Cesc although was very good today, how much better would be had he been given a breather?

It's amazing how the season has fallen apart.

Agree even more.

[SE13]

This is a video clip of Fergie's reaction - he's actually quite respectful and complimentary towards us:

http://www.skysports.com/video/0,20285, ... 92,00.html

Kind words.....

However, is it just me, or is he slurring just a bit?

[rachel83]

Wow. I was at the bar surrounded by ManU supporters and almost started crying after the second goal. I probably would've had I been at home.
I was sitting next to one of them and he was very kind to me. He told me, "Great game, you really shouldn't have lost."

[SE13]

Can't deny it was a great game, which had fairly much everything..... Except the three points so richly deserved.

Fungus must still be changing his underwear....

[Reverend Gooner]

Thats all true Rev, but as Venables said the other day this was one of the easiest years to get into the top 4, so although we were written off at the start of the season coming 3rd or 4th isn't as great as it seems

Really? Well i think Venebles is slowly losing his perspective, for the last 5 years the cut off point for 4th place has been early to late 60's (68,67,61,60,67, in reverse order), this year that cut off point is going to be early to late 70's so in fact i think this the hardest year to finish in the top four and the facts show it.

In Wengers interview the other day he was asked if the drubbing we got at United in the FA cup was a turning point and he said, and I quote "we were not going for the FA cup this year, we were going for the CL and the league" that says it all, a team like Arsenal doesn't have a squad to compete in every competition? And even after he said that he stated he wouldn't spend big in the summer

No, but we did compete despite that fact. Carling cup semi final and we did go out of the FA cup to United who, alongside Liverpool and Chelsea hardly went all the way either. Champions league quarters losers but only by a whisker. I think we have been competitive all season even if the plan was just for CL and league. Unless either Man Utd or Chelsea do the double no team is going to win more than one trophy this year. We may not end up with any but in terms of competitiveness i do not think we were any major distance behind the top 4, we just lack a bit of resolve.

Don't get me wrong I am proud of what we've done, but were were in a great position to win the league and pick up at least one trophy (the CC) and we end up with nothing again.

Yes but that is a reason to be disappointed, it is not a reason to savage us (not accusing you personally of savaging us but that is the running theme at the moment)

I admire your stoicism Rev, but I cannot be completely proud of a team that only works in 4/5ths of the field

That is a shame because no team is 5/5 all year around. We have scored more goals this season than Chelsea and Liverpool and i don't hear about them having problems scoring. We do not have problems scoring, we have just had problems recently and not just scoring but all over the pitch. This recent collapse is a psychological thing, not a serious lack of talent and ability in any one area.

[Fabrestuta]

Really? Well i think Venebles is slowly losing his perspective, for the last 5 years the cut off point for 4th place has been early to late 60's (68,67,61,60,67, in reverse order), this year that cut off point is going to be early to late 70's so in fact i think this the hardest year to finish in the top four and the facts show it.

I don't think he was talking about the number of points, but even so Liverpool are 5 points ahead of Everton and 9 ahead of Pompey, they can basically cruise to 4th place. I think his point was that there are a lot more bad teams in the league this year and the top clubs can and should be feasting on them. The bottom of the league seems to get worse and worse every season.

No, but we did compete despite that fact. Carling cup semi final and we did go out of the FA cup to United who, alongside Liverpool and Chelsea hardly went all the way either. Champions league quarters losers but only by a whisker. I think we have been competitive all season even if the plan was just for CL and league. Unless either Man Utd or Chelsea do the double no team is going to win more than one trophy this year. We may not end up with any but in terms of competitiveness i do not think we were any major distance behind the top 4, we just lack a bit of resolve.

The difference is, our manager came out and publicly stated we weren't trying to win one of the most prestigious domestic cups in the world, what sort of message is that to send? So in future we are only going to try and win 2 of the 4 competitions and thats ok?

Yes but that is a reason to be disappointed, it is not a reason to savage us (not accusing you personally of savaging us but that is the running theme at the moment)

I am savaging us and I wouldn't take offense if you said it. Saying that I don't blame ANY of the players or the effort they put in throughout the season (apart from individual games here and there), but if they have no competition for places and always hear that they are perfect no matter how badly we play or f**k up, then they have no fear.