PL: Aston Villa vs Arsenal | 31/12/05

[Somalian_Gooner]

We didn't played well today, Aston Villa did every thing and tried to score and dominated the midfield, i don't know what is wrong with Fredie, and Cygan (No Comment)... all i can say is We were lucky becouse we get one point from that game....

Aston Villa 60.3% Possession Arsenal 39.7% (No Comment)

We must win against Man-Ure

 

[_scorpion_]

We were lucky to nick a point today. Shameful display.
All I'm going to add is that if you cant see our problems by now then you really are blind.

I think someone said it perfectly before....we seem to have no central mid field. We have defenders and strikers but no CM where we can keep the ball.

Also think if Barcelona do come in for an offer for Henry we should sell...the guy cannot lead this team and I'm afraid Wenger is too scared to tell him that.

McLintock is correct...we don't have the fighters in our side that we used to who were good at winning these away battles...Vieira, Keown, Parlour and Edu are names that spring to mind of players that were part of that unbeaten run that used to make the difference in tough ugly matches like today's.

Id like to see what bundle of excuses Wenger has now if we cant add at least 3 players in Jan. You really need to be blind to not be able to see what kind of players we lack at the moment. I dont want his 'super quality' non-existent players, I want battlers who don't lack bottle, wont get intimidated and i want size, power and experience. In other words, he has to break his mould and buy the finished article or close to it for a change.

Like I said in a previous thread the lack of height in the side is killing us in the middle of the pitch.

 

[tgr]

Arsène wanted to win both the games vs villa & manure so he rested on form reyes and pires. but he should have palyed 4231. 4231 is good for away games.

 

[invisibleman18]

Dont know what I can say that hasn't already been said, but I may aswell add my 2 cents worth.

Absolutely abysmal performance, just when I thought we had turned a corner and it couldnt really get any worse.
I think it speaks volumes about our performance that Pascal Cygan was one of our best players on the day.
To sum up this game in a few words, I think it would be fair to say that we won a point and Villa dropped 2. thank god villa are as **** as they are, another team (such as the one we play in midweek) could well have put 5 past us in that game, and if i wasnt dreading the midweek game before, i certainly am now.

oh and Hleb was ****e again, absolutely non existent.

 

[Aussie]

Piss poor performance. Some players just arnt delivering the goods - its time to be ruthless.

 

[gotnothin]

Only caught the highlights but from the sound of it we struggled not trip over our own shoelaces?!!? Also heard Henry was shut down really well?? or did he just play sh*te?

 

[nazo]

played sh*t

 

[gotnothin]

I was hoping you wouldnt say that.... F*ck! Dont want any negative thoughts runnin through Henry's head during transfer windows...

 

[kel varnsen]

Also think if Barcelona do come in for an offer for Henry we should sell...the guy cannot lead this team and I'm afraid Wenger is too scared to tell him that.


.

of course. it all makes sense. we're **** right now, so let's get rid of our best player. that will surely turn things around... :roll:

 

[gotnothin]

Also think if Barcelona do come in for an offer for Henry we should sell...the guy cannot lead this team and I'm afraid Wenger is too scared to tell him that.

Your kidding aren't ya???? Unbelievable how some ppl have already said their goodbye's and are ready to abandon ship?! :? Yes we're struggling this season and the whole Henry controversy is scary but to come out and say we should sell arguably the best striker in the world... :shock: :roll:

 

[invisibleman18]

there was also someone a couple of pages back who said "i hope manure kill us on tuesday"

 

[Mckenna]

Although I wouldn't argue for "ManUre to kill us on Tuesday," the person who said that had a point in that it might finally wake up Arsène to the fact that he needs to make some quality signings who allow the team to compete, because otherwise we'll die fast and quiet.

If we beat ManUre, the fans will be happy, but Wenger may feel vindicated enough by that single performance to only sign some other 16 year old midget and nobody else in the transfer window, and that would be a travesty.

Further, I sincerely believe we're getting towards being like Everton with Rooney. We haven't gone quite that far, because the rest of our team is still good, but we have to consider whether getting rid of Henry might not be best for the team. As mentioned before, it would allow us to pick a good leader as captain. It would also remove the fixation that the rest of the team has as soon as they get the ball - must pass to Henry - that will change to looking for the player in the best position. Players will be forced to come out of their shells, and this will allow them to perform better, not in Henry's shadow. Plus of course, we'd get the pre-requisite £30m or £40m which Wenger would then have to spend on new players or fans would burn down the stadium, meaning that the team may actually improve. It wouldn't be so bad, this team with or without Henry, is still worth 4th place in the league at least.

Mentioning Everton, it's also comparable to Liverpool and Owen, Owen was a great player for them, but their reliance on him was overwhelming, so is ours on Henry. However, it would take a brave man to admit that, and either sign players to remove the burden from Henry's shoulders or to sell Henry. Wenger suggested that he was that brave man when he sold Vieira, but everything he has done since then suggests reticence, and a lack of forward thinking. So I really don't know whether Henry will stay or not. But if you don't want him to leave, maybe you'd better tell him that, because at the moment he's strolling around, arms aloft, with a look that says "what am I doing here? when's the next flight to barcelona?" And that is something else which is dragging the team down the tubes.

Anyway, onto ManUre, where I do sincerely hope we get a result, but more than that, if we do win, I hope it doesn't tell Wenger that things are okay, because they're sincerely not.

 

[DannyGooner1982]

Just when I thought we were "well and truly back" as I blogged on my site, here comes this horror show at Villa Park.

No desire, no hunger...traits that have been all too common this season.

Sure, it was the 3rd match in a matter of days but it also seemed that the 'invisible shroud of the Man Utd fixture' were over the team.

C'mon Arsenal! We need points and quick-fast...

Also, good points McKenna. Things are not going well and we defnintely need a midfielder for starters...

Let's hope that Le Boss does something about this. I'm sure the scouts are working overtime

 

[Viper]

Although I wouldn't argue for "ManUre to kill us on Tuesday," the person who said that had a point in that it might finally wake up Arsène to the fact that he needs to make some quality signings who allow the team to compete, because otherwise we'll die fast and quiet.

If we beat ManUre, the fans will be happy, but Wenger may feel vindicated enough by that single performance to only sign some other 16 year old midget and nobody else in the transfer window, and that would be a travesty.

Further, I sincerely believe we're getting towards being like Everton with Rooney. We haven't gone quite that far, because the rest of our team is still good, but we have to consider whether getting rid of Henry might not be best for the team. As mentioned before, it would allow us to pick a good leader as captain. It would also remove the fixation that the rest of the team has as soon as they get the ball - must pass to Henry - that will change to looking for the player in the bes
t position. Players will be forced to come out of their shells, and this will allow them to perform better, not in Henry's shadow. Plus of course, we'd get the pre-requisite £30m or £40m which Wenger would then have to spend on new players or fans would burn down the stadium, meaning that the team may actually improve. It wouldn't be so bad, this team with or without Henry, is still worth 4th place in the league at least.

Mentioning Everton, it's also comparable to Liverpool and Owen, Owen was a great player for them, but their reliance on him was overwhelming, so is ours on Henry. However, it would take a brave man to admit that, and either sign players to remove the burden from Henry's shoulders or to sell Henry. Wenger suggested that he was that brave man when he sold Vieira, but everything he has done since then suggests reticence, and a lack of forward thinking. So I really don't know whether Henry will stay or not. But if you don't want him to leave, maybe you'd better tell him that, because at the moment he's strolling around, arms aloft, with a look that says "what am I doing here? when's the next flight to barcelona?" And that is something else which is dragging the team down the tubes.

Anyway, onto ManUre, where I do sincerely hope we get a result, but more than that, if we do win, I hope it doesn't tell Wenger that things are okay, because they're sincerely not.

I somehow agree with you. Sometimes, Henry looks careless and not interested in the game, like against FC Thun, Villa...

I think Henry is defintely going to leave us, so we may as well cash on him...

 

[Arsenal_Soldier]

One thing is for sure is that Henry isn't himself these days, its probably his injury, well i hope so.

One thing i realised yesterday was Wenger's hesitation to sub the players of that he needed to.
I hate to mention it, but Mourinho woudn't have waited till the dying minutes to bring on Reyes for example, Arsène needs to take more risks because on another day we probably would have been embarrased by Villa

 

[YuenBiaoFan]

C'mon guys, we've 7 points out of 9 including 2 away games. Hardly season ending manager sacking player selling results.

Anyone expecting an easy ride at Villa after they'd sunk 7 goals in their last 2 games and considering our terrible away form was a bit naive. 0-0 was hardly a terrible result in a game preceeding the biggest league matchup since Wenger's been here.

He made one mistake I think - resting the two widemen who I think are going to start on Tues. Playing two out of form players was a bit silly. Ljungberg has looked ****e all season, Wenger's not Mourinho though so shows confidence in him but it still hasn't been repaid yet. Hleb's not looked anywhere near as sharp post injury as he was before. But he'll adjust, and it is kind of hard trying to pass when there's noone wanting it. Which brings me on to our captain. What the **** is he playing at?! A terrible onfield leader, and from a feeling I had at the start of the season I'm now almost sure that his precence here is really hindering the 'new blood'. He's great when he gets the ball he wants a la encouraging Flamini the other day but really, really bad when he's not.

From my eyes, most of the Villa attacks came down the wings so it's pretty frustrating to see Flamini getting all the stick. But then he is Flamini and he's **** no matter what in most Gooners eyes. I'm going to rewatch anyhow.

0-0 against an inform team with our out-of-form away team doesn't equal some of the negativity going on round here.

 

[brady]

villa may be in-form but so were we if you just look at statistics. on the evidence of the game, villa were s**t and we were worse.

agree with mckenna. i don't understand the hoopla over henry. if the team can be improved by removing him, surely that is a legitimate topic for discussion? no one is bigger than the club. let's face it, perhaps henry has taken us as far as he can. it could be a win-win situation for both.

i mean if we could get good replacements in a few departments by selling him, i would say that makes good sense. wenger has a system after all. it does not just revolve around henry so different players can come in to do the job. i recall bergkamp was pretty good before henry came...

 

[Smartly Dressed Morris]

Im getting tired of watching Freddy falling over for 90 minutes everytime a player goes near him.

We might as well have a sack of potatoes on the pitch

 

[Tegh]

With regards to Hleb, why does he feel he has to dribble the ball inside our own penalty area when we're under pressure?

He lost the ball and Toure/Campbell/Lauren all went to hoof it out at once, they weren't impressed.

 

[RockyRocastle]

One of the worst performances I have seen in a long long time.

No fight or passion, just 11 foreign ****ing women.

We are just a total shambles.

Our midfield is a joke, Flamini may look good against pompey reserves, which is about his level but he was back to his usual self. Hleb - was he really that good in Germany? He was terrible yet again, the amount of times he gives the ball away is criminal. Cesc cant do it all and then there is ****ing Freddie.

Our defence is being held together by Kolo who is the only one who deserves to be being paid and the minute, and he is ****ing off soon.

And then there is Henry, who is a disgrace to the word captain.

This season is a total mess, and yet it was obvious to most that you cant get anywhere if you dont buy established quality players.