PL: Chelsea vs Arsenal | 21/08/05

[Seed]

i think if ljungerberg continued to play... the score might have been different because him and lauren were linked up good and played good..

Exactly my thoughts aswell with Fredie on the pitch Arsenal has a player who runs and opens up opportunities, let´s hope he isn´t seriously injured cause then we´re in trouble.

Doesn't this underline the lack of depth we have. Everyone saying without Freddie we have nobody to "run and open up opportunities" AW needs to make some signings, not just 1 but 2 or 3, this isn't just a knee jerk reaction from the losing abysmally by performance (not scoreline) against Chelsea but a genuine need to challenge for the title. AW needs to wake up. Pires is getting on and him playing today behind Henry was an awful decision.

 

[kel varnsen]

set pieces once again abysmal.

the reason we struggled can be summarized into two points:
-chelsea defense is brilliant. not many teams can create a lot of chances against them.

-too many of our attacking players didn't perform. cesc, pires and henry were all very disappointing today. if 3 of our offensive players are having an off day, there is no way we can really push chelsea.

 

[alibey]

Yeah I agree, but they look good until.... Thats not the point. Senderos was like in CS. He plays well untill he make some mistake and thats it. I think Senderos cannot take the pressure of big and such important games like todays, and AW should bought some classy CB's instead of strikers and goalies.

 

[RockyRocastle]

I am just back from the Bridge. Quite angry, and feel my comments would lead to a banning maybe... it's alot, LOT worse when you are there. Nearly all kicked off outside too.

Very lucky.

Jon did you see those guys getting escorted back to the train station by police escort?

I came out the ground just after they were being sectioned off, not sure what happened but there was a big group of lads (which I am assuming were Gooners as it was by the exit to the shed end) being marched off by the old bill!

I was actually tempted to sneak onto the back of them so I could get an easy ride to my train!!

ah yes that will be our brave boys THE HERD givin the chavscum a slap i guess

All I saw was a 'firm' of scruffy little Chelsea ****s giving to the 'bigun' behind the police.

**** all really, ten years ago they would have been into us, and we would have returned the favour.

 

[Sammer]

set pieces once again abysmal.

the reason we struggled can be summarized into two points:
-chelsea defense is brilliant. not many teams can create a lot of chances against them.

-too many of our attacking players didn't perform. cesc, pires and henry were all very disappointing today. if 3 of our offensive players are having an off day, there is no way we can really push chelsea.

Spot on there, Kel.

Take off-days of Henry, Pires and Cesc combined with Chelseas rock solid defense, and the riddle is solved.

Hleb looked like the only one capable creating something.

 

[Gooner83]

I got the feeling from todays game theres alot of negative players in the team, the only ones that really drive forward and have the determination to make somthing happen are;

Hleb, Cole, Toure, Reyes (when he plays), and Freddie.

As for the rest, stuck in 2nd gear... and to think they get all that money!

Pires smiling when we where getting beat summed it up nicely.

 

[Rocafella]

These two games have proven that Chelsea's defence is better then our attack.

 

[eddie_wills]

And what was the point of bringing on Flamini?

I don't think it was the right move, but I think Wenger did it because Fabregas had plainly run himself into the ground. In the 5 minutes precluding his substitution, he was a passenger in the midfield, the game totally passed him by.

 

[Gooner83]

we need to keep this young lad fresh, don't want him to burn out and not show his true class :|

 

[Sammer]

What is it really that they do?

They play like Liverpool did under Gerrard Houllier - but with sh*tloads of cash to make this boring strategy actually work:

Not afraid to win games the ugly way, defend with 8 men, have one holding midfielder and one tall lad up front who can head the ball and use his ellbows.

I am not really impressed at all the way they play, but it seems to work for now. Let´s see how it works against the likes of Bolton, ManU and Newcastle.

 

[RockyRocastle]

What is it really that they do?

They play like Liverpool did under Gerrard Houllier - but with sh*tloads of cash to make this boring strategy actually work:

Not afraid to win games the ugly way, defend with 8 men, have one holding midfielder and one tall lad up front who can head the ball and use his ellbows.

I am not really impressed at all the way they play, but it seems to work for now. Let´s see how it works against the likes of Bolton, ManU and Newcastle.

You're just Wimbledon with money!

Makes you sick though doesnt it, they are a total joke of a team. All this 'success' they are going to have is just worthless really.

They are spoiling the game and it's about time they got a bit more stick for it in the media.

 

[MK5]

A couple of points:

Neither us or the game as a whole deserved that fcuking fluke offside goal.

Hleb reminds me of Pires at his peak, Awesome!

Wenger’s game plan was destroyed when Freddie went off but what I can’t understand is why he plays RVP as a second striker, It’s just a waste of his talent. He did with Kanu for years as well and imo it destroyed his career at Arsenal. Just because Rvp happens to be Dutch it doesn’t mean he’s a new Dennis Bergkamp. Robin should be in or around the box, That’s where his qualities can really hurt the opponents.

Why all this criticism on Henry’s performance. Ok, He wasn’t at his best but you also have to understand that Terry & Gallas (2 of the best defenders in The Premiership at the moment) watched every move he did and was determined not to give him any space. Henry worked really hard booth attacking and defending and anyone suggesting he should be droped should be droped himself as a Gooner imo.

We were better than Romans bunch of toys but football is about scoring more goals than your opponents and unfortunately Chelski are better than us at that at the moment.

Lehman 7, Lauren 6.5, Kolo 8, Senderos 7, Cole 7, Freddie 7, Fabregas 7, Gilberto 7, Hleb 8, Pires 6, Henry 7,5. Rvp 6, Flamini 6.

 

[kel varnsen]

These two games have proven that Chelsea's defence is better then our attack.

it is easier to destroy than to create and this applies also to football. it easier to defend than to attack. we are better than chelsea going forward, but they are better defending. even though we had a bit of an off day, chelsea were really scrappy going forward; and this was at stamford bridge!

look at things this way, chelsea have been utter sh*te in every match so far this season. so has man u and liverpool as well. we are not the only ones looking a bit rusty. only difference is they haven't lost, but that is mainly due to coincidences.

only thing that worries me is the lack of depth in our squad. pires is not playing well right now and bergkamp looks way past it. hopefully they just lack a bit of match practice...

 

[kel varnsen]

And what was the point of bringing on Flamini?

I don't think it was the right move, but I think Wenger did it because Fabregas had plainly run himself into the ground. In the 5 minutes precluding his substitution, he was a passenger in the midfield, the game totally passed him by.

maybe it is just me, but i think flamini looked very sharp the few mins he was on the pitch. very quick and composed in his distribution. i think i'd like to see him start the match at home to fulham...

 

[Sammer]

What is it really that they do?

They play like Liverpool did under Gerrard Houllier - but with sh*tloads of cash to make this boring strategy actually work:

Not afraid to win games the ugly way, defend with 8 men, have one holding midfielder and one tall lad up front who can head the ball and use his ellbows.

I am not really impressed at all the way they play, but it seems to work for now. Let´s see how it works against the likes of Bolton, ManU and Newcastle.

You're just Wimbledon with money!

Makes you sick though doesnt it, they are a total joke of a team. All this 'success' they are going to have is just worthless really.

They are spoiling the game and it's about time they got a bit more stick for it in the media.

At least the commentators were making comments in the 2nd half like "now we have Chelseas 90 million pound substitutions on", which is - by the way - probably more than Wenger spend on transfers in his time at Arsenal.

It makes me sick yes. But at the same time, they will not live up to the pressure of this super-squad and it will turn around in the media in my view. It´s just too boring.

 

[kevin earley]

we will come second best ever time we play chelski, we are falling behind more and more every week, we must buy!!!!

 

[James]

Just got back. I can't be ****ed to post my own views up, but i think everyone who was there, has the same opinion really.

We were poor today, as we were against Newcastle and there is no getting away from that fact.

Sure we played better football than Chelsea, but so what?

We just did not look like scoring all game. That to me is very worrying.

Today highlighted how lacking our squad is, we simply have to improve or it is going to be a long season.

Henry was terrible I thought today, and the guy needs to sort his attitude out. You cant have a moody, arrogant french poser as your captain. Im sure he will score five on Wednesday, but it is in these games he needs to perform. Not good enough.

Senderos was a liability aswell.

And where was Reyes? Having Van Persie and Dennis on the bench made no sense at all. And what was the point of bringing on Flamini? He was never going to impact on the game when he came on. Reyes should have been on the bench in place of Dennis to come on when we needed a goal.

But for all that moaning, Chelsea werent much better than us and won due to what looked a very lucky goal and I hear was offside, but saying that Senderos shouldnt have let him in behind.

Plus points to be taken from today were the perfromances of Jens, Kolo and Hleb, all looked quality. Also the Bridge is now worse than Highbury, hard to believe I know. Outsung by us gooners. But we simply HAVE improve our squad. We are crying out for a goalscorer, and Cesc looks knackered already. Only another 50 games for the lad to play in :roll:
Not replacing Vieira is madness, and we will pay for it.

I know i agree with what Rocky says, besides Senderos looking a liability. I also thought Ashley had a great game.

 

[Allyboy]

Thank god Kolo is back on form is all I can say.

Senderos will be a star for us, but he is going to make mistakes (and is doing so now).

Campbell is so vital for us, we need him back fit and at his peak.

The fact that since he joined, the two seasons he has played most of the matches we have been champions speaks volumes!

 

[James]

Oh, and today showed us gooners can generate some atmosphere. Awesome stuff.

 

[YourFriendPaul]

I can't read any more of this topic, because so much of it is utter rubbish. We were bad defensively? We were EXCELLENT defensively today. Kolo Toure was fantastic, he was fantastic last week as well. There was absolutely nothing wrong with our defence, Chelsea did not look like scoring at any point.

Agreed. We can be proud of our defence today. This was a match where I found myself jumping at the great blocks, more than any attacking opportunity. The only ominous thing I could see from the back today, is the growing Drogba / Senderos rivalry. But something tells me that next time, it may well be Sol Campbell who takes revenge.

I see nothing unstoppable about the Blues, but todays contest did expose some of Arsenal's weaknesses. For all of the talk and speculation about changes is players, positions, formations, etc- I think the biggest problems have to do with drive, and the ability to work as one cohesive team.

Though perhaps not ideal, today's squad could have easily won, or at least managed to draw. At some points, they had it in their grasp- But there was something lacking, that goes beyond set pieces, and long balls. The potential is there, they've just got to learn how to put it all together. Right now it also seems like about 1/2 the squad would do well to relax, and settle in a little bit; while the other 1/2 needs to wake up, and start looking lively.

That's my two cents anyway. By the way, can I just say what an arrogant snot Mourinho is? I don't think that stupid smirk left his face the entire time. Brushing off the little kiddies asking for his autograph, no handshakes after the match... ******...