Arsenal v United, 21.01.07 - 16.00

[simon]

buliwyf said:

I shouldn't be writing.... I should less my anger pass after our pub was on the edge of a punchfest. But I have to clear my soul to go on:

SAF is to blame for this loss. Before the game they all twaddled about how they're out for a win and how United isn't afraid of anything. And then SAF fields his best players in such a waste of a formation, clearly out for nothing but a clean sheet.

• How could you expect a 35 year old bloke to play the lone wolf up front? I think Larsson did well with the 3 or 4 ball's he touched in this game.
  
• Giggs only got possession when he went out wide! We need a new good left wing as cover for Giggs so SAF can let ol' Giggsy run up and down the left wing as long as his able to, then take him off. He really had his best games this season in his position!
  
• Rooney did well but he is still a waste in MF and wide. And as long as he has two work for 3 men he's not going to score consistently! I think Ronaldo played good. It was hard for him because of the fullbacks pace but he's hardly given a ball away.
  
• Carrick and Scholes are passers of the ball but a single striker's path is easy to cover for the defenders so they didn't have options and were out of the offense-game
  
• Evra had a very strong first hour, probably the best I've seen so far. But after an hour his defense work became sloppy with bad tackles bad positioning and uncontrolled movements. I almost started prying for Ferguson to take him off and bring in Heinze for more defensive stability. And why did he lay down with Scholsey already on the ground and two Arsenal players standing before the first goal? The cross for the second one came from the left, too.
  
• The subs were either wrong or mistimed! How can you take off header-monster Larsson just ahead of a corner? And why take off our best counter-attacker when under pressure?
  

My upshot: Every time we had the feeling we won or lost without getting in full gear we played out of position. I think this is the most critical time in this campaign. We now have to take a point outta the Bridge or Liverpool and we can't afford a single slip up. I hope Fergie can rally his men after this hit in the neck. Even if he didn't do anything right in the game, he started well into next week by analyzing that we gained one more goal in our battle with Chelsea.

P.s. the French really are cunts!

thats a lot of problems

[Smack My Pitch Up]

buliwyf said:

I shouldn't be writing.... I should less my anger pass after our pub was on the edge of a punchfest. But I have to clear my soul to go on:

SAF is to blame for this loss. Before the game they all twaddled about how they're out for a win and how United isn't afraid of anything. And then SAF fields his best players in such a waste of a formation, clearly out for nothing but a clean sheet.

• How could you expect a 35 year old bloke to play the lone wolf up front? I think Larsson did well with the 3 or 4 ball's he touched in this game.
  
• Giggs only got possession when he went out wide! We need a new good left wing as cover for Giggs so SAF can let ol' Giggsy run up and down the left wing as long as his able to, then take him off. He really had his best games this season in his position!
  
• Rooney did well but he is still a waste in MF and wide. And as long as he has two work for 3 men he's not going to score consistently! I think Ronaldo played good. It was hard for him because of the fullbacks pace but he's hardly given a ball away.
  
• Carrick and Scholes are passers of the ball but a single striker's path is easy to cover for the defenders so they didn't have options and were out of the offense-game
  
• Evra had a very strong first hour, probably the best I've seen so far. But after an hour his defense work became sloppy with bad tackles bad positioning and uncontrolled movements. I almost started prying for Ferguson to take him off and bring in Heinze for more defensive stability. And why did he lay down with Scholsey already on the ground and two Arsenal players standing before the first goal? The cross for the second one came from the left, too.
  
• The subs were either wrong or mistimed! How can you take off header-monster Larsson just ahead of a corner? And why take off our best counter-attacker when under pressure?
  

My upshot: Every time we had the feeling we won or lost without getting in full gear we played out of position. I think this is the most critical time in this campaign. We now have to take a point outta the Bridge or Liverpool and we can't afford a single slip up. I hope Fergie can rally his men after this hit in the neck. Even if he didn't do anything right in the game, he started well into next week by analyzing that we gained one more goal in our battle with Chelsea.

P.s. the French really are cunts!

I'm gonna have to agree with you on all accounts. Personally I thought the match was pretty shit, both teams played nowhere near to their full abilities. We could've won this match with the right tactics and the right mentality, but we threw it away.

[Busby Boy]

Van Persie's broken his metatarsal and I wish him a speedy recovery, we don't have to play them again this season unless in the Cup and I enjoy watching him so I want him to recover quickly.

[missunited]

Arsenal 2 United 1

ARSENAL came from behind to beat Barclays Premiership leaders Manchester United with two late goals at the Emirates Stadium.

Substitute Robin van Persie had cancelled out Wayne Rooney's early first-half strike with just seven minutes left, before captain Thierry Henry powered in a stoppage-time header to seal a dramatic win for the Gunners and signal their intent to have a say in the destiny of the title and the race for automatic Champions League qualification.

Despite their defeat in north London, United remain six points clear of Chelsea in second place and 12 ahead of Arsenal, who are fourth.

But Sir Alex Ferguson will know that lead could have been more convincing had they remained composed following what was at times a scrappy affair, which until the closing moments never seemed destined to stick in the memory.

It had been a positive start by United, playing in their blue change strip.

Ryan Giggs found space 20 yards out for a curling shot, which flew just wide.

Arsenal - without suspended Brazilian Gilberto - struggled to break the visitors down in midfield but eventually started to see more of the ball.

Henry flashed in an angled shot from the left touchline which flew straight at United keeper Edwin Van der Sar.

Referee Steve Bennett - who earlier this season sent Gunners boss Arsene Wenger to the stands - soon had to diffuse another potential flashpoint when full-back Emmanuel Eboue and Rooney tussled on the touchline, with both players raising their arms.

Good work from Alexander Hleb and Cesc Fabregas then got Emmanuel Adebayor away down the right.

His cross was deflected past the on-rushing Mathieu Flamini and Tomas Rosicky flashed the loose ball over the crossbar from 18 yards.

As the half-hour mark passed, Fabregas' goal-bound strike from 25 yards was headed behind by Nemanja Vidic.

Arsenal then created the best chance of the game so far.

Adebayor got away on the right again and his cross hung up perfectly for Henry at the far post.

However, the normally clinical Frenchman could only head the ball straight back at Van der Sar.

Henry then could not believe he was not given a penalty when Gary Neville appeared to miss the ball and clip the striker as he ran across the United skipper just inside the area.

Giggs was flagged onside following a chip through by Paul Scholes, but he could not make the most of the opportunity as Jens Lehmann comfortably collected his cross-cum-shot from the left.

In the final minute of the first half, Henry tested van der Sar with a low 25-yard strike after his initial free-kick had been blocked by the wall.

There was still time for Lehmann to make a superb finger-tip save onto the bar to turn over Rooney's brilliant half-volley, after the ball had dropped to him some 25 yards out.

The veteran German then turned Henrik Larsson's powerful header around the post from the resulting corner.

Arsenal started the second half in more determined fashion. However, United continued to win the midfield battle and after 53 minutes they took the lead.

Cristiano Ronaldo fed Patrice Evra on the overlap down the left and the full-back dashed forward to drill the ball across the six-yard box.

Kolo Toure could only touch it on towards the far post, where Rooney was on hand to head in his first goal for eight matches.

Arsenal had little option but to raise their own tempo in order to avoid a first defeat at the Emirates Stadium.

However, once again the visitors were resolute in defending the final third.

With 24 minutes to go, Hleb was replaced by Van Persie.

His fellow Dutch international Van der Sar needed treatment after being accidentally kicked by Vidic following a goal-mouth scramble.

United seemed content to sit back on their lead as the match entered the closing stages.

It proved a costly mistake.

With just seven minutes to go, Fabregas won the ball on the right, just outside the penalty area.

Rosicky took possession and drilled over a low cross into the six-yard box.

Henry flicked it on towards the back post where Van Persie arrived on cue to smash the ball up into the roof of the net for his 13th goal of the season.

Just when it seemed the match was set to end all square, Henry was perfectly positioned to meet Eboue's pinpoint cross with a bullet header which gave van der Sar no chance - and the cheers could, no doubt, be heard all the way across in west London.

[schmeichelstarjump!]

gutted about todays result 9 points would look so much better than 6 but we are still 6 points clear and in the driving seat.

[Tatty]

Fucking Steve Fucking Bennet!

[aussiegraham (Ret.)]

It's after losses like this that I am pleased to be 12,000 miles away so that I don't have to put up with gloating WUM's and the hideous English press!

[danishred]

aussiegraham said:

It's after losses like this that I am pleased to be 12,000 miles away so that I don't have to put up with gloating WUM's and the hideous English press!

Im not quite 12,000 miles away but i feel ya! Over here in the states there is NFL on all the sports channels....and no one like (european) football so, im in the clear LOL

[matthewhogan]

lucky you guys, i have to go to school on monday and listen to all the arsenal fans. its gonna be hell, oh wait, we're still in first place

[David Gill]

I hate lying and i always say the truth. Whoever says that Man utd played well they are lying. The only players who showed up were Evra Rooney and Carrick.
Arsenal outclassed, Out played and completely dominated us. This is no lie , It's the truth and it hurts. I'm sorry to say it. We had a few chances but nothing special.
Scholes didn't have space to work in. G.Neville realy let me down yesterday because whenever a player was gonna take him on he just kept on tracking back. This realy did annoy me. I know many will disagree with me but we need to change our CAPTAIN! Someone in midfield needs that armband and i want it to be Carrick!!! Someone who can keep the team ticking.Just look at what he done for spurs last season.
I feel so sorry for Rooney! He was clearing up for everyone at the back as well as midfield. I think it's because of our ageing midfield. If he had only one position to play with he would be a great player. I remember once when he actually ran back to cover up for G. neville with a darting run! What was G.neville doing.? I've also remarked that we don't seem to close down very often in the last third of the pitch. Like we were inviting them to shoot. From the start they were too quick for us.
Playing Larsson in front all alone at 35 years of age against a young defence is asking for trouble. Saha would have been better off. I think Saha is preparing himself for the match against Lille.
After todays result i realy do think that Hargreaves will be needed for games like this. And a replacement for Giggs is needed desperately.
Arsenal realy do have something to look forward to in the future.
I think SAF changes his tactics to disrupt the opposing side in the big games which i think is not a very good idea. Anyway let's hope rooney does well from now on .

[sahahahaha]

I'm proud of the boys last night, I thought they all played well. Evra was outstanding and we lost. But it was a great game and we can take a lot out of that result. When we lost to Madrid a few years back we played some great football despite losing and then went onto win the league because that game even though we lost brought the best out of us. I can see the same with this defeat at Arsenal.

[danishred]

Failing that, buy someone and stop whingeing. Of course, Man U should be out of sight by now, but they fluffed it at the Emirates.

Rio, Neville, Rooney and Carrick are used to going a goal up and then giving the ball to the opposition for the rest of the match and just hoping - classic Eriksson.

And there's more twitches to come at the Theatre of Screams. Hang on to your hats, it's going to be a close one. And I still reckon the Chelsea shamballacks will nick it.

(By Robbo Robson)
--------------------------------------------

We lost the title? Really? What an idiot. He is comparing our one recent loss to the poor run of chelsea (over the past 7 or so games)...does he know what he is talking about?

I just hate how if United lose a game then every journalist writes us off as title contenders. But oh well. he will certainly eat his words come may, or at least i think so.

[Carlito's Way]

sahahahaha said:

I'm proud of the boys last night, I thought they all played well. Evra was outstanding and we lost. But it was a great game and we can take a lot out of that result. When we lost to Madrid a few years back we played some great football despite losing and then went onto win the league because that game even though we lost brought the best out of us. I can see the same with this defeat at Arsenal.

Have to disagree. We weren't very good. Not awful but not good. Evra was impressive though. I loved that bit of skill to pass it to Ronaldo. Pity he was offside.

[Red Yank]

sahahahaha said:

I'm proud of the boys last night, I thought they all played well. Evra was outstanding and we lost. But it was a great game and we can take a lot out of that result. When we lost to Madrid a few years back we played some great football despite losing and then went onto win the league because that game even though we lost brought the best out of us. I can see the same with this defeat at Arsenal.

I can't say I took the same from what I saw yesterday. Now had they all played like they were really after the win then I wouldn't take exception to the loss. We weren't horrible but we didn't look that hungry either as we didn't take the game to them and challenge them once they got their passing style going.

[missunited]

We looked like Chelsea lost, so we couldn't be bothered because we'd still have that 6 point lead. That's what we looked liked. Sir Alex played a bad formation, and the team at times looked like they were running around in training. The only reason we didn't get a goal against us sooner was because Arsenal were playing badly for a lot of the time also, and when they had chances, VDS stepped up. Then it all crumbled.

As for Robbo Robson's comment, he's nothing but a failed real journalist who thinks he's funny, and tries really hard to be. Sadly he's ignorant and doesn't know much about anything, and I am pretty sure he's drunk whenever he writes something.