Official Gooners Thread - A New Hope

[GalwayBayBoy]

Some amazing stats from last night on http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/champions-league/2007-2008/arsenal-liverpool-229682.html

Clichy passed the ball 91 times

Gave it away 24 times mind.

[ONeill]

He had almost as many accurate passes as the whole Liverpool defence put together. Goes to show the differing game plans.

[AZOffaly]

That's bullshit. At least 80% of the Liverpool defence's clearences found the target. The fact that the target was sitting in Row G, Section 10 is irrelevent.

[GalwayBayBoy]

He had almost as many accurate passes as the whole Liverpool defence put together. Goes to show the differing game plans.

Luckily there's no bonus points in football for artistic merit then.

[ONeill]

That's bullshit. At least 80% of the Liverpool defence's clearences found the target. The fact that the target was sitting in Row G, Section 10 is irrelevent.

Accurate passes:

Clichy - 67

Hyypia 13
Aurelio 26
Carragher 14
Skrtel 20

What was impressive about Liverpool was that neither Carragher nor Skrtek had any 'bad' passes. That mightily impressive. Only bettered by Toure with 56 successes and zero bad and Eboue on 29-0. Hlebs 50-20 tells a story. Clichy also had 7 tackles, with Kuyt running away with that on 11. Also says a lot about his performance - mighty stats for a 'forward'.

[ExiledGael]

Kuyt has to make that many tackles because of his woeful touch!

[Uladh]

Gilberto? I can only assume you haven't really been following Arsenal all that closely. Arsene saw in the Brazilian what he noticed in Vieira, Henry, Pires etc - his time was done. Gilberto was living on borrowed time towards the end of last season despite his goal tally from penalties. His passing and tackling this year was of a man in serious decline and the invisible wall has now completely disappeared. Wenger brought him on recently for a decent spell in a game. His first pass was straight to the opposition. His second was a glorious through ball to no one. He'll not be here come August. Gilberto, like Lehmann, had become a liability. Gallas is a motivator who plays with his heart on his sleeve. He has scored against Chelsea and Utd this year and leads the side by example. Forget the Birmingham incident. In my book that showed how much he cared. Gallas has not publically criticised his teammates so don't fall into the trap of tabloid sensationalism. He made honest remarks about Walcott, more encouraging than anything.

And yet Gilberto still holds down his place in midfield and the vice captaincy for Brazil, and no attempt was made to move him on last summer. Wenger wouldn't stoop so low as to freeze a player out for not doing what he wants? Edu tells a different story. Gilberto's interview telling of his "surprise" at wenger's choice of Gallas as captain had nothing to do with it. please don't tell me you expected gilberto to hit the ground running coming on in a game when he's hardly played in 6 months? misplaced his first 2 passes - what a surprise. you're right about one thing though- he'll not be there come august but he'll be at a top club.

Who exactly does gallas motivate? we saw enough of a snapshot of his character against chelsea when he refuesed to challenge drogba in the air for the last half hour, costing arsenal their title aspirations. tony adams was spitting feathers in the studio after at gallas' lack of "intestinal fortitude" and told richard keys he'd love a go at marking drogba. In fact the rte panel openly laughed out loud when old bill asked them about gallas' strengths as a captain.

Almunia is a top-class shot stopper. Read the stats (or watch the games). Most of Arsenal goals against this year have been defensive errors.

The majority of goals conceded by any team are as a result of defensive errors ffs. It still has to get past the keeper. I've watched as many games as any gooner fan this season. Arguing that Almunia is good enough to be a top 4 keeper is laughable, absolutely laughable. how many premiership clubs would swap their keeper with wenger for the remainder of the season? derby? birmingham? maybe bolton as jussi is injured. the proof of the pudding will be in the summer when wenger will buy a number one of course. Basing arguments on stats is for those who cannot read a game themselves.

Wenger did not inherit Vieira, Gilberto, Campbell, Toure, Flamini etc.
You don't seem to grasp what Arsene and his side have done this season. We expected nothing due to the loss of quite a few of the Invincibles recently. However, he led the league for yonks, progressed to the QF of the champions' league and is still challenging on both fronts. This is not bad for a side with no middle. As for Gilberto again, you must be joking.

You're right - i don't seem to have grasped what wenger has done this season? Am i right in saying f**k all? we're talking about professional soccer in the richest league in the world and a manager with one of the largest stadia and budgets in the world.

If you want to, list the starting teams this weekend. List how much they cost. Arsenal would trail Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs and I wouldn't be surprised if one or two more sides were more expensive to assemble.

I'm sure that's a comfort.

By the way - Adebayor demonstrated again on wednesday night how much he detests those pesky crosses and how poor he is in the air....

[ildanach]

Arsenal have Gilberto, Nicklas Bendtner, Armand Traore, Justin Hoyte and Theo Walcott in starting 11
Emmanuel Adebayor on the bench.

[From the Bunker]

Arsene is looking more comfortable as the season draws to a close

[ONeill]

Fairly pessimistic about tonight. The two games in the last week won't have much of an impact on tonight if Liverpool play in the same manner - 'away' yet at home. If Liverpool, buoyed on by the home crowd (the best in Europe in terms of atmosphere bar Celtic), have a more gung-ho approach then Arsenal have a chance. Benitez knows exactly how to approach this game though. He's a bit of a master of the second legs.

I can see Wenger going with the one up front again in Adebayor. Van Persie shouldn't start, even if fit. Hoping he'll go for

Eboue - Toure - Gallas - Clichy
Walcott - Diaby - Fabregas- Flamini - Hleb
Adebayor

Options on the bench - Bendtner/Van Persie

More likely:

Toure - Senderos - Gallas - Clichy
Eboue - Fabregas- Flamini - Hleb
Van Persie
Adebayor

Liverpool, in the two games, seem to be suspect with high crossed  - Bendtner, Gallas, Toure and Adebayor have all connected fairly unchallenged.

Can Torres be contained again?


 

Beyond that options are fairly limited

[Dinny Breen]

Still think this game is going to penalties, Liverpool have the better keeper and wlll go through 

[Uladh]

Still think this game is going to penalties, Liverpool have the better keeper and wlll go through 

I don't know how you can say that az, given that -

Almunia is a top-class shot stopper. Read the stats (or watch the games). Most of Arsenal goals against this year have been defensive errors.

[ONeill]

Almunia is an excellent shot-stopper and has a brillinat record with penalty shoot-outs (when he was the Carling Cup keeper). If it does go to penalties, I'd be confident Almunia would be the hero of the hour. Lehmann let 4 in out of 5 against Utd in the Cup final.

[AZOffaly]

Still think this game is going to penalties, Liverpool have the better keeper and wlll go through 

I don't know how you can say that az, given that -

Almunia is a top-class shot stopper. Read the stats (or watch the games). Most of Arsenal goals against this year have been defensive errors.

i didn't say it Uladh. That was Dinny.

[Uladh]

Sorry az - misrepresented you. heaven forbid i'd associate you with the views of a kildare man.