September 13, 2011: Signal Iduna Park (aka Westfalenstadion)
After the relief of our win at Udinese a couple of weeks ago, we only had a little time to exhale prior to the start of the competition proper. And so this evening we opened this season’s Champions League group phase with a visit to the home of the reigning Bundesliga Champions – probably our most difficult (at least on paper) single fixture of this particular group.
While Jurgen Klopp’s young side may bear little resemblance to Ottmar Hitzfeld’s 1997 European Cup winning Dortmund side, they are still one of the better sides in Europe, and are particularly formidable at home.
If our Arsenal side had one advantage going in, it is the experience of 13 consecutive Champions League campaigns coming into tonight. None of Klopp’s side can boast of such sustained experience at this level of European competition…
In fact, Dortmund’s last appearance in this competition was in the 2002-3 season, where – featuring Jens Lehmann and Rosicky in their side – they were drawn in the first round group with us. We beat them 2-0 at Highbury, and lost 2-1 at the Westfalen, Rosicky scoring both their goals in the tie…
Incidentally, we went through as group winners, and they joined us as runners up; a repeat of these positions would be most welcome…
On the back of our first league win of this season, we looked to chalk up a win and get our group stage campaign up on a positive note.
The injury news was not great coming in: Ramsey and Rosicky were both ruled out for this fixture, joining long-term absentees Jack, Verm, Diaby, and Squil as unavailable for selection.
Compounding that injury list was Arsene’s two game suspension for the communication antics in the first leg versus Udinese, our formal appeal denied. So with Pat taking charge for the second time in three European fixtures this season, we lined up with:
Szczesny, Gibbs, Kos, Mert, Bac, Arteta, Song, Benayoun, Theo, Robin and Gerv; clearly an attacking lineup designed to score goals first, more than keep Dortmund out.
Fab, JD, Santos, Frimpong, Arshavin, Chamakh and Park rounded out our bench.
So we featured two key players (Song and Gerv) back from domestic suspension, one new arrival making his first start (Benayoun), and one new arrival who could potentially make his first appearance for us (Park). Even with the absentees, this looked a pretty formidable squad…
From the opening kickoff, we attacked with Robin and Theo combining but the move quickly broke down. As advertised, both teams attacked quickly during the opening minutes, with Theo and Gerv using their pace to good effect down the flanks, certainly a key for Arsenal on the night. Gerv had a chance to get us off to a great start when through on Weidenfeller but Hummels was able to get a last ditch tackle in to put our player off, and the chance was gone…
The first mistake from Arsenal came with ten minutes gone, as a simple ball over the top sent Kagawa through the middle with no Arsenal defender in sight. Fortunately for us, the Dortmund forward let us off the hook with a poor finish over the crossbar. The hosts were in control by this moment and Bac had to clear off our line after Lewandowski rounded Szczesny…
A few minutes later, Gerv won us a corner and Arteta forced Weidenfeller to punch his delivery away – better than we have seen on corners so far this season. Dortmund broke with the ball but again shot over the crossbar, even with that last break, we began to settle things down and gain a bit more of a foothold in the match.
We then won a second corner, which Robin sent in and was eventually cleared. Still, we continued to put Dortmund’s defence under pressure and held the ball far better than in the first fifteen minutes.
We had a small break in the action as Kos and Hummels clashed heads during a Dortmund corner; both were ok after a few minutes treatment. As the first third of the match passed, the pattern saw good attacking from both sides, some very shaky Arsenal defending and a few shifts in momentum.
Goetze was proving a real handful as he released Kagawa just at the half-hour mark but Szczesny was able to intercept his cross.
One worrying thing already apparent in our play was our penchant for giving the ball away, sometimes under no pressure…Benayoun then released Robin, but our Captain rushed his shot and Weidenfeller was able to save at the expense of a corner, which we couldn’t convert.
Goetze again provided a chance for Kagawa, which the latter again could not capitalize upon but they kept the pressure on and Szczesny – the busier of the two goalkeepers – had to save a close-range Lewandowski header.
Yet, with the pressure on and Dortmund looking likely to finally score, we grabbed the opener three minutes before the interval. Dortmund Captain Kehl started it with a sloppy pass in his own half which Robin latched on to, poking the ball out to Theo, who provided Robin an excellent return pass.
Our Captain drew Weidenfeller and stroked home with his right foot – a priceless goal at a most opportune time! Dortmund tried to respond, forcing a quick corner, but we made it to the interval relatively untroubled…
Dortmund kicked the second half off with no changes for either side and they immediately went on the attack, while we appeared to be waiting for opportunities to hit them on the counter. We had a scare five minutes in, as Mert was unable to complete a clearance, and Kagawa latched on to the ball, only for a questionable offside flag to end the sequence…
Goetze continued to pull the strings for Dortmund, playing a ball inside Bac but Schmelzer became the latest yellow shirt to clear our crossbar…
As with the first half, we rode the initial spell of Dortmund pressure out and then began to hold the ball a bit more. Theo shot wide from a sniff of a chance, and we earned a couple of free kicks.
Right on the hour mark, Arteta was brought off for treatment on a head gash he sustained while defending a Dortmund corner. During this sequence where were down to ten men, Gerv beat two men and found himself through on goal but Weidenfeller cleared the ball before our off balance forward could get a shot off.
Arteta was back on after a couple of minutes, and we started to control proceedings a bit. We had a free-kick and corner in quick succession, and while we couldn’t convert either, we kept Dortmund back in their half, and kept the clock ticking as well…
As we entered the final 25 minutes – still with no substitutes – Dortmund cranked the pressure back up and we found ourselves pinned back and defending. Song made at least three vital interceptions in a short spell, including one where he picked Goetze’s pocket on the edge of our box as the latter shaped to shoot…
With 20 minutes to go Klopp made an attacking change, bringing skipper Krel and Grosskreutz off for Blazczykowski and Perisic…
At this point, Dortmund were doing all the attacking, but we were defending well and denying them great chances…Arteta earned us a couple of free kicks to temporarily relieve the pressure, but Dortmund were quickly back on the attack, with Kagawa – yet again – clearing our crossbar…
With 15 minutes remaining, Schmelzer earned the game’s first caution with a late tackle on Bac. Pat used the opportunity to make his first change, bringing Frim on for the Theo to bolster our midfield…Robin was then flagged when a potential break was on, and Bac was booked (time-wasting) on a Dortmund free-kick…
With ten minutes to go, Subotic had Dortmund’s best chance to equalize, but could only fire straight at Szczesny, who saved with his legs, from close range following a corner. Song then made yet another vital interception to put Goetze off…With five minutes remaining, Klopp made his final change, bringing Zidan on for Kagawa…
At this point, the finish line was in sight, but there was still a ways to go to reach it.
Pat then made his final two changes, bringing Santos on for his Arsenal debut in Gervinho’s place and Chamakh on for Robin.
Just as we looked as though we would see this one out, we finally conceded. Mert headed Schmelzer’s free kick out, and substitute Perisic volleyed it straight back into our net with Szczesny not moving as the ball looped into the right corner. Unfortunate, but a great goal and deserved on the balance of play.
So with just a minute and stoppage time, could we hold on to the point we now had? Or regain the lead?
Four minutes stoppage time was signaled, as all the momentum was with the hosts. Szczesny had to bravely block at Lewandowski’s feet, and we needed another block on a Zidan shot, but we held on. In the fourth minute, Bender was cautioned for a late tackle on Arteta and that was that.
Certainly disappointment that we could not see out those last couple of minutes but the other guy deserves credit in this instance. We battled and hung in there the whole way and were undone by an excellent strike – these things do happen.
In the other match, Marseille won 1-0 in Piraeus, so they top the group on three points, follow by us and Dortmund on one each, and Olympiacos on nil. When you consider we got this trip out of the way with a point in the bag, we’re not that bad off.
I imagine that frustration will be vented at Song for conceding the free kick that led to the goal and Mert for not clearing it away from Perisic – both would be wrong in my opinion.
I thought Song was tremendous in the second half, making several timely interceptions and breaking up numerous dangerous attacks. Mert did his job and cleared the ball, and had a strong overall game as well, particularly considering Kos struggled for much of it. To me, it was just one of those things – unfortunate to concede so late, after battling so hard for so long but Dortmund did everything but put the ball in the net earlier, so I think they fully deserved their eventual point.
As they say, it is what it is…
For those complaining about the lack of character and determination in this side, there was plenty on display tonight. On another night, it may have been enough to see us through; it wasn’t here but that should not diminish the fact that we got a point from a very difficult fixture.
What this means for the future is impossible to tell right here and now but if you consider where we were heading into the international break – one point from three league matches, coming off a humiliating 8-2 drubbing – to where we are today, things seem to be looking better, even if we are not necessarily playing technically better.
I expect that will come through restored confidence; which should come through improved results, further integration of our new players, and the return of even more of our injured players…
Arsene is now halfway through his current European ban; he’ll sit in the penalty box for the home tie against Olympiacos, and then will be free to resume his place on the bench at the Velodrome. Pat gave the post-match presser and seemed quite relieved – as I am – to have come through this.
While I cannot agree with the oft-used “It feels (our) season is just starting” mantra, I see this as another bit of progress; we still have a lot of ground to make up in the league, but we are reasonably well-placed in our group after one match. The key will be progressing from here, in all competitions.
I think this team has it in it to compete credibly in all competitions this season. Whether they do or not will depend largely on players gelling, keeping our best players fit, defending responsibly and taking our chances. We’ll see how it all shakes out over the coming weeks and months.
For now, I am going to enjoy a very hard earned point, under very difficult circumstances…
At the start of this article, I gave brief mention to Hitzfeld’s 1997 European Cup winners side. One of the players in tonight’s Arsenal squad was a club team-mate with one the starters in Dortmund’s 1997 Cup final 3-1 win over Juventus in Munich.
The Arsenal player and Dortmund player were club team-mates for a few seasons, do you know who the Arsenal player is and do you know who the Dortmund player (he no longer plays for them) is and what team said Arsenal and Dortmund players were in together?
Merts is not who I am thinking of and the two players I am thinking of were not team-mates at Dortmund…
To guess quickly, I think you’ll have to know a bit about the team the two players were together in…
Otherwise, some good, old-fashioned research will give the answer. 😉
Written by Oliver
Morning all….
Cracking write up oliver, thank you and I know the answer 😉
Amazing how we defend so so well and keep BD out yet all the pundits can say is ‘we rode our luck’!!
Well that is what good defending is about, yes BD may have wasted a few chances but so did we, 1-1 is a great result to get in a very difficult fixture….
Pundits…… pah..! A great point imho.
How did Gervinho play Rico?
Stefan Klos and Mikel Arteta were at Rangers together for a couple of years.
Hi Kev
He was a bit like Theo can be imho, great runs into nowhere sometimes but i really like him, we can’t forget he’s been in and out so get a good run and he’ll be tops…
Hi Johnny,
Spot on…
Good morning everyone! I watched the game on the telly last night, and I must say, we were fairly lucky! Our offside trap failed a couple of times, where BD should have scored. In fact they created a lot of chances, and we were lucky that they were so sloppy in front of goal. They had 22 shots at goal, and 6 within target, whereas we had 8 shots at goal and only 3 on target. We really need to step up if we are to progress.. Of the new boys, i liked Benayoun the best, he ran like an ox, and left his heart on the pitch..
Rico, what about your favourite Mikel…. How did he do?
Signs that he,s settling into the team??
Morning all..after they equalized I felt my frustration rising but after a careful consideration. I actually saw that a draw was a fair result. Kos sagna and song were awesome. The new boys worked their socks off even got bloodied for the cause. That’s the spirit mikel. All you need to do now is get your passing game up to speed and we ll really be a force to reckon with. Ben ayoun also did a good job hassling the dortmund mid fielders. Great pass from theo for once and Robin, what can I say? I love this guy…..he bleeds arsenal. We may have lost two of our best players but I ll take this team effort over the stigma of playing two players who didn’t wanna be with us. Now we build from the bottom up. So excited. COYGs!
Morning all.good read oliver.
Hi ADK, that’s football though, how many games haev we spurned our chances in 😉
Mikel had a better second half Kev but i think the whole team had a better second half – once they all play regular i see them improving, like ADK says, they just need to step it up a bit…
They have it in them, it just needs to come out for 90 mins each game…
I would like to apologise on behalf of Arsenal FC to the hacks who were clearly disappointed that we did not lose.martin samuel am looking at you…
At least Ray Wilkins was quite complimentary Kt, i think he actually muttered the words he wants us to do well…..
would the french ponce of put his head where Arteta did?? Morning Gooners!!
KT, that goetze fella is very lively!!
I thought that Rico, re Wilkins!!!
Morning all , Things we learned from last night. We haven’t and will not be able to replace Cesc. We now have to develop another style. We need versatility and movement up front as we can’t rely on Yossi and Arteta to split the defence for static forwards .
Allezkev :- The friend I watched the game with said that Gervinho reminds him of Glenn Helder, all mouth and trousers with no end result. I hope he’s wrong but I can see where he is coming from. I would have had him off for Arshavin to try and keep the ball away from our back line towards the end and just when they were pressing us back we took off our only outballs and invited them on to us. Unless RVP is injured I can’t see why Chamakh got a walk on part towards the end . I fear that we will be exposed again this year when we meet real quality , we were not good enough before and have gone backwards since. Long hard season ahead I fear.
I already like mertsacker already.for someone 6″6 he is barely noticeable.most match reports barely mention him despite the fact we did most of the defending.except a few iffy moments he has like perfect positioning most of the time.the hacks are saying we were lucky but its unfair to suggest that.defenders like per usually get their toes,bums,shoulders… to everything.the commentator may say that it was a poor cross/pass but per read it and got a touch to it.he will only get better with games and will prove to be an absolute bargain.
Morning Lee – In a word, no….
Glad i wan’t the only one shocked by Wilkins 😉
i think every arsenal fan would have taken a 1-1 draw before the match.
its a positive result, i cant see olympiacos getting a result nor marseille at dortmund
i think it will be us and dortmund that go through the groups
we have another tough physically fixture against blackburn – we will have the same players that played last night avaliable – hopefully no-one picked up on any injuries.
ryo and oxlade-chamberlain impressed in the reserves would love these two to be given a chance – which im guessing will be the carling cup game against shrewsbury
And what about the interception for the goal from ROBIN? Class eh? Am loving this new look arsenal side. Come on.
Morning Potter
You can’t replace a player like Cesc, that would be like Barca trying to replace Messi…
Kt, Merts is a good defender but he is a tad slow imho, his game is going to be best suited against the stokes and sunderlands etc, against the pacey sides who play football, i think he will struggle…
I like how we have started the rebuilding process at the back.substance over style will do for now but you can be sure Arsene will get us playing beautifully again.its his pride.now that we seem to be forming a real spine the style and swagger will be back once the players develop chemistry.
hi stu, i’d have settled for the draw before the start but like rvp says, it’s annoying in the end as they equalised so late, we’d done all the hard work up until then…
but what a strike, another day that could have gone into the crowd, but another day, all their chances may have found the net….
Two cracking goals on the night…
Rico am sure that is the plan.in the PL most teams we face are the stokes of this world.when we meet technical teams we have vermy/kos to use.its all about variety and we now have that to cope with all kinds of opposition attacks.ace are the stokes of this world.when we meet technical teams we have vermy/kos to use.its all about variety and we now have that to cope with all kinds of opposition attacks.
Song has been on the receiving end of lots of slack but oh my how good was he last night 😮 he is very very important to our midfield.frimpong/coquelin are not even close to him.
That all depends Kt, TV is injured, how long for this time is anyone’s guess – still think that Wenger should have got another CH knowing that TV was out….
I sure hope he is back before we face Modric, Defoe and VdV but I strongly suspect he won’t be….
I thought that was one of Song’s best performances in a long while….
How can we forget Sagna?…God bless him.i want him to retire at our club. at our club.
not for a long while though kt 😉
Also if kos can sort out his brain freeze moments he’ll be a top top CB.yesterday he won everything in the air.he made 17 clearance the highest tally from both sides and he also had 100% success rate in long passes.in the PL he so far has won 91% of his aerial challenges so far this season.this is a massive season for him.
I also liked how arteta got stuck in when the going got tough.we had so much experience in the side that we didn’t panic despite Dortmund threatening to overrun us.i saw a mature perfomance from the side yesterday.the flair will come am sure.
i hope you are right kt but rvp needs more help, if we are to get the best from him wenger needs to stop playing him up on his own….
If Gerv can lift his head up when running to make better decisions he’ll be a massive player for us.
How long have we been saying the same about Walcott??
Gervinho is a striker, again Wenger sticks him on the wing, just as he does Theo…
The Emirates Cup showed us all that he’s a striker…..
We had heroes all around the pitch yesterday….mine was kozzer! He has taken a lot of stick since his arrival especially from mugs at legrove but I believe he’s not been giving any credit for silencing messi at the EMS. He’s so underrated. It hurts.
Gerv missed a wonderful chance for us , Walcott was beside him only if he would look up.
But who knows maybe Walcott didn’t shout his name loud enough, communication is key on the field of play.
I believe Walcott has being poor in our last 3 games , he is spoiling the run of play and hasn’t made many successful crosses.
You could see his frustration in the way he has being angry this days.
Sagna was our man of the match.
hi goonster & SD
Song’s second half display and Sagna stood out for me…
SD, i think it’s only a matter of time before Chamberlain gets his chance….
Hi SD am actually pleased he’s angry meaning he’s not happy with his game. I ll be losing sleep if he’s relaxed with his game. We need him to step up this year.
Despite theo’s faults he has been our most influential player in terms of goals and assists 😮
Gerv is not a striker rico.he played wide for Lille and plays wide for ivory coast.he is a WF.e and plays wide for ivory coast.he is a WF.
That says it all Kt 😉
Yesterday just served to show how important jack/sicky will be this season and to an extent diaby.what those 3 aforementioned players have that we sorely missed was the ability to deal with pressure.jack/sicky/diaby have the ability to take a touch,swivel and turn away from pressure.this would’ve opened up lots of space beyond Dortmund’s wave of pressure allowing us to counter.jack especially is absolutely brilliant at this as the game against barça showed.we need the 3 of them back asap.this way our attack will receive much better support from midfield.
Spot on KT…I said this at a pub yesterday and fellow gooners almost tore me limb for limb. We really missed jack yesterday but diaby would have done better….I just can’t wait to have him back.
Meant limb from limb…..somebody get me a new phone this damned touch screen is getting on my last nerve.
Jack I agree Kt, maybe even rosicky but Diaby, i am unsure where he will ever be fit, let alone fit enough to get a run in the side and make a difference….
Can Diaby actually make a difference??
RiCo go back and watch the carling cup final in 07. He bossed the mid field and prevailed against monsters like essien lampard and makalele. He just needs to cut out the mistakes in his game. Like holding on to the ball too long and his decision making in the final third. I believe he ll eventually come good.
Haloo, all not the best of games but we are still to gel soits definetly a point earned….nice post Oliver
Diaby could be a very important player for us maybe even better than nasri IMO. He’s got a good shot on him,dribbles well and has a very deceptive pace. You can’t tell he’s moving until he’s gone pass you….and hey he can finish well too.
Diaby please no…Jack can make a difference.
Diaby is frustrating rico i agree but when we are facing that much pressing he has the ability to hold off several players with a single feint and dash that very few players in our squad possess.at his best he would’ve opened up so much space since he is so strong in possession.fabregas enjoyed playing with him for that reason.he needs to sort out his fitness first then consistency will follow.if you don’t believe me believe Laurent Blanc;he said diaby is the only guaranteed starter for the Les Bleus at the Euros next year so long as he is fit and in form.
Hi goonster.
I totally agree about Kozzer. The stick he gets is ridiculous. I remember I had the same discussion on legrove about him. I was one of a few that wasn’t slating him. I gave up in the end, because so many dicks on that site just can’t see anything good in anyone it seems. I’d still be interested to see what he’d be like as a DM though…. I admit sometimes he is a bit rash (something that he will grow out of quickly, I’m sure, as he has come on a vast amount from this time last year), but he seems to read the game so well, he’s tenacious, and clearly not afraid of putting himself about.
Goonster you forgot he is the most inconsistent player in Arsenals history…
Can Diaby actually make a difference??
Personally I reckon he might only still be here because being injured throughout the window and was unsaleable. Also his wages prevents anyone taking a punt on him. I hope he does come through but I feel that I would have cut my losses on a truly frustrating player.
Rocky totally agree Kos is the real deal…the best player in one on one situations, never seen him getting beat…Top player
Another player have been watching closely has been Coquelin… he is and will be a great Arsenal player. I would have loved to see him yesterday instead of Benayoun
Thank you Rocky…I have always rated him. Gambon jaguar and geoff just can’t see it. I hope he comes good so gambon in particular can eat humble pies….I ll gladly assist him.
Tell me about it Rocastle.kos and song usually get slated at LG no matter what they do.sometimes the criticism is valid but most of the time its over the top.
Have always stated that Song is the unsung hero of the Arsenal, the stats say it all. We rarely get beat with him on the team sheet
Nope sorry that tag falls to walcott not diaby. He’s been suffering all his arsenal career. One horrific injury to the other….I rate him. I believe in diaby. He ll come good hopefully.
Kos’ perfomance against messi was a masterclass.i hope he emulates the career of one of my all time favourite defenders in Alessandro Nesta who was magnificent against messi yesterday.one tackle against messi in particular was pure poetry in motion in its timing and execution. emulates the career of one of my all time favourite defenders in Alessandro Nesta who was magnificent against messi yesterday.one tackle against messi in particular was pure poetry in motion in its timing and execution.
goonster – was that game his last one fit?? 😉
I’m not a fan…..
Kt think Milan were decent against a very great Barca side with all the injuries they have, the Milan game looks to be a great one. Barca draw two in a row… love it
Tell me about it KT…..yet those mugs only see his faults. Arsenal fans are so infuriating at times. Kos is class…end of.
Howdy Erick, a great result last night, considering….
We really needed a win Rico but i take the point anyway….we have to win this group to be safe in the CL. If we finish second we will meet Barca and I dont want that….
Nope I could mention a few…..liverpool in the champions league, villa at home and away,barca at the camp nou. Give the guy a chance people….sheesh.
Funny he seems to play his best football against villa.
Goonster he will get his chance and i will happily admit i was wrong 🙂
He also had a cracking game against Blackpool last…season his moves from defence to attack were amazing
Erick, i know but it’s game one, it’s a tough group and even second isn’t a forgone conclusion….
goonster, was jesting 😉
You bet you will erick….he’s one of my favorite players. He can be frustrating at times but on his day he ll tear any defense…remember his runs in the san siro against milan. Diaby ll come good guys. Mark my words. He was the best french player at the world cup remember.
At eighteen he was rated as one of the best players to come from france.
morning all…thanks for taking the comments ricco…a valuable point – i wish we would have been able to hang on, but dortmund took a point back, we did not throw two away…
I followed Diaby closely during the world cup and agree he was the only pride they had left and big mouth Evra was on that squad. I hope he does goonster. Rico we need to be ruthless at the Emirates…the crowd has some work to do too
Liverpool away in CL 08,san siro away 08,villa all the time,b’pool away last season,newcastle away last season…diaby has immense talent.there is a reason why mourinho wanted him so bad.he can be a real powerhouse and i continue to believe he’ll fulfill his potential with us.i must admit though that time is running out for him.
Diaby can cover so much ground without much effort.his goal against villa away in 08 where he won the ball in our half on the right,nutmegged a defender,played a 1-2 with eboue and finishing the move in the top corner was sublime to watch.even last season against b’pool he won the ball and ran half the length of the pitch to finish off the move.i really hope he fulfills his talent.
Thanks KT…that’s exactly what I ve been saying for years. If he was no good like people say why then on earth will maureen want him. Him alongside denilson have been vilified by fans especially those at Legrove. What mugs they are.
KT In deed time is running out for him tbh but he should be back in training Aw said he wwould be back by the end of August
anyone see that a section of the blackburn support is going to protest ahead of saturday’s game to demand the removal of their manager? the atmosphere at ewood should be conducive to an arsenal win…
Had diaby been present yesterday we would have won! Fact.
Morning oliver, my pleasure, the first answer was the right one….
I did see that about the protest, interesting…..
Agree re the fans and the Ems Erick
Kt – i have alsway said he has a great football ing brain, he has great feet and pace BUT, the two seldom work together, if they did, he would be twice the player he usually is…
goonster – that is not fact, no-one knows what the outcome would be…
Oliver I won’t read anything to that. Blackburn fans are fanatics. They ll soon put their differences away and support their team. I hate Ewood park.
Anyone see Pato’s goal yesterday?his acceleration past busquets to score was incredible! Thats how theo should play not trying to dribble past a player all the time.
I saw it Kt and agree re Theo, imho he is another player who i believe is playing on borrowed time….
but didn’t they want fat sam out too? i know they wanted shot of ince rather quickly, although i would guess the team he had most of his success with had something to do with that…
morning ricco – that was the only answer, i see…shows that arteta has been around for a bit. klos spent eight seasons at ibrox, retiring from the game after his spell with rangers. he was a very good goalkeeper, but never got to play germany’s senior squad, as first andreas koepke, then oli kahn, blocked his path…
I actually think the difference between barca is messi! Take him out of the equation and they are just as ordinary as any other team. Hell we ll take them and best them over two legs without messi
Barca without messi is like a king cobra with no fangs 😉
Or a gamboon viper without its venom*winks*
hi all it’s a good point to think that we gained a good point. But we lacked our creativity, God helps us with the creativity side of our game. Everything else is wonderful.
We will improve when Diaby is back
they did oliver but i can understand why they wanted FS out, i think BB appointed Keene a bit too quick….
Arsene won’t rest until we start playing champagne footy again,thats a fact.
Greetings all, good write up Oliver, just one point, the header out from the free kick was actually Gibbs not Mertesacker…! For a change we won the header cleared the danger but alas the fella scored a peach of a goal… yep the next 100 will hit the corner flag but that one didnt and fair play…! We defended pretty well we got stuck in we showed some grit and determination but it cant hide we were pretty poor otherwise, midfield was a shambles first half and only in the 2nd when Song actually say in front of the back 4 did we look a little better. Onwards and upwards I suppose….!
As for the diaby comments best I just sit here and bite my tongue, by my reckoning the games your all going on about him being great equates to like one game a season in 4 yrs, says it all.
True again KT…..I saw the disgust in his face on Saturday and last night. Hopefully he ll sort that out pretty soon. He likes being told we play the best footie in the UK. I just can’t wait cause with our newly found desire to defend and the doggedness of the players, we ll be a handful for any opposition. COYGs
Hi Wath,
second half was definately better, much better and agree re their goal, it was stunning but i doub’t he’ll hit one that sweet in a long while – bit like RvP’s against Charlton a fewseasons back…
Why do we take Theo off when we should be looking to keep them on the back foot – ok, he didn’t do much but they know about his speed, he keeps the defenders back in their own half….
morning wath, thanks for the clarification…when i saw it, i thought mert made the header, but this morning i have seen somewhere else that it was actually gibbs…defense overall was much, much better in the second half. i think a lot of it was song improving, but kos and gibbs both significantly improved as well…
agree with you on diaby as well. nobody is doubting his talent, just his fitness and maturity…i see jack’s return as far, far more important, and diaby’s fitness record suggests that we should not count on him for the time being.
Hi osi, agree re the point but diaby, we differ on that one 😉
Jack and TV for me, we need both, especially TV to play against the Totts….
Also spot on with taking gerv and theo off Rico, allows the opposition to push up even more we concede at least 10 yards and have no outlet, wenger does it all the time always has done its pathetic and drives me insane everytime it happens, attack is always best form of defence keep your quicker players on and keep up the attacking threat.
will smith….no!
I don’t understand how Wenger doesn’t see it though wath, especially as he seems to concentrate on our attacking style of play…
Also, 1-0 is hardly a score to think about sitting back, especially agains a side like BD who created chances for fun….
All it does it heap immense pressure on our defence and if they concede, they get a battering for it….
Puts pressure on the midfield and defence Rico, we drop deeper n deeper with no outlet, boot it out it comes straight back…! daft…! and basic…!
To be really pedantic, it puts pressur on every player Wath as they all end up defending 😉
But yes, very basic and i still don’t understand why an intelligent man like Wenger doesn’t see it…
Now your being funny Rico, we could point out a lot of things that for someone as intelligent as him that he seems to miss…! 😉
😆 I knew that was coming
I didn’t like the way he was treated last night, why couldn’t he go to the team after the game, it was pathetic to make him stay in the stands for 15 minutes, Merse was spot on, they treated Wenger like a naughty school boy……
I found it to be very naive in terms of tactics for us to play a high line without us pressing from the front.thats why we were being overrun so easily in the 1st half.
Hi wath.
hello!
Good result. The rest is what we can do now. We can’t compare this team with the last teams. And that’s all
Bloomin telephones, why do we have them 😉
Hi JM, spot on, it’s about the here and now and playing the best with the players we have, and they aren’t that bad are they 😉
Hi Kt, hows u mate all good I hope fella…!
Am fine wath.am just thinking that this new side will most likely begin to peak around march and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if we were to do very well in the KO stages of the CL and later stages of the FA Cup.
A cup double KT..? Hmm sounds good to me.
Kt, CC this season I hope 😉
Hi kev, how’s you doing?
Hello, just back from the swansea game, I think its fair to say that the 3 points was much more important than the performance.
I’ll let you know my thoughts on the dortmund game monday week !
I would like us to play like 2006 in the KO stages.defend and counter attack.isn’t that how the mancs have got into so many finals anyway? 😉
Rico i don’t know what team arsene will pick in the CC.For all we know he could start half the team that drew with bolton reserves against Shewsbery next week 😉
If we are within catching distance of the PL in march we could throw a spanner in the works there too 😮
Bloomin heck Micko, did you get lost 😉
If i am honest Kt, I am really looking forward to seeing who plays in the CC match – Ryo, Chamberlain, Miquel, Afobe, Coq, Frimpong, Jenkinson, Santos (i think he’ll play for match time) and i reckon a couple of surprises loom too….. freeman??
Mix them with a few old heads and we could see a cracker of a game…..
Kt, we need to be in the top 4/5 on the 1st Jan, Wenger then needs to spend that 50M he has ready and make sure we end up in the top four…
popping off for dinner, back in a bit…..
clichy is not starting for city tonight…he’s on the bench…nas is starting.
thats a bit of a shock oliver, maybe mancinni has seen what we all did 😉
yeah, kolarov is preferred…from what i understand, clichy has generally played well so far, as i suspected he would. that team is pretty high on confidence, with in-form world-class players at several positions – much easier to shine in that lineup that our injury-hit, in-transition, low-on-form-and-confidence one…hopefully we are on our way back…
Hi oliver.I really hope 1 or both of ryo/oxo can prove to be a superkid(s) like Götze.
i didn’t ever see clichy replacing kolarov but most citeh fans think he is poor….
nasri has also started well, but will he sustain it, i am not so sure, like you say, it’s all easy in a side full of who they have….
i think that point last night will do the side the world of good, ok BD spurned many a chance but in the second half i think we showed a bit of true guts and spirit – play like we did in that second half in the PL and we could start out on a bit of a run…..
hi k…i would prefer they become great players – i think we – collectively – are sometimes too fixated with “superkids”…i’d like us to develop our players properly, and watch them blossom…if oc and miyaichi take a few years to mature and develop into excellent players, i am perfectly happy with that. i think that is preferable to throwing them in as teens, when they may not yet be ready…
not a criticism of you in particular, just what i feel is a collective mindset of overhyping and putting huge expectations on many of our talented kids…
agreed ricco…we just have to hope this is not a false dawn…but efforts such as last night can really help a squad bond, and fight together towards the same goal…we have missed that over the last few seasons…
kroos (bayern) has tonight’s first goal…
RVP on 98 goals two more and he’s a centurion! Hopefully he ll bag them against BB. He just love playing those mugs. Am so excited I feel a pee coming…oh wait I did it already. Come on Robin come on!
i think that point last night will do more good than the three we ‘won’ against swansea as far as confidence goes, i really do..
now, apart from TV, Jack and TV, we have a full squad, this is as it is for the season, build and gain confidence….
I thought Chesney’s comments about Pat Rice were interesting when he was asked about misssing wenger in the changing rooms…
he said PR was at half time, a really good motivator.. what to make of that then?
no reason to think szczesny’s comments about pat were inaccurate…i have two inferences from them:
– arsene often muzzles pat, something i had previously suspected
– our players want direction, and sometimes a kick up the @$$…they want to hear when they are not doing the business, and want something other than slumped shoulders on the bench or kicking water bottles on the sideline…
sometimes you need to have a “bad cop” around…
benfica just took the lead against man u, who are playing a weakened side tonight…
they host chelsea on sunday…
No problem oliver.its a valid opinion but we all would love them to be huge players for us.lets hope they are great talents since i can’t say i’ve watched them enough to judge.
that’s one thing i see as the problem k – we haven’t seen enough to really judge, but some of us are already hyping these players to the moon. miyaichi has been compared to cristiano ronaldo despite the fact that he was playing high school football in japan last season, and yet to kick a ball for us in a competitive match…can we be happy we have these players and enjoy their development before trying to make them be all that here and now?
and then, when these players don’t develop in accordance with the hype, we give them a rough ride…i hold theo up as case one, and denilson as case two…
sometimes we really are our own worst enemies…
oliver – that is exactly my point, PR is hushed up by wenger but on last nights display, i would suggest that PR is the one who has got it right in his h/t talk as they certainly played better in the second half….
good news oliver, i hope the mancs suffer a huge confidence battering…..
last season, united went all the way to the final without conceding an away goal, this season they allow one less than 30 mins in…hopefully that will be a sign of things to come…
giggs has sinced equalized…drat!
i would imagine pat had a good idea of how he wanted to set the team up for the second half, and without a certain presence inside the dressing room, he was able to communicate it clearly and succinctly…
i am not in the dressing room or at training, so i don’t know exactly what goes on…i do understand that there is a widespread perception – rightly or wrongly – that arsene does not take advice onboard easily and restricts coach inputs…whatever the case, szczesny’s comments will only further fuel that perception…
i’m off for the day guys, catch up tomorrow – hopefully we will all be chuckling at both mancs losing…
nighty all, be safe and stay safe ….
nite
The CC match can’t come soon enough for us to get a rough idea of what ryo/oxo are all about.
Cavani scores… Mcity 0 Naples 1
kolarov just equalized for city…that after kun hit the woodwork…
Inter are behind to Tranzbonspor at the san siro 😮
yes… let’s wait and see
and internazionale just went 0-1 down at home to trabzonspor – the side that only got into the competition when fenerbahce was kicked out…
Keep up oliver 😉 im watching the game and Alvarez looks slow and weak…
well even when he was linked with us at the start of this summer, there were questions about his fitness and strength…
both manc sides finished 1-1…of the four english teams, three played out 1-1 draws, only chelsea winning at home…
OMG 😮 inter have lost the game.you wouldn’t believe this side won the CL 2 years ago…
New Post up…..
Arteta and Stefan Klos played together at Rangers between 2002 and 2004 ….