Two weeks ago we went to Dortmund in our Champions League opener for the season and we came away with a very hard earned point.
The result was a little bit disappointing – we held on so well and for so long only to concede right at the end. It’s too early to judge how useful that point will be but as Arsene always says in the group stages it is all about winning all our home ties and getting something away from home.
Tonight’s side will be very different from the one that started in Germany, Koscielny, Walcott, Benayoun and Gervinho are all missing through injury. Djourou is also on the injury list, which again seems to be getting longer by the day – nine is the last count! Miquel pulled out of the reserve fixture on Monday, it is looking very likely that Song will play alongside Mertesacker.
We are joint second in our group with Dortmund and Marseille lead the way after beating Olympiakos on match day one.
Tonight we welcome back Champions League action on match day two, with Olympiakos rolling into town and the last time we met was in the group stages in 2009. We won the home leg 2-0 but lost the away tie 1-0 when we fielded a largely youthful side with Bartley and Ramsey impressing on the night.
Having lost their opening tie in the CL this season Olympiakos will be looking to gain at least a point tonight but they will have their work cut out. They have never gained a single point in England and have only scored a single goal in the process. This goal was scored by Rivaldo at Anfield in 2004/2005 but sparked a comeback from Liverpool who eventually won the CL that season in Istanbul.
We on the other hand have made the Emirates a fortress in Europe. Since we started playing at the Emirates we have only lost once against Manchester United in the semi finals of the CL in 2008/2009 season. What makes this record even more commendable is the fact that both AC Milan and Barcelona failed to beat us when they were the defending European Champions at the Emirates.
Olympiacos play with a 4-5-1 formation which means they will set out to stifle us any space to play in. They will be led at the back by former Aston villa player Olof Mellberg. We must build on our 2nd half performance against Bolton if we are to win comfortably tonight.
We should burn them with raw pace, even without Theo as most European defenders have shown their vulnerability to it. I expect both Arshavin and Rosicky to start and hopefully they will impress, as should Arteta who now has a CL match under his belt.
Right now it’s all about creating momentum with our relatively new side, a good win tonight will give just a little more belief heading into the weekend.
Arsene Wenger will celebrate his 15th anniversary at the club this week and let’s hope we beat both Olympiakos and the Scum down the road in convincing fashion.
COYG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
good morning
I hope we win 2-0…
Arsenal needs 12 points to go to the next round
Morning all, nice post Kt, thank you…
Oh to be a Citeh fan today 😉
Hi JM,
Big test tonight with so many injuries….
Nice post KT, yeah definite cracks appearing at citeh! Ribery was class last night…
Just see a few highlights Lee, I was all against us signing him when the rumours circulated but he still has it….
We should win tonight but the injury list is worring. And was the manshitty result not fantastic? Tevez refusing to come on and Na$ri useless:) I hoped that miquel would play alongside Per but Song has played there before so he should be able to do a job for us. cand make up my mind about Pong or Coq, would go with Pong for shear power and put Coq on for him later when they tire.
Morning HH….great night huh? Waiting for the media excuses. Hi lee great joke by the way yesterday. Had my friends falling off their seats.
Hi TT – it sure was fantastic and we all thought the ego’s would take over, didn’t think it would be this soon though… We should try and get Tevez on loan in Jan 😉
Not quite sure why Miquel missed the reserve game, am hoping he was withdrawn because of the Kos injury…
Song and Merts at the back does not fill me with confidence….
got an email with loads on but I’d be risking a red card….
And yes nashit was pants yesterday. I had a smirk on my face all through the game. What a waste of space so glad he’s no longer with us.
Come on man am sure rico wouldn’t mind besides the man teams slipped up yesterday. Let it rip lee. Am waiting.
Morning goonster – as AK said last night, it’s nice to see another club in the headlines 😉
Lee – you mentioned yesterday about our match time on sunday, i had forgot the scummers are playing in the europa tomorrow night so i guess that’s why its a late one, hope the shamrocks have their shooting boots on…. not that arry will play many first teamers….
Not sure about letting rip 😉
No cards today Lee, it’s matchday – you post what you like 😉
Rico, can you forward Stanley the email please? Gets me off the hook….
Now that’s my mama….come lee. Lee lee lee lee lee lee
Guys whom ll u prefer as the DM today seeing song is on CB duty. Oh wenger! Wenger!! Wenger!!!. So if we hadn’t gotten mertesaeker we ll be stuck with song and sagna as CBs for tonight’s game and maybe the spuds game too. God help us. Who lives like this?
get cahill in jan!
Stczeszczczeszvszzeszny
Sagna Song Per Gibbs
Arteta Pong Ramsey
Park RvP/Chamack AA
Keep RvP on the bench or take him off as soon as we are winning. And OxO to get a lil runout also.
like that TT…
Mine will be woijech sagna mert song gibbs lecoq ateta ramsey arshavin RVP and santos….yeah that’s right santos. We don’t need to play rosicky on the wings. I ll opt for AOC but he ll be better off coming off the bench. COYGs. Restore the pride back to the premier league and let all these media scums suck their own cock! Come on.
All done Lee – very funny 🙂
I reckon we may just see jenkinson start alongside Merts….
Frimps over Coq for this one if Song plays in defence….
goonster, is your email account real? I sent you lee’s email but it’s been rejected…
Thanks Rico!
You sent them to me already….wow. Now am gonna kill them for sure……frimp over lecoq? No way. This is not bolton stoke or Birmingham rico. We need a DM with a bit of skill and passing accuracy. Not a bog lump!
Of course mama bear….what do you take me for…..send it again.
Take out the “L” at the back of the dot com rico. There’s no such thing as a .coml now is there?
When is our next game in the CL after the Olympakos?
Cheeky tinker Stanley 😉
Oct 19, Marseille away TT
Next week TT in france….
Oct 19th? Thought it was next week….oh I forgot the bloody interlull is upon us again. Oh man I hate this international football week. Arrggghhhh.
Got to go do a few chores – back in a couple of hours….
Ummm next week or the 19 Oct?
Or both?
great….. internationals before and we will have half our team returning with injurys:/
Bye rico….any one about?
Tell me about it TT….am particularly scared for RVP….God knows he’s due an injury soon…..
don’t tempt fate Stan…..
Am not lee but you and I know we are never lucky with injuries. if VP should get injured? There goes our season.
Thanks everyone.the city sitiuation is a shame but they are partly to blame.when you buy mercenaries what more do you expect?na$ri only played well on his debut but now it seems he is reverting to the old form.if city buy a player to play ahead of him i expect him to follow Tevez by throwing his toys out of the pram.Thanks everyone.the city sitiuation is a shame but they are partly to blame.when you buy mercenaries what more do you expect?na$ri only played well on his debut but now it seems he is reverting to the old form.if city buy a player to play ahead of him i expect him to follow Tevez by throwing his toys out of the pram.
Morning KT….I was really happy to see nashit perform so poorly. How has clishit been performing? Better? Or perhaps worse? Make my day*huge smile*
Same old clichy is all i can say goonster 😉
Put OxO upagainst Clicy on the right when we meet manshitty and he’ll crap him self! and give away a couple of pens:)
Yaaaay…..so glad we got rid of all them sulkers. Now all we need is to get the verm back and fit then we ll really tear them a new one.
Tevez was an absolute disgrace and took player power to a new level.i felt sorry for Mancini who has taken so many bullets for Tevez in the past only for Tevez to $hit on him.it just shows we were right to let go of players who were not commited to us.
City have also showed lots of naivety in Europe.when you go to places like Bayern a nil nil is a good result.you have to be very patient too.just look at how different we played at Dortmund.they were better than us but due to our CL experience we got a point and nearly all 3.
Sorry, but I don’t rate Song at CB, I think he’s much more use in midfield. If I were the manager I’d play Sagna at CB and bring in Jenkinson.
Afternoon all.
Why is it we permanantly seem to have so many players out injured? Surely something’s not right. Surely medicals when we buy these players should throw something up? It’s strange that a lot of Arsenal players suddenly seem to develop persistant, chronic injuries.
Also, when the hell is Park going to feature in any of our games?
K-T, I agree with you about being naive, but when you look at their team, they have a lot of European experience in there. It’s strange that they couldn’t make that count. Shit management maybe…..
Europe requires lots of patience which as a team i think city lack.going gung ho in Munich isn’t going to get you points.win all your home games and draw all away games and you’re through.
Hello all,
Song in defence doesn’t fill me with confidence, is Miguel definately out ?
TR7, spot on with Tevez, a real disgrace, but I don’t have any sympathy for mancini, one of the most fortunate managers in world football, he’ll probably flog tevez in january now and put in a cheeky bid for RVP, wasn’t he complaining last week he needed to buy more midfielders as he felt they were a bit short, he’s really taking the pish !
I don’t think it was naivity that cost them. In the prem they have such a strong squad that they can blow most teams away but they dont do that well against top teams.Last year at the Grove they packed 10 men behind the ball and defended like thir life depended on it. Look at the games they have played against us utd and Chealse to some exstent and you will see what I mean. Its here that player unity comes in when playing against strong teams, if you dont have it you will not succseed simple as. Against Byern they huffed and puffed but the old failings reappered, mercheneries will not fight and die for each othere or the badge.
I think mancini went out there last night thinking he was just going to blow them away, ended up a bit red faced.
yeah agreed. Munich isn’t the easiest of places. I remember 2 of the worst Arsenal matches I’ve ever witnessed were when we got totally taught a lesson over there.
A very good read KT. Nice post.
I wonder if AW will suprise us all by picking Miquel..?
Little bit nervous about your “We’ve made the Emirates a bit of a fortress in Europe” line.
It’s about the team – and the team that got those great past results is no longer there and the replacement players (except for RvP, Sagna probably and Szczesny maybe) aren’t as good.
If Olympiacos come to play, the result could be anything imo (though I doubt it’ll be high scoring – if it is, it could easily be a disaster, because the whole of Europe will target our still worrying defence).
If they sit back (which they may), I would guess we’ll squeeze through.
Afternoon folks….
There is a reason why we have won at grounds like San siro,Bernabeu,Delle Alpi…its because you know that in such games in such daunting venues you need to be abit pragmatic and patient in your approach.choose your moments perfectly.i remember when we beat Milan at the San siro when they were defending champions.we had chances but we did not panic.we weathered the storm and kept our cool.we then struck at the perfect time right at the end then sat back.they attacked us but we countered to score a 2nd goal.thats how to play away from home against top clubs.Patience is paramount there.
Very true K-T. It’s a shame that we aren’t as good on the break now, as we were when we destroyed Inter!
No matter how much attacking talent you have you can’t go to Munich with a gameplan of playing them off the park unless you’re barça.
agreed
I remember when we beat madrid at the Bernabeu.they had zidane/ronaldo/becks/robinho/raul/carlos…in their ranks but we had eboue/flamini/senderos/hleb…no one gave us a chance.however our tactics were spot on.we sat back and frustrated them forcing them to go gung ho on us.only then did we counter with Reyes being a livewire all night.we also scored at the perfect time just after HT before they had even settled.tactics were the reason why we shocked a team that had much better players than ours.we also played with lots of intelligence and patience.thats why we are always around the block because we have learnt how to play in such games.
I think we’ll stuff the bubbles tonight! Can’t wait to get to the Whitehouse, have a few beers & get to the game! COYG!!
We need a squad with 25 players and more 5. Those 5 are Diaby,Vermaelen,Gibbs,Walcott and Almunia. In a month they are 29 days injury, except Diaby and Vermaelen who are 31 days. So with a squad so short is always a joke and a risk prognostic a team for the next game and a challenge for the next after this one.
Totally agree, we wer awesome that night. Reyes probably had one of, if not THE best, game for us in his short career. He tore Cicinho a new one everytime he got near him. Plus him rolling back onto the pitch when “injured” getting the game to be stopped was mildly pleasing!
That was the point i was about to make rocky.in away games you have got to find a way to frustrate them.whether its by starving them of the ball or by doing what Reyes did.Italians call such acts Furbizia.Reyes frustrated them and they lost their cool. a way to frustrate them.whether its by starving them of the ball or by doing what Reyes did.Italians call such acts Furbizia.Reyes frustrated them and they lost their cool.
This brings me nicely to the point about playing with intelligence.when rvp received the pass from ramsey against Bolton there were 3 defenders behind him.rvp used his intelligence by drifting right away from 2 of them creating a 1 v 1 from where he scored.he created a mismatch.the same applies to counter attacks.well executed counter attacks normally entail creating a mismatch.in away games you just don’t counter the opposition everytime the opposition lose the ball in your half.you have to ensure you do it when there is a possibility of a mismatch such as a 4 v 2 in your favour.if the opposition has enough men at the back they are most likely to stop your attack and counter you since you will have left lots of space at the back.intelligence is a must and thats why fielding 11 Usain Bolt’s will not help you orchestrate a proper counter attack if the players involved lack intelligence on when and how to execute it. eived the pass from ramsey against Bolton there were 3 defenders behind him.rvp used his intelligence by drifting right away from 2 of them creating a 1 v 1 from where he scored.he created a mismatch.the same applies to counter attacks.well executed counter attacks normally entail creating a mismatch.in away games you just don’t counter the opposition everytime the opposition lose the ball in your half.you have to ensure you do it when there is a possibility of a mismatch such as a 4 v 2 in your favour.if the opposition has enough men at the back they are most likely to stop your attack and counter you since you will have left lots of space at the back.intelligence is a must and thats why fielding 11 Usain Bolt’s will not help you orchestrate a proper counter attack if the players involved lack intelligence on when and how to execute it.
That’s a great point. Seen it happen so mant times when a team try and break away with only 1 or 2 players. They either hit a wall of players, or run out of options and smack a wanky hit-it-and-hope pass which invariably always results in the opposition getting the ball back and attacking again.
Football is all about creating mismatches.when messi receives the ball he will most of the time run across the pitch evading tackles from defenders until when he finds the possibility of a 1 v 1 in defence then he’ll advance forward and beat that defender and then advance to goal.that way he creates a mismatch at the back.George Best used to do that from the clips i’ve seen,kaka at his best played that way.intelligence is vital in order to be a top top player.
Another method of creating a mismatch is through pressing high up the pitch.although its a risky tactic but when executed well it works like a charm.when you press with 3 players against 1 you will most likely win the ball.thats a mismatch in itself.when you win the ball you will have only a short distance to goal and you already have 3 players free very close to the opposition’s goal.if the other players make intelligent runs off the ball you will overwhelm the opposition.thats how barça ran us ragged in that 1st half in the CL quarters in 2009/2010 season.i have never seen us embarassed and totally outplayed like that day.only God knows how barça failed to score in that 1st half :oh.although its a risky tactic but when executed well it works like a charm.when you press with 3 players against 1 you will most likely win the ball.thats a mismatch in itself.when you win the ball you will have only a short distance to goal and you already have 3 players free very close to the opposition’s goal.if the other players make intelligent runs off the ball you will overwhelm the opposition.thats how barça ran us ragged in that 1st half in the CL quarters in 2009/2010 season.i have never seen us embarassed and totally outplayed like that day.only God knows how barça failed to score in that 1st half 😮
Its like the Mary Celeste on here, everyone must be at the emirates.
Boo, any news now my internet is working 🙁
Tevez on loan in Jan anyone ?? 😉
rico, is it us or chelsea on ITV tonight ?
Not sure Micko, I’ll check…
It’s the Chavs Micko, we are on SS’s 2….
Cheers, will have to be the bar for me then, its a hard life.
I’m hoping it will be fairly straight forward tonight, I think rosicky will start ahead of the ox.
ricco, if you come back on, i shan’t be able to do a report on tonight’s match…i am both exceedingly busy at work and stricken with an upper respiratory infection…so it will be straight to bed when i get home…
and no to tevez…why on earth would we want a player who pulled what he did? we have enough problems around the club…we don’t need his baggage as well…
Every cloud Micko 😉
Hi oliver – i’m sorry to hear that – the infection, not the report – chest infections are rotten and i hope you feel better real soon – take good care of yourself….
Good one, KT. Here’s hoping Arshavin has a blinder!! And that TR has a great game!
Hey, rico! Bye, Micko. 🙂
Feel better, oliver. I hope it’s nothing too serious. 🙁
Hi agag, tonights line up could be very interesting….
Maybe the Ox to play longer, rico. 🙂 Is Park able to play??
We need 3/4 players in january… Tevez? Maybe ok… it’s a good player..:-)
Why we miss Gameiro…
We are in september and he always 6/7 or more players injury…
Park is fit i believe agag, and not sure wether Wenger will throw Chamberlain in, i hope he does though…
I’d take Tevez JM on loan, ok he’s a bit of a trouble maker but, he’d be good….
hi guys…..has the squad been announced?
Bit early yet goonster….
Hi agag, what’s your gut feeling? A white wash or a slim victory?
Hi rico…..am so excited. I didn’t get to see the glorious gunners tear bolton a new one cause I was at a dumb wedding but today am off the hook. No wedding is ever gonna come between me and my beloved…..not even mine!
Just popping of to have dinner, back shortly…
goonster – you make me chuckle 🙂
i’m looking forward to seeing who plays, and how they thake their chance….
Me too…..hope he starts with the OX but I know he won’t…..COYGs.
Santos OX chamakh and rosciky starts…..wow. Bring on the swampies. Come on!
We are the arsenal….we are the arsenal…come on you fucking gunners..come on!
Wow Stan, the Ox and Chamakh starts eh 🙂
Arsenal team:
Szczesny, Sagna, Song, Mertesacker, Santos, Frimpong, Arteta, Rosicky, Arshavin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Chamakh.
Subs: Fabianski, Park, Van Persie, Ramsey, Jenkinson, Gibbs, Coquelin
See you at H/T, if not before 😉
We havent any central back on the bench!!!
Chamberlain!
Can someone help me out with a link please..
WOW 😛
Welcome to the Champions League Mr Chamberlain….
Give me a few mins ESP
JM – Jenkinson….
http://www.livefootballol.com/streaming/ucl/28-09-2011-arsenal-olympiakos.html
We are lucky to be ahead still….
Santos, you Brazilian wonder 😛
Santos….the saint
Chamakh!!!!! How did he miss that??
SHOCKING!!
Frimps passing tonight is all over the place….
Oh, AA is playing then 😉
Big half time for Pat Rice….
as usual shit defending from set pieces.
hi alan, long time no see – how we didn’t mark that guy i never know….
Rosicky off for me, he is poor and AA isn’t much better
An irregular team, a team is not solid, problems everywhere…
Guys my worry is nobody is attacking the balls both for and against us…corners that is. Its a worrying trend. I thought they ve been working on set piece in training. Five days he said…..boy I outta!
Better second half please guys…..
Major ones JM, major ones….
goonster – bring back keown – that is the only solution…..
chamakh is shocking, so is rosicky and AA
Arshavin is dreadgul, absolutely dreadful….
The ref is even worse……………..
Bloody heck….
Get Chamakh off and let Park have a run, he can’t be any worse….
Well, 3 points are 3 points and that is all that mattered…
I’m off guys, going to sleep on that showing 😉
Dortmund got thrashed in France…..
Night all….
AA why not defend? Fortunately, AW read the game and put Gibbs for close our left side and start for consolidate the score.
yes 3 point are 3 point and the momey too ! 🙂
I must admit we were dreadful i hate to say that but its true, they can’t hold on to the ball at all, i was hoping that the loss of Cesc and Naz wouldn’t show quite so much as it has, our midfield just cannot play balls forward. Against a good squad we are going to struggle big time, we have turned into a pass back side, backwards and sideways every forward ball goes to the opposition, i found our play very frustrating. I beleive we can defend better if our full backs stay back and do not go forward, we will defend a lot better, we must close down quicker their forwards had so much time on the ball where we were closed down straight away. Whats the point of Mertsacker going up for corners, he never gets on the end of anything and is slow getting back, but as you say rico 3 points are 3 points
Didn’t see game or goals [yet]. Not even on the radio. How moronic is it that our two national stations covering sport, both commentate on the same game! A pair of idiots.
I did hear that Arteta, Mert and Santos all had good games and that Oxo was excellent.
Well, a win is a win is a win.
Now for the Scum of the Earth this Sunday…
Morning all….
New Post up….