Champions League 16th/17th *Spoilers*

Gerrard's been far better since moving back alongside Mascherano. I'd happily keep him there for now and play Aquilani in the advanced position.

LOL at the ref. Blatant foul.
 
Last edited:
Pigeon_Killer said:
Gerrard's been far better since moving back alongside Mascherano. I'd happily keep him there for now and play Aquilani in the advanced position.
Click to expand...

I think I agree in a match like this, where he can bomb on from midfield. I'm still not sure that we can play both against a top side though, Aquilani doesn't have the defensive abilities of Xabi or Lucas.
 
1-0 FT

Fulham manage to beat the current champions of the competition and a very good side while we struggle to beat a team of butchers, bakers and candlestick makers that haven't played for two and a half months.

The key to beating teams that park the bus is quick one touch passing with lots of movement and we've never looked capable of playing like that under Benitez. Our passing is simply too slow and negative and it gives teams more than enough time to get back in numbers and defend. As for player movement it's virtually non existent. Not so much pass and move as pass and stay still.

Mascherano looked a league above his teammates yet again but the real positives were Babel and Pacheco. Both looked far better than the players they replaced and both offered far more in attack.

Should find it easier in the second leg now they have to attack and I expect us to progress.
 
Last edited:
The decisions seem to be even worse, with the extra men they have tbh.

Zamora scored his 14th goal in his 31st start this season, not a bad tally! Definitely going to be a hard game in the away leg, Shakhtar are a bloody good side, would have preferred a bigger win!
 
jakeke said:
How is it Wenger's fault that Diarra was impatient and Flamini had money bags in his eyes? Not the way I see it
Click to expand...

BEcause it WAS Wenger's fault, he had 3 DM's, two on long term contracts, and one on a contract up at the end of the year.

He played almost exclusively the one guy whose contract was up, who he refused to offer a contract to till late in the season, who'd been screwed around with, promised he was being brought in, constantly played out of position and this was for YEAR(EDIT:_ there is not a chance in hell he was offered 60k a week, not a freaking chance)

He could have tied him to a contract in that summer for a minor increase in salary, with him still a back up player. AT worst he plays all year and leaves, and we get a decent fee, at best he stays because he's happy and feels appreciated. Wenger went about it the single possibly way to make him feel like Wenger didn't care if he left at the end of the year.

LIkewise, the two long term players he crapped on and ignored all year, and they both wanted out because they were completely ignored. Had he not done any of that, we could have kept all 3, or the one we really wanted.

Frankly Diarra was the best of the 3 at the start of the season, Gilberto is nothing without form and not being played made him play worse, no rotation meant he was mostly poor the few chances he got. He's been outstanding since he left and has been playing first team, consistantly one of the best players for Brazil in the years since he left, was awesome for Brazil in the summer, when Melo was awful. Even though everyone thought we should get Melo, whose now all of a sudden seen for the attrocious defensive midfielder he is. In the summer it was ALL Gilberto that made the midfield strong and defense good, and we lost him for no reason for smeg all.

Jesus, if we played Diarra more, someone on a real contract instead of Flamini, we'd have gotten the full price for him from Real if Wenger still didn't want him. He did EVERYTHING wrong when dealing with all three players, and cost us a crap load of money and 3 quality players in the process.

As for Song being a replacement, he's sooo good that in every single game he's not given time on the ball, in every single game against the top teams he's absolutely ripped apart..... replaced?
 
Last edited:
syke said:
The decisions seem to be even worse, with the extra men they have tbh.

Zamora scored his 14th goal in his 31st start this season, not a bad tally! Definitely going to be a hard game in the away leg, Shakhtar are a bloody good side, would have preferred a bigger win!
Click to expand...

Zamora's goal was immense! He's in really good this form and if Heskey goes to the world cup instead of him then it'll be terrible judgement from Capello. Zamora does Heskey's job better than Heskey has done it for 10 years, and he's a goal threat himself. Much better option.

Shak-attack are good though, always love watching them
 
Last edited:
jakeke said:
Zamora's goal was immense! He's in really good this form and if Heskey goes to the world cup instead of him then it'll be terrible judgement from Capello. Zamora does Heskey's job better than Heskey has done it for 10 years, and he's a goal threat himself. Much better option.

Shak-attack are good though, always love watching them
Click to expand...

Yep, as a few commentators/pundits have been saying, it's Zamora's job, rather than Heskey's. Now that he's scoring and assisting on a regular basis, has to be in a shout for the World Cup, or AT LEAST a call up to the Egypt game. He's already declared for Trinidad, and only missed out on the cap due to injury, so if he wants a backup plan, probably going to have to call up on him.
 
Nix said:
He wanted more game time didn't he?
Click to expand...

He played virtually every game for us in his last season. I dont think it was game time he wanted.

Bit ironic that he complained at Arsenal because he was filling in at LB/RB when we had no one else. Then we played him in midfield for most of the season and then he leaves to be put back into the RB position.

I would like him back if we could get him. He added terrier element to our midfield and also started to add a few goals to his game as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom