Champions League 16th/17th *Spoilers*

Fabregas really lucky not to get a yellow for pushing the player over, so unnecessary. That Fernando looks like a really good holding player, made several really good clearences, especially that overhead one.

What are Arsenal fans opinions of Vela? I remember him being touted as the next big thing but I haven't really heard much of him lately?
 
dante6491 said:
Expanding on what our line up could be after selling Fabregas and buying a couple of players.

GK: World Class Keeper / Vito Manone / Fabianski
RB: Sagna / Eboue
CB: Vermallen / New Player / Gallas / Campbell / Djourou
LB: Gibbs / Clichy / Traore

DM: Yaya Toure / Song
CM: Diaby / Rosicky / Ramsey
RW: Wallcott / Eboue
LW: Vela / Nasri
SS: Arshavin / Whilshire

FW: Big Strong Stiker/ Van Persie / Bendtner / Eduardo
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You want to play a 3-2-3-1 :confused: That team would get utterly destroyed against anyone even the slightest bit good. Edit: Oh I think you mean 4-2-3-1. I still think that lacks enough defensive cover. Neither Walcott or Vela are great when you don't have the ball.
 
Got to say I didn't see a single dive in the last 30 mins (all I watched), there was quite a few fouls but nothing really malicious, they'd obviously been given instructions to close down quickly and unfortunately that can lead to fouls with quick footed players like the Arsenal side. In fact the worse thing I saw was Fabregas pushing over a defender with the ball out of play, just utterly unnecessary and you expect better from a captain. He's lucky the ref was looking the other way.
 
There were 19 fouls in total, I very much doubt they were all on Fabregas. There were 4 yellows, one for kicking the ball away, one for a foul on Walcott. The other two were fouls on Fabregas.
 
I actually thought Park played ok, he did what he usually does in CL games which is keep one of the opposition players quiet, in this case Pirlo. What was strange is that when we had the ball Fergie seemed to have told Park to stay central and had Fletcher out wide most of the time. I think the main change I would have made would have been starting Brown at right back, it was a mistake to stick Rafael up against Ronaldinho, he doesn't have the experience yet to handle a player of his ability (although he didn't do too badly)
 
K1LLSW1TCH said:
At half time I think it was you that pointed out Porto had made 6 fouls. At half time Fabregas had been fouled five times.
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Well yes but as the game goes on there is likely to be more fouls, simply a case of tiredness affecting players judgement and the like. Obviously Fabregas is Arsenal's best player so they would be closing him down as quickly as possible to limit his time on the ball, and it clearly worked.
 
jakeke said:
Are you serious? Before the game they told the press they were going to stop Fab by any means and they were OBVIOUSLY targetting him on purpose last night. :/
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That's funny, I think I just said that didn't I? You're acting like every time he touched the ball two players jumped in and punched him or something. There's nothing against the rules about closing players down. If they fouled him then they gave away a freekick, if they did it badly enough to warrant a yellow card then they got one. I swear if Arsenal fans had their way the opposition would all have to stand aside and clap the Arsenal players on their way to the goal.
 
jakeke said:
You said they were closing him down, they weren't, they fouled him out of the game. Which to me is pointless, why be a footballer if all you're going to do is ruin the finer things because you can't do them yourselves.

When I play football I love playing against a great player, I'd never dream of fouling him 'cos he was better than me. I suppose different folks, different strokes

Also, if you take a glimpse around the net, most Arsenal fans are aggrieved at what little protection Fab got and how the ref totally mismanaged the game in that respect, gave the cards out way too infrequently, didn't try and stop it at all
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That's funny, us United fans always complained that Ronaldo never got enough protection and were shouted down.

I saw plenty of successful tackles on him so they hardly just fouled him out of the game.

Did Arsenal play the game without fouling their opponents then? It's part of the game, Porto play particularly aggressive tactics which leads to quite a few fouls, it was great to watch though, several times they caught Arsenal in position and counter attacked just because players were closing down so well. It's just a particular style of football and is no less valid than any other.
 
jakeke said:
They're cynical when they're on the best player and there's 5 in a row. You didn't even watch the game, everyone who did says their treatment of Fab was poor. I can accept your arguments if you watched it but you didn't :s
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I was reading the commentary and then watched the final third of the match when I remembered it was on TV, there were a few late challenges but nothing particularly bad, I've seen far worse from some of the teams in the Premiership. "Treatment of Fabregas"? He isn't some VIP, they're allowed to play however they want against him within the limitations of the rules. In fact he was the worse as he retaliated off the ball.

FrankJH said:
depends how badly mistimed surely?(-:
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Well yes obviously, but even then cynical means you were trying to bring the player down, not the ball doesn't it? I saw one fairly late challenge on Fabregas in the bit I watched (I think it was Costa) and he was rightfully given a yellow card.
 
jakeke said:
lol, you say Ronaldo was badly treated and I agree then when I say the same of Fabregas you have a go and say he's no VIP. This is fun, speaking with Man Utd fans never works
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Actually I don't think Ronaldo was that badly treated, sure he got fouled more than most but then comes with being the best player on the team. We always got the freekicks and that was fine by me.
 
2045: Steven Gerrard nicks the ball past Bruno Fernandes and seems to look for the foul, earning the defender a yellow card. Bit harsh. Jan Molby doesn't even think it's a free-kick.

Up to his usual tricks?
 
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