***UEFA Champions League/Europa League 2010/11 Matchday 1***

I think Im still drunk from the match last night, great atmosphere but not a totally convincing win. I still think finishing 2nd is the most likely possibility but will have to improve for arsenal. Srna's free kick was great though!
 
Weebull said:
To be fair, Braga left more holes open at the back than King's Cross late at night.
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That is absolutely dreadful :D

I was going to ask whether Arsenal were actually incredibly good or Braga were just that bad, sounds like it was a bit of both (no disrespect meant at all to a very good win in europe either way:))
 
Yeah I think that's fair. Some of our goals were well worked (Chamakh's, the penalty), others were more gifted to us (Fabregas' header). As has been said, it would have been much of a test had they done more of a Rangers and set out to hold us off, though I do think we'd still have won.

I did like Martin Samuel's report today, playing down the win:

It would be nice to announce that Arsenal were irresistibly stunning on Wednesday night and that no team could have withstood their onslaught, but this would be a lie. Arsenal were just … Arsenal.

They passed beautifully, thought inventively, attacked imaginatively, as they do almost every week. Sometimes in the Premier League they do all this and still lose; on other occasions they are made to scrap until the last minute. Against the lamentable Braga of Portugal, however, it proved more than enough.
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Hi, we're Arsenal, we play pretty football, thanks. :cool:
 
A little break from that for some Milan stuff :p

Boateng was brilliant last night which is to be expected given that he's a proper midfielder who can do it all as opposed to the usual rubbish we have to contend with. All I can say is thank goodness Ambrosini got injured early on,,,,and that Allegri didn't opt to put Gattuso on instead.

Our first half performance was shameful but at least Ronaldinho woke up for the second half and the second goal was particularly great.

Unfortunately Pato is now out for up to a month.
 
Sweey said:
Boateng was brilliant last night which is to be expected given that he's a proper midfielder who can do it all as opposed to the usual rubbish we have to contend with.
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I really rate him, was in my World Cup XI that is how well he played. I wondered where he was playing these days, it seems that he is co-owned by Milan and Genoa.
 
Nickg said:
hope so like i said but i was speaking to a mate, who has this mate right, who reads a lot on the internetz (convoluted i know but bear with me) and he's saying that bebe doesnt even make the reserve games because he isnt good enough?

he made the champs league squad (theres the tenous link for this champs league thread) but no one sees him. apparently he could be another botch job.
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Bebe is in the team for the reserves game tonight :)
 
oh good good. please report back with how he gets on!

i know he scored for the U21 Portugales vs FYR macedonia or something. but then maybe i could score past those guys i dunno?

im hoping bebe runs tings around the reserves and stakes his claim.
 
Yeah it wasn't a brilliant goal, keeper could have done better but they all count I suppose. I might try and watch it if I can find a way to watch it.
 
The papers reckon Vermaelen being back for next weekend will present a "selection dilemma" for Wenger for central defence. I'd be very surprised if Koscielny was chosen over Squillaci, who's looked far more authoritative so far.

On an aside, Squillaci has an annoyingly Italian-looking name. I keep trying to spell it Squilacci and pronounce it wrong in my head.
 
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Verm and Squi for me, Squillaci hasn't really set a foot wrong once yet, it's so easy to forget he's on the pitch due to the simple nature in everything he does. Never over-extends himself and always does the sensible thing. Maybe a couple of these experienced players weren't the worst idea eh Wenger
 
Squilachi(no idea if thats how it was spelt, Italian legend guy whose name stands out even though I can't even remember what he looks like/played like) pops into my head first whenever I try and spell or say his name allowed, it does make him sound like a legend already though :p

Its WAY to early to tell for sure but theres something about him that I life, he can look a little clumsy running a bit ackwardly sometimes, whatever, but he just got the job done when asked, which is the more important part for any defender, Kos, I can't tell if his high tackle, studs in and catching the other guy was a really bad tackle, it was certainly stupid.

Early opinion is Squilacci looks like he could be great for us, Kos, not crap, just doesn't feel like he'll be automatic starter if fit.
 
You're thinking of Schillachi from Italia 90!

Definitely Squillaci and Verm at the back for us i would say. Kos looks decent but looks like he's prone to the odd howler.
 
I like Koscielny too, just feel he's a little bit inexperienced at times, but a few years ago he was playing in the depths of the French leagues, so he's bound to be a bit overwhelmed at first. He looks like he can be a good player though certainly, his aggression is great and he's always looking to win the ball, I like pro-active defenders. He looks like he'll make it. It's obviously far too early to say but it does seem as though Wenger has made another two good signings.
 
Yeah they looked pretty good last night and against Bolton. So far so good. Let's hope that Drogba, the hideous ****, doesn't cause a psychological break down when one of our guys barely looks at him. :p
 
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