Porto V Arsenal

[Mibbes Aye]

Watching this while listening to the Hibs (and on here obviously).

Arsenal get to play a more expansive game in Europe usually and while it's not all happening for them tonight (two crazy goals conceded), some of the football from them, especially in the first half, has been an absolute delight.

Hard to find comparisons but it is like Brazil at their best. Reliance on touch, on playing the ball on the deck and on good movement and intelligent passing. Another positive, their style of play allows other teams to try and play good football against them.

[lapsedhibee]

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Watching this while listening to the Hibs (and on here obviously).

Arsenal get to play a more expansive game in Europe usually and while it's not all happening for them tonight (two crazy goals conceded), some of the football from them, especially in the first half, has been an absolute delight.

Hard to find comparisons but it is like Brazil at their best. Reliance on touch, on playing the ball on the deck and on good movement and intelligent passing. Another positive, their style of play allows other teams to try and play good football against them.

Agree with all that. Though Arsenal have been carrying 2 or 3 passengers for a good while now in Denilson, Bendtner and Walcott.

[MWHIBBIES]

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Agree with all that. Though Arsenal have been carrying 2 or 3 passengers for a good while now in Denilson, Bendtner and Walcott.

I agree with other 2 but bendtner is not a passenger.Hes a 21 year old 6ft4 striker trying to feed on scraps from a poor midfield(exept cesc and song who was out tonight)and will be a good player if he is given the right service. Also playing up front on your own at that age is a joke and wenger needs to get the wallet out and invest is a good st(to got up top with van persie)and a world class gk(like lloris akinfeev or mandanda)because fabianski and amunia are a joke for a top 4 team.

[lapsedhibee]

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I agree with other 2 but bendtner is not a passenger.Hes a 21 year old 6ft4 striker trying to feed on scraps from a poor midfield(exept cesc and song who was out tonight)and will be a good player if he is given the right service. Also playing up front on your own at that age is a joke and wenger needs to get the wallet out and invest is a good st(to got up top with van persie)and a world class gk(like lloris akinfeev or mandanda)because fabianski and amunia are a joke for a top 4 team.

Agree Bendtner's young but he's not really getting any better and he's had a lot of games over the last couple of years. I reckon Vermaelen's a better striker.

[MWHIBBIES]

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Agree Bendtner's young but he's not really getting any better and he's had a lot of games over the last couple of years. I reckon Vermaelen's a better striker.

Well
as i said him playing up fornt on his own isnt helping anyone.
Also he has had alot of games over the last couple of years and has actualy scored quite alot of goals for 21.
Bendtner will improve alot over the next few months and years imo a will be a good player if he ads more goals to his game.

[Mibbes Aye]

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Agree Bendtner's young but he's not really getting any better and he's had a lot of games over the last couple of years. I reckon Vermaelen's a better striker.

Vermaelen's got the goals to back that up.

Agree with you about the passengers. Can't make my mind up about Denilson - at times I can see him as being an absolute fulcrum and there were games where the stats showed he was at the heart of everything. Yet there were others where he couldn't be found, and while not fulfilling the same role, he doesn't have the presence his predecesors did.

Arsenal has changed and with a Fabregas we don't necessarily need a Vieira to complement him but there's always a degree of comfort to be gained from a strong central anchor. The youth players being lined up certainly seem to fit the bill of a 4-2-3-1, with an athletic but technically competent two at the heart of midfield. Would nevertheless be happy with Fabregas staying and being part of that central two.

[Hibs Class]

I had to laugh at Wenger's indignation at Porto's winning goal, from a quickly taken free kick. If I remember right it was Thierry Henry who first benefited from a quickly taken free kick 5-6 years ago and Wenger hailed his quick thinking. Tonight, because was "in the box" and against the Arsenal, it was somehow different. It was funny, though, how the ref retrieved the ball and gave it to the Porto player.

[lapsedhibee]

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I had to laugh at Wenger's indignation at Porto's winning goal, from a quickly taken free kick. If I remember right it was Thierry Henry who first benefited from a quickly taken free kick 5-6 years ago and Wenger hailed his quick thinking. Tonight, because was "in the box" and against the Arsenal, it was somehow different.

Yep, he had a smidgeon of a case that it was accidental rather than deliberate backpass, in that the replay made it look as if Campbell may have allowed it to bounce off his foot rather than actually direct it towards Fabianski - but no case at all about the speed with which the free kick was taken. I really don't understand why attackers are ever made to wait for referee's whistle at any time - this is surely just rewarding the fouling team?

[lapsedhibee]

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Vermaelen's got the goals to back that up.

Agree with you about the passengers. Can't make my mind up about Denilson - at times I can see him as being an absolute fulcrum and there were games where the stats showed he was at the heart of everything. Yet there were others where he couldn't be found, and while not fulfilling the same role, he doesn't have the presence his predecesors did.

Arsenal has changed and with a Fabregas we don't necessarily need a Vieira to complement him but there's always a degree of comfort to be gained from a strong central anchor. The youth players being lined up certainly seem to fit the bill of a 4-2-3-1, with an athletic but technically competent two at the heart of midfield. Would nevertheless be happy with Fabregas staying and being part of that central two.

Fabregas

But I think he'll be off to Real in the summer. He was getting noticeably ticked off with the (sub)standard of fellow players today, during the match and in the interview afterwards. Not seen or heard him like that before. (Also did a Scott Broon "A dunno" performance when asked about ref at second goal.)

[MWHIBBIES]

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Fabregas

But I think he'll be off to Real in the summer. He was getting noticeably ticked off with the (sub)standard of fellow players today, during the match and in the interview afterwards.

There is no chance of him going to real imo because of him being a barca man. But i agree about a massive chance of him going because arsenal are very poor unless its at home against hull and blackburn when they can pass them off the park.
In his interview he looked realy hacked off with his team and righty so. IMO it does not help that alot of arsenal players are not british because they do not have the same drive and determination(sp?)as the likes or rooney and fletcher at man u and gerrard and carra do at liverpool and this stopes them from coming back from being 1 or 2 down away from home as was seen tonight.

[lapsedhibee]

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There is no chance of him going to real imo because of him being a barca man.

Oops. Meant Barca.

[Woody1985]

Where would he play in a Barca team?

Xavi and Iniesta, won't play ahead of them, as well as Toure or Keita as holding players.

Would be a waste of 30 odd million for Barca IMO.

[MWHIBBIES]

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Where would he play in a Barca team?

Xavi and Iniesta, won't play ahead of them, as well as Toure or Keita as holding players.

Would be a waste of 30 odd million for Barca IMO.

I think they have said if the buy cesc then iniesta will play in the lf position that henry plays in and play fabregas in iniestas position. I think this could meen henry is finished at barca is fabregas goes there.