madrid vs arsenal

[Ben Wah Balls]

Beating Real Madrid is is easy enough. So overrated.

[Spud]

Watching the Arsenal goal again i noticed quite a few Arsenal fans jumping up and down going mental in the Home end, ace.  

I just hope Barca spank Chelsea tonight.  

[larwood]

Actually on a semi serious note I am having sneaky notion Arsenal may just come out of nowhere and make the final this year. Bit like Liverpool last season the pressure is off in the Premiership and if a few of their senior players come good I’d fancy a couple of quid on them as outsiders.

 
I said this to my old man a couple of months back,of course he's now dening the he every heard me say it
Well done the Arse,they deserved the win,it'll mean nothing of course if they don't finish them off at Highbury.It's only half time.

[adje]

He gives the ball away more often than any english player.

Any English player?!?!

Well I meant England player!Obviously Gurney is worse.

[DV]

again, why were arsenal in their away kit?

[strooood]

canny have the same colour shorts

[oxford_fan]

that's one of Hleb's better performance that i've seen him play.

a lot of expectation, there was talk of him going back to germany.

hleb has been pretty good for arsenal so far, when he first came in he played like he'd been in the arsenal side for ages, easily adapting to their passing style.

then he got injured and he's just got full match fitness back, he looked good even when he was still getting it back. don't really agree that there was ever much expectation, he was only £4.4m or something and looks like he's worth much more than that to me, he quality.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

Hleb looks like an excellent prospect. The ball appears to be glued to his foot when he plays.  I'm very pleased Arsenal won last night because they really do play the game the way it should be played and there is not a better to team to watch on their day. It had however, been looking like things were starting to go badly pear shaped for them.

Yes, I know it was not a vintage Real Madrid performance but that is not Arsenal's fault and you have to give some credit to Arsenal for not letting Real play. I suspect Wenger is quite correct in seeking to recruit young, hungry players when you see those players up against Real's 'Galacticos', many of whom are, frankly, past their best (Ronaldo, Santos etc).

Last night makes me think that the rebuilding process is definitely under way. Hleb was excellent, the defence were rock solid, I liked the look of Emmanuel Eboue at right back and Lehmann (Of whom I am no great fan) did not put a foot wrong. I really hope they can hold on to Henry, I really do.

In case you were wondering, I have no connection with Arsenal. They are not my 'second team' (that's Braintree Town!) I just love football and the way Arsenal play is the epitome of how the game should be played. I would love them to 'do a Liverpool' and win the whole thing.

[oxford_fan]

also remember that they've got kerry gilbert to come back at right back, he looks like a great talent.

teams like arsenal and man utd shouldn't be going through these "rebuilding" phases though, the squad should be managed effectively so that they're challenging every year. with the money in football nowadays and chelsea's position, a 'transition season' is quite dangerous.

arsenal would have been fine had they replaced vieira with a similarly experienced player, whilst man utd have had ruud/rio/keane problems.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

arsenal would have been fine had they replaced vieira with a similarly experienced player.

If you put it that way it's easy isn't it?  

You lose a world class player who is the focal point of your team and you simply go out and replace him with another proven world class player and of course no other clubs will want to sign this player, the player concerned will only want to sign for your club and his agent wont be in the slightest bit interested in getting an auction going. (and Chelsea wont be waiting in the wings hoping to fuck things up)

Jeez, what's the problem!!!!!!!!!!!

You should pass your comments on to messrs Wenger and Ferguson who I am sure would be extremely grateful for your words of enlightenment

As the great Homer Simpson once said, "by the way, that's sarcasm!"

[Ben Wah Balls]

I just hope Man United and Arsenal's rebuilding phases will backfire and see them drift into mid table, just to annoy their glory hunting fans.

[DMR]

says the chelsea "diehard"  

[Ben Wah Balls]

As long as Man United and Arsenal don't win anything I'm happy and if that means Chelsea win it so be it, hopefully it will be Spurs turn soon.  What would be great is if West Ham or Wigan finished above Arsenal this year.

[Simon Pieman]

Anyone but Chelsea or a German team to win please  

[Spud]

says the chelsea "diehard"  

  no he likes Spurs aswell.