Arsenal faced an uphill task as they arrived at the Allianz to face one of the form sides in European football, only one English team had previously won away at Bayern Munich (Norwich*), on top of the above Bayern have been in blistering form in the Bundesliga and Champions League and have a defence that apparently Neuer is getting bored playing behind as he doesn’t have anything to do.
With the injured Wilshere and Podolski and the mentally frayed Szczesny left at home the team that took to the pitch had a pick and mix look to it, was Arsene writing the game off? Many of us feared as much, moreso when we saw Vermaelen had been dropped to the bench. Although Vermaelen has not been in good form he is the Captain and as such if he doesn’t start you can only imagine Wenger is saving him for Swansea on Saturday.
I must admit at 7:45pm I was fearful, Rasp’s words running round my mind, those words about establishing importance of game by team selection (Blackburn home FA Cup for example) and how that then effects the subsequent performance and attitude of the team.
Within three minutes those fears were allayed as some swift passing football saw Santi find Ramsey, who in turn found Rosicky, he picked a pass to the running Theo who drove hard and low across the face of goal, Giroud made the ground at the far post to grab an early lead for the Arsenal. We couldn’t could we?
What followed was a strong and disciplined rear guard action by the back four, unfortunately when we did regain possession we were wasteful, Rosicky showing signs of limited game time with a few wayward passes, Giroud being crowded out, and failure to win the second ball when the defence cleared their lines and Giroud had made a nuisance of himself.
Bayern pressed and probed but the defence stood firm, holding a high line and dropping off when they needed to, perish the thought they seemed organised and with a thou shalt not pass attitude that we probably haven’t seen for some time. Jenkinson was exceptional in defence, the youngster grows every game he plays, he is strong and athletic, a good passer, and most importantly we know every time he takes the pitch we can never question how much it hurts him, he is one of us, he used to sit with us, his Dad still does.
To his left, Mertesacker was marshalling the defence around him, it is games like this when we see how good he is, he may not have blistering pace, or pace at all, but he reads the game better than most and if he knows what the rest of the defence are doing around him he can put himself in the right place at the right time more often than not. Koscielny gave the kind of performance that makes me want to see him start ahead of Vermaelen, he stays on his feet, is quick, and uses both to nick passes off forwards feet before the danger has developed.
Going in at half time 1-0 up stage one of mission impossible was complete.
Could we complete stage two and three?
Unsurprisingly Bayern started the second half much brighter and more purposeful, but our defence stood firm once again and limited Bayern to shots from distance in the main. We also saw a professionalism in our display, taking one for the team in a less threatening area, Arteta, Cazorla and Rosicky all picked up bookings to prevent counter attacks adding to the one picked up by Gibbs in the first half. This isn’t the game Arsene promotes or we the fans want to see but sometimes it is necessary and last night was one of those occasions.
On the one occasion where they did breach the back line, Fabianski saved well whilst the ever energetic Jenkinson made good yardage to pressure the shot.
The difficulty was when would be a good time to score the second, early enough to force Bayern on the front foot and open them up at the back, but late enough that the nerves in the stadium would jangle and put greater pressure on the home team.
Arsene made some changes to force the goal, off came Theo (who had been ineffectual for most of the proceedings) and Ramsey who has in recent weeks begun to answer a number of his critics, and on came Ox and Gerv the Swerve.
Gervinho almost had an immediate impact exchanging a one two with Cazorla he twisted his way into the box but could only stab the ball past the far post, the tiring Giroud was on his heels, and Jenkinson held his head as he knew if he had continued his run he could have had a simple tap in, small margins indeed.
Oxlade-Chamberlain on the other wing also had an immediate impact, Jenkinson seemed to support him more, and the two of them took the fight to Bayern down their left flank. Interplay by the two led to a corner on 86 minutes. Koscielny rose to head home in to the bottom corner and a melee ensued as Arsenal tried to get the ball back to the centre spot quickly.
But it was not to be, Arsenal could not find another goal, the referee saw fit to add only three minutes injury time which came as a huge relief to Bayern supporters and players alike. In the Premier League the set rule is 30 seconds for any game stopping event like substitutions and goals, there were 3 substitutions in the second half, one double by us, and two by them, plus one goal, this gets us to two minutes, then there was the normal play acting and time wasting on restarts that we have become so use to in European football and at any home game at the Emirates. I don’t want to make this about the referee preferring to focus on the positives of our display but he was poor as were his linesman, Nani saw red last week for his chest high kick, Martinez last night saw yellow and there is an argument to say he knew what he was doing and appeared to leave his boot high knowing he would make contact. But should we be surprised? No you’re right we shouldn’t, UEFA hate the fact that Premier League teams monopolised the competition a few years back and Platini will have enjoyed a glass of bordeaux last night safe in the knowledge that his plans have come to fruition.
Fabianksi – 7.5 Dealt with everything thrown at him
Jenkinson – 7.5 Continues to impress in Sagna’s absence, defended well against two of the best wide players in Europe and matched them for speed, stamina and strength
Mertesacker – 8.5 When he plays like this it is hard to see why he gets so much criticism, admittedly he is by no means quick, but he doesn’t need to be if those around him listen to his organisation, 90% of his defending is done in his head. He empowers those around him he doesn’t worry that Jenkinson is young, he gives him the ball and says play, not all of our players do this, they look up see a player they don’t trust and turn away.
Koscielny – 8.5 An unfussy performance that we have come to expect from Laurent, stayed on his feet until absolutely necessary to go to ground, made key interceptions and competed the high ball well.
Gibbs – 7.5 Did his defensive duties first and foremost tonight, could have supported Cazorla more going forward but for his first game back it was important he conserved energy to be used at the right end of the pitch.
Arteta – 7.5 Would have been 8 but for the couple of silly fouls towards the end when we needed to keep the ball in play, other than that he quietly went about his duties in midfield and recycled the ball well. Like Mertesacker makes those around him play better.
Ramsey – 8 I thought this was a very strong performance from Ramsey, whilst some of his passes went astray he did lots of good things, including winning back possession and being available for passes, he has a very good first touch and receives the ball under pressure well.
Cazorla – 7.5 Relatively quiet game from our Spanish maestro, but without the support of Gibbs he was often left 1 v 2 and even for his mercurial talents with the ball at feet it was a big ask.
Walcott – 6.5 Some will say this is harsh as he assisted the goal, but he did very little for the rest of the game, for me he starts his runs too late, in the Premier League he gets away with it due to slower and less intelligent defenders, at this level his runs are found wanting often too late to get on his bike, or running into congested areas.
Rosicky – 6.5 Worked tirelessly but his passing was off target for much of the first half, showing the signs of lack of game time, but at the same time showing that he could be very useful in the run in.
Giroud – 7.5 Worked hard, got on the end of Theo’s cross to put us one up, but tired towards the end and it showed in heavy touches and wayward passes when we needed to keep possession.
Substitutes
Gervinho – 7.5 Bright return to the team for the Swerve, unlucky not to put us 2 up or assist a second.
Oxlade-Chamberlain – 7.5 Showed the pace and purpose we saw at the tail end of last season that has been missing for most of this, maybe the summer Euro’s affected his fitness, or maybe he has found his confidence again. Again will be useful towards seasons end.
Joint Men of the Match – Mertesacker and Koscielny
When you look at the team above it is not full of stars, some would argue that our squad is not full of them anyway, but for much of this season we have said that the team is playing at less than the sum of its parts, last night not so, many would have predicted a hiding in the Allianz having seen the team, but the team showed some fight, courage, and most importantly plenty of discipline.
We may have to accept that we are not going to return to the Champions League next season, and if English teams keep performing badly we could find the Premier League’s coefficient drop so that only two teams from the league qualify automatically and one in the playoffs, this will make it much harder to get back in to it.
Written by Gooner in Exile
*No Chelsea did not win away at Bayern Munich:
1) They drew in normal time and extra time
2) It was a neutral venue
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Excellent summary, GIE! 🙂
It was a credit to those guys picked to play in that game who were not first choice picks for most (all?) the season, or who have been out injured.
Flappy, Corp Jenks, Kozzer, Rosicky, Oxo, Gibbs That is more than half the team changed.
Very fair summation of the night Exile, I only followed the game via commentary/twitter but I thought another stand out performer was Carl.
Not only did he have boundless energy while displaying athelticism, as you pointed out, but I also liked the fact he shut up chief Foot-in-mouth Sky Sports hack Shreeves in the post match interview when he piped up with the inevitable cliche question about 8 years without a trophy. He all but told him to wind his neck in.
It seems to me the brave lads were led by Corporal Jenks in going over the top in enemy territory to bring us so close to the impossible dream.
The shots of Rosicky at the final whistle lent a touch of pathos to the end of our European campaign.
Had to laugh at the quip about how one of the new Pope’s first jobs will be to tell the w***y Spuds they were shit when they will come visiting today (incidentally without their “one man” team diver, Urko Bale. 🙂 )
Great report GiE, I saw the game exactly as you describe it.
The team gave me everything I had asked for, they restored pride and Arsenal’s reputation as a top European side.
You were disappointed by only 3 minutes extra time (as was I) but I was more disappointed that our most experienecd player (Arteta) wasted most of the 3 minutes by giving away stupid and obvious free kicks. We could probably have got the ball into their box twice more and who knows, we could have got the third. I am a self confessed Arteta fan but he let us down when it mattered most.
Jenkinson and Kozzer were outstanding, I hope they both start against Swansea.
Good morning to you all,
Well written Exile. Well the miracle didn’t happen but the team did put in a performance worthy of the name. We beat a team, in it’s own backyard, that not many sides do.
It seems churlish to criticise but…some of our passing was woeful particularly from Ramsey, I was amazed at Fabiansky, that must have been his best ever outing in an Arsenal shirt.
All in all I’m far from happy that we are out of the competition but I’m encouraged by the teamwork. Let’s hope they can carry on from there into the rest of the season. Spuds will choke and the Chavs will also drop points, so get in there you Gunners.
Yes a very good summing up of all that took place last night. A very good win against all the odds and I think if we have got that goal 5-10 mins earlier then we might just have snatched it. But lets be under no illusions, they would probably have been eliminated next time round as our current team has too many flaws to suggest they would have gone further. Also, heap praise on them if you like but remember Bayern’s keeper had how many shots to save other than the goals?…….err, I think none!! Which puts our performance in perspective. Walcott did nothing other than one good ball across the box and provider for Giroud – take that out and he was poor. The defence looked sound (just shows what they can do when they put their minds to it and CONCENTRATE). I wouldn’t mind seeing Fabianski get a run in the team, I think Chezza needs some competition. I would think Wojciech’s confidence is a bit low after being described as stressed (can’t believe AW said that). I would love to be proved wrong but I really see all the jubilation as ‘papering over the cracks’ this team needs urgent ‘open heart surgery’ in the summer with a major injection of ‘spine’ (as I suggested in an earlier post) – and that means shopping in John Lewis, Arsene – not in Poundland!! The next few games are vital starting in Taffy land on Saturday. If they carry on where they left off last night then maybe we might kick off a good run, that third place is still achievable, I think. We shall see but one thing is certain the next few weeks are a BIG test for this team – its time to show their real character.
Agreed MacG – but after the Swansea game there is a long interlull so perhaps the next few “playing” weeks will be the test, namely from the Reading game(which I will be attending)onwards.
Team for Swansea ? As last night except maybe Nacho-man in for Gibbo or move Gibbo up to left wing and drop Oxo.
I am so proud and also sick. I admit I expected a thrashing with this team and I, like so many others, was totally wrong. Arsene, as usual was right. Sadly, he was also the reason we lost the first leg so badly. His team selection was poor and worse still his tactics were a sham.Allowing Munchen to dominate due to poor tactics is criminal but so many UK managers have done so this CL season?
Most important to accept now is that AW is also correct when he says we are a good team and very close to being very good. But saying that and not investing in three world class players would finish him. He has put Flappy in the shop window so lets hope he replaces him with a real class act. He should also sell Sagna, Bentner, Diaby, Mannone, Squillaci, Vermy, Denilson, Chamakh, and 50% of our loanies. The cash raised would allow him to bring in ‘rea’ class at last ie; Goertze, Cavani, Chiellini, Waymana.
Just think what we could do next season and for the next ten with class like that?
Congrats boys, and Jenks / Gibbs, you proved what we have told Arsene for years…..it was UK boys that won the Wenger trophies in his first 9 years not cheap imports.
Morning all, interesting array of comments, I don’t disagree that the side needs changing/freshening up I think the main question is how we do it….for me I am prepared to take a couple of steps backwards to move four or five forward.
Most people bemoan the side Spuds have become and hold them up as evidence of our poor management, to say they have built slowly is an understatement, they have not shopped at John Lewis, as it is useless when the main clubs in Europe are shopping at Harvey Nicholls and Harrods. Look at our team last night, Jenkinson and Koscielny have been singled out for praise by many, not exactly top notch buys, it is perhaps the mid range buys we have made who have been some of our poorest performers, Gervinho, Podolski etc.
The surgery suggested will for me leave us in limbo, qualifying for CL but not good enough to sustain a challenge for honours, take a season out of the CL, relieve ourselves of players who think they are better than their teammates (I’m looking at you TV5 and you Bacary and even you Theo) and engender a spirit and togetherness within the team one free from blame and finger pointing, have a full tilt at the cups including the Europa if we don’t make CL and build on that baseline.
GIE
Good post.
But… why only 7.5 for Fabianski ?
Very good report, well balanced and not biased 🙂 You are a star GiE!
I have one question though – if Fabianski dealt with everything thrown at him, why 7.5 rather than 10?
you were also right about Evonne in Trent 🙂
Quality post GIE. Cheers.
To add to the feel good factor, it’s gratifying to note that Bentley won’t be going to Wembley, unless he’s going shopping at VB & Son’s cash and carry, as Millwall knocked Blackburn out of the FA Cup last night. HAHAHAHAHaaa.
Bil Al – snap! I’d give Fab Fabianski a tenner. But you see, our GiE thinks sun shines from Szczesny’s backside and he will always compare the two Poles and come back with Szczesny being the better goalie.
Ooh Evonne, you can be so mean about Chesney !
Not that I could be bothered to argue with Gunner Pete, @ 10:23 but ‘it was the UK boys that won Wenger the trophies’? Seriously?
Nothing then to do with Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Gilberto, Lauren, Lundberg, Wiltord, Overmars, Petit, Viera, blah de blah.
I must have been watching another team.
😀 Big Al & Evonne, I rarely give Szczesny more than 7.5 for me a GK has to have made saves like Seaman’s vs Sheffield United to get 8’s and over. When the keeper wins the match kind of thing…or Szczesny’s double save from the penalty at Anfield last season.
CharyB,
I think Evonne is being mean about GIE. 🙂
Great write up GIE. I liked your point about the trust that Per puts in Jenks. I hadn’t really thought about it before, but it is almost as if Per is gently coaxing him into becoming a more confident and astute performer at the top level. He seems the ideal calm and experienced defender for Jenks to play with.
I dared to dream near the end but in reality I was mainly looking for our boys to give us something to be proud of and they did that. I liked the fact that some players, who are not automatic first choice 11, took the opportunity to stake a claim for a regular starting berth. That kind of competition can only be good, and you want players to realise that they won’t just play automatically and that we have players behind them that are hungry and provide options for each position.
I wonder what AW will do on the back of that? Particularly thinking about Fabianski, Kos and Jenks, they should have done enough to start on Saturday but will AW do this? I think it will be a mistake if he doesn’t reward good performances with starting spots as it will say to the players pushing behind the usual first choices that it makes no difference what you do. If you play the in form players then it keeps the whole squad motivated to perform at a high level.
see what i mean Big Al? No point even trying to convince him
I am not mean to anyone, not even Szczesny. I simply think that Fabianski is a better goalie, calmer and more focused young man than Szczesny the full of himself joker will ever be. Having said that, I am not and never was a goalie, so GiE’s opinion is more valid than mine.
Ha ha Redders, she’s a feisty one.
I may have a soft spot for young Szczesny because of his character as much as his goalkeeping abilities 🙂
do you really? i would have never guessed
Not sure I’m going to be allowed to park in Evonne’s driveway in future 😦
Funny to see Ze German’s goalie audition for the part of Swansea ballboy after the 2nd goal.
GIE, at 10:31
Agree Mate!!!
After Singing contract Theo performance has become inconsitent.. I guess he thinks he is a star now…
Excellent report GiE and spot on with the ratings (in my opinion).
I will be very disappointed if Fab, Kozzer and Jenks are not in the starting line-up versus Swansea.
The Swans results are a bit up and down at the moment (‘Pool thrashed them 5-0, but Swansea also beat QPR 4-1) but it’s not a bad time to play them.
I felt the performance was extremely disappointing. There was no cohesion, no technique, nothing that made me think we have turned a corner. Am I the only one who shouts at the telly for them to stop passing the ball back to a goalkeeper who cant kick the ball? Arteta’s first look is for a pass to someone behind him; Ramsey is ineffectual; Giroud is patently not good enough; Rosicky looks good for about a minute then gives up. This isnt a one off, this is constant. The defence played well last night, but then the amount of practice they have had defending because the midfield have given the ball away again should make them brilliant. I am by no means a “wenger out” supporter – be careful what you wish for is my motto – but this team is light years away from the one in 2004 – or even 2010! and we are supposed to look to improve arent we? Either buy in quality or go back to bringing on some really talented youngsters. They remind me of the 80s currently; some good performances, some dross, some mediocre. Play faster, play forward; I’ll be more forgiving then
Sheep
Are you going to the game?
I think you rating system needs to be re-calibrated. It makes Len Goodman look like a sound judge.
If 6.5 is a harsh score then what’s the point of having 1,2,3,4 and 5 available to you.
Your criteria seems to be:
10 – Perfect
9 – Good
8 – Average
7 – Below Average
6 – Poor
5 – Is there a 5?
4 – see 5
3 – see 4
2 – see 3
1 – see 2
0 – heaven forbid, zero is an abstract concept.
New criteria should be:
10 – Perfect
9 – Excellent
8 – Great
7 – Good
6 – Above Average
5 – Average
4 – Below Average
3 – Poor
2 – Very Poor
1 – Abysmal
0 – Useless
Who is Len Goodman ?
He’s a judge on Strictly Come Dancing chary 🙄
Hi Jaroda, the point about the ratings is they are only of value as a comparative measure = player A was better than player B, therefore there is no need for recalibration. The fact that scores are almost always above 5 is an indication that we want to give a positive spin on performances – encourage rather than criticise whenever possible
Uck, I avoid crap of that sort like the plague Raspers.
Jaroda,
The next time we have a game, why don’t you write a match report and give your ratings then?
evonne – SNAP at 10.52am both.
Synchro !!
Gotta go (film on TV)… don’t let GIE off the hook, evonne… he’s really wriggling though 🙂
Well done, GIE, a perfect summation.
I wouldn’t like to think that anyone was ganging up on Jaroda but I hear there is a very sophisticated scoring system in Pokemon, so maybe that’s why he/she has such high standards.
Pokemon and Strictly, what a bizarre combination. 🙂
How can Fabianski get more than 7.5?
After all most people refer to him as “Flappy”.
Great write up of last night by a fan who was there: http://www.7amkickoff.com/2013/one-night-in-munich/
I never realised ratings were definitive. One moment in a game can be enough to take someone from 7 to 10 or from 7 to 0 (TV5 first goal OT).
Martin the kind of performance you were looking for last night was what we should have put in in the first leg at the Emirates. For me last night was how you play away in Europe with backs against the wall.
I have wanted to see more kozzer all season
Ah, so NOW I see why the turtle face got off with hacking Torres – he’s back in the England squad now.
By a stunning coincidence there’s no John Terry (surprised face).
That was a great win last night. ze germans didn’t celebrate much after the whistle as they new they’d been done. Great match report GIE. Roll on Saturday. I hope Tommy is on the bench
Hello everyone
@martin you’r not alone. Many a times am yelling at the telly when backpasses are made. Theyre too much
@chary am with you on gibbs on left wing and nacho at LB. We utilize gibbs’ apt forward support and his strengths as a defender on the wing. We only hav 10/9 games left, why not go all out.
Also, on going all out, how about TV at DM? We’ll have a very solid back and AMFs and CMFs will play less defensive roles. Focus on attack. Just a thought
GiE – the driveway is yours, especially if you are accommpanied by the New Gooner
GM – good to see you back, you’ve been missed. Yep, ze Krauts knew we made them look very average.
BTW – my son goes to Munich on businsess every couple of months. His business partner is a black guy; they said that they have never before seen racists, arrogant, rude pigs like they meet every time they land in Munich. The anti racism signs around the stadium made me laugh
@ Desperate Dan
A full-back to move to the wing, replacing an England International winger?
A centre-back to play DM although he’s never done so before (to my knowledge)?
Hello? Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can here me. Is there anyone at home?
@ Everyone
For those who don’t know… Kenny Sansom collapsed in the street near the stadium and is in hospital.
Sorry to hear that Big Al
Arguably the best LB we’ve ever had. Here’s hoping he’s OK.
Sheep News
Wenger splashes the cash – Signs eleven!
The lineup to start the next season could look like this ( 4-4-2 )…
Andy Pandy
Noddy – Pinky – Perky – Big Ears
Captain Pugwash – Popeye – Beryl The Peril – Postman Pat
The Fat Slags
RockyLives
Quite possibly.
England’s most capped left-back ’til Ashley Cole arrived on the scene.
Hi all, short notice I know but anyone up town tomorrow evening and fancy a beer and ruby with yours truly and Tim from 7a kickoff ?
He’s in town before the Swansea trip.
Really superb report GiE, thanks.
I’ll keep my word and do a post for tomorrow, and yes, that is a threat 🙂
Worrying news about Kenny, what was he at the game for? As a pundit or a fan? Thighs like tree trunks did Kenny have! Never forget a fan shouting out “would someone burst that bleeding bubble” in the family enclosure and with Hammers fans in full voice at 0-0, up stepped Kenny with a pile driver to put us 1-0 up. Beautiful.
But Rocky I have to disagree on best left back, that honour still goes to Nigel Winterburn.
Just read the story it was at Emirates stadium.
come on spurs, we want you to go through!!
bloody hell, lhope Scum can win in extra time. This is really not good for us
Go out tonight SPUDS cause bale be back for the next round
sheep – we want them to go all the way to the finals 🙂
Evonne
R u nuts they may win this cup
Much love
what a finish from AdeBarnDoor 🙂
I am nuts? That’s rich coming from anyone calling themselves Sheep Haggers 🙂
No they won’t win it, that’s Spurs we are talking about
Don’t right them off we knocked Chelsea last year and they won the CL
Spuds in with a shout out u go please
let them win europa league, big deal!
I am hoping for all London final, killer of a fixture, both teams throwing everything at each other…..and the Mighty finish 3rd in EPL
It’s not about them winning the Europa League..Not yet anyway.. But a good run in it might give them confidence..Much like a good performance yesterday should do for us.. I’d rather not have that. Come on Inter.. You can do this.
Out for spuds please ,,,,,!!!!!!
And I hope chelski go out as well god I’m getting old I sound like my dad .
Much love as Evonne calls me
Sheep Haggers ™
Ok I’m struggling to process that result:
Positives
a) at least 2 more games for Spuds
b) proof if it were needed that they are a one man team
c) two defeats on the spin for the new resolute Spudders
Negatives
a) they are still in Europe and in with a chance
“But Adebayor, who scored his third goal of the season”
Third, third? What a striker!!!
We draw we go out.
Spuds draw they go through.
Is ANYONE with me on the ridiculous away goals rule?
jake
That rule is at its most unfair when teams are level at the end of normal time in the second leg.
When they go into extra time, away goals still count double, so the team that is away in the second leg gets an extra 30 minutes to score an away goal. So if both teams score one goal in extra time and the score is still level at the end, the away team wins.
Or, put another way, one team gets 90 minutes in which to score away goals. The other team gets 120 minutes to do so. Bonkers.
Let’s start a revolution right here!
Let’s ban the away goal rule.
Then the next objective is to get the offside rule to make sense again.
No rules are rules we know that it’s no excuse if it a silly rule or not
I like the away goals rule, but I’m with Rocky on it being unfair that away goals still count double in extra time. I thought playing at home in the second leg was supposed to be an advantage. Maybe they should stop counting away goals once extra time starts. The teams have had 180 mins to be separated. If they can’t be at that point, it should just be a 30 min period where goals count the same for both sides.
Sorry I disagree entirely, take our situation for example, we scored both home and away, however Bayern failed to score at home where it is supposed to be easier for you to score. In essence we stopped them scoring at their home… should nt this be rewarded.
Plus no one won the tie, it was, it is and always will be a 3-3 draw in my eyes…. away goals rubbish idea then, now and always.
Sorry!
But what do you really think about away goals, Jake? 😀
I’ve been against the away goal rule since Wigan knocked us out of League Cup Semi.
One for the stattos, have we ever won on away goals?
Morning All
Bittersweet, the win for Spurs. Same with Chelsea.
I am not saying this just because Arsenal went out but there is something wrong with the system when we win 0-2 away and Spurs lose 4-1 away and Spurs go through!!! The away goal is stupid, let it go to extra time and penalties if required and get a true winner of the game. Just my opinion.
Janman. The idea that away goals would stop teams parking the bus is fine but the changes to the rule after 90 mins of the 2nd leg are obvious. There is a clear advantage to the team playing away.
As to our getting knocked out; in all honesty which was the best team over the two legs? We played valiantly but it would have been an injustice had we progressed.
HI all,
I liked the way Arsene has taken some harsh decision agaisnt bayern by dropping TV and scez… Arsene always have utmost affection towards his players and he keep on playing them despite form.. Affection is good but if you will take some harsh decision by dropping the players they will understand the value of playing for arsenal and it will be good for team….
Morning all, Manthan – we should always have a merit/performance based selection policy, there should be no room for favouritism or holding grudges.
The gutter press reckon Wenger has lost patience with Chesney and Vermaelen and is looking to move them on – I’ll take that story with a pinch of salt.
Manthan. Good point.
Chary,
Press will never have any good word about arsenal.,,
Morning all
We have a New Post ………………………
Big Raddy
I cannot concur it would have been an injustice! Every team can have a bad game that is why the competition goes over two legs. Surely you cannot disagree that Bayern played as badly as we did in our home game, therefore where is the injustice, I just don’t see it that way. If that’s the case then you might as well only have the one game and be done with it…you are missing the meaning of a home and away leg! The game is based on results and fair results, injustice is nothing more than an opinion!
OK RedArse…you list the trophies won since the last of George Grahams fab six retired! If you dont think the fab six were the reason for our success the I bow to your knowledge , but facts are facts. It is also important to remember who let all those great foreign players go too!
My point is that AFC always compete better with anyone when they have a UK spine or backbone. The drive & loyalty is inbuilt not manufactured. I really believe that had AW purchased top quality defenders from (as GG did) from UK teams before the fab six left we would have won many more trophies and not just admirers of our pretty passing.
Still, since ‘ you cant be bothered to argue with me’ who cares?