[EU] Champions League 06/07 (37 Viewers)

[Intro]

I can answer your question about Freddie, he's just tired after the NT match.

I hope so. I fear his playing time in midfield could be limited. Rosicky is the big money signing and Wenger normally allows those type of players numerous chances to not become a failure. Rosicky isn't like Pires or Reyes before him as a natural wide player and with Ljungberg on the right they lack width off both flanks. Which is where Alexander Hleb comes in and of course Eboue can offer it from the right from the full-back position.

Of course Ljungberg was best last season in the Champions League and then he played off Henry not in midfield and did it wonderful. The 20 minutes before Barcelona equalised in Paris when Arsenal were down to 10 men by Ljungberg and Henry was some of the best individual play I'd seen all season.

But now this season they have Van Persie buzzing around, Adebayor available in Europe and Julio Baptista (who ominously looks another player Wenger desperately wanted) for that role - and I didn't even mention Theo Walcott!

Time will tell how it all pans out...

 

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[JCK]

Depth!!

Arsenal again to reach far.

 

[Badass J Elkann]

Depth!!

Arsenal again to reach far.

just as long as they dont win it, oh god it wud be a tradgedy for me

 

[HiMovic]

great start!

 

[Jun-hide]

Arsene Wenger's record is even worse than Capello's taking away last seasons achievement.

I really do like his playing philosophy whereby he encourages players to take time on the ball and knock it about even though they can over-do it sometimes. I can imagine Arsenal doing a lot of drills with the ball on the training pitch in contrast to Capello's bog down physical sessions at Real.
Also Arsenal has some fantastic players envy of Europe such as Fabregas, Toure and Henry.

However, I highly doubt Arsenal is capable going beyond quarter stage in Europe. I just don't think they are good enough.

First question is are their defence good enough? Arsenal did kept amazing run of cleen sheet towards end of their championship run, but the matter of fact is that every team has a good run of stretch and class can only be established through years of consistent performance. They haven't done that yet. I am 100% sure Lehman performed far beyond what you be his average ability, and it is a safe to assume that he won't ever replicate his heroics this year around. Is he good goalkeeper? Yes. But brilliant? No.
Toure & Gallas are two commanding defenders and they both have to have careers IMO, if Arsenal is to progress further into the stage.

Second major question is a lack of quality forward beside Henry. Van Persie is super technical youngster but does he have goals in him? The less said about Adebayor the better. As for Theo Walcott, I have never seen a guy being hyped up so much having achieved so little. He does seem to have talent but 17 year old kid isn't going to win you CL for sure. An injury to Henry, the squad genuinely looks like they are going to struggle to make some goals.

Overall balance in the side, while Arsenal is pretty too watch, I feel their attack has very little variation with lack of balance within the side. There lacks of penetration down on the width, and lack of aerial presence is also going to hurt the team at some stage.

Man U is going to have better season than Arsenal. Just by 50cent on this.

 

[Badass J Elkann]

great start!

smile crapello

cuda been worse, its not like ale scored against u....









YET!

 

[Badass J Elkann]

oh and what does del piero think of crapello's debut in europe with real merda?

 

[ZhiXin]

I see the Lyon game more like a training session for Juninho more like an official match. I don't know how on earth can one let Juninho release all his skills in one game.

 

[sateeh]

shame that hamburg lost.Really bummed about that.
Doll needs to pick his team up or he wont be on that bench very soon, as that hamburg team is very good.

 

[Turk_Bianconero]

three bastards looks very pathetic after the match

cannavaro you are terrible defender now

 

[Intro]

First question is are their defence good enough? Arsenal did kept amazing run of cleen sheet towards end of their championship run, but the matter of fact is that every team has a good run of stretch and class can only be established through years of consistent performance. They haven't done that yet. I am 100% sure Lehman performed far beyond what you be his average ability, and it is a safe to assume that he won't ever replicate his heroics this year around. Is he good goalkeeper? Yes. But brilliant? No.
Toure & Gallas are two commanding defenders and they both have to have careers IMO, if Arsenal is to progress further into the stage.

Second major question is a lack of quality forward beside Henry. Van Persie is super technical youngster but does he have goals in him? The less said about Adebayor the better. As for Theo Walcott, I have never seen a guy being hyped up so much having achieved so little. He does seem to have talent but 17 year old kid isn't going to win you CL for sure. An injury to Henry, the squad genuinely looks like they are going to struggle to make some goals.

Overall balance in the side, while Arsenal is pretty too watch, I feel their attack has very little variation with lack of balance within the side. There lacks of penetration down on the width, and lack of aerial presence is also going to hurt the team at some stage.

Man U is going to have better season than Arsenal. Just by 50cent on this.

You're true in saying that Arsene Wenger's record in Europe is actually pretty modest and for so much time was incapable of beating any competent side. Now the same could be said for Sir Alex Ferguson and his team.

The Champions League is such a lottery it's tough to say any team is going to go far. Perhaps only Barcelona, Chelsea and Milan actively state their intentions to win it - and Mourinho this week was correct in saying the rest who "sit quiet in the corner are afraid".

However, Man Utd have less weapons than Arsenal to hurt top European sides. Yesterday we saw their limitations against Celtic which included a very vunerable defence no matter how many millions Rio Ferdinand cost. Wayne Rooney has not scored since his CL debut and Louis Saha could find it tougher against better defences. By saying if Henry gets injured you could label this statement even higher at Utd if Saha was to suffer exactly that.

But that could thrown at most sides in the competition. Barca would suffer albeit less if Eto'o was injured - they have no direct replacement. Milan have no replacement for Kaka. Perhaps Chelsea have the least weaknesses in attack but then their attack is so workman-like and organised it's slightly counter-productive.

Draw permitting I'd rank the semi-final line up as; Barcelona, Milan, Arsenal & Lyon. But then we all know that Chelsea would beat Arsenal over two legs. But Liverpool could beat Chelsea over two legs too etc...

 

[giovanotti]

Or maybe we should offer Boumsong to Real

He would like to have C.Zanetti.

 

[Jun-hide]

Man Inzaghi is being Anderlect's best player thus far.

On a positive note for Milan - Their defence looks awesome this year. Nesta is certainly back to his mercurial best, and Jankulovski is starting show what he is capable of. He has put in 4-5 first class crosses from the left.

 

[sateeh]

Man Inzaghi is being Anderlect's best player thus far.

On a positive note for Milan - Their defence looks awesome this year. Nesta is certainly back to his mercurial best, and Jankulovski is starting show what he is capable of. He has put in 4-5 first class crosses from the left.

i got him in my fantasy league team

well boring games tonite, they r showing celtic-benfica here and it has some interesting bits. Man U-Kobenhagen same, but nice goal for scholes

 

[Jun-hide]

Kaka is a sheer genius. It is not just his goals that sets him apart. His tactical understanding, technique, physique, speed, - he has got them all. Speaking of Inzaghi, there are moments when balls are feed in to him, and he mis-controls widly, and you know if Kaka was there he would bring the ball down close to his feet and get a shot or two. And Inazghi misses too much for liking - a propensity he obviously hasnt forgotten since leaving Juve. To make the matter worse, he is quite easily the best in finding that half a yard space in the box and hence he constantly finds chances such that he can miss. .

As for Arsenal's disallowed. They have nothing to complain. After all, Van Persie's theatrical dive got them a vital win in Hamburg. Anyway, referee standards needs to be improved quite quickly because there have been atrocious in games that I have seen upto now.

 

[sateeh]

yeah kaka is the man....without him milan would be very average.

am soooo happy Arsenal lost.But wats funny was that they were just outplayed. They didnt earn shit from that game.The Russians/Brazilians ran rings around them and Wenger's tactics just blew up in his face.

i wont speak about Hamburg cuz its just a shame.Getting drubbed that way by an average team like Porto is just shameful.

Real r going better in the CL than in the league (not that well but better)

 

[Alltagsheld]

they r showing celtic-benfica here and it has some interesting bits.

I saw that game, too. I think it had a very high level and speed. I prefer Benfica to Celtic but they didn't gain enough chances and therefor, no goals. So they were punished by Kenny Miller. The defence for the 2nd goal was a joke.
But it seems like it's worth to watch the so-called small clubs of the CL.

(Everybody should watch how Werder destroys Levski tonight :devil: )

 

[sateeh]

I saw that game, too. I think it had a very high level and speed. I prefer Benfica to Celtic but they didn't gain enough chances and therefor, no goals. So they were punished by Kenny Miller. The defence for the 2nd goal was a joke.
But it seems like it's worth to watch the so-called small clubs of the CL.

(Everybody should watch how Werder destroys Levski tonight :devil: )

yeah it wasnt very bad, but Benfica look like a shadow of last year's team.

Werder should do well against Leviski, they need the results and hope one of Barca or Chelsea beat the other home and away.

 

[Bisco]

i am guessing its barca wining tonight, chelsea have a major goalkeeper issue, not to mention ronaldinho is starting to reurn to his old self. its too hard to predict the out come but i have a strong feeling its barca wining tonights encounter.

 

[.zero]

my pix for today are:

bayern & psv for straight clinchers, im calling in the expected upset for moscow! fack inter and god speed for chelsea today. peter cech will be dearly missed. pants down hands up!:toast:

FORZA MOSCOW