THE FOOTBALL THREAD Vol 2
- Thread starter fgl
- Start date
fgl
Well-known member
u donno meh? That s why i always like to "date" extremers go & watch AFC at AFC fan club loh ... :-D
extremers
Active member
Dime: Bro, I don't mind splurging S$180ish on first team tickets at home ground. Atmosphere confirm gerek to the max one.
FGL: EH BRO FGL, you recieved the Arsenal.Sg newsletter, asking those interested in going to Tiger Tavern trip on 26th February, I want to go ($10 for trip includes food and beer!) but I cannot "cabut from school" to go plus I "underage".
Death: Yup, I'm a 17-year old girl with no curfew. hehe, my display pic is Krist Novoselic, the bassist for Nirvana, thus the question, "Where's Kurt?" since he looked lost.
FGL: EH BRO FGL, you recieved the Arsenal.Sg newsletter, asking those interested in going to Tiger Tavern trip on 26th February, I want to go ($10 for trip includes food and beer!) but I cannot "cabut from school" to go plus I "underage".
Death: Yup, I'm a 17-year old girl with no curfew. hehe, my display pic is Krist Novoselic, the bassist for Nirvana, thus the question, "Where's Kurt?" since he looked lost.
Dime
New member
Then i cant imagine the unreasonable prices for season passes.
extremers
Active member
for Manchester United fan - cheapest £513 - £931 per season. not that bad though.
fgl
Well-known member
Death - hahahahaa ....
Dahling extremers - K set lah onz ...
Other gooners wanna join us??? ... leave a msg here ...
extremers
Active member
erm... now NS girls also can serve mah. Like schools have NCC girls, NPCC girls, NCDCC girls and Girl Guides.
sorry man, just pulling yer leg, anyways I bought the Ladies Jersey for my sis.
she's a girl, confirm.
fgl
Well-known member
Arsenal
2
Bolton Wanderers
Arsenal are top of the Premier League.
Arsène Wenger's side produced a stunning four-goal comeback to beat Bolton at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday and overtake Chelsea by virtue of goals scored.
In the build-up to the game, the manager had charged his side with task of going top but, after 28 minutes of this pulsating affair, that dream was in tatters.
Bolton took a shock lead in the seventh minute when Gary Cahill struck from close range. Just before the half-hour, Denilson fouled Chung-Yong Lee and Matthew Taylor squeezed home a penalty.
Tomas Rosicky tossed Wenger's off-kilter side a lifeline with a long-range drive just before half time. But, after the restart, the home team were irresistible.
This was storming, storming Arsenal.
Seven minutes in, Cesc Fabregas burst through and steered home shot from an acute angle then, just before the hour, Thomas Vermaelen lashed home a loose ball after a corner.
It seemed that would be that and, frankly, most of us would have settled for it.
However five minutes from time, Andrey Arshavin bulldozered through the Bolton defence to fire home that crucial fourth.
Of course, in itself, this table means nothing. The last time Arsenal were top, on August 28, it was worth little either. Standings only lead to silverware in May.
But it does show Wenger's men are cast-iron contenders - strong in mind and body. These back-to-back games with Bolton have been mighty tough but Arsenal have come through.
Going top means they are now there to be shot at themselves of course. However, if tonight is anything to go by, this side is armour-plated.
Before kick-off, Wenger's only changes saw him bring in experience for youth. From Sunday's side, Craig Eastmond and Armand Traore dropped out; Denilson and Gael Clichy came in. It was the Frenchman's first start since the 3-0 victory over Tottenham on October 31.
Theo Walcott was named in the squad for the first time since December 27 but he only made the bench.
Bolton's main change was a surprise. Despite a lively game on Sunday, Ivan Klasnic dropped to the bench.
There was a strange lethargy about the Emirates Stadium early on. Transport delays meant the ground filled up late and there was little buzz just before kick-off.
Arsenal's start was entirely in keeping with that. Yes, early efforts from Abou Diaby and Arshavin warmed the hands of Jussi Jaaskelainen early on but the saves were pretty regulation.
Bolton, meanwhile, had purpose. They clearly fancied the task tonight and their industry got them a goal in the seventh minute.
Arsenal had a couple of chances to clear a left-wing free-kick. From the second, Clichy skied his attempted clearance and Kevin Davies' nodded the ball down for Cahill to sweep home. A poor, poor goal to concede.
The home side were utterly stung. They were in danger of turning down an open invitation to go top.
In fairness, Cahill's goal woke them up. It was about time. In the 12th minute Rosicky's touch sent Cesc Fabregas clear on the left of the area and, as Bolton appealed for offside, the Spaniard's bounced a shot off Jaaskelainen when he should have scored.
Two minutes later, Diaby sent a raking ball to Eduardo just outside the area. With few outlets the Croatian went for what ice-hockey fans would call a slap-shot. It flew inches over the bar.
While Arsenal had yet to find their composure they had at least created a head of steam. In the minutes that followed Arshavin bobbled a shot just wide and Zat Knight sent a hurried clearing header inches over his own bar.
But, as on Sunday, the first half was open, exciting and attacking with Bolton playing a full part.
In the 16th minute, Vermaelen fouled Davies and Taylor's free-kick fully extended Almunia.
That duel would be repeated 11 minutes later. Again Bolton were afforded too much space in the area and Denilson brought down Chung-Yong Lee. A crystal clear penalty.
Almunia guessed correctly when Taylor stepped up to take the spot-kick however the ball still found a way into the corner.
It was looking bleak for Arsenal but, on the upside, they were certainly creating clear enough chances to get themselves back in the game.
In the 36th minute, Fabregas' meandered through most of the Bolton midfield before setting up Eduardo 10 yards out. The stumbling Croatian tried to steer the ball into the far corner but his effort lacked the strength to beat Jaaskelainen.
Five minutes from the break, Fabregas scooped a free-kick into the area and, off-balance, Davies nodded the ball against his own bar.
It was turning into a curious game. Arsenal were far from fluent and trailing 2-0 but they could have scored four themselves by this point.
At least, when they did get on the scoresheet, it was a goal of quality. Fabregas, as ever, was the instigator, darting inside his marker and feeding the ball out to Rosicky on the right. The Czech midfielder was 30 yards out and tightly marked. But showing exquisite balance he jinked some space and lashed home a rocket of shot.
Emirates ignited, the game was alive. Arsenal poured forward until the whistle but could not find an equaliser.
The impetus was still with them when the game restarted. Bolton had a few minutes of early pressure but Arsenal had retained all the urgency created from Rosicky's rocket.
Seven minutes after the break, they found an equaliser.
As he has done so often in recent weeks, Gallas stormed forward to supplement to the attack. The Frenchman's challenge on Mark Davies won the ball but left the Bolton midfielder in a heap. Gallas played on and eventually Fabregas bundled his way inside the six-yard box before sliding an angled shot through the legs of Jaaskelainen and into the far corner.
While Arsenal celebrated, the keeper raced to the referee to protest. Gallas had appeared to tread on Davies' ankle and, after lengthy treatment, the youngster was carried off.
The home side now had the bit between their teeth. Fabregas crashed an effort inches over the bar and, in the 65th minute, their comeback proved irresistible.
Fabregas floated over a corner from the right and Vermaelen's high, hanging header was touched back into the Belgian's path by Diaby. The centre half swung a determined foot at the ball from 10 yards out. His contact was not perfect but he was so close to goal that the sliced shot bounced off the inside of the far post and flew into the net.
It was Vermaelen's sixth goal of the season and undoubtedly the most important.
Having worked so hard to get the lead you could understand Arsenal easing off the gas a little.
It seemed for a while that this tall tale would not have its happy ending.
However five minutes from time Arshavin withstood a couple of half-hearted Bolton challenges to fire home the fourth.
In the dying seconds, the Russian should have made it five but he spurned the support of substitute Theo Walcott to go for goal alone. It was a rare wrong move for Arsenal in the second half.
The home fans left Emirates Stadium singing ‘we are top of the League'.
Of course they were right but their team had taken them on one hell of a journey to get there this evening.
fgl
Well-known member
Arsène Wenger... delighted with team's mental strength
http://www.arsenal.com/match-menu/3236684/first-team/arsenal-v-bolton-wanderers Arsenal 4-2 Bolton Wanderers
Barclays Premier League
Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 19:45
Wenger: 'I know this team will not give up'
on being top of the table...
Chelsea have a game in hand but it is good because we had two difficult games against Bolton with a new manager. We faced two cup games and our mental strength, our physical strength, were deeply tested in both games.
on William Gallas' challenge before the equaliser...
I am sorry if the tackle was not good, really. There are two things I have heard just now: one, that he [Owen Coyle] was not happy with the tackle, and I am sorry if the tackle was not a good one. I apologise for that. The second thing, that he [Coyle] was not happy that we carried on playing, I think that is unfair because the players who went on, they did not know what was happening behind. When the player went down, they did not know if he got up again because when you win the ball you go forward, you don't know what is happening behind you. That is why I don't believe you can kick the ball out every time a player is down when you win the ball. That means every time you win the ball when you are 2-1 down, every time a player goes down you have to kick the ball out - it's impossible. That's why they changed the rule.
on a similar incident counting against Arsenal last week...
I don't know if you remember but when you asked me about the Everton game [when Denilson went down in open play and Everton attacked], I said straight away I didn't expect them to kick the ball out. It was a much more obvious situation because Denilson went down, they got the ball and went to score the third goal. I said after the game that it was OK.
on the tackles made over two games with Bolton...
In the last two games if you get all the challenges we got, and we had to absorb, and the challenges we made, I am not sure it is in our favour, because we got some big tackles. But we had to cope with it and I am sorry if it was foul [by Gallas] but I cannot change the referee's decision.
on his first impression of the tackle by Gallas...
It didn't look dirty from outside. What I saw was two or three players, it was not only William in there. I think Fabregas was in there at the start as well. I don't know, I have to watch it again.
on hearing the Arsenal fans cheering Davies' injury...
Of course, we don't want that. I believe always we are responsible for our behaviour whatever happens anywhere else.
on his team's nervy start...
I felt we could come back, yes, but as well you think that the next mistake could be deadly and can turn the game completely the other way. You could be 3-0 down so it was important to play at a high tempo and not make another mistake at the back. At 2-1 it created a doubt in their mind and created a belief in our heads. I know this team will not give up, they will fight until the end.
on Abou Diaby's injury...
Diaby has a calf strain, from a kick he got at Bolton on his calf. He went into the game with a stiff calf already and he didn't survive. I don't know how long he will be out. You have to check with him because you see more on the scan, so we have to be cautious.
on showing graft as well as craft...
I think we can [mix it]. We are certainly much more physically resistant. You cannot find a team better than Bolton in doing what they did tonight because they marked us man to man, they didn't give us an inch of space. When they had the ball they kicked it to Kevin Davies who went for every challenge, then they went well for the second ball. They did that very well, so physically you are never more tested than against a Bolton team.
fgl
Well-known member
Wenger's Arsenal fighters ready for title battle
http://sg.rd.yahoo.com/partners/afp/SIG=10n1rur92/*http://www.afp.com/
Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen celebrates scoring the third goal during their Premier League match against Bolton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium, London. Arsenal won 4-2.
LONDON (AFP) - – Arsene Wenger has warned Arsenal's title rivals that his side have the physical strength and will-power to win the Premier League.
Wenger's team moved into first place in the table with a 4-2 win over Bolton at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday that underlined a new-found ability to flex their muscles.
While Arsenal have always had an impressive creative streak, they have often crumbled under pressure from opponents intent on kicking them into submission.
Judging by the way they stood up to Bolton's aggressive gameplan twice in four days to overhaul previous leaders Chelsea on goals scored, that is no longer the case.
They refused to buckle after Bolton stormed into a two-goal lead and mixed brain with brawn to romp home thanks to goals from Tomas Rosicky, Cesc Fabregas, Thomas Vermaelen and Andrey Arshavin.
William Gallas undoubtedly went too far with a nasty stamp on Bolton midfielder Mark Davies that went unpunished in the build-up to Fabregas's equaliser and the visitors were rightly infuriated by referee Alan Wiley's decision to not even award a foul.
Wenger apologised for Gallas's tackle but he admitted he was delighted with Arsenal's resilience.
"We had two difficult games against a team with a new manager and our mental and physical strength was tested in both games," he said.
"I think we can mix it. We are certainly much more physical. They marked us man for man and didn't give us an inch of space. You are never better tested physically than when you face Bolton.
"I am sorry if the tackle was not good and I apologise for that. However, to complain that we went on to play, I think that is unfair. The players did not even know what was happening behind them."
Wenger's men will need that extra fortitude in the coming weeks.
After a 3-0 defeat against Chelsea left them 11 points behind in November, Arsenal have reeled off seven wins from nine matches to overhaul the Blues and Manchester United.
But now they face a defining period. In the space of 14 days, the Gunners travel to Aston Villa, then host United, make the short journey to Chelsea and then entertain Liverpool.
Wenger said: "The next four games are very important for us. It shows it can change quickly when you keep believing no matter what people say. This is a big boost to our belief. I am very proud of what they have achieved.
"We are in a fight where we are top of the league and have a good number of points but the real difference is made when you play the teams around you.
"Mathematically it has a big impact on all the teams. We believe we have a real chance and I am convinced we will have a real go."
Bolton boss Owen Coyle, whose side had gone ahead through Gary Cahill and increased their lead thanks to Matthew Taylor's penalty, was left to bemoan Wiley's refusal to punish Gallas's foul.
The Scot, beaten by the Gunners in his first two matches in charge, also aimed a dig at Arsenal's players for refusing to stop play as Davies lay prone with severe ankle ligament damage.
"The second goal, there is no doubt was a big turning point in the game," Coyle said. "It is clearly not even just a foul, I'd suggest it's closer to a red card.
"The referee hasn't seen the lad is lying prostrate on the ground and Arsenal, being full of fair play as we keep hearing, have played on and scored an equaliser so it's hard to take.
"If you see it again, it was a terrible challenge. The lad was clearly in agony.
"I can accept it if William Gallas got a bit of the ball and carried through. That is the game we play, but he got absolutely none of it.
"The referee said he never saw it but I was 40 yards away and I saw it. He was five yards away. Maybe he had a bad angle. I've seen red cards given for less, that's all I can say."
http://sg.rd.yahoo.com/partners/afp/SIG=10n1rur92/*http://www.afp.com/
Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen celebrates scoring the third goal during their Premier League match against Bolton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium, London. Arsenal won 4-2. LONDON (AFP) - – Arsene Wenger has warned Arsenal's title rivals that his side have the physical strength and will-power to win the Premier League.
Wenger's team moved into first place in the table with a 4-2 win over Bolton at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday that underlined a new-found ability to flex their muscles.
While Arsenal have always had an impressive creative streak, they have often crumbled under pressure from opponents intent on kicking them into submission.
Judging by the way they stood up to Bolton's aggressive gameplan twice in four days to overhaul previous leaders Chelsea on goals scored, that is no longer the case.
They refused to buckle after Bolton stormed into a two-goal lead and mixed brain with brawn to romp home thanks to goals from Tomas Rosicky, Cesc Fabregas, Thomas Vermaelen and Andrey Arshavin.
William Gallas undoubtedly went too far with a nasty stamp on Bolton midfielder Mark Davies that went unpunished in the build-up to Fabregas's equaliser and the visitors were rightly infuriated by referee Alan Wiley's decision to not even award a foul.
Wenger apologised for Gallas's tackle but he admitted he was delighted with Arsenal's resilience.
"We had two difficult games against a team with a new manager and our mental and physical strength was tested in both games," he said.
"I think we can mix it. We are certainly much more physical. They marked us man for man and didn't give us an inch of space. You are never better tested physically than when you face Bolton.
"I am sorry if the tackle was not good and I apologise for that. However, to complain that we went on to play, I think that is unfair. The players did not even know what was happening behind them."
Wenger's men will need that extra fortitude in the coming weeks.
After a 3-0 defeat against Chelsea left them 11 points behind in November, Arsenal have reeled off seven wins from nine matches to overhaul the Blues and Manchester United.
But now they face a defining period. In the space of 14 days, the Gunners travel to Aston Villa, then host United, make the short journey to Chelsea and then entertain Liverpool.
Wenger said: "The next four games are very important for us. It shows it can change quickly when you keep believing no matter what people say. This is a big boost to our belief. I am very proud of what they have achieved.
"We are in a fight where we are top of the league and have a good number of points but the real difference is made when you play the teams around you.
"Mathematically it has a big impact on all the teams. We believe we have a real chance and I am convinced we will have a real go."
Bolton boss Owen Coyle, whose side had gone ahead through Gary Cahill and increased their lead thanks to Matthew Taylor's penalty, was left to bemoan Wiley's refusal to punish Gallas's foul.
The Scot, beaten by the Gunners in his first two matches in charge, also aimed a dig at Arsenal's players for refusing to stop play as Davies lay prone with severe ankle ligament damage.
"The second goal, there is no doubt was a big turning point in the game," Coyle said. "It is clearly not even just a foul, I'd suggest it's closer to a red card.
"The referee hasn't seen the lad is lying prostrate on the ground and Arsenal, being full of fair play as we keep hearing, have played on and scored an equaliser so it's hard to take.
"If you see it again, it was a terrible challenge. The lad was clearly in agony.
"I can accept it if William Gallas got a bit of the ball and carried through. That is the game we play, but he got absolutely none of it.
"The referee said he never saw it but I was 40 yards away and I saw it. He was five yards away. Maybe he had a bad angle. I've seen red cards given for less, that's all I can say."
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