THE FOOTBALL THREAD Vol 2
- Thread starter fgl
- Start date
fgl
Well-known member
ai yah ..no need to be vulgar lah bro - just need to put your money where your mouth is lah...
By the way - the gorilla's predicting a 1-0 win for AFC over man u too ...
henryvelge
New member
Anfield and Celtic Park!
fgl
Well-known member
eh .. if my hp goes beeping excessively while I'm on stage later ... jaga lu .. :twisted:
and if AFC beats man u ... I WILL ANNOUCE IT ON STAGE TONIGHT TO 2000 PPL IN THE VIVOCITY ROOFTOP AUDITORIUM IN MY 60s REUNION GIG ... :mrgreen:
I really would ....
fgl
Well-known member
Arsenal
1
Manchester United
By Richard Clarke
This game began the afternoon in incessant rain and ended in bright, brilliant sunlight.
Ditto Arsenal’s season.
At his pre-match press conference, Arsène Wenger had faced an inquisition about his side’s title chances and you got the feeling the obituaries would have been written had they slumped to a weak defeat against the champions.
In the end, they came away with a hard-fought and thoroughly deserved victory that could breathe new life into Arsenal’s season.
Samir Nasri got both goals. The first came in the 22nd minute via a deflection, the second via superb Arsenal passing just after half time.
Manchester United had ample possession and their build-up play was expert. However they spurned the chances they created. Their only goal came 45 seconds from the end of normal time via Rafael’s volley when they were going for broke.
This time it was Arsenal who picked the pocket of a side who had played the beautiful game...well... beautifully.
Of course, one great game cannot make a season. Arsenal’s three points here only replaces the ones lost so badly at Stoke last week.
But with everyone looking for Wenger’s team to respond, this had been an emphatic answer.
Ahead of the game, Wenger knew he had five players out but he was due to make late calls over the fitness of another five.
In the end, Manuel Almunia (sickness) Bacary Sagna (ankle), Theo Walcott (shoulder), Mikael Silvestre (broken nose) and William Gallas (hamstring) were declared fit and started the game.
Only Emmanuel Adebayor (ankle), Emmanuel Eboue (knee), Robin van Persie (suspended), Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) and Eduardo (broken leg) missed out.
Wenger brought in Abou Diaby to play just behind Nicklas Bendtner with Nasri and Walcott supplying width either side of Cesc Fabregas and Denilson in central midfield.
The back four was all-French, so Kolo Toure was left on the bench.
This is always a massive game but after Arsenal’s recent problems it appeared to have taken on seismic proportions. Given it was November, the points would not be decisive but Wenger’s men needed to make a statement of intent in the title race.
It would be a pivotal afternoon.
It nearly started in the worst possible fashion for Arsenal. With only 90 seconds Silvestre played a weak back pass to Almunia, who under pressure from Wayne Rooney, came out to collect with his hands. Anderson took the resulting free-kick from inside the area but the wall deflected it to Michael Carrick on the edge of the area. His bobbling shot wandered inches wide.
By now the light shower of the morning had turned into a downpour. And Arsenal would have their fans singing in the rain.
In the 11th minute, Bendtner slammed a header just over from Clichy’s left-wing cross. Five minutes later Nasri sent over a similar opportunity but neither Diaby nor Bendtner could crane their heads enough to connect.
Perhaps Arsenal’s best chance before the goal came on the quarter-hour when Van de Sar’s weak punch fell to Diaby but his snap-shot was deflected wide.
The all-important strike would come a couple of minutes later but, not before Rooney had shot after an ominously incisive Manchester United side.
The goal began when Patrice Evra fouled Sagna on the right-hand byline. Fabregas clipped it over to the far post where a clearance from Nemanja Vidic fell to Nasri. The Frenchman bought a lottery ticket by firing a low shot into the congested area. His numbers came up when the ball flicked off Gary Neville’s leg and flew past Van der Sar.
It was just what Arsenal needed but the job was nowhere near done. Park’s low shot forced the best out of Almunia and the visitors continued to pressure.
Eight minutes before the break Diaby steamrollered through only to be brought down by Michael Carrick. Howard Webb did not give a foul and replays proved he had been incorrect.
Right in front of us Arsenal were rebuilding the confidence that had been undermined in the past 10 days. They sustained pressure before the break and might have added to their lead when Walcott miskicked an effort just wide from Clichy’s cross.
This was fast becoming a throwback to Arsenal v Manchester United games a decade ago. It was helter-skelter and packed with incident.
Sagna, Gallas and Evra were all booked just before the break. You could see more yellow cards after the interval.
It was that kind of game.
And the opening few minutes of the second half suggested it just might be Arsenal’s day.
Around 90 seconds in, the home side passed and passed and passed until Fabregas fed Nasri on the edge of the area. The Frenchman lashed the ball home with relish.
The 21-year-old ran towards the touchline before being engulfed by his team-mates. It was a moment of unbridled joy.
While 1-0 was wonderful and 2-0 was terrific, neither had ended the argument. The visitors were on the attack for most of the afternoon, that said Almunia had not been overworked.
Diaby barged past Van der Sar to send a header just over but by now Arsenal were mostly working on the counter-attack. Manchester United were pushing forward in search of a lifeline.
Midway through the half Almunia needed lengthy treatment after Carrick, without malice, had caught him in the head when the ball ran loose from a corner.
By now Ferguson was searching for inspiration via his substitutes. Rafael, Ryan Giggs and Carlos Tevez were all on with 15 minutes left.
Although Manchester United were still pressing, Arsenal had a major shout for a penalty in the 74th minute when Vidic appeared to haul over Nasri as the French winger closed in on a hat-trick chance.
With 10 minutes left, Wenger made his own substitutions with Alex Song replacing Walcott and Fabianski coming on for the struggling Almunia.
The Pole had only caretaking to do really before picking the ball out of his net with 45 seconds left. Manchester United now had defenders in the area and one of them, Rafael, plundered a volley from just outside.
That came seconds before the fourth official announced six minutes of injury time.
It was time to scrap for Arsenal’s season. In fact the home side would have the better chances, especially when Bendtner dribbled through and swivelled a shot over the bar.
The whistle blew soon afterwards.
Arsenal were back. But had they ever really gone away?
fgl
Well-known member
Arsène Wenger... manager reflects on vital victory over Man United
http://www.arsenal.com/match-menu/3003756/first-team/arsenal-v-manchester-united Arsenal 2-1 Manchester United
Barclays Premier League
Saturday, November 08, 2008, 12:45
'It was a game for those who love football'
On the importance of the result…
“I feel it was a very important result because I imagine what would have happened if we had lost today. Mathematically it was very important for us to stay close to the top and to show what kind of determination, spirit and mental attitude we have. We went out there today thinking that we will win no matter what happens. No matter what happens on the pitch we will keep going and that is what we did.
“We won against, for me, a great Man United side and the difference was maybe we took our chances early on and they didn’t. After we scored the second goal we did hang on but tried to score the third goal on the counter attack. We wouldn’t do that and that is why the game remained very tight until the end.”
On the contribution of Samir Nasri…
“When he is in front of goal he can finish with his right foot or left foot. He has a lot of pace and power and I encourage him to go in the final third. He was a more typical playmaker in France who gave the ball and took it back. I believe that with his pace he can penetrate in the final third and he will score plenty of goals. That is what he did today because he is a tremendous finisher.”
On ever doubting his side’s chances…
“I didn’t doubt the spirit of my players. I acknowledged that we made some mistakes, especially against Tottenham, but I never questioned the spirit, quality or ability to play for the championship.
“There is only one thing in our job and that is to go on the football pitch and show how much you want it, show quality on the pitch – and spirit – and that is what we did. I believe above all today it was a fantastic football game because both teams played with the right spirit.”
On winning despite missing players…
“For example you had a player like Nicklas Bendtner today who had an outstanding game. It shows how different this job is because on Wednesday he was not especially on his best form and three days later he produced a quality performance. It was a team answer, first of all we showed that we have the squad which is questioned so many times. We showed that no matter who plays we have the spirit.”
On Man United’s squandered chances…
“I do not want to talk too much about the difference between the teams but I thought that we did everything that was needed to win the game. If you say we could have lost it if they had taken every chance, maybe. But we have done everything we could to win this game and our attitude cannot be questioned, nor our quality. Personally I do not question the quality of Man United.
“You know that every big game is like that. I just said after the game that Man United are a great team. They have just won the European Cup last year and the Premier League last year, you cannot be a small team and do that. Of course they are a great team, of course they had chances as well, but we had chances too. That is why I believe it was a cracking football game. If you love football, I do not say you love Arsenal or Man United, today it was a game for people who love football.”
On facing another ‘football playing’ side…
“Football becomes very interesting when both teams want to play, we have seen that again today. I believe that apart from Stoke, we went to Bolton and Blackburn and we won in a convincing way. We had one accident at Stoke and after it provoked hysteria. After the 0-0 against Fenerbahce we have eight points in the Champions League and no one else has more apart from Juventus who have 10. All across Europe nobody has more than eight points in the Champions League. It is difficult sometimes to understand why everybody became so critical so suddenly.
“There is respect [for Sir Alex Ferguson] of course. I believe that we are surviving battlers in this game and therefore I have a lot of respect for him. We both play football.”
On playing out six minutes of injury time…
“I felt ‘that’s a very long time’. Just before they scored the fourth official told me it was going to be six minutes and I asked him if he was sure, what’s that? I have never played six minutes here.
“I personally would have preferred it if they had gone to the corner flag. I prefer that to passing the ball around in our own half with three minutes to go. We would prefer to have a positive attitude in the other half of the pitch. I want them first to be in the other half of the pitch then they are as close to the corner flag as possible.
“You always have to be cautious though because on day when we played Chelsea it was 2-2 and Kanu had the ball. I told him to go to the corner flag but he didn’t listen and he went and scored the third and we won 3-2. If the players have the quality then they always find the right answer.”
wylde
New member
i wonder where have all the Man U fans gone......so silent............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
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