Wenger Picked the Wrong Team vs. Man Utd

Comments

1. goonerdan says:
   April 29, 2009 at 10:29 pm

   for goodness sake…anyone would have picked the same team before the game….we all knew we would play 4-2-3-1 and with the players at our disposal that is the team that would be picked so dont give me that bollox about Wenger getting the selection wrong…our problem was not changing it when we were not performing…Adebayor cant play as a lone striker…especially with no support from midfield and cesc is wasted in that further forward role as he hardly gets the ball and cant pick out long passes…
2. barry says:
   April 29, 2009 at 10:31 pm

   best ratings ive seen
3. tom says:
   April 29, 2009 at 10:36 pm

   you don’t know what the f*@! you’re talking about. Gibbs 8, Toure 7, Silvestre 6.5, Sagna 6.5. Guess that’s why our back 4 got arse rap*d. Don’t comment on football anymore, there’s enough blogs out there already. F!*@ off
4. Andri says:
   April 29, 2009 at 10:36 pm

   bulshit ratings….. song had a good game, fabregas was crap, sagna pulled his weight…. was walcott playing?
5. Luke says:
   April 29, 2009 at 10:41 pm

   Gibbs, well done? I know he is 19 but he is lost playing left back , drifts into the centre and was allowing ronaldo and oshea way too much space
6. Kable3 says:
   April 29, 2009 at 10:41 pm

   I totally agree with your post….Wenger picked the wrong team and also had the players on wrong positions… If he had to play Diaby (which i’m not for)…please play him in the center and not on the wing…he was useless… Also, why does Wenger keep playing Cesc behind the main striker… He drops so deep to start the offense and there is no one to pass the ball to except Adebayo (who is marked by 3 defenders) WTF….Please Wenger play Cesc in his usually position and move Nasri to the wings… Wenger strategy was terrible tonight… United is not that good…
7. Franny says:
   April 29, 2009 at 10:51 pm

   Thank god you also noticed that we will cruise without Diaby. He offers nothing going forward and nothing defensivewise. Refused to track o’shea on several occasions. Ruined attacks on others, kept turning up on the right wing and crowding out that side of the pitch leaving o’shea free.

   He’s a twat. More so than Adebayor.
8. Goons_with_Guns says:
   April 29, 2009 at 10:57 pm

   Agree is total with your comments (that’s rare). Love the comment on Diaby especially, said that exact thing almost every time he touched it.
9. GoonerT says:
   April 29, 2009 at 11:04 pm

   franny is right. diaby was a disaster. if he starts tuesday then wenger has completely lost it. We still have a chance. we will be a much different prospect at emirates. if we take the chances that we will undoubtedly create then i think we will get 2 or 3 goals. i just wonder if we do make it to the final will wenger make another dogs dinner out of tactics and team selection. that would be painful
10. Kable3 says:
    April 29, 2009 at 11:05 pm

    Cesc is being played in the wrong position… it ok to play him as a second striker (which i don’t think he is good at) against weak oppenents but not against the BIG BOYs… Cesc looks a little bit lost during the game…losing the ball easily….
11. Jack Staniforth says:
    April 29, 2009 at 11:11 pm

    My wife (a Liverpool supporter) as more faith than I do in the `mad professor`. There are at least four players in the Gunners side that should never put on an Arsenal shirt, it just doesn`t suit them, Adebayor is one.
    The squad needs a facelift come the summer. Support is required for Fabregas and Ashavin , the attack needs to be sharpened and the defence a total rethink.
    Van Persie is fine when he`s not injured but he is somewhat fragile and I don`t have the faith in Bendtner others seem to have, like Adebayor he should pack a bag.

    Wengers selections never cease to confuse me which only leads me to believe he needs a more flexible squad.
12. dj eboue says:
    April 29, 2009 at 11:15 pm

    Diaby is a strange guy who can cause as much damage to the opponents sometimes as for his own team more of the time. A bloody joker in the deck. But one thing’s for sure, he has a slightly higher IQ than Adebayor.
13. jamie says:
    April 29, 2009 at 11:28 pm

    Gibbs marked Ronaldo out of the game–REALLY????
    I’ll point to just two moments, and there where others, that say you have lost your gooner mind;
    Header that Big Al did incredibly well to save
    30 yard screamer that slams against the bar
14. Kable3 says:
    April 29, 2009 at 11:33 pm

    They should have been looking for Walcott more… Why did Wenger not expose Evra…WTF… the few times Theo had the ball…United look scared to go close to him…why we didn’t exploit that i don’t know…I just hope he play 4-4-2 next week… and please don’t NOT play Cesc as a second striker… Play him in his natural position so he can do his magic and open up united defense…
15. LB says:
    April 29, 2009 at 11:35 pm

    I’m not sure which team you’ve managed but these comments reek of self-righteous nonsense. It really is great to be a sideline coach.
16. mario says:
    April 30, 2009 at 12:10 am

    Adebayor is rubbish against man utd? what the hell is your problem? you just want hits on your blog right? while speaking utter tosh. adebayor scored at old trafford for 2 straight seasons in the league if i remember correctly….yet he shouldnt have been picked.
    and do you have any comprehension? you said he picked the wrong team and then said oh i know he couldn’t have picked another team…thats retarded lol
17. King Richard says:
    April 30, 2009 at 12:44 am

    We’re a goal behind in a Champs League Semi, at half time against the holders!! . . . What is it with you people, slaughtering your own players. Go watch someone else. We don’t want you here.
18. GoonerC says:
    April 30, 2009 at 12:45 am

    LB- stupid response to be all, “you are not a manager so you can’t be right”. Wenger can make mistakes you know. Pretty much agree with everything in the article- diaby seems to think he is something truly outstanding, which on very rare occasions he can be. However, his lazy attitude means that he will never amount to the player he could be.
19. Gun man says:
    April 30, 2009 at 1:22 am

    Again in cup tie wenger make another worst x1 and poor sub.Diaby on wing u hav to expert draw o lose.Why nasr shouldnt go wing n cesc return 8.2 strikers.Eboue should b walcot sub.C’mon we can make it n more.Guners
20. goonerboy says:
    April 30, 2009 at 2:01 am

    OMG ARE YOU A FUCKING IDIOT? THERE WERE HEAPS OF SPACE ON OUR LEFT SIDE AND EVERY UNITED ATTACK THAT THREATENS CAME FROM THERE. GIBBS WAS CAUGHT OUT OF POSITION OVER AND OVER AGAIN. SAGNA AND WALCOTT KEPT THE RIGHT SIDE PRETTY TIGHT BUT THE LEFT WAS A JOKE.
    GOOD THING THOUGH, CLICHY IS LIKELY TO RETURN FOR THE SECOND LEG. SILVESTRE DID PRETTY WELL TONIGHT EXCEPT THE BAD TOUCH THAT SENT THE BALL RIGHT TO O’SHEA’S FEET.
    ALMUNIA’S PERFORMANCE WAS WORLD CLASS. WITH CLICHY BACK ON THE LEFT, KOLO AND SILVESTRE MORE FOCUSED THAN EVER, ALMUNIA’S FORM, UNITED WILL FIND THEMSELVES HARD TO SCORE AGAINST US NEXT WEEK.
    ATTACKING WISE, I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO SEE EBOUE ON THE RIGHT, WALCOTT ON THE LEFT. DIABY IS USELESS. EBOUE’S DRIBBLE AND FORWARD RUN WOULD HAVE MADE US A LOT MORE DANGEROUS. WITHOUT ARSHAVIN, THIS IS EXACTLY THE TEAM THAT WE SAW AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON. NO FLUIDITY AND NO SPARK. NOT A SINGLE PLAYER IN TONIGHT’S SQUAD CAN CREATE SPACE FOR OTHER PLAYERS AND THAT’S WHY WE STRUGGLE TO TEST THEIR GOALIE.
    I HOPE VAN PERSIE WILL ALSO RETURN FOR THE SECOND LEG. WE NEED MORE CREATIVE PLAYERS ON THE FIELD TO FIND SPACE AGAINST UNITED.
21. Charlie says:
    April 30, 2009 at 2:08 am

    Stupid and utterly rubbish, that’s what I think of this post. To you football is playing in the park. you will be a great park football manager.
    We were playing away in the champion’s league, if you did not notice, not away at your neighbourhood’s park.
    Tactically, Wenger got it right. Protect the flanks and cut out MU’s creativity in the centre. Much like what Chelsea did to Barca. Next week will be a different story; mark my word. Park football manager.
22. georgesydaust says:
    April 30, 2009 at 2:11 am

    In a two pronged attack Ades and RVP will rip manu a new asshole next week. Make sure that when he puts us through to the final of the champs league, you humbly mention it in your witch-hunt blog…..
23. Lady Arsenal says:
    April 30, 2009 at 3:02 am

    agreed wenger got the tactics wrong, just like at wembley. have faith in your own philosophy of attacking football and give us 4-4-2 from the kick-off. every game. i can see wenger remembers we got to the final in 2006 by playing 4-5-1, but back then we had henry at his peak to hold the ball up and find support.

    But you are wrong about adebayor. he’s struggling for consistency after being injured, and is still not at full fitness. And let’s be fair tonight he had to take on the best cb pairing in europe on his own with absolutely no support. he’s a very special player and is highly rated by his fellow pros. you are letting the fact that you dislike him cloud your judgment.

    just like the fact that you adore cesc blinds you to the fact that he is too slow to play behind the striker. he needs to be deep, collecting the ball off the back four and spraying it around the park. then he can make runs and not be picked up. he was completely ineffectual in that role and certainly was not worth the 7 you gave him for tonight. i think nasri would be the better choice. at least he might actually dribble past someone.

    later
24. jamie says:
    April 30, 2009 at 3:28 am

    Protect the flanks–well it didn’t work. Sagna was destroyed by Rooney–remember you don’t have to go pass a defender to be effective. Rooney was allowed to go inside and there where many telling crosses by Rooney as a result.
    Ronaldo didn’t have to go pass Gibbs–he took the youngster inside and there where so many deliveries from O’Shea who got forward and assumed the space left behind by Ronaldo. It should also be added he got there untracked!!!

    However, Rooney did what was expected, provided the extra cover for evra and as such Walcott was totally ineffective.

    I just pray that United don’t rue not turning this total domination into the 3-0 score line that it deserved.

    But what should be troubling for Arsenal is that United have gone back to deploying their most effective tactic against arsenal and that is:
    *Deny space in the middle of the park–apply real pressure when the ball enters into their half and force the mf to go sqaure or back (it worked time and time again)
    *Put early pressure on Toure and Silvetsre as they are poor handlers of the ball and can be and where forced into many bad passes(it happened time and time again)
    *Force Sagna and Gibbs to only concentrate on defending as arsenal rely on width coming from full backs (they didn;’t get out of their half)
    *Be physical in every tackle and they where and the arsenal players just didn’t want any part of it–called for a vierra!!
    *Attack with real pace and it worked to perfection

    Next game–do the same thing as Arsenal will have to be more adventurous and there is no better counter attacking team in football then Man United.

    United will rest Fletcher-Anderson-tevez-O’Shea and of course Rio (who may be lost for weeks in any case) on Sat.

    They will replace these players with
    Giggs
    Scholes
    Rafael
    Bebatov will start
    Park
    Evans

    If they go up a by a few goals early they will sub Rooney and Ronaldo.
    If they need to they will bring on Tevez and Anderson (who was replaced after 60 minutes).

    They will have fresh legs for the return and no doubt Arsenal will rest some players but you don’t have the same luxury as United.

    It will be tough–but a 1-1 score wins it for us
    a 2-1 score wins it for us…I like our chances.
    Remember, united got a 0-0 draw away to Inter
    and beat Porto 1-0 at Porto.
    They have also beaten Arsenal 4 out of 4 in cup semi-final matches

    This was a Master Class on how to dismantle Arsenal. Chelsea came close in the FA semis but this was near perfection.
25. richard says:
    April 30, 2009 at 3:42 am

    Charlie–they cut out nothing–United got behind the arsenal defense with such ease it was frightening.
    You are only in with a shout because of United’ inability to convert the great opportunities created with goals and of course some first rate goal keeping by Almunia.
    Look mate, Arsenal are always in with an opportunity and they may just pull this one off, but United are a superior outfit–they just are!!
    When you have Rooney-Berbatov-Ronaldo and Tevez you always like your chances.
    Arsenal just can’t live with Carrick-Fletcher and Anderson in the middle of the park. All are tough, all have great technical skill, all can get forward, in Fletcher you have a two way MF player with deep lungs and HUGE HEART and Anderson is great going forward, tough in the tackle, impossible to move of the ball and is getting back to form that had Fergie chasing his signature two years ago.
    Carrick-is the new Scholes, great vision, great composure, great passing ability and will defend.
    See yah next Tuesday mate–looking forward to a cracker. And may the best team win.
26. Arsenal says:
    April 30, 2009 at 4:31 am

    hello. Today game was a big desapointment for me. we played like crap. to be honest we play like crap against any strong (decent) team this year. our team needs big changes if we wont to win something (trophy) any time soon.
    1st we need to sell Adebyoyer 10 millions is his real price and i will be happy with 10 mills for him.
    2nd players like nasri, walcot , bentender, diaby, eboue song gibs and others … should be our bench defenetly not our first team. they will nead at least 3 years to get to the first team level!!!!
    3rd fabregas is an Ok player. he is overated . but he is first team player. also OK players are toure, sagna ( not today) clichy eduardo and Almunia ( today was the best arsenal player)
    4th get rid of ingury prones RVP and rositsky they dont play games anyway. use that money to buy somebody that can play every game and dont get injuries that often.
    5th without arshavin we are not as good. he is our best player at the moment.
    So we have 7 players that are good ( punkt 3 + arshavin) every body else are not at arsenal level at the moment.
    Good luck arsnal for the Tuesday game. I wish u will prove me that i made wrong evaluation of our team.
    also sorry for not perfect english GO Gunners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
27. shad says:
    April 30, 2009 at 4:32 am

    Just like against Chelsea, the team he picked was fine. It was the personnel that let us down. diaby was shit and adebayor stunk the place out and we played with very little movement in the final third. None of the Manuted players had a bad game. I don’t think it was a masterclass in stopping Arsenal, Arsenal mostly stopped themselves playing two planks in important positions for effective attacking. But United always get their crosses in. That’s what they are great at, even better than Barca the previous night in that single respect.

    Fuck it. Arsenal are too small, too inexperienced, too out of form and lacking three players together up front that can create something in tandem against a team that defends as well as United. Without Arshavin Nasri/Cesc have no third runner and only two-dimensional creativity. United were rarely caught out and typically had at least two more defending than arsenal at any point in our attacks.
28. peter from hong kong says:
    April 30, 2009 at 7:34 am

    Wenger has not picked a wrong team yesterday. We lost to a better team yesterday.

    Lone striker Ade was with very litter support on the first half but he ran out of gas too soon in the second half. Fitness coach must do something!

    Diaby is obviously better choice than Denilson. Diaby can block, slowing down counter attacks, and he has better aerial ability to defend corner. Yesterday, he made good efforts though he did not perform well.

    Both Gibbs and Sagna are decent FB and their performances in yesterday game was satisfactory. One more word on Gibbs is that I fancied that he may have better potentiality than Clichy, who appeared to have stopped in his progress.

    Silvestre and Toure had a decent performance yesterday, too. However, Toure has to be told by someone by using simple English that he is not good at scoring goal and he should always focus on the defence.

    My Man of the Match is Almunia.
29. Ezra says:
    April 30, 2009 at 8:10 am

    No wonder no one is talking about song he showed that he is defensively poor to calm the midfield
30. JohnW says:
    April 30, 2009 at 8:17 am

    Jamie,
    Actually, Arsenal almost went away with a 1:1 score line, but ManU fans don’t want to realise it. Yes, you might score at the Emirates, but remember we have not conceded this season at home. Secondly, what you did to us, yesterday, we will do to you on Tuesday, and i think we can be more clinical than you if Edouardo is back in the team.
    Clichy will come back and gives us width on the left. Rooney will have to defend even more than yesterday. Don’t expect Brown or Oshea to leave their half more like they did yesterday.
    Fletcher did a good man-marking job on Cesc, but although he will play in the second leg (i know it because had scholes or Giggs started, then Arsenal would have overun the midfield), RVP will be back, suddenly we will have 4 play-makers.
    I think it will be 3:1 to the Arsenal. You will see.
31. Tommygun says:
    April 30, 2009 at 12:20 pm

    Agree with your blog.

    Wenger got the tactics wrong AGAIN!
32. norwegian gooner says:
    April 30, 2009 at 6:52 pm

    i agree with some of your ratings, but to blame silvestr for the goal i fucked up! at the end of the day they had 2 players who were unmarked past the back post, thats not a one man job…second as soon at carrick (i think) got past the first man ther was another 2 men unmarked at the other side again + scholes just off the 16 m mark reagy to pounce if we failed to clear properly…

    right, next topic:
    as you say diaby shouldnt be played, in fact he should be sold for ca 3 m (think we could get that amount)or perhaps used in a swap deal with inler or veloso (or better yet flamster 4 the sake of cesc)?

    Adebayor could be sold, but that would leave us with a hight average just shy of 0 ft 5 inc, so we kinda need him…But if wenger plays his cards right (and if he plays magnificent) perhaps we can sell him to inter, ac milan, barca or real madrid at a price of about 30 m this would allow us to purchase Karim bezema who is 100% quality as well as he brings hight (185 cm i belive)and if wenger is fealing particularly charitable we could get Alonso (heard he might leave if Barry comes in) or Albiol, another player we’ve been linked with at about 15 m

    well, i’ve just about convinced my self XD sell ade and diaby

    have a great day gooners, my money’s on 2 nil to the arsenal
33. Gooner dan says:
    April 30, 2009 at 7:43 pm

    The ratings you’ve given here are nonsense!
    So incosistent. Here’s my ratings:

    Almunia- 9 – Has kept us in this tie with some world class saves. Was commanding and decisive.

    Sagna- 6 – I honestly don’t know whats wrong with Bacary atm. He’s lost all confidence when going forward but still solid defensively most of the time.

    Toure- 7 – Starting to perform consistently at a good level and kept the back 4 together. Like his bursts forward

    Silvestre- 6 – You could see he wanted to prove a point against his former club but unfortunately he’s not as good as he once was.

    Gibbs- 7 – The kid is 19. His natural position is left midfield. He was asked to mark Ronaldo 1st half and Rooney 2nd half. What a great job he did. Good on him.

    Song- 6 – Did his defensive duties reasonably well but couldn’t win the midfield battle.

    Nasri- 6 – Tried his best in a position that he’s not supposed to play in. Wenger put him in the wrong place. The guy is so creative and talented when attacking and he was wasted.

    Walcott- 6 – Showed potential but was shut down well by United and kept him quiet. If he had targets to aim for in the box he could have been more effective.

    Diaby- 5 – Should not be playing out on the left. Drifts in way too much leaving Gibbs exposed. Would have been more effective through the middle or in the holding role alongside Song.

    Fabregas- 6 – Quiet. For me he can’t play in that hole simply because he doesn’t quite have the pace. Worked hard and I admire him for that.

    Adebayor- 4 – A 6ft 3 striker should be able to control and win a ball and hold it. Not once. Doesn’t try hard enough and I’m starting to really not like him.

    Wenger got that tactics all wrong. Nasri should have been out on the left because he has the discipline to stay there and has played there most of the season. Diaby could have played in the hole because he’s strong and holds the ball well. Fabregas should be alongside Song. Eduardo would have been better as a lone man. A lot to improve for the 2nd leg.
34. NN says:
    May 1, 2009 at 3:50 pm

    van percies another big fukin time charlie. fuk him and his bum chum fukin crap ade fukin shit fukin player . these 2 dicks talk shite before a match then dont fukin turn up . get bentner and vela up front at least they will put a shift in. sick paying those 2 cunts ade lazy fuker and the 1 footed man rvp,s wages every fukin week and getting fuk all back

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