Arsenal FC - The Gunners Thread
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Arsenal need more local boys in their 1st team if Sepp Blatter decides to enforce protectionism for domestic leagues.
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arsenal can forget about their title aspirations.
they are very inconsistent!!!
the challengers for the 3rd and 4th place are very strong too. -
Well, this arsenal team is not fully ready yet, too many youngsters at the same time, they lack consistency. But make no mistake, if still under wenger, this current gunners squad can give chelsea a run for their money, and i do mean their current and future big money players in 2 to 3 yrs time.
The problem with youngsters are, they are not consistent. We have seen them play really well and we know what they are capable of going against big teams like chelsea, liverpool and man u but against smaller clubs, they can't bring out that same form most of the time...
That is the problem with too many youngsters in the team... not enough balance. But i belief they will be a powerhouse in 2 to 4 yrs time when Van Persie and his gang come of age. -
the squad needs more mature and experienced footballers to balance the young team like g. silva and lehmann
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vs
Liverpool 1 - 3 Arsenal
Full-Time:
Tomas Rosicky (2)
Kuyt
Henry
FA CUP
Arsenal dump Liverpool out of Cup
Tomas Rosicky fires in his first goal for Arsenal.
Arsenal dumped FA Cup holders Liverpool out of the competition with a stubborn and resilient third round performance. Tomas Rosicky curled a sublime strike and squeezed in a shot from the edge of the box to put the visitors 2-0 ahead.
Liverpool hit back when Peter Crouch headed a corner at goal which Dirk Kuyt glanced in from point-blank range. But Thierry Henry ended hopes of a Reds comeback when he robbed Jamie Carragher and slotted home to book Arsenal's place in Monday's fourth round draw.
Liverpool had plenty of possession early on but Arsenal had kept them at arm's length while waiting for the chance to counter-attack. The home side were being denied the space and time to create a chance and had only a long range Steven Gerrard strike, which went comfortably wide, to show for their early efforts.
Arsenal's ploy almost reaped reward when a clever pass by Robin van Persie was slid into the piercing run of Rosicky, who lacked the bravery to try and squeeze the ball past on-rushing keeper Jerzy Dudek.
The match started to develop into a fractious affair as rash challenges, stray arms and simulation saw play interrupted on a regular basis. Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso thought he should have had a penalty when he went over after minimal contact by Gilberto Silva tackle but only ended up getting booked for diving.
In amongst the set-pieces, Reds striker Peter Crouch ballooned a volley over and Alonso went close from 20-yards. Arsenal had a strength to their play which critics have accused them of lacking and they blended that with the kind of flair they are famed for to take a 2-0 lead. The visitors won possession in their own half and Rosicky exchanged a number of passes with Alexander Hleb down Arsenal's right flank.
The final act of the goal saw Hleb pull a low cross back to the near edge of the box and Rosicky curled a shot into the far side of the Reds goal. The Czech Republic attacking midfielder added a second when Liverpool's defence stood off him and shot low into the corner.
An urgency in Liverpool's play after the break put Arsenal under relentless pressure. And, while the visitors threatened on the counter-attack, they started to become overrun by the waves of attacks from the Reds.
The home side's efforts finally told when Kuyt flicked in a header and Aurelio sent an angled volley just wide as Liverpool's dominance was almost rewarded with an equaliser.
But Henry dispossessed Carragher on the left touchline and ran towards goal before cutting inside and sidefooting in to secure Arsenal's win. -
I see that there are many factors contributing to Arsenal's sloppy play.
Congrats to a 3-1 win anyway.
Don't think will be watching Carling Cup. -
Why? semi-final match why don't watch...
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the match very late rgiht? 345am right? Wah..I'm not wacthing too cos im schooling.
And i hope Adebayor will be back this time. I miss this tireless striker. -
Don't know leh.Originally posted by zocoss:Why? semi-final match why don't watch...
Quite sian over today's match. Seems to me that the Carling's game will also be of similiar quality.
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persie was really dissapointing
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Not only him,the vice captain,gilberto was quite disappointing. He held the ball for too long and kana stolen by pool players.Originally posted by used:persie was really dissapointing -
But so far starhub never mention that they will show the Carling cup semis...Originally posted by M©+square:Don't know leh.
Quite sian over today's match. Seems to me that the Carling's game will also be of similiar quality. -
Originally posted by zocoss:But so far starhub never mention that they will show the Carling cup semis... My intention is don't watch. regardless starhub want to show or not.
btw. Liv VS Asnl confirm got alot of viewership one. I think starhub will air it.
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Yeah... but i checked their Programme Guide seems like don't have... Maybe Ch 5 show...Originally posted by M©+square: My intention is don't watch. regardless starhub want to show or not.
btw. Liv VS Asnl confirm got alot of viewership one. I think starhub will air it. since semi-final... -
haiz liverpool disappointing
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While i'm disappointed with Arsenal. You guys are disappointed with Liverpool.Originally posted by anhydrouscoppersulphate:haiz liverpool disappointing -
ka na sai u all win lehOriginally posted by M©+square:While i'm disappointed with Arsenal. You guys are disappointed with Liverpool. -
liverpool can take revenge a few days later.Originally posted by anhydrouscoppersulphate:ka na sai u all win leh -
WENGER PREPARED TO LET LAUREN LEAVE
Arsene Wenger has confirmed he will allow full-back Lauren to leave Arsenal.
The former Cameroon international has been linked with a move to West Ham recently and while boss Wenger insists he is unaware of where the right-back is headed, he has announced the 29-year-old will be released should he agree a move with another club.
"The problem is that since Lauren got injured I have Justin Hoyte who got promoted, I have Emmanuel Eboue who got promoted and I have Johan Djourou who can play in there too," Wenger told the club's website.
"It's always the same. You make room for young players and then it is difficult to leave them out again. I feel we have too many players in that position now.
"Lauren is free to talk to anyone because it is the end of his contract but frankly I don't know if he has spoken to West Ham. He doesn't have to inform me if he wants to speak to anyone." -
ALIADIERE HOPES TO STAY
Jeremie Aliadiere wants to stay and fight for his place at Arsenal but admits he may be forced to leave if he fails to secure regular first-team football.
Arsene Wenger has reiterated his desire to keep the young French striker at the Emirates Stadium in the wake of his impressive outing against Liverpool this week. And Aliadiere, who joined the Gunners in 1999, told the club's website arsenal.com: "I never said I wanted to leave the club.
"All I said was that I wanted to play. That's my priority. I want to play football. "I want to be involved every weekend but I haven't played a lot in the last six months since I came back from my loan last season (at Wolves).
"Obviously if I can't play here then I will have to play somewhere else, but Arsenal is my priority. "There's a lot of competition, a lot of great players and it's really hard to get your place in there but I think every time I've got the opportunity to play I've done my best and in training every day as well. That's all I can do."
Wenger admits Aliadiere presents him with a selection problem but will keep the player, now 23, for as long as he can. "Players like Aliadiere are sometimes difficult to keep because I cannot give him the number of games he wants and deserves," Wenger was quoted as saying in his pre-match press conference.
"But I do not want to lose him because I have worked for seven years with him now. He is a super player and I do not want to sell him. He does not want to go on loan, he wants to play somewhere and I can understand that.
"He has three more years on his contract and I hope he will see that out." -
aliadiere has not improved much from the past few seasons
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no place for himOriginally posted by used:aliadiere has not improved much from the past few seasons -
ya right. we lost 3-6Originally posted by iLuVpOrKyPiG:liverpool can take revenge a few days later.
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Lauren rejects Hammers move
ARSENAL right-back Lauren has snubbed a £1million move to struggling West Ham.
Boss Alan Curbishley was keen to snap up the Cameroon ace after seeing the Hammers leak nine goals in their last two Premiership matches.
But the defender, who turns 30 on Friday, rejected advances from Curbishley as he does not want to join the relegation dogfight.
He favours a return to Spain where he previously enjoyed spells with Seville, Levante and Mallorca.
Lauren is yet to make a first-team appearance this season after spending nine months out with a serious knee injury.
He is out of contract in the summer and Arsene Wenger is happy to let him leave with youngsters Justin Hoyte and Emmanuel Eboue firmly established as first-team regulars. -
LAUREN EXIT PROTECTS YOUNGSTERS
Arsene Wenger feels he had to allow veteran full-back Lauren to leave in order to continue the development of youngsters Emmanuel Eboue and Justin Hoyte.
The Cameroon international, who turned 30 on Friday, ended his six-and-a-half-year stay with the Gunners to join Portsmouth earlier this week. During the right-back's long recent injury lay-off, the likes of Eboue, 23, and Hoyte, 22, have been handed a regular taste of first-team action.
While accepting his decision was something of a "paradox" given he often suggests the current squad lacks some experience, Wenger felt it served to protect the future of the club.
The Arsenal manager said: "I lost a fantastic player. I would like to pay tribute to him because he was amazing for the club. "Lauren was not only a player with quality and experience, but also a fantastic guy who was mentally very strong. "But he was out for nine months. Eboue and Hoyte played. "Do I stop their development and play Lauren? Or do I let him go somewhere else? I had to make that kind of decision.
"If I played him I would have to lose either Hoyte or Eboue, which I did not want to do." Wenger maintains his emerging squad have the "ingredients and potential" to consistently challenge for top honours. He said: "We have the ingredients and potential to become the best team.
"At the moment we are not because we lost at places like Sheffield United, Bolton and Manchester City - even though they are games we could and should have won. But we are getting there."