‘FA Cup glory would only paper over Arsenal’s huge cracks’

Arsenal: Battled to victory over Man City

Jurgen Klopp needs to brush up on the defensive side of the game and may need a defensive coach, while there is a shock accusation from one reader in the forum about the Man Utd-Chelsea game.

Join in with the debate…

 

Shock accusation over Man Utd-Chelsea game

Any way I still think as do the vast majority of world football fans that Messi is the best footballer.

On another subject I was was sitting watching the Spurs -Chelsea game Saturday and I was talking to a Chelsea big time member who has strong connections with the club, he was saying that Chelsea would win tonight and that the game against United they played the week before was planned in a certain way to enable United to get a positive result.

I don’t know quite what to make of that and can’t believe it myself- but why would he say that??

Obviously everyone will deny that but you know what they say where there’s smoke there’s fire.

notnice

 

Class from Guardiola

Pep, on the goal that never was but definitely should have been: “The linesman could not see that situation; it’s impossible to see”.

He was, of course, right. It’s easy to make the call when you can look at a few replays, from every possible angle, but in the split second the linesman had, he had to be sure.

Doesn’t mean that City don’t have every right to feel aggrieved. Add the two shots against the woodwork and to say Lady Luck was smiling on my team would be an understatement. Maybe it was her way of making up for us being stuck with Wenger?

Either way, just wanted to say that this is one of the reasons why so many people (outside of Salford and Surrey, anyway) have so much respect for Guardiola. Imagine Wenger’s or Maureen’s reactions in the same situation!

Maureen would have got himself banned for six months.

Al The Gooner

 

FA Cup glory would only be ‘papering over the cracks’

Arsenal: Battled to victory over Man City

Well it was unexpected but hats off to the boys today. I can’t actually pick out a really bad performer. Don’t get me wrong xhaka in first half was awful but 2nd half couldn’t fault him. Whilst any FA cup glory would certainly only be papering over the cracks I will enjoy the rare performance where we actually performed like a team and played reasonably well.

Never thought I say this but What a performance from our defence holding is getting a lot of praise and rightly so but personally I thought Gabriel was exceptional today (for his standard) chambo rightly picked up motm although I still stand by my thoughts on him playing behind the striker with ozil.

Anyway another FA cup final to look forward too, Liverpool dropped points so was a good day. I have a 500 quid bet with a colleague that we will finish above them still. if anyone is gonna drop points at an alarming rate it’s them!

We got lucky in couple decisions but so did they and then we created a great amount of chances, welbeck needs to learn to finish or pass or maybe just both.

TheHulk

 

‘Always happy when we win’

Arsenal: Through to the FA Cup final

Always happy when we win:-) However if you look at City did not really put our defence under so much pressure because they very seldom played any through balls but when they did do that it caused us problems. Then we were a bit lucky with their disallowed goal which was not over the line but those things has a tendency to go both ways.

What does get me angry is the tools in forms of players now coming out that they played for Wenger, well if that´s the case then where the f*** have you been for the last month or so?

Lets end positive though, Holding again good game, Chambo motm for me wow ran his socks of, Gabriel well who knew he could play like that not me though, Monreal well leave that shinpad in for the next game and finally Cech he did save us when Toures shot was goalbound.

muffler_1

 

Arsenal will struggle to finish fourth

Hulk- I cannot see us finishing above the Scousers with our run-in now.

I can see the players saving themselves for the Cup Final and with difficult games to come including the N. London derby next week, i suspect all at the club will feel the 4th place trophy is gone and “tired legs” will be the mantra for a while.

I think we were a bit fortunate to win, as were Chelsea on Saturday as much as I dislike them, Spurs played pretty well, but you don’t always get what you deserve.

Muffler, I have stood up for the Ox for some time and given Wenger’s treatment of him, switching him around, playing him for 10/15 minutes and then dropping him even when he has played pretty well for a whole game, I would not blame him for wanting to leave.

He always shows heart and compared to Ozil, what a contrast! How Wenger could leave him on the pitch for so log yesterday defies logic. If Bellerin had to come on, move the Ox into Ozil’s slot- quite simple really. The German is a lazy coward- I would like us to get rid of him.

Jeff

 

Liverpool need a defensive coach

Best for klopp to put aside his ego and get a defensive coach for nxt season.

That palace 2nd goal is just awful defending. And the frustrating thing is that its not because of lack of height on our team. It wasnt a high ball. Benteke just gets between two static rows of liverpool players on zonal marking. Too easy its crazy

Redsforever

 

‘Klopp will have to embrace the defensive side of the game’

The realities are that Klopp wont bring in a defensive Coach ego etc and even if he did it would likely be someone he knows personally rather than someone like Steve Clarke imo.

There are very few if any world class forwards/strikers around and the ones that are will cost silly money Everton for instance allegedly turned down a £68m bid from Chelsea for Lukaku last summer and now supposedly want £100m for him now and although a good PL striker he’s a long way from world class imo.

The top top players want CL football and will be chased by a number of clubs that can provide it and Liverpool need to be in the CL to have a chance of signing the best but you all know that.

No easy answers fellas and I think Klopp will have to embrace the defensive side of the game to take you forward and he’s never done that previously his teams have always been offensive and based on scoring more than the opposition.

If you don’t make the CL this season and fail to make it next season the owners might well show Klopp the door at the end of next season, this is not just a problem for Klopp Conte’s brief was to restore Chelsea to the CL this season which is all but achieved had he not done that and failed to deliver that in the following season he would have very likely be gone at the end of next season too.

All the clubs currently above Liverpool plus United will strengthen considerably this summer.

All a bit unpalatable I know sorry. ?

nine nine nine

 

Liverpool ‘blew it’ against Palace

Despite some dismissing this as no big deal; it’s not over yet, blah, blah, blah, I am going to take today’s result very, very seriously. We saw in 08/09 how it went with having played more games than anyone else; it cost us then and could quite easily cost us this season too.

We needed to win today, no ifs, buts or maybes, we had to WIN.

United won at a cantor in Burnley so our stall was set and we ‘kin blew it.

Hypothetically, I’m putting all the teams around us on 34 games played and also that they’ll win their games in hand which puts us fifth, three points behind United in fourth (and that’s not including Arsenal who could be ahead of us too on GD so that puts us sixth). That’s how my mind works and it should also be the way the players and manager should think too.

We blow this and we could blow the opportunity of signing the one world class forward or world class centre half we so desperately need. Those who disagreed with me a bit back that we don’t need a world class forward please step forward now and argue your point but, be warned, I have my boxing gloves on right now as I am typing but in case you don’t want to step forward I will rebut now just for you – You’re talking out your arse; WE NEED A WORLD CLASS FORWARD.

We effed up today BIG TIME, we needed to win out and with three games left now it’s absolutely essential we collect 9 points or else it is the Europa or maybe friggin nowt, again.

Rob Fort Worth TX

 

Liverpool ‘folded like a cheap tent’

Spot on Rob, we once again folded up like a cheap tent, it’s the Liverpool way.

People need to accept we are an upper mid table club & that will not change until we start getting regular C/L football & that will not happen if we are in Europa.

This season was the one where we could sell the Klopp vision, we basically had 1 game a week & this was our chance to get back in with the big boys.

Absolutely no surprise we effed it up once again. You watch next season, we will sign a couple of players with potential, fluff around up the top for a bit, hit the festive season & revert back to our default position around 6th-8th.

Hopefully we will NOT finish in the Europa positions next season then we might be able to move forward again.
Bad news folks, we will be on this roundabout for a couple of seasons at least.

Number8was gr8

 

‘Put Firmino back up top’

I think Klopp needs to think about his personnel and quick and who he still has fit … For example yesterday I’m not sure why Lucas, Can and Wini played the majority of the game, we knew Palace would sit deep. Either push Couthino back into a deeper role or maybe even start Grujic in place of Lucas or bring on TAA much earlier.

I don’t think it’s gone yet. That was always going to be our most difficult remaining game in terms of the other team having match winners and something to play for at the same time.

I’d put Firmino back up top and consider Origi for a wider role where you don’t have to be as clever / cute.

Bob-Notts

 

Burnley win more impressive than Chelsea victory

For me this performance was way more impressive than Chelsea as we were controlled organised and show great combination service in the last 3rd.

1st off its time the media/pundits started recognising Hererra level of performance if we hadn’t drawn so many games and we’re fighting for the title I am sure he would get more recognition, he is the engine room of this team and is so important to our play.

Zlatan injury is a blessing in disguise, I made a thread a couple months ago and said that zlatan = rudd who was stifling the development of Rooney and Ronaldo pretty 2006 and when he left they exploded.

Martial and Rashford = Rooney and Ronaldo and we need to forget about signing any attackers and let these 2 develop.

Pogba Mkhitartan and Hererra have more freedom without Zlatan as there is more interchanging of positions which gives them more options especially on the counter attack as shown in this game.

Once we get one more top CB we will be in good shape as Bailey is a brick wall in the mode of Vidic we just need a Rio type passing CBJ to compliment him.

All in all I am very happy with our unbeaten run and if we can play with conviction on the counter attack like we did against Burnley I think we do well away against City Spurs and Arsenal.

Ika

United’s fate in their own hands

A (hopefully) significant weekend all round as now the ball for 4th (and possibly even 3rd) is completely in our own hands. Avoiding a loss at City will mean that, if we win our game in hand over Liverpool, we will still leapfrog them which is great.

Have to hope Arsenal lose this shot of confidence they got yesterday in time for the Emirates game whilst hope the league is wrapped up by Chelsea before we go to Spurs, we face an extremely tough run in compared to our rivals so we need to be at the top of our game for it. I think the fatigue is going to be an issue but hopefully players like Martial, Rooney and Blind who haven’t played regularly week in week out can come in and do a good job like they did yesterday.

On yesterday, just have to give credit to Bailly – what a beast of a performance.

Sympathy for the Devils

Chelsea should try to re-establish its English core

I kinda like Ake. I don’t mind him playing at Cahill’s place. But it seems to me that there was no Englishman on the field against Spurs, am I correct?

I don’t mind this season as we need to field whoever best to win games. But I think Chelsea should try to re-establish its English core. We had Terry, Lampard, A Cole, J Cole before and at the end of this season: none of them will be at Chelsea anymore. Before we had Wise, Le Saux, Newton.

We do have young English players in RLC, Chalobah, Aina, Abraham, hopefully theu can carry over the torch.

Back to the subject against Southampton: Yes, I expect Costa and Hazard to start. I think Willian deserve a start too. He is lethal in his freekicks, it may be useful. Should we play with false 9? We can bench Costa and we play Hazard Pedro Willian to take advantage of their wing backs that attack a lot (Cedric and Bertrand). And Yoshida is kinda error prone, we should take advantage of

aindro

 

Ake in front of Cahill?

As I said on another thread, I was impressed with Ake at Wembley and could easily see an argument to play him ahead of Cahill so we can get a good look at him

Of course this is a must win so is it worth the gamble..? Maybe only Conte will know

Think we need Hazard to be at his imperial best as 3 points are massive then everyone can rest until Sunday (really cannot see Palace doing Spurs even after beating Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. 4 out 4 seems a step too far as they are pretty much safe now but if Spurs are not on their game after losing the semi, then maybe…????). KTBFFH

CFC1905