UCL Match Day 3: Arsenal v Shaktar Donetsk; Match Preview
Really? More Group Stages?
Oh joy the Champion’s League Group stages are back. I’m excited aren’t you. Okay any chance to watch the Arsenal play is a good time but really, I am on such an anti-group Stage kick right now – I am almost not sure how I will get through this preview without vomiting. It’s the group stages causing that – not my writing mind you.
Anyway, it’s a case of another prodigal son returning to the Emirates this week. Actually that is a recurring theme from last Saturday to next Sunday. Last Saturday it was Alex Hleb and Birmingham, today its Eduardo Da Silva and next week it’s the money grubbing crew from Man City. But for today our focus is Dudu and his return to the team where he had been for the last few seasons.
Undoubtedly he will receive a warm welcome from the Arsenal faithful when he steps onto the pitch. No doubt he will keep his promise, and not celebrate if he scores (which I don’t see happening) and no doubt this will be a snooze fest of epic proportions.
On face value it shouldn’t be. Both teams have taken maximum points from the group so far. Arsenal have the edge in the group based on GD – 9 goals in 2 matches to Shaktar’s 4. The thing is a negative result isn’t catastrophic for either team since the other two squads have 0 points.
In the last get together – a 2000/01 meeting in the group stages, each side claimed a home win with Arsenal having to come back from a 0-2 deficit and win 3-2 on a brace from Keown.
I am not a fan of the back to back matches in the group stages and that is the third team you play – its home and away. So we will get our chance at Shaktar on the Emirates pitch and then in a fortnight travel to the Ukraine to take them on. So for Arsenal a win today should for all intensive purposes sew up the group before having to travel to the hostile clime of the Ukraine.
The good news for all Arsenal fans is the eminent return of Captain Cesc Fabregas. And none too late – for the obvious EPL implications. Arsene in his pre-match presser hasn’t stated whether or not he will start Cesc. It is likely that since Wilshere isn’t suspended for the CL he could start in the midfield to give way to Cesc as a super sub. Or if he wants to put the lights out – just bring Cesc on to start alongside Wilshere and pray Song knows enough to now stay back in his DM role
Theo Walcott is also to return and I think he definitely get the start. He needs to get his legs back before Sunday and we need to see if he has lost any of the form he showed before he rolled his ankle while on duty for England.
Finally I am hoping that Arshavin decides to use this match as a warm up for Sunday. He needs to find his form or at least needs to show he gives a crap about playing. Looking forward to Sunday he is essential to being successful against a slower Man City defence. He does play better when Cesc is in the lineup and it is possible that tonight we could see that linkage in action tonight warming its engines up for the EPL match up.
How The Match Should Play Out:
I figure Arsenal to try and come out early and dictate the match. At home in the last 5 years of Champion’s League play, Arsenal have only lost once – to Man United 2 years ago. It has been a virtual fortress for them in this competition. I expect that to continue. Chamakh is a Champion’s League beast and is likely to score a header and Arshavin has been more effective in European matches than in the league.
Players to Watch:
Arsenal: He’s back. Theo Walcott is back in the lineup and prior to his injury looked like he was on to a career year. I’ll be looking for signs that his effort hasn’t been dulled. He may not score but I want to see the thoughtful, attack minded Theo and the mindless git of previous seasons.
Shaktar: Who else but Eduardo Da Silva. The Crozillian striker comes back to his last home before being shipped to the Ukraine. He was a fan favourite for his dedication and commitment to the club – even post injury.
Probable Starting XI:
Arsenal: Fabianski, Eboue, Clichy, Squillaci, Djourou, Song, Wilshere, Fabregas, Walcott, Arshavin, Chamakh
Shaktar: Pyatov; Rakytskyy, Kucher, Chygrynkyi, Rat; Srna, Gai, Mkhitaryan, Hubschmann, Willian, Adriano
Injuries/Suspensions:
Arsenal: Diaby (ankle) Vermaelen (achilles) Walcott (ankle) Van Persie (ankle) Ramsey (ankle) Bendtner (groin) Frimpong (knee)
Shaktar: Fernandinho (leg
Broadcast:
US: ???? 2:45 EST
UK: Sky Sports 4 1945 BST
Feeds:
www.atdhe.net
GAMEDAY CHAT: It’s Open!!!!!! www.youaremyarsenal.com/gamedaychat
YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal: 3
Shaktar: 0
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This week’s Sports Illustrated has a nice feature article about Henry. In the beginning of the article he talks about how awesome it is not to get mobbed anytime he tries to do anything at all, like in Europe. He says he will retire in NYC, and that’s one of the biggest factors.
Thanx.
I gotta get that.
Song: “We will learn from this”.
Arsenal.com Monday morning.
LOL! Mazza.
:laugh:
:weep:
If Arsenal can avoid defeat this weekend it would be an amazing feat because that would mean the players have managed to overcome the negative impact of Le Boss’ words: “They know they are close to something special.”
Words like this for the current group of players is a license to let these players continue their lazy half effort ways. These players are already told by Wenger repeatedly that they are great and are always told they are on the verge of something special. So some players continue to put in indifferent performances and can’t bother showing any effort (now some are incapable of performing any better than they do but this is another matter altogether). If the players fail, they head to the media to talk about their great future and how they will learn and improve. Yet, season after season, they continue to slip up. But they are always on the verge of that special season.
Bizarrely even the great Arsenal team felt a negative impact of Wenger’s words. In 2002/03 Wenger said the team would go unbeaten that season. The players felt too much pressure and then they lost a few games. So they told Wenger how his words put them under pressure. The following season Wenger said nothing and team indeed went unbeaten. But those guys were a different bunch. They could do the job at hand.
With the current team, the more words of encouragement are dished out by Wenger in the media, the worse the team performs. So what should Wenger do? Implement a media ban. If Ferguson is taking a page out of Wenger’s future vision book, then Wenger needs to stop talking to the press. Because if Wenger talks negatively about the players, then surely they can’t improve. Maybe Waddle can be persuaded to talk about other players besides Walcott ;)
If Arsenal can avoid defeat this weekend…
its sad that its come to this mentality!
its not that long ago that we didn’t try to “avoid defeat” EVER… we showed up to WIN, EVERY SINGLE MATCH… with swagger and confidence.
Now its a hope and a prayer and avoiding defeat!
sad.
What is so sad about it Stag? We are playing one of the best teams in the league at the moment away from home, should we EXPECT to win it?
You can bet your bottom dollar that we will go there to WIN, that is the only way we know to play.
YES.
WE SHOULD EXPECT TO WIN.
5 years ago, we expected to WIN every match.
Now we try to avoid defeat.
WAIT?!
City are one of the best teams in the league?
SINCE WHEN?
I heard from numerous folks on this site that they aren’t that good, and that they won’t make the top 4…
now they are one of the best.
yes. they are. might be THE best.
Yeah, but they spent money to achieve this. So it doesn’t count.
The good news is, now that Arsenal has sewn up another Profits League Cup, we can focus on the Virtuous Ideals Cup.
Wow … Portsmouth likely to get liquidated and closed down.
I heard that too. They’re likely to go out of existence.
Two words: THAT SUCKS.
That news really makes me sad. Founded in 1898, and likely to be closed down in 2010. I feel terrible for all their fans. Imagine how we would all feel if our favorite club somehow ceased to exist one day, and there were no more Arsenal players, matches, stadium, etc. That would leave big hole in my heart.
The best thing they can probably do now is for all the supporters to form a new club, a la Wimbledon, which will have to slowly work its way back up to the Football League.
Just like with Rooney leaving ManU in January, I just don’t see it happening.
I have read that it is a case of Gaydamak “posturing”… I don’t see Pompey closing down and shutting the doors.
It can and will likely get sorted out.
They’ve actually turned it around on the field, gaining 13 of their last possible 15 points.
I hope you’re right, but I’m going to reserve judgment. This Gaydamak seems like a real piece of work.
The turnaround is shocking really!
The cynic in me still believes he just signed it because of the bad timing.
Signing a new contract now does not prevent his sale next summer. But it gets the fans off his back … and allows him to concentrate on football for this season.
Advantages for Man U are that they will now get top dollar for him if they decide to sell.
The cynic in me says the
‘Who’s a whore now?’
banner was prescient.
And now the cynic in me is thirsty.
No going back now… !!!!!!!
ROONEY SIGNS 5 YEAR DEAL with UNITED.
all the drama there is over…
Well at least everyone can still speculate over Torres.
Fair play. Stag called it!
Some Rooney humour up in the Forums
Adebayor with a hat-trick to rev himself up for the match this weekend.
Absolutely HILARIOUS from Arsene:
Wenger – “I have funds for January transfer window”
:snicker:
“I am confident we will beat Chelsea.”
To be fair, there’s no lie in either those statements:
He truly was confident of beating Chelsea and he DOES have funds for Jan. Too bad he doesn’t give any indication about his intentions of spending the money.
Who said he is lying?
Stag said it is absolutely HILARIOUS and it is.
Wonder how the second half of last season would have turned out if we had signed Chamakh in early January?
He certainly has melded into the the style and chemistry of the team. I can’t see RvP replacing in the center, but maybe it would be better for player and team for vP to be on the wing.
I can envision the seamless linking of Cesc, RvP, Chamakh, Nasri, and Rosicky – supporting the attack of Wilshere and Song. LOL
Sagna is back for the weekend and Koosh could be back as well (I doubt it).
Vermie is 2-3 weeks out.
RvP a “couple” of weeks.
Vermaelen: I’ve steered clear of any debates over the Arsenal medical staff. Not my area and there’s little we know other than the outcomes. That said, I’ve followed Arsenal for some time and I don’t recall these repeated instances of so-called inconsequential injuries becoming long. It now happens with frightening regularity, can’t we diagnose anymore?
Rooney: I didn’t see this one coming. I hate what has happened to Manchester United – it was so cynical. I’m not sure I agree with Rooney’s analysis – are Manchester United really incapable of staying at the top? I’m not convinced. These heady infusions of cash, ala Chelsea and City don’t last forever. They skew the market and make a mark for a period yet there is no reason why United can’t continue to compete, and even more-so when they jettison their dimdim owners and their cynical leveraged buyout. Back to Rooney, no idea why he’s had this brain explosion…. then again look at his recent actions in his personal life. Footballers are just young men with low IQs, limited dignity and a bit of luck. Rooney fits the template.
Full moon over the greater northwest.
Possibly, we will never know the behind the scenes details. To blog speculate, when Ronaldo and Tevez left…….promises were made to Wayne about reinvesting into the squad and maybe Wayne did not consider Chicharburrito (excuse the spelling) the high profile signing Wayne had in mind.
Anyway – it is amusing to find ManU and Pool challenging for which club can usurp tabloid space.
why do you say football players have a “low IQ?
that’s a broad sweeping generalization, and I would wager they are no different than many other people the same age… in any walk of life.
Surprise, surprise – Verma facing long layoff.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/9114966.stm
And yet another reason to dislike international soccer. Players (especially Arsenal players) go away, get injured and the club is the one that loses out.
I watched the first half of Inter vs Spurs. Not only were Inter 4-0 up at HT, Spurs were down to 10 men after just 10 min with Gomes sent off.
How they managed to score 3 goals in the second half is beyond me. I guess Inter took the foot off the pedal. You don’t want Spurs to be getting a spine and actually making a fight out of it, do you? I would be happy for them to remain eternal bottlers. :)
So based on what I am reading it looks like on Thursday they are supposed to basically set the ground rules for how they will sell Rooney.
You know for sure if SAF has any say he is basically saying – you want gone fine – we’ll do it but we’ll do it to the team of our choosing. There is no way on earth SAF sells to City.
Also I would think it is likely that Rooney very well only winds up playing reserve games till January.
Oh and Wenger did comment on this – a.) We aren’t interested and b.) (I kid you not about this – I am paraphrasing) I am going to enjoy watching this in the press.
Of course he’ll enjoy it. In his deluded view, he probably thinks it’s validating.
I DOUBT Rooney only plays in reserve matches. If they aren’t going to play him in real matches, why would he risk injury?
also, I don’t think Wenger said “we aren’t interested”…
but he did say:
Wenger – “I have funds for January transfer window”
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
that’s funny Arsene.
Funny how the coaches of Inter, Madrid, Barca, Chelsea and Man City are all having the microphone pushed in their faces about another club’s player.
Why isnt anybody asking Wenger’s opinion????? :-D
Wenger should totally put out a cheeky statement expressing interest as well.
—————————–
How thick is Rooney though? To be completely severing ties in October! Is he so absolutely stupid he couldn’t wait till January at least??
Now he will have to be on some imaginary “injuries” till then.
I still can’t see him leaving United, and if he were sold to ManCity, the United Supporters would BURN DOWN Old Trafford…
They’d burn down City first.
What cant you see?
He has already said it point blank he is LEAVING … no turning back now.
On the other hand…
Ha Ha.
Rooney says United lacks ambition?! Talk to me in 6 years, bitch.
More from the Guardian. Note: no mention of United falling behind Arsenal, who has already written the book “Low Ambitions”.
“For me (Rooney), it’s all about winning trophies – as the club has always done under Sir Alex. Because of that I think the questions I was asking were justified.”
The clear implication was that Rooney believes United are in danger of slipping behind the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City…”
And what does that leave? Fighting Arsenal for third/fourth? Why would a top flight athlete lower his sporting standard like that?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/oct/20/wayne-rooney-manchester-united1
You can guarantee that no matter how far United fall, we’ll be tripping over doing our best to not take advantage of it. Inferiority complex and lack of ruthlessness.
Interesting, Maz. Because, in a weird way, I think Wenger has a superiority complex. You know, what with his higher-minded, non-winning ideals.
Wow, Gareth Bale almost brought Spurs back. I only saw the score report, but it says he had a hat-trick, the minutes for the goals being listed at 52, 90, 90.
Once you see the goals, it is even more amazing as the first two goals are carbon copies of each other and all 3 shots found the same bottom corner. The commentator said there appears to be a magnet in the bottom corner of the net and somehow Bale managed to pick that spot perfectly.
“I met with David Gill last week and he did not give me any of the assurances I was seeking about the future squad,”..
Rooney says that Man Utd were not attracting big stars. Is that the same thing as a few Arsenal players saying their club lacked ambition about making the right signings?
“For me its all about winning trophies – as the club has always done under Sir Alex. Because of that I think the questions I was asking were justified.”
Seriously Rooney’s greed knows no bounds. It is not like Man Utd have gone 5 years without a trophy. I mean, does he expect Man Utd to win a trophy every season? I guess he won’t be signing for Arsenal in Jan :)
also it seems Rooney has no understanding of Man Utd’s debt. He doesn’t appreciate the long term vision that Ferguson is trying to incorporate at Man Utd :)
Although I do wish this saga goes on for a while because any transfer saga not involving Arsenal players is a not a bad diversion. But as per Fergie, it will be resolved tomorrow. It has to be seeing how he can’t be sold right away. If this news had broken out in Jan, then Fergie would have sold Rooney in a matter of days.
My boy, Eto’o on freaking fire!
Just a pure, direct, incisive, goalscoring winner.
We should have gone in for him when he was available.
Wenger would hate someone like him though. Not a “potential” or a perma-crock like the other clowns we have.
Spurs being destroyed is always hilarious.
PS: Stag, you were belittling Eto’o (vs. Ibra) last season because he only got 15 last season from the WINGS!
Now that he is back in the center is the case rested? ;-)
Eto is a prima donna extraordinaire… and he got sold from Barcelona because of his antics.
don’t need that bitch!
He has played well, with 6 goals in 7 games.
But Ibra has 2 goals and 2 assists in 6 games in the league, and
3 goals in 3 games in the CL…
not bad at all.
GUARANTEE they will be comparable at season’s end, if neither is injured.
and Barcelona won’t miss him either.
Yet when he was at Barca, they were winning … and his alleged “prima donna” attitude is such a big “problem” at Inter … won CL when he moved there.
And its 14 goals in 11 games. On most forums Milan fans are already calling Ibra a waste of money! I guess they arent fond of his two goals ;-)
Two things I will bet with you right now.
1) Barca wont win the league or the CL this season.
2) Eto’o will wildly outperform Ibra in ALL aspects of the striking game.
I will make sure to rub both facts in come May ;-)
The Ibra 4 Eto deal was the worst deal in football history.
I think Eto proved it already last season, this season will make it evermore evident.
AMEN
yes.
how about some FACTS?
Last season.
Eto started in 40 GAMES and came on as a sub in 5… in the League and CL.
He had 14 GOALS and 7 ASSISTS.
Ibrahimovic started 32 GAMES and came on as a sub in 7… in the League and CL.
He had 20 GOALS and 9 ASSISTS.
Yes, that proves what? That Ibra had a better season?
More GOALS AND ASSISTS in LESS GAMES.
But those are just facts, what do they mean? :yes:
Let’s put these facts in context shall we:
what position was Eto playing in those games as opposed to Ibra?
Who was playing in the more attacking team?
Which of those players had the world greatest player at the peek of their form playing alongside them?
Who performed when it mattered in the big games i.e. Champions League semi final?
Oh, and where was Ibra when Barca won the treble? Where was Eto?
Where was Ibra when Inter won the treble? Where was Eto?
That is no coincidence my friend, Eto gives that bit extra or quality it seems. :yes:
really Arthur.
so now you are making EXCUSES for his lack of scoring last year.
Ibra wasn’t even the main scoring threat at Barca, and he still outscored Eto by 6 goals in less games.
You can’t win every season, and Barca made it pretty far in the CL…
Ibra had more goals in the CL than Eto, WHEN IT MATTERED.
You can pick a specific game and make whatever you want out of it… over the long haul of the season, Ibra scored AND assisted MORE than Eto.
“that bit extra or quality”…
OK.
Sure. I’d say Eto is a bit better than Ibra, but their goals and assists have been and always will be COMPARABLE.
They both get their share… and it is relatively close.
Stag it has nothing to do with excuses, they are facts too.
I think you are one of them that say that the stats do not tell the whole story, I am reminding you why. The questions I have asked you are of the utmost relevance.
If Emile Hesky scores 40 goals playing for Leyton Orient in League 3, while Wayne Rooney scores 20 in the PL does that make Hesky the better player, or even comparable? I think Ibra is overated myself, but that is my opinion.
But we agree, “I’d say Eto is a bit better than Ibra.” That is why I feel “The Ibra 4 Eto deal was the worst deal in football history,” Remember he did pay £35 million plus Eto for Ibra.
and Freddy boy…
I’ll take Barcelona to win their league ANY day…
and…
DEFINE “wildly outperform”?
You mean equal to how Ibra OUTPERFORMED Eto last year?
6 more goals and 2 more assists in 6 less appearances?
Eto’o played on the WINGS of a defensive team last season. Ibra was the center forward of an attacking team.
Ibra was dropped for the crunch matches at the end of last season … often in the CL he was subbed for Pique! Shows how “important” he was to Barca.
Milan fans already lamenting the Ibra deal.
Keep on denying! ;-)
1) Barca wont win ANY thing this season. No need to argue … we will see at the end of the season.
2) Wildly outperform. Play more important games/more minutes (valued), score more goals, win more trophies.
PS: if Ibra wildly outperformed, why didnt was he constantly being subbed at 50 minutes, when there was no other striker on the bench and with his team a goal down???
Talk yourself into the hole ;-)
Fred.
If Ibra was SUBBED constantly at 50 minutes…
and STILL OUTSCORED Eto easily, that doesn’t say much for Eto!
you, are making MY point.
I think Eto’s good, he’s just not nearly as good as you think he is, and Ibrahimovic is a good player as well, you just don’t like him.
you let your personal feelings for players get in the way of the FACTS.
Boring repetitive argument.
Lets talk again in May … at that point even you will embarassed with your own argument points.
Banner at Old Trafford – Who’s the Whore Now Wayne?
For real? That is awesome.
Spurs getting a rather rude awakening in the CL.4-0 at the half
Nice to see us brush aside Shaktar…
Nice to see Eduardo return, and score…
meaningless. as noted.
BIG TEST @ City on Sunday.
To me, the Rooney situation is MASSIVE.
I just do not believe Manchester United would sell their best
player to MANCHESTER CITY… or CHELSEA.
If either of those teams get him… it hurts United big time.
Selling him to Real Madrid, makes much much much more sense.
If United loses him period, it hurts them big time.
In terms of him going to Spain, from yesterday’s Guardian…
“Can you imagine Rooney speaking Spanish. He hasn’t even mastered English yet.”
Rooney issued a statement saying he indeed want out of United because he did not receive assurances about the club he wanted.
I guess that means they won’t pay him £200K a week.
He’s butt hurt because they won’t spend the money he wants them to on players.
Was it only me, or did anyone else think that Fab was the worst of the 3 MF’s today. Even Denilson came on and looked good, albeit the game being over at that point.
Has anyone also noticed that Calamity put in an error free shift against Birmingham and followed it up with an excellent performance today. Is the idea of Gibbs taking his place forcing him to eliminate his brain farts or is it that he has just awoken from a 3 year slumber?
As was said above, this was a feel good win. Our opponents failed to show up. Jet lag? Too much Absolut? Fish and chips indigestion? Who the f**k knows or care.
Nice ovation for Eduardo and an even louder ovation for the consolation goal. As the commentators said, it was the loudest ovation ever heard for an opponents score.
Yeah he was average but It didn’t really matter. Just about getting his fitness back. With Cesc you don’t really have to worry about his form in pointless matches, he’ll rise to the occasion when it comes to the crunch.
Says his greatest fan :-D
Another drubbing but unlike Braga I felt we were a bit flat overall, passes and combinations not quite coming off. A real nothing game in the scheme of things.
Fearing for Man City. They’ve got too many dangerous players(in fact I think they’re better than us full stop) and they thrive off a team like us that give them room to counter. This could be an exact mirror image of the Chelsea match. Suffice to say, Chamakh and co need to actually show some conviction in putting away chances if and when they come. We still seem too blase about applying the finishing touch.
Like Fred said, a feel good win.
On to the real test.
Dubspecial noted Cesc limping off at FT…
Hmmm…..
Interview however and Cesc says it was perfect…(but that he misses his mother…)
Double Hmmmm…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDsZMHW1wMM
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Chi – I do my lineups for the CL by looking at the last known squad for a league match and look to see if there are any injuries that would remove anyone. If someone is injured I look for the first sub who went for that position in the last match.
I wonder where everyone who said money wouldn’t effect United are. The problems United are having have a direct correlation to money. Rooney wants to leave because he believes “United do not want to compete any more” – he is using the inability to replace CR7 with anyone of quality as his prime example.
The speculative part of this – if Rooney does leave, will SAF decide that maybe it is time to hang up and that his influence is not as strong as it used to be.
Rooney wanting out…but at least he can stay true to his Manchester DNA by going to City…Hahaha…
Arsene says with a nod and a wink to SAF, while rattling his rack of jail cell keys….: Just don’t let him go…..More laughs…
It’s all a good distraction from our troubles and I have to say that I find a lot of agreement in Carib and Fred’s overviews of the team on the previous thread. If we go to City and they let us have possession but beat us on the break (Italian style) don’t we have to blame ourselves?
But that’s looking past today’s match. I’m hoping for some squad rotation, getting some of the new fellas (Cesc, Theo and Bendy) some minutes and for Flappy to keep up the solid keeping and maybe even net a clean sheet. And hopefully no injuries and a nice standing O for Dudu….
I’ll be in the GDC for the 2nd half only today….It seems my careful “lifestyle planning” is letting me down a bit today. (My kid’s got a minimum day and I’m on pick-up duty). Say-La-Vee…
In more dramatic (off topic) news, a ‘bemused SAF confirms Rooney wants out’. It is rather bemusing.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/9107091.stm?
What Wayne doesn’t realize (yet or maybe never) is that moving to another club is not going to make things better………………unfortunately, Wayne has to take himself along in the move.
Talk about a reality check for ManU fans. Last 2 months, they are (probably) gloating over the problems at Pool and their meltdown.
Now with today’s update from SAF, they are sharing the nightmare. Lost Ronaldo, Tevez, and now possibly Wayne; the core of their squad is liken to a geriatric ward composed of Ferdinand, Neville, Scholles, Van der Sar, and Giggs (and Vidic wanted to exit)- so much experience on the wrong side of 32; then there is the small issue of the billion dollar debt.
The ball can take funny hops.
The timing of these detrimental factors could combine to form a serious blow for Man U.
-Loss of a massive amount of attacking fire power (Ronaldo, Tevez, maybe Rooney, those are 3 HUGE names)
-a defensive core that is old
-a midfield core that older than old (in footballing terms)
-hundreds of millions (possibly over a billion) in debt
-an aging SAF whose career may be drawing to a close (I know it’s been said tons of times before, but still)
Liverpool will not be good anytime soon. If Man U begin a precipitous decline, it will be a new era for English football. Since 1960 they’ve won a combined 25 titles. That’s 1 in every 2.
The timing of Chelsea/Man C could prove to be well-suited to usher in a new era of prolonged dominance. This is all very speculative of course, but it’s interesting to consider.
But, then again, SAF may just say “fuck the debt, gimme the Rooney/Ronaldo cash and let me re-stock the squad, thereby replacing the old, retiring players, and complimenting the “middle-aged” players who are experienced but not over-the-hill.” Then instead of a precipitous decline they’d have a few years in the rough, then be right back in it in 3-5 years time.
Wait a second!
Pool Suck, ManU are disintegrating, but Arsenal are still going to finish third!
Is that what you are saying?
But I thought Arsenal’s target is to finish 3rd. Third is the new fourth. Now Arsene does not want to rock the boat too much. Third is a decent target for the next 3-4 years and then maybe 2nd after that. 1st is still another 7-8 years away.
A brace from Keown, who’d a thunk it? That’s something ya didn’t see everyday.
I agree with your gripe about the scheduling DAG. It doesn’t really matter, but it does seem weird with the back-to-back home/away for the 3rd team.
Surprised not to see Eduardo in your Shakhtar starting XI. I’d have thought he’d be a no-brainer at a club like that, but whatever. Hopefully he’ll come on at some point. By the way DAG, how the hell do you make starting XI predictions for these CL opponents anyways?
I think the game will be on TV. Fox Sports Net shows a game on tuesday of every matchday and I think this one is getting the nod. tvguide.com and my cable’s built-in guide both say “Teams TBA” so it’s not 100% certain, but foxsports.com is claiming it will be Arsenal vs. Shakhtar. So regardless of how boring the game will be, I’ll be tuning in since each game I don’t have to watch via stream is a rare gift.
Weird??
The third team has ALWAYS been played back to back, since two-legged groups have been in existence … worldwide … so I dont see what is weird or novel about it.