Arse vs City - no Yaya!!!

Hart
Zabba, Kompany (C), Demichelis, Clichy
Fernandinho, Lampard, Navas, Silva, Milner
Aguero

Glad we are playing one up front as we need to pack the midfield. Yaya not even on the bench.

injured  

That's a shame. I like the idea of having 3 solid players in CM with Jimmy, Lampard and Fernandinho. Some pace with Navas (Nasri always underperforms anyway) and some skill with Silva.

Happy keeping that back 5 as they are resolute enough most of the time.

Actually...just heard them say that he only returned from International duty yesterday, so not ready.

WTF is that all about?

Said it before the season....we'll regret not selling him.

He should've been on a private jet straight to Manchester after the game....no excuse. Poor.

Tevez would have played, and played a blinder, even if he arrived on the morning of the match.

Piers Morgan is a prick, he had a sly poke at our ex gooner players. He said "i see the mercenaries are all sitting on the bench", what a tosser he is. The entire panel and guests all agreed that Arsenal should win this one easy especially as Yaya is missing. I hope we sicken them all.

Still, I hope Lampard has a blinder and gives him competition as I'm not sure how committed he is to us this season on the evidence of his efforts so far...

Wonder if MP would have gone with 2 up front if Jovetic was fit? Can't risk both strikers now we are down to 3....and Munich coming up and Yaya crying off for some poxy International team that don't pay his wages!

How can he be paid £200k a week and he cant play because he is tired after a flight from Africa? Fuck right off Toure!

As much as it pains me, I might even take 0-0

As much as it pains me,I might even take 0-1 ;-)

Very, very poor first 20 minutes....Fernandinho looked all over the place, but it took one break, one bit of brilliant movement, one brilliant pass...and the master poacher to make it 1-0.

After that we looked like we kept control of the ball better and shoud have been 2-0 up with Silva....

Still, we need a second as at the moment, we look like a mistake is around the corner and next time we might not be as fortunate.

Think Clattenbirk has been very lenient of them, especially Wilshere.

Can see Nasri and Dzeko coming on if we get a second goal and going back to a 4-4-2, making us a little more solid in MF.

Come on City!

Don't know how to describe it, we just look average at the moment. Is it the same as the last defence all over again? Ok 2 very good goals but we should be doing better?

Well, well, well....a push on Kompany gets nothing from the cock of a ref that they score from, then a clear handball for a penalty...surprise, surprise, fuck all again...

Still, we've been shit...and worth fuck all out of this game...

Fernandinho is fucking awful.....not the player from last season.

blisteringblue wrote:Don't know how to describe it, we just look average at the moment.  Is it the same as the last defence all over again? Ok 2 very good goals but we should be doing better?

And Hart gets beat at the near post?

At least we have one back....but I wouldn't be too sure we won't go and concede a third..

Joe is close to the chop and that won't help. Will seriously take this now, we've got back into it by skin of our teeth.

and.....after everything, IF Dzeko was anywhere near a decent finisher, we could've had 3 points...

Let's hope there are some upsets today.

I think beforehand we'd have taken a point...then with the 'lazy' one pulling out and no Fernando, a point was a decent result.

Still think MP and the board have fucked up not getting a striker..and letting Negredo go. If he wasn't in the CL squad, so be it...he could be available in 4 weeks time and could've gone on loan in Jan.

Glad MP stated that the 'Burk' had a poor day....but guess the FA will be all over him now for a match ban and fine.

I can't see how the BT panel can say that Welbeck didn't foul Vinny! His header wouldn't have been directed towards Wilshere if he wasn't pushed 'under' the ball by the striker!

Can only see one thing happening now with Joe....he'll be benched for Bayern and if Willy has a good game, probably against Chelsea as well....both goals today he was partially at fault for...

To be fair Dzeko could have done nothing with the deflection from Kozelni without fouling the keeper. I think a point was a good result but for a few dodgy decisions by the predictable twattenberg we could have had 3 points.
Hart could have done better with both goals as far as i am concerned and i trult believe that it is time for Willy to be given a chance to show what he can do in the serious games.
2 rebounds off the wood work, a close offside against Nasri (correct Call), penalty claim against Wilshire for controlling the ball with his arm and a foul against Aguero leading to Wilshire's goal (great finish) Clattenberg did us no favours, no surprise!

I feel that the pre match BT panel were all pro Arsenal and even after the game they were reluctant to say that Arsenal were lucky to get a point or that Clattenberg's poor decisions were all in Arsenal's favour.

agree

I think joe could have done better with the first goal but the second I think you are being a bit harsh. Sanchez hit that with a lot of venom & the slow mo showed it was just a fingertip away from Hart who reacted pretty quick given the situation. I don't think willy would make any difference to that goal.

Maybe not with the second...but the first? He was sat on his arse again like against Stoke!! Stands up, he saves both!

I agree. He's too quick to go down on his backside instead of diving properly. How many times have we conceded because of this? Too many. Willy is bound to start against Bayern.

I'm not sure about the second it was a great finish. If he'd stood tall, he'd have saved the first goal. But part of being a goalie is anticipation and he got it wrong.

I think big Willy was always going to start against Bayern. Mangala too.

Good point imo...especially after going behind and in the end were very unlucky not to win it. We showed good fighting qualities, which pleased me.
Yaya wasn't missed and hopefully MP will take note of this and not guarantee him 90 minutes or a starting place from now on.

Well he keeps anticipating wrong then Dawg...that's two games running he's sat down, one went through his legs as he was almost sat down and the other was a lob by Wilshere, on his weaker foot and with little pace.

shakencity wrote:Good point imo...especially after going behind and in the end were very unlucky not to win it. We showed good fighting qualities, which pleased me.
Yaya wasn't missed and hopefully MP will take note of this and not guarantee him 90 minutes or a starting place from now on.

There seems to be a few comments in the papers today that intimate that Yaya returned 'late', that's why he was 'dropped' by MP, rather than 'rested'.

It was all handled poorly. Other players were on International duty around the world and they managed to be at training on Thur/Fri.

I agree to the extent of not giving him a guaranteed starting place - but I think him not being there gave Arsenal a big lift yesterday and we saw that in the first 20 minutes...but thankfully, we battled on and got the draw, even though we could've won it and should've had a penalty.

Wilshere fooled him. But Harty went down too early. Most goalies don't want to use their feet to make saves so sometimes shots near their feet can go in. I'm no expert,  but how many times have you seen a keeper try to use his hands when he could just use his foot? I say stand tall, cover the near post and use your feet if the shot is hit across you.

Hart is right handed and right footed. He no doubt will be able to drop to his right, quicker than he would his left. Both goals came from the right hand side, Hart's left.

Stoke's was a strike from just in side the area at angle, and Hart had dropped to his right hand side and was almost sat down as the ball went through his legs.

Yesterday, Wilshere was on his right foot at a far more acute angle, albeit nearer in...yet Joe didn't have his near post covered and by the way he went down, almost identical to the Stoke goal, if Wilshere had driven it across him, I doubt he would've been able to adjust his position as his was nearly sat down. It was just poor keeping technique and it has now cost us 2 goals in 4 games, which both contributed to us potentially losing 4 points.

I watched Willy against Arsenal in the CS...and I didn't think he was great either tbf...

We've gotta trust in MP. He know how his Willy works and is confident in his ability. He may just need some playing time to be in top condition.

or Viagra?

Could you imagine if we bought Butland and let Hart go...

Fernandinho had a great game Blueboy .. you got that wrong.  Navas also did well.

Completely disagree Wensdi. Personally, I thought Fernandinho for the first 45 minutes was absolutely shocking. His passing was terrible, his tackling was clumsy, he was getting caught out of position, he looked lethargic.

He improved in the second half, but he was nowhere near last seasons form.

Agree, thought Navas did really well..great cross for Sergio.

Both commentators thought he had a great game - considering no YaYa and a bit of a piece-meal line up.  The punters on JA606 also thought the same

Guess I'm wrong then...let me change my mind then to suit the majority.

blueboy wrote:Guess I'm wrong then...let me change my mind then to suit the majority.

I'm with you blue boy,he's been very average
Fernando has had a much better start

Fernando has been our star man so far even though he's only played 2 and a bit games. He's going to be crucial in keeping us in games when the going gets tough.

Paulpowersleftfoot wrote:

blueboy wrote:Guess I'm wrong then...let me change my mind then to suit the majority.

I'm with you blue boy,he's been very average
Fernando has had a much better start

Cheers PPLF...thought it was me being back to my 'super-critical' self again!