The Coach

By Boris Mellor
September 16 2008

No the bad news isn't that AIG managed to survive so far. I know you were all looking forward to seeing Man U wearing little patches over their kit. It goes to shows that football is not immune to the real world. Will it be easy to sell season tickets to fat cats next season? How many of the corporate boxes will remain full now the bonuses have gone?

 If the slump deepens even the price of oil will drop and the sheiks may cut their cloth. Perhaps Wenger's stinginess is based on his world view. Watching Spurs flop last night shows that new players need a while to settle in. Meanwhile Wenger's Communards continue to amaze. But Eastern Europe is a different matter.

 

I find it hard to be optimistic about our trips out East. Of course our luck might change, I hope it does. A draw will do me, win all the home games, and draw all the aways and bingo. Of course Wenger never plays for a draw but for once he is actually saying a draw will be a good result. I can't ever remember Arsene saying that, so that how tough it is.

Kiev aren't going to mark Adebayor, they will just play him offside. But he only has to beat the trap twice and we would be ok.

Good and Bad News

So what's the good news? Eboue and Clichy are fit, and the bad news is that Nasri and Silvestre are not. That might not be bad news tomorrow night, but it might be by Saturday when the Gunners play the third away in a week.

When Wenger picks the team he has to keep one eye on Saturday. It's a real pity that Nasri, Arsenal's player of the month is out injured. This might be like a visit to the dentist, but hopefully we will feel better when the drilling stops. Here is the squad:

1 Manuel ALMUNIA
3 Bacary SAGNA
4 Cesc FABREGAS
5 Kolo TOURE
10 William GALLAS
11 Robin VAN PERSIE
12 Carlos VELA
14 Theo WALCOTT
15 DENILSON
16 Aaron RAMSEY
17 Alex SONG
19 Jack WILSHERE
20 Johan DJOUROU
21 Lukasz FABIANSKI 
22 Gael CLICHY
25 Emmanuel ADEBAYOR
26 Nicklas BENDTNER
27 Emmanuel EBOUE

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Good and Bad News - Meltdown

Discussion started by Arsenal Times , 16/09/2008 20:25

Arsenal Times
16/09/2008 20:25

Good and Bad News - Meltdown

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Varial
16/09/2008 20:28

I'll be perfectly happy with a draw away at Kiev, I have a feeling we'll lose at Fenerbache but as long as we win all the home games and beat Porto away, which we'll do very comfortably, I think we'll be fine.

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Padre Pio
16/09/2008 20:33

Spot on mate. Must remember to predict my draw

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Rockstaar
16/09/2008 20:52

cant really see us not winning this by 3 tbh

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Optimistic Gunner
17/09/2008 00:41

Exactly Rockstaar.

F.uck draws, we should WIN!

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Rockstaar
17/09/2008 00:56

Quote:

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger maintains Group G will be no walk in the park for the Gunners, with Turkish giants Fenerbahce and former winners Porto also in the mix to qualify for the knockout stages.
While a win in the Stadion Valeriy Lobanovskyi would put them on course nicely, Arsenal do not have the best of records in the old Soviet bloc - losing on their last visit to Moscow, against CSKA two years ago, while also going down twice to the Ukrainians in 1998 and again in 2003.

Adebayor said: "A lot of people think it is going to be an easy one - but I do not.

"We know that playing in Ukraine is going to be very difficult, especially because their players are playing in front of their fans and will be doing everything to win the game.

"But we are Arsenal - we just have to believe in ourselves and, if we can, play our football.

"If we can stay patient, score the goals then, in the end, we will win the game. That is what we are going there for."
[url=http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/8570034/Adebayor-has-appetite-for-Euro-fight][/url]

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Padre Pio
17/09/2008 07:25

I would love a win, and if we do great, but I wont be upset by a draw. This is a tough call - we have no record of doing it. There is always a first time.

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litmus
17/09/2008 08:38

We can win and should try for a win. Cept for Nasri, we have all our first teamers players all available. If we play well and still draw or lose then I can accept that.

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AJ The Gunner
17/09/2008 09:59

spot on.a very tricky tie.up north has never been favourable for us.a draw will be fine but if we win all the best considering this group is tough one as it is.

I am hoping for a win to boost the team.kiev won't be wasteful like blackburn so our defending must be top class.

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Merlion96
17/09/2008 10:25

Teh beauty is that this team is unrpedicatable and Kyiv thinks that they are a still traditional English team palyign crosses and high balls for a forward to chase.

But our pressing and high tempo game will be soemthing they have not face before.

One thign good is that our youngsters have no hang-up at all, and has no fear of losing or protecting some records.

They are there to set records, and again, those youngsters will surprise us one more time.

With RvP adn Adebayor started scoring and Fabregas fast regianing his match fitness, we should win.

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lovefire
17/09/2008 13:01

0-2 to us chill guyz this is the fearless arsenal
i dont know why wenger is being so negative we go out there to win every game and we will win this one as well
11 goals in the last 3 conceded 0 we are in red hot form no one can stop us!

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Rockstaar
17/09/2008 15:51

cant see us losing this...we need to set an example

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david ratel
17/09/2008 18:18

not all our first teamers are available what about Eduardo and Rosicky

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red_n_white
17/09/2008 18:35

merlion, im sure kiev dont think we're a long ball team, i meanwe're renowned over europe for the way we play, and i think they have dvd players in ukraine in which they can watch all of our previous games and study our tactics.

They will be prepared. But wenger is right, as long as WE play our football we'll do really well.

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Padre Pio
18/09/2008 23:01

They have Luzhny on the staff.

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