Tonights CL

[razor]

Superb performance by Arsenal, thoroughly deserved victory.
Juve were very very poor, really missing Nedved.
As a neutral it was a good game but completely ruined for me by the ITV commentary. The pro Arsenal bias was so unprofessional. Asking for yellow cards for every Juve foul and making snide schoolboy comments about Vieira.
Never thought i'd be so glad to hear Trevor Welch.

[Stuttgart88]

I thought Arsenal were superb. As good as I've seen Pires play ever. Eboue looks like he's been playing top flight for years. Fabregas was amazing again. I know it's more common for young players to rise to prominence early these days but to play like that as a playmaking central midfielder at that age is remarkable. Gilberto has looked like he's been living off his reputation at times in the Premiership this year but he did a great job in front of the defence.

[jockser]

Juve cant handle fast "in your face" football at all
arsenal did well
commentary on itv was abysmal

[drinkfeckarse]

Very good to watch even though I only caught the 2nd half, Arsenal look as if they are starting to click again. They're obviously not the team they used to be but there's not many teams about that can play the slick football they can when they get it together.

[green army]

on tv 3 trevor welsh said that only 3 post war managers lead their their through the league campaign unbeaten. wenger and capello were 2 did anyone hear who he said the other one was.

[NeilMcD]

Great performance by Arsenal. Juve were made to look poor and Fabregas is a remarkable player for one so young. Its one thilng to be a young winger or forward but to do it in the centre of midfield is remarkable. The European matches are certainly more suited to this Arsenal team than the rough and tumble of the EPL

[Stuttgart88]

Great performance by Arsenal. Juve were made to look poor and Fabregas is a remarkable player for one so young. Its one thilng to be a young winger or forward but to do it in the centre of midfield is remarkable. The European matches are certainly more suited to this Arsenal team than the rough and tumble of the EPL

The last few rounds of the CL has caused me to reconsider my assessment of England's chances this summer. We all watch English & Irish football week in, week out and this forms the basis for most of us, well me anyway, to judge how good a team is. But I think there's a higher plane of football being played that thrives under the different refereeing styles outside the P'ship & I think that this is most likely to win out this summer. Of course, the likes of Greece & Liverpool provide contradictory evidence but I still think that real quality is likely to prevail. Anyone else got an opiniopn on this?

[OwlsFan]

No mention of Toure - I thought he had an excellent game.

England won't win the WC not matter who is refereeing. Other than the friendly against Argentina, I have yet to see them play really well. To lose in a qualifier against Norn Iron

[Stuttgart88]

No mention of Toure - I thought he had an excellent game.

Toure was excellent alright.

[Karlos]

I think the whole defence have been magnificent in the champions league. They equalled Milan's record of 7 straight clean sheets in Europe last night and did so in the majority without 3 international first choice defenders in Lauren, Cole & Campbell. Despite having little to do last night, Lehmann remains for me Arsenal's player of the season. He claimed crosses and marshalled the defence all season long.

Theirry Henry once again shoved the 'he doesn't do it in big games' lark down the the mouths of reporters & fans (won't stop them spouting it out as soon as Arsenal lose a big game though ). Cesc & Pires were fantastic in midfield. Cesc should have got young player of the year last year (wasn't even nominated), it will be a crime if he doesn't get it this year.

Wenger proved (not that he needed to) against the allegedly tactically superior Capello that he is a match for any manager in Europe.

More important however is the game against Villa on Saturday. Arsenal could go still go out of Europe at any stage as is the nature of any cup competition. They need to get fourth spot and not soley focus on the Champions League.

[Kingdom]

Cesc should have got young player of the year last year (wasn't even nominated), it will be a crime if he doesn't get it this year.

Don't know about that Karlos, there's a young fella knocking around called Teddy Sheringham.....

On a serious level though, to say Capello is allegedly tactically superior is pushing it. The man is a legend in fairness and Wenger has a long way to go to get to his level imho.

[CraftyToePoke]

The last few rounds of the CL has caused me to reconsider my assessment of England's chances this summer. We all watch English & Irish football week in, week out and this forms the basis for most of us, well me anyway, to judge how good a team is. But I think there's a higher plane of football being played that thrives under the different refereeing styles outside the P'ship & I think that this is most likely to win out this summer. Of course, the likes of Greece & Liverpool provide contradictory evidence but I still think that real quality is likely to prevail. Anyone else got an opiniopn on this?

i think your'e spot on stutt, but how much of it is the press, (in particular the enlglish tabloid press and sky), constantly whipping up a frenzy of supposed infallibility in their national side thereby indirectly influencing and raising our opinion of the players we see most often in their national league?

when you read David Pleats piece on Owen Garvan he marvels at Garvans ability to shield the ball in tight areas while closely marked and goes on to say that this is a quality frequently lacking in players from the islands.the entire midfields on many of englands opponents will posess this ability and will guys like Lampard really be technicially proficient enough to overcome them?

not wishing any ill on englands chances, but i doubt it.

[tetsujin1979]

No mention of Toure - I thought he had an excellent game.

England won't win the WC not matter who is refereeing. Other than the friendly against Argentina, I have yet to see them play really well. To lose in a qualifier against Norn Iron

England were slightly lucky in that game, Riquelme was running the show in midfield, and it wasn't until he came off that England started to show some superiority in midfield.

[Karlos]

Don't know about that Karlos, there's a young fella knocking around called Teddy Sheringham.....

Oh Teddy Teddy, went to Man United are your still a......

On a serious level though, to say Capello is allegedly tactically superior is pushing it. The man is a legend in fairness and Wenger has a long way to go to get to his level imho.[/QUOTE]

[Karlos]

Don't know about that Karlos, there's a young fella knocking around called Teddy Sheringham.....

Oh Teddy Teddy, went to Man United are your still a......

On a serious level though, to say Capello is allegedly tactically superior is pushing it. The man is a legend in fairness and Wenger has a long way to go to get to his level imho.

My point is more aimed at the people who claimed Wenger was completly tactically inept compared to other European Managers such as Capello. I agree with you Capello appears to be a tactical genius, I'm a big fan but it's impossible to measure tactical brilliance alone. Tactics can't work without players clever enough to play in them. All the tactics in the world can't make players play well as Juve have proved more than once under Capello in Europe.

Often with Arsenal in Europe the tactics were spot on but the performances of the players didn't match. Wenger plays the same style of football now as during the so called tactically inept years. The only variable has been the players in the system. Suddenly today, Wenger's ineptness is not in question by the same fickle journo's. Papers & fans are raving about his use of the 5 man midfield last night, the same 5 man midfield system I might add they slated him over after the defeat to Bayern in last years Quarter Final.

Last night (and this european campaign in general) has proved to people who didn't know any better to begin with that Wenger is far from tactically inept in Europe.

[klein4]

What do arsenal fans think of hleb???????
He was one of the worsest players I have ever seen on a football pitch.
its like he used to be indecisive but now hes not so sure....rubbish

[Karlos]

I thought Hleb had one of his least effective games last night in recent weeks but thought he was fantastic against Madrid in both legs and ran the show in the recent league game against Charlton. He's got bags of skill, poise & control but sometimes for me takes one touch to many . In fairness He's come into his first season at Arsenal into a struggling early part of the season and then had a lenghty lay off with injury. Some Players need more time to settle than others and i think Hleb has got better & better since returning from that long injury layoff.

It's worth mentioning that in March 2001 of Robert Pires's first season at Arsenal, he was absolute rubbish and looked to be heading out the door until two goals in a week against Spurs appeared to ignite him. By the march of the following year, he was player of the year winner despite missing the last 3 months of the season. It was a dramatic turn around. Likewise with many of the other foreign players at Arsenal. Had you told me in the March of Henry's first season that he would smash Wrighty's record I would have laughed.

I think Hleb certainly has the talent and the skill to make it at Arsenal. His work-rate is pehnomenal and will pay off for him in the long run.

[klein4]

I thought he was poor away to madrid and I only seen half an hour of him last nite and i think you are understating how bad he actually was. he seemed to stand there everytime he got the ball as if he didnt know what to do with it. I have never seen anyone look so poor in a major game. it wasnt that he was having a shocker he just looked like playing football was something that was alien to him. I heard he was a class player before he came to arsenal alrite but he has been disapointing everytime I see him.

[Karlos]

I thought he was poor away to madrid and I only seen half an hour of him last nite and i think you are understating how bad he actually was. he seemed to stand there everytime he got the ball as if he didnt know what to do with it. I have never seen anyone look so poor in a major game. it wasnt that he was having a shocker he just looked like playing football was something that was alien to him. I heard he was a class player before he came to arsenal alrite but he has been disapointing everytime I see him.

I honestly didn't think he that bad. His pass to Fabregas to open up the juve defence for the second goal was sublime and his defensive work rate was second to none. He wasn't as effective going forward as in previous weeks but he was far from the worst player I ever saw in a major game. His performance was below the standard of some of his team mates last night but nothing more in my opinion.

It should also be added that he isn't a natural winger either and has played a handful of games for Arsenal there now. He's been converted there from his preferred central playmaker role. He spoke about it recently on the uefa website I think. I'll try and dig up the link

[Clifford]

I thought he was poor away to madrid and I only seen half an hour of him last nite and i think you are understating how bad he actually was. he seemed to stand there everytime he got the ball as if he didnt know what to do with it. I have never seen anyone look so poor in a major game. it wasnt that he was having a shocker he just looked like playing football was something that was alien to him. I heard he was a class player before he came to arsenal alrite but he has been disapointing everytime I see him.

You fishing again bud?

Hleb was outstanding in both games v Madrid and did a very understated job last night in the bigger scheme of things - without being amazing it must be said, he was very effective. He'll settle in well next season I'd imagine.