Liverpool v. Arsenal [R] - Post Match Comments

[Miles Brasher]

Carragher was an absolute monster yesterday. He threw himself into absolutely everything, got kicked in the head by his own player and still played exceptionally. He was excellent.

Agreed. Carragher plays to his strengths, he's not the quickest or the most skilful , but unlike another 'diehard' red (ahem, cough Gerrard cough) he really does absolutely everything he can for the team, and if you cut him he'd bleed...uurr.. red.....:rolleyes: Hmmm, that didn't really work, anyway, you know what I mean ;)

Having the early goal helped Liverpool, they could defend in depth around their penalty area, which is the kinda game Carragher likes. Had the early goal fell to us, (maybe with one of the free kicks we didn't get just outside their penalty area) they'd have had to come out. Then Carragher's weaknesses might have been exposed, ie the fact that he has the acceleration and turning circle of a super tanker.

[Skizz]

You mean a crane :p

[DaPrince84]

was it Cesc or Flamini that ran at Gerrard on tht free kick?

[HomeatHighbury]

was it Cesc or Flamini that ran at Gerrard on tht free kick?

Cesc

[Skizz]

Cesc got told not to break from the wall by Almunia anyway, as I said leaving three free Liverpool players and a gap for Gerrard to fire through once Flamini moved to cover them.

A bit harsh to say this - I loved the match, was such a great game. I love watching Arsenal, and I've said to everyone I've met this season I want to go to all the grounds like Goodison etc before they get knocked down. Going to Anfield was great but with Liverpool fans proclaiming they have the best fans, the atmosphere was poor. They sang YNWA at the start of both halves, and about 3 others, but that was it. For a ground that is voted to have the best atmosphere I was quite disappointed. Even on MOTD you could hear our 15% fan's cheer at scoring was louder than the 85% of home fans that cheered Gerrard's goal. Even a chant of "where's your famous atmosphere" didn't even get a response. And to hear us outsing them when apparently our fans "never sing" and our home ground is/was a "library" must be embarrasing. All of the time we go away we outsing most fans so I'm wondering if we ever shake that tag. Not likely.

I downloaded the full match and to hear us singing about Liverpool hoofing the ball all game was hillarious. Tell a lie, they said "HOOOOOOF" the four or five times we hit it long (they only seemed to wake up in the last 10 minutes of the 2nd half), and one of those times they shouted was in the lead up to the equaliser. Hillarious. :D

[Gooner_for_Life]

I'm sorry, I have to correct this. Regardless of him getting stuck in the corner by three people with no support, he turned over the ball yes. However, Cesc gave away the free kick. We had FIVE MEN in that wall before the kick was taken. Cesc ran off and left it. First mistake. That left Flamini with Kuyt, and two free Pool players to cover. Maybe he made the wrong choice to move and cover the other players but if Cesc (who had his worst game of the season IMO) had stayed where Almunia told him to (he repeatedly screamed "one more" about five times before he joined the wall and STILL ended up ignoring him), one of them would have cleared it and there would have been no goal to talk about.

Cesc was in the wall and didnt just "run off". He charged the shot because he knew it wasnt gonna be a direct kick. This isnt an error and is something that should be done all the time and you see all teams do it. Someone should always charge the shot. As well there were not 2 unmarked liverpool players for Flamini to shift to. There was one in the wall but he is effectively making himself easy to mark. Flamini was a dumbass and fell right into the trap because the Pool player shifted and Flamini went with him and that opened up the gap that the shot went through. This is all part of the set piece and Flamini should have just stood his ground in the wall instead of moving. It was an error that should have never happened and it was a basic error at that. He should know better. Bottom line it was Flaminis fault, not Cescs.

This is now the second time we have been scored on off a set piece due to errors from the wall. Hleb against the Scum is the other one i can think of off the top of my head. Wenger needs to tell the boys to sack up and learn to take one for the team.

[Skizz]

If you notice I corrected myself in the post above yours having rewatched the goal at least 5 times today. A friend of mine who sat in the third row said that Almunia screamed at Cesc to get in the wall several times then told him NOT to charge the ball. Since Cesc charged the ball (and ignored Almunia) Flamini then had a decision to make, as I said. Go to the two unmarked Pool players a yard to the left, or stay where he was. He made his choice, again wrong, but none of this would have happened if Cesc hadn't moved. The keeper sorts the wall because HE knows where he gets the most help from the wall being. Hence the reason he went apeshit when we conceded against Spurs and asked why they didn't listen. Hence the reason the first thing he did after the ball went in was ask Cesc why he didn't listen. Cesc lying on the floor for ages after letting the goal in tells you that even he knew he should have listened to Almunia.

If the keeper wants a 5 man wall and nobody charge the ball, you have a 5 man wall, rather than having someone go gung-ho and charge the wall because they think they know better than he does. You saying "someone has to charge it" is clearly the mentality Cesc has and started the ball rolling on the sequence that led to us conceding the goal. You do not NEED someone to charge the ball to not concede a goal.

When they listen to Almunia and wall up as he says, we don't let goals in. When we haven't we've let a goal in.

[Travarelli]

Carragher was an absolute monster yesterday. He threw himself into absolutely everything, got kicked in the head by his own player and still played exceptionally. He was excellent.

WTF are you on about man!? Carragher is fookin RUBBISH! ABSOLUTE RUBBISH! Are at the pub or something?

[Skizz]

Ok...that made no sense. If you're asking where I watched it, I was actually at the match.

I'd like to see how many people agree with you that Carragher is rubbish. Doubt you'll get much sympathy mate.

[DaPrince84]

does anyone have the article comparing Cesc and Gerrard's stats in the game yesterday?

[impalemeplz]

does anyone have the article comparing Cesc and Gerrard's stats in the game yesterday?

dont ask the liverpool fans:p

[antifan]

Ok...that made no sense. If you're asking where I watched it, I was actually at the match.

I'd like to see how many people agree with you that Carragher is rubbish. Doubt you'll get much sympathy mate.
Watch the replay so you can see all his cheap shots, pulling shirts and throwing elbows in the box. I can't give him much credit.

[Bucks Gunner]

Watch the replay so you can see all his cheap shots, pulling shirts and throwing elbows in the box. I can't give him much credit.

Agreed.

I thought the shirt pull was a clear penalty, and I don't know what he was trying to accomplish by throwing an elbow at Eboue. Eboue didn't help the cause by flopping to the ground.

[Skizz]

Watch the replay so you can see all his cheap shots, pulling shirts and throwing elbows in the box. I can't give him much credit.
But that's something that some CB's do to wind players up. If the referee's stupid enough to not penalise it (like that idiot Webb) they will get away with it. Carragher can play clean but since he could get away with it he took advantage.

Speaking of Webb, that idiot is meant to be refereeing the match on Saturday, and Arsenal have complained to the FA about his so-called "performance" in the Pool match. The FA claim his appointment is based on form...what that he's shit? I fully expect a different ref for the game.

[antifan]

But that's something that some CB's do to wind players up. If the referee's stupid enough to not penalise it (like that idiot Webb) they will get away with it. Carragher can play clean but since he could get away with it he took advantage.

Speaking of Webb, that idiot is meant to be refereeing the match on Saturday, and Arsenal have complained to the FA about his so-called "performance" in the Pool match. The FA claim his appointment is based on form...what that he's shit? I fully expect a different ref for the game.
I guess after they let him get away with that body slam last week anything goes. Maybe next week he can drop a flying elbow off the top of the goal and see if that gets called.

[DaPrince84]

does anyone have the article comparing Cesc and Gerrard's stats in the game yesterday?
so the answer is no one :(

[Skizz]

so the answer is no one :(
Probably a good guess considering nobody responded with an article matching the one you requested.

anti there are CB's that get away with it all the time, I think you'll agree. A couple of years ago it was Terry, leaning all over everyone at corners etc. Then he got caught out. All slow defenders do it, look what Senderos got sent off for against Portsmouth.

[antifan]

Probably a good guess considering nobody responded with an article matching the one you requested.

anti there are CB's that get away with it all the time, I think you'll agree. A couple of years ago it was Terry, leaning all over everyone at corners etc. Then he got caught out. All slow defenders do it, look what Senderos got sent off for against Portsmouth.
I hate when players pull shirts, its the weakest form of cheating. And i know that CBs do that stuff alot, but I'm not gonna sit back and praise them for throwing elbows and pulling shirts...




Unless they play for us and their name is Keown. ;)

[Skizz]

Nah obviously I'm not appreciating it as part of the modern game, but it happens and it seems to be accepted in some ways by the players which is wrong.

If you take away the niggly cheating etc, Carragher with his aerial prowess and tackling is probably a better player than John Terry. If someone like Kolo or Gallas partnered him, it would probably be the perfect pairing - mixing power with speed.