PL: Arsenal h Ratings & Reactions

[TheSufferingVilla]

cuellar really shits me!!! If you want someone who just hoofs it as far down field as they can 95% of the time they get it.......... he's your man!!!!

COMPLETE AND UTTER BOLLOCKS!!

Now that I've said it, Cuellar was decent today, when pushed forward he supported Ash well, short passing was fine. At the back he was beaten oncewhich is about the same as every other player on the park. As for the "long balls" Arsenal were having terrible difficulty defending against them and Gabby or Heskey was on the end of a lot more of those balls than your silly 5% estimate.

[maqroll]

Such a shame the defence has been keeping us in games, only for our lack of attacking quality to score goals and win these **** games.

I'll be steaming if we dont bring in a striker, even a Boyd type. we need help

[sellyoakvilla]

ref shit

linesman just as bad

One point I thought...Campbell brought on, so we should attack down the middle and hit him with our pace. No, OK, let's just go straight to the wing, get a cross in which will get cleared by him because he is massive.

ATTACK DOWN THE FOOKING MIDDLE, AGAINST ANYONE, IM FED UP WITH WING PLAY

sorry, apart from that thought we played OK, couple of shaky moments and the most ANNOYING thing was a Campbell flick on with Heskey jumping at the same time, Campbell flicked it on, Agbonlahor 1 on 1...flagged offside? What? Jobsworth

[OutByEaster?]

I can't be the only person to notice Campbell flick on, Agbonlahor 1 on 1? flagged offside. Shocking decision.

Looked pretty clear to me, although I wasn't in the slightest bit surprised that Mr Probert didn't give it, whether he saw it or not.

I thought he refereed the first half pretty well, but the second half was a joke, perhaps someone from the Premier league had a word at half time.

[Ponky]

I would have taken 0-0 at any stage during the match. I was dreading a repeat of the Liverpool game but in the end I think bringing in Delph for Hesky was a shrewd move that gave us a little more in midfield and the ability to carry the ball out of defence rather than simply hoof it back to the opposition.

At the end of the match it showed we had 58% of possession - pretty unusual for us I'd guess.

Our lack of scoring is certainly a worry. We seem to create plenty of opportunities but can't seem to transform them into chances.

Ash, Luke and Dunne were great today. I think Downing is being unfairly maligned - Young spent most of the match terrorising Clichy - Sagna usually has Young in his pocket, leaving Downing to deal with Sagna who, IMO, is the best RB in the league.

Was a nailed on foul and probably red card on Campbell towards the end there. I doubt we'd have scored from the kick but it's very disconcerting - is it unashamed bias or sheer incompetence? Hard to tell. The ref kind of looked like there weren't too many neurons synapsing, so maybe it's kinder to presume the latter.

Oh and sod off Wenger you moaning tit.

[DiegoD]

Ratings:

Friedel - 7 - did what he had to and did it well.

Cuellar - 7.5 - not a RB but hes doing a solid job, picked out a few nice passes which was suprising to see.

Collins - 6 - made a couple of mistakes that could have been costly, yet to hit top form after coming back from injury.

Dunne - 8 - A monster at the back as usual. Great run through the middle at the end and unlucky he didn't get anything from it.

L.Young - 7 - good in defence could have supported more in attack.

Petrov - 9 - MOTM great performance nullified the extra man and stopped fabregas.

Milner - 6.5 - Unable to make a big impact but still a solid performance

Downing - 4 - Was rubbish today. had two great chances but looked affraid to attack them. Made bad choices in attack.

A.Young - 9 - Great game! he's looking back to his dangerous best, all he needs is a target in the box making a run.

Heskey - 7 - Did his job well. Showed some agression as well.

Gabby - 6 - Took a great save to stop him scoring in the 4th minute but once again he stuggles to get into goal scoring positions and insists on playing with his back to goal.

Ref was shit.

I cant understand why Downing wasn't subbed off he had a shocker (which happens to everyone). Happy we got a point and that we went toe-to-toe with arsenal but dissapointed we didn't score again

[BOF]

COMPLETE AND UTTER BOLLOCKS!!

Now that I've said it, Cuellar was decent today, when pushed forward he supported Ash well, short passing was fine. At the back he was beaten oncewhich is about the same as every other player on the park. As for the "long balls" Arsenal were having terrible difficulty defending against them and Gabby or Heskey was on the end of a lot more of those balls than your silly 5% estimate.

Does it qualify as 'being beaten' when you're absolutely nowhere to be seen? There were a few occasions in the match when Arsenal passed the ball to their right hand side of our box and Cuéllar was nowhere. Their player had the luxury of receiving it, turning and running at an angle to square it. He has a centre back's tendency to come central and against the better teams that can kill you - and should have done today. I like Cuéllar, particularly as a centre back and he can get away with it, just, against the poor teams, but he does go awol. We got off lightly today on his side of the pitch, probably in part because Clichy was terrified of Young's next attack.

[butler50]

Good point but we had 56% percession to Arsenals 46%, not many teams do that, were so short of a poacher, some1 who has knack of being in right place at right time!! Goals win games and as well as Heskey and Gabby played 2night, they never look like scoring, Summer move for bent or similar then we would be a force!!!

[maqroll]

Good point but we had 56% percession to Arsenals 46%, not many teams do that, were so short of a poacher, some1 who has knack of being in right place at right time!! Goals win games and as well as Heskey and Gabby played 2night, they never look like scoring, Summer move for bent or similar then we would be a force!!!

Yeah, but according to Arse Whinger, we play a "traditional English long ball style"

word removed

[DiegoD]

Good point but we had 56% percession to Arsenals 46%

That statistic alone shows how far our football style has come this season. We no longer have to sit back and try to exploit teams on the counter, we are able to hold onto the ball and work the spaces the only problem is that it takes a while for the players to adjust. I really do think we will finish off this season strong once things start gelling together nicely.

[lexicon]

Gabby MoTM for me. He was brilliant.

Interesting to see Ash has taken the lions share of the votes but he was back to his best yesterday.

We were a little unlucky yesterday and should have done more with our possession. Downing had his worst game in a Villa shirt unfortunately.

[Dom_Wren]

**** ref, what a shower of shite, spoiled a good game, and that **** baldy half inch lino can **** do one as well.

Well done lads, good point, and as we all know, were an out and out goalscorer away from being a real long term threat to the title!

I suppose thats why they worth they weight in gold.

[Trajan]

Good point but we had 56% percession to Arsenals 46%, not many teams do that...

None by my reckoning.

[Banger75]

I can't be the only person to notice Campbell flick on, Agbonlahor 1 on 1? flagged offside. Shocking decision.

No mate, you weren't. Earlier in the game Ramsay (I think) made a tackle that went astray to put Ashley Young in, but Ash was flagged offside even though it clearly was from an Arsenal player. I was livid.

Then to make it worse, that old sack of shit Campbell, with the old balls and loose skin, pulls down Dunne then proceeds to wave his finger at the ref saying he never committed a foul. I **** hate when players do that, and to make it worse to prick got away with it. Its just a shame Dunne hacked down Fabregas instead of Campbell after that!

And I agree with others on here, I used to like watching leArse play, but they have to be the biggest bunch of cheating, whinging, diving cockbiters I have ever seen in the PL, and their blind manager who takes the so-called "football highground" with his long-ball accusations can suck my balls. :evil:

Rant over. :shock:

[David-Copenhagen]

I find it ironic that MON has raised peoples' expectations to the point where we're now complaining that we haven't beaten a title challenger It's not all bad then.

EDIT : Complaining that we haven't become the first team in the history of the Premier League to beat each of the top 4 in the same season.

We did that in 94 did we not?

[David-Copenhagen]

Good point but we had 56% percession to Arsenals 46%

That statistic alone shows how far our football style has come this season. We no longer have to sit back and try to exploit teams on the counter, we are able to hold onto the ball and work the spaces the only problem is that it takes a while for the players to adjust. I really do think we will finish off this season strong once things start gelling together nicely.

What that statistic show is how crap statistics are - 102% !!! greatest game of all times.

[billy_loes]

Cuellar at RB will cost us one day. Luke Young had a good game on the other side but we will miss Warnock.

Gabby worked like a Trojan and deserved a goal. Downing had a shocker and should have had two.

If we had had someone say like Kalinic up front he would have scored a hatful.

[Hanky]

Does it qualify as 'being beaten' when you're absolutely nowhere to be seen? There were a few occasions in the match when Arsenal passed the ball to their right hand side of our box and Cuéllar was nowhere. Their player had the luxury of receiving it, turning and running at an angle to square it. He has a centre back's tendency to come central and against the better teams that can kill you - and should have done today. I like Cuéllar, particularly as a centre back and he can get away with it, just, against the poor teams, but he does go awol. We got off lightly today on his side of the pitch, probably in part because Clichy was terrified of Young's next attack.

Is the last bit about him playing right back BOF? If so I agree, he has to be moved back to the centre even if Warnock is injured and maybe bring Beye in.

[cheltenham_villa]

Cuellar at RB will cost us one day. Luke Young had a good game on the other side but we will miss Warnock.

Gabby worked like a Trojan and deserved a goal. Downing had a shocker and should have had two.

If we had had someone say like Kalinic up front he would have scored a hatful.

depends if we had Kalinic from the first leg where he missed a few sitters or Kalinic from the second leg where he scored. Theirs a reason he plays for Blackburn

[Pelle]

Can't see that we haven't scored in 4 games. I remember us scoring 9 goals in the last two games before this one. Why do people buy into medias bending of statistics? Yes, we need a striker, but we're not on a goal less run. And if someone says "4 consecutive PL-games" I say bollocks to that. Do you think it matters for the players if it's in a cup or in the PL? "Oh, great chance for me here, now I'll nail it! Oh, wait, it's in the PL, I'm gonna miss!"

0-0 is always a decent result against an Arsenal in form. Didn't see the game so I can't say more than that. And as Ponky said, would hate to hear about an ending like the one against Liverpool.

Somehow I get the feeling that the ref had a bit of an off game...