Not good enough from Arsenal, Monaco were there for the taking. First half Monaco were backs to the wall but had no outlet to relieve the pressure, which is incredibly important when you're set up like they were. First goal was a bit lucky because Giroud's first shot isn't great and ricochets back to his feet with the 'keeper out of the equation. Well finished by Giroud at the second time of asking, mind. The second was a total gift from the Monaco defence but overall Arsenal didn't create enough. Welbeck showed why United sold him again tonight, 9 times out of 10 when he gets the ball he wastes it and he wasted some really good opening's tonight. How he kept Walcott out of the starting line up I don't know.
You could argue they did well in the circumstances - and Wenger will. But 1-3 at home to a team they should have beaten 3-1 is an obvious sign of their frailty. Teams don't know how to play defending a 3-1 lead. Do you attack and risk conceding? Play conservatively and hand the initial to the opposition? It's tricky. This was like a cricket team chasing down 350 in a 50 over game, being 150-6 at 30 overs, but getting to 340-9. What if they'd got to 180-4 after 30? Well. they didn't - and they left themselves too much to do.
If anyone argues we did well and were unlucky they can go and swivel. Arsenal not good enough once again. And agreed, Welbeck is quite possibly the worst £15m+ player I've ever seen. Most times when someone on a forum says "I could finish better than him" you know it's tongue in cheek. However, I genuinely believe I've got better football technique than Danny Welbeck and the highest level I've ever played is Middlesex West Division 2.
A 2-0 win on the face of it is obviously very good but they needed 3 and Monaco tonight looked more like the weak side Arsenal thought they'd drawn. Arsenal, as I said were a little lucky with their opener and also when the Monaco player was incorrectly called offside as the ball had fallen to a Monaco player with the 'keeper out of the goal.
Typical Goon arrogance and complacency at home is what has cost them. They took Monaco too lightly and paid the price. Will they ever learn? Hope not.
To be fair, we can hardly crow with Soldado and Paulinho, who are probably both worse. Welbeck's capable of really accomplished finishes, great touches and passes but as I said, 9 times out of 10 he fluffs it. He's just a slightly better Agbonlahor. Welbeck plays well when the game suits him and that means it has to be open with plenty of chances for him to get space to run into. That wasn't going to be the case tonight, and the two times he did have space he ran himself into a dead end. For what it's worth, I don't think we'd have done any better, one look at our results show we're not good at winning by more than a goal.
Welbeck scored an Henry-like hat-trick v Galatasaray, but that was on the rare occasion that his bootlaces weren't tied together.
Balotelli has technique but no desire. It's a tough call what you'd rather have as they're both nigh on useless in a team. Welbeck is Walcott without the goals. Which is basically not a great deal.
It helped that he was up against a very poor 'keeper too. Fell for the same low chipped finish on each goal. Henry-esque my arse Anyone watch the penalty shoot out in the other game? Real mixed bag, some really decent penalties, an excellent save from Leno(who's very good at saving penalties), a clever bit of 'keeping from Oblak and 3 of the worst penalties you'll see from Garcia, Toprak and Kiessling. Toprak's had more than a passing resemblance to Adebayor's against Basel awhile back. Atletico go through, meaning I was just an Arsenal goal away from my bet winning, not too disappointed
Ffs Smithy.....don't be reminding us of that 3-2 defeat when Bale just had to look up and put the ball onto Defoe for a tap in....we know the rest!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31922167 Tomorrow sees my two foreign teams go head to head..Dortmund V Juventus. Dortmund where in the relegation zone and Klopp was having his ability questioned, even with his team topping their champions league group and his previous success. Looking forward to this match as Dortmund have to score, are unbteaten at home while Juve can go through with a 0-0.
Screw this "top 4" nonsense, we got further in one our season of CL football than Arsenal, Liverpool and City have since. We should be automatically given a CL spot if the Premier League wants to keep up it's coeffecients up
Balotelli's latest public statement, seemingly addressed to no-one in particular, said: “Do you know me? Did you ever talk to me, personally? Do you know what I’ve been through in my life? “You just saw me play football on the pitch so, man, shut up."
"If anyone argues we did well and were unlucky they can go and swivel." I reckon Wenger must be match-fixing. How many times now have the Goons put in an excellent performance in a CL KO return leg to be "too little too late" ?? Same with the PL 4th place Cup.
It all happening at the Nou Camp. Well, all except more goals that is. City miss a penalty and Hart has single handedly kept the score down to 1-0. How this is still 1-0 I've no idea!...
