I think Wenger is going to do everything he can do CL till his contract runs out. Only thing stopping him from reaching true greatness. I think it's do able. The team this season is more suited on continental than any other. Whether they can prove it is another thing...

Who can forget the legendary one-two Messi exchanged with Silvestre when Barca thumped us 4-1. Messi made a diagonal run with the call from right to centre and attempted a give-and-go with Zlatan. Silvestre got there ahead of Zlatan and made the perfect lay-off for Messi to recieve the ball and score. Messi never needed to break stride.

comment by 50 (U1147)
posted 41 seconds ago
I think Wenger is going to do everything he can do CL till his contract runs out. Only thing stopping him from reaching true greatness. I think it's do able. The team this season is more suited on continental than any other. Whether they can prove it is another thing...
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He didn't in group stages..

Arsenal's French cb's have provided plenty of entertainment over the years.

Cygan, Silvstre, Squillaci and Koscielny.

Koscielny is great for us. Gallas was pretty good too. But I take your point. Our French CB's have a habit of being pants.

comment by Sheriff John Brown - bring back David Dein (U7482)
posted 36 minutes ago
Who can forget the legendary one-two Messi exchanged with Silvestre when Barca thumped us 4-1. Messi made a diagonal run with the call from right to centre and attempted a give-and-go with Zlatan. Silvestre got there ahead of Zlatan and made the perfect lay-off for Messi to recieve the ball and score. Messi never needed to break stride.
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Everytime I watch, even now I dunno whether to laugh or cry. Feckin Silvestre

Believe it or not, we actually scored first in that game We went there with dross like silvestre, Denilson, bendtner and almunia. And ebola came off the bench was a miracle we only conceded 4

Eboue, not ebola although that probably sums him up.

comment by Darren The King Fletcher (U10026)
posted 8 hours, 25 minutes ago
Arsenal's French cb's have provided plenty of entertainment over the years.

Cygan, Silvstre, Squillaci and Koscielny.
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I cannot believe you just grouped Koscielny together with those 3

silvester learned his clownery at manu re

Koscielny is a much better defender than them but he's certainly provided plenty of entertainment at Arsenal with some comedy defending.

A couple of own goals, and that catastrophe against Birmingham?

We absolutely battered Chelsea in the first half of that second leg in 04, played some of our best football of the season but just didn't make enough of it. Lehmann makes a bit of a balls-up for their equaliser then Wayne Bloody Bridge happened.

If we won that game as we should have, we probably win the whole thing and nobody is talking on threads like this about how terrible Wenger was at tactics. Fine margins and all that.

Question:

What stopped us being any good in Europe during 1997-1999?

Wembley? Inexperience? Or is it Wenger being a buffoon or something similar?

Darren The King Fletcher (U10026)

Koscielny is certainly one of those defenders that looks immense 99% of the time, so only Arsenal fans rate him highly.

But is also on the receiving end of some poor tactical set-ups in our big games. Poor tactics>desperate last ditch tackles = penalties or red cards.

I rate him. Have done for years.

But he has provided entertaining moments, which was more what I was getting at rather than putting him on their level.

"But is also on the receiving end of some poor tactical set-ups in our big games. Poor tactics>desperate last ditch tackles = penalties or red cards."

Don't think you can put it all done to that. Been plenty of occasions where he has just needed to see a defender out or jockey him and he makes a silly challenge in the box.

They seem to be fairly rare now but not quite completely gone

There is an overall lack of top quality defenders in the game these days.

Yeah most of the top club and international teams are really lacking in that department, Tu Meke.

comment by Psycho-Gooner (U7465)
posted 45 minutes ago
Question:

What stopped us being any good in Europe during 1997-1999?
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Largely due to facing some fantastic sides.
Also, small squad, inexperience (98-99) Went out because of an away defeat to Kiev if I remember correctly, in a one team through group stage. That Kiev side was the one with Rebrov and Shevchenko tearing teams apart, knocked Real out in the next round and were close to a final appearance in a hard fought semi v Bayern. Then lost to Lille at home in next game...
Wembley and a facking hard group in 99-00. Barcelona were fantastic, and Fiorentina had Batigoal destroying us.
Worth noting that we drew both away games against these two teams, we just couldn't handle Wembley! This can be put down to tactics I guess.

Chris H (U15205)

Yeah I was just highlighting one example of a Koscielny brain fart. There are some occasions where he fudges up something so simple.

*then WE lost to Lille, not Kiev

D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
So even though we were the best in England, we just weren't that good on paper in Europe?

You've just broke the pedastal that my 9 year old self put this team on.

"Yeah I was just highlighting one example of a Koscielny brain fart. There are some occasions where he fudges up something so simple."


Yeah, of course, sometimes it's been purely down to him playing with rubbish CB partners and that, but mentally he's always been a bit suspect.

When he's on his game though, particuarly in the big games, he can be incredible. Dominated Messi, Suarez and Aguero in the past.