The CL is back,and with it comes the analysts. Cant' say that i was too suprised with the results, especially the lacklustrous gunners. There is a very strange psychological problem with frenchies, starting with the manager who has to be the most stubborn S.O.B i have seen. The confidence fctor begins with the manager, and just like a virus it transmits thru the whole team. When was the last time we have watched Viera asert himself in a CL game? You would think a second shot to prove yourself at the Olympiastadion would be enough,and this time there is no Effenberg to muscle you around. The defence that Wenger put out against Munich cost a total of 4 million pounds,a staggering stat. Isn't 5 million the prize money for winning the CL? Add to that figure a hapless 1.5 million pound goalie. It is known that Wenger suffers from extreme Myopia, but when you concede so much and soo easily, your eyes will start to speak for your mouth. How can he still be the only manager in the EPL and CL that still plays a zonal marking against free kicks and corners? You would think that the # of goals Arsenal have conceded from those situations is proof enough that it does not work. Enough of these cheap buys,build the team from the back, Arsenal are not the poor club they used to be, they have been ranked as the 6 richest club in the world a few days ago, and in 2006-2007 will be the 3rd richest only behind Manu and Chelsea. Anyways it looks to be a Real-Milan final,or even Chelsea with that stubborn defence(yes they will eliminate Barca) as for the rest, darkhorses maybe? Who cares am saddened by the pathetic condition of my gunners,who somehow managed to walkaway today from St. Mary's with only a draw, damn tossers. P.S.--> Milan put on a masterclass performance at Old Trafford, not your typical Italian team.

Bob you seem to be still watching Henry from your rose tinted glasses, that's alright i put mine on sometimes when the need to be all Arsenal is there. For you to misunderstand the lying conception me and vanquish are trying to point out about Henry's no-show phase in big games, proves to us that you speak from a biased view and "va va voom" perspective. Being a long time serving Arsenal fan,I can sit here and name for you all the games i had my fists cuffed wondering where did Henry dissapear too. Let's cut the crap about the Inter Milan game(what about the first game), where was he when Arsenal was losing in the uefa cup final to a 10 man Galatasaray, where was he when Arsenal was getting knocked out 2 seasons by Valencia(albeit him scoring a lovely goal),what about last season's important CL quarterfinal game against Chelsea. You don't get it i think, journalist don't just start making up stories about a player's lack of tenacity for the big games, it is what we all witness. The way Wenger designed this team,is to play to Henry's best abilities, that is why things don't go right for him when he plays for France or if he did move on to play for another team. Go watch the video of the first goal against Chelsea last weekend, he doesn't even look to see where the goal is,just shoots straight and it finds the net. Very simple Henry still has that problem of missing simple chances,like his days in Monaco and now Arsenal. No doubt he improves every year, otherwise we would have the debacle of the 2001 FA cup against Liverpool, where he missed so many chances,you wonder what team he was playing for and northerner can testify to that. Sheva has did it in the big games and still is,even if he came from injury to score that penalty for AC Milan in CL final,you should ask yourself would Henry have made that,or miss like he did so many times at the penalty spot(Depo at Highbury,Keiv,Juventus under 23 team..etc). Or can you see him breaking the ranks of AC Milan to score a thunderous strike in the last minutes of the game,maybe so but we yet have to see it. This season is his to prove in the CL and so far am dissapointed. But the crunch games are the knockout ones,so the Bayern game he has to show us why he won't let Roy maakay(the orthodox striker) outshine him.

Raula what place do you speak of? Vanquish "ohhh looorr" indeed my friend, relax on the exam thing,or you might pop a vein! Damn cocky Mourinho, has the swagger of a king,and deservedly so. Henry played his heart out in that game, reyes was dissapointing,and Pires had his moments. I must say that Robben is quite a catch for Chelsea, he is a one footed player who can still beat you of the dribble. That ****** miss by Henry is the sheer reason why he still can't be classed with the Sheva's and Ronaldo's. Entertaining game, and one that should always hold the flag for the PL. Manu could learn alot from Chelsea, rather than try and disguise rugby for football. Shujui the winter break is here and you know what that means--> a few wks of PL footy only, u must be excited!

Well as Vanquish would testify too, I moved from lovely old Canada, to the hustle and bustle of Minneapolis-St Paul, or as the somalis would refer to it by the state name "Minnishoda". Let's just say my Euro 2004 experience was sitting in the midst of a tiny somali cafe that had a satellite and the place was jam packed you don't know if you are in a cafe or a meat market. And everytime a cross or a move happened the whole place would go buckwild,and then the arguments and punches start ,in where the cafe owner has to step in by turning the T.V. off until the whole ruckus has quited down. So basically out of a 90 minute game,only 20 minutes would be watched, the rest is arguments and fights back and forth.And let's not talk about the heat,look like a japanese sauna up in there. But what do you expect from a city that is run by somalis, in where a stretch of one of the busiest streets in the city can be blocked off,so Hassan Samater can sing on top of a moving stage! Anyways enough that maddness, what sickens me here in America, is that as football gets more and more televised, they are charging to watch almost everygame now. For example I had to pay $20 to watch that melee of Arsenal-Manu, and same for Arsenal-Pool, and today it's Arsenal-chelsea, that's 60 bucks in 2mnths time to watch games most folk watch for free. And forget about CL games,they rather televise fishing or hunting down here. Anyways i've ranted for long, what y'all think about the tinkerman Ranieri flopping at a Valencia that had all their players from last season added with the 2 italian strikers? I always thought he wasn't much of a coach!

Yes Totti(shujui i knew u as,before you went on a quest of namechanges) it's good to be back, but now am on dial up speed,so am on lesser. Looks like the Gunner Brigade has increased ten fold since my departure,ehhh? No doubt that Ronnie is the King Kong of Football at the mo,and lightweights like Henry don't come close to comparison, But again this award is for that individual who accomplished most of a footballers goals in a full season. And it is Henry that has done that last season! But if we are to discuss the most deserving individual who should have had a few by now,then it is Sheva! Maybe it is not yet Henry's time,until he shows it big on the important games. Problem for henry is that Ronnie will win the award for the next couple of years probably! Warya Vanquish how is life treating you at cold and windy Montreal? Hopefully the finals hasn't got you losing plenty of hair,lol!

let's cut the crap, this award is always based on last season's accomplishments. All 3 are more deserving then previous finalists this time around. But very simply Henry outshone the other two in the most important categories. Winning the EPL with an undeafeated season,reaching the quarterfinals of the CL, and ofcourse the most important stat -->winning the Golden Boot for being Europe's Top scorer.

Some less-than-clever faaraxs believe saying 'I LOOF U' will give 'em free access to a girl's panties. I would suggest your friend show that imbecile the door. Obviously that Faarax is more clever than you deem him to be, since such a thing has either already worked for him previously or he witnessed it work for his friends. In my opinion, i think the homeboy played his card too soon, unless he noticed that the girl is just infatuated with him.

sorry Roma fan your time to shine was this season and you just had the luck of having Ac Milan on excellent form. No odubt i think you guys played the better football,but you didn't do it against the big boys. I don't see you doing it again next season, cause Emerson is gone,Samuel might be leaving. And your golden boy Totti might head down to Madrid.

Timberwolves played like lions last night, damn Garnett is some player,wished we had him rather than the useless Vince Carter. How mnay of y'all got heart attacks when Peja Stojakovic kept sticking those threes with some ease?

shujui you know how everyone gets their shine at some point,i just get this damn feeling that the italian panzies will have their cake soon come. They had lady luck against them since the 1982 triumph,i just hope it doesn't happen while am still alive. Same goes for the english,who will remind us of this great victory for the next 100 years if they do win it. From the last world cup i say watch out for the young and robust Spanish team, Joaqcuin was a sensation at the world cup,and now they have Vincente from Valencia on the left wing,with Morientes on some amazing form and Xabi Alonso. Their defence might look weak,but for one thing Puyol is at RB waiting for anyone who dares to attack him from there. Should be a great Euro 2004,with games being played at times we like, unlike that 3 am-7 am crap of Korea.

ama go with the Dutch for this one,i just have a soft spot for them. Oranje to lift the cup in a final with Les Bleus. My hatred for the Italian panzies has reached an all time high, last night i dreamt of Arsenal vs Italy at the San Siro, where Henry and Pires scored some unbelieveable goals,and Totti was crying for being laughed at after he tried to dive but landed on his head and grease was all over the pitch. Yes am officially consigning myself to a Mental Institution.

They don't call him the "Tinkerman" for nothing. It worked great for him against Arsenal,but yesterday it backfired,poor guy. BUt who cares Monaco is my team for the CL now,so let's go Morientes,Guily..etc

and the best one yet! MR. MARTIN KEOWN LOOOOOOOL, and you wonder why we enjoyed that chop on RVN neck.

it's all gravy i guess we both saw what we wanted to see. Anyways here are a few comical outlooks in the PL!

are you joking winger? That was anger happiness,from the unfairness exibited by the Referee. RVN was cheeky that day,and his penalty miss bought out all that happy feeling from the Arsenal players. The recent game at highbury showed how the two teams usually react when winning or drawing,basically they just act normal. Arsenals' happiness at old trafford was out of the sheer unfair play and calls that went against them,but Manyoo's joy came out the sheer thought of runining Arsenal's Treble ambitions rather than progression to an FA CUP final they played down for years. Now that's an inferiority complex right there. Manyoo betta buy big time in the summer!

The thing is an out and out striker of RVN,Maakay type would not suit Arsenal's attacking style,remember we are hardly a crossing team. But i wouldn't mind having Cassano,so talk to Cappello for me about a loan for him,lol. Totti is more of a creative midfielder than a striker,but he scores quite alot for Roma. Your team has all the quality to do good,you still need a proper right and left winger. Victor from Depor,Luque,they all would fit your system nicely.

Houllier aims to add to Wenger's woes LIVERPOOL, England, April 8 (Reuters) - Arsenal have been warned there will be no let-up in their nightmare week by Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier, who is plotting their third defeat in seven days at Highbury on Friday. ) The Premier League leaders have lost to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final and Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-final in the past week and now only have the league to play for. Arsenal, still unbeaten in the league with eight matches to play, are four points clear on 74 of Claudio Ranieri's men with a game in hand. The 2002-03 champions Manchester United have 62. But Houllier says his side are more desperate for points than Arsenal to cement their position in fourth place and claim the final Champions League spot from the premier league. 'You can expect Arsenal to be like a wounded animal and extremely determined to maintain their lead in the league,' he told reporters on Friday. 'We also are determined because we want to finish fourth and to finish fourth we have to win practically all our games. 'The game is probably more important for us than for them. They have a margin at the top that we don't have for fourth place.' Liverpool, on 49, are a point clear of Bobby Robson's Newcastle who host Arsenal on Sunday. Both have played 31 games. Houllier has blamed Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's decision to drop Thierry Henry from his line-up for their defeat by United last Saturday that started a disastrous week for the London side. The French forward was used as a second half substitute but failed to score as United won 1-0 through Paul Scholes's goal. He has an injured hamstring and will miss both Arsenal's holiday weekend matches against Liverpool and in Newcastle on Sunday. 'They lost the semi-final through the decision not to start with Thierry Henry. I think Arsenal with Thierry Henry is a different team. They are not a one-man team, but a different team,' he added. 'They have had a lot of luck this season and sometimes it evens itself out,' he said. Pele even your beloved manager throws mud at your one man theory!

LOL,funny one that is, i see the crows are still crowing huh? what y'all fail to realize is that our arrogance is justified,since it seems that we have a divine right to win every game(based on your eagerness to see us lose). Atleast we didn't buckle like cheap prostitutes ala Madrid and Milan to inferior teams who were down 3 goals on aggregate. We played Chelsea 5 times this season, a team of their quality should be able to defeat us a game or two,rather than just 1 out of 5. It's like expecting Roma or Juve to not win 1 game out 5 against Milan in one season. Or valencia and Madrid. Either way you look at it, Arsenal are a force to be reckoned with,just look at the joy at Manu players faces after they defeated us in the FA Cup,it was like they won the world cup or something. Just shows you how far up the echelon of Football heirarchy we have went up. Can't say the same for the Romans and Scousers(who continue to live in past). Anyways that cheap pic was from last season PL game against Leeds or Bolton when we gave up our title cheaply to Manyoo. Can we see some Fergie or Houllier shots at that sort of state,oh yeah no need to they were like that almost the whole season.

and with that, the year of the underdog has been confirmed,so bullock your analysis of Arsenal shortcoming,it was just one of those weeks in Football. Deportivo tonight played probably the best football in this year's CL. Excellent skills on the ball, Valeron is still a classy player. Reminds of the old Zidane. Three cheers to Depor, no italian Panzies in the semis this year,looool. What's funny is that the three leaders in the 3 top leagues, were dramatically eliminated. Wow is all i gotta say.

your one man theory was proved wrong long ago, were you just ignoring them? henry was a passenger last night,just like many big games. The problem with last night was that the other players who usually picked up for him, were poor also. Veira was the biggest culprit,he did not lead by example. And having an erratic goalie never helps. Now you probably gonna start saying that Reyes is that one man! March and April is the usual crap play from Henry,the difference is other players pick up for him. Last night was not the case,i mean after Chelsea equalized you would assume Arsenal to be in Chelseas half for the rest of the game,but it was the other way around. If Pires had any balls,he would have got in to every tackle,rather than try avoiding it. I guess it is true about how the French flatter to deceive. Anyways am not expecting anything good from the Pool game, cause i see a crest fallen team now who have no heart or desire left. Also this arrogance you speaking of with the season not finished was not exemplified by the Arsenal players, all they kept saying is "One game at a time", it was the fans and media who treaded along that arrogant line you speak of. So don't try and misinterpret things to accomodate your views. Shujui the Azzuri should get the crying towels ready for another dissapointement. This time i would bet on the Czechs to pull of something. Maybe it's boring old England's year,who knows!

lool, fair enough Shujui. Till then i guess we will just have to knock heads over the euro 2004 tourney huh?

i'd have to agree with Rokko, Henry said before the game that he will be up for this one and will try to get something for Arsenal after the loss to Manu. What does he do, miss 6 or 7 chances that were sitters,what a shame. Not a big game player for sure!

the fallout continues, what's funny is that soon you will start hearing the same news papers that were drooling over Arsenal, will start barraging them with madness and ridicule. JUst shows you can't make everyone happy. Like i said after the Manu game, signs of a bad omen were emerging and it looks to continue. I think it just made sense for these tough games to come up after one another,i mean what teams would be more perfect for Arsenal to face after two big losses? Yep a Liverpool and Newcastle who are fighting for a CL place. Damn something was not smiling at Arsenal this whole week. I would predict Chelsea to overtake us for the PL, were to down and playing like shit.

what's more funny and pathetic is the anti-arsenal brigade in SOL, who occupy themselves with another teams acheievements or failures rather than worry about their poor and underperforming clubs. Where are the liverpool's,Manu's and Roma's? Oh yeah getting knocked out of a second tier UEFA cup to marseille's and Villareal's. Arsenal were on too long of a high this whole season,but the knock out had to come at some point,unfortunately it was this. Fate works in strange ways,and if you told a Chelsea fan back in 1998 that you will beat Arsenal in a 2004 CL quarterfinal,they would have rubbished you off ofcourse. If your teams had something to be arrogant about,then nothing would have stopped you. It is simple there was no real shock in this defeat to Chelsea,cause it was expected for them to beat us at some point. Now the Galacticos have more to worry about. Again fair play to Chelsea they deserved it,but please Romans and Pools, worry about just making the CL,rather than playing in it. Y'all remind me of Tottenham fans, who would lose as long as it doesn't help Arsenal.

sad day,but that's football i guess. Very good analysis of the game Pele,Ranieri outhought Wenger this time and i wish him the best, a true Gentleman he is. Henry was ineffective again,he has been disaapointing in this big games run. For Shujui who commends Lauren, do you not see how much of a mediocre player he is, Wayne Bridge was causing havoc the whole game. Lauren has no attacking potential or defending prowess. BUt i think makelele ha da good game,and veiria was poor. Shujui i agree with what you said,football is just that kind of game. A Chelsea-MIlan final would be very nice,i think Chelsea deserve it after such an excellent display. I salute the underdogs for a great day.