september 18th
08.45 – Well, that wasn’t the start to the Champions League that we’d wanted.
We had a bright enough start, but then it all fell apart. Lauren was hopeless for the first two goals, Gilberto made a schoolboy error for the third and the game was over and done with by half-time. There’s no way back from 3 down against a team as defensively excellent as Inter Milan.
You can point to Thierry Henry’s missed penalty at 2-0 – Toldo’s save was exactly the same as his one against Kanu a few seasons back – maybe it would have been a different game if he scored, but if my auntie had balls she’d be my uncle. At this level you’ve got to take your chances. Inter did, we failed miserably.
In general it was a pretty poor team performance, we never got going, and even at 3-0 down I expected us to go all guns blazing at the Italians in the second half, but it never happened. Thierry tried, Ash tried, K-Lo was good and made some excellent tackles and Freddie looked busy, but the rest had a collective off night they’ll want to forget in a hurry. Sol in particular seems to be really struggling at the moment, but given how well he’s played since he joined us, and the fact that his father is seriously ill, it’s hard to say anything bad about the big guy. He’ll find his form again. AW has some work to do on the defence though. Is there a job for Tony Adams there?
I’m a little concerned that all the players we have out on loan are removing the element of competition for places. Does it matter how shit Lauren plays when he knows he’s going to play the next game because there is nobody else to play right back? Will it be too late when Volz and Pennant come back, or should they be at the club now breathing down the necks of first team players who might have become just a touch complacent?
Still, I’d much rather lose the first Champions League game and have time to put things right than play reasonably well all the way through and fuck it up at the final hurdle, like we’ve done in the past. We were out-played and out-classed by a very good Inter Milan side. As much as you want to criticise and moan about the way we played, you have to give credit to them for not letting us play our game. Of course, that asks questions of why we don’t seem to have any kind of Plan B, but that’s for another day.
Arsene Wenger said after the game “Inter played well but they were not unbeatable and the difference between the two teams was not 3-0.” I know what he’s trying to say there, but I’m not sure I agree. They were good value for their win, and it could have been more but for the post and a couple of fantastic, leaping salmon, saving tackles from K-Lo. With Manchester United coming up on Sunday, AW said “We must not become desperate. We have lost one game at home but there are still five to play and we are top of the Premier League. We must show character and spirit against Manchester United.”
There’s been lots of lively discussion about the game over on the forums, feel free to join up and add your tuppence (2ç for those of you in Euroland) worth. Also, it appears the ‘come oooooon you gooooooners’ call to arms only lasted a couple of games. Any suggestions for a new one?
“I like to move it – move it…”…..naaaaah.
