FA Cup S/F: Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea: Hiddink MUST Stay + Goals
Hiddink MUST Stay
By Since66
April 19 2009
In his two months in temporary charge, Hiddink has revitalised the club, the players have got their 'bottle' back, their desire, their determination, their tenacity, spirit and more importantly their togetherness back and after a massive week for the club, Chelsea are in the Champions League semi-final and in the final of the greatest domestic cup competition in the world.
Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, whether Chelsea win the Champions League, the FA Cup (the League for me is a Bridge to far), or not, simply put Hiddink MUST stay.
Hiddink has brought Drogba back from the brink, given Malouda licence to play with the confidence that Chelsea paid all that money for and with Essien back from his long term injury, its like having three new signings.
Drogba terrorised Arsenal yesterday, Malouda run himself into the ground and it is more than appropriate that these two blues were Chelsea's goalscoring heroes yesterday.
On the tube up to the New Wembley the consensus of opinion from the Gooners was that Drogba had to be stopped. Those same Gooners on the way home suffered their realism as Drogba raced onto a Lampard long-ball, beat Silvestre for pace and slotted the ball home with his left-foot after slipping round Fabianski.
Talking about slipping around, the pitch was a disgrace. Akin to Hackney Marshes let alone the wonderful stadium that the New Wembley has become.
Drogba's intentions were clearly to be seen as in the early minutes he beat Arsenal's defence and Fabianski but his long range header was cleared off the line by Gibbs who covered well. This seemed to spark Arsenal into life, as they took the lead when Walcott shot home, the ball deflecting of Ashley Cole before bouncing over a sprawling Cech.
Fourteen minutes later Malouda controlled a Lampard pass on the edge of the area he cut inside and hit a low shot past Fabianski down at his near post.
Anelka hit the post and Chelsea's confidence grew and with the exception of the last few minutes when Cech was finally tested in the air, Chelsea were in control.
After the game, Hiddink paid tribute to Drogba and the team. He said "It's amazing every week, every game, he is delivering very much. The team is delivering, not just Drogba, but Drogba is the end regarding the production and you cannot always value a striker on his goals because he can do a lot for the team, not always scoring but very determined and very decisive."
A strangish sort of game but of course a very pleasing result.
With an injury hit defence Wenger opted to pack the midfield out to try and protect his defence as much as possible. The result was a slow, chess-like game although the pitch supposedly had a lot to do with that - perhaps more so.
Hiddink actually said the pitch was good which surprised me -my impression was that it was far from good hindering either side to play any kind of slick passing. If the pitch is that bad then that should be confirmed today during the Man Utd Everton match.
It really is a disgrace that they pay all that money for Wembley and can´t get the pitch right.
Drogba was unlucky not to score early on with his header after the Arsenal mix-up,likewise Anelka when he hit the post.
Can´t blame Cech for their goal with the Cole deflection.
Malouda - that´s three decent games from him now - too little too late?
We were very unlucky when the ref missed a blatant pen with the handball during the challenge on Drogba.
Besides the goals we were ahead on points dominating for the longer periods although of course Arsenal had their briefer spells.
No surprise whatsoever that Drogba turned out to be the bane of Arsenal again was it?!
"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
By the way, all this sitting back with the lines really deep for the first 25 mins has got to stop - that´s three games in a row like that now.
Far too lax and if we so this against Barcelona we will lose the tie in the first half.
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
Re: FA Cup S/F Preview PtII: How Are You Getting to Wembley
Posted by: 80'sGoona (82.44.212.177)
Date: 19/04/2009 09:40
Well done But tell Terry and Lampard to cut out the dives.
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Re: FA Cup S/F Preview PtII: How Are You Getting to Wembley
Posted by: dixon9 (88.25.9.213)
Date: 19/04/2009 09:54
WTF!
And your lot are angels?!
Do me a favour!
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
The air, though, was a much more promising route to goal than the ground, which is made of rye grass: a type that can be rolled up for the summer concert season more easily than the Premier League's favoured kind of turf.
The Football Association concede that this removable surface might have to be changed next season. Slick passing of the sort we see at the top club grounds is rendered impossible. See how the ball travels as if labouring through a shagpile rug. Players planting a foot produce divots and a loosening of large patches of soil.
"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
Well expect with the 4-5-1 stuff. Wenger does go 4-5-1 against us because of our strong midfield but yesterday he probably didn´t have much choice due to the need of protecting a weakened defence?
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
pk_gunner What did you make of the atmosphere - were you surrounded by numpties?
The atmosphere was ok the Arsenal fans are gonna say they out sung us but i must say it was fifty fifty up to when Drogba scored of course.There were a few numpties yes one sitting near me said, why have those fans got sticks of celery,der.
"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
Well done to the Chelsea fan who pulled Alan Green up yesterday on the 606 phone-in;
"What about Arsenal pushing the ref? If that had been Terry or Cole you would have been talking about it for weeks!"
Cue embarrased silence from Green and of course, no further reference was made to it in the show. Hypocrite Green as usual!
"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
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