Deportivo La Coruņa (2) 2 - 0 (0) Arsenal
Riazor stadium, Wednesday 21st November 2001
Champs Leage stage 2 match 1
Deportivo didn't play like the best in Europe (Wenger's
pre-match assessment). They weren't half as good as Barcelona were in Liverpool last night.
But a bit of bad luck and some slack defensive play in
the first half saw them cruise to a 2 goal lead which
our improvement in the second half (when we were merely bad) could do nothing to
overcome.
The first came on 8 minutes. Campbell made a couple of good blocks in the box but then probably should have hoofed it clear
from the edge of the 6 yard box. He tried, but it took a ricochet off a Depor player right next to him and came out
to Makaay just outside the box. He struck the first-time shot
well, but was a bit lucky to beat Wright as the ball took
took a big deflection (or an unexpected bounce).
Just over halfway through that half, and Diego Trsitan made it two from nowhere. Perhaps Lauren should have done more to
stop him getting a shot in from outside the corner of the box on our right. But Wright definitely should have done more to stop it
going in low inside his near post. He went down late, and then appeared to
pull away from it as if he thought it was going wide.
Wright didn't come out for the second half, but was replaced by our England U21 keeper Stuart Taylor
(who, in his last first team match, let in 5 for Peterboro
against Port Vale in front of 4000).
There's talk of Wright maybe having a knee injury, but
neither he nor Le Boss can be happy with the way he let that
goal in. And coming so soon after Tottenham's equaliser
on Saturday well, you just can't help wondering... (see
follow-up on keeper status)
Word is that Seaman could be back within a couple of weeks.
He'll be welcomed back.
Adams too. While Vieira is a great great player, as
yet he has none of the on-pitch influence on his fellow
team-mates that our club captain does. In a match like
this you need the skipper to rally the troops. Maybe
Paddy needs yelling lessons.
Arsenal played better in the second half, but it also has to
be pointed out that both Deportivo's striker had limped off
by that point, and the remaining players can't have been too
worried about the chances of losing the lead.
In the first half,
Arsenal hardly played at all. Heads went down after the first goal, fell off after the second, and there was no-one to
gee them up. I've had loads of emails from depressed Gooners since the match saying "drop this player", "sell that player",
"how come Wenger picks some other player all the time when
an alternative always looks better" (Wiltord and Kanu respectively are the most popular names in that last one).
But I have one suggestion. Get "Mr Arsenal" earning his money.
Let's have Tony Adams at every game, bellowing from the bench.
The players need someone to put the wind up 'em.
Yet again Arsenal simply failed to perform away from home.
Yet again November has been a nightmare month for us, and
this year it's going to end with a home match against Man Utd.
Yet again we're left desperate for Seaman and Adams to return
and kick-start the second half of the season.
Meanwhile, Juventus vs Bayer Leverkusen was called off due
to fog.
See reports page
for list of links to reports on other sites.
|