g3.7

IMO you are really underselling robben, just, but you're entitled to your opinion. I'm just happy with him changing cup finals and being a general threat.

carvalho waas playing for both him and terry- JT did not look right at all. 9, motm. 17 million nesta-eque tackles to go with a peformance anyone would be proud of. drogba- quite quiet, but clinical, 8.5. robben also changed the game, but I've given up on him. 0 maka, from where I sat, was one of the only players to be alert and alvie for us in the first half- essien would have been a better candidate to come off at the time, likewise diarra. ballack was good I felt. nice assist for the equaliser and used the ball very well. better than lamps. 7.5. cech was great, really did play an important part. 8.5. mikel, also, was good- marked adebayor in aerial situations and played neat stuff. he's going to be a hell of a player, make no mistake.

talking about wigan at home mod, or wigan way?

actually, why do I even have to justify what I wrote there? bah. it's a forum- discuss.

I didn't give names because I didn't want to make it into criticism of individual posters- I respect pretty much everyone I've quoted there... and I was asked to put up quotes... I'm not really looking for an argument (ballack's face is conspicuous in its absence) in fact, my original post on this thread wasn't aimed at anyone really, just a general observation. he scores and he's the best striker ever, he plays better next game but doesn't score and he's back to being a snitch and we're back to discussing villa's price.

sheva's attitude has been totally faultless since day one as far as I'm concerned. I'd join you in saying there has been an improvement on the pitch. a personal favourite, that. all in about the last month.

not sure what you've been reading lately. I might put up some quotes from people on here regarding his last few games.

the whole shevchenko debate is nonsense. he's played better than that for us, not scored and people would moan.

facial expressions have no place in football.

I know... a terrible slump. fecking henry and gerrard choose to do nothing, and why I still have anton ferdinand...

irony? second top assist maker at the club (how many more would that have been if he were a guaranteed starter etc?), and visibly our most dangerous player after drogba this season. and do you for one second really believe the sub was anything other than tactical yesterday? I really can't.

he was poor last night, and his season has been quite average- made up mainly of quiet offerings where he gets little of the ball and good ones where he is unspectacular. the good ones obviously aren't noticed as much for many different reasons. he can do a lot more- that is obvious- but they do say you have to give a new player a season to settle in and I think that's fair. I also think, that although in certain circumstances he can do a good job at the head of the diamond, he would be better in the same line as lamps so he can see more of the ball. but he's definately one of the top players in the world, quite easily in fact- it's not his fault joe or robben doesn't play, just like it was never carvalho's fault gallas played out of position and susequently left. remember that.

as good a time as any to point out for those ready to jump at his supposedly lack of commitment that he wanted to play on last night. jose had other ideas though, as we valiantly played the entire second half in our own half.

apparently in line for a start on sunday.

He was in no-man's land. He went partially out, froze for a second, and then made a belated attempt to go all the way out. Too late, and gave the Porto striker a great chance at getting their second goal. I don't agree. Cech played it correctly. The Porto striker was between Cech and the ball meaning there was no way Cech could actually get to the ball without going through the striker thhus conceding a penalty. Stay on his line and he would have given the striker all the time he needed to turn to face the goal and pick his spot. In doing what he did Cech narrowed the angle, put the striker under pressure and made the finish as difficult as he possibly could (and the results speak for themselves) - it was textbook stuff by Cech. spot on- the defence was split and it was top drawer keeping- not only to read the situation and close the space early, but also to stay up and force the striker into an "error".

I wish I had more than clips.

nothing positive to say for robben tonight? or most nights he's been playing lately?

riise and gerrard wide was always going to be interesting- both players obviously capable of attacking, but also capable of squeezing the midfield and doubling up with their fullbacks- with alonso deep and sissoko pressuring that would make it difficult for barca- with ronaldinho in and out of form and messi just returning. well done to them though. it seems a tactical victory, and benitez is better at that than rijkaard.

carvalho, sheva and essien all quality. I loved essien's touch running towards his own goal- brilliant. diarra had a difficult task, and you could see that maybe he was targeted- more overlapping came on that side and they did look to provoke a reaction but he did well. would have preferred paulo however. drogba, ballack and lampard were all poor- all did a decent job pressing though, and ballack did create a 1v1 for drogba... but yeah, not enough quality from them. missed chances, missed passes and even lamps was not doing much off the ball running. mikel was better than the 2 with the ball. I'm not sure if I believe robben got injured... absolutely no sign of it on the pitch, and jose is defensively geared- he wanted mikel on when the score was level in the first place.

robben's form has been easily good enough to warrant a place since wigan away- he's had 2 injuries in that period, but still, if he's fit he should be playing right now.

Who would you leave out for Robben ? ballack, as it happens. even sheva, before robben, if you could sort out a proper system.

that's a shame, robben deserves a spot. let's see, if porto attack us it could work.

booo.

there have been plenty of fine players in germany and all were in his shadow... and come on! only goals? hitzfeld played him deep and he won the ball and created. he started as a sweeper of all things! even this season, where he has been on average, average, his natural talent is obviously evident. I couldn't give you stats for his creation, but he did plenty. it's funny you say it's easy to win with bayern, and that ballack was not a leader, when if you look at bayern this season and the season before there is a huge difference. and for germany... look at the results with ballack and without. alan hansen pointed out that the side leaked goals in his absence, but suddenly tightened up when he returned... not one or two games, but consistently so. in the CL final he reache for example, as the game wore on it was ballack who became the dominant player on the pitch, and had zidane not scored that wonder goal there was an inevitabilty about a leverkusen win. and he did sacrafice himself to ensure germany got to the world cup final- his head never drops- he did subsequently score the winner in that semi right?

ha- any attempt to discredit what ballack has done over his career is laughable and at once pathetic IMO. don't forget he and kahn took a tremendously average side to the world cup final. his international record goals to games is equivalent to that of a top striker, and this from a midfielder in a side nondescript without him. he is a player who probably should have won the world player of the year award... was it 2002 when he was surely the best and ronaldo (I think) robbed him? he has won everything in germany- and do you think there was a reason the top side in that country not only bought him, but made him the focal point of the side? and how are bayern doing this season... (they won it last season right- with ballack as the captain?), post ballack? last season I think he hit 14 in the league, and all (or most) were important goals- equalisers or winners.