Champions League - Managers: Eduardo winner 'inevitable'

Eurosport - Thu, 17 Sep 14:21:00 2009

Managerial reaction from last night's Champions League matches, with Arsene Wenger pleased with the comeback by his side and striker Eduardo in Arsenal's 3-2 win at Standard Liege.

FOOTBALL Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger during the 3-2 Champions League win at Standard Liege - 0

Standard Liege 2-3 Arsenal

Arsene Wenger (pictured): "It is always inevitable with Eduardo (who scored the winner after having a two-match ban for diving overturned by UEFA). He was caught out on the first goal but he is a guy who can always turn up on crosses because he has that anticipation.

"Standard played like it was a cup final with full commitment. When you go 2-0 down after five minutes, you know you have a big task in front of you. To win away from home in the Champions League and score three goals will be tough. When you are at a big club, you cannot afford to have too many defeats on the trot.

"After being 2-0 down, this will strengthen belief within the group."

Laszlo Boloni: "Arsenal had good help from the referee on their second goal - two players were offside and there was also a handball. This was the moment when they got more motivation and we lost ours, but the biggest problem was we have to play better.

"We started very well, but were not strong enough mentally to continue the same way in the second half. We sat back in midfield, so all the pressure was too much for us."

Liverpool 1-0 Debrecen

Rafael Benitez: "We made a lot of chances and just did not take them. So because of that we ended up under pressure at the end of the match when we should have been winning comfortably.

"But Debrecen can take credit for their display, this may be their first game at this level but they have dominated in Hungary for several years and you could see why. They were well organised and worked very hard. What we had to do was score the second goal, and then it would have been easier. But we could not manage to do that."

Andras Herczeg: "We were still in with a chance at the end. It says everything that I put on an extra striker and Rafa Benitez responded by putting on a world-class midfielder (Javier Mascherano).

"That speaks for itself, we were threatening and they wanted to make sure they hung onto the win."

Stuttgart 1-1 Rangers

Walter Smith: "Being Scottish, everybody expects you to come away and win games without any problem. We were always going to have to have a period of the game where Stuttgart were going to be in the ascendancy. Anyone who thinks we can come away from home and not be under any pressure are deluding themselves.

"You don't see central defenders getting into that kind of position from open play very often. (Madjid Bougherra) likes to get himself forward and sometimes you don't get a great deal from him but it was nice to see him getting into that position. It was an excellent finish and one that any forward would have been proud of. We had a number of opportunities in the second half of the game."

Markus Babbel: "We haven't lost this game, and a draw is better than nothing.

"We know it will be very difficult in Glasgow, especially with the supporters, but we can beat Rangers at home. We showed in the first half tonight that we are a very good team."

Internazionale 0-0 Barcelona

Jose Mourinho: "We played a fantastic game, and it was a positive response against the reigning European champions and the best team in the world.

"We were compact in defence, and if we had scored, we could have easily won the game. It was tactical battle, both physically and mentally, that ended 0-0, but it was still a great match."

Josep Guardiola: "It is always difficult to play against nine players stuck in the area. Everyone can see that we tried to win the game. That is something nobody can deny an we must be proud.

"The result is what it is. It is not bad, but it is not good."

Lyon 1-0 Fiorentina

Claude Puel: "We had to go for it and it was not easy. The referee (Dutchman Pieter Vink) didn't help us by letting them commit many fouls in midfield that stopped us from creating chances.

"We needed to stay calm and we managed to do that. There is a strength, a spirit in that team I like, even if it would have been better to score one more goal."

Cesare Prandelli: "There's no need to comment on (Alberto) Gilardino's sending off. He had no intention to hurt and was just going for the ball.

"It's a pity because until it happened we were looking good."

Sevilla 2-0 Unirea Valahorum Urziceni

Manolo Jimenez: "It was a question of being patient and moving the ball around. They played a good game and I want to congratulate them on their defence which made it very difficult until we scored the first goal."

Dan Petrescu: "Sevilla have some great players and I believe that today I have seen the best striker in the world in Luis Fabiano. I haven't seen a player do what he can do in a long time."

Olympiacos 1-0 AZ

Vassilis Torosidis (new coach Zico watched from the stands hours after being appointed): "I'm not that interested in the fact that I scored, I was more interested in us winning the game. The win will boost our morale. The last two months have been a bad period for us but it has been everybody's fault, not just the coach."

Ronald Koeman: "Olympiacos were very good defensively and in the second half we didn't play well at all. My players were anxious because of their first appearance in the Champions League and at stadiums like this a team must gain experience for the future."

Dynamo Kiev 3-1 Rubin Kazan

Valeriy Gazaev: "We needed to change things around and Gusev became our trump card despite fitness problems. Our substitutions had a great impact and reinforced our attack with speed and quality."

Eurosport

Comment 16 - 35 of 35

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  1. xian compared to Elliot b text talk my English is great­ but thanks for your point of view anyway, it's the­ Arsenal fans who need to invest in Anger management­ lessons if Saturday is anything to go by. Still if­ putting down my English is the best you have got then­ you have run out of ideas just like Wenger.

    From liam, on Thu 17 Sep 5:54PM

  2. It looks like Song handled the ball. It also looks­ like the Liege penalty was a dive. Both resulted in­ goals. We're even. Poor refereeing or a case of­ making things right?

    From USGunner, on Thu 17 Sep 4:32PM

  3. comment 38...well said. Anyway noone has seemed to­ point out that the only reason liege scored their first­ goal was because of Eduardo. If they hadn't scored,­ we wouldn't have been rocked and probably would­ have won it comfortably. All that is speculation of­ course but you can't deny that if the suspension­ was not overturned they would not have scored like­ that. Also, if he did dive (without being touched) then­ he made a mistake, just like a vast amount of­ footballers who dive. I would say 60% of the occasions­ when footballers fall over there was no need. This­ technically means they are all divers. They should man­ up and the referees should either start giving­ free-kicks to people who don't fall over (yet are­ clearly fouled) or start being less eager to give free­ kicks. The game is quickly becoming non-contact so­ divers are more likely to get away with it. Hence they­ do it.

    From mattbourne, on Thu 17 Sep 3:21PM

  4. All you jokers calling Eduardo a cheat should take a­ hard look at your own team. Most teams will have­ someone who has dived will dive or dives regulary. How­ many more notorious divers get away with it on a weekly­ bases. C.Ronaldo shouldnt be allowed to kik a ball if­ you retrospectivly punished him for all his dives. Oh­ didnt rooney dive against slovakia, thats right he did­ but hes english so that means he cant be branded a­ diver.

    From Robert, on Thu 17 Sep 2:36PM

  5. Eduardo is a cheat, UEFA are spineless, money talks and­ big teams from big leagues get all the decisions.
    he­ should have still beeen banned, he is a diver, a cheat­ and a conman, a disgrace to football, and should not­ have played last night. UEFA is corrupt and run by the­ big money clubs, time for change.

    From byron.rodriguez, on Thu 17 Sep 2:27PM

  6. Liam you need to invest in English lessons. Then you­ can lecture Arsene on whether he has as many English­ boys as O'Neill.

    From xian, on Thu 17 Sep 2:16PM

  7. elliot b i dont think rose tint is really your colour­ maybe you should change your glasses there are managers­ who work on a shoe string who are much better managers­ and managers like Martin Oneill who have brought on­ English talent Arsenal havnt even got an English keeper­ ade & toure may well be money grabbing tossers as­ you put it but they went to a club on the up not on the­ decline.

    From liam, on Thu 17 Sep 1:42PM

  8. Is it just me, or is Alex Song the luckiest man alive.­­ I mean, he gets to wear an Arsenal shirt every week!­­ Lets be clear here, Paul Davis, John Jenson, Patrick­­ Vieira he aint. Jesus, the blokes a donkey who­­ can't pass, well not to his team mates anyway,­­ can't tackle and can't shoot for toffee. Sorry­­ to go on, but he's useless. Feel mean for sounding­­ off as he seems like a nice bloke, however he­­ doesn't deserve his spot in the side.
    I thought­­ this was meant to be Diaby's year. He likes­ playing­ in a central role, so AW should try him in the­ holding­ role, at least he can pass a ball, and forward­ as well,­ not like Song who can only pass either­ sideways or­ backwards.
    If we play this bad on­ Saturday, we'll­ be turned over by Wigan as well!!!

    From papapavlouandrew, on Thu 17 Sep 1:39PM

  9. Is it just me, or is Alex Song the luckiest man alive.­­ I mean, he gets to wear an Arsenal shirt every week!­­ Lets be clear here, Paul Davis, John Jenson, Patrick­­ Vieira he aint. Jesus, the blokes a donkey who­­ can't pass, well not to his team mates anyway,­­ can't tackle and can't shoot for toffee. Sorry­­ to go on, but he's useless. Feel mean for sounding­­ off as he seems like a nice bloke, however he­­ doesn't deserve his spot in the side.
    I thought­­ this was meant to be Diaby's year. He likes­ playing­ in a central role, so AW should try him in the­ holding­ role, at least he can pass a ball, and forward­ as well,­ not like Song who can only pass either­ sideways or­ backwards.
    If we play this bad on­ Saturday, we'll­ be turned over by Wigan as well!!!

    From papapavlouandrew, on Thu 17 Sep 1:37PM

  10. wenger is king arsenal r the best, ade & toure r­ money grabbin tossers all you supporters out there wish­
    they had wenger as there manager come on you gooners

    From lanesra, on Thu 17 Sep 1:28PM

  11. he shouldnt have even been on the pitch 99 out of a 100­ can see he dived the other 1 is wenger little ironic­ twist on what he said about Hughes

    From liam, on Thu 17 Sep 1:17PM

  12. Paul Newman, poster 5, if you haven't seen us play­ that badly in 14 years, it means you haven't­ watched all the games. I can think of one shining­ example straight off the top of my ageing head. FA Cup­ Final 2005 v Sc.umchester Untd which we won on­ penalties after a goaless 90 minutes. To say we were­ awful that day would a HUGE understatement. We­ literally stole that cup after a terrible display.­

    Plenty more examples where that came from. The­ important thing is that despite a very poor display­ last night, our fighting team spirit shone through and­ we turned what could have been a nightmarish defeat­ into an amazing victory which can only increase the­ players' confidence.

    From Sussex BY The Sea, on Thu 17 Sep 1:07PM

  13. Certainly Arsenal's second goal had a stroke of­ luck attached to it. No players were offside when the­ free kick was taken and I am not convinced that Eduardo­ made any contact with his head which would have placed­ 2 players offside. That said, it certainly looked as­ though Song handled.

    But then again, I have replayed­ Standard Liege's penalty incident over and over and­ I still maintain that their player slipped and Gallas­ made no contact whatsoever. In my mind, these two­ incidents balance each other out.

    Although it was a­ poor display by Arsenal on the night, there is no­ denying that it takes enormous team spirit to recover­ from the shock of going 2 goals down inside the first 5­ minutes and turning the game around, especially when­ playing like kids in the school yard. Well done you­ Guns. Believe me when I say that I knew you guys would­ do it, even when 2 down.

    From Sussex BY The Sea, on Thu 17 Sep 12:59PM

  14. I totally agree (comment 18 ish by LYNDSAY O, on Thu 17­ Sep 12:23PM.).Well said.Can't understand why Uefa­ overturned the ban on that cheating low life.

    From corneilius, on Thu 17 Sep 12:59PM

  15. I have to laugh at Arsenal.Every year they draw­ Europe's local pub teams in the group stages and­ still they make heavy going of it!This equates to them­ never winning it by the looks of it.Look at last­ night.Handball for the second Arsenal goal and they got­ away with it.Did Wenger see that one?Oh no!No change­ there then.

    From d.dill.1471, on Thu 17 Sep 12:56PM

  16. Only Liverpool or Barca deserve to win the Champions­ League this year.

    From corneilius, on Thu 17 Sep 12:55PM

  17. Lindsay O (no 18) - For all your bluster, what you­ really need is a good honest rogering up the pooper. Go­ on admit it.

    From xian, on Thu 17 Sep 12:53PM

  18. Arsenal's style is driving me mad. Why will none­ of their front men will ever take a pop at goal? ­ They seem to think thay the only way to score is to­ walk the ball into the back of the net. Surely a­ striker should want to strike the ball when goal in in­ range. Maybe they need a Gerrard or someone like­ that.

    From ronald y, on Thu 17 Sep 12:44PM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Fabregas' performance has been so bad this season­ because he's fed up with Wenger, how can you­ develop in a team which has so many average players?­ Wenger is just adamant to bolster the squad and it­ should be very frustrating for a top player like­ Fabregas. We had the same problems with Vieira and­ Henry and after they became fed up with Wenger , he­ sold them off.
    My point is simple, what is Wenger's­ problem when it comes to recruiting players? This man­ has consistently failed to bring top players to the­ club to the point that all over the world nobody takes­ Arsenal serious. This team he has now will not win­ anything for years and all my sympathies goes to the­ fans who continue to spend their hard earned money­ going to watch the team week in week out.
    After the­ shambolic performance last night, he has started­ talking about this match defining our season because he­ knows for the next few weeks we will be playing the­ lesser teams where he's more likely to pick up wins­ till we meet Chelsea then we are back to square one.­ This man is not helping Arsenal for now and i honestly­ think there's a need for change. THANK YOU ALL.­ johnny.

    From ajohnnyenzo, on Thu 17 Sep 12:34PM

  20. winning goal, scored by a low life cheat, shouldnt of­ even been on the field, and arsenals 2nd should of been­ disallowed, hand ball. cheating scum

    From LYNDSAY, on Thu 17 Sep 12:23PM
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