Good post. Your point in relation with Rooney is well made. What really impresses me about the lad this season is the number of headed goals he has scored for such a butty lad. Hearing him being interviewed he specifically said that he’s been working hard on this element of his game and it certainly has been paying off in spades. Rooney apart – Utd are most average IMO and I still find it difficult to believe that they’re five points ahead even if we do have a game in hand.

Darius,

What I took from last nights game was Chelski were poor defensively with Terry being the culprit for most of the chances conceded.
Despite the fact that I do have issues with how the defense has been coached at times – anyone who suggests that Wenger be replaced needs their head examined. There is not one other manager in the world that could have achieved what he’s done here IMO.

Flint – what I find difficult is that the same mistakes at set pieces and defending aerial balls seem to be repeated for 5 years now. Although – I do accept that the new 4-3-3 push/pull formation has been a new departure and will take time to perfect.

Yes Darius, Chelsea could easily have killed and cremated Inter last night. The return leg ought to be very interesting.

Last night’s was a strange game when you saw Chelsea let chance by chance go begging. It just seemed like Mourinho had sussed out his old Chelsea better than Ancelotti had sussed out a changed Inter since he last left the Sansiro.

The home tie for Chelsea is likely to be more of a spectacle – and I think their bigger problem is getting Petr Cech back between the sticks for Hilario the Hilarious is just that.

Saloner. I think a lot of the folks who just simply default to the ‘we must change our manager’ mantra have been sucked into that ‘glory here and now’ and nothing else will do mentality.

I personally wouldn’t even entertain the thought of firing Wenger, let alone figuring out who will replace him. Perhaps for the simple reason that Wenger is one of the best managers in the world.

Speaking of defenses – Chelsea at times last night were made to look pretty average. They will have a tough time against Man City on Saturday who were made to look quite pedestrian by Stoke City last night

What I try to point out that it is not just a matter of coaching but more of time & development.

If you look at the development of the GG defence to its ulimate success of 18 goals conceded in 90/91, they were letting in a similar number of goals for the 4 season prior to that, as our current developing side are – ie in the high 30s.

I repeat people have a habit of comparing the best, finished article, from their nostalgia against the worst of the currently far from complete unit.

Having seen numerous generations through Mee, Neill, GG & now AW nouveau, I have come to realise that you will get a season where it all clicks. There is no certainty because Terry Neill’s side didn’t achieve what it could have done (but the FA Cup was big in those days), but if our current team get there they will have a much better chance of becoming THE ultimate Arsenal team of my time.

No guarantees but let’s just see how it pans out.

If Chelsea had been more clinical last night then Mourinho’s team would have had to cancel their flight to London. I wish they had been more profligate against us.