Comments on: Who Would Fergie Take From Arsenal’s First Team?

By: Aussie Gooner

Aussie Gooner — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 05:58:06 +0000

Ispy this would be a good post if you took off your rose tinted glasses, I agree with your comment about Lehmann and Eboue, but an old Paul Scholes ahead of Fabregas, an injury prone Saha ahead of RVP or Adebayor? Give me Kolo any day ahead of the dim wit Rio. The two teams are evenly balanced and when we play each other will produce the two best games of the season once again.

By: Aussie Gooner

Aussie Gooner — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 06:00:01 +0000

I also forgot to mention Cliche ahead of Evra any day. All gooners rejoiced the day we got rid of Cashley Hole.

By: bobc

bobc — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 06:09:55 +0000

I think Fergie would take more from Arsenal’s backline than you care to admit. Rio is the only stalwart.

I like Evra a lot but Clichy’s pace going forward and for recovery makes him a much better option than Evra.

Fergie could take either Toure or Gallas depending on what he felt about their respective ages.

Either Eboue or Sagna would replace Neville, although IMO it would probably be Sagna as he has real defensive positional sense that Eboue doesn’t. Both are on the way up while Neville is about out of gas.

In midfield there can be little doubt he would put Fabregas in the team unless you’re being totally partisan, which you appear to be trying to avoid.

Gilberto/Hargreaves would again be down to how Fergie felt about their respective ages. If it were all about this year he’d take Gilberto and use Owen to rest him.

Ronaldo is not getting replaced, and although I’d rather have Rosicky than either Giggs or Nani, I’m not really sure Fergie would.

Up front the pairing would be Van Persie and Rooney. Saha is in neither more prolific nor dynamic than RVP.

So Fergie would take Gallas/Toure, Cesc, Sagna, and RVP and possibly Gilberto would go to United.

Going the other way would be EVDS, Rio (except for those bloated wages), Ronaldo, and Rooney for sure. Don’t think there is a case at all for anyone else.

This lineup would be pretty scary:

EVDS
Sagna, Rio, Gallas/Toure, Clichy (or Evra)
Ronaldo, Cesc, Scholes, Giggs
Rooney, Van Persie

By: RassHenry

RassHenry — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 06:16:13 +0000

Arsenal players vs Man United players : (Maximum 10 points).

1. Jens Lehman/Van Der Sar = 9/8
2. Ebue/Neville = 8/6
3. Kalou Toure/Rio Ferdinand = 9/5
4. Gallas/Vidic = 7/8
5. Clichy/Evra = 7/7
6. Hleb/Ronaldo = 7/8
7. Gilberto/Carrick = 10/6
8. Febregas/Scholes = 9/8
9. Rosicky/Giggs = 7/8
10. Adebayour/Saha = 6/9
11. Van Persie/Rooney = 8/7

A friendly comparison.

By: RassHenry

RassHenry — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 06:35:09 +0000

Deadly Arsenal line-up : DreamTeam.

Jens Lehman

Ebue Toure Sanderos Gallas

Riquelme Gilberto Febregas Malouda

Anelka Henry

How nice is this squad.
Tell me about it.

By: phatosas

phatosas — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 06:53:55 +0000

I love reading articles on your site even though I am an Arsenal fan. However this article is so skewed that it is hard to imagine it is coming from this site. What you are implying in other words is Man U has better players than Arsenal in every position which is far from the truth. I would admit you have a better and more consistent team but to claim that no Arsenal player can make it into the united first team is ridiculous to say the least. I still love your site but I am a bit disappointed in this article.

By: ozarsenal

ozarsenal — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 07:15:43 +0000

Now lets see if I can be totally unbiased with rankings and the team (and spell at least my own team’s players names correctly!)

1. Jens Lehman/Van Der Sar = 8/9 Van Der Sar
2. Sagna/Neville = 7/7 Probably take Sagna - pace over experience. Although neither fullback positions set the world on fire for either team.
3. Kolo Toure/Rio Ferdinand = 9/8 Toure
4. Gallas/Vidic = 8/8 Maybe Vidic for aerial ability?
5. Clichy/Evra = 7/7 Coin Toss - Evra as I have gone for the AFC player at 8.
6. Hleb/Ronaldo = 7/10 CRonaldo
7. Gilberto/Hargreaves = 8/8 Gilberto for top 4/Hargreaves for easier games(better attacking)
8. Fabregas/Scholes = 9/9 Tough decision, but I am a gooner so Cesc
9. Rosicky/Giggs = 7/7 Again tough, Giggs in his prime, Rosicky if we are talking this season
10. Van Persie/Saha = 7/7 Van Persie
11. Eduardo/Rooney = 8/9 Rooney

There you go - no offence RassHenry, but even as a gooner, I don’t know how you could have Saha at 9 and Rooney and Ronaldo only at 8.

By: outragedgooner

outragedgooner — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 08:32:47 +0000

On the evidence of Fergie’s reign for the past eight years I’d conclude that he’d take every one of the top guns listed. Fergie gave up on the idea of manufacturing players years ago and now simply buys whoever is available. Admittedly he does this very well, to the obvious dismay of Abramovic et al. So, just to add to the collection, he’d take the lot (including Wenger for his BBC press conferences)

By: gazzap

gazzap — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 09:19:05 +0000

this is a bit of a one sided argument. I dont know anyone that would take a very old Paul scholes over the brand new upgraded version, other than you. Scholes a few years back yes but now no.
Toure is better than ferdinand and clichy is better than Evra in my opinion. Clichy has to be one of the most underrated players in the whole premier league.
OK you win with Ronaldo but I’d have either of Hleb or rosicky over an old Giggs.
Hargreaves and Gilberto is probably won by the youth of Hargreaves but otherwise is pretty even.
its Sagna who you should be comparing to Neville and I am 100% sure Sagna is better than a tired old Neville.
I think you win on the goal keeper but they are both awful right now.
I’d take Ronaldo and rooney, no one else, but Nani looks pretty useful too.

By: MaCkA

MaCkA — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:07:17 +0000

This is one of the worst, most biased piece of sports journalism I have ever read. I am a Liverpool fan and think you have underrated some of Arsenals players compared to your own. Toure, Eboue, Gallas, Silva, Fabregas and Van Persie would all get into a combined 11. This would be my Arsenal/ManU combined lineup.

GK Van Der Sar
RB Eboue
CB Toure
CB Ferdinand
LB Gallas
RM Ronaldo
CM Silva
CM Fabregas
LM Giggs
AT Rooney
AT Van Persie

Now here’s which players would get into Liverpools team from both Arsenal and ManU.

GK Reina
RB Eboue
CB Ferdinand
CB Toure
LB Gallas
RM Ronaldo
CM Masherano
CM Gerrard
LM Babel
AT Rooney
AT Torres

By: bazmond

bazmond — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:14:59 +0000

I understand how you have come about a lot of these results, but if you turned it around, and asked which United players, Arsenal would take, you’d get some very different answers. Shall we….

Almunia vs VDS

Prefere not to take either of them. VDS is fading fast, and Almunia is only amn average keeper. 6/6
Keep Almunia, because he knows the players in front of him

Sagna vs Neville
Sagna has only played a few games for us, but looks like a great defender, very solid, and comfortable going forward, United can keep Neville, We’ll keep Sagna 8/7

Clichy v Evra
Clichy is an outstanding talent. Wouldn’t take any left back in the Premiership for him
10/8

Toure vs Rio
Easy for Kolo here 9/7

Gallas vs Vidic
I like Gallas, and was quite happy when he was made captain ahead of Gilberto, he seems to have more vocal leadership skills about him, but I’d take Vidic here. His size beside Kolos ability. He’s just like a better (much better) version of Big Phil 8/9

Rosicky vs Giggs
Rosicky is off to a good start this season, but very injury prone. Wouldn’t bother changing him for an old man, but if I was doing this the other way around, I wouldn’t bother bringing in Rosicky either. Keeps Rosicky 7/7

Hleb vs Ronaldo
Gotta go for Ronaldo, as much as I like Hleb. Thing is, if we took Ronaldo, I play both him and Hleb, but alas, thats not how this game goes 9/10

Gilberto vs Hargreaves
Only one winner. Gilberto is immense, no way I’d ditch him. Hargreaves was thought of as nothing until one good World Cup performance for England, then proceeded to get injured. Havent seen enough of him at United
10/7

Cesc vs Scholes
10/7 Easy as. I wouldn’t take Rooney or Ronaldo for Cesc

RVP vs Saha
RVP every time. 9/7

Adebayor vs Rooney
Not much of a competition here. Give us Rooney will ye. You know Wenger will make him a better player than Quireoz will when he takes over in a few years 7/10

So from United, Im taking Vidic, Ronaldo and Rooney

By: bazmond

bazmond — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:15:59 +0000

macka? No Fabregas? Get out
——>

By: ctarsenal

ctarsenal — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 19:51:46 +0000

I can only assume that if this comparison extended to managers you would take Wenger, seeing how he beat Ferguson in both games last year with a team that is apparently weaker at every position.