Almunia shows pride after Arsenal fall

Arsenal FC goalkeeper Manuel Almunia showed great bravery, not for the first time in his career, by coming into the uefa.com Talk Football chatroom to muse on his side's disappointing UEFA Champions League semi-final exit at the hands of Manchester United FC. The 31-year-old Spaniard also reflected on his chances of playing for England, his relationship with Jens Lehmann and his goalkeeping idol.

barca93: How do you feel about losing to United?
Manuel Almunia: Obviously, very disappointed. We will try to come back. I don't know about the other players but personally I feel depressed, because it was a big game and we did not play well at any time.

santarossa#21: Do you think if Arsenal had a full team they would have advanced to the next round?
Almunia: It would have helped. But I think we had a good team on the pitch. But we were not really focused on the game. The fitness of the team was not the problem.

georges: I like the way Arsenal play, but what do you think you need to improve to win games like Tuesday's?
Almunia: Many people say we need more experience and maybe at this time, which is a difficult time for us, maybe we do. Or some help from other players who can come in for next season.

kweus: How did you feel when Cristiano Ronaldo scored the second goal?
Almunia: I didn't feel good obviously as it was the second goal and the tie was much more difficult for us then than it was before. At 2-0 it was just impossible to come back. It was nearly impossible at 1-0, but even more at 2-0.

hats: Do you expect United to beat Barcelona in the final?
Almunia: We wanted to get to the final ourselves. We don't care about the other team that gets there. I think Barcelona will be a very, very tough team for United.

kessaynamour: I know none of the players want to blame Kieran Gibbs for the loss on Tuesday, but with Arsenal starting the tie so positively, do you think had Gibbs not make that early mistake the outcome could have been different?
Almunia: No. The feeling I had, not only in the second leg but in the first as well, was that if United need to score two, three or four goals then they would because they were much better than us in both games. Any player can make mistakes and it doesn't matter because we did not play well at all at any time in either game.

joey: Do you expect to see major changes in the Arsenal team over the summer?
Almunia: The Arsenal team is a good team, a good squad, but fans expect more from us and who knows – maybe we need some changes to the squad in the summer. But the responsibility is with the boss, who understands what the club needs most and which decisions need to be taken.

alessandro-roma: I am a Roma fan and was at the Olimpico when you won on penalties. What do you think about the Roman supporters and would you like to play for us one day? We really need a goalkeeper as good as you.
Almunia: I was impressed when we played in Rome because I didn't expect that much support for them. It was a difficult day for us because they put us under big pressure. Roma have really good fans and a great stadium. They have everything to be a great club. As for the other question, I'm really happy at Arsenal and I really respect the club.

aman: It's a pleasure having you play for my favourite club. How do you feel about playing at Arsenal?
Almunia: I never dreamed of playing at such a big club when I was young. Every day it's a real gift to work for Arsenal. I'm really proud to be part of this massive club. Every day I'm thankful to the boss and to the club.

dan: Which would you say was Arsenal's best game in the Champions League this season?
Almunia: Villarreal at home [3-0] was a nice match for us. Much easier than we expected. Also the away game against Fenerbahçe [5-2] was a massive game for us and a very important victory.

Dave: Will you play for the English national team?
Almunia: We will see what happens in the next few months. It is a difficult situation. I have to think about the pros and cons. I would be very proud but I will have to think carefully.

YayaToure: Are you aware of the positive things that Jens Lehmann had to say about you on Tuesday, and what are your thoughts about Jens after working with him for a few years?
Almunia: I don't know what he said on Tuesday but we now have a good relationship. When you are competing for a place in a team, it is normal you fight about everything. But that is in the past.

elmoftari: Who was your goalkeeping idol when you were young?
Almunia: I didn't have so many heroes but maybe Andoni Zubizarreta who used to play for Barcelona and Spain for a long time. The best keeper is a mix of all different kinds of abilities.