No worries mate.....I was only messing. This place would be pretty dull without some decent debate though !rigsby wrote:Ha I know, tbh I do have my gripes I just get a bit rattled when I see people slag us off seemingly out of blind rage, when really the way we played and the team we lost to, there really was no shame.
Barcelona vs Arsenal thread
Agreed. Very disappointing to go out but imagine Liverpool, Chelsea, Utd or Barcelona for that matter.....playing a CL Quarter Final with so many first team players unavailable. And not just that, our missing players were the heart of our team. Take Messi out of Barca's team last night and they would have been very beatable!!VforVictory wrote:No:
Gibbs
Djourou
Gallas
Sol (on bench but half fit).
Song
Cesc
Ramsey
RvP
Arshavin
Rosicky, Denilson carrying slight knocks. Eduardo a shadow of former self.
Wilshere on loan.
We need to buy, but it is not as bad as it appears on result alone.
I can understand all the debates that go on about buying players, Almunia, Diaby etc. But this particular loss was just one of those things so should not be used as an example of all that is (for some) all that is wrong at Arsenal FC!
Here's my thoughts (with the 3 hours sleep)...
It would have taken a miracle to win with that team. Barcelona are simply awesome. Messi is unbelievable and it was a privelage to see him up close (i was actually sat by the corner near where the subs warmed up
). Everytime we got the ball there were 2-3 players closing us down. It felt like there was double the amount of players on their side and the game whizzed by in about 5 minutes.
Whatever the selection, we hardly kept the ball on the ground - just blindly kicking it away from goal all the time - and there was no shape or structure to our team. At one point we had about 15 passes without it ever crossing the half way line. And Barcelona were missing key players. They just have a lot more brilliant players in reserve and cohesive style of play. Its pretty unacceptable for a so-called world class team, ranked the 5th biggsest in the world or whatever we are, charging extortionate prices, to have Merida and Eastmond on the bench for a fixture like this.
That said, it didnt feel like our players weren't trying. Clichy especially (though went on some strange runs). We just can't compare tactically, in squad depth or had anyone leading the fight. But this Barcelona team are far better than last year's and Wenger was never going to go out to stifle them like Chelsea did. Players like RVP and Cesc could have helped because we lacked anyone with a great first touch who can magic something up in a tight space like they can. I wouldnt be too harsh on Tommy V - two left footed defenders who have never played together (i think) against the best player in the world.
Overall, a fun day out, an amazing stadium, and would rather lose to them than anyone else. I do hope we get some much needed strengthening (keepers, c defender or 2, cover for Song and Chamakh), rope in a couple of defensive/goalkeeping coaches and investigate this injury farce by next year but i'm not sure we will.
It would have taken a miracle to win with that team. Barcelona are simply awesome. Messi is unbelievable and it was a privelage to see him up close (i was actually sat by the corner near where the subs warmed up
). Everytime we got the ball there were 2-3 players closing us down. It felt like there was double the amount of players on their side and the game whizzed by in about 5 minutes. Whatever the selection, we hardly kept the ball on the ground - just blindly kicking it away from goal all the time - and there was no shape or structure to our team. At one point we had about 15 passes without it ever crossing the half way line. And Barcelona were missing key players. They just have a lot more brilliant players in reserve and cohesive style of play. Its pretty unacceptable for a so-called world class team, ranked the 5th biggsest in the world or whatever we are, charging extortionate prices, to have Merida and Eastmond on the bench for a fixture like this.
That said, it didnt feel like our players weren't trying. Clichy especially (though went on some strange runs). We just can't compare tactically, in squad depth or had anyone leading the fight. But this Barcelona team are far better than last year's and Wenger was never going to go out to stifle them like Chelsea did. Players like RVP and Cesc could have helped because we lacked anyone with a great first touch who can magic something up in a tight space like they can. I wouldnt be too harsh on Tommy V - two left footed defenders who have never played together (i think) against the best player in the world.
Overall, a fun day out, an amazing stadium, and would rather lose to them than anyone else. I do hope we get some much needed strengthening (keepers, c defender or 2, cover for Song and Chamakh), rope in a couple of defensive/goalkeeping coaches and investigate this injury farce by next year but i'm not sure we will.
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Connolly55
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Kiwi Gooner
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Top attitude, BT!BT wrote: Overall, a fun day out, an amazing stadium, and would rather lose to them than anyone else.
Despite our disappointment, that's what footy's all about.
And I agree wholeheartedly with this bit, too.
BT wrote: I do hope we get some much needed strengthening (keepers, c defender or 2, cover for Song and Chamakh), rope in a couple of defensive/goalkeeping coaches and investigate this injury farce by next year but i'm not sure we will.
Barcelona vs Arsenal
I thought a significant turning point in the match was Denilson's booking. Even up in the Gods anyone could see it was a clean tackle, yet once Messi saw the yellow he knew he would get 100% protection from the ref This left our players totally bewildered as they didn't know what would be deemed by the ref as a fair or unfair tackle. After that I can't remember too many committed tackles by our players.
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marcengels
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Re: Barcelona vs Arsenal
Wrong mate. There was no turning point in that way. Our players being bewildered had nothing to do with that booking. i wish it had.Nos89 wrote:I thought a significant turning point in the match was Denilson's booking. Even up in the Gods anyone could see it was a clean tackle, yet once Messi saw the yellow he knew he would get 100% protection from the ref This left our players totally bewildered as they didn't know what would be deemed by the ref as a fair or unfair tackle. After that I can't remember too many committed tackles by our players.
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whiteknight
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Vermaelen has been a great acquisition, but even he was made to look ordinary by Messi......the sign of a top class player on his day.....making the difficult look simple and the good look bad.
Vermaelen looked very ordinary, when we all know he has been a top man for Arsenal this season!!!!
Messi was the bollocks......
....and yet if Bendtner scores, 2-0 and who knows........
No shame......bring on Spurs!!!!
Vermaelen looked very ordinary, when we all know he has been a top man for Arsenal this season!!!!
Messi was the bollocks......
....and yet if Bendtner scores, 2-0 and who knows........
No shame......bring on Spurs!!!!
I'm still not sure I agree that their missing players were as much of a weakness as ours.... But lets face it it would have been a big ask even with everyone fit.....BT wrote:Overall, a fun day out, an amazing stadium....
I wonder though whether your comment about the stadium benefited from where you sat. Sitting up in the gods my impression was that the Stadium was shite!! Maybe I'll do the tourist bit another time.....
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worthing gooner
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- Location: At Arsene's mental Asylum.
Did anyone see the shop in Barca airport selling the club merchandise?
Not great light in the pic but it made me smile.[img][img]http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn31 ... 010073.jpg[/img][/img]
Not great light in the pic but it made me smile.[img][img]http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn31 ... 010073.jpg[/img][/img]
![[img]http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn31 ... 010073.jpg[/img]](http://s307.photobucket.com/albums/nn312/plop22/?action=view¤t=07042010073.jpg){kind=link}