Proud

[Bring Back Pires]

I don't think it would have changed anything too much if [RVP] stayed on.

I don't know how you can say that though. We were undoubtedly being outplayed, but were still ahead in the tie, 3-2. We withstood Barca's pressure and managed to only concede the one goal in an hour. Okay, we may well have lost anyway, but with us being ahead in the tie, you can't say that losing a man wasn't a big influencing factor in keeping Barca at bay.

Even if he had stayed on, we might have lost 2-1 - and at least had a shot in extra-time.

We'll never know the outcome to this debate, but in my mind, we'd hung in there at 11 vs. 11, and I think we would've had a better outcome than a 1-3 defeat had we kept all our players on the field.

In addition, the referee's appalling decision shouldn't be excused purely because we may have lost the match anyway. He should be read the riot act for what was a truly abysmal call.

Yep, you're right with everything you say matey. Just think that we were so far behind them tonight with half fit players etc that we wouldn't have created a great deal even with 11 men but we'll never know!!

Oh, don't get me wrong - I don't think that we were destined to get a second goal (or even have a shot) even with eleven men on the field; but it sure would've helped out with the defensive duties.

[donaldo]

Always proud to be a Gooner but we didnt have ONE shot on or off target in 90 mins.We scored from an own goal and without Almunia it would have been 10.We we totally outclassed by a better team.

[frankbutcher]

I think the thing that having 10-men affects is that everyone else gets knackered that bit quicker. We may have come into it in the last 10-15 minutes, which i always thought was where we might nick it. We may also have had Barry AND VP on at the end when we got that 1 vs 1.

I would have to say though that 3-1 flattered us massively. In reality it could have been a cricket score. They even scored us a goal! We had no shots on target, or even off target! Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Bradywasking]

If RVP had stayed on , would it have made a difference ??? Maybe not but I would like to see RVP get the chance that Bendtnar fluffed at the end. In reality without the red card he may not have lasted the 90 minutes anyway.. But it did allow Barca to camp in our half as we had no outlet.

[tinpot lane]

Always proud to be a Gooner but we didnt have ONE shot on or off target in 90 mins.We scored from an own goal and without Almunia it would have been 10.We we totally outclassed by a better team.

I don't think anyone is denying that mate, but how many times have we done the same but then concede one on the break and gone on to draw or lose the game?

The exact same could of happened to Barca tonight and nearly did even with 10 vs 11.

[Bring Back Pires]

I would have to say though that 3-1 flattered us massively. In reality it could have been a cricket score.

But that's football I guess. I can think of countless times when you could say the same about our performances (being cricket scores), only to be surrendered to last-minute equalisers.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that tonight, there's many posters saying how outplayed we were etc., and I don't disagree. We were torn apart. BUT, this is football - that counts for nothing, unless you translate it into goals. The fact is, that in the first hour, Barcelona - for all their possession and pretty football - could only overcome our defence on one occasion.

In the end, if you don't score goals, you can't say 'you deserve to win' regardless. Football's about goals, not the balance of play, and up until the last half hour, we had more of them. That's why I'm proud of us tonight and disappointed that the referee had an influence on the game.

[mrgnu1958]

If RVP had stayed on , would it have made a difference ??? Maybe not but I would like to see RVP get the chance that Bendtnar fluffed at the end. In reality without the red card he may not have lasted the 90 minutes anyway.. But it did allow Barca to camp in our half as we had no outlet.

YES...we wouldve won the tie

[LDB]

Always proud to be a Gooner but we didnt have ONE shot on or off target in 90 mins.We scored from an own goal and without Almunia it would have been 10.We we totally outclassed by a better team.

Not entirely unlike Copenhagen.

While i get that a lot of people want to comfort themselves by saying we deserved to lose the fact is that we defended like lions and the pendulum had swung in our favour after the equaliser and before the red card. I am incredibly proud of the players tonight bar cesc.

[1989]

Not proud. Our best players didn't show up today and Cesc was disgraceful.

Wenger is a joke saying we were gonna go looking to score. Not even one shot on goal you mug.

Just fuck off and let someone else have a go at it cuz you're not upto it anymore.

Bring in van Gaal, Coyle, anybody who can inject a bit of passion into the squad and actually has tactical nous about them.

Im sorry but this is possibly the most clueless post I've ever read on this forum.

Anybody criticising the application of the team in that game has no idea what they are looking at when they watch a game of football.

We didn't show enough fight tonight, but then when do we.

Other than Jack, Djourou and possibly Kos, no one even dared put a foot in.

I want to see tough tackles, passion, desire. I didn't see that tonight from anyone bar Jack.

Rosicky, Diaby, Fabregas, Nasri, Clichy looked like they were playing together for the first time. They lacked passion, urgency and a desire to win.

So what should I be proud of? The own goal?

[Number 5]

There is absolutely nothing to be proud of tonight.

A bunch of professional footballers put in a decent shift to try and gain a result against possibly the greatest club side ever assembled.

And so they fucking should have. That's the minimum to expect and hardly anything to be proud of.

I would be proud if we had limited the amount of clear cut chances they created, put at least some kind of threat in at the other end.

What happended was, Barcelona waltzed through our team time and time again scoring 3 times but missing at least another 4 one on one's with the keeper.

I would be proud if there was some kind of tactical plan put together by our manager. Barcelona press high up the field and rush many players at the player in possession of the ball. There is acre's of room behind that initial wave. What, some kind of plan cannot be formulated to at least try and exploit this? Even Souness can see this.

I'm not disapointed with Arsenal tonight, but we went out with a wimper. As we have time and time again over recent years.

My expectations got fully adjusted about 3 seasons ago.

Proud.

[LDB]

Not proud. Our best players didn't show up today and Cesc was disgraceful.

Wenger is a joke saying we were gonna go looking to score. Not even one shot on goal you mug.

Just fuck off and let someone else have a go at it cuz you're not upto it anymore.

Bring in van Gaal, Coyle, anybody who can inject a bit of passion into the squad and actually has tactical nous about them.

Im sorry but this is possibly the most clueless post I've ever read on this forum.

Anybody criticising the application of the team in that game has no idea what they are looking at when they watch a game of football.

We didn't show enough fight tonight, but then when do we.

Other than Jack, Djourou and possibly Kos, no one even dared put a foot in.

I want to see tough tackles, passion, desire. I didn't see that tonight from anyone bar Jack.

Rosicky, Diaby, Fabregas, Nasri, Clichy looked like they were playing together for the first time. They lacked passion, urgency and a desire to win.

So what should I be proud of? The own goal?

Amazing. Really.

Watch that game again, look at the shift that Nasri put in, look at how hard the back 5 worked, including the full backs. Fabregas and Diaby were particularly disappointing no doubt but the team as a whole worked its bollocks off and defended intelligently. I never thought they had that kind of backs-against-the-wall performance in them but they proved me wrong tonight and Im sorry but if you think the team didnt work hard enough tonight then you simply know nothing about football.

[LDB]

There is absolutely nothing to be proud of tonight.

A bunch of professional footballers put in a decent shift to try and gain a result against possibly the greatest club side ever assembled.

And so they fucking should have. That's the minimum to expect and hardly anything to be proud of.

I would be proud if we had limited the amount of clear cut chances they created, put at least some kind of threat in at the other end.

What happended was, Barcelona waltzed through our team time and time again scoring 3 times but missing at least another 4 one on one's with the keeper.

I would be proud if there was some kind of tactical plan put together by our manager. Barcelona press high up the field and rush many players at the player in possession of the ball. There is acre's of room behind that initial wave. What, some kind of plan cannot be formulated to at least try and exploit this? Even Souness can see this.

I'm not disapointed with Arsenal tonight, but we went out with a wimper. As we have time and time again over recent years.

My expectations got fully adjusted about 3 seasons ago.

Proud.

Stick to eggball.

[1989]

Not proud. Our best players didn't show up today and Cesc was disgraceful.

Wenger is a joke saying we were gonna go looking to score. Not even one shot on goal you mug.

Just fuck off and let someone else have a go at it cuz you're not upto it anymore.

Bring in van Gaal, Coyle, anybody who can inject a bit of passion into the squad and actually has tactical nous about them.

Im sorry but this is possibly the most clueless post I've ever read on this forum.

Anybody criticising the application of the team in that game has no idea what they are looking at when they watch a game of football.

We didn't show enough fight tonight, but then when do we.

Other than Jack, Djourou and possibly Kos, no one even dared put a foot in.

I want to see tough tackles, passion, desire. I didn't see that tonight from anyone bar Jack.

Rosicky, Diaby, Fabregas, Nasri, Clichy looked like they were playing together for the first time. They lacked passion, urgency and a desire to win.

So what should I be proud of? The own goal?

Amazing. Really.

Watch that game again, look at the shift that Nasri put in, look at how hard the back 5 worked, including the full backs. Fabregas and Diaby were particularly disappointing no doubt but the team as a whole worked its bollocks off and defended intelligently. I never thought they had that kind of backs-against-the-wall performance in them but they proved me wrong tonight and Im sorry but if you think the team didnt work hard enough tonight then you simply know nothing about football.

Yes I don't think they worked hard enough and if you want to know what real hard work looks like then watch Barcelona. If that makes me a know nothing so be it.

[rodders999]

There is absolutely nothing to be proud of tonight.

A bunch of professional footballers put in a decent shift to try and gain a result against possibly the greatest club side ever assembled.

And so they fucking should have. That's the minimum to expect and hardly anything to be proud of.

I would be proud if we had limited the amount of clear cut chances they created, put at least some kind of threat in at the other end.

What happended was, Barcelona waltzed through our team time and time again scoring 3 times but missing at least another 4 one on one's with the keeper.

I would be proud if there was some kind of tactical plan put together by our manager. Barcelona press high up the field and rush many players at the player in possession of the ball. There is acre's of room behind that initial wave. What, some kind of plan cannot be formulated to at least try and exploit this? Even Souness can see this.

I'm not disapointed with Arsenal tonight, but we went out with a wimper. As we have time and time again over recent years.

My expectations got fully adjusted about 3 seasons ago.

Proud.

Great post, we should have lost 8 nil, had zero shots and people are proud?? No wonder the club has a losers mentality

[Bring Back Pires]

There is absolutely nothing to be proud of tonight.

A bunch of professional footballers put in a decent shift to try and gain a result against possibly the greatest club side ever assembled.

And so they fucking should have. That's the minimum to expect and hardly anything to be proud of.

I would be proud if we had limited the amount of clear cut chances they created, put at least some kind of threat in at the other end.

What happended was, Barcelona waltzed through our team time and time again scoring 3 times but missing at least another 4 one on one's with the keeper.

I would be proud if there was some kind of tactical plan put together by our manager. Barcelona press high up the field and rush many players at the player in possession of the ball. There is acre's of room behind that initial wave. What, some kind of plan cannot be formulated to at least try and exploit this? Even Souness can see this.

I'm not disapointed with Arsenal tonight, but we went out with a wimper. As we have time and time again over recent years.

My expectations got fully adjusted about 3 seasons ago.

Proud.

I'm in the 'realist' camp, but I'm still proud of our performance over the tie. Last year we lost 6-3 on aggregate, and got completely smashed in both games.

This year, we got smashed in both games, but showed more resilience and grit and were able to hang in there. To think how much we were outplayed over the games, and to consider that we still only went out by one goal, speaks volumes (to me, at least).

Now toss in the fact that we had a player unfairly dismissed, and it doesn't look to be the disaster that it might.