Barca Home Tuesday 19.45

[armchair]

I dunno why Im so pissed off about this defeat. I mean, we all seen it coming. From the impotency in attack due to a lack of a top striker right down to conceding with our defenders caught high up the pitch.

Not like we havent seen it before. Against good teams AND poorer teams. I know Barca are the best but any team would have scored those goals against us.

[augie]

I dunno why Im so pissed off about this defeat. I mean, we all seen it coming. From the impotency in attack due to a lack of a top striker right down to conceding with our defenders caught high up the pitch.

Not like we havent seen it before. Against good teams AND poorer teams. I know Barca are the best but any team would have scored those goals against us.

Kinda feel like that myself tbh - last night I was kinda ok because we at least played with a bit of passion (should be taken for granted but not with ours ), but today I feel exhausted by at all cos we have seen it so many times before Again we have all said that it a zillion times that nothing will ever change as long as le cu.nt remains in charge, but it doesnt stop the overwhelming feelings of despair and dejection at the deja vu world in which we now live

[Kevaldo]

Also even accounting for them obviously having an off-day this Barca team is not as good as 5-6 years ago.

They have an immense front 3 who between them score and create goals with very occasional assistance. Behind that Iniesta is a shadow of the player he was and Rakitic isn't fit to lace Xavi's boots. Back then their pressing game was immense and every touch we had in the first 35 minutes was hacking it anywhere. Yesterday we looked very comfortable for 44 minutes and could easily have been ahead - we should really have got something from the game (although 2 goal loss was a fair reflection in the end).

I actually think this is a more dangerous and clinical team than 5-6 years ago. They have skipped out some of the tika taka under Enrique to mix it up with a more direct style of play, to their strengths of the amazing front 3. The fact that they can not even play well and still end up with a comfortable 2-0 away win whilst missing numerous other chances says it all. This team is a cut above and could end up doing back to back trebles, which no other team has ever done. They also made defensive adjustments in the second half to tighten up.
We fluffed our lines by missing our chances and it was inevitable that sooner or later their quality would take advantage of the slightest defensive lapse. We just weren't not good enough, or smart enough to manage the game. 0-0 would have been good and 0-1 wouldn't have been the end of the world but giving away the penalty was unforgivable, and 2-0 has that "routine loss" ring about it, despite all our efforts.

[Kevaldo]

Also even accounting for them obviously having an off-day this Barca team is not as good as 5-6 years ago.

They have an immense front 3 who between them score and create goals with very occasional assistance. Behind that Iniesta is a shadow of the player he was and Rakitic isn't fit to lace Xavi's boots. Back then their pressing game was immense and every touch we had in the first 35 minutes was hacking it anywhere. Yesterday we looked very comfortable for 44 minutes and could easily have been ahead - we should really have got something from the game (although 2 goal loss was a fair reflection in the end).

I actually think this is a more dangerous and clinical team than 5-6 years ago. They have skipped out some of the tika taka under Enrique to mix it up with a more direct style of play, to their strengths of the amazing front 3. The fact that they can not even play well and still end up with a comfortable 2-0 away win whilst missing numerous other chances says it all. This team is a cut above and could end up doing back to back trebles, which no other team has ever done. They also made defensive adjustments in the second half to tighten up.
We fluffed our lines by missing our chances and it was inevitable that sooner or later their quality would take advantage of the slightest defensive lapse. We just weren't not good enough, or smart enough to manage the game. 0-0 would have been good and 0-1 wouldn't have been the end of the world but giving away the penalty was unforgivable, and 2-0 has that "routine loss" ring about it, despite all our efforts.

[Robin_L]

Just really disappointed by it, we defended pretty well for 70 odd minutes, were heading for a creditable 0-0 result which would've left us in with a shout. Us with 2 clear cut chances to score, them with the same. Then the concentration goes and we get done with that 1st goal that was so reminiscent of Monaco.

I knew then we were out of the tie, the Flamini thing was just a dumb individual error that confirms it as 99%+ certain.

We really didn't play shit from a defensive perspective, just like every inferior team that comes up against a superior team, didn't take that key chance through Oxlade-Chamberlain in particular. At least Giroud's wasn't straight at the keeper.

[DB10GOONER]

I dunno why Im so pissed off about this defeat. I mean, we all seen it coming. From the impotency in attack due to a lack of a top striker right down to conceding with our defenders caught high up the pitch.

Not like we havent seen it before. Against good teams AND poorer teams. I know Barca are the best but any team would have scored those goals against us.

Kinda feel like that myself tbh - last night I was kinda ok because we at least played with a bit of passion (should be taken for granted but not with ours ), but today I feel exhausted by at all cos we have seen it so many times before Again we have all said that it a zillion times that nothing will ever change as long as le cu.nt remains in charge, but it doesnt stop the overwhelming feelings of despair and dejection at the deja vu world in which we now live

Same here. It's the predictability and fucking inevitability of it all that kills me.

[rodders999]

Barca didn't even get out of second gear against us last night and managed 2 goals and could easily have bagged another 3.

So the question is......what sort of absolute beasting awaits us out there

I reckon it will be minimum 4 nil with the potential for things to get real ugly if they don't take their foot off the gas.

[DB10GOONER]

Barca didn't even get out of second gear against us last night and managed 2 goals and could easily have bagged another 3.

So the question is......what sort of absolute beasting awaits us out there

I reckon it will be minimum 4 nil with the potential for things to get real ugly if they don't take their foot off the gas.

That's a great (and overlooked) point; they looked like they could have stepped up a gear anytime they needed to.

[OneBardGooner]

I dunno why Im so pissed off about this defeat.

I mean, we all seen it coming. From the impotency in attack due to a lack of a top striker right down to conceding with our defenders caught high up the pitch.

Not like we havent seen it before. Against good teams AND poorer teams. I know Barca are the best but any team would have scored those goals against us.

Totally agree, I think what is so irritating - as many have said - That the team did put in a 'good shift' - however....we seemed to 'panic' when the chances to score came along - It was as if the players were thinking This is barcelona - we're playing barcelona - we can't score against barcelona - The Clueless wonder seemd to have made them motre nervous than ever before...

Sanchez was well below par - he kept either mis-passing the ball or trying to beat too many players and so lost it...
Ozil played some excellent passes but the Ox (though trying hard) being the Ox did a Theo and wasted possession
Giroud - was non existent - I just wish he had (played the braca way) and took a dive when that pussifiedcrunt Alba put his head into his face/chin - would have been a red (Maybe) - the ref was very poor - what's new when barca are playing

Bellerin, Monreal and Cech were our best players...Welbeck did more in the short time he was on than Giroud did...


Flamini IS an accident waiting to happen - and wenger;s decision to replace Coquelin with a walking distaster was so WRONG - I saw the sub happening and thought oh! my gawd here's Captain Stupid....and then BFG's lame, lame attempt to play a loose ball in the area with the like sof Messi and Neymar close by - It was only going to end in distaer and so Flamini (thanks to Wenger) obliged.

We all used the term'Groundhog' (day/week/season on here...and this is just another contuation of that hope, life sapping cycle that Wenger keeps going.....Talking of which, after last night's loss - I wonder if the players will be so adverselyy affected that yet again the rest of the wheels will now come off the Arsenal Wagon.....

Wheel One - Barca loss

Wheel Two : Manure

Wheel Three: Hull City away

Wheel Four: The Scum

????????

The Arsenal Groundhog Season Wagon all revved up and ready to go.

[OneBardGooner]

Barca didn't even get out of second gear against us last night and managed 2 goals and could easily have bagged another 3.

So the question is......what sort of absolute beasting awaits us out there

I reckon it will be minimum 4 nil with the potential for things to get real ugly if they don't take their foot off the gas.

1. True - But, I think the formation and (dare I say it) tactics the team employed had something to do with that.

2. Yup! Arsenal need to include a whole lot of lube for the away trip to the nou camp..


ps; Alba and alvez are two of the biggest diving, cheating, face holding cunnts ever to wear a barca shirt - and there have been quite a few.

[GranadaJoe]

AW showed what can be achieved with an average team (us, in case you were wondering) when set up properly. By pressing their back four and staying compact at the back we nullified most of Barca's threats, and we did this with Ramsey giving the ball away, Giroud trying hard but accomplishing nothing and Sanchez constantly doing 'The Sanchez' (control, pause, cut inside, get tackled).

Coq looked more mature and more disciplined right up to the point when, with most of our team camped in and around their box, exerting a decent amount of pressure, he resisted playing a forward ball and lumped it 30 yards back to Merts (not exactly Baresi in his distrubution) who lumped it forward for Pique to win the header and leave us wide open at the back to concede a goal.

You can take the boy out of tippy-tappy, but ......


When our glorious leaders said that the move tothe Grove would enable us to compete with Europe's elite, I must have missed the bit about 'for an hour or so'.

imo None of our outfield players would get into the Barca side. NONE!

[Ikechukwu1]

This is a great write up

http://www.football365.com/news/mathieu ... al-present

[Yankee_Gooner_Dandee]

we deserved to lose by more to be honest.

But i just have to say that there is not anyone in the world of sports I fucking despise more than Jordi Alba, Dani Alves, and Sergi Busquets. These three fuckers get me riled up screaming at the tv screen very fucking time they are rolling on the ground holding their faces when they weren't even touched.

And Dani Alves getting RVP sent off in the return leg at Camp Nou a few years ago still gets to me.

[MrT]

The infuriating thing was we actually made them look pretty fucking average for most of that, a bit strange considering they are the best team in the world. Tactics were spot on for the most part.

The quality of players will always let you down in tight games like this, which stems from the manager not buying the right players etc etc etc....Fucks sake, every major problem in this club stems from one man. Depressing.

[arseofacrow]

AW showed what can be achieved with an average team (us, in case you were wondering) when set up properly. By pressing their back four and staying compact at the back we nullified most of Barca's threats, and we did this with Ramsey giving the ball away, Giroud trying hard but accomplishing nothing and Sanchez constantly doing 'The Sanchez' (control, pause, cut inside, get tackled).

Coq looked more mature and more disciplined right up to the point when, with most of our team camped in and around their box, exerting a decent amount of pressure, he resisted playing a forward ball and lumped it 30 yards back to Merts (not exactly Baresi in his distrubution) who lumped it forward for Pique to win the header and leave us wide open at the back to concede a goal.

You can take the boy out of tippy-tappy, but ......


When our glorious leaders said that the move tothe Grove would enable us to compete with Europe's elite, I must have missed the bit about 'for an hour or so'.

imo None of our outfield players would get into the Barca side. NONE!

Spot on. And have to agree - doubt that their boss would go out of his way to stick any of our players in his first 11.

I think last night shows the difference between us, being disciplined until we weren't, and Chelsea who set out their stall and don't leave their stall.