UCL: Arsenal Vs FC Barcelona 1st k/o round

[Alcaraz]

btw Barca play in a pretty poor league..

Sporting should have beaten them yesterday - Only Madrid have a realistic chance of catching them and it's a two-team league, really.

Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Man City > Villarreal, Valencia, Espanyol, Sevilla.

Madrid have only lost twice - To Barca one time, obviously when they were absolutely awful and Ronaldo tried to make it him vs Messi instead of Real vs Barca - they didn't press the ball and conceded an unfortunate goal meaning they were chasing for 80 minutes.

Plus it's a team still very much gelling.

they beat Real Madrid 5-0

the likes of Sevilla, Villareal and Valencia in the same league not mentioning At Madrid, hardly a poor league, even if it is not the same standard of the Premiere League losing only once is a record I would be proud off that also in our first game in the season where the opposition took a leaf out of Mourinho's book

 

[GodCubed]

4-1 to Barca. This season they have been superb, and Arsenal are without the Verminator,

 

[paceme]

If you look at the teams who have beaten barca this season, its because they have organised there defence fantastically while obvioulsy still applying pressure, arsenal wont be able to do this as there defence is **** tbh,

the way mourinho beat barca with inter is by playing the deepest defensive line he could while having cambiasso and whoever their other DFM is (has slipt my mind) where stuck to messi and iniesta like glue and did not give them room, that is how you have to play barca,

Ferguson used almost the same tactic against them in 2008, denying them room the move,

another important fact is inter and manchester united have big physical players who can use there strengh to outmuscle barca, arsenal dont have these sorts of players, the closest is song who is hardly the biggest guy around.

Fluid attack wont matter a jot, the only thing arsenal can really hope for are defensive slip ups

 

[Cloud~]

How will fluid attack "not matter a jot". FYI fluid attack doesn't cancel out fluid attack. Anyway I'm fully aware of people's "less than educated" views of how this tie will pan out, so I wont reply to everything written but ill just reiterate, it will be respectable (I hope ).

 

[Mike.]

If you look at the teams who have beaten barca this season, its because they have organised there defence fantastically while obvioulsy still applying pressure, arsenal wont be able to do this as there defence is **** tbh,

the way mourinho beat barca with inter is by playing the deepest defensive line he could while having cambiasso and whoever their other DFM is (has slipt my mind) where stuck to messi and iniesta like glue and did not give them room, that is how you have to play barca,

Ferguson used almost the same tactic against them in 2008, denying them room the move,

another important fact is inter and manchester united have big physical players who can use there strengh to outmuscle barca, arsenal dont have these sorts of players, the closest is song who is hardly the biggest guy around.

Fluid attack wont matter a jot, the only thing arsenal can really hope for are defensive slip ups

not true, in fact both betis and hercules beat them played a pressing game, and forcing them wide because they had no one to cross too

 

[Alcaraz]

not true, in fact both betis and hercules beat them played a pressing game, and forcing them wide because they had no one to cross too

plus they have no aerial threat in the box, if Ibra was there they could have still won, as I have mentioned several times he added another important dimension to their attack, a plan B they could have reverted to when Hercules forced them wide

either way the Barcelona had an off day, they have loads of flaws in their tactic but their players are so good, these flaws are covered up

 

[Cloud~]

plus they have no aerial threat in the box, if Ibra was there they could have still won, as I have mentioned several times he added another important dimension to their attack, a plan B they could have reverted to when Hercules forced them wide

either way the Barcelona had an off day, they have loads of flaws in their tactic but their players are so good, these flaws are covered up

Covered up is not the same as not existing.

 

[Mike.]

plus they have no aerial threat in the box, if Ibra was there they could have still won, as I have mentioned several times he added another important dimension to their attack, a plan B they could have reverted to when Hercules forced them wide

either way the Barcelona had an off day, they have loads of flaws in their tactic but their players are so good, these flaws are covered up

they wouldnt have, ibra was loan/sold becuase he failed to be an adequate plan B, he was woeful in the air for them

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Covered up is not the same as not existing.

my point all along

 

[CJ]

If Squilaci plays - 4-1 Barca.
If he doesn't 2-1 Barca.

Hoping Messi runs riot again and slaughters the gooners.

 

[Alcaraz]

they wouldnt have, ibra was loan/sold becuase he failed to be an adequate plan B, he was woeful in the air for them

---------- Post added at 08:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:18 PM ----------


my point all along

totally agree he was **** for them, i am still unsure on whether he needed more time but meh its hard for him to get that time consdering his wages and the expectations upon him

 

[sunilvk7]

they wouldnt have, ibra was loan/sold becuase he failed to be an adequate plan B, he was woeful in the air for them

---------- Post added at 08:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:18 PM ----------


my point all along

But Barca wont be having much problems against teams who like to keep it on ground. They press so well and get possession better than anyone.

Teams like Chelsea, InterMilan would trouble them a lot. Even city can with their physical strength.

 

[Mike.]

But Barca wont be having much problems against teams who like to keep it on ground. They press so well and get possession better than anyone.

Teams like Chelsea, InterMilan would trouble them a lot. Even city can with their physical strength.

if arsenal defensively can force them wide they will still cause the same issues

 

[Joss]

Can't look past Barcelona for this, maybe this is the game that Wenger will regret not signing anyone in January?

Nou Camp - Barcelona 3 - 1 Arsenal

Emirates - Arsenal 0-1 Barcelona

Change the record, please.

Koscielny and Djourou have looked very good. They have lost 1 game this season, while Squillaci has lost 7. Squillaci isn't playing. Koscielny and Djourou are, and are doing very well.

they beat Real Madrid 5-0

the likes of Sevilla, Villareal and Valencia in the same league not mentioning At Madrid, hardly a poor league, even if it is not the same standard of the Premiere League losing only once is a record I would be proud off that also in our first game in the season where the opposition took a leaf out of Mourinho's book

I'm aware of that. The first goal was early, and pretty fortunate. RM were awful, they didn't press the ball and Ronaldo was non-existent because he tried to do it all himself.

Sevilla got beat yesterday as well, I believe. By Racing. They're not what they used to be at all. Villarreal are the third best team in La Liga, and are still not that good in terms of the rest of the world/Europe. Liverpool > Villarreal. Valencia aren't doing much, they lost Silva and Villa, Mata isn't playing well and they've fallen from grace.

Who's we? "Our first game"

 

[PafcLad]

The team who will win is the team who'll turn up on the day

 

[Alcaraz]

Change the record, please.

Koscielny and Djourou have looked very good. They have lost 1 game this season, while Squillaci has lost 7. Squillaci isn't playing. Koscielny and Djourou are, and are doing very well.



I'm aware of that. The first goal was early, and pretty fortunate. RM were awful, they didn't press the ball and Ronaldo was non-existent because he tried to do it all himself.

Sevilla got beat yesterday as well, I believe. By Racing. They're not what they used to be at all. Villarreal are the third best team in La Liga, and are still not that good in terms of the rest of the world/Europe. Liverpool > Villarreal. Valencia aren't doing much, they lost Silva and Villa, Mata isn't playing well and they've fallen from grace.

Who's we? "Our first game"

Sevilla got beat by Racing similarly how Man Utd got beat by Wolves i believe, every team has their bad game, as mentioned above La Liga is not the same standard as the EPL but it is hardly a poor league and any team would be proud to have lost only one game till now

 

[sunilvk7]

if arsenal defensively can force them wide they will still cause the same issues

Come on Mike, you know, and everyone know how good defensively Arsenal are.

 

[Alcaraz]

if arsenal defensively can force them wide they will still cause the same issues

if the issue was as simple as that, many teams would have gotten points off Barcelona, it will be incredibly hard for Arsenal but yes they have the quality to do it

 

[Mike.]

Sevilla got beat by Racing similarly how Man Utd got beat by Wolves i believe, every team has their bad game, as mentioned above La Liga is not the same standard as the EPL but it is hardly a poor league and any team would be proud to have lost only one game till now

not anywhere near the same, sevilla are a shadow of what they used to be

sunilvk7, hence the if (and its a big one)

 

[Joss]

Come on Mike, you know, and everyone know how good defensively Arsenal are.

With Squillaci, yes...

Otherwise, no.

50% of our goals have come from set-pieces, I don't see Barca having that threat personally. They played very wide vs Sporting, and played badly. Theo will rip them apart if they play that wide.

 

[Mike.]

if the issue was as simple as that, many teams would have gotten points off Barcelona, it will be incredibly hard for Arsenal but yes they have the quality to do it

again hence the IF, and arsenal are more capable than most of the teams barca have faced this season