I think ..... -------------Valdés------------ Alves---Piqué-----Milito/Fontás----Abidal ------------Busquets--------------------- -------Xavi------------Iniesta------------ ---Messi------Villa------------Pedro------ VS ------------------Fabiasnky----------------- Eboué-------Djourou------Squillachi---Clichy ---------Whilsere----Cesc--Song----------- -----Walcott-------Van Persie-----Nasri--
In what way is Arsenal the best, considering they get their asses handed to them whenever they actually play a contender for the title?
i think arsenal is a little better than sporting gijon, i didnt see them getting particularly steamrollered. arsenal is a little more credible than last year, and i dont see them giving away 2 easy goals at home like they did for barca last year. that being said, barca are better this year than last as well, so no reason to say that the improvements from arsenal will be enough to overcome barca. hopefully they can keep messi under control a bit better because he won the tie single handedly last year. also i hope very much that pedro injures himself in training before both matches because he is very much a difference maker this year. in terms of it being an early final, i think it is apt. the 2 purest attacks in world or club football. also both are the biggest whiners, if the margin of loss is slim, i can see a lot of dummies being spat out by crying babies. final point, can we please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please have a fair referee for these two legs. the final in 06 was a disgrace as was the chelsea match in 09. and platini, the head of uefa and obviously very influential with match officials, declaring his support for barca ahead of united before the 09 final was equally outrageious. no photos of referees in barcelona t shirts and ridiculous referee determined outcomes, again.
You can't see it? Seriously? Given Arsenal's injuries at the back I have no problem seeing it, especially since Barca's attack is stronger now (Villa, Iniesta). In fact, I think another 2-2 would be a good home result for Arsenal. I think Arsenal's best weapon is Walcott coming off the bench when everyone is tired. Unfortunately with Nasri's injury and sub-par form by others in attack (Rosicky, Arshavin), they may have to start Walcott instead just to keep Barca honest.
arshavin has been deceptive this season. seems to play shit but pops up with a few goals and assists. the only similarities i see to last year are that messi could still win the tie on his own again. i dont see arsenal giving away cheap goals, though barca might score some great goals. maybe this is the game where wilshere anounces his arrrival on the world stage. plus van persie is in scintillating form.
Amen. For the uninitiated, in 2006 advantage was not played which took away a legit goal from Barcelona (and I'm sure Arsenal would've allowed for the goal to stand in exchange for allowing Lehmann to stay on the pitch) and Arsenal took the lead from a free kick that came from a non-existent foul. Even Wenger admitted afterwards that no contact was made and Eboue dived. And in 2009 Wolfgang Stark denied Barça a clear penalty (Bosingwa pulling down Henry) and refused to show Ballack a second yellow after his fouling of Iniesta. And that's without mentioning Ovrebo sending off Abidal in the second leg for no reason whatsoever. A fair ref would be a welcome change for once.
I agree that Walcott is an awesome weapon to bring on at about 60 minutes, but he's also been growing more into the starter's role this year. He's much more suited to starting a game now than he was a year ago. I think it's just him growing up, building stamina, staying healthy, etc.
It was no early final but it was an enjoyable match. You just gotta love the Arsenal fans: "We won't sell Fabregas, No we won't sell Fabregas"
the second leg is now defo an early 'final' as it is the final match for one of the two. pity arsenal have to play away, as camp nou is a bugger of a place to play when the odds are so high. the referee was a bit shit in the first leg, a lot of calls for barca that were bs, especially with corners against. the ref protected barca from corners and free kicks near their area, knowing that most of the barca goals conceeded this year in europe have been headers. at least the linesmen were clear on the offsides. barca still favourites, , messi will; prolly win the match on his own again, leading to much mutual masturbation over 'pjiliosophy' from a bunch of half wits, but the team spirit arsenal have, their technical competence going forwards, hopefully they can remember to defend for 90 mins, insted of giving away sloppy goals, as they managed in both legs last year and once yesterday.
If the referee protected Barça then I wonder why they wrongfully disallowed Messi's goal... Kinda was... Still think Barça gonna end up the winner though.
Now you're just talking out of your arse. The only bad decision regarding corners was on the side of the field Barca was attacking. And whinging about corner kicks is weak to begin with. If you're gonna whine about officiating you have to pick and choose your spots. You lose all credibility when you do it after every match.
Because a few (okay, more than a few) people who post here on Big Soccer are Barcelona haters through and through. They're easy to suss out. Too easy. Anyone who says those disallowed goals were clearly offside were either not watching the match or are forever haters for reasons only they know.
In my opinion it depends on how well Messi plays. This is a far stronger Arsenal team without all the injuries of the away game last season. I can't stand Arsenal playing the stupid High Line, it is SO dangerous it's unreal. How many times do they expect to get away with it? The Linesman will be Arsenals 12th player.
linesman called the offside, ref would have allowed it imo. maybe that is why the linesman doesnt get the refereeing job whilst uefa prefer the man who had the whistle. fact was it was not offisde, but this was more than likely human error rather than devious. and to be fair, it is nice to see barca get a decision against for once. goes against the limitless litany of erroneous calls in their favour.the referees calls were shocking at times. you might not realise the tactics of not allowing corners and free kicks in the near diagonal zone to the barca goal but most tacticians sure as hell do. this has been the utmost most dangerous place for barca this season. another point to show to you latins, would you like to compare the lennience of the ref in milan, allowed two footed lunges and players headbutting opposing coaches when it is an english team they are playing, with no chance of a dismissal, but when we play another latin side, any possible chance to call a foul and give a yellow against and it is siezed upon. plus that sly tactic of denying us corners and free kicks, knowing how we physically overpower you guys by several feet per player, plus the power to flatten any one of you lot, can't give us the dead balls, got to avoid this.
Talk about going off topic! This thread goes from Arsenal v Barcelona to Gattuso headbutting Joe Jordan as proof of refereeing favoritism. Someone is clearly lost.
let "The Match of the Century" of 2002 between Barca Madrid happen again, the only final i would think of right now
i hope arsenal wins, to show how serieus this match is here is a photo of a christian and a muslim praying for arsenal to win in africa
