Barcelona v Arsenal, April 6, 2010, Pre/Dur/Post Match [R]

Haha Team America quote. You've made my night.

 

Very true. Arsenal was never going to win this CL with the injuries they have. Better to know where improvement is needed and focus on the league the rest of the way.

 

btw, warren barton is the wrost "analyst" ever.

 

scarface

 

Men Vs Boys. Andy Gray was right when he said Arsenal don't know how to play when they don't have the ball. Barca just showed our frailties on the biggest stage and ones in which Wenger doesn't want to remedy.

 

Try giving up a late goal to drop points at home to a team you beat 6-1 at their place.

 

My thoughts exactly. We gave them a fight for the last part of the first leg and the first 20 minutes of this one. This should let Wenger know EXACTLY what we need. Should...

 

When it got Messi we got out gunned.

Sorry I couldn't help myself.

Without a true ball winner in MF we were going to struggle.

And I agree with you Topcat, the Greg Lougainis routine got old VERY quickly.

 

Yeah great point but our philosophy needs some tinkering.

 

I agree with whom ever said that we are victims to a thin squad plagued with injuries for the 2nd yr in a row.

Before the season started we where talking about depht in midfield and uptop, and yet we where out half of our lineup in the stands.

I still think Wenger made a huge mistake by not having a healthy Vela in the bench, and he used an injured Rosicky who was very timid and very poor today. We didnt have anything on the left hand side and when Clitchy and Nasri pushed that side we didnt have anyone out wide to pass it to.

Clitchy is coming back to form, he didnt allow Alvez to move so freely and 2 of the 4 goals where Silvestres mistakes. We need Sol to stick around for maybe another year and coach TV5 and Djouru on communication. On top of that we still need 1 more CB and another CDM. Chamahk will be massive for us. We can field 4-3-3 with Arshavin on the right, RVP up top and Chamahk on the left, or vice versa.

 

Was the other way round, you got 50 million minutes injury time til I think my boy Diaby scored. Cos remember Pienaar did the same thing Messi did for his hat trick tonight. Lionel obviously keeps abreast with the ups and downs of the merseyside blue.

 

Season after season it comes down to injuries with Arsenal doesn't it? This season isn't over yet, I have faith in the EPL but still when you lack strong depth and have a small squad like Arsenal do you are always having injuries to key players that are used as an excuse to when we loose big games.

 

Unfortunately, most of us think this wasn't necessary -- there's been plenty of other matches that should make it clear what we need.

 

Er.... I don't think so, TD. Not in one area, anyway.

That fella NEVER dived... EVER! In fact, if someone fouled him and it wasn't given but he still had the ball close to him, he'd get up and take the fella on again and again to embarrass him. He was as brave as a lion, that guy.

Watch this bit of film, particularly at 3:46 seconds.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nplemK3Y4ns"]YouTube- George Best Tribute[/ame]

The guy coming in from the right and trying to take him out, (but failing), was Ron 'Chopper' Harris. If Messi played against people like Harris he'd be carried out of the ground in a sack after every match.

 

Cor, sticking Norfolk in as your location. That's brave, I'm gonna rep you.

 

Barca clearly deserved that. Messi was amazing. Arsenal, not so much.

But I'll say it again, I've seen lesser La Liga sides possess the ball better than we did in either leg. Messi's great, and you can't stop him all the time, but he doesn't score 4 goals a game every day, especially against decent opposition. It was as if in the first half, we had already decided that Messi was unstoppable, and we played him like that.

If only we had Landon Donovan to counteract the Messi.

The turning moment for me was Diaby screwing up the break in the first half, and then Messi punishing us minutes later. It could have been 2-0 easily. Anyway, off to the transfer thread. So you guys over there shortly. Hopefully we can discuss Landon Donovan and Tim Howard.

 

Sadly, this is so true.

 

Yeah, I'm not good with details.

 

It doesn't get any better when I say I was born in Essex does it, so not Norfolk born at least

 

My worst fear came to light...Walcott just isnt near the level required to start a game like this. Fell asleep for the second goal and did his best to ******** up Bendtners goal.

Wenger royaly ********ed this one up and for the first time since he took over Arsenal I'm wondering if he has taken this team as far as he can. Too set in his ways especialy when it comes to fixing problems at the back.

I may think a little clearer on reflection but the manner of this defeat is very hard to take.

 

It's a new defense. It's called "Don't mark their best player"

Don't think they've quite figured it out yet.

 

I was waiting for someone to bring this up. I don't think Messi dives, sure he went in with Denilson stupidly, but the ref still had to give it. Besty didn't even wear shinpads, and he just hurdled people. Different time, you can only play and beat what you're up against can't you. You have to remember Messi is just 22 though. There's a lot more to come.

You're preaching to the converted here mate, My mum's from NI, met Besty and is a United fan. That's why I'm a United sympathiser.

 

Vela has done shit this entire season. With the injuries Arsenal have had this season his repeated absence from the team sheet should tell you where Wenger rates him right now. His exclusion from the bench had no bearing on this game whatsoever.

 

I kept on thinking we would learn from our mistakes. The second United game, where me made the same mistakes over and over again, was the match where I felt we needed a change.


Warren Barton is useless.

Marking him wouldn't have made a big difference. Us bombing forward and not dropping back anyone back is what hurt us. With some teams you see the organization, with us not so much. That's what we need to improve.