Written by Mean Lean on Friday, 17 December 2010 20:18
Amazingly I had totally forgotten about the Champions League draw. I flicked on my phone to have a look around what was happening on Twitter, expecting to read about Shawcross, Stoke City and co and then I was hit with the Barca draw. I was almost more shocked that I had forgotten the draw than our actual opposition.
I certainly feel somewhat different about the draw than I did last season.
Firstly I wonder how much coverage Wenger's pre draw comments will get. I already know the answer to that. There will be loud clearing of throats, figiting and dusting under rugs from men with blank faces.
I found this quote in a newspaper yesterday. Wenger said: "I know who we will get, At this level, you need connections."
An article on the Guardian that was published on the 16th December 2010 said: The Frenchman has seen it written. Arsenal will be paired with Barcelona.
Sure enough, we were.
But how can this be? The balls are stirred around and picked out at random right? Is there just too much money at stake to make this competition random? I do not have the answers but I can hazard a guess.
Last season I felt cocky and certain that we could show Barcelona that we could give them a taste of their own medicine. The first 45 minutes at the Emirates in the first leg brought me back down to earth a little. I get the feeling that our own players also felt a little star struck.
Theo Walcott and Denilson turned that game around on that night and if the match was being played next weekend then those two players would be key to my game plan if I was in Arsene's shoes.
Barcelona were very impressive in the first half an hour of that game and many would have struggled to have dealt with them during that period but we cannot forget that our players dropped like flies over the two legs.
Arshavin went off after 27 minutes, Gallas then limped off at half time, pushing Alex Song back into central defence. The team had to totally reshape itself and against Barcelona that would have made a big impact on the game.
It is almost impossible to talk about the second leg objectively. Going away to the most difficult ground possibly in world football without eight or so first team players. Impossible.
Yet we took the lead and could have been two goals up had Diaby played the correct pass. Barcelona took over and then Messi stepped forward.
I would say that Barcelona are the best team I have seen in all my time as a football fan. I could pick holes in so many of their individuals. In fact apart from the usual suspects (Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Villa et al) I would select Arsenal players over our Barca counterparts, but as a team Barcelona work together like no other team in the world.
A common misconception would be to say that Arsenal would be allowed to express themselves as Barcelona are an attacking side who play football.
That sentence would be partly correct. Correct in the sense that they are a wonderful attacking side who are build to score goals. But they are the best attacking defensive side in the world.
Guardiola took over as Barcelona coach in 2008 and sold Ronaldiniho. A gifted, luxury match winner who didn't think it was his job to chase people and tackle the opposition. His form was dipping but his work rate wasn't there so he was shipped out to AC Milan.
I remember reading about how hard he pushed his players in training and that it didn't matter what position you played, you had to defend when not in possession of the ball.
Now that his team have gelled together and all know what their roles are, they make life incredibly difficult for the opposition. I was as impressed with Barcelona as everyone was against Real Madrid in the recent El classico.
Real Madrid simply were not able to play football, they were just not allowed. As soon as a full back is on the ball, he has Pedro or Villa racing towards him at full pelt, all the passing options for that full back are being stalked like hungry tigers hiding in the long grass. stalking their prey. As soon as the under pressure full back plays that pass, the supporting Barcelona players are already making their move to intercept the ball. When the opposition inevitably misplace a pass or loose the tackle you have a stream of Barcelona players pouring forward making passing options.
This is done all over the pitch, especially from the front. Even a player like Messi who is the best attacking player in the world is required to work like crazy to stop the opposition settle on the ball.
If ever you wondered why Barcelona have been linked to Denilson and Clichy then that is why. Two players with wonderful anticipation and intercepting skills.
It is this aspect of their game that I am in fact more worried about than their excellent attacking potential.
How is Sagna, Song and perhaps Diaby going to be able to handle receiving the ball with so much pressure in our own half?
Because of their system, like Arsenal they have struggled at times with the longer ball. Having squeezed so far up the pitch to play in the opponents half, space is often found behind them. With Puyol and Pique you would feel that pace could do some damage to them. Especially Theo's pace.
But can Arsenal play a longer game? Would Wenger try and play a longer game? It could have rewards but it would also concede possession cheaply and we know that when Barcelona have the ball they keep it.
I watched Hercules beat Barcelona 2-0 at the Camp Nou in the second game of this La Liga season. Hercules sat deep, plugged in the gaps and hit Barcelona on the break with pace. It worked fantastically well. They could have scored at least another goal.
I would like to see us adopt that approach to the game. We saw glimpses of that at Old Trafford, defending deep and organised but our passing was poor on the day. I certainly would start Theo Walcott in both games assuming that Barcelona will take the game to us and play a high line. Even a Theo Walcott not in form could make a massive difference for us.
Barca would have plenty of trouble dealing with Walcott running between Abidal and Puyol with Cesc looking to play the pass through the middle from the half way line on the counter attack.
I would love us to play the most technical available team whilst still keeping a defensive balance. I would love to see a team of players who can play in tight areas and who do not need many touches to avoid the pressing of Barca.
I would leave out Arshavin because Dani Alves pushes on to create an additional right winger and would leave Clichy two on one as usual. Van Persie would be my choice as lone forward as his ability to find runners is superior to Chamakh or Bendtner.
A midfield trio of Denilson, Wilshere and Cesc is mobile and technical, all can play the ball around pressure and all can win the ball. It would be very controversial to leave out Alex Song but physical strength or height is unlikely to decide this match.
This is obviously just an initial reaction to the draw. The game takes place in February and plenty can happen from now until then. Today we have almost a fully fit squad by the time the game takes place we could quite easily be going to Barcelona with five key players missing.
Form also plays a massive part in Wenger's selection process. Diaby might be flying at that point and undroppable, Arshavin may have scored 6 in his last 3. It is very difficult to talk about which players should and shouldn't play with any real certainity.
Whichever players start in the two legs, whichever tactics are deployed by Wenger, the players will have to be at their best both offensively and defensively if we are to have any hope of getting through.
I want to see Barca being put under pressure, for their defenders to have some real work to do over the 180 minutes. I want to see the ball being rolled into Van Persie inside their penalty area with Nasri racing to join him.
This is by no means a foregone conclusion. Barcelona will be favourites and rightly so but they yet to face a fully fit Arsenal team on top of their game.
Whatever happens, it will certainly be intriguing and entertaining.
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