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My Vision
Written by Mean Lean on Monday, 14 February 2011 12:13
We can finally put the Premier League and domestic competitions tucked away in the loft and pull off the covers wrapped around the Champions League. This game has been swimming around my head since we were *ahem* pulled out of the draw.
I wrote my first thoughts about the game back in December, some of which I agree with and some that I would slap someone else for saying. I made an argument for leaving out Alex Song and replacing him with Denilson in our game on Wednesday night but based on current form Alex Song is streets ahead right now and I wouldn't dream of leaving a fit Song out of our line up but my concerns still remain.
Although Barcelona are fantastic going forward, it is not what they do on the ball that scares me it is what they do when we have the ball that frightens me more. If it was a case of their attack against our attack then I would feel more relaxed about the game but Barcelona are the masters of pressing from the front. Everton caused us problems at the Emirates by stopping our players build up the game and it punctured our game.
I don't want to go into the game too much as I am sure it will be the main topic of conversation over the next two days but I believe the team that will be able to pass the ball around the pressure the best will win the game.
Arsene Wenger has echoed pretty much those same thoughts on the official site
Barcelona drew to Sporting Gijon last night 1-1 and their opponents really stopped them playing their game. Many teams do try and stop them but they are often unsuccessful. That is no surprise when a team is built on passing and moving under pressure from such a young age.
Jack Wilshere has spoken about what Arsenal need to do when in possession and more importantly without the ball but we already know that. Since our defeat at Old Trafford, our first team have been pressing from the front and our results and defensive record has improved considerably. It certainly is no coincidence. It was astonishing how we let them play in the first 45 minutes last year. We sat off them and let them completely dominate, it is very unlikely that they will be given that much time to do that again on Wednesday evening.
Samir Nasri has been training and I am sure he will be in the squad, it would be a massive risk to start him as he hasn't played since limping off with the hamstring problem but with Arshavin looking as bright and fit as he did on the weekend I do not think we will miss Nasri so much.
The Arshavin against Leeds United would have given Arsene a bit more of a problem but he looked up for it against Wolves and I think his pace and direct running will cause Alves problems. I said, I wasn't going to talk anymore about the game so stop making me do so, ok?
Real Madrid have denied making an offer for Cesc Fabregas. Apparently they have a good relationship with Arsenal and they do not want any misunderstanding. Well that is ok then.
All this Real Madrid, Chelsea, Man City, Inter talk is just nonsense and it often does not compute with me. I just cannot see Cesc leaving to go to anyone but Barcelona and even that I find less likely these days. It is also very boring, this kind of speculation is pointless in February.
Right, must dash.
Back tomorrow.
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14-Feb-2011 13:42 | | FemiOur Doctors should try their best for Nasri to play. Vermalin should play the second match. The match is a won game.
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14-Feb-2011 13:55 | | afcI'm not sure what will happen in the game, will have to see what arsenal turn up I guess, if thay sit back and don't close down quick anuf then it could turn out a 2 nothing to barca
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14-Feb-2011 14:20 | | wisyI hope the lads are reading all this comments. They shld play the way they did against chelsea and man city.
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14-Feb-2011 16:20 | | matlee - worlds apartBarca are the best in the world 'at the moment' many teams have had that acolade over the years and it is an everchanging cycle. having never won the
Champions League it is a Trophy Arsenal and Chelsea are desparate to get their hands on for the 1st time. some of the european giants are going into double figures and until we can register 1 we won't be considered amoungst the worlds elite. i think Barca will win this tie but i don't see the gulf in class that the media do. look at their players, Messi excluded are Cesc, Nasri, Arshavin, RVP, Song or JD a world away ? personally i prefer our players. the big factor in Barca's favour is that they are winners and have been for some time, also their team ethic is exceptional but they are not superhuman - for example Pique was average at Man utd, Mascarano competent water carrier at Liverpool. this proves that we are not dealing with world class individuals from 1 to 11 but the transformation as a collective. would they win the premier league every year? no chance ! they would soon begin to struggle with ferocious encounters around every corner, fixture congestion, dodgy pitches and harsh weather - and don't forget the shocking referee's. i'm not saying our clubs would walk their league or that the Premier is better, just that their league suits them and they thrive in it. in every match there is an underdog and considering the amount of times the underdog wins against the favourite even when often the gulf in class is larger than the gap between us and Barca, it seemed premature for most to say that we were out upon the announcment of the draw. if that were the case then Wolves need not have bothered to turn up to collect 3 points from Utd or Newcastle and Westbrom at the Emirates.
i only hope that Wenger has learnt from last year (eggs+basket) when a fragile Cesc missed the end of the season and the team collapsed along with our title hopes. he did make a difference in the 1st leg but we never stood a chance with the likes of Silvestre in defence. the most important thing is a clean sheet, that will leave us needing an attainable score draw
in Spain and would give us a big advantage in the 2nd leg when we can pick up away goals all the way into extra time and they can't. seriously i don't understand why playing the 2nd leg at home
is portrayed as the advantage. often the 1st leg is a cagey affair and even big leads can be demolished by a couple of away goals in the 2nd leg.
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14-Feb-2011 18:52 | | GoonzillaOne thing I can assure you all is that Arsene would have played the first 30 mins of the 1st leg over and over again for the players to see where we failed last time around. The arsenal players know what to expect this time around and will not be showing as much respect to Barca as they did last time around.
On the positive side, irrespective of Barca's early dominance in the first 30 mins of the 1st leg, and the injuries we suffered during the game, we still managed to draw 2-2 at the end of the day.
Fast forward to today. We look a different bunch all across board. limited injuries, players in form, still in all 4 competitions and for the first time in as many years, genuinely looking to end our min trophy drought. I CANT SEE US PERFORMING ANY WORSE THAN WE DID LAST YEAR, THAT IS FOR SURE. I usually dont count the 2nd leg of last years tie simply because even with all our first team regulars available, it would have been a huge task to get a result at the Nou Camp (more or less without the likes of Fabregas, Van P, Arshavin, Gallas, and Song - as was the case last year - and playing Mikel Silvestre against Messi, a complete recipe for disaster).
We have no reason to fear. We know what we have to do. We simply have to earn the right to play our game by fighting to win the ball back. This has already been shown in games against Chelsea, Man City (where they had zero shots on goal), West Ham, Wigan and most recently Wolves.
Barca is a great team and I give them credit for what they have achieved, but I dont buy the argument that they are unbeatable. After all, they dont have the best defense in the world. Their monopoly of possession helps limit the assault on their fragile back line which has been found wanting in the past on several occasions. If we can escape the Barca pressure when we have the ball, then I can see us winning the game on wednesday. You wouldnt bet against Van P having a masterful game.
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