The Arsenal v FC Barcelona

Probably won't celebrate it until May

Jaime wrote:VALDES SELECCION!

COTR #6 wrote:Back luck England


Walcott just put himself into the WC squad

Valdes howler

Torrente wrote:Theo!!!!!!!!!!!!


VALDES SELECCION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

borocooper wrote:FACKING RUNNER FTW

I fucking love this board

You'll struggle to find a game where Arsenal give the ball away as easily as this one. Only Fabregas, Nasri, Denilson and Eboue kept possession at the required level.

Arshavin in particular was bad and at least three of Barca's shots on goal were a direct result of him not keeping easy possession. And at least two others came becasue of Diaby giving the ball away very easily.

Added to that we are, relative to status, absolutely the worst team at winning the ball back. Barca kept the ball great but they wouldn't have done so well(and they haven't) against oppositon that can actually win the ball back. Our best tackler is our best passer and finisher. With Song we have a player who still can't tackle more than 50% of the time and in Diaby we have player who can't hold a defensive position. Denilson was a huge improvement.

Anyway, great play by Barca. Its a shame you didn't have a good enough defence to play against so we could see how many pure* chances you would create.

* chances not created by direct individual mistakes (this does not include bad defending).

And Almunia I give up.

Just saw the extended highlights and my god Ibra would have been killed if he didn't get those two goals today.

Messi is definitely G.O.A.T.

Bendter on that double chance that turned out to be offside

Valdes SELECCION!

ALMUNIA SELECCION!

Not only is Arsenal filled with non-english people, it seems they have transfered any english fans they had left for foreigners,Spanish im guesing here.

Harsh on the penalty+red card but the ref is supposed to give if he thinks it was a penalty. I don't know if Puyol's intention was dirty but im not sure it matters either though. Thankfully they are talking about changing this rule so as to only give a yellow if it is in the area.

Puyol's intention most certainly was dirty because he is a dirty c*nt of a player. This particular foul maybe wasn't his worst offence but he does this sh!t all the time and he is hardly ever called for it so it is long over due imo.

Well, where to start. If we had to do a single headline, I'd go for something like "Greatest let-off since OJ".


Anyway, I know some people are "looking forward" to my essay, so here you go


First 65 mins, especially the first half, was probably the best football I've seen Barça play in the Guardiola era. It was a perfect implementtaion of the Cruyff 4-3-3 tactic (something Wenger is Epic Failing at )

High defensive line, no space between midfield and defense, instant pressure on the ball by all 11 players, quick short passing, and good use of width on *both* flanks (Maxwell usually doesn't get that involved).

When this team gets those tactical basics right, and combines it with the usual world class passing, dribbling, and control, nobody can beat them.

Only the finishing was poor...half the saves Almunia made weren't even that special, it was just that the Barça players shot straight at him, and people are generally surprised when Almunia makes a save.

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Then of course as we all saw, after the 0-2, the players completely relaxed mentally. There was an element of fatigue as well, because of all the pressing in the first half. And one of Arsenal's strengths as a team is they can last the full 90 mins of any game at their peak pace.

The Barça defensive line dropped back, allowing Cesc to get between the midfield and defensive line and have more space to play. And Walcott was a good substitution, as it is always is when he comes on against a tiring defense, regardless of the opposition. It became an end-to-end game, which is always a weak point of this Barça team as it really exposes the defensive line badly.

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People blame Valdes or Maxwell for the first goal, but once again it was clearly Busquets' fault to suddenly put the defense under pressure. Ridiculously casual pass...he could be playing for Arsenal

It's a pity because his distribution in the first half was superb. Arsenal missed a trick (no surprise considering Wenger's tactical ignorance...shaz's post in the Arsenal thread is spot on: he can't decide whether he's playing a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2, and instead uses a system combining a few attributes of each ) by not pressuring him whenever he had the ball.

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Speaking of Busquets, his diving is embarrassing. Same goes for Eboue, who's a c**t that has already shown his colours in the 2006 CL final.

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I think we saw clearly last night that Ibrahimovic is not so much a big game choker as someone who's just not a natural finisher. In past years when playing for the likes of Inter and Juve, he'd often miss the 1 or 2 chances he got (mostly created by himself), and then not get anything else. At Barça, he gets a lot more chances (and some help from Almunia and Song) to score.

For all the smarty pants out there, keep in mind that Etoo didn't have a particularly fantastic conversion rate either. Only if we signed David Villa would that first half have been the 0-5 that it deserved.

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I was disappointed in Guardiola. He motivated the team well before the game, but didn't react when the team started relaxing in the last 20 mins - they should have kept searching for the 3rd goal.

And his substitutions were wrong. Henry FFS He was a fucking joke and an embarrassment to the shirt...didn't even want to get near the ball.

Should have brought on Yaya and Bojan.

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Penalty and red card against Puyol was a joke IMO. He did try to go shoulder to shoulder to put Cesc off balance, but Cesc's leg just got caught as he was shaping to shoot.

I guess I dare not complain about it though...any soft or incorrect penalty decision against Barça will probably be called "karma" for the next 10 years or so

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In terms of the 2nd leg...if the score remained 0-2 it would be a comfortable training exercise at Camp Nou, with energy saved for the Clasico. Instead they'll now have to play a serious game

I just can't see Arsenal getting the win (a 3-3 draw is probably even more unlikely) because despite last night's good performance, I still feel Barça has another couple of levels in them if required.

Plus there's the injuries to Cesc, Gallas, and possibly Arshavin. And they have to score goals, so they will leave gaps for our players. So Barça should go through. Hopefully an early goal to make it comfortable.

The defense will definitely feature Milito and Marquez. Yaya may start in midfield to provide some protection for them, but not at CB...because with Chygrinskiy ineligible, there's nobody apart from Marquez who can distribute from the back.

Abidal will be back which is a huge boost. He has a lot more physical attributes - pace, size, strength - than Maxwell.

But let's be prepared for 90 mins of him getting outpaced (imagine if Walcott gets isolated against him ), beaten for headers by Bendtner, falling over under slight pressure and claiming a foul, and being inept at one-on-ones against the likes of Nasri or Rosicky

A few points….

- Kas, what was all that about Barca being slow starters? Their first 20 minutes was scintilating stuff!

- Ibrahimovic's 2 goals haven't changed my mind about him. The first goal he scored as the result of being unmarked by Song - a defensive midfielder being asked to play at centre back, and a keeper regarded as the worst in the premier league making an erronous decision. The second was also as a reslt of being unmarked by Song. Both were well finished but for the first, the ball was bouncing nicely so it was easy for him to loft it over the keeper. He wasn't having to generate his own loft, which requires far more skill and control. The 2nd goal, he went near post which actually goes against everything that you're trained to do as a striker, He got lucky that Almunia is a bit shit and didn't stand up.

- thought the crowd were actually very good!

- thought it was a great game. Barca deserved to win (probably 5-0 in the first half!) but we also had a few chances we missed.

- it was a penalty and sadly, under the current rules Puyol had to be dismissed. They've discussed this at length on F365 (that its an unneccessary double punishment) and like F365 I also think it’s a stupid rule if the foul wouldn't even be given a yellow outside of the box.

- walcott was very impressive when he came on. I think with that performance he might well have played his way into the world cup squad. Lennon should certainly start but Walcott will be a valuable asset late on in a game against tired defensive legs.

- 2nd leg I'd shift Nasri into the Cesc role and play Eboué on the left.

- Finally, I thought we showed good resiliance to pull it back. Last year we'd probably have shied away. I thought Cesc had a bad game but I admired his tenacity to carry on after the injury and I pray he doesn't leave in the summer.

Tweesus wrote:A few points….

- Kas, what was all that about Barca being slow starters? Their first 20 minutes was scintilating stuff!

Yeah it was quite different to the usual Barça performances in big games. The team tends to give up quite a few chances till they settle...this game was the opposite!

- Ibrahimovic's 2nd goal, he went near post which actually goes against everything that you're trained to do as a striker, He got lucky that Almunia is a bit shit and didn't stand up.

Yes but as the commentator on Al Jazeera said (it was the Sky team), Almunia had shaped to get ready for a shot across him, but Ibrahimovic instead slammed it in at the near post. I actually think that makes it a better goal than if he went for the "easier" option of hitting it across goal.

Tweesus wrote:- it was a penalty and sadly, under the current rules Puyol had to be dismissed. They've discussed this at length on F365 (that its an unneccessary double punishment) and like F365 I also think it’s a stupid rule if the foul wouldn't even be given a yellow outside of the box.

It was NEVER a penalty. Fabregas didn't have the ball under control, he was swinging at a ball in the air, kicked Puyol who was basically just standing about, and fell over.

If I go up for a header, miss it, elbow you in the face and then fall over and do my little Spanish boy look at the referee, is that a penalty and a red card?

Is it fuck.

However, it's clear from games against Man U and Barcelona that all Fabregas has to do is fall over in the box and the referee will give him a penalty and send off the opponent. 2 in 2 years cannot be a coincidence.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to point out to all you Arsenal fuckos that despite your Diaby hype of late he was ABSOLUTELY FUCKING ATROCIOUS last night.

True story mes amis.

kas wrote: It was a perfect implementtaion of the Cruyff 4-3-3 tactic (something Wenger is Epic Failing at )

It worked rather very well up until van Persie got injured. And when you consider some of the other injuries we have had this season (having to play Arshavin as a main striker) I would say it hasn't been a complete failure. You need more that eight months to adapt fully to a new system as well.

Really well played last night, and thanks for letting us back in the tie.

Cesc Soler wrote:

kas wrote: It was a perfect implementtaion of the Cruyff 4-3-3 tactic (something Wenger is Epic Failing at )

It worked rather very well up until van Persie got injured. And when you consider some of the other injuries we have had this season (having to play Arshavin as a main striker) I would say it hasn't been a complete failure. You need more that eight months to adapt fully to a new system as well.

Really well played last night, and thanks for letting us back in the tie.

lol you gonna be facking raped in nou camp

Yup. We have a very, very slim chance of progression to the SF, but stranger things have happened in football.

Indeed they have. Like last night's game finishing a draw entirely thanks to the referee.

That's a stonewall penalty. Regardless of whether the c**t meant it or not, he definitely obstructs Fabregas from taking a shot. Maybe he gets a kink out of a kick to nuts.

Scum once again expose their mental weakness. Followed by abysmal game against Mallorca, which they luckily won. They produce their best performance of the season, creating bundle loads of chances, of which the goat-faced motherfucker should have at least had 5 goals! If this tie is to be turned over by Arse, would certainly have deserved his "Choker" status..

No it wasn't a stonewall imo.
My first reaction was: He couldn't reach the ball and throw himself down after a slight touch. I was surprised the ref made use of his whistle here.

Well, not that I would mind it at least a more open game next week.

Fenomeno wrote:That's a stonewall penalty. Regardless of whether the c**t meant it or not, he definitely obstructs Fabregas from taking a shot. Maybe he gets a kink out of a kick to nuts.

Do you realize what you are saying????
He never fouled him. He was just fucking standing there, and when Fabregas tried to shot he hit Puyol's leg, and that's obstruction???

Fenomeno wrote:That's a stonewall penalty.

Says the Madrid fan.

Regardless of whether the c**t meant it or not, he definitely obstructs Fabregas from taking a shot. Maybe he gets a kink out of a kick to nuts.

The only way Fabregas could have taken a shot is by kicking through Puyol, which is what he tried to do.

Normally when you kick another player between you and the ball it's you committing the foul, not them.

It's not that Cesc would connect with that ball, it was fairly well placed knockdown by Bendtner's head, but that Puyol has rights to be tight, but not if his body would any way obstruct Cesc from taking the shot especially with the ball falling on Cesc's side, and Puyol would have no access to it..

It wasn't a penalty, but it's over, and it is needles to discuss about it anymore.

Dr Adel Sabah wrote:

Fenomeno wrote:That's a stonewall penalty.

Says the Madrid fan.

Rich comment coming from the most unbiased know-it-all football purist in the planet

Great display by Barcelona, lucky Pyrrhic draw for us. Don't think it was a penalty either.

Fenomeno wrote:It's not that Cesc would connect with that ball, it was fairly well placed knockdown by Bendtner's head, but that Puyol has rights to be tight, but not if his body would any way obstruct Cesc from taking the shot especially with the ball falling on Cesc's side, and Puyol would have no access to it..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-ns0ce9OBk

Both players go for the ball, Fabregas kicks Puyol in the back of the leg when Puyol is closer to the ball than Fabregas is.

Kicking another player is usually a foul. What's the difference in this case? Puyol has every right to be moving back towards his own goal trying to stop Fabregas from connecting with the ball. He doesn't push Fabregas, he doesn't kick him, he doesn't trip him, he doesn't punch him.

TITO wrote:It wasn't a penalty, but it's over, and it is needles to discuss about it anymore.

If this were the first or even the one hundred and first such penalty Arsenal had got then maybe, but this shit has gone on far, far too long without people recognising it. Barca will still fuck Arsenal in the second leg, the tie isn't what's important. But the reputation of the game is at stake, and the ref was under clear instructions to make sure people kept watching. Just as he was under clear instructions to not give Chelsea a penalty in last years semi-final second leg.

Dr Adel Sabah wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-ns0ce9OBk

0:29 and 0:36 - two different angles that show how Puyol's presence obstructs him taking the volley. Concise evidence towards penalty.

424 - Zlatan Ibrahimovic ran just 424 metres against Arsenal last night, equal to the circumference of the London Eye. Nonchalant.

Fenomeno wrote:

Dr Adel Sabah wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-ns0ce9OBk

0:29 and 0:36 - two different angles that show how Puyol's presence obstructs him taking the volley. Concise evidence towards penalty.

Dr Adel Sabah wrote:Kicking another player is usually a foul. What's the difference in this case?

By your reckoning if the ball is running out for a goal kick and a defender shields it with his body and the attacking player, who has never been in possession of the ball, kicks the defender in the back, it's a penalty.


And that's bloody ludicrous.

But if the attacking player has the access to the ball but is obstructed by defender's mere presence, especially from the back, it most certainly is a penalty

Fabregas doesn't have access to the ball - he had to kick through Puyol to get anywhere near it. He kicked Puyol. Normally that is a foul. Why is not a foul by Fabregas in this instance?

What you are saying basically means defenders can do nothing because any defending is 'obstructing the attacking player'.

Which is farcical.

That's what i thought Saints.

Fag ass kicked Puyol. Should have been a freekick to Barca.