The Arsenal v FC Barcelona

Well im going for Arsenal to progress....

I give Arshavin > Their left dude
Possible a CB > Puyol
and Cesc at least equal to Xavi but bar that Barca win all of them.

Almunia = Valdes
Gallas = Puyol
Vermaelan < Pique
Sanga/Eboue < Dani Alves
Clichy < Abidal
Song < Toure
Cesc < Xavi
Diaby < Iniesta
Arshavin < Messi
Nasri > Henry
Bender = Ibrahimovic

Anyone who thinks Valdes is = to Almunia is mental.

Valdes is far superior.

I love how COATER always assumes everything is a foregone conclusion.

Err no, Valdes is atrocious. If anything Almunia is better IMO.

Rosicky. wrote:Anyone who thinks Valdes is = to Almunia is mental.

Valdes is far superior.

Thank you.

and as much as a choker as Ibra may or may not be, Bentner isn't in is class.

Romford Pele wrote:Err no, Valdes is atrocious. If anything Almunia is better IMO.

Romford Pele wrote:Err no, Valdes is atrocious. If anything Almunia is better IMO.

No way FFS. Valdes pulls off some great saves despite a few errors, Alumunia is just a lump of shite.

Romford Pele wrote:Err no, Valdes is atrocious. If anything Almunia is better IMO.

Valdes is far better IMO, Valdes has been better than Casillas this season. Almunia isn't bad but he's probably the 6th best keeper in the League or something.

Luis wrote:

Romford Pele wrote:Err no, Valdes is atrocious. If anything Almunia is better IMO.

Valdes is far better IMO, Valdes has been better than Casillas this season. Almunia isn't bad but he's probably the 6th best keeper in the League or something.

We have 3 better keepers alone.

Reina
Given
Cech
VDS
James

----------

The rest are pretty hit and miss

Luis wrote:Reina
Given
Cech
VDS
James

----------

The rest are pretty hit and miss

Friedal
Gomes
Green
and numerous others are far better than Alumunia. Kuschak is as well. He's a terrible keeper.

Hart?
Schwarzer?
Friedel?

Romford Pele wrote:I love how COATER always assumes everything is a foregone conclusion.

I gave you a 10% chance meaning it is not a forgone conclusion.

Had I said 100% - 0% you would have a point.


Are Barcelona heavy favourites to win this game


Yes they are

how much did barca pay for pique?

Mr Vermaelen wrote:how much did barca pay for pique?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerard_Piqu%C3%A9#Return_to_Barcelona

Valdes is much better than Almunia.

Messi cannot open games against top class opposition - he has to wait for someone else to open it (eg Eto'o in CL final) before can run riot.

United was the 1st time he has really been better than shit in quite a few games against English teams and that was towards the end when United needed to be more attacking.

Usually against English sides he just dribbles 10 yards sideways all the time.

Our defenders are quicker /stronger than those at Spanish clubs.

I'm not saying he isn't very gifted and very fast but he isn't a genius - people shouldn't go too mad about his performance v Stuttgart - I'd back Heskey to get 30 goals a season in the Bundesliga.

Mr Vermaelen wrote:how much did barca pay for pique?

Something like 6 mill they got a bargain but he was their former player and had only a year left in his contract. Shame we didn't keep him with how Rio's back has been since.

Pierre Littbarski wrote:Valdes is much better than Almunia.

Messi cannot open games against top class opposition - he has to wait for someone else to open it (eg Eto'o in CL final) before can run riot.

United was the 1st time he has really been better than shit in quite a few games against English teams and that was towards the end when United needed to be more attacking.

Usually against English sides he just dribbles 10 yards sideways all the time.

Our defenders are quicker /stronger than those at Spanish clubs.

I'm not saying he isn't very gifted and very fast but he isn't a genius - people shouldn't go too mad about his performance v Stuttgart - I'd back Heskey to get 30 goals a season in the Bundesliga.

It's almost as if everyone forgot that they nearly got battered by Stuttgart in the first leg.

Pierre Littbarski wrote:

I'm not saying he isn't very gifted and very fast but he isn't a genius - people shouldn't go too mad about his performance v Stuttgart - I'd back Heskey to get 30 goals a season in the Bundesliga.

Yeah because Messi playing well in a game is a real one-off Pierre.

There are different forms of genius. Messi is special at what he does. You are clearly focusing on a Zidane type genius. Being very fast and very gifted and combining them to devastating effect as Messi does makes him a genius.

What are you talking about? No one is basing their views on Messi on the Stuttgart game. He's been raping teams for seasons, he is the best in the world by a long way and I wouldn't be surprised if he scored as many goals past Arsenal as he did Stuttgart.

Well yeh, 2 goals are quite feasable.

Luis wrote:Reina
Given
Cech
VDS
James

----------

The rest are pretty hit and miss

Given is shit
Cech has been a bit dodgy since his injury - he's no longer great.
James has always been talented but dodgy.

The best GKs in the PL (no particular order)
Hart
Schwarzer
Friedel
Gomes
Reina
VDS
Gordon
Kirkland
Cech

shazlx wrote:
Given is shit

The best GKs in the PL (no particular order)

Gomes
Gordon
Kirkland

you must be joking

COTR #6 wrote:



Yeah because Messi playing well in a game is a real one-off Pierre.

Of course it isn't you dickhead.

The whole Messi vs Campbell situation is a red herring.

I'd expect Messi to as well vs Campbell as he did vs
Terry
Vidic
Carragher

But also, it will be Vermaelen who will be playing on the left - Messi's side - and I would expect him to be able to keep up with his agility. Further to that, Clichy has come back into form and is performing very well. Clichy weaknesses are long diagonals to the winger and in particular cutting out crosses. Barca don't use long diagonals as much as they probably should and Messi doesn't cross at all. Messi has however become very good with his long shots, and with Almunia in goal...

We need to hope Busquets recovers from his injury and Guardiola continues to in his stupidity of playing him a head of Toure. Iniesta, Xavi and Toure is the best midfield in the world. Iniesta, Xavi and Busquets is significantly weaker and is very containable. Toure is the least replaceable of the three IMO - he's the one that makes most of his passes first time.

We also need to hope that Pep plays Henry on the left with Ibrah in the centre. Henry has no agility any more and won't stand a chance vs Sagna. Against Campbell he will do if he bothers to stay on side... When Ibrah plays in the centre, Barca tend to play more direct and considering Ibrah's lack of pace, Campbell should be able to deal with it.

Of course, if Silvestre plays, none of this matters...

Mr Vermaelen wrote:

shazlx wrote:
Given is shit

The best GKs in the PL (no particular order)

Gomes
Gordon
Kirkland

you must be joking

Gomes and Kirkland are two of the most talented in the league. Kirkland has major injury problems but Gomes is great. Gordon isn't great, but he's very decent.

shazlx wrote:The whole Messi vs Campbell situation is a red herring.

I'd expect Messi to as well vs Campbell as he did vs
Terry
Vidic
Carragher

But also, it will be Vermaelen who will be playing on the left - Messi's side - and I would expect him to be able to keep up with his agility. Further to that, Clichy has come back into form and is performing very well. Clichy weaknesses are long diagonals to the winger and in particular cutting out crosses. Barca don't use long diagonals as much as they probably should and Messi doesn't cross at all. Messi has however become very good with his long shots, and with Almunia in goal...

We need to hope Busquets recovers from his injury and Guardiola continues to in his stupidity of playing him a head of Toure. Iniesta, Xavi and Toure is the best midfield in the world. Iniesta, Xavi and Busquets is significantly weaker and is very containable. Toure is the least replaceable of the three IMO - he's the one that makes most of his passes first time.

We also need to hope that Pep plays Henry on the left with Ibrah in the centre. Henry has no agility any more and won't stand a chance vs Sagna. Against Campbell he will do if he bothers to stay on side... When Ibrah plays in the centre, Barca tend to play more direct and considering Ibrah's lack of pace, Campbell should be able to deal with it.

Of course, if Silvestre plays, none of this matters...

shazlx wrote:The whole Messi vs Campbell situation is a red herring.

I'd expect Messi to as well vs Campbell as he did vs
Terry
Vidic
Carragher

But also, it will be Vermaelen who will be playing on the left - Messi's side - and I would expect him to be able to keep up with his agility. Further to that, Clichy has come back into form and is performing very well. Clichy weaknesses are long diagonals to the winger and in particular cutting out crosses. Barca don't use long diagonals as much as they probably should and Messi doesn't cross at all. Messi has however become very good with his long shots, and with Almunia in goal...

We need to hope Busquets recovers from his injury and Guardiola continues to in his stupidity of playing him a head of Toure. Iniesta, Xavi and Toure is the best midfield in the world. Iniesta, Xavi and Busquets is significantly weaker and is very containable. Toure is the least replaceable of the three IMO - he's the one that makes most of his passes first time.

We also need to hope that Pep plays Henry on the left with Ibrah in the centre. Henry has no agility any more and won't stand a chance vs Sagna. Against Campbell he will do if he bothers to stay on side... When Ibrah plays in the centre, Barca tend to play more direct and considering Ibrah's lack of pace, Campbell should be able to deal with it.

Of course, if Silvestre plays, none of this matters...

Campbell

Arsenal to park their jumbo plane, and play counter attacking football against Barça. No surprises at all, the London media will hype this game as the "beautiful game between the TWO teams that play beautiful football"...BULLSHITE!

Arsenal WILL LOOK like Rubin Kazan against Barcelona, WILL LOOK like minnows just like them Mancs against Barça in last CL's Final. Having said that, Arsenal-unlike the Mancs- do have a chance to beat Barcelona. They may pull a Rubin Kazan, and any talks that Arsenal play beautiful football (NOT AGAINST THE BEST TEAM!) shall be squashed!